Married Single Mom

Bookstore Fail

2009-05-09T08:15:00.002-04:00

Hubby and I had a date night last night. Nothing big, we went to Outback and had dinner then went over to Border's to browse around.
Now I've been reading a lot online about Fibro, but these websites only have so much bandwidth so they really can't post a book's worth of info on the web. So I've been looking online at books to buy. Unless it's an author I know though, I usually prefer to look at the books before I buy them.
So, last night I wander over to the health section and start looking for the Fibro books. (this is where the fail comes in) Where do I find them? On the shelf that basically sits on the floor. I had to get down on the floor to actually look at them, and the get back up. That's painful!! Yes, the occasional non-fibro person may buy these books, but for the most part it's going to be people with Fibro that want to buy them.
Now I know that the people at Border's did not set out to cause people with Fibro pain, or make things inconvenient for them. They are following some sort of plan-o-gram I'm sure. It just annoys me though that corporate drone-ism overcomes actual caring about the customers and knowing what they sell and why.
Oh-well, I told the guy at the checkout about the bad placement. He said he would tell the manager. Next time I go in we'll see if it did any good.

High School Marching Band

2008-05-26T12:37:00.002-04:00

This is the High School Marching Band during the annual Memorial Day Parade.

Well That was quick...

2008-05-14T09:49:00.003-04:00

OK, let me update you on what has been happening.
First, my MIL has breast cancer. I'm not sure if I mentioned that in a past post. She has been going through Chemo and at the end of this month is having a double masectomy. She is doing surprisingly well, considering her age (close to 80) and is looking pretty good.
Second, my sister is pregnant. They found out about a month ago that the baby has some pretty sever heart defects and will require open heart surgery almost immedietly after it's born. Again, the prognosis is pretty good, and everyone is hopeful that she (the baby) will be out of the hospital within a month to 6 weeks.
Both of these items are stressful events, but you keep a good face on and keep your hopes up. This last week though, I got hit with another item and I just sank down into a mire of grumpiness and panic.
I had a doctor's appointment last Thursday. THAT doctor's appointment, the one every women should go to every year. Well, it's been about 4 years for me (bad Raven, bad) my last doctor got tired of paying Ohio's malpractice insurance premiums and left the state. I just never got up the energy of replacing him. Well, I finally went to a new doctor, and she's great.
During the appointment she gave me a breast exam, and found a lump and some tenderness. She gave me an order for a mamogram. Oh Joy...now I have panic and the fun of getting my tits squished. I managed to get an appointment on Monday. Most of it didn't hurt, mainly just the last one, centered around where the tenderness was. That one hurt like a bitch. They told me they would send the results to my doctor in 3 to 5 days.
I came home yesterday and there was a message from the doctor telling me everything was fine. No cancer, just a fibrocystic breast. Meaning I have an internally lumpy and thinkening breast. No big deal, beyond the fact that I will have to get mamograms on a regular basis now. :::Big sigh of relief:::
So that's why I have been rather uncommunicative. I've been a state of panic...along with my husband...who I think had an even bigger sigh of relief. I was just hit with trauma stick one too many times to handle lately.
I did have fun avoiding thinking about it though. I bought a new cell phone, went and test drove a Smart car, and dyed my hair red.

Still Here

2008-05-13T13:07:00.002-04:00

I'm still here and reading other people's blogs. I've got some serious crap going on in my own life right now and don't have much energy or mental capacity to blog about anything else at the moment.
Hopefully, this stuff should resolve itself this week or early next and I will be back.
So, everyone else...go blog...I need the distraction!

Raising Daughters

2008-04-29T13:46:00.002-04:00

I've always said that raising daughters was more difficult that sons. Considering that I only have one son...I don't have a huge test sample. But, it seems to me that with boys you teach them how to pee standing up (and try to hit the target), give them some condoms and make sure they know how to put them on.
Girls on the other hand...you have to teach about their periods, about birth control, and disease prevention, PMS, personal safety and so on.
The last one, personal safety is a big one in my book. I've taken self defense classes and read up on tips about keeping safe. I always go out to my car with my keys in my hand, pay attention to my surroundings, only use drive up ATM's. I have passsed on a lot of my tips and tricks to my girls. This weekend...one of them got a reason to use it.
Dorky Daughter was walking home from a friend's house. She had her head phones on, but the volume was low. She could still hear traffic and people. She had her cell phone in her hand. She was walking on one of the city's bike paths between 2 developments. Someone came up behind her out of the woods. They smacked the cell phone out of her hand. They then tried to grab her around the waist. She did exactly what I and her Tai-Chi teacher have pound into her head. She kicked out behind her (and made contact) and ran as soon as the person let go. She immediatly ran back to her friend's house.
She was amazing and did everything she should have. I wasn't home when this happened, I was at the craft store. When she called me and started to tell me what happened I told her to hang up and call the police. The police came and took a report. Unfortunatly all of this happened to Mandy from behind her, so she didn't see anything...just heard an "oofff" when she made contact.
Hubby was on his way to Albany...he was in Erie when I got a hold of him. He immediatly turned around and came home. Circle the wagons...we're protecting our children.
While the kids and I were waiting for Hubby to get home we decided to take back our lives and go hunting. I really didn't think we would find anyone, but it made us feel better. We drove around the 2 different developments looking for anyone limping. We didn't find anyone. My sister asked what I would have done had I found the person. "I was in my mini-van...what do you think I would have done?"
The kids are back to their normal selves...but the new rule in effect is no walking on these pathes alone.

Sooo, back to work tomorrow

2008-04-20T16:53:00.002-04:00

Well, I go back to work tomorrow. I'm actually kind of excited. I miss working. If this is what retirement is going to be like...screw it...I'll work until I drop. I don't think it would have been as bad if Hubby could have been home with me, but he had to work. I did manage to get a few small things done around the house. That made me feel a little better, not quite as useless.
We'll see how things go tomorrow. I'm still not at the top of my game, but damn I am doing so much better than I was a week ago.

I stole this off of Lemon's blog...

You Are Very Sexy

Damn! You are one hot number. You have a lot of sex appeal.
You know you're sexy, and you're not afraid to put it all out there.

And while you're very appealing, you're careful not to be trashy or over the top.
Sexy is all about attitude. And you totally have the attitude that people love.

How You Are Sexy

You are friendly and outgoing, even to people who don't deserve it. Your positive body language makes you even sexier.

Your modern look is sexy. You don't give people too much of the same old thing. You like to change it up.

You are open to all sorts of experiences, and you have a taste for the exotic. Your adventurous spirit is very sexy.

You are flirtatious and fun with most people. You know how to keep things light, friendly, and sexy.

Damn it...damn it...damn it

2008-04-10T14:55:00.003-04:00

Went for my post-op doctor's visit today. That was fun. I was supposed to go back to work on the 15th (next Tuesday) but the doctor said I'm not bouncing back quite as fast and he wants me to stay home until the 21st (a week from Monday.)
Now I know I'm not bouncing very fast...but did I really need medical confirmation on it? According to my husband...yes...since I won't listen to anyone else. What really pisses me off is that when I had a C-section and an asshole husband I pretty much came back from that in a week. I had to, asshole wasn't doing crap to help take care of the baby.
This surgery was minor compared to that, and almost a week later and I still can't sleep through the night (or on my right side) I still walk slightly hunched over. And I'm still not eating all that well. When I mentioned the C-section and how fast I got over that to my doctor, he asked how old I was then...
All Right...so it was 16+ years ago...I was much younger. Damn it!!
I feel like such a wimp!! Obviously an old wimp at that.

I'm Baaaack!!!

2008-04-08T13:14:00.002-04:00

Well, the surgery went well. I don't care much for any kind of medical visit. I only freaked out once during the pre-op...and got angry once during the post-op...so Hubby thought I was doing pretty well.
The pre-op...no one warned me that I would need a shot of Heparin...IN MY STOMACH!!! The thought of it still makes me tear up. I completely freaked out and was ready to walk out. They could have put that shot just about anywhere else on my body and I would have been fine...but my stomach?! They finally called my doctor who said, fine...but it in her thigh. Still not great...but I was willing to let that one happen.
Surgery goes off without a hitch. I wake up in the nearly empty maternity ward. The only reason I think they put me in there is because they knew I was a smoker and would attempt to escape. What made me angry though were the damn intercoms. When I'm sick or injured I need sleep to recover. I would just start drifting off and the damn intercom behind my bed would go off with them calling someone to another room. After about the 5th time of being woken up like this I got mad. Hubby had gone to get the kids from school so I had no one to stop me. I got up and put on my sweatpants and did 5 laps around the floor, right past the nurses station. Dragging along my IV and shuffling my feet...but I did it. I also managed to drag my butt into the bathroom for a couple of hit on a smoke (I know bad Raven...but I was stressing out by this point.) I had also already eaten a pretty decent sized meal and hadn't puked. They couldn't keep me anymore. So as soon as Hubby showed back up I told him to go tell the nurses to call transport and got the hell out of there.
I've been living on percoset and other "home" medications for the last few days. Today is the first time I really feel like I can sit somewhere besides the couch.
So, I'm up and moving...thanks to everyone for the good wishes. Those always help.

Offline

2008-04-03T21:43:00.003-04:00

I'll be off-line for the next few days. I'm getting a body part removed tomrrow. I'll do anything in the name of weight loss!!
Just Kidding! I'm getting my gall bladder removed tomorrow. One of the aches and pains I thought was just part of getting older turned out to actually be something that can be fixed. Damn good thing too, cause it's be causing all sorts of issues during the last week or so.
Soooo...I go under the knife tomorrow morning. Then I get 2 weeks off work.
I'll write again once Hubby leaves next Tuesday. I doubt he'll let me off the couch between now and then.
C'ya!

Overheard at dinner

2008-03-30T20:39:00.003-04:00

I overheard this while sitting at the local Bob Evans for dinner...
"No American President should be named Obama."

Now there's a reason not to vote for the man!!! Forget any of the issues or debates...just don't vote for him because of his name...

What the hell?

2008-03-28T20:58:00.002-04:00

I heard this little tid bit on the morning radio the other day. Isn't this what we want people to do? Vote for who they think will do the best job? Threatening people with legal charges if they change their party affiliation is not the way to go about it. I will admit several years ago I changed my affiliation so I could vote for a Republican. Turned out, he didn't get the nomination, so in the next primary I changed back. I guess I would be one of the ones worrying about having to go to court!!!
When did this country turn into Cuba?

St. Patty's Day Vent

2008-03-18T19:48:00.003-04:00

I worked at the Irish Heritage Club here in my town during St. Patty's Day. For the most part, it was fun. People having a good time, good music and dancing. But, there are of course a few bad apples that you want to strangle. Here is my vent...

Dear Drunk Old Man, No, you may not sleep in the chair at the end of the bar. That is a prime spot, when you are sleeping you are not buying anything, hence wasting the space. If you are that tired and drunk, GO HOME! When you do wake up, don't get cranky with me. No I cannot sell you the chips on the rack behind the bar. As I told you the last 5 times we are working on tickets only this one day. I have NO cash behind the bar and those chips are not on the menu. You want chips, you are going to have to get you butt up out of that chair and go buy a ticket and go where they are selling the food. Oh, you're going to report me to the board...fine...I'm doing this as a volunteer...I could care less. There's the Board President...complain to him. Thanks for not leaving a tip!
No Love, Raven

Dear Board President, Just because cranky old man has been a member since Jesus walked the earth does not mean to you have to give in to him. The .67 cents you told me take and just keep and give him the chips did not make up for his abuse.
Pissed off, Raven

Parent of a couple dozen or so Unruly Children,
We are not a babysitting service. Paying the dollar for them to get in the door does not mean you go off drinking and let them run wild. They tore up the closed hall, almost knocked down several elderly members, tried breaking into the candy machine for the money that goes to charity, spilled drinks on the dance floor, and were generally disrespectful. And when we tell you that the hall we just cleaned up from your little darlings is closed...so no you can't go in there with your little darling and use the bathroom, don't get pissy...yes, we are very satisfied with ourselves.
Too old for this shit, Raven

Unruly Children,
Are you being raised in a barn? I know you don't pull this kind of crap at school or church...what makes you think you can do it here? Yes, those are St. Bernards living at the house next door...don't go near them...see the sign...no you can't pet them...the sign is there for a reason...yes they are cute...no do not go over there...awww sorry did the barking scare you...maybe if you read the GOD DAMN SIGN!!! Oh, so a half hour later when I catch you and your friends throwing snowballs at them...yeah that will make them more friendly. You're lucky I didn't call the cop that is making his rounds for that crap. Get the hell away from there.
Wanting to give you a good smack, Raven

Everyone who is not a regular at the pub, Leave a god damn tip. I've already worked 8 hours at my normal job. I got roped into doing this with the promise of decent tips, so I'm working another 8 hours. Just because we are doing a ticket system doesn't mean you shouldn't leave a tip. Especially when you've been up to the bar 8 times in the last hour or so. Leave a buck or two. The rest of you, don't get upset when I don't know how to make some fancy smancy drink. I don't do this for a living...as it says on the door...we're volunteers back here. You want to drink it, maybe you should know what the heck is in it.
Sober and not happy about it, Raven

That's my vent. My regulars at the bar were what made it fun. They were a blast and I had a good time hanging out with them. For my 8 hours behind the bar I made $50 in tips. Any regular bar I would have easily cleared a couple hundred. Almost all of that came from the regulars. The rest were cheap bastards.

Medication Hangover

2008-03-16T18:43:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. I spent the weekend on the couch...medicated. This was not entirly by choice. Hubby growled at me if I attempted anything more than going to the bathroom. So I took my medicine like a good girl. Thankfully Hubby left early today which meant I could get up and move around! Yeah!!!
I promised him I would call tomorrow for the follow up (ultrasound) that the emrgency room wanted. I'm also working behind the bar tomorrow during the St. Patty's Day goings ons...hubby wasn't too pleased with that...but growling long distance doesn't have quite the same effect.
Right now I just want to get over my medication hangover and get on with my life.

Getting Older

2008-03-14T15:08:00.002-04:00

:::grumbling::: damn age...things starting to hurt...not working right...pain...damn

So I've spent yesterday in some pain. I spent some time on WebMD...came to some conclusions that it was kidney stone...or appendicitis. No fever...so go with the kidney stone. Nothing they can really do about that, and I'm not a big believer in pain meds...they make me even more loopy than I am normally.
Hurt even more thins morning...getting ready to go to work I had a rip roaring pain and fainted. Hubby took me to the hospital...I bitched the entire time. It still hurt...but it was better. Turns out I have ovarian cycts and one burst. Ohhh goody. Even more doctor visits will now follow. I HATE going to the doctor.
This aging thing really sucks!!!

Time at Possum Lodge

2008-03-10T21:19:00.002-04:00

I went up to the wilds of NY to visit my friends Capt and Norton. I'm sure I will have several posts on that visit, I am mulling several things over in my little brain.
But for this quick post I just want to comment on Norton. I lost touch with him for a few years. I didn't even know he moved until a last summer...and then I didn't know where.
Norton (not his real name) is one of the biggest hearted people I know. He has a tendancy to take in injured souls and heal them. He asks for nothing for himself. I've watched him do this time after time and am amazed at his capacity for love...whether he belives in that concept or not is not relevant in my mind...I know it's true of him.
So this post is dedicated to Norton. He is a wonderful person and I am a better person for knowing him.

