LCG

Welcome to My Sickness

2011-10-11T20:46:00.000-07:00


He's obsessed with me.. He just doesn't know it.

In honor of Coming Out Week, I give you my sick, little fantasy. Sometimes, I am sixteen years old. Apparently. In my world, he is obsessed with me. Do not judge me...... Out loud. Not exactly what the week is about but, I've been in the Twilight/Rob Pattinson closet long enough!!! It's totally ~~natural~~ a sickness. Lucky for me, I have no shame. In my defense, he makes it impossible not to adore him. He plays music, he has a beautiful singing voice, he acts and for some deity's sake, he is fucking British. I never stood a chance.

Don't believe me about the voice? Just listen to this:

Yes, I know his voice breaks once. It's perfect.

*swoon*

Right. I'm done talking.

Peaks around the corner and timidly waves hello

2011-10-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

*Gives you some clickable stuffz and runs away*

I'd love to stay and tell you all about my ~~wonderful~~ life but I'm not going to because I'm tired. I have to wake up at 2:30 AM to be to work at 4 AM!!! It's insane. As in, bat shit, skipping down the street, wearing legwarmers and a tube-top (with nothing else) crazy!!! Here's something clickable. (as promised
)

I think this is totally awesome and wish I could donate 10% of my income (like most churches ~~request~~ demand. Bet that would make sweet baby Jesus so giggle happy, right?

This just in:
As of June 23, 2011, the project reached it's deadline and did not reach it's funding goal. Maybe they'll try again. One can hope.

Also; I just wasted about 2 and a half minutes of your lives. You're welcome?

Right... I'm done talking.

Screw the soap box; let's stand atop mountains and hold hands while shouting, "ENOUGH!!!

2011-08-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

"Straight Americans need... an education of the heart and soul. They must understand - to begin with - how it can feel to spend years denying your own deepest truths, to sit silently through classes, meals, and church services while people you love toss off remarks that brutalize your soul." ~Bruce Bawer, The Advocate, 28 April 1998

A friend on a social site, I won't name [but it rhymes with Facebook] linked this story and I immediately felt ashamed of the human race in general. Before I knew it, I was writing a novella in the comment section on her page. Want to know what I think about it? I don't care if you want to, I'm sharing it anyway.
Here's what have to say:

Tragic and absurd that this is happening in the year 2011! We are all of one kind; humanity. I wish we wouldn't pick each other apart and find pieces to shun simply because it is not a piece of ourselves. You're not white like me. You're not Baptist like me. You're not female like me. You're not straight like me. So if you're not just like me; you must be wrong. You must be separate. Different. It's disgusting. We are all human, we are all worthy and entitled to be ourselves without being punished or left out because of what makes us different. What makes us different from the next person; makes us truly beautiful. Marriage [legal in the eyes of the government] is a right EVERYONE should be entitled. I hope my point makes sense. We wouldn't say, "You're marriage doesn't *really* count because you're a democrat and you're a republican." Or "You can only have a *pretend* title of marriage because you're black and you're Asian." Yet, it is okay for us to say "You aren't entitled to the same rights as a heterosexual married couple because you're a man and you're a man." Grrrrrr. So asinine. Why do we still have to *fight* for civil rights? We should all be more evolved than that by now. Just sayin.... Sorry for the book on your page. :/

So, the point I'm making is this; if you are a giant tool and are against other humans having the same rights and opportunities as the rest of the collective whole; we cannot be friends. I will never be able to respect someone that is that ginormous of a WANKER.

Right then... I'm done talking.

Sometimes..... I scare myself. On purpose.

2011-08-07T01:51:00.000-07:00


This is what spooky looks like.... In case you were wondering. I have been working on writing a book. Like a real one. With words and pages and everything. Maybe even some commas. I know, I'm impressed too. It's a murder [slash] mystery [slash] one day you'll read it and you'll figure the label type shit out for yourself type of book. If it never gets published, I'll probably end up posting it on this blog. I just finished the second to the last chapter and freaked myself out. Like seriously. Freaked. Myself. The. Hell. Out. Here's the thing I wrote it. I thought it up. I know it isn't true. Yet, I'm still scared. I think I might be balancing the frightening against the "this must be pretty good if I can scare myself". Then again..... I'm ~~easily scared like a bunny~~ a sissy. I want my friend, Cath, to read it but, I need her to read them in order. The problem is I don't write them in order. I write chapters as they come to me. The epilogue was the second thing I wrote. I had my 59 year old mother read and it scared her. That doesn't prove much. Now the dogs are barking and I won't go check because my fictional character might be out there and he might pretend kill me. Also, no one in Alaska reads my blog. Apparently. Right then. I'm done talking.

It was a Thursday

2011-06-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

And it was full of the AWESOME!!!

See here about that Sunday, that one time. That was not teh awesome. It was the opposite of awesome.

Here's a little back story. But click that link if you get lost because I'm not in the business of repeating myself. *snicker* The police officer, we'll call him the copper, came back to my house 3 weeks after the incident. Three. Entire. Weeks. I had already succeeded in obtaining an order of protection. The Prick got an order of protection against me too. Because he is in fear of his safety from my son and myself. Which is laughable. Really. Laughable. We may be close to buddah-ish, except I kill bees and spiders. Sometimes. I'm not that scared of spiders anymore. Almost. Okay. They're still totally creepy..... Where was I?

Copper says, "I just wanted to be sure you wanted to go through with pressing chargers. I'm going to send the report to the prosecuting attorney's office if you say yes but, (here it comes) if you choose to press charges, I'll be recommending your son get charges of Disorderly Conduct.

Me: "Really? You know he was, in his mind, defending himself. He dropped the rake 40 yards before he reached "The Pr... guy", right?"

Copper: "He was safe at home and went back."

Me: *rubs palm down face and groans* "Alright. We'll deal with that when it comes. But, if I don't press charges, what does that tell my son? I'll tell you what it says. Loud and fucking clear. It says, it's okay to put your hands on people. That violence is not only the answer, it is just and right. I cannot, in good conscience, allow that lesson to be taught to my child. You do what you have to, I want it sent to the Prosecutor."

Copper: "Have a good night."

Me: *mutters under my breath* "Sure thing, 5-0. It'll be fucking swell and shit."

I received a letter about a week later requesting my child to be present for a meeting in Diversion court. Shit. Fuckity, even.

We go. Travel 45 miles out of town to attend because I live in rural, nowhere town. We were nervous. The meeting/interview took approximately 50 minutes. What happened? I'm glad you asked, or didn't, whatever. The lady said, "We met. We talked. You're a good kid. We are done here. No charges. *sweeps imaginary paperwork off the desk* That prick is just a bully and probably always has been. Have a good day." *big, cheesy, Cheshire cat grin* Yeah, I just might be paraphrasing.

Bottom line: The Prick is getting assault charges, my son is getting ZERO charges. Suck it, Copper!

Right. I'm done talking...

It was a Sunday.....

2011-04-20T23:49:00.001-07:00

Let's talk about a Prick. I might get serious for a minute......

"Perhaps certain arcane systems of logic, mathematics, music, and stories - particularly remote and fantastic ones - have been passed down from phenotype to phenotype, in parallel with the DNA that helped shape minds which would know exactly what to do with these strange and elegant creations."

My son has Asperger's Syndrome. For those of you that won't click on the link, the easiest and oversimplified way to explain Asperger's, which is an Autism Spectrum Disorder (or ASD), is a very high functioning Autism. Why is this important? Well, it will help explain some things later. He often says, "Living in this world is like living behind tempered glass that has spider web cracks or that glass you find in bathrooms. The people can't see me but the light still comes in without hindrance. I can see out but everything is distorted. I want to talk to you. I want to touch you. I just can't get beyond the glass and you can't see me as I am. We are always divided by an invisible barrier. If I couldn't see the world through the glass, maybe it wouldn't bother me." I asked him once, when he was younger, if it were possible would he want to be cured. He responded, "I'm not sick." Pretty simple. The truth is, who would he be without the A.S? We are not simply our abilities or our views or our morals. We are all of those things and so much more. A.S is a part of who he is, but it does not, singularly, define him.

That is a portion of his back story.
I felt it necessary to explain before I tell you about 'The Prick'....