Back!

2008-03-10T09:21:00.001-04:00

I made it back in one piece! I got trapped another day up in the wilds of New York thanks to the blizzard the blew through.
I'll update more later!

And I'm Off

2008-03-07T11:10:00.002-05:00

OK everyone, I'm off to the wilds of New York State. Gods help us, there is a snow storm on the way...I'm hoping to beat it. If you don't hear from me for a while, I got lost. Someone come rescue me. Bring tea, a manicurist, and anything else that is needed for a civilized life. From what I hear this place is in the boonies...and I'm from the suburbs. I may not make it out alive.

Crazy Eights

2008-03-04T09:36:00.003-05:00

All the upper management is at a trade show...I'm bored and don't really feel like working much...so here is my entertainment for the morning. I stole this off of Skyler's Dad's Blog by the way.

8 Things I’m Passionate About - My kids, My husband, my friends, my pets, reading, holidays, doing things my own way, love

8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die - sky dive, travel Europe, live in Arizona, have hubby to myself for a few years, have a convertible, see the Aurora Borealius, see a cure for cancer be widely and cheaply distributed, Walk in the 3 day breast cancer walk

8 Things I Say Often - Bite me, dammit, fuc..fuc...fuuucccckkkk, Goth Girl have you done your homework?, Dorky Daughter calm down I can't understand you, I love you, No, What the....

8 Books I’ve Read Recently - The Golden Compass, I Feel Bad about my neck, Freakonomics, The Way things Were, The 13th Tale, Small Town Girl, A Short History of Nearly Everything, Darkest Night of the Year

8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over - Take on Me by Ah-ha, Amazed by Lonestar, Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood, Bitch by Meredith Brooks, Sweet Child O'Mine by Gun's and Roses, I Need a Hero by Bonnie Tyler, Hotel California by Eagles, Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf

8 Things That Attract Me to My Best Friends - Humor, loyalty, don't take offense easily, can take it as well as they give it, willing to accept me the way I am, don't get upset when I worry about them, keep my teenage antics to themselves and don't tell hubby, fun

I stole this from Real Live Lesbian's site... (Just FYI, I hate this movie)

What Classic Movie Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

Cowards in the Neighborhood

2008-02-20T18:18:00.003-05:00

Guess what I got in today's mail! An anonymous note!! How special! The envelope was a plain white business size, made out to Resident and our address. Someone had typed it up and then taped it to the envelope. Inside was a small slip of paper (guess we aren't worth a whole sheet) with this typed on it,
"It is not Christmas anymore.....
Be respectful of your neighbors, I am one of them.
Keep our street looking great."
My first though was not a pleasent one...several very vulgar words tripped through my brain. But I did not react to them. My next thought was to run out to Drug Mart and get some window markers and write "Bite Me!" on my front windows. That is still a possibility.
Now I will admit my outside Christmas decorations are still up. They have not been on though since a day or two after New Years. Since then we have either been fridgedly cold, flooded, or really really busy. The decorations aren't hurting anyone. I don't even have a lot of them. A couple of strings of lights, a light up plastic Santa, and a small inflatable that's been flat (and mostly buried in snow) since New Years.
So, I have several ideas in mind on what to do in retaliation for this cowardly letter. But, I finally agreed with my hubby on the best thing to do...I went outside and turned the decorations back on.
I want to make sure they know I got the letter!

What the...

2008-02-16T12:43:00.003-05:00

Who wakes up in worse condition than when they went to bed? OK, I can see in some cases like being drunk...waking up in worse condition...there might be a few others. But I am trying to figure out how I managed it. I was not drunk, hadn't sone any major physical exertion...hubby wasn't home so the trapeeze wasn't in play. I woke up on Valentine's Day with my back tied up in knots.
Now thankfully it's my upper back and around my neck, not my lower back. So I can twist at the waist...but do not ask me to move my arms above my head or move my head more than the smallest amount.
I struggled through work on Valentine's Day. I ate over the counter pain killers like they were candy. I went drug seeking to a friend who has 2 nurses in her family...struck out. I went home and lived in the bathtub for several hours.
I went to bed with heating pads on my back and neck. Woke up the next morning...no better. Damn...
I wasn't going to spend that day sitting at work in pain, so I took the day off. I spent the morning sitting in my living room trying to determine if I could manage to get dressed for a trip to Walgreens. I did finally managed to get dressed, but I couldn't manage shoes...so I went in my slippers. I got to Walgreens got more heating pads and the strongest over the counter drugs I could manage. I did ask the pharmacist if they were giving away any free samples of vicodin...no luck there.
I managed to get back home...sat in my driveway for awhile trying to get up the nerve to go through the stabbing pain it caused trying to get out of the damn van. I finally got in the house and pput the new heating pads on...which no matter what they say DO NOT STICK!!! So I strapped them on with a bunch of cursing, wincing, and duck tape!
Dinner last night was Chinese take out. No way I was cooking!
This morning I'm actually feeling better. I managed to take a shower, which helped. The most painful thing so far has been taking the old heating pad off and putting on a new one. That involved a teenager ripping off the old duck tape and putting a new layer on. I think they enjoyed it, the little brats.
So, I'm back up and moving...but I still want to know what the hell happened? Is this part of getting older? Or did my dreams involve beating the shit out of me a few nights ago.

I think someone is going to get fired over this one

2008-02-13T21:29:00.004-05:00

Went on my local news station website and what do I find...

Oooooops!!

Let's see...

2008-02-04T20:20:00.000-05:00

What's going on in my life at the moment. Nothing particularly good...
I take that back, there are a few good things. Dorky Daughter turned 16 last month. Gods help us all. She has started driver's ed. She also got her top braces off. She is learning to talk again! The retainer makes it a bit hard.
The other good news is I've found several members of my Dad's family. My parent's cut them out many many years ago for some unknown reason. After the fiasco this past spring with my mom and her family...I decided to start looking for Dad's family. Mom is not a dependable witness as to acceptable family behavior. Her reasons for cutting out her own brother are ridiculous...I'm betting the reasons for cutting out Dad's family are just as bad. SO!! I looked around depending on 30 year old memories, and half remebered names. I finally struck pay dirt on Facebook.com when I found someone I pegged as one of my cousins. I was right...and now I've found a whole bunch of relatives! Yeah!!!
That's about it for the good. Now on to the sucks...
Work sucks...there was an error made that cost the company about $20,000 in gross margin. I had a very small part in the error...but most of it happened out in the warehouse. I have the feeling they would love to pin the fault on me, but I have way too much documentation showing where the fuck up actually happened. Love that CYA mentality! My boss called me into her office about a week ago to discuss the problem. Thankfully I had all my ducks in a row. She made a comment about how a company that only clears $100,000 a year...losing $20,000 is a big deal. I just sat there making small noises about yes it was a big deal...we need to get the process fixed...all the while thinking what kind of company sells $10,000,000 in product a month and can't make a $100,000 profit a year...who's fault is that? (And no...we aren't a non-profit)
To top that...right when that suck was at it's height and I was completly bummed...I got another hit that dwarfed it. We went to visit my mother-in-law and while we were up there she tells us she has breast cancer. I'm closer to my mother-in-law that I am to my own mother. That really hit hard. She starts chemo this week. Hopefully things will go well. She didn't let anyone go with her to the doctor's appointments, so we hope she is telling us the truth when she says she had a good prognosis. She would say that just so we wouldn't worry.
Hearing that basically made my problem at work almost disappear.
Sorry for not writing in awhile, I've been trying to sort things out in my own brain. So, after writing all of this out...I feel better. I need to get my positive attitude back...starting tomorrow when I walk into work!

Corporate Structure...

2008-01-23T12:10:00.000-05:00

It only takes one "oh shit" to wipe out about 10 "atta girl". :::sigh:::

Gratuitous TV and other indulgences

2008-01-07T00:21:00.000-05:00

Now I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. I have my idiot moments, I had to work really hard for my grades. I do have an MBA, but I graduated with no particular distinction. I also know I am not on the bottom rung...but there are some things I will not give up no matter how idiotic they make me seem.
1. Romance novels - I love romance novels. People who go around saying that they raise women's expectations to unreachable levels are dorks. I read tons of romance novels and have no illusions that my hubby is going to sweep me away to a castle to eat bon-bons all day. (Though he did sweep me away once when we were engaged. I and one of my kids was horribly sick and I was getting no rest and getting worse. He took a day off work and took care of all of us.)
2. Dancing in a warm summer rain - I love going out in a warm summer rain and dancing around in it. It just makes me feel alive and free. I spare the neighborhood and keep my clothes on, but the rest...they're just going to have to deal with it.
3. Gratuitous TV - They brought back a TV show that I loved the first time around, and now it's back. There is absolutely no redeeming qualities to it, it's nothing but pure enjoyment of watching...American Gladiator!! Even worse my two girls watched it with me...and loved it. (included in this category is Survivor and Amazing Race)
There are other things...but those are the top three that I doubt I will EVER give up...
So if anyone is looking for me, you'll find me in a corner, curled up with a good romance except tomorrow night, when I'll be watching American Gladiator again.

Happy New Years!!

2007-12-31T17:13:00.000-05:00

New Years is always a fun time. Remembering back, I remember my first New Year's party. It was with friends and we all had a great time. I was a freshman in high school. No alcohol was involved, just friends, talking, a few games, and lots of yelling and giving kisses at midnight.
My first New Years married to my ex was in a basically empty apartment with a small 13 inch TV. We had been married about 6 weeks. His sister came over and brought a bottle on champagne (we weren't legal yet). For several years after that New Years involved going out to bars and celebrating. I never enjoyed that as much. Being slightly claustrophobic the cram at the bars makes me a little ill. (Plus the last years I was in the military I went to a bar with a "boyfriend" who was an alcoholic and didn't know when to stop! Can you sat PITA?)
Since I moved back home I celebrate at home. Neighbors come over, we play LRC, drink, eat, and generally have a good time. I was talking to a co-worker and she was talking about going out on New Years and asking what I was doing. I always say I worry about being out on the streets rather than explaining my phobias. She says they always have a "driver" so they don't have to worry about that. It made me stop and think for a moment. Could I have more fun being out on the town with hubby, going to a country club in a limo, dressed up and dancing...nope! I'm going to have a ball in my fleece lined jeans, slippers, drinking margaritas, eating good food surrounded by my family and friends.
I hope everyone has plans that they will enjoy and have a wonderful New Years celebration!

Who the Heck are these Kids!?

2007-12-27T10:48:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I woke up this morning and the dishes were done, the living room picked up, some laundry folded, dining room table cleaned off...
I would have thought the housework fairies came last night, but there were a few signature marks of this being my kids cleaning. They never clean without me having to ask...never! It makes me think one of two things...aliens abducted my kids and replaced them with neat freaks...or this is going to cost us a lot!
I'm at work right now and hubby says the kids are still sleeping, so we are waiting to see if their eyes glow like they are possessed by some cleaning demon when they wake up.

Hope Everyone had a Great Christmas!!

2007-12-26T11:44:00.001-05:00

It was a great day here. The kids loved all of their gifts, the food was excellent, the living room looked like only a minor bomb hit it. All in all it was a good day.

Merry Christmas!!!

2007-12-24T23:08:00.000-05:00

All the baking is done! All the presents are wrapped. I've settled down with a long winter's draft...

OK...it's actually a glass of wine, but I'm allowed a little poetic license.

We did the Christmas Eve thing at my folks! It was fun. The best part...my sister announced she's pregnant!! They just found out this morning. So it's early on...but I'm terribly excited. REVENGE!!! It's my turn to buy noisy presents, get them hyped up on sugar...and send them home!

I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Busy Busy Busy

2007-12-18T22:56:00.001-05:00

Sorry all, I have been very busy and neglecting my blog (writing and reading)...email...IM's. I've just haven't been able to find the time to do anything online.
So, what have I been up to?
Thanksgiving was good. I did not have to eat at the "kids" table. I actually got my normal seat. The turkey was excellent and my parents were in pretty good moods.
The very next weekend we all got together for our yearly Christmas fondue at my sister's house. This was with all of the kids and it's funny to watch my sister try and get over her OCD having teenagers in the house.
So two weekends in a row we had huge ass meals. Plus, I went shopping on Black Friday. I have a love/hate thing going with Kohls. I love their Black Friday sales...but the line on Black Friday makes me nuts.
Work has been busy as hell! End of year, trying to meet goals I made for myself, decorating the front case (I have a degree in Marketing...not Merchandising...grrr).
I have been baking up a storm. Sugar cookie cut outs are done a decorated, chocolate chips are cooling as I type this, Shortbread is in the fridge firming up, the peanut brittle and molasses crinkles have already been consumed. I still have Russian tea cakes, chocolate clouds, and Hubby's mom's sugar cookies to make. If I have time I will also make another batch of molasses crinkles...I barely got any of them...damn kids.
Last weekend my cousin graduated from college. She is moving to Phoenix sometime between Christmas and New Years. I drove down to Columbus during the worst snow storm of the year (so far). A trip that usually takes 2 1/2 hours took 4. The party was fun, I got to see my family and meet several of their friends. We left at the end and started home. The roads were much better. I was still was very very careful. But, not careful enough. I spun out and hit a guard rail near Rte 13 on 71N. I need a new manicure, as I tore off two nails. Dippy Daughter got a knock to the head but not too bad, and Goth girl was unscathed. The EMT's from Troy Township were very nice...the police office who gave me a ticket, wasn't quite as nice...but oh well. The tow truck took the girls and I to an all night Steak n Shake. Hubby came down and got us. We got home around 3am.
Monday morning we went to the body shop (Thank the Gods for AAA Gold). I hit the driver side back corner of the car. The body shop gave us a time estimate. We went to Enterprise an got our rental car. What a pain in the ass.
In between all of this have been band concerts, choir concerts, wrapping gifts, helping with school projects, laundry out the whazoo, and basically trying to get the house in order for Christmas.
So, that's been my busy life lately. I hope to get back to normal after the holidays. So don't think I've abandoned everyone!

Thanksgiving 2007 (sigh)

2007-11-20T15:32:00.000-05:00

Sigh…I love Thanksgiving. It’s up there behind only Christmas and Halloween. I am not looking forward to it this year. Between what my mother did to my uncle and cousins in the spring, and how she has behaved towards me since then…I really just don’t want to be anywhere near her.
I’m planning on self medicating to keep me a little more mellow, but it’s going to be a long day. It could very easily be one of my parent’s last Thanksgiving. My father has a heart condition and emphysema. I found out from my kids that he is using oxygen more and more. My mother has a heart condition and diabetes and is severely overweight. She won’t do a thing about it. It makes me sad that even knowing that, I really just do not want to go.
I did think of two things that made me smile though. The first is that this is the first meal I’ve had over at my folk’s house since the blow up in the spring. For years we have all had specific places we sit at the table. My place (since I was a very small child) was to the left of my dad. I’m curious to see if I get displaced this year. Considering I am pretty sure I have already been written out of will, I find the idea of this rather humorous. I’m trying to get my hubby to bet with me to see if I’ve been moved to a more anonymous place at the Thanksgiving table.
The second is that dinner is at my parent’s house. Hubby and I have done Thanksgiving almost every year since we’ve been married. Because of this, if things get too terrible I can claim a horrible migraine and leave!
Thankfully I will have my morning to myself and my family so I will have plenty of time to prepare and enjoy the parade and holiday in our own home.

10 RULES FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER AT MY HOUSE

2007-11-16T15:47:00.000-05:00

I got this in an email, and liked it so much I'm thinking about stitching a damn sampler of it. I would add one of my own though...I'll put it at the bottom.

1. Don't get in line asking questions about the food. "Who made the
potato salad? Is it egg in there? Are the greens fresh? Is the meat in
the greens turkey or pork? Who made the macaroni and cheese? What kind
of pie is that? Who made it?" Ask one more question and I will punch you
in your mouth, knocking out all your fronts so you won't be able to eat
anything.

2. If you can't walk or are missing any limbs, sit your ass down until
someone makes your plate for you. Dinner time is not the time for you to
be independent. Nibble on them damn pecans and walnuts to hold you over
until someone makes you a plate.

3. If you have kids under the age of twelve, I will escort their little
asses to the basement and bring their food down to them. They are not
gonna tear my damn house up this year. Tell them that they are not
allowed upstairs until it's time for Uncle Butchie to start telling
family stories about their mommas and papas. If they come upstairs for
any reason except for that they are bleeding to death, I will break a
foot off in their asses!

4. There is going to be one prayer for Thanksgiving dinner! JUST ONE! We
do not care that you are thankful that your 13 year old daughter gave
birth to a healthy baby or your nephew just got out of jail. Save that
talk for somebody who gives a damn. The time limit for the prayer is one
minute. If you are still talking after that one minute is up, you will
feel something hard come across your lips and they will be swollen for
approximately 20 minutes.

5. Finish everything on your plate before you go up for seconds! If you
don't, you will be cursed out and asked to stay your greedy ass home
next year!

6. BRING YOUR OWN TUPPERWARE!! Don't let me catch you fixing yourself a
plate in my good Tupperware knowing damn well that I will never see it
again! Furthermore, if you didn't bring anything over, don't let me
catch you making a plate period or it will be a misunderstanding.

7. What you came with is what you should leave with!! Do not leave my
house with anything that doesn't belong to you. EVERYBODY WILL BE
SUBJECTED TO A BODY SEARCH COMING AND GOING OUT OF MY DOMAIN!!!

8. Do not leave your kids so you can go hopping from house to house.
This is not a DAYCARE CENTER! There will be a kid-parent roll call every
ten minutes. Any parent that is not present at the time of roll call,
your child will be put outside until you come and get him or her. After
24 hours, I will call Children Services on your ignorant ass!!

9. BOOK YOUR HOTEL ROOM BEFORE YOU COME INTO TOWN!! There will be no
sleeping over at my house! You are to come and eat dinner and take your
ass home or to your hotel room. EVERYBODY GETS KICKED THE HELL OUT AT
11:00 pm. You will get a 15 minute warning bell ring.

10. Last but not least! ONE PLATE PER PERSON!! This is not a soup
kitchen. I am not trying to feed your family until Christmas dinner! You
will be supervised when you fix your plate. Anything over the
appropriate amount will be charged to you before you leave. There will
be a cash register at the door. Thanks to Cousin ______ and his greedy
ass family, we now have a credit card machine! So VISA and MASTERCARD
are now being accepted. NO FOOD STAMPS OR ACCESS CARDS YET!

My own rule to fit in there is to always make sure my wine glass is full, and don't talk to me while I'm drinking!

Black Friday Cometh...

2007-11-01T19:17:00.000-04:00

I have been going out shopping for years on Black Friday. (That’s the day after Thanksgiving for those of you who don’t follow this tradition.) Usually I get up around 5am and I’m out of the house by 5:30am at the latest. I’ve always had one big problem though, I don’t get a newspaper. Why should I? I’ve always gotten my news via CNN or online.
Not getting a newspaper for Black Friday can be a big problem. You don’t know where the sales are for the items you are looking for, or if maybe the electronics store a little farther down the street has a better deal on the DVD you are looking at. Not getting a paper means you are wandering around blind.
This year though, I am going to be prepared. I found this website and I am going to use it to its fullest.
thanksgiving ads
Now granted there are a few stores in there that don’t apply to my area of the country, but there are a ton that are and I am going to make use of them! Plus I don’t have to deal with flipping through the ads in the paper, which always end up all over the place. I can go to the stores I know I want to go to and look at exactly what I want.
That’s just too cool!

Spooky Ghostie Goulies

2007-10-31T21:33:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween Everyone! We just finished our usual Halloween Party. This party has mainly been a kid thing for years. Friends and family would bring over their kids after trick-or-treating and we would have cider and donuts and the kids would trade candy back and forth. This year they brought friends...only a couple actually went out, but the adults had cider (with a shot of brandy) and talked. There was apple dunking, but that was really it for the games. Then the teenager split up and talked and so did the adults.
With everyone gone now I can come on and post the pictures I've been saving since Labor Day. You might remember the girls and I went to West Virginia for a white water rafting trip over the Labor Day Weekend. Well, one night while were down there we went on a walking ghost tour. It was a really cool tour and we learned lots about the area and the history of the Civil War battles fought there. I took the following (creepy) pictures in the old Veterans Hall in Berkley West Virginia.

Anyone notice all the orbs?! I can say that I took a ton of pictures all weekend, and since then and never had these kinds of orbs show up. Also, the hall was pitch black and there were no lights to account for the orbs, or anyone else taking pictures at the same time.

Very freaky!! So that's my little ghost story for the Halloween night. If you are ever in Beckley WV. I would recommend taking the tour.

I hope everyone had a great night! I hope the goulies don't get you while you sleep!

The things you find

2007-10-26T23:03:00.000-04:00

I was decluttering the drawer where I keep the phone books. There was various other papers and packets in there. One interesting thing I found was a packet of papers from a creative writing class I took in college. Stuck in those pages was an item I wrote all on my own back in 1994 before the writing course. I didn't really have anything else to write about so I thought I would share.

Boomerang
We move out of our parent's house with the intention of never coming back, except for short visits. We are young, strong, and ready to take on the world. We look at the challenges presented to us and say to ourselves, "I can do this, this is nothing." The world looks back at is and says, "Yeah, right kid." We find ourselves in a quagmire of rent, job hunting, utilities, job hunting, car payments, job hunting, and all the other bills involved in living an independent life. Learning how to manipulate our checking accounts becomes an art. The credit cards are maxed and the dog is about to be repossessed. We learn that being an adult is not all it was touted to be. This is supposed to be the time when we could do anything and not be accountable to our parents. Now, we are accountable to our bank, our boss, our credit cards, and the utilities. So much for being carefree. The transition from our parents house to our own domicile is not always easy. There is much to be learned and experienced. But what about then the process is reversed? This should be easy, moving into a situation that we lived in for 18 or more years. Our parent's look at us and say, "Yeah, right kid."
When the joint decision to move back to your parent's home, there might be problems encountered that were not anticipated. Such as where do you sleep? If your parents have turned your room into a library or possibly a exercise room, there could be a problem with the sleeping arrangements. Sleeping on a treadmill may inspire you to get in shape but it would probably not be conducive to sound sleeping. The possibility of having enough room for all of your possessions is nil. When you left your parent's house you owned a twin size mattress which has grown into a king size waterbed. Your TV and stereo system alone could take up an entire wall. The merging of two households can be frustrating and painful on both sides.
Your parents think that the collection of beer cans from around the world a bit much for living room decoration. You tend to thing that the chintz furniture covers have got to go. The room you once lived in is now entirely too small, and how exactly are you supposed to fit your 5 piece bedroom suite around the ski machine that sits in the middle of the room. Your parents are wondering how they are going to find there Christmas decorations with all of your stuff now sitting in the attic. The blending of two households has more than once led to a horrifying compromise, a garage sale.
You try and sell your kitchen table and 3 mis-matched chairs for $10, while your mother is busy trying to make sure nothing important has come out of the house to be sold, like her good china. The money derived for from this garage sale can be spent on pizza and beer for later that night, and co-payments for anti-depressants later. For after these sales it comes home to both parents and the child that most of the young adults possessions are now gone, they will not be leaving anytime soon.

Interesting way of thinking of things

2007-10-23T16:03:00.000-04:00

I heard this on the TV the other night. I really wasn't paying much attention, I don't even know what was on, but this little segment stuck with me.

500 Years ago we didn't know about Pluto.
5 Years ago it was a planet.
Yesterday it was not a planet.
Has Pluto changed? No, just our perception of it.

So, our perception of something as large as Pluto changed it in our minds. Made us recatalog it in our brains. Now, granted, Pluto is not a huge impact on any of our lives. But can we use that same philosophy on our own lives?

How much can the problems of our lives be made better if we just change our perception of the issue. The issue itself does not change, but we can try turning it from something that controls our life to something we can control.

Sorry, that's today's heavy thought.

On a lighter note, I decided I was being entirely too serious at the office and when I got my nails done this week I had them paint little jack-o-lanterns on them. It should be fun to watch the reactions.

You Know You are a Local When...

2007-10-17T09:03:00.000-04:00

I grew up in Northeast Ohio. Except for 5 years in the Air Force, I've lived here most of my life. Do I like it here? No, not really. Too conservative in their politics and beliefs for my taste, but I did not want to move once my kids started school, so I got stuck here...again.
Today though, I realized how funny it is to be a long time local. There was a bad accident on I-90 this morning. It was on the other side of the highway than I was traveling. The entire highway on the east bound side was closed. Traffic was backed up for miles.
I was listening to the radio on the way to work and they mentioned the accident. They were recommending a detour. I wanted to call the radio station and tell them that traffic was backed up way beyond the point of where they were telling people to get off the highway. The problem was, I didn't know the name of the street or exit number of where people should get off the freeway. I've lived here too long. I just know it as the "Mall" exit. I have no need to know the name or number of the street.
I'm like that old farmer giving directions..."Go down to Cooter's field and turn left, then turn right at the intersection near where the Brown's barn burned down in 1992." It's bad. I tried to remember several other exits or street and realized if I really think about it, I can come up with a few of the names, but no where near even half of them.
I'm trying to decide if this is something I should correct. I've been driving these streets most of my life, do I really need to know the names? The only reason I have come up with so far is that my kids are starting to get their driver's licenses. When I call and ask, "Where the hell are you?" I might want to "really" know where the hell they are!

Heat Vampire

2007-10-15T14:58:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of the coming Halloween Holiday I thought I would share my hubby's name for me. Most Hubby's call their wives sweetie, honey, something cute and sweet. What does mine call me...Heat Vampire!
Now I have mentioned several times on here that I am a freeze baby. I am almost always cold. I have very low blood pressure (90/60) to the point of my doctor recommending I keep eating salt. Needless to say my blood does not move around my body easily. Because of this I am known for wearing a sweater and jeans in the middle of summer if the air conditioning is up too high. I keep blankets close at hand. I have a very nice sized heater for my office. My favorite way to warm up though...is to attach myself to my hubby. He is always warm. ALWAYS! He wears short sleeves shirts in the winter.
I love to snuggle up in bed with him. When he rolls over, I roll over and plaster myself right up next to him. (This has promted me to try and convince him to get rid of the king size bed and go for a queen or maybe even a full size.)
We go to one of the local football games, I am trying to crawl inside his coat with him. If my hands are cold I go looking for him to hold my hand for a couple of minutes. For the most part, hubby doesn't mind all of this. He does like to tease me though about being a heat vampire.
So far I have found being a Heat Vampire is not all that restrictive. I cannot be out in the cold for long...and any time spent out there means I need to have hot chocolate when I come inside. So far there is no aversion to garlic and I do love to worship the sun.
Sooner or later this Heat Vampire will be moving to friendlier climates...Arizona more than likely. But for now, I must go eat my popcorn with extra salt and put another blanket on the bed, hubby is out of town until Thursday!

The Mom Song!!

2007-10-04T06:51:00.001-04:00

This is just too funny to pass up. My kids watched it and said that it's true.

ABC's

2007-10-02T18:43:00.000-04:00

1. A is for age: 36
2. B is for beer of choice: Ehh, not much. I really don't drink much beer. When I do I'll drink just about anything but Coors.
3. C is for career right now: Title Database Administrator
4. D is for your dog's name: Fritz
5. E is for essential item you use everyday: Face Cream, hand cream, and my iPod.
6. F is for favorite TV show at the moment: This is difficult...Umm Jericho, Journeyman, CSI, and Heroes...that;s the most I can narrow it down.
7. G is for favorite game: Dominoes
8. H is for Home town: Avon Lake (groan)
9. I is for instruments you play: Does spoons count? If not then nothing, I'm not into putting in the practice time to learn one.
10. J is for favorite juice: Any kind with Cranberry juice in it.
11. K is for whose butt you'd like to kick: I'll just say it's a family member...I'm not going to say anymore than that.
12. L is for last place you ate: My dining room table
13. M is for marriage: For 7 years now.
14. N is for your full name: Online, it's Raven. It's a nickname left over from High School
15. O is for overnight hospital stays: The only overnights I've had is the birth of my girls. Other than that, everything has been outpatient.
16. P is for people you were with today: Co-workers and kids.
17. Q is for quote: Children really brighten up a household - they never turn the lights off. -- Ralph Bus
18. R is for Biggest Regret: I didn't tell off my boss at Invacare when I had the chance.
19. S is for status: Ummm...married...mother...vetran...I need more direction on this one.
20. T is for time you woke up today: 5:45am...hubby calls me every morning and wakes me up.
21. U is for underwear you have on now: Maroon with maroon lace.
22. V is for vegetable you love: Peas
23. W is for worst habit: Bad temper...it takes a lot to get me going, but once it happens there is no stopping me.
24. X is for x-rays you've had: I've had several on my knees, one on my arm and one of my lungs.
25. Y is for yummy food you ate today: Cocoa Pops cereal. I have a soar throat so I've mainly been drinking stuff.
26. Z is for the zodiac sign: Aries

Nerds Rule

2007-09-23T20:46:00.000-04:00

I stole this from Duffie...

The Beginning of Middle Age?

2007-09-18T22:27:00.001-04:00

When does middle age really start? Is it a specific age? Do you take the average age and divide it in thirds and call the middle one middle age? Is it a state of mind? Is it when you start getting grey hair?
I really need to know. If it's a state of mind, then I'm still somewhere in my early twenties. If it's the grey hair, I started that in around my 25th birthday.
The reason I asked is because I was losing it last night. At some point I took my iPod out of my purse and put it on the counter in the kitchen. Maybe 5 minutes later I started looking through my purse for my iPod, and getting more freaked out by the second. My daughter finally found it.
I am trying to get my act together to come upstairs. There were 3 things I wanted to take up with me...my iPod, my smokes, and a Mikes Hard Lemonade. I finally get the iPod, then I can't find my smokes. I finally find those and I can't find my Mike's. Finally find the Mike's, I've laid down my iPod somewhere...
It was a terrible cycle. I kept laying stuff down and forgetting (within a minute) where the hell I put it. I finally get my act together and got upstairs. I started wondering though, is this the beginning of middle age...or just early onset of Alzheimer's? Or am I just a complete ADD?