I haven't left my house in a couple months. I'm almost serious. I've been to the store, met a friend for lunch and the day-to-day living outings, I just haven't been out-out. An old friend got in touch with and needed a date for a charity, black and white ball. I jumped at the chance to get out for an entire 24 hours. Plus, it meant I had a reason to wear make-up and I'm fairly certain mascara has an expiration date. The ball was in another state but close enough to leave my house at 5:00 pm to arrive by 7:00 pm. I went, I got intoxicated on ~~cheap~~ free wine. Woke up the next morning with a wicked wine hangover. I ate a piece of bread with some peanut butter and played on the Internet via ~~Blackberry~~ Crackberry until it was time to go home. I was about ten miles (I'm lazy so, I'm not converting that to km) from home when I got a frantic phone call.

"Mom!!!! I cussed. I cussed a lot and I'm sorry. He's so much bigger than me and he's screaming right in Nana's face. GET HERE RIGHT NOW!!! You can't be where you are, you have to be here, not there." It was my son. His words came rushing out so fast I could barely put them together. With one exception, GET. HERE. NOW! I begged him to slow down, take a breath and explain. I could hear him inhale and exhale a few times. He muttered under his breath, "I have to watch her. He might hurt her. He is mean. He is mean." When he calmed down enough to speak, in a more coherent manner, he explained what had happened and I saw red.

"I was walking back from the store because I wanted a Pepsi and you never buy pop anymore. If we had pop in the house, this would not have happened." He stated. Always putting the blame on something.

"I know. Pop is bad for us, too much sugar. So, you were walking home from the store????" I prodded, hoping he would continue with details and not a lashing on why I suck for not having soda pop in the house.

"Yeah. That's what I said. I was walking back from the store. I was on 'our road'. I called Nana to ask if she would pick me up because the walk was too long and I was bored. She said no because I was only 2 blocks away. That shouldn't matter, I already walked 17 blocks...."

*sigh* "Honey....."

"What?"

"I need you to tell me what happened. Try to leave out the unnecessary details."

"What? All details are necessary unless they are stupid. I'm telling you what happened. Don't you want to know? You said to tell you what happened."

"Okay. Tell me what happened after you called Nana and she said no."

"I put my headphones in and started listening to Nirvana. I saw this guy running right at me. He pushed me into the bushes," Here's where my heart started racing and my breathing began to get rapid. Panic. It was coming. Fear. The words 'OH GOD' were on a silent loop in my mind. Thankfully, he can't pick up on those signs. I believe it was at this point, my hand flew up to the base of my neck and remained there until he finished the story. He continued, "and held me there. He said, 'Are you Brendan? He didn't even know I was me. Not for sure, or he wouldn't have asked. He could have been attacking the wrong kid. He grabbed my shoulder with his right hand and he put his left elbow on my other shoulder with his forearm across my chest and neck. His left hand gripped my t-shirt. I'm wearing my favorite shirt. The Nirvana shirt you got me at the mall but I can only wear it to school with electrical tape on the back because it says the word, 'Whore' on the back. He started pushing and pulling me around saying something about egging his house. I told him, 'Let go of me or I will call the cops!' He said,'A lot of good it will do to call them when you're in the hospital!' I asked, 'Why would I be in the hospital?' He said, 'Because I'm going to put you there, you're psycho!' I'm not psycho, I'm autistic. I got away and started running for the house. If he was going to try to fight me, I needed something to hit him with. He is far too big for a fair fight. He picked up a big rock and yelled, 'That"s it! You're dead!!' and started chasing after me. That's when I yelled FUCK YOU. When I got home I grabbed the first thing I could find, it was the rake. Where is my bat? I couldn't find it anywhere?

"I don't know where your bat is, Bren. Please tell me you didn't hit anyone with a rake. And who is this man? He didn't hit you with the rock, did he? Are you hurt? I'll be there in less than 5 minutes. You said he was screaming at Nana, he hasn't hurt her has he?"

"No. I didn't, I dropped it. No. I don't think so. Okay and not yet."

".... What?"

"I answered your questions. Maybe you should try the deep breathing. I'll wait 17 seconds."

"Oh.... No, I'm okay. So you grabbed the rake, what happened next?"

"Nana came running out behind me. I was screaming and cussing. Like when an animal is coming towards you, you're supposed to make yourself threatening and loud. I did that. Nana sent me back to the house. I'm in the driveway now talking to you on the phone. He's still yelling at Nana in the street. She is yelling back. I think she is cussing too."

"I'm almost there now. Stay home. No matter what. You understand what I am saying, right? No. Matter. What. Do not leave the house."

"I got it. No matter what."

We hung up the phone and my friend turned onto my street. About a block from my house, two men and one woman were standing in the middle of the street. I had my friend stop the car and I jumped out.

Me: "Which one of you put your hands on my son?"

The Prick pointed and came walking toward me: "Are you the mother?"

Me: "Yes. Are you the asshole that put your hands on my son? He's 14 years old and autistic and your what, 40?"

The Prick: "You're lucky he's not in the hospital."

Me: "No. You're lucky he's not in the hospital. What is wrong with you?"

The Prick: "Why is he walking the streets? You're psycho kid needs to be put away. He shouldn't be allowed in public school."

Me: "Are you serious? You're an ignorant prick! He's autistic not psychotic. You might be..."

This is where he launched into a story about his house being egged and if my son didn't do it, he knew who did. I tried to explain that my son was out of town for almost the entire Spring Break and could not have egged his house. He was rarely unsupervised. And that I didn't give two shits that his house was egged, I wanted to know why he felt he had the right to assault my son. He just kept saying that he didn't care and we needed to resolve this egging thing.

The Prick: "I want to know what you are going to do to resolve this?"

Me: "I'll tell you what I am going to do. I'm going to call the police and you are going to jail."

I called the police and realized I had no idea who this man was so, I asked him.

Me: "Hey, Prick! What is your name?"

I told the dispatch operator who asked me to get away from him because he was still yelling and she couldn't hear me. I waited at the house for the officer to show up. My mom said The Prick told her he was going to put my son in the hospital and he also told the neighbor (who saw the whole thing) the same thing.

The officer came, collected our statements and went to The Prick's house. Then the officer returned about an hour later. He told us The Prick admitted everything and was remorseful about the assault so he didn't take him to jail right then and there. He stated he was off and would be beginning a 2 week vacation the following day but would be sending the report to the prosecuting attorney's office. The officer said The Prick is, at the very least, looking at assault 4 and harassment. He explained to The Prick to stay away from my son and myself or he would be looking at tampering with a witness. He left.

I went to the courthouse the following day to get a temporary anti-harassment order. Today, I go to court to get a permanent order of protection. The next time, if there is one, he will go to jail, remorseful or not. While I am at the courthouse I will do my best not to channel Colonel Nathan R. Jessep.

My son has told me that The Prick is the father of a kid at school. His kid told Bren his dad is unemployed and plays WoW all day while his wife has dates and steals their money while they sleep. Which lead me to have to explain to my son what a hooker is..... It was uncomfortable for everybody.

Right then. I'm done talking.

Here's a song from my (anti)writer's block playlist.

It's not OCD........ Probably.

2011-04-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

Alright... It totally is.....

My favorite (or favourite if you're not from here) candy is Tic Tacs, specifically, the cherry passion variety. It tends to be more of an addiction than an indulgence. Here is my issue: I don't like the different colors to touch each other. It drives me mad, as in bat shit crazy, not angry. I have to empty them all out and divide them into colors.

Then and only then, can I eat them. Right, well I just wasted 5 minutes of my your life that you will never get back. You're welcome?

Also, they love me in RUSSIA. According to my clustrmap. <-----That's not a spelling error.

That's it. I'm done talking.

I'm unemployed for a living....

2011-03-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

Also: I'm kind of a liar....

I keep saying I'm going to update all the time, recycle, quit smoking and be a decent human being. I've done (maybe) one of those things. In my defense, I do continue to keep quitting smoking cigarettes. I'm quitting...again. Okay. I'm more in the process of quitting. Listen! I don't care. There you have it. Only.... I do care or I wouldn't be talking about it...again. I want to get here so bad, I can taste it. Metaphorically, of course, you can't really taste Ireland. Or maybe you can. I'm sure someone has, at least, licked Ireland once or twice. We live in a world of orally fixated people. Which is probably why I smoke.