I think I got the wrong kid...

2007-09-11T09:50:00.000-04:00

Every few weeks I get sick of seeing the laundry pile not getting any smaller. Granted it's not getting any bigger either, just maintaining a status quo. When I get this laundry frustration I do about 7 loads in a day. I hit this wall yesterday. I have done several loads over last 12 hours and have told the kids tonight we are having a sock party. A sock party is where we take the cute little wicker basket sitting of the front porch (enclosed) full of socks that have lost their mates and reunite them.
They both rolled their eyes and said, "fine..." I guess sock parties are not the height of teenage entertainment.
Looking at my youngest though I'm betting I get a fight tonight about it. My little Goth Girl has a tendency to go into the sock basket and pull out the most colorful and mis-matched socks and wears those. (This has a tendency to exasperate the problem of matching up the socks, but that is something I will save for later and probably end up telling my therapist when I finally crack.) I know the argument I'm going to get, "I don't wear matching socks, why do I have to attend this sock party."
I think somehow I ended up with with a friend of mine's kid, he never wore matching socks either.

Oh What a Book!

2007-09-10T13:08:00.000-04:00

If you are female and in your mid 30's to early 40's you must read Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress.
I am laughing my ass off. I listen to audio books while at work. I'm used to a noisy work area and my office is just too quiet. So I put on books in the background. Usually they are books where I can miss a chapter or two and not really notice it, but this book is going to get me fired if I don't get my act together. It is hilarious.
For those of us that grew up with parents who survived the 60's, and the reprecussion of it, you will remember things you forgot, things you wish you could forget, and things that make you say, "Oh Shit...I did the exact same thing..."
Men might also enjoy it, but it is written for girls.
Go, call the library, this book will bring a smile to your face and a laugh to your soul.

Assault by Salt

2007-09-09T15:42:00.000-04:00

I read this news story today...

Oversalted burger leads to charges
UNION CITY, Ga. - A McDonald's employee spent a night in jail and is facing criminal charges because a police officer's burger was too salty, so salty that he says it made him sick.
Kendra Bull was arrested Friday, charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct and freed on $1,000 bail.

Bull, 20, said she accidentally spilled salt on hamburger meat and told her supervisor and a co-worker, who "tried to thump the salt off."

On her break, she ate a burger made with the salty meat. "It didn't make me sick," Bull told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

But then Police Officer Wendell Adams got a burger made with the oversalted meat, and he returned a short time later and told the manager it made him sick.

Bull admitted spilling salt on the meat, and Adams took her outside and questioned her, she said.

"If it was too salty, why did (Adams) not take one bite and throw it away?" said Bull, who has worked at the restaurant for five months. She said she didn't know a police officer got one of the salty burgers because she couldn't see the drive-through window from her work area.

Police said samples of the burger were sent to the state crime lab for tests.

City public information officer George Louth said Bull was charged because she served the burger "without regards to the well-being of anyone who might consume it."

In my opinion, these people never worked for McDonald's as a teenager. Here are a few fact that if you have ever worked there, you would know...

1. No, you can't see the grill area from the driveway...they don't want people to see from their cars what a cess pit that area can become during a rush period. There is no way this person could have waited for a cop to come through to feed this burger to...

2. Grill people do not pick which burger goes to who. The only way this could have happened is if the police office had ordered a specially made item. But again, go back to the first point, they had no way of knowing this was a cop.

3. Management OK'd the sale of these burgers, why weren't they arrested? (yes I know that's not a working point, but I still needed to throw it in)

4. Management counts raw waste. If you drop a hamburger, you should throw it in the raw waste bin. Every hour or so management comes through and counts what you have thrown out. If there is a large amount in there, you have to explain it, and can possibly be written up for something like that.

5. Management has to turn those reports into corporate, they can also get written up for excessive waste.

6. Raises and promotions are based on those reports and write ups.

Now with those points in mind, do you think this person was really aiming to give an overly salty burger to a cop? She says she ate one (probably to make sure there was one less complaint) and was not made ill. She also made a good point as to why the cop didn't take a bite and then complain, it would have been replaced no questions asked.

Now I do think someone is to blame...Corporate McDonald's. They set up the rules that the crew and management must play by and they tried to do what they could.

Maybe we should throw Ronald in jail.

This is appropriate

2007-09-08T11:19:00.000-04:00

The Movie Of Your Life Is A Black Comedy

In your life, things are so twisted that you just have to laugh.
You may end up insane, but you'll have fun on the way to the asylum.

Your best movie matches: Being John Malkovich, The Royal Tenenbaums, American Psycho

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

You Are 54% Misanthropic

You're somewhat misanthropic, but you're not willing to write off the human race (yet!).
There's a few people you like, and even them you like at a distance.

How Misanthropic Are You?

First Amendment and Jobs

2007-08-29T19:29:00.000-04:00

I have a friend who was fired today. He had just uprooted his family and moved to a new city, rented a house, put his kids in a new school to take this job. Two weeks in, they fire him. Why? Not because he didn't do his job, not because he was unqualified or called off sick or any other reason like that...he was fired for exercising his first amendment rights.

They fired him because they didn't like the content of his blog!

Can he sue over this...I've looked online and I can't find anything definitive...so I would think not. It seems that employers can fire you for commenting on things during your off hours if they don't like it. I would encourage him to contact the local news outlets though and get his story heard. This has got to end. Unless you are making threats, I personally think it should be illegal to be able to fire someone for these kids of things.

That's my opinon...if the ORLANDO PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM does like it...tough noogies.

Planning my Demise

2007-08-20T16:57:00.000-04:00

So, what are you planning over Labor Day Weekend? Me? Well, I'm planning on driving to another state and slowly killing myself. I'm trying to figure out why I thought this would be fun...but the trip has been paid for and I am now locked into going.

How am I going to meet my demise you may ask...badly I'm sure. With much moaning and whimpering. If I'm lucky I'll go quickly on an overdose of wine and aspirin.

The girls and I are going white water rafting and horse back riding on Saturday and Sunday or Labor Day Weekend. I have a fear of water, but I think I will be OK because the give you these ginourmous life vests. What I really think will kill me is my poor out of shape body screaming in protest at the abuse I am going to heap upon it. Then I am expected to drive home 5 hours on Monday. I told the girls we will be holding rock/paper/scissor tournaments to see who gets to untwist Mom from around the steering wheel every hour or so and make her walk.

I wonder if the people at the rafting place would give me back my deposit if I claimed another, more in shape, personality made the reservation? Somehow...I doubt it.

Bothering me...

2007-07-31T22:11:00.000-04:00

I really have nothing to write about this week. But, I found myself noticing something this week over and over and I thought if I wrote it down here, maybe I would quit noticing it.
Why is it that women who gain weight think about replacing their clothes so they fit better, but not their bras?

If they wear a shirt that is a little too form fitting, and the bra is an old one that no longer fits, it creates these funny rolls of fat under the shoulder blades. It cuts into the torso around the back and if the bras don't fit it can be easily noticed.
So here is a hint to all women out there...if you've gained weight, put a bra on and take a look in the mirror...if you see those rolls, go get a few new bras!

Dippy Daughter is Home!

2007-07-24T21:21:00.000-04:00

She made it home from JFK finally. Delta actually wanted them to stay until Wednesday...but not put them up in a hotel. Can you imagine? They will be getting a very large piece of my mind tomorrow. Thank goodness for the teachers that fought so hard to get them home today.
She made it home in a very round about way. From JFK to Columbus Ohio, Columbus to Cincinnati Ohio, Cincinnati Ohio to Cleveland Ohio. Each time she had to change planes. I felt sorry for the kid. She's home now and says she smells like airport floor and is consequently in the shower at the moment.
We haven't even downloaded her pictures yet, but when we do, I will make sure to post some.

Vacation come and gone

2007-07-23T20:46:00.000-04:00

I think this is the first vacation I've taken in 15 years where I wasn't exhausted at the end of it. It was wonderful. Even though it was rainy icky the day we went to Soak City we still had a wonderful time. Goth Girl and I went to Walmart for the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. We were #3 and 4 in line. (yes Walmart has been opening at midnight Flannery, for the last few books.) No pre-order and we made our own party out of it. Got home about 12:20am and started reading. I read for about 2 hours and couldn't stay awake anymore. Woke up the next morning and read more. Went to sister's 30th birthday party that night, came home and read. I made it to the last 50 pages and just could not keep my eyes open..so I finished it Sunday morning. I'll write more about the plot twists and turns later...after more people have finished it.
Sister's birthday party was fun. Mom decided to play nice, so we very neatly avoided each other most of the night. We drank several margaritas and jello shots. Finally decided what to give her...a gift certificate to Netflix. She likes movies but I wasn't sure where she rented them from and I figured this was perfect because is was for a length of time rather than a monetary amount. She can make as much or as little use of it as she wants!
Dippy Daughter was supposed to be home from Europe today...she is stuck sleeping in JFK airport right now. Their flight was cancelled due to weather. Bet she's having fun at the moment. I'm trying to find out when she will be home tomorrow so I know when to go get her from the airport.
Well, vacation is over...Hubby is back in Albany...I went back to work today. I sat down at my desk, opened my email...and seriously thought about turning around and leaving. I had over 100 emails that I needed to take care of, plus the normal stuff that came in during the day. How long is it to Labor Day?

Vacation!!!

2007-07-15T13:27:00.000-04:00

Finally, vacation week is here! I am so ready for a week off. The nice thing is only a couple of days are filled up with "things" to do. The rest are days at home. We are going to Soak City and Cedar point and we are meeting my mother-in-law (who is a blast) and my sister in law and her two kids there. When we get home, it's just home stuff. We do have to attend my little sister's 30th birthday party. My parents will be there...that should be fun...not! I'm hoping there are enough people there that I will be able to easily move around the room without looking like I'm avoiding my mother. I want to make sure the party is about little sister and not the drama I know my mother will create if she gets me alone for any amount of time.

Speaking of sister's birthday, anyone got any ideas about what to get a 30 year old fashionista? We have radically different tastes and goals in life and I am completely clueless what to get her.

Well, I have to go. We are cleaning the house today from top to bottom so when we come home from having fun there is nothing to do but unpack.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer!

Escaping the Nest

2007-07-12T22:12:00.001-04:00

What a difference 2 years make! I wrote this post (click here) back in the summer of 2005.
Today Mandy left for Spain and France. I thought she was going to explode with excitement before she got on the plane. She was a little sad because she would miss us, but mainly she just wanted to get started on the trip.
I've very proud of my little chickie...growing up and testing her wings for leaving the nest. On the other hand, I feeling a little sad. She's growing up and will, somtime in the next few years, leave me completely.
I'm also feeling a little old. I know I'm one of the youngest mother's in her class, but still...the kids is growing up and that means time is passing for me as well.
Oh well, Mandy will have a blast on this trip. She is going to Madrid, Barcelona, Provence, Cote d'Azur, Monoco, and Paris. (sigh) My daughter and my luggage have been place I've only dreamed about.

PS Laura (Goth Girl) thinks I'm being silly getting so misty eyed about them growing up. I told she thinks this is bad, just wait until she starts high school this fall, I'm going to be a mess.

What? Who? Where?

2007-07-09T22:17:00.000-04:00

How? That's the big questions...how the heck am I going to get everything done! Nothing bad, I'm even in a great mood, I just have so much to do over the next 2 weeks! Tonight was the start, with the last meeting before Dippy Daughter goes to Spain and France for 10 days. Tomorrow night we are going to the midnight showing of Harry Potter, plus pick up a couple of last minute items for the above mentioned trip.
Thursday I have to get her to the airport at 11am, plus I have 2 meetings at work that day (thankfully in the afternoon.) Then I have to get the rest of the household ready for our vacation.
Monday we are driving out to Marblehead to scout out a house for the family reunion vacation in 2009, then I have to drive back to my hometown (over an hour away) and get Goth Girl and Dorky Step-daughter from Marching Band practice, then drive to the hotel out near Cedar Point. We are then going to Soak City and Cedar Point for a couple of days. After that, back home and then 2 days later Goth Girl and I are going to go get the last Harry Potter book at midnight.
On top of all of this I am trying to keep ahead of the game at work, so when I come back from vacation I don't feel like running from the building screaming (that will probably happen anyways, but I can hope) and deal with several meetings before and after vacation.
It's all great stuff (well, except for work) and I am just itching to get started on all of it, but I think I'm going to need a rest after my vacation/fun time! No sane person can fit all of this crap in...wait, I forgot, sanity hasn't been a problem for me during the last few decades!

Cranky Old Bitch

2007-06-27T22:41:00.000-04:00

I can laugh now but earlier tonight I was really ticked off. Here's my story...
I worked at the pub last night. The pub closes at 11pm. Big no no to close before the posted times. The last people left around 10:15. I started getting everything put together so I can get out rather quick. I have a smoke...read a little...right as the 11 o'clock news comes on I turn the lock on the door. I finish cleaning things up, count out the drawer. I leave at exactly 11:30pm.
Today, I rush home to get a kid to a dentist appointment. While I am changing clothes the phone rings. It's my boss from the pub asking what I time I closed the night before (no time clock here) I tell her 11:30. She let's me know that some one is saying they came by at 10:30 and no one was there. I tell her the last few people who had been there and saw me.
I hang up, go to the dentist, go shopping with the kids. I decided I need to stop by the pub and talk to my boss.
The kids and I stop and it's kind of busy but I get the kids some pop and chips and talk to boss lady. She told me who said I left early. It's the cranky old lady who used to tend bar at the pub. They let her go when she had hip replacement surgery. She was screwing up a lot of things anyways and they used that as an excuse not to put her back on the schedule.
I start thinking about how I can prove I was there until at least 11:00pm...and then it dawned on me. The register tape. When I cashed out the drawer it imprints a time on the bottom of the receipt. I mention this to boss lady and she smiles...she goes down to the end of the bar (yep cranky old bitch was there) and tells the bitch she checked the time and proves I was there.
This is the part that finally got me to laugh. Cranky old bitch throws up here hands and says the time stamp is lying. (yeah...right) But, boss lady is satisfied that things are cleared up. She never really thought I had left early, but cranky old bitch can cause all sorts of problems.
I understand that this bitch wants to feel useful and resents that I am working there, even it's only a couple days a month, and she is no longer on the schedule. You would think though, that at her age she would think twice about lying! Not a good thing to do right before you have to answer for those kinds of things.

Back from Pittsburg and the Jimmy Buffett Concert!

2007-06-24T20:38:00.000-04:00

Hubby and my anniversary is today. We went down to Pittsburgh yesterday afternoon, checked into the Radisson in Green Tree and then went to see Jimmy Buffett at the Post Gazette Pavilion.
What a concert! There were people there who spent all day tailgating. There were Young people, old people, middle age people...all in Hawaiian shirts. I could not believe the crowd!
Jimmy looked like he was having a ball playing for all of us. The music was just outstanding.
A few tips for people who are going to see Jimmy at the Post Gazette Pavilion in Pittsburgh next year.
1. Go early. The people watching is the most fun I've had in years while watching my fellow human beings.
2. Get as creative as you possibly can with what you wear. Women in grass skirts, guys in coconut bras are nothing here. I saw a couple of guys with cardboard hulas girls draped around their necks, a guy with a multi-color polyester lei to look like pot leaves, and a parade through the lawn section of various superheros to include spiderman, superman, flash, and captain america.
3. Bring cash...the atm machine sucks
4. If you are on the lawn section, sit near the top of the hill. You can hear everything, see pretty well, plus they have large screen that show other things happening on the stage. Plus it makes it much easier to get out of the park once it's all over.
5. When going to the park, follow the signs on the highway not the directions on their web site. Hubby and I saved sitting in traffic for 2 hours that way. The traffic was backed up for miles on the highway just trying to get off at the exit mentioned on the web site. Following the signs is a little more confusing but much better at getting you there quickly.
6. Don't bother with the port-a-potties. If you can make it to the end of the concert right on the other side of the parking lot are woods. I saw at least 3 dozed people heading for those...I also saw more guys asses at one time than I have since the Spencer Tunick photo shoot here in Cleveland.
7. Splurge on the extra shot in the margaritas...it was soooo worth it.
8. Bring a blanket but don't bother with chairs on the lawn section. Once the music starts...no one is sitting.
9. Don't try to take a drink out to the parking lot with you. Security really gets cranky about that (and no it wasn't me...I saw it with a couple of other people.)
10. It was the nicest concert I've ever been too. Everyone was in a good mood, no one got upset about spilled drinks, stepped on toes or slightly trampled blankets. Go with a great attitude and you will have an amazing time!

Watch Jericho on July 6th at 9pm EST

2007-06-19T22:46:00.000-04:00

My friend Rubberpoultry put this together...it's the coolest commercial I've ever seen. Make sure to look the flag before and after!!!

If I ruled the world...

2007-06-18T23:49:00.001-04:00

I'm not much for wanting power...or even that much responsibility beyond my own little (ok large) family. But there are times you have to fish or cut bait. Such a time came when my last boss got fired. They were taking applications for the position. I was not going to apply, I had only been with the company a year and didn't feel I could get up to speed quickly enough. But then someone in the department pissed me off.
Because of this I put in my application. I didn't feel I had any right to complain if I wasn't willing to try and put on my big girl panties and take the responsibility to fix things. I made it down to the final four. I did not get the job, but it felt good to make it that far. Plus, I made an impression on some people in the company during the interview process.
Now looking at the world in general there are several things I would change. Do I have the right to complain? I vote in every election, so that gives me a bit of leverage. Do I want to run for office...good goddess no...first off, I inhaled....sorry, but it's a fact and I really don't want to have to defend that. Second, I like to drink and flirt. I really don't want to have to defend that either (I never have to with hubby cause he trusts me and I would never do anything to hurt him)
Lastly, I think a lot of the current election process is corrupt and you would have to get elected to try and change it...so that's kind of a lose lose situation.
The next option is taking over the world. I really don't have the time, energy, or resources for that kind of campaign. Plus GWB is already proving that is a pretty unpopular option. Maybe it would be better for me since I can talk like I have IQ above 12. But, still, I really don't want to try it at this time. I thought though maybe I could put my rules out there and get my own little following.
1. Habitual DUI's (this is over 2) have to go to a mandatory residential treatment facility for 8 weeks. Get another DUI and it will be extended to include a room with bars and a toilet 6 inches from your bed.

2. All companies that drill for, refine, or sell, natural resources have to spend a small percentage of their profits on developing safe and clean alternatives.

3. Those same companies above are not allowed to make above a certain percentage of profits each year.

4. Child Molestation = Death sentence

5. No one gets welfare without working. We would provide safe child care, but unless you are willing to pick up garbage, clean streets, help build low income housing, you will not get a dime of government money. If you already have a job and are below a minimum amount then you still qualify.

6. Lawyers will not longer be able to get a portion of the money won in lawsuits. Bet that cuts down on the frivolous lawsuits!

7. I've already talked about the cars...

That's all I can come up with at the moment. I know there is more, but I can't think of them at the moment. I'll add more later as They come to me.

WTF???

2007-06-13T23:58:00.001-04:00

I'm learning more and more about my new job. Different things that need to be done on a daily, weekly, monthly basis...
Today I found emails that should be monitored on a fairly regular basis. What did I find...crap in there going back to January! JANUARY!!
Holy crap!
The person training me is the one who was in charge of it before, so I really can't bitch too much at work. But FUCKING JANUARY!
AHHHHHH!!!!

I'm back!!

2007-06-10T12:22:00.000-04:00

Yes, yes...I am back! The battle, for the moment, has been won. CBS is bringing Jericho back for 7 more episodes and they are going to run the first season on re-runs this summer.
Now we are battling to make sure the ratings are up and we get a 3rd, 4th and 5th season.
So I am issuing a challenge...
I challenge everyone who reads this to either watch the re-runs this summer...or go to CBS.com and go to the Full Episodes tab and watch the first few episodes of Jericho. I'm betting you'll be as hooked as I am. (that includes you Orange).
Thanks to everyone who emailed, IM, and left messages on my blog about the renewal. I was on the CBS message board when it was posted and was probably drunk celebrating by the time it actually hit any of the news sites!
While you are surfing the web, go sign this petition letting the networks know that the Neilson rating system is flawed...
http://www.petitiononline.com/62951S/petition.html
Do you really want 5,000 people telling you what to watch on TV? (Next we take on the electoral college)

JERICHO'ed

2007-05-24T13:41:00.001-04:00

A new dictionary term...

JERICHO'ed

1) When a television network ends a popular serial drama without completing it's story arc.

2) When a television network ignores it's customers demands for a renewed season of a popular TV show.

3) When a network, after a poorly decided cancellation, drops a quick-fix episode or mini-series to try to tidy up the remaining plot lines.

Suggested usage:
1) I really hate that my favorite TV show just got Jericho'ed.

2) As much as everyone liked the series, the network decided to leave it Jericho'ed.

3) I really enjoyed that TV series, but then they canceled it and then Jericho'ed a finale.

Save Jericho Nuts to CBS

2007-05-23T06:39:00.000-04:00

This is a video showing the first of the large shipments to CBS headquarters in New York. 1,000 lbs of peanuts. (Guess what, they are getting 4,000 today.)

Jericho

2007-05-18T15:36:00.001-04:00

I mentioned on my last post that I am a huge fan of Jericho on CBS. Friends and family who do not watch the show asked me what I liked about it so much, and I have found it hard to explain. The premis of the story is Post-appocolyptic small Kansas town. But the show is so much more than that. It's about family and community and growing as a human being...it's about which way do you take, the easy road or the hard one. How far do you go to survive.
Well the petition has well over 40,000 signatures on it at the moment. Plus we are starting to get a few news mentions. We keep calling and filling up the voicemailboxes at CBS in New York. The really fun one is the Nuts campaign. Nuts refers to the last episode and the a story Jake's grandfather told about WWII. It's become our war cry and the campaign is to send nuts to CBS. I had 5 cans of beer nuts couriered over from an online grocery store in New York City.
The newest thing is videos on YouTube...so I am going to include a few here.

They Canceled it!

2007-05-16T19:10:00.000-04:00

CBS Canceled Jericho. I am very displeased! I don't watch much TV but this is one of my favorite shows. They cancelled it without warning on a huge cliff hanger!
And what are they replacing it with you might ask...well here is a little run down
"Swingtown," will start in midseason and run uninterrupted until the end of the season. The series is set in the shag-carpeted 1970s, with Chicago-area couples navigating the sexual freedom of the era....can you say ick! I don't think this will go anywhere! The only way this would work is on cable where they can show some tits and ass and more graphic language than you get on CBS.

"Moonlight" is about a modern-day vampire who tries to help humans. Can you say Angel makeover?
The new "Cane" stars Jimmy Smits as the patriarch of a Cuban-American family running a sugar business in Florida. No thanks, I didn't even like him on NYPD Blue.

"Kid Nation" is a reality show made by the people behind "Extreme Makeover," about kids setting up their own society in an abandoned New Mexico town. Has anyone called social services on this one? If we abandon our kids without cameras around we get hauled into court, do it on national TV and it's the next big reality show.

With Jericho you had to actually think, put things together wonder about the morality of situations. Guess that was too much the execs at CBS.

If you would like to be kind, please sign this petition. At the time of this posting there are 15,550 signatures.
http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?09272006&1

Thanks!

It's finally Official

2007-05-16T06:22:00.000-04:00

They finally announced it at work, so I can put it on here. I have finally moved into the marketing department. Technically, I guess you could call it a promotion. It's at the same pay level I'm at now, but they did give me a raise. I applied for a different position in the department, but they gave that one to someone else who was already in the department, I get to fill the empty job.
I am rather thrilled about this, my degree is in marketing and I am very pleased that I will FINALLY be in a marketing department. I've found it is very hard to change careers, but I liked this company enough to wait it out and see if I could finally weasel my way in, and it worked!
So it looks like there is a possibility that I will be with this company for quite awhile, which is a relief to hubby who was rather concerned when I changed jobs every year or so.
The big benefit...no more talking to whiny customers!!!

Weekend Come and Gone...

2007-05-14T06:22:00.000-04:00

Even though my husband had to leave at the end of it, I am so glad this weekend is over. Maybe we can get back to something resembling a normal life again. I told you in my last post about how busy this last week/weekend was going to be and it lived up to every single one of my expectations.
On the upside, I won 4 tickets to next Sunday's Indians game at work, I also won $65 gift certificate on the radio (be the 10th caller) for Deep Discount DVD.com. I won a book light for a Harry Potter trivia contest, a great Opus and Bill the Cat drawing on a silent auction. We are still waiting to hear the results of the department decorating contest and the scavenger hunt. I also got a Panera's gift certificate, a Border's Gift certificate, and Spiderman 2.1 (I love Doc Ock) DVD for Mother's Day.
Mother's Day brunch went fine. I kept my cool with the help of some self prescribed "anti-anxiety" medication and 4 Mimosas at the restaurant. The food was outstanding.
My aunt's memorial service was ok. The memorial service, in my opinion, was more for the church (she was a minister) than for the family. The part that really got me though was at the end there was to be a lone bagpiper playing Amazing Grace. He did a good job until that one really high note (Saved a wretch like meeeee) he could not hit that note. It sounded like he was strangling a cat in the choir loft. Instead of the solemn dignity my uncle was striving for it was more a wincing/chuckle induced moment. Oh-well, my aunt would have gotten a chuckle out of it.
But it's now back to something resembling a normal life. :::sigh::: Thank Goodness...

Soooo Tired!

2007-05-09T21:43:00.000-04:00

I feel like I've been going non-stop for way too long now. I don't think I mentioned in here that I got a part time job...a really PART time job. Basically filling in for bartenders at the pub when needed, maybe once or twice a month. But this last weekend they needed me, and I needed to get trained. So I worked 4 hours Friday night after my real job, got up Saturday morning, went and saw Spidey III with the family and then went back to the pub to work 8 hours.
Sunday comes along and the fucking birds in the trees outside my bedroom window woke me up at 7am as usual. I get up and start my day. Goth Girl daughter has a project due so we work on that then later that night I work on a projext of my own for work.
Have I mentioned it's SPIRIT week at work? No? Well spirit week is where departments think of a theme and decorate the department like that, then there are activities and food and so on. Lots of fun, but rather exhausting. So while watching Without a Trace on Sunday night I made a sign for our theme (Mardi Gras). Monday I was up and down ladders and standing on desks all day decorating.
Then I went home to make Monkey bread and Beer dip for the Fat Tuesday Pot Luck we were hosting the next day. Come home Tuesday night to make Chili for the chili cook off the next day for one the other departments lunchtime activity. (Jalapenos...yummmm)
Tonight is really the first night I've come home, made dinner for the girls and had time to actually catch up on blog reading and just relax.
It all starts again tomorrow though. Goth Girl has a band concert, Friday 2 other kids have a band competition that they don't even leave for until 8:30pm. and I will have to pick them up around 11:30pm. Then the next morning we have to leave the house at 7:30am to drive to Columbus for my aunt's memorial service. We are driving back that same day. Then dealing with my mother on mother's day.
God's help me, I can't wait until next week when things get back to normal. I am so glad I've finished my Masters, if I was still in school I think I would hae had a nervous breakdown this week!

If I ran the world!

2007-05-07T13:43:00.000-04:00

If I ran the world it would be illegal for anyone to own a van, SUV, Hummer or any other large vehicle they don't need unless they have over 3 children. Then they are only allowed to have those cars for a the time the kids are living at home. After that, get a reasonable car for gods sake.

Is this REALLY necessary for one or two people??

As soon as my kids go away to college...I'm either getting a Hybrid or one of these...

Unless Ford and GM want to get off their lazy asses and make a decent economical car.

I guess I'm not destined to be the mother of a doctor.

2007-05-01T22:20:00.000-04:00

Only one of my kids has shown any real interest in the sciences. This week thought, proved she is not going to go into anything related to medicine...or Forensic sciences for that matter.
Dippy Daughter is in Honors Biology. She fainted in class yesterday, during dissections. Guess what they were dissecting...

Come on, take a guess....

An earthworm...

Gods help her when they move on to the fetal pig.

Playing Hooky

2007-04-26T10:26:00.000-04:00

We decided to play hooky today. My aunt passed away this week and my uncle decided on cremation and a memorial service next month. Since we will be able to go to the memorial service without missing school or work, I decided to play hooky today and let the girls stay home too.
We slept in and will probably watch movies all day. We went out late last night to get ice cream and stayed up to watch a TV program we usually record and watch later in the week.
Hubby is also playing hooky and left work this morning rather later this afternoon.
It's going to be a very nice relaxing and healing day.