I've been unemployed for a little more than a month now. It's not as fun as I ~~thought~~ wanted it to be in real life. I use my free time to ~~do good for the world~~ make YouTube videos and write a story that has been in my head for the last 15 years. Since I have horrible grammar, it's a slow process. Also; I have the attention span of a ~~squirrel~~ goldfish. So, while I'm thinking about it, here's a video to watch that I edited. You can only view it in America because, Sony hates the rest of you, apparently. You should all write them and tell them they are assholes.

If you see your cover in the video, don't get ~~stupid~~ mad. I used it because I thought you were cute. Take it as a compliment. Plus, I added your link to the video in the description to give you credit or whatever.
I should have used this one for the blog instead, because it means the most to me.

I would show you the first 3 chapters of my writing project but I'm not going to....*shrug*
Basically, I spent 5 hours editing and rewriting all of it for not because I'm a dillhole and forgot to save as I went along.

Right then, I'm done talking.

I QUIT

2010-08-18T15:04:00.000-07:00

In which I drone on about stuff in real life.

I quit or I'm in the process of quitting smoking. It sucks. Don't let anyone tell you it doesn't suck. Have you seen this commercial? Yeah, it's kind of, exactly like that. But the benefits will outweigh the suck in the end. Plus, I can't smoke anywhere other than my yard, my car and in the bathroom at the bar (but I totally have to blame it on the girl in the next stall who is even more wasted than me).

At least once a week I will post visual aids for my own motivation. I will be a world traveler. Because what I really want to do is get lost in Ireland all by myself. Maybe even kiss a pretty boy. It's pretty decent motivation but so is money and health.

Funny thing is, I always knew there were health risks to smoking, I just never cared. Not really. Show me blackened lungs; it's like "Ick. Yeah, that's bad" *long drag on a Camel*. Didn't really phase me. Offer me a full week in Ireland without my children, I'm all over it. It's all about priorities.

Tally so far:
-----------
Days not smoked: 4
Money not spent on cigarettes: $31.40
Nicotine fits: About eleventy billion

I drink and William Shakespeare makes me cry

2010-08-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

In which I had a good time.

I had my second annual date with Michelle to see Shakespeare Uncork'd. We had a few cocktails of the Vodka kind. Pissed off some dude by being on our wireless devices and on Twitter instead talking to each other or him. Whatever. Walked into the amphitheater almost on time. I loved it! This year was Much Ado About Nothing. I thought it was even better than last year. I laughed. I cried. I tried to hide my crying until I heard Michelle sniffling beside me. YES! I was not alone in my nerdiness.

After the show we went to the Peony (not the plants but the bar) We had a few more cocktails. I think I super-sized mine by this point.
We invited her brother, James, to come meet us. But the owner said "last call". We then decided to go grab him and head to another bar. I think it was The Green or The Blue or maybe The Red Monkey. I don't know, something about a color. We listened to really bad 90's rap and drank a few more cocktails. We ate some dudes fries and wings. Well, Michelle and I ate fries and James ate wings. I was trying really hard not to be the drunk girl that shoves her tongue in everyone's mouth. I succeeded. I think I may have followed James around a bit though. Then we went back to their house/apartment. Michelle and I had a super fucktastic conversation about religion and spirituality. Then we went to bed. The next morning, we just hung around being mellow and super easy.

I may have thrown up at 6:55 in the morning. Just like college. I didn't get home until almost 10 at night because I was taking the boy around to say goodbye to his friends. At some point I lost him. Yeah, yeah. I am expecting that Mother of the Year Awards any day. I think it's lost in the mail.

The Wager

2010-08-13T14:19:00.000-07:00

In which I give something up to get something I really want.

I have wanted to go to Ireland forever. Also, London. I talk about all the time. (Obsession is a theme for me people) My mom, who hears most of my "I really want to go to Ireland" whining, made me an offer. She said if I quit smoking, save the money that I would've spent on cigarettes and use it for a trip to Ireland, she will watch my kids for 1 whole week. Are you serious? Hell to the yes!!! (<----said in my best ghetto styling) I set a date for August 15, 2010.
That is just one day away. I told my friend, Michelle, about it. Being the awesome girl that she is, she said she would quit too. We could be each others sponsors of sorts. Yay!

By September of 2011 I will be in Dublin. I'm going to get a package deal but I am not going on any tour bus rides. I'm just going to be me but in Ireland. I'm going to walk, take cabs, ride regular public transit and wander around. Then I'm going to hop on over to London for at least a day or two. Totally worth giving up the Camels.

Did I mention The Script is from Ireland?

What? You miss me?

2010-08-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

In which the 3 readers I had may miss my blah-blah-blog

I stopped writing because nothing ever happens. Not really anyway. Then the Internet broke up with me. I tried to call every once in a while but our schedules conflicted. I lost my phone. Bought a new phone. The Blackberry Curve. (Mine is purple and pretty) There is a App World. My favorite app is Twitter. I send messages to Twitter like All. The. Time. What is my point. My point is I will blog a little about the tiny events in my life. We'll start with my fangirl idiocy.

I'm much too lazy to post links to the entire conversation but I responded on Twitter to Rob Thomas' (AKA @ThisIsRobThomas)question in my traditional smartass manner and he totally tweeted back to me. *SQUEEEEE* I did this whole fangirl dance and fist pump thing in the kitchen about 35 minutes later. I was trying to be cool.

I have decided I'm going to approach this blogging thing in a different way. I'm not going to worry about content. I'm just going to take you along for the ride. I have plans and obsessions. I'm going to use this for that. Yep.

Obsessions:

I am totally in love with The Script. I just bought their CD yesterday. I decided I needed their music in more than one medium. I never leave home without them.

If you have not seen Remember Me yet, you should. In fact, go now. I'll wait. I have watched it several times. I may be in love with Tyler and Aidan both. Great movie. Made a tragic event, that I was growing more and more detached from, personal. Rent it. Buy it. Love it.

Books!!! I am reading all the time. *Confession* I read the entire Twilight saga in 5 days. Then read, The Host. My War: Killing Time in Iraq. The Secret. Celebrity Detox. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Pride and Prejudice. Many, many more. I'm currently reading The Ballad of the Sad Cafe. I read about 3 books a week. Obsessed much?

You have been weighed...measured and found wanting

2010-04-03T00:53:00.000-07:00

In which this is exactly why I will never get married..

Fiction! That is why. Fictional men are waaay better than real men. Not just the men but the whole depiction of love is better in fiction. I think it started for me with Little Women. Or maybe it was Romeo and Juliet. Where ever it started, it continues and I, literally, just figured it out. Just now. After reading the story of how desperately in love Romeo is with Juliet or Mr Darcy and Elizabeth or even Heathcliff and Catherine or more recent, Edward and Bella my relationship(s) will never measure up when I can't even get him to take out the garbage for fuck sake!

I blame fiction for my inability to ever show up at my own wedding.

Words

2010-02-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

In which they're just vowels and consonants until they actually mean something....

Have you ever thought that words are just letters? Vowels and consonants that have definitions according to Webster but they, by themselves, don't mean anything at all? I made myself believe that that for two weeks.

Back story [Experiences of a main character taking place prior to the main action, which contribute to character motivations and reactions]

Do you remember the television show in the 80's My Two Dads? This young girl had two dads. She loved them equally as much even though they were complete opposite personalities. I didn't have 2 men who could possibly be my biological father, but I had two dads all the same. My biological dad was never close to me. He was a military man and didn't quite know how to relate to a young female. Not to fault him, he has tried to make up and get to know me as an adult. I love him for that. I had another man step in when I needed him. He wasn't required to be my dad, he wanted to be my dad.

In the beginning, it was not rainbows and sunshine. Far from it. I had lost trust in men. (A story too long to get into so we will leave it at that for now) I felt it was my duty to push this guy as far as I could to see just what would break him.
How much could he take before he left too? To my surprise, he never left. He stood strong and then forgave me for my ugliness. In fact, loved me inspite of myself. He was there for my first love and the immediately following first heartbreak. My first school dance. Every time I ran away from my would-be marriage, he was there. It was our joke that he would never get to walk me down the isle because I was a master at the rope-a-dope but he would give me a bottle of Cold Duck and 2 one-way tickets to Vegas as long as we could dance to Butterfly Kisses when I finally said "I do". He was there for my first child. And then my second. My daughter. As far as he was concerned, she hung the moon and the stars and their shine was nothing compared to the light in her eyes. He told her all the time how he was the first person she ever saw in this world and how lucky that made him. She felt the same for him.