My Toxic Family

2007-04-23T10:03:00.000-04:00

I wish I had time for therapy…I know…I should make time for it if I think I really need it. The thing is, I’m not all that sure I do so I don’t push the issue. Instead I blog and try to make sense out of things in my life. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, and sometimes I just get a good laugh out of the silliness in life. Right now, I’m not sure what to do, if anything…but I’m certainly not laughing.
I mentioned back in December that my aunt had been diagnosed with a form of leukemia. A few weeks ago she had a bone marrow transplant. I won’t bore you with the blow by blow but needless to say there have been several complications and as I am writing this I am waiting for a phone call saying she has passed away.
This is not the part that bothers me…life and death happen and I believe that we do go on after death. I am upset, I will miss my aunt, she is a wonderful person and I am grieving for my uncle and cousins.
The part that gets me is my toxic family. I have mentioned in here that my parents did not go to my youngest cousin’s high school graduation for some reason. There has been basically no contact between my mother and uncle in just over two years. When my aunt was diagnosed with this disease I made sure my mother knew about it. I thought she would want to put the past behind her and comfort her brother and family. Boy was I wrong. She told me she really didn’t want to know, that there had been scares before that turned out to be just over imaginative doctors. Then she proceeded to tell me the entire reasoning behind why she is not in contact with her brother and his family. Again, I won’t bore you with the tale. I told her that was fine, she was entitled to her opinion just as I was entitled to mine.
Fast forward to this past week. My cousin calls me and tells me that my aunt is not doing well. I call my uncle and offer to come down that weekend to see him and my aunt and offer whatever comfort I could. I talked to my aunt (she is sedated because of the ventilator so she couldn’t respond) and talked to my uncle. Late that night the hospital calls and tells my uncle that my aunt’s liver is failing and they need to come in the next day and discuss where to draw the line in the sand. I offer to drive so no one has to think about traffic in such a state.
My uncle and I have already talked and it was looking like my aunt was going to pass sometime in the next couple of days. While my uncle and cousins are upstairs talking to the doctors I waited downstairs and decided it was time to tell people on my side of the family.
Now here comes the meat of the story and where I try to figure out what the hell I’m doing or thinking. Knowing my mother as I do I first called home and told hubby to tell the kids not to answer the phone if it’s my mother. He was the only one to answer it then. He agrees and I hang up and call my sister. Now sister is no longer young…but in my opinion she is not really grown up yet. She has no children, never really faced any hardship. How much she has thought about this cold war from all angles I have no clue. I just know she has also had no contact with aunt and uncle in a couple of years.
I call and let her know that aunt is going to passing away sometime in the next couple of days. She is stunned. Because of the lack of communication, she really didn’t know how badly off aunt was. I gave her the information I had and then told her I had to call mom.
This is where I don’t understand my own actions and reactions. I know my mother…I keep hoping for better, but after 36 years you think I would be ready for this kind of shit.
I call mom and start my little speech, which is very quick and to the point that aunt was going to be passing soon. I don’t even get everything out of my mouth (I got enough out so she knows what I was getting at) she says she doesn’t want to hear it and hung up on me. Why this stunned me so badly I don’t know, but it did. I called hubby crying because of this cold callus treatment. Not only to me, but also to my uncle and cousins.
I knew that was coming…why did I react so badly about it? My husband says it’s because I am generally optimistic and will try and see the best in everyone right up to the point where they prove me wrong…even sometimes after that. Mom tried to call back but called the house not realizing I was down in Columbus. So instead she told Hubby about the reasons behind the estrangement. Of course none of it is her fault. Hubby and I both agree that even if things happened exactly how she says she is still way out of line carrying it this far.
Now I don’t know what to do. I am so mad I really don’t know what I think or how to handle it even within my own little brain. Personally I would love to just cut her out completely. Hubby pointed out this would be difficult since she lives less than a mile away. He also pointed out this would hurt the kids and make life more difficult for them. I pointed out to him I’m not sure how much I want my kids exposed to someone with that low a moral fiber. Plus, mom is upset with me and she has a tendency to talk bad about me in front of them. I also know that me cutting her out is not much different than what she has done to my aunt and uncle.
For now all I’ve decided is that there will be no more off holiday socializing. No more poker nights or backyard fires. I’m done with that. I’m not deciding anything else until I am able to wrap my brain around my rage and hurt for my uncle and cousins. Until I come to terms with that, if I come to terms with that, I am not rational enough to try and deal with all the repercussions.

How do I Love Thee

2007-04-17T22:59:00.000-04:00

::::Warning:::: This is a sappy post. If you don't like mushy things, if you like to kick puppies and take candy from babies...or if you have diabetes, this is not the post for you. You have been warned.

I realized tonight, as I was reading my book called The Honeymoon is Over, that I have not written a post about hubby lately. He is still doing the Albany thing, driving in every Monday morning (if you call 1am morning) and the coming home on Thursday nights.

He works hard and tries to take good care of his family. I say try because when he tries to take care of me, I get a little cranky at times. He is sweet and loving. He helps buffer me from my mother without a single complaint.

He understands my need for a night out and trusts me. He spoils me rotten and tries to surprise me with gifts he knows I'll love. He is wonderful with the kids and makes sure they all feel loved and needed.

He worries about me when I don't feel good, or if I try putting off an appointment for something. He cooks for us when he is home because he knows I hate doing it, he also grocery shops for the same reason.

He puts up with PMS, ADD, occasional OCD and just plain bitchiness from time to time. He will wait for me to realize what I have said or done and to apologize. He accepts the apology with grace and love and never throws the stupid crap I do back up at me.

He's a genuinely good man. How I ended up with him, I have no clue. I'm hoping he is my payback for dealing with my asshole ex-husband, and then all those years living back in home after the divorce.

What I'm really hoping is that I'm not his penance for something!!

You know You're getting OLD when...

2007-04-10T15:15:00.000-04:00

You ask Dippy Daughter to email you a relative's address. You tell her that the address is in the green address book.
She email's you that the address is not in the book. Hmmm, I know it's in there. Write back tell her to look again, maybe it's on the second page.
She tells you again no address for that relative.
Call Dippy Daughter on the phone and tell her to get the address book. Ask here for the first entry under the M's...second entry...low and behold that's the relative you are looking for.
Dippy Daughter states..."I know, but there is no email address written there."
:::Groan:::
When I think address, I think house address. Obviously the younger generation thinks of email addresses first.

iPod Meme

2007-04-04T14:48:00.000-04:00

This is cool. I stole this off of Flannery's blog.

How it works...

* Put your iTunes/Winamp/WMP/Whatever on shuffle.
* Use the song title as the answer to the question.
* NO CHEATING

1. How does the world see me? Candle in the Wind by Elton John
2. Will I have a happy life? Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn
3. What do my friends really think of me? Amazing by Lonestar
4. Do people secretly lust after me? From a Distance by Bette Middler
5. How can I make myself happy? Take my Breath Away by Berlin (wait a minute, I don't think I like that idea)
6. What should I do with my life? Almost Paradise by Mike Reno (Loverboy) and Ann Wilson (Heart)
7. Will I ever have children? Nothin but a good time by Poison
8. What is some good advice for me? Holding out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler
9. How will I be remembered? I'll be there for You by Bon Jovi
10. What is my signature dance song? Papa Don't Preach by Madonna
11. What do I think my current theme song is? Pressure by Billy Joel
12. What does everyone else think my current theme song is? Kokomo by Beach Boys
13. What song will play at my funeral? My Heart Will go on by Celine Dion
14. What type of women/men do I like? Gypsies Tramps and Thieves by Cher
15. What is my day going to be like? Glory of Love by Peter Cetera
16. Will I ever have love again? Rock Me Amedaus byFalco
17. What type of sex life do I have? Just Call me Angel by Juice Newton (yeah...right)
18. What song would be the title of my own porno movie? Hotel California by The Eagles

Did you notice a heavy 80's Theme here? They were asking me at work if it was 80's day.
Come on...give it a try!

Dribs and Drabs...

2007-04-03T11:10:00.000-04:00

Lots of little things going on, nothing big at the moment...
The trade show was a blast. We worked from 6:30am to 5:30pm everyday in registration. Then we would go to dinner as a group...then the parties would start. I drank more in 4 days than I have in the last 3 years combined. That's a lot!
I met so many people that I talk to on the phone. It's so nice to be able to put faces with names now. Of course no one looks like how you picture them.
We are getting ready to go to the inlaws for Easter. (Yippee, we get to go to Easter Mass!) We are also going to celebrate my and a few other people's birthday's up there. That should be a lot of fun!
Mandy is now talking about becoming a vegetarian. I laughed at her. This is the kid we can't get to eat vegetables...the main ingredient in VEGEtarian. I told her she better learn how to cook because I am not making special dinners just for her.
We went out this weekend to the Natural History Museum and saw a dinosaur named Sue. A big old huge T-Rex fossil. It was very awe inspiring. I hadn't been to that museum in at least 25 years. The funny part was when we were watching a pendulum, this older (read older than dirt) volunteer came up and started explaining about the pendulum to us as if we were 5...not just the girls, me too. Seeing I am now headed towards 40, I found this rather annoying. We humored her though, at least until the pendulum knocked down the domino we were waiting on.
Tons of meetings at work right now...all of them a complete waste of time. I've tried talking, whining, begging and just about everything else I can think of to get out of these meetings. So far, no go. (sigh)
Hubby is coming home tonight, so I am very excited...in the last 15 days we have seen each other during one day. The day I came back from the trade show and slept most of the day.
So, I may or may not be back before Easter...if not...have a great and safe holiday!

Back from the Trade Show

2007-03-27T13:16:00.000-04:00

I am soooo tired. Why you may ask...well, I'll tell you. What do you get when you send a mother who is alone 4 days a week with the kids? She goes to all of the kid's functions, runs them around town, clean the house, does laundry, all of the other motherly things? Send her to trade show in Orlando for 5 days? You get someone who does her job very well on very little sleep.
I think my liver is going to sue for separate maintenance. After "work" each day a bunch of us would go bar hopping. I got somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 to 16 total hours of sleep during those days.
I met a ton of our customers. I bought a number of them rounds at the bars we went to.
To top it all off my flight was delayed at the Orlando airport. I spent the delay in the airport bar...drinking.
I'll write more later about how busy it was...though I had a blast.
Note to Orange: Sorry I wasn't able to see you but my schedule was just nuts and with 2 kids I knew you wouldn't be able to just drop everything when I was available. (plus a lot of the time I was available was after midnight.)

2007-03-20T09:17:00.000-04:00

I stole this off of Orange's Blog. While mine is not as entertaining/scary as his I needed something to kill time at work today.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink?
Yes, at the Irish Heritage Club Pub. Fortunately there were only 2 other people in the pub at the time.
02. Swam with wild dolphins?
Have you people not seen JAWS? No friggin way.
03. Climbed a mountain?
Nope
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive?
Yeah right...I feel weird riding in anything that doesn't have 4 doors and can accommodate several children. I think I've been living in suburbia too long.
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid?
Not yet.
06. Held a tarantula?
Yes, when I was little a relative had one as a pet.
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone?
On my honeymoon
08. Said “I love you” and meant it?
Considering I'm married I better have.
09. Hugged a tree?
Yes, when I was too drunk to stand up on my own.
10. Bungee jumped?
Good Gods No, I hate heights.
11. Visited Paris?
Not yet, though one child is going this summer.
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea?
No, I have while standing on the shore.
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise?
Yep, not because I wanted too though. Usually I was working the night before.
14. Seen the Northern Lights?
Nope, not the ones in the sky or the dope ones that Orange talks about.
15. Gone to a huge sports game?
Fucking football in this small town is becoming a huge deal...you have to buy season passes now to actually get a seat on the home side or show up 2 hours before the game on the visitors side. So I would say YES!
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa?
Nope, not yet.
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables?
Yes, Potatoes and tomatoes.
18. Touched an iceberg?
Not yet.
19. Slept under the stars?
Yes, though it's been awhile.
20. Changed a baby’s diaper?
Yes, both my own babies and several I have babysat over the years...and I will again if my sister ever decides to have a kid!!
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon?
Yes, I have been on a hot air balloon and run chase crew for one. It's a blast.
22. Watched a meteor shower?
Yes, laying on my back at Huntington park and watching the sky. It was amazing.
23. Gotten drunk on champagne?
Yep, the day my divorce became final with my friend Steve.
24. Given more than you can afford to charity?
Once...sort of. They were doing a Bone Marrow screening for a child and they were taking donations. At the point in time I was living on $400 a month and going to school. I had $10 to last a week (including gas to get back and forth school) It didn't feel right not to give anything so I gave them $2. I immediately went home and cleaned out my car and looked under cushions for spare change.
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope?
Yes. My sister's father in law has a huge one that he set up when we were over at their house once. It was unbelievable.
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment?
Yes. We took my folks down to the train station at 2am. When we were on our way home we were stopped by the Rocky River police to tell us that both tail lights were out. He was very nice and let us go on our way. 3 miles down the road we got stopped by the Bay Village police for the same reason. I could not stop giggling. I'm sure the cop thought I had been drinking and all I wanted to do was get home and go back to bed.
27. Had a food fight? Yes, at a restaurant back in high school. Orange was there too. So he avoided this question. It was a small fight mainly confined to our table and the floor surrounding it.
28. Bet on a winning horse?
No, I've never been to a horse race.
29. Asked out a stranger?
Eeekkk...no. Even now I'm way too shy for that.
30. Had a snowball fight?
I have 5 kids...when it snows I'm lucky to be able to get to work without a snowball fight erupting.
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can?
Yes...and paid for it with a sore throat afterwards.
32. Held a lamb?
No, lots of other baby animals though.
33. Seen a total eclipse?
Solar yes, lunar no.
34. Ridden a roller coaster topless?
Hahahaha...no I don't want to scare small children.
35. Hit a home run?
Nope
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking?
Yep, I just like to dance.
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day?
Nope
(Hey Orange what happened to 38??)
39. Had two hard drives for your computer?
Nope, I don't even have a flash drive.
40. Visited all 50 states?
Not yet, I'm up to 27 including Washington DC
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk?
Yeah, my husband a couple of times...just get him home and pour him into bed. And a couple of people when I was in the military.
42. Had amazing friends?
Of course...Orange being one of them.
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country?
Nope.
(44?? Orange, I'm starting to feel cheated here)
45. Stolen a sign?
No, but I found some in my garage when we moved into our house.
(46?? Jeeze, where the hell did you steal this from Orange?)
47. Taken a road-trip?
Too many as a child and with my ex-husband. Not enough with my current husband. We plan on taking several once the kids grow up.
48. Gone rock climbing?
Yes, believe it or not the day after prom a bunch of us went to a park that has several rock climbs on the trails.
49. Midnight walk on the beach?
No, I prefer to be sleeping at midnight since I normally wake up around 6am.
50. Gone sky diving?
Not yet, but that's one of the things on my list of things to do before I die.
51. Visited Ireland?
Not yet.
(52?? Orange???)
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them?
Not really, though we did eat at a Hibachi place and a bunch of people sit at one table.
54. Visited Japan?
Not yet, though youngest daughter is considering it for a trip.
55. Milked a cow?
No, a goat, yes.
56. Alphabetized your CDs?
No, DVD's yes...that was a hell of a job. Trying to get them into books in alphabetical order. Just to have the kids come through and mess them all up.
57. Pretended to be a superhero?
Just when I was a kid.
58. Sung karaoke?
No, I barely sing Happy Birthday to family members...much less in front of a drunken audience.
59. Lounged around in bed all day?
Oooohhhh yeah. Both with and without a partner.
60. Played touch football?
Yeah, it was a blast. One team with 3 girls and the other team scared they would hurt us. We won hands down.
61. Gone scuba diving?
Nope and I probably won't, I don't like water that much. Also...JAWS!!!
(62? Can I assume this was a reference to another country Orange?)
63. Played in the mud?
When I was a kid
64. Played in the rain?
Yes, still do during the summer.
65. Gone to a drive-in theater?
Yeah, we try to go once a summer.
66. Visited the Great Wall of China?
No. (Orange you missed one)
67. Started a business?
My husband has one, I didn't start it but I do everything else.
(68??? I was really cheated on this meme)
69. Toured ancient sites
Not ancient...revolutionary and civil war sites.
70. Taken a martial arts class?
Nah...
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight?
Never played at all much less for 6 hours.
72. Gotten married and almost immediately regretted it?
No comment beyond youth excuses quite a lot.
73. Been in an X-rated movie?
Nope.
74. Crashed a party?
Yep...had a blast too.
(75???)
76. Gone without food for 5 days?
I don't think so...Even sick I manage to choke down something.
77. Made cookies from scratch?
Every year at Christmas and cakes every birthday!
78. Won first prize in a costume contest?
No, though I have had my body painted...thanks to one boyfriend who was an artist.
(79???)
80. Gotten a tattoo
Yep, puckered lips on my butt cheek!!
(81???)
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”?
Hahahaha...no
(83???)
84. Performed on stage drunk?
Eeeakkk! No.
85. Been to Las Vegas?
Oh yeah, for my sister's wedding. What a blast, I hardly slept and drank like a fish.
86. Recorded music?
Other people's sure...lots of times.
87. Eaten shark?
No, I don't really like seafood.
(88 and 89?? What a rip off)
90. Bought a house
Yep, and old one...
91. Been in a combat zone?
Does my house before my divorce count?
92. Buried one/both of your parents?
Not yet, but they don't start taking care of themselves I'm sure it will be soon.
(93??)
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
Does pig Latin count?
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
I wish...
(96???)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
No, but I am driving down to Pittsburgh this summer to go to a Jimmy Buffet Concert.
98. There is no question #98. well, of course not. Nor does anyone expect the Spanish Inquisition
Orange only missed this question...see above for all the ones I noticed.
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country?
Nope, the only foreign country I've been to is Canada. Not very exotic.
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over?
Not really.
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge?
Never been to California
102. much too fucking stupid.
Agreed
103. Had plastic surgery?
Not yet...maybe sometime in the future.
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived?
I've had several accidents...only one where they said if I hadn't been wearing my seatbelt I would have been seriously hurt or killed.
105. Wrote articles for a large publication?
Not a large publication...just a local independent newspaper.
106. Lost 100 pounds?
No, I lost 40lbs.
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback?
Nope.
108. Piloted an airplane?
Ahhhh, no I like life. I'm too much of a klutz to be trusted with something like that.
109. Touched a stingray?
Yes, oddly enough at the zoo, the same weekend that Steve Irwin died.
(110 & 111???)
112. Won money on a T.V. game show?
I've won several gift certificates and other things on the radio.
113. Broken a bone?
Just a finger when someone was trying to swat my ass.
(114???)
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears?
Nope
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol?
Yes to all of them. It's been several years though.
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild?
No, I don't care for mushrooms.
118. Ridden a horse?
Yes, several years ago. Youngest daughter takes riding lessons though.
119. Had major surgery?
Ummm, a C-section was about the most major. The rest were pretty minor.
120. Had a snake as a pet?
NO! Youngest daughter keeps asking though.
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon?
No, it was August when we were there...too hot for that shit.
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours?
Yes, when I've been ill.
(123, 124, 125??? It's getting worse!)
126. Eaten kangaroo meat?
No...poor thing.
127. Eaten sushi?
No, Again seafood...ick
128. Had your picture in the newspaper?
Yes, a few different time...mainly when I was a kid.
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about?
No, I don't really try. I figure it's their right to have a different opinion than me.
130. Gone back to school?
Several different times. For my AA, break a couple years, BA then right into my MBA.
131. Parasailed?
Nope, again on that list of things to do before I die.
132. Touched a cockroach?
Just with the bottom of my shoe.
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes?
Nope
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey?
Required reading in school
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school?
Not really...
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating?
No, as far as I'm concerned those chicken breasts were born in that plastic packaging.
137. Skipped all your school reunions?
There's only been one so far and I did skip it. I didn't want to go alone and hubby (the fiance) was still kind of self conscience about the age difference.
(138???)
139. Been elected to public office
Blahhh...no. The only one I ever considered was the school board and since my kids only have a few years left I'm not going to bother.
(140??)
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream?
Yeah, my dream is just for a loving family...got it.
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care?
My father in law was in one for about 12 hours before he died.
143. Built your own PC?
Nope
(144???)
145. Had a kissing booth at a street fair?
I live in Uptight Ohio...they don't do street fairs here.
146. Dyed your hair?
All the time...I get bored with it. Right now it's a red...REALLY red.
147. Been a DJ?
No
148. Shaved your head?
I don't get that bored with my hair.
149. Caused a car accident?
Who me??
150. Saved someone’s life?
Hubby says I saved him...other than that...I don't think so.

All told this thing is missing 23 questions...I think I want a refund!

Lazy??

2007-03-16T11:31:00.000-04:00

Who worked at least 30 hours a week and went to high school...I did.

Who worked 40 hours a week and got both a Bachelors and Masters degree...I did.

While working and studying who also raised two children, housework, dealt with husband out of town, and got a second job...I did.

Who volunteers to help when ever asked...I do.

Who goes to all of my kids and step kids school functions (ALL OF THEM)...I do.

Who bakes every holiday and gives you food so you don't have to bake...I do.

Who runs the kids all over town for various functions and events...I do.

If that's lazy, then I'm guilty.

Since I can't ask you these questions without you causing a scene, I guess I'm stuck venting here.

I apologize to the rest of you who had to read through this rant.

I have to get back into the swing of things!

2007-03-12T00:21:00.000-04:00

I've just been so busy lately!

Work is actually the most downtime I have.

In 10 days I am going to be going to a tradeshow down in Orlando...now before those of you in Florida get excited...I am trying like hell to find a little free time to go out...but it's going to be nuts! The team I'm working with leaves their hotel rooms at 6am, they get back at 9pm. Now because my boss wants me to get a promotion at work he's pushing me to go out beyond that with the people in his group. That means I probably won't get in until close to midnight ot so. I need at least an hour and a half to wake up in the mornings and it takes me at least a half hour to fall asleep no matter how tired I am. That leaves me with 4 hours sleep for 4 nights. Grooooaaan! I've already bought a very nice supply of 357 Magnum caffine pills. I will probably be living on those.

Hubby is a little annoyed with me at the moment. We needed a new suitcase, a big one. I have a ton of stuff to pack for this trip including my electric teapot (making hot water in those coffee makers in the room just takes way too long), tea, Splenda, Fabreeze, several pairs of shoes and clothing for several different functions. Well, I went and bought one today. I got it at Marshalls, a very good price. It is huge and I love it. When it comes off the plane onto the conveyer belt I will know that it is mine. I brought it home and showed it to hubby. He takes one look at it and shouts, "It's purple!" It is not purple, it's a very soft cranberry color. Needless to say I am longer allowed to buy luggage.

Mandy was on crutches all weekend. She went through the entire last summer and cross country season without injury (unlike most of her teammates...nutty coach) I warn her there is ice outside and what does she do, fall down in the driveway while walking the dog. The doctor says it's some tendon damage and wanted to to rest it all weekend. No walking without crutches. It was kind of fun calling her gimp all weekend. She got pretty good at defending herself with those crutches though!

Tomorrow Jimmy Buffett tickets go on sale tomorrow. The concert just happens to be on Hubby and my anniversary weekend. So I have been organizing that trip as well!

I am also trying to mentally prepare myself for this upcoming weekend...it's St. Patty's day and I am volunteer bartending at the Irish Heritage Club. I tried to warn them that I know nothing about bartending, and even less about drinking. I like my wine and occassional beer at a cookout...but that's it. They keep telling me I will be fine. Yeah...right...my only hope that everyone that comes in will already be trashed.

Well, I think that's it for the moment. I need to go to bed. I stayed up tonight to talk to hubby before he left for Albany, which he has done, so I need to get some sleep.

Not enough days...

2007-02-27T20:13:00.000-05:00

I was looking at my schedule today and I realize I need more sick days to make sure I (and my family) stay well! Who wants to take a vacation day to go to doctor's appointments? Not me!
I need to go in to have a lunp removed (minor stuff in and out), get new glasses, set up appointments to get my girls that HPV vacine, my own female appointment, plus the routine dentist and ortho appointments. There is something else in there, but I can't remember what...hmmm. Now I can double some of these up, but not many. We all know how doctors like to overbook and keep us in the waiting rooms forever.
So, I need more sick days so I can try to get to all of these. I think I'll just call in dead...
(yes I know it's an old joke but in this case it fits)

Sigh...

2007-02-24T08:53:00.000-05:00

What do you do when you really don't want to spend time with your own mother? Tonight is poker night.

We are having my folks, my sister and her hubby over to play poker and other games. Usually we have the neighbors over as well, this time they had to bail for various reasons. Too bad, they are a good buffer.

I am just not looking forward to having my mother in my house. She makes me nuts. I miss the rest of my family, because I do not want to associate with my mother...but for my own mental health I just won't give in.

I think my mother has gotten the point. She set up this night by calling hubby directly and he is not as adept at side stepping her as I am.

Because I have to do this tonight I have decided we are going to Hubby's family's for Easter. I made the excuse that it is my MIL first Easter alone. No one has said anything to me about that. (We usually alternate between hubby and my family every year for Easter...we went up last year and then his father died a week late so technically this year we were supposed to stay here with my family)

So, we are cleaning up the house, preparing food, bought liquor, and I've got my headache medicine all ready to go. Wish me luck!

PS. On the fun side of life...Hubby called me a soccer mom last week and I went and got my hair dyed punk red. I'll post a picture soon.

Blizzard '07

2007-02-14T21:13:00.000-05:00

Well the storm is over now. I thought I would post a few pictures from the morning after. I didn't take any pictures during because all you would have seen is white. The only way I could see my neighbor's house during the storm is that they leave their bathroom light on and I could just make it out across the yard.

This is my backyard. The dog house you see there is for my last dog that was a husky/shepard mix...a big dog.

This is my side yard and part of my driveway.
This is toward the end of my driveway. See the reflecter? That is normally about 3 feet tall.

This is down my street. The plows came through about 2 minutes before I took this picture.

The front of my house. The front steps have almost disappeared.

And for my last picture, this is Fritz trying to figure out how to get back down the driveway over all the snow the plows piled up.

All Right All Ready!!

2007-02-12T12:45:00.000-05:00

Here I am, sorry it's been awhile. Lots of stupid little things keeping me busy.

First, I gave Orange advise about using Flylady to neaten up his house. Well, I do her recommendation on and off...I decided that it was time to do it again. So, I've been tidying up the house (read as cleaning it within an inch of its life) It looks pretty good again. The baseboards are dust free, I am cutting through the clutter. It's not perfect, but it is better.

In my last post I promised in the comments to tell you about how my temper got the better of me...again. (sigh) Well, hubby and I had an argument...nothing big to him, but something that had been building up in me for quite some time. He did not realize how upset I was and made some comment as he walked out the back door to run something over to his ex-wife's house. Well I was making dinner and had a small glass dish in my hand mixing spices. When he made his comment I saw red. I threw the dish at the back door. Well, we now need a new door...

Oops...I didn't see that until later though. After I threw the dish I walked out the front door. I knew I needed to calm down and walking is the best way for me to do that. Hubby stuck his head out the door and told me to keep walking, that just made me angrier...so I did keep walking. It was snowing out and I didn't have a coat, purse or boots on. Just my fleece lined jeans, a sweatshirt and tennis shoes. I had $20 in my pocket so my first thought was to go to Herb's that is right around the corner from my house...it was closed. Damn...so I kept walking trying to think where I could go that I could calm down. Then it hit me...the pub! I know lots of people at the pub and they won't piss me off or judge me. They'll let me calm down in peace and then take me home if I needed a ride. Only one problem...it's a little less that 4 miles to the pub from my house. Well, I covered that distance in less than an hour. Her's a map of the route I took...

When I got there I called hubby and let him know where I was...I was pretty calm (and wet and tired) by the time I got there. I told him to come pick me up in an hour. After that we were able to talk, he realized exactly how upset I was.

Last little item for today's blog is I had a little accident today. No one here except Orange knows what the steps in my house are like...but they are the steps from hell. They are very narrow and very steep.

Well this morning after getting ready for work I was coming downstairs to get my lunch ready and I fell. Now I've fallen before, usually on my butt, and never gotten hurt. Today I got hurt. I never realized how many people you have to call when you get hurt like that.

I had to call a neighbor to take the kids to school, call hubby who was on his way to Albany, call work... and so on. Then I drove myself to the hospital. Mandy, who it turns out did not have school (due to a problem with the sprinklers) went with me. They were very quick and got me in and out with x-rays and everything. Turns out I didn't break anything, but they want me to leave this splint on until I go back for a follow up on Thursday.

What a pain in the ass!

Are you one of THOSE people???

2007-01-18T22:11:00.000-05:00

Are you some one that yells at the waitress when your steak isn't cooked to your liking? Are you one that gets ticked at the check out people when something doesn't ring up right? Do you get pissed off when something you ordered doesn't show up within two days and call to vent?
Then you are one of THOSE people. One of those people who have caused me to drink, get grey hair and generally want to do away with the human race.
I work in customer service. It is not my fault that UPS lost your shipment. It's not my fault that there is an ice storm and shipments got delayed. It's not my fault you put in a back order cancellation date, but didn't really want items cancelled. It's not my fault that...well, it's just not my fault. I just answer the god damn phones.
What ever happened to your items was not done by me. I will gladly try to fix it, but don't yell at me, don't get snippy with me, and don't comment that I am sounding annoyed when you do these things. It just pisses me off and makes me less likely to help you!
Now excuse me while I go get another glass of wine and make an appointment with my dentist. I think I broke a tooth today while grinding my teeth.

The Unneeded Taxi Driver

2007-01-17T06:26:00.000-05:00

My kids are getting older. I try not to complain too much about driving them around to different functions because in a couple of years (or less) they are going to be driving and I will be sitting home and worrying about them.

Tuesday nights are usually bagpipe practice nights. My mom will take Laura, then come get Mandy, then drop Laura off, then I go get Mandy. Well last night Mandy had a school newspaper meeting so she did not go to practice. Mom comes and gets Laura, 10 minutes later I leave with Mandy. By this point there is no reason to go home since I would have to go get Laura. (when only one goes I usually pick them up). So at the half hour mark I go to where the lessons are and wait for her to come out. After about 15 minutes I wondering where the heck she is. So just on a whim I call the house. Laura answers. Mom took her home.
Ooookkk...
I head back to the high school as Mandy's meeting will be letting out soon. She is supposed to call me to come get her. Well, 5 minutes after I get there my phone rings...Mandy is at home. She caught a ride with a friend. I could hear the sitcom laugh track in the background of my life at this point.
So, all of that time out of the house and no one really needed me. sigh...