One day he heard a song that made him cry. I hadn't realized how he had thought so much of her future. He saw himself walking her down the isle, although, never really giving her away. Because no one would ever be good enough to deserve his Savannah Rae. His personal Rae of sunshine. He shared the song with me. That is when I realized how much she meant to him. She couldn't have gotten a better Papa if I could have hand picked him for her. For that fact alone, I will forever be grateful. He loved her first.

Back to the beginning of the post....

They found my second dad (step-dad is not a good label for him)on the sidewalk bleeding from his mouth on Monday, February 8, 2010. He couldn't remember any one's name or address or phone number. The hospital tracked down my mom, somehow. She called me and left a message. A message I still can't bring myself to listen to in its' entirety. So it remains as a new message waiting for me to listen, when I am ready.

I spent the next week driving and intentionally not thinking. I read a series of books that took me out of my life, out of my head. This is a series I have developed a full-on obsession with now. I will tell you about that next time. But it helped me with my nonexistence. I would drive from home to the hospital, to the store, back home and back to the hospital. I would listen to music. Not singing along. Keeping the lyrics just words. Letters all smashed together. Not putting words in full sentences. Not giving any words, outside of the books, meaning. For fear the meaning behind the words may crush me. Once in a while, I allowed a few to have the power of their meaning to press down on my chest. They pressed down so hard, with such force, that I could not breathe. So, I found ways to make them just words, definitions... sure... but not meanings. Here's what happened- I discovered that definitions are themselves just words. The words and phrases became detached from reality in a way. Things like; "DNR" "Prognosis." "One week, maybe two." "Comfortable." "Prepare." "Hospice." "Say goodbye." They are all just words until you give them their meaning. The meaning behind them is not their definitions, it's what or who is attached to them.

It's funny how you spend so much time and energy being angry with someone for the choices they made in their life. In the end, all the fights and hurt feelings fade away and you are left with one of two things; Love and forgiveness or anger and regret. I chose love. Nothing else mattered at the moment. Nothing. But love.
I feel lucky to have gotten the time to say that to him. That my children all had the chance to say it as well. No one person will ever be perfect but your love for them and theirs for you can be perfect.

His name was Toby. His eyes were brown. His hair was black. His laugh was infectious. His love was unbridled. His family loved him. His favorite song was Crazy by Patsy Cline and where ever he was, if he heard that song, he would ask my mom to dance. His favorite movie was The Wizard of Oz. He was born January 16,1952 and he died February 14, 2010. He will check in on us from time to time. And he is saving us a spot on the rainbow.

So much...

2009-11-22T20:04:00.000-08:00

In which I try to catch you up with several brief updates....

There was a trip to the hospital. My son twisted or pulled his neck trying some acrobatics on the trampoline. There were people taking their influenza on walks around the Emergency Room so the masks were a defense. He was fine so no worries.

I still have a job that is less than enjoyable
. Seriously. I need a different, better job. Like 2 months ago. Most places are hiring part-time and/or seasonal positions right now. Probably to avoid paying for benefits. I continue to work four days a week, ten hour shifts. Did I tell you my hours? Five in the morning to 4 in the afternoon. So, I climb in the back of the truck and take a nap on my lunch hour.

Halloween was super fun except I got entirely too intoxicated too fast. Because I do not have the "pace yourself" ability when it comes to alcoholic beverages. Which includes Jell-O shots. I lost count at 10 shots and 64 ounces of lemonade/vodka. Excessive? Why yes, thank you. It was good to see Matt again. I enjoyed myself.

I had the flu. Not just any flu. I had the swine flu. The kids, thank goodness, had the vaccine. This flu is retched. Like worse than the normal flu. I missed an entire week of work. I slept from 4 in the afternoon on Sunday to 11:30 in the morning on Monday. AND I was still tired. I recovered. Now, I am picking up extra hours to try to make the money back that I lost by missing work. You know. At the job I despise. Yay!

One more thing

2009-10-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

In which I am a total nerd....

My new toon on WoW. I heart her! She is little now, but when she gets bigger she will be awesome!!!

My grrr face....In writing

2009-10-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

In which I don't blog because I don't want to bitch and rant....

Update: Work sucks.

That is all.

Also, I would give you pictures, but camera phones are prohibited. Use of them will result in disciplinary action. What they mean by disciplinary action is termination.

Furthermore, I should take a picture of the DOS based billing program so I can collect unemployment.

P.S. I have applied to three jobs this week hoping to get ANYTHING that generates an income.

Big Girl Panties

2009-10-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

In which I do not title this entry until I'm done writing it.

I have been in training for the past three weeks. *yawn* I'm fairly certain my capacity for new information to be retained, reached its' limit by week 2. Awesome. I know. It isn't that it is difficult. It's pretty elementary. What is the issue, you ask? I will gladly tell you, my friends. I. Do. Not. Like. Sales. Not even a little bit. I'm not in sales. However, I am required to upsell. Did you hear me? I'm REQUIRED to upsell on every call. Naturally, I want to rebel. If it were just me, I would have taken the temporary job for $12.75 per hour and eat bologna sandwiches (without the bread) for a few months while I searched for another job. I, however, have offspring and need to provide not only the bologna but also the bread, the mustard, the pickles, the mayonnaise, the soup, the cheese, the juice.... You get the picture. Ugh. I decided to suck it up and do the job until I find something I love again. It's hard to be an adult! Just saying.

Failed, failed, failed.

2009-09-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

In which I totally blame Google...

I, lost in the rapids on the river of change, forgot to go see Goblinbox at the Biker Rally. I was super excited to be invited to go. Then I read this and was completely bummed I missed a latex pecker! Damn you, Google. I thought I set a reminder. I didn't. Apparently. I still choose to blame Google. It should have known that I meant to save the reminder. It knows when I type monicker what I really meant was moniker, for sobbing out loud! I will give Google another chance because I love him. He only does it when he's drinking.

The New Job

Day One: Mind numbingly boring. Like most jobs I spent the first day doing paperwork. But this training class had the added bonus of reading every word of the 17 pages of legal/ethical standards pertaining to customer proprietary network information, as well as, going through the Non-Compete/ Privacy Agreement ALOUD. Did you hear me? I had to read aloud AND listen to other people read sections (often poorly) out loud! It was painful. On a scale of 1-10, I rate it a sad face. I started working with, what will be the main software. It is DOS based. OMG!! I freaked for like 1.7 minutes because I haven't done that, in like, FOREVER. It's easy though. Plus, changed my colors from black and green to black and pink. I would show you, but NO. CAMERA. PHONES. ALLOWED. ANYWHERE. Not even in the hallways! Gah! I can outback in the smoking area. Would you like pictures of the field? Yeah, me either.

Day Two: Reviewed yesterdays material. Pretty simple. I learned the web based software which is pretty cool billing software. Everything is pretty clear and self explanatory. Nice. I know. Then we took a drive in the intranet search engine. Can we all say cluster fuck? Sorry. Thesaurus says there is not another word for cluster fuck.

See I don't lie.

Waves Hello

2009-09-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

In which I have been dying to talk to you.

Where to begin... It's been a while since I posted to the blog. Basically because everything I wanted to say was sort of a secret. But not really a secret. I will explain. I have been driving 90 miles, round trip, on a daily commute for work since March. At first, it wasn't that bad. I had time to myself and could sing at the top of my lungs for forty-five whole minutes. As time ticked by, it became a boring, tedious, frustrating drive that I have come to completely despise. My car broke down a few times. Why? Because it is a P.O.S.
I was between 1-15 minutes late, at least once a week, due to traffic revisions.
I was told on more than one occasion and by more than one individual that "someone is gunning for you" or "you don't know how close you came to getting fired." While it is true that fear may be a motivator for some, it is not for me. It's the opposite. After I had, admittedly, made a mistake in writing the date wrong for start date of my first vacation after 2.4 years, I received a phone call. The tone was rather curt in nature. I was asked if I was coming to work. I responded that I was on vacation. Also, I had talked about it for, literally, months prior, not to mention, everyone else knew too. So, I called the one manager and explained that I had written it down wrong and apologized but I would not be into work that day. Essentially, I called in, which by the way, I have done an extremely rare amount of occasions. That phone call also had a brusque tone. After I over analyzed the two conversations for a couple of days, I decided to be proactive. I applied to a total of two jobs. I'm not an overachiever. I noticed I was getting the silent treatment from one person.
So, I sensed a 'meeting' coming in a few days. Then on Friday,(9-4-2009)I received a voicemail from one company asking me to come in for a data entry test. I told my direct supervisor immediately. It is commonly agreed that I should take gainful employment if I found it. He did say I had to give two weeks notice which I totally intended to but things change. I called the company back and set up an appointment. James was nice enough to switch shifts with me. I went to the data entry test and apparently passed. Then they immediately asked me to interview. I was not prepared to interview. AT ALL. I guess it went well because she offered me the job on the spot. Catch? Yes. It starts Monday but you can pick your shift. Crap! 3 days notice for my current employer but Yay! I get 4 - 10's with weekends off. I will be off by 4pm which means more time with the kids. I will get medical and dental, like a real girl, in 90 days! Vacation within the calendar year. Oh. And. More. Money. Also, it is 12 minutes from my house! Can we say all say Woo Hoo one time? I arrived at work Wednesday morning and turned in my very short notice. I do feel bad about the lack of notice. But it is just a courtesy and to be fair, I would not have gotten notice before being fired. Plus, I cannot pass on this opportunity. So, it is what it is, as they say. I'm pretty sure I won't have a going away cake and that's ok too. It's time to move forward. The new job also promises advancement in my position! *someone did a happy dance* It was me.

Shakespeare Uncork'd in the W²

2009-08-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

In which I finally have content......

I was invited by Goblinbox, thanks to VUBOQ, to see The Taming of the Shrew. When we arrived they had to search for the tickets my friend bought weeks ago. Goblinbox (the super-techno-geek that she is) had the receipt on the ready in her iPod Touch but the lady behind the counter found our tickets without incident. I would insert a photo of that ticket here but Flickr is being an asshole so, no visual aids for you to enjoy. Suck it, Flickr!
I will update the post later with the pics. (maybe) I digress. We walk down toward the stage and there is a 1950's style travel trailer as the focal point of the set. I believe we both thought something like; "Great! Another updated, [likely] ruined adaption or interpretation of Shakespeare." We were so wrong! It was hilarious! I truly enjoyed myself. The first time I laughed and realized how much I was enjoying it, I had to look to Goblinbox, who was also laughing. Fantastic! We both loved it. Then there was the cute boy that played Grumio. One word: YUM. Seriously. Yum. Of course, he is married (IRL) to Bianca. She happens to be equally cute for the boys to admire. Aside from Grumio being adorable (Mullet and all) I would say Kate was my favorite. Something about a girl in a wedding dress and biker boots. I can identify. For those that were there..."BEER ME!" For those that weren't... Well, you probably don't get the joke.

Up and down you're turning me....

2009-07-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

In which the Universe still refuses to revolve around me......

This weekend I fought with SBP. Because I believe he should put out a little more. I'm in my early 30's, enough said. Plus, sometimes. When he talks. I don't understand what he means. He will use big words that he clearly does not know the meaning of and then I have to cock [ha! I said cock] my head to the side in confusion while I piece his sentences together to try to make some sense out of what he is saying to me. Then, he's already saying something else. So, I fall behind. Then, I make him stop talking. I repeat back to him what I thought he meant and he says, "Don't talk to me like I'm a derelict!!" Then I smile and hug him because he's so pretty.

I get to work on Monday.
First, it's Monday! Then, there is a huge. No HUGE queue because James was sick on Saturday and Sunday. Possibly just Sunday. And instead of calling a tech [me or Matt]in to work, they [management]decided to just let there be no one taking tech calls. Now, to their credit, I don't know if there was a status message alerting callers that their issues would not be processed by staff until Monday morning or not. I am thinking not. However, between myself and Matt, we did clear the queue but 12:30pm, complete with high 5! The rest of the day was pretty slow with spurts of steady.

I was asked to be a bridesmaid in my friends third wedding. *Please take an "Awwww moment" here* I'm happy to be in her wedding. First, because I don't really know this boyfriend so, I cannot despise him. Second, because I am a good friend. Third, I love her. Then I said, "Um.. Do I have to wear a dress?" She said, "Yes." I'll wear a dress for her. Crap! I haven't worn a dress in like 7 years. I think the last time I did it was for a job interview at Eastern State Hospital. And I got the job too! Then I asked her what her colors were. She said, I let Aria pick the colors. They are yellow or peach." Aria is the 15 year old daughter of my friend. Yellow... I will look jaundice. But it's not about me. Not even a little, so I can deal.

Finally, at 7 pm I started the normal sequence of events for closing the office. I turned off the lights, closed my system down, set the alarm, locked the door and left. My car started up and drove just fine. I drove to the highway and headed toward home. I made it to Lowden. Which, by the way, has a wikipedia entry! Through Lowden, you have to slow to 40 MPH through the town. My speed was dropping more and more. I looked down and I was going like 30 MPH! I hit the gas a little and nothing. No response. AND my glove box sounded like it was ticking. I'm sure I looked like a tweaker with my head in my glove box. I sat there for a while. Updated Twitter. Called a few people. You know. For a ride. Then, after about 20 minutes, I got out and started hitting stuff. I AM A CAR FUCKING GENIUS!!! It started. I drove the remaining 35 miles home. I drove to work today too, bitches!

I will cut you.....

2009-07-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

Well. Not you....

In which I bring you my week in pictures....

So, I have thought alot about cutting or stabbing people this week, as noted by the search bar in Google. I googled "what the is the term for someone that thinks about stabbing people?" I tried variations of this too. Like, cutting people, stabbing with a fork. There was not an answer to be found. The Internet is hard. I don't really want to cut people. Just stab them a little. Like with a fork in their larynx so they will SHUT UP! Tell me you haven't and I will call you a liar! LIAR! I have never actually stabbed anyone either. I may have caused a scratch or two on accident. But that was in fun [RAWR] way not in a please-stop-talking-before-I-cut-you way. I don't know what it is. Perhaps, a shift in the polarization of the planet. Who knows! Or maybe, people should SHUT THE HELL UP!

The signs said, "Expect delays". Ya think? I don't really like my drive to work. It's too long and boring. Sometimes, I sing to myself. But it has been hot and the AC isn't the greatest in the little blue car so, I don't use it. Then I get sticky and that is just gross. I'm sure there are people that appreciate a sticky girl who sings off key but, not anyone I know. This delay was only for a couple of days though while they were doing something called fog coating or flog coating. Whatever. You can see what it is here if you really want to. They only coated about 2 miles of highway. Yay! For Washington state tax dollars! That site states "It is possible to obtain colored asphalt concrete surfaces." Why don't they then do like rainbow roads? Break up the boring black, yellow and white.

In other; better news, I got a new wallpaper that makes me giggle every time I see it! See above. I wish it was true. Well, not totally true. Maybe if it just shocked people with about 50 Volts or 500. That would be funny to watch. Because, for a split second, they might believe they are going to die because my wallpaper said so. Ha!!!

Nothing special...move along

2009-07-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

In which I bore you....

I haven't done anything spectacular since....the last time I did something spectacular which, for some reason, my memory fails. I don't really have anything to write about. I'm just bored and thought I'd reach out to the diary or journal or blog, whatever you call it. It's payday. I hold in my hands a representative of my worth to the company I work for 5 days a week, every week for just over two years. Sometimes, briefly, I think it's a joke and they are going to hand me my real check any moment. But, no. This is it. It's tiny and cute. A reminder of how underpaid and [not even almost] overworked I am.

In other news, people have gone crazy. See what I mean? I lurve British people. Bonnet is used in place of hood. How sweet is that? Then there is this clip. SWEAR TO GOD! PEOPLE ARE BAT SHIT CRAZY!!! So, then I started looking for the crazy. There is alot to be had. Like this or this. There was more but you have to look around the intarwebz yourself. I can't do everything.

Another thing... I'm also very intrigued by useless information. Which then becomes useful because I know it and you don't. For example, slugs have 4 noses. Did you know that? Now, you do. You're welcome.

Ally McBeal is my soul sister

2009-07-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

In which I'm exciting in my pretend life....

If you haven't seen Ally McBeal this will not make any sort of sense. Even if you have, it's questionable whether or not this will make sense. I'm here for me, not you. *tee-hee* Seriously, do some homework. This is my point of reference. I loved her. I think the show was canceled because the general public feared their own insanity all up in their face on prime time television. I LOVED it! So much. I finally had a role model on T.V. Ok, so I'm not wafer thin. I don't worked with totally hot people. They are warm though.
Don't get me wrong. We do have a couple sexy bitches. But we are down one too. We do share a common bathroom but it is private so, we are never in there together. Or at least not on purpose. I was thinking I may have this other self. One that has a far superior existence than I. Let's break it down, shall we? Glad you are coming along on my journey of make believe. In my real life, a typical day is as follows:

1. I wake up.

2. I am not at all happy about being awake. Eventually, I get out of bed. Usually not because I am motivated by the day but because I have to urinate. Let's be honest.

3. I do some kind of ritual to get ready for work. I'm not a structured type of person. I don't really have a routine outside of getting out of bed to urinate. Sometimes, I shower in the morning. Sometimes the night before. Sometimes I wear make-up. Sometimes I don't. Consistently, I do not eat breakfast.

4. I get to my car, usually by way of circling the house once or twice because I forgot my keys or license or lighter or something because I don't carry a purse like a real girl. The I begin my completely ridiculous 45 mile commute to my, barely-above-minimum-wage, job.

5. I talk to people who should not be allowed to own a cat much less a computer. They get on the Internet and get lost. So I am here to help them find their way. Most of the time they are nice. Sometimes, they are dicks. And other times they are too stupid to justify be angry at them for being stupid. After 9 hours, I lock up, set the alarm and begin my 45 mile commute home.

6. I eat dinner about every other day when I get home after 8 in the pm. I usually talk on the phone a little or text. I might walk down to Clyde and Deana's for a little while. I get the kids in bed because that is my job.

7. I watch mind-numbing t.v. or get on the time-suck known as the Internet. Then I go to bed just to repeat steps 1 through 7 again.

8. The awesome-ness is injected, from time-to-time, when I have encounters at the Wild Life Refuge or Fred Meyer parking lot (do not judge me) with SBP. *wink,wink*

That's it. My vicissitude in 8 easy, mundane steps. Not too exciting. And you can now clearly see why there is time gaps between blog entries. Who wants to hear about my daily urination or commute or the 25 farcical conversations I have throughout the day. Not you. *roll eyes*

In my perpendicular plane of existence [you know, because parallel would be the same just at a different time. *duh*], I'm exciting. Super hot. All legs and a brain pan reckoning that of Einstein. I do what I want, when I want. Nothing is out of reach and money is not a concern. I fly over to Greece to take an afternoon dip in the Mediterranean on a whim. I don't know how I got all this money. It could be from the stock market. *I already know* It could be from blood money. It could be from my monopoly on Internet porn. Frankly, I do not care. I have the best love life yet, complete freedom whenever it is convenient for me. Alright.... So all of that is my daydreams. Sometimes, I do picture it vividly. Mostly, what happens is I am just a visual person so when people talk to me, I picture what they are saying in my head. It's almost like I have an internal television in my mind's eye that has the ability to time travel and recreate your story as it happened. I provide my own dramatization. To me, it is hysterical! Sometimes, it triggers my gag reflect, it's a gamble. I don't have the dancing baby but I do have this 16 year old version of me that often makes an appearance. She is wicked awesome! I also have, what I consider to be, a cursed genius that allows me to translate most or partial parts of your sentences into some song I have heard, at some obscure point of my life, then it sticks in my head [yours too] until I hear someone say something else that makes me think of another partial lyric. It's a vicious circle.

Hair Care Fail

2009-07-13T23:58:00.000-07:00

In which I complain about hair products, like a girl...

I normally don't do much with my hair. I'm a wash, dry the bangs and go kinda girl. Sometimes, I straighten my hair. Normally, I have naturally curly, thick, long hair. SBP calls it "80's porn hair". I'm still trying to figure out if that is a compliment. I will assume it is, if he likes 80's porn.... It's been really windy lately and the locks have been super ginormous so, I thought I'd straighten them to cut down on the tangles. I bought something cheaper than the good stuff. It not only feels heavy and stiff, it sounds like I am breaking 27 strands of hair every time I run my brush through my mane! YIKES!!! I gave it to my mom. I heard the lotion is much, much better. I already have dry hair, I live in the desert. 'Nough said. Can a white girl have her hair straighten, you know, professionally?

A brand new day

2009-07-10T16:31:00.000-07:00

In which yet another day begins and ends....

To catch up, I had news that I couldn't or wouldn't declare on the open internet. Depending on how you look at it. I did disclose my news with a trusted few familiars. Who were all both ingeniously clever and supportive. Which is precisely why they knew and you didn't *grin*. However, the secret needs not be held a moment longer. Why, you ask? Because life itself is an enigma that provides no clear answer. That is the only answer I can provide you with today. Am I sad? In a way. Am I relieved? In a way. Does that make me a bad person? No. That makes me human. Aren't we all confused and conflicted by our individual, inner turmoil on a day-to-day basis? That is, indeed, our nature. Life, in and of itself, is uncertain, unstable and yet, perfectly imperfect. My people are fantastic!!! I truly believe I have the best earthly beings, posed as my friends, a girl could ever hope for and in this aspect, I am charmed. I received beautiful, enlighten message from Mush. I can tell you, of all the things people have said, her message actually made me feel better. And she made me smile, even giggle.

She said, "You are a high soul, you silly bitch."

I totally *heart* her. Seriously. The rest of the conversation is, of course, clandestine. All of my friends were very supportive. And completely deserving of mention and smooches.

The night does end and a new day does dawn. I continue to hold fast to what makes me smile throughout it all, the little things. If I dwell in the sadness and despair of it [mundane existence in general], I would be a waste of oxygen. I'm inclined to believe we are on a journey without a solid, tangible destination. Along the way, if we are blessed, we meet people that teach us lessons and feed our souls. We are lifted to a higher state in their presence, though we may not realize it until days, months or years later. Even if they don't have a name known unto you. Granted, it's easier said than done. I will do this in the way I have always re-focused. I will feel the sunshine on my face. I will appreciate the way my dog wags her tail when I pull into the driveway expecting nothing more than a pat on her head as I enter the gate. I will genuinely hear the happiness in my child's laughter and allow it to be infectious no matter "the day I had" or how totally unappreciated I feel throughout the daily office grind. For, it is in these little things, like the gentle cool breeze on a hot summer day, I find solace. I think if you add up these tiny moments of contentment they will far out number the bad points in time . At the end of it all, our lives our made up of collections of moments. The ones I prefer to carry with me will bring me to a place of love not of abandon. Emotional state is all in ones perspective and in ones control.

Changes

2009-07-07T16:50:00.001-07:00

In which things are NOT the same...

There is so much to tell and yet so much to be kept quiet. First, I miss her! She left for bigger and better things. Which is fabulous for her but I lost my best girlfriend at work. *sad face* So. Today. When I lifted my bra straps and said "19" then let them go to have the girls fall a few inches (in all directions) and said "34", there was not an "I totally hear you" coming from my right. But I did get a new headset. A new Mega-monitor. And new USB speakers. All of which I would gladly return if she walked in the door. Since Mush is not coming back, Matt is forced to be my best girlfriend and my Gay boyfriend.
This means he has to listen to my big dreams of relocating my breasts back to their original position, among other topics... But I think, he secretly loves it! The only other thing that is good is the call volume. I am on the phone now more than off. Which makes the days go by faster. My schedule has changed. It sucks. I get up at 7:30 am. Leave by 9:00 am to arrive here by 10:00 am. Lunch is good. Right in the middle of my day at 2:00pm. Then I close the office at 7:00 pm. IF I get out on time and don't have to stop, I get home around 8:00-8:15 pm. Just in time to put my kids to bed. So, I miss them. Alot!!! At least, I still have weekends off.

The fourth of July *pronounced Juu-lie* was pretty uneventful with the exception of the pyrotechnics of my intoxicated friends that resembled a lost episode of Macgyver that was not aired due to epic failure. I didn't drink so it was frightening instead of funny.

I totally forgot to mention Michael Jackson. I can't say I mourn for the man. I didn't know him. I feel sympathy for his family, children and his friends. I also feel sympathy for the 8 year old inside of me that had whole-heartily intended to marry him (and Prince). And when I stated that aloud Mush said "YOU ARE A FAG HAG!!" And she has the authority to say so because she is one herself. :) I missed the funeral. I loved his early music. I still listen to it. But I do not like funerals. I like celebrations. Celebrating their life is the best way to honor the dead. In my opinion. The King of Pop

I have other news that I am not sharing because I am a secretive winch. *wink*

I have something to say

2009-06-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

In which I say nothing

Everything I want to say is about my job and what I would like to say but cannot for fear that they may read it. So, I leave you with this.... Grrrrr

Two posts in one day makes me look busy

2009-06-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

In which I make cute kids...

My last baby, providing that I am not pregnant *crosses fingers because one never knows*, just graduated Kindergarten. Yes, they do that. The answer is because it's adorable! *the question was "why?".
All three classes, totaling somewhere around 74 kids, sang a few songs for us. They received their Kindergarten Diplomas and smiled for our cameras. Then we all watched a slide show of their first official year in the public school system. It was strange, almost surreal, attending the graduation ceremony. The location: My high school auditorium. There were at least four parents that I graduated with in 1993, that I spotted in the audience watching their kids graduate. At the end of the slide show, complete with this as the theme song. Our children are now known as the class of 2021. I wonder, in twelve years, how many of these kids I will be watching graduate (you know for real) with my daughter. I wonder, if they will be friends. I wonder why my uterus suddenly aches for another embryo to nurture into a baby. I haven't even made it to Empty Nest Syndrome yet!! Come on! Ok. Now I am over it.

Anyway, look at the cute:

I want to be a millionaire

2009-06-09T13:51:00.001-07:00

So... Let's not get greedy. How about a thousand-naire

I have decided that I may need a change in my chosen area of employment. Although I actually like want I do, even though it's pretty stressful and redundant and thankless and so on. Also, it makes my butt hurt. *and not in a fun way* How many people call their tech support, for whatever product, then proceed to pretend that they not you are morons? How can people tell tech support they are wrong when you called them for help. Shut up and let me help you, for sobbing out loud!! *2 exclamation points because I really mean it* I have been rather irritable lately because my personal life is spilling over into my semi-professional life. Mainly, because I tend to be passive-aggressive and hold it ALL in until I am on the verge of exploding. I do that because it makes perfect sense to me. I'm neurotic and quite possibly a martyr.
*shutter* Lately, it's more bitch and less sweet. And I am usually sweet like candy. So, what the hell is my problem, aside from partial or run-on sentences? Eh, I do not know. I will continue to question that for a while and pretend that everything is fine while I make voodoo dolls of customers and poke them with pins. I will also text everyone that doesn't like me with messages like, "What up, biotch?" Because I don't even talk like that and it sounds annoying to me. Maybe. I will spill my guts on the blog and get all the kool-aid (what I call gossip or news because it's Juicy. "Oh yeah!" said in the voice of the Kool-aid man.) that is driving me nuts out of my head. Or I might write myself a letter. That's supposed to be therapeutic. *scoff* The point? There isn't one. Except, I was talking to a friend (that also works in the customer service field. Insurance to be exact) and we have decided to become independently wealthy. Like millionaire housewives. Only without the husband because we all know how I do with that. See here I think I will be trying to use the internet the way the internet has used me and make some dollars. We will see how that goes. *she says while rolling her eyes*

**** I felt the need to add some side comments****

Sharing teh funneh

2009-06-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

In which You will laugh...(or we are not friends)

Goblinbox shared this link that was Twittered and I must share it with you. It made me giggle. Whoever had the genius to think of this is brilliant. It had to be done. I'm surprised it took so long.

But wait! There's more!!!! Here is the channel for more literal videos! Have fun.

I think I had a boxing match yesterday...

2009-05-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

In which Stupid but pretty FTW!!!

This is not a post for those people that don't like to bring the bedroom to the front room! Turn away now!!! (Ok. You have been warned.)

Listen, we are all girlfriends here.... I have to tell you something that makes me lucky and happy. It's been a little while since I have seen my "on-again, off-again" boyfriend. From this point on, he will be called "SBP". Because I said so. Have you ever been with someone that is pretty but not really what you would call smart? I have. On-again, off-again. *tee hee* I have only one thing to say; 1 HOUR AND 37 MINUTES!!!! And it was all about me! (as it should be) But this morning, my arms are wrecked, I have bruises in strange places, my hips feel like they have come out of the sockets, but I am still smiling. BEST DAY EVAR! I'm not saying, I'm just saying. Is this too much information? Probably. But when he does a good job, people should know. I personally think a round of applause is in order.

Arachnid-paloosa

2009-05-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

In which I scream like a girl......

Last night I went outside and then immediately froze. I don't like certain things. Such as, parasites or anything that sucks blood. Things that have poisonous venom in their butt pokers or in their mouth. That being said, I am also not fond of anything with eight legs. There is something "freak of nature" like about things with more than 4 legs anyway. I don't mind most bugs. Ladybugs are fine. But last night, the arachnids were out in ~~droves~~, ~~herds~~, clusters. I killed three of them, after I took a picture so I can show you fine people what I experienced. I thought, maybe, the dying screams of the eight-legged freaks, called the spider warriors out to take me down. I know that some people don't mind spiders because they kill other bugs. I realize further, that the ecological system needs these strange creatures but I just think they could stay away from my house. Like a 12 foot radius. The warriors never attacked. Maybe the are waiting until nightfall to regroup and surround me in a surprise attack. I will be on the ready with flip-flop in hand. Bring it on, Aragog!!

Click the small photo to Witness the horror!

Stupid blog

2009-05-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

In which you cannot comment...

Apparently, since I changed to a different template, you cannot comment on my blog. Which I found out after this conversation.

Goblinbox: "comments still don't seem to work on your blog, btw"

Me: "Srsly. Damn"

Goblinbox: "I haven't been able to comment for awhile the link just doesn't do anything"

Me: "Crap"

I will have to change it back to blogger templates, that I don't really care for, because I like comments more. Sorry, no one has been able to comment. I just figured I wasn't saying anything interesting. *smile*

No time for chit chat

2009-05-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

In which I wave to you and leave....

I have a gazillion things to do and all by 6. I have plans with my friend, Wylie, tonight. We are going to another friends graduation celebration. She just finished her BA. I get to go play with grown ups! Yay! But first I have to buy a pair of Levi's. Then I have to drive home [45 miles]. Take a very quick shower and do my make-up for the first time in 800 months! I am quite certain there are more things to do, but I didn't write a list so, I forgot what they are now.

My internet has been down at home for a week so I haven't been able to get online to play WoW. *pouts* Turns out they had to replace the drop because it had been installed when they first invented cable. I was getting 363 to 500 pings. And now it's down to 113. That's the best I can get. Because the cable man also said I am the last house to even get cable. I guess I should be happy that I can play on the internet at all. Or I could ask my neighbor to move their router closer to my house so I can get a better signal from them.

Here I am!!!!

2009-05-07T16:31:00.000-07:00

In which we catch up in about 6 paragraphs. Plus, I tell you things you do not want to know and wish you could unlearn. With pictures!

My brother bought a new [to him] truck. It's nice. Really Nice. The driver and passenger seats are like captain chairs. Very comfortable. But I'm guessing it gets like 18 miles to the gallon. Not the best. My brother works really hard and he deserves something nice. He puts everyone above himself. Especially his boys. He loves those boys more than anything in this world. I'm very proud of him. He's turned into the kind of man I always knew he would be. He's had his struggles and came through on the other side better for having been through those tough times. He truly is a good, decent man. I hope my son follows his lead. What I admire most about him, he always follows through on his word. If he says he will do something, he does it.

Last Saturday, we went cat shopping. I had been researching them online. Trying to find one that has personality traits that would fit in with the kids and the dogs. There were so, so many. So we chose, Cooper, a Himalayan-Siamese mix. He was on a 3 day trial run with another lady. *sigh* Second choice was Purr Bucket, he was already gone. *another sigh* Third choice was Miss Kitty, she wasn't in town for the adoption day. And I had no desire to drive out of town to find her. It looked like we were going to go home cat-less again. *yet another sigh* But then... This guy showed up! Meet Pete! He is adorable and Polydactyl! He's a lover, likes kids and dogs. ~~Perfect~~. Purrfect!

Staurday night I was supposed to go to my ~~boss~~ friend's house but things happened and it turned out I couldn't go. I spent the day with the kids and my brother. I spent the evening watching movies. And by watching movies, I mean playing WoW. It was a good day. Sunday, my friend [of 20 years] Wylie came over with his two boys. We watched movies and the kids all played. Mostly outside, believe it or not. We had some lunch. It is nice just being around someone you know. He's another good man. He reminds me of my brother. In many ways. I won't put their similarities on the interwebz. Just know, they make few men like them anymore.

I also made my ~~lunch~~ bento again a couple of times. I always feel so much better when I do. There's nothing more therapeutic than playing with your food. No matter what mom always said. I had a visit from my own Aunt Irma. It's been 7 months since I had a visit so, I guess I did not go through menopause after all. Good news, I still have working parts. Bad news, I still have working parts. In case you were wondering, this is the stuff you probably do not want to know. Although, the hormones were a bit much for ~~Matt~~ my gay boyfriend. By gay, I mean, my-married-boss-so-he-might-as-well-be-gay-that-brings-me-chocolate-and-made-a-new-rule-that-we-can't-use-the-word-uterus-anymore friend. He's hoping that I will be normal again on Monday. And I will. The visit only lasts 3 days. It just feels like 2 weeks.

I received this book by chance, literally. There was an entry via blogger and twitter to enter to win an autographed copy of The Shack. I had just mentioned to Michelle that I wanted to read The Shack and I had a reply on Twitter stating I had won! *Squeeee* You can see the post on her blog here. You will also find my comments about the book. I was going to mentioned a few quotes from the book here but I would end up posting it all because touched me completely. I have never been a very religious person. But.. This book goes so far beyond religion. I thought about trying to describe the book but find that I lack the means to due so while still doing it justice. All I can say, is you should read it. It confirmed what I thought I knew about God but went so far beyond what I could ever comprehend on my own. I think I will carry this book and the experience of reading it with me for a long time to come. I will read it again. I'm sure I will find more that will resonate with me each time I do. The autograph reads "If anything matters, everything matters." Which you can see here.

Track is over now. My son loved it. He is more involved in school sports then ever. He was in wrestling and track this year. I think he will be doing wrestling again next year. My nephew played basketball and baseball. My daughter wants to play soccer next year. I truly ~~like~~ love being the "soccer mom". I never played sports in school. I chose things like, science club, choir, drama and radio/television production. I went to some games but mostly to "hang" with friends. I'm glad my kids are different than I was/am. I enjoy their differences. Alot. On another note, it appears the pilot program I was granted is coming to an end and I have to pay all the rent again. Bummer. But it isn't out of my range so, all is still ~~good~~ fine. Apparently, you can be considered "working poor" and still make too much money. It was supposed to be 6 months but for some reason my funding, like with most programs now, is running low. No worries. I am rich in all the ways that really matter.

Paging Doctor Freud......

2009-04-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

In which... What does that mean??

I had a dream last night. Not anything life changing or even inspiring. Just a little strange. I was at some bar doing ~~some~~ bad Karaoke. When Kid Rock came up on stage to sing Lowlife with me. I was excited. Kid Rock is Super hot, in the I-don't-wash-my-hair-for-800-months-but-you-still-want-me-because-I'm-secretly-sexy, kind of way. But I managed to play it cool.
We continued to sing, dance and drink. We were having a fabulous time. He asked me to go to his room.

Me: "I would love to. But. I'm not the kind of girl who sleeps with men on the 1st date."
Him: "Really. Ok. I just thought we were having a great time. Sorry."
And he walked away.
Me: "HEY! You give up too easy. Take me to breakfast and I'll consider it the 2nd date."

I winked and he laughed. Then we left for food. Some diner on the side of the road. I really don't know what state we were in. Then. There was background music and everything was in black and white. We were in the motel room. Flashes of body parts is all you saw. Occasional laughter coming through the music. That's right! I had a blank and white, sex montage dream!

All the sudden. I was in a board room. Kid Rock was there. I called him "Bobby". When you procreate with someone, you don't have to use their stage name anymore. His lawyers were there and DNA test results on the long cherry wood table. I told the lawyers to shut up because they weren't there when my daughter was conceived and we didn't need their help now either. I told "Bobby", I just wanted him to see our daughter and to pay $700.00 a month in child support. I said, "I'm not asking for an insane amount of money just because you have it. I just want what would cover her needs." I left. The next thing you know. The little girl was about 3 years old and we were all playing in the water down by the river at sunset.

Then. I woke up. Strange. For 3 reasons. (A)I am too old to have anymore babies. (B)The rule is the 3rd date!!! (C) I don't even know Kid Rock. Okay and (4) I would have chosen Cocky to sing.

Spring is finally here....

2009-04-21T15:25:00.001-07:00

In which the sun comes out and I get paranoid.....

The weather is getting really nice here. I love it but am missing it so far because I have been at work all day, every day, for the last 6 days. But there is not a doubt that winter is over! I know the bees are essential to our ecosystem but I do wish I had some sort of force field to keep them at least 5 feet away, at all times.

I finally got one of my 2 cars running. The first car died at the gas station one day and has never started again. Leaving everyone that has looked at in a puzzled state. That says to me that it is either electrical or something to do with a computer of some sort. Whatever, I know less about cars than I know about trigonometry. That would be zero. See the story here. Last weekend, my brother tore himself away from Diablo II long enough to look at my car.

Him: "There is a hole in the tranny pan!
Me: "How can that happen?"
Him: "Someone hit something or a rock hit it."
Me: "But I didn't hit anything. I would have heard something like that."
Him: " Well.... I could have, you never know."

Then he walked away. He totally knew he hit something. But all is forgiven because he called his friend with some J-B Weld. They fixed the mysterious hole and I am driving my own car again. I'm seriously thinking of trading it in though. I reconsider often because I REALLY do not want a car payment right now.

Easter went well. We took the kids to Hood Park for the Easter Egg hunt. We colored and glittered eggs at home. Had our annual Easter Egg hunt there. 50 eggs total. There were 3 "Money" eggs. Luckily, each kid got one. We didn't have my brother's youngest this year, even though it is a "weekend" holiday and he is supposed to be with my brother on those holidays. My bro doesn't want things difficult so he doesn't make a big deal out of anything. He lets it go. Says he just wants to be a Dad and do the right thing by his boys. He is a good man.

I chose to work the weekend while James went out of town for two reasons. (1) I would have to work 2 days until 8pm and still have to be in Walla Walla at 8am everyday to bring my son to school. Which meant I would leave my house at 7am and get home somewhere around 9pm. No, thank you. (2)Michelle and KJ had plans for that weekend months or weeks ago. So, it wouldn't be fair to make her work the weekend just to pull the seniority card. What does all this mean? It means, 9 days straight of work for LeftCoastGirlie. It's day 6 and I am already super tired of being here. I know I need a vacation. I have been here nearly 2 years and have only called in, roughly, 3 or 4 times. I ~~want~~ need time off. I tell myself that almost everyday now. I do get one in August. Yay! I wish I was going somewhere cool. But I am just staying home. Which is lovely in itself. Next spring, I'm taking the kids on a vacation. They haven't been since the cross country trip, from Georgia to Washington State, 2 years ago. The only part of that trip that one could consider a vacation was the trip to the Atlanta Aquarium. They get to choose between New York/D.C or Disney World or Disney Land. I have a feeling I will be out numbered and will not be going New York in the spring. There's always the next trip.

Now, for the paranoia. Nevermind. It's silly. *To self* And who cares if people are mad or don't talk to you. Maybe you take too many hormones. Maybe you need sleep. Or maybe you just shouldn't read things in where they do not belong.

Mmmmm.. Soup

2009-04-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

In which I bring you soup. AND PICTURES

Ingredients

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil,