Box of Rocks

2007-01-11T22:18:00.000-05:00

It's rush at work. All of the colleges across the land are heading into second semester and need books. So they call us. We usually bring in a few temps during this time to help with the increased work load. For one reason or another we had problems this time. Finally we got our 5th choice to take the job. She comes in and starts training. Turns out she's dumber than a Box of Rocks.
Boss Man calls me into his office and tells me her thinks Box of Rocks (BoR) is intimidated by her trainer and wants her to sit with me. I eyeball him a moment and then tell him I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not that unintimidating myself, plus I have a low threshold for fools. Boss Man tells me to just do it.
Do, I take BoR over to my desk and get her plugged into my phone. We go through a few phone calls, me explaining everything step by step. After a bit I start quizzing her little. "So, if a customer calls in and wants to check stock, what do you type into the command line?" Blank stare from the Bor. "Right here...what do you type? I'll give a hint, it starts with I" Blank stare...sigh (and for those of you wondering you type II...so the question was pretty damn easy.)

So after awhile we are talking (I've basically given up training at this point and am just letting her sit at my desk) and she tells me about the classes she is taking out at the local community college. She commented on how overwhelmed she was by the class teaching Windows 2000. My jaw almost hit the desk. Overwhelmed? By Wind owes 2000? Our system is an old clunky A/S 400 based dinosaur. You need to be quick and nimble fingered to do well.

Now I am not heartless. Maybe she needs the money. So I go into Boss Man's office and let him know that she will never ever be able to get on the phone. Maybe she can do something repetitive, like paper orders. No checking stock, no looking up back orders, nice and easy. We also decide she can fax invoices to people, that also very easy.
I was so WRONG!!! She did a total of 12 order yesterday. 12!!! I can do 12 in half an hour while I'm on the phone. She did 12 in 8 hours. I took 81 orders yesterday. 163 phone calls, did my cancelled line report, bargain book reports, handle minor issues like damaged books. We aren't even asking her to do a fraction of this. sigh...
When I saw what she had done yesterday (or not done as the case may be) I went to Boss Man and told him he needed to get rid of her. Her salary comes out of the department budget, which, in the end, works out to whether we get raises at the end of the year. We don't mind this if she was actually contributing enough to pay her salary, but she's not. Boss Man was a little skeptical about bringing some else in at this late date. I told him to just leave the position empty, we are covering everything anyways. Boss Man said he'll think about it. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
On the same note, I told hubby all of this and what I have been saying to Boss Man. Hubby is starting to think he needs to send a sympathy card to Boss Man for having to deal with me.

I found it again!

2007-01-09T22:16:00.000-05:00

I just love this video. Many months ago I had a link to it...but this time I found it on YouTube!
The first time I watched this I almost fell out of my chair laughing!
Enjoy

I'm still here...

2007-01-07T22:33:00.000-05:00

Just not much happening at the moment. Things are busy ar work, it's rush. Kids are doing well...just really boring at the moment. I have a few things I'm working on, but I'm still not happy with them to post them.
Hope everything is going well with everone.
I promise to have a real post soon!

BRB

2006-12-26T07:03:00.000-05:00

Be Right Back...we are heading up for the in-laws for a few days. We will be back late Thurday. I'll give a full update on the Christmas Holiday then.
Needless to say, Santa was very good to everyone (as I sit here in my new robe and slippers with a new bit of flash on my ring finger) and the Christmas joy was evident in the faces of everyone who came in the door.
Talk to you all in a few days.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

2006-12-25T08:40:00.000-05:00

We've done the first round here. Christmas usually comes in two waves around here. We never get my step-kids for Christmas morning. So we get up and open up about half of our presents and then have breakfast, get dressed, play with the stuff we've opened. Then around 2 the step kids come over and we open up the rest, eat dinner, be Merry!
So, the first round is over and I decided to do a little blogging just to wish everyone a great day. I'm going to go back downstairs now and play with the dog and think about taking a shower.

The joys and sorrows of Christmas

2006-12-23T19:22:00.000-05:00

I love Christmas. It is my favorite time of year. People are generally in a better mood. Peace on earth goodwill towards man thing going on. This year I could afford to tip well the people who I think deserve it. The woman who takes care of me at the pub each week got $50, my manicurist today got $10, the women who did me and my children's hair (just a trim) today each got $15. I love giving to others. It's the joy of seeing the thanks on their faces and knowing you helped someone else. This year the kids and I adopted a family in need and gave items for a teenage girl who would not have a merry a Christmas without a little help. That's the joy of Christmas.
The sorrow is that there is still war and sickness in the world. We are still losing our service men and women in Iraq. The number is now over 3,000. And the sickness is everywhere. I lost my dog to diabetes this year, my father-in-law to cancer and I just found out last night that my aunt has leukemia. The kind she has has only a 35% rate of survival. The older you get the lower it goes and she is in her 50's. Those are the sorrows.
For those of you out there that are having a merry Christmas, spread the goodwill to others. For those of you that are not, I hope that there is some one in your lives, whether you know it or not, who loves you unconditionally and is praying for you.
Merry Christmas...

Christmas Baking

2006-12-20T22:56:00.000-05:00

I love to bake at Christmas. Which is strange because I hate to cook. I can cook, I just don't have any fun doing it. I'm also not a creative cook. My hubby can throw several things into a pot or pan and have it come out to be a delicious dinner. If I tried that, we would end up ordering pizza. Also, who wants to even try with a bunch of nit-picky kids?
Baking thought, that's different. Cookies, Cakes, Brownies...everybody loves that stuff!
Every year I make a ton of Christmas Cookies. I try to scale back, but everyone has their favorites that they just have to have...plus the old standbys, plus finding new recipes you just have to try.
So far this year I have made:
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Spice Balls
Sugar Cookies (cut outs decorated with icing and sprinkles)
Molasses Crinkles
Scottish Short Bread

I still have to make
Russian Tea Cakes
Chocolate Clouds

Yum yum yum!!!
My husband just shakes his head in wonder and is always asking what army I'm planning on feeding. The kids manage to do a good number on the cookies. Plus this year neither my parents or my sister baked...they plan on stealing some of my cookies.
So, if anyone is in Northeast Ohio and wants to stop by, I've got the coffee on, I can make some tea, and a big old plate of cookies we can share!

100 Things

2006-12-15T12:34:00.000-05:00

100 THINGS...
1. Copy this whole list into your journal.
2. Colour the things that are true about you.
3. Whatever you don’t COLOR (left in black) is false.

01. I miss somebody right now
02. I don’t watch much TV these days
03. I love olives
04. I love sleeping
05. I own lots of books
06. I wear glasses or contact lenses (Glasses, they are getting stronger and stronger...but then so is my denial.)
07. I love to play video games
08. I’ve tried marijuana Not me...
09. I’ve watched porn movies Not me...
10. I have been in a threesome
11. I have had sex with a member of the same sex
12. I believe honesty is usually the best policy
13. I have acne free skin
14. I like and respect Al Sharpton
15. I curse frequently (As I have stated before...Fuck No, I've got kids in the house)
16. I have changed a lot mentally over the last year (Much much happier...the oldest teen finally became legal and moved the hell out)
17. I have a hobby
18. Christmas is my favorite holiday.
19. I carry my knife/razor everywhere with me
20. I’m really, really smart
21. I’ve never broken someone’s bones
22. I have had an affair with a married person
23. I hate the rain
24. I’m paranoid at times (What do you mean by this?)
25. I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe and free of cost. Shit yes..,
26. I need money right now!
27. I love Sushi
28. I talk really, really fast
29. I have fresh breath in the morning
30. I have semi-long hair
31. I have lost money in Las Vegas
32. I have at least one brother and/or one sister
33. I was born in a country outside of the U.S.
34. I shave my legs (females) or face (males) on a regular basis Technically I use Nair on my legs...
35. I have a twin
36. I have worn fake hair/nails/eyelashes in the past Past? I'm wearing gel nails right now...and I don't consider them fake...I paid for them, they're real!
37. I couldn’t survive without Caller I.D. The better to avoid my mother with.
38. I like the way that I look a lot of the time
39. I have lied to a good friend in the last 6 months
40. I know how to do cornrows
41. I am usually pessimistic
42. I have a lot of mood swings
43. I think prostitution should be legalized
44. I think Britney Spears is hot
45. I contribute my all at work Yeah right...that's why I'm working on this at work.
46. I have a hidden talent I'm not telling you what it is...let's just say my husband really appreciates it.
47. I’m always hyper no matter how much sugar I have
48. I feel my life is pretty complete
49. I want a relationship with someone I can't have
50. I have gotten more than 1 ticket in the last year I have 6 points on my lisence at the moment.
51. I enjoy talking on the phone I better considering it's how I've been making my living for the last 10 years.
52. I practically live in PJ pants
53. I love to shop
54. I would rather shop than eat
55. I would classify myself as ghetto
56. I’m snobby and have worn a sweater tied around my shoulders
57. I’m obsessed with shoes.
58. I don’t hate anyone
59. I’m a pretty good dancer
60. I don’t think Mike Tyson raped Desiree Washington
61. I’m completely embarrassed to be seen with my mother
62. I have a cell phone
63. I prefer to work alone Nah, I like to talk and BS while I work.
64. I watch MTV on a daily basis
65. I have passed out drunk in the past 6 months
66. I love drama On TV and the movies...not in life.
67. I am willing to try any type of new food
68. I have a fear of flying The going up and coming down I white knuckle it...being in the air is no problem.
69. I have never been to a big concert
70. I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life
71. I want to have children in the future No no no...no more kids
72. I have changed a diaper before
73. I’ve called the cops on a friend before Hell I've called them on my kids.
74. I bite my nails
75. I am a member of the Tom Green fan club
76. I’m not allergic to anything
77. I have a lot to learn
78. I think I know more than I really do
79. I plan on seeing Ice Cube’s newest "Friday" movie
80. I am very shy around the opposite sex sometimes
81. I’m online 24/7, even as an away message
82. I have at least 5 away messages saved
83. I have tried alcohol or drugs before Who me...
84. I have made a move on a friend’s significant other in the past
85. I own the "South Park" movie
86. I’ve been to Europe.
87. When I was a kid I played "the birds and the bees" with a neighbor or friend
88. I enjoy some country music
89. I would die for my best friends
90. I think that Pizza Hut has the best pizza (Nope that would be from a little bar that a friend of mine works at in Elyria called Settle Inn. They have pizza to die for)
91. I watch soap operas whenever I can
92. I’m obsessive, anal retentive, and often a perfectionist
93. I have used my sexuality to advance my career (Well not really advance my career, but one guy I waws "dating" gave me a job for a few months)
94. I love Michael Jackson, scandals and all
95. I know all the words to Slick Rick’s "Children’s Story" Not anymore...I used to.
96. Halloween is awesome because you get free candy
97. I watch Spongebob Squarepants and I like it
98. I have dated a close friend’s ex
99. I’m happy as of this moment
100. I need to get laid ;-)

So, How do you like the New Digs?

2006-12-12T20:31:00.000-05:00

I love them! I love it, love it, love it!!! Shane did an excellent job! You should try him out. His prices are insanely low and you should get in on this before somone medicates him and he raises his prices.
I mean it...talk to him...see what he can do for you! He did this for less that a can a pop a day for a month. A lot less.
This kind of cool blog could be yours too for a very small price. Go over and check out Red's blog, Shane did that one too.
What are you still doing here? Go check out the links I gave you.
Go...shoo...

How Safe is Too Safe?

2006-12-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

I was laying in bed last night listening to a program about Apollo 11. For those of you not up on history, that's the one that landed on the moon. Buzz Aldren made a comment at the end of the program that if anyone tried to send anyone out into space now withe the same odds of not coming back as they had then...they would have never made it to the moon. They would have been told it was not safe enough.
That really made me stop and think. We are all upset by the loss of those brave men and women on the Challenger and on Columbia. There were all sorts of investigations and shifting of blame, but it all boiled down to problems that should have been addressed earlier. But, my original question is the lack of guts. Have we become a nation of blame shifters? No one wants to be the one holding the bag, so we shift it, or keep saying no to whatever proposal so we can say we did not agree and thus blameless?
What has happened to us in the last 37 years? How have moved from daredevils that take chances so we can get the gold ring (in the case of Apollo 11 getting to the moon before the USSR) first to putting this through several committees and testing to the point of making the program obsolete before it is put into use?
On the same hand you could use this argument with the Patriot Act. Do we want to be safe or do we give up our civil liberties? Everyone is so afraid to step on toes, get caught holding the bag, or taking on in the chin...we are turing into a nation of very scary lemmings.
Get some balls America!!

Well, they got the temper part right...

2006-12-07T06:56:00.000-05:00

You Are 51% Angry

Generally, you are not an angry person.
But you're easily frustrated and enraged. You have one heck of a temper.
And because of your anger, you tend to feel resentful and even spiteful.
You already know how to quell your anger. You just need to do it more often.

How Angry Are You?

The end of November

2006-11-30T23:01:00.000-05:00

So the end is here...and I'm tired. I'm going to bed. It was a great ride.

Spoiling...

2006-11-30T00:44:00.000-05:00

My oldest looked at me tonight and said...you spoil us...
Now on one hand, it's nice that she knows this. It means, in my mind, that she is actually not spoiled and has a good head on her sholders.
On the other hand, this was at 11pm and I was back out at the grocery store buying more gingerbread mix because the first batch didn't work out in the cake mold and the youngest really wanted to take it in to school in the shape of a castle.
I just looked at her and said, "I know."
So, now the cake is made...and I am going to go to bed for 4 hours.
Goodnight!

Monitoring their every move

2006-11-28T22:15:00.000-05:00

The schools here have put a new "paying for lunch" system in place. We pay into an account and then when the kids get their lunch they give the person their pin number and the money is deducted from the account. (at least this is how it's supposed to work. I was just informed there are some issues with the new system.)
With this new system, I can go on the web site and see exactly what my child had for lunch. Remember the days when you picked up the main part of the meal on one plate, chose your type of milk, and if you were lucky had a choice for dessert? Well, no more. Everything is a'la carte now. So the kids pick and choose. So, I can see whether my kid is eating healthy or crap.
I'm waiting for the day when little microchips are implanted on food that you pack for their lunches. When they come home from school you run them under a scanner and you can see if they ate their food, traded stuff, or threw it away!

The science Fair

2006-11-27T22:42:00.000-05:00

Mandy is putting together a project for a science fair. Considering I was in Regular Biology, idiot chemistry, and skipped Physics all together...I am absolutly no help to the poor kid. Today we went to Home Depot for some pieces parts. I let her loose on the the staff there to get everything. Again, I was no help. Well, I take that back. She did say I was a great help in one area...I paid for everything.
Being a parent is just soooo much fun.

The Lights are UP!!!

2006-11-26T22:40:00.000-05:00

Well, the lights are up...and I was right...lots of swearing right along with each strand.
Here is a picture of the front of my house. I just outline the windows on the porch. I'm not ambitious to try and do the rest of the house. The upside to doing this today...I could do it wearing jeans and a short sleeve shirt...it was almost 60 degrees here!

When we got the lights out...only 3 strands worked. So I had to run out and buy a bunch more. I told hubby that this will teach us to leave them up until Easter!

The Christmas tree is also up, waiting for me to put lights on that this week and then we will decorate it next weekend. The rest of the decorations are now cluttering up my front porch waiting to be taken out of boxes and put in their respective places. So, the holiday season has truly begun around here!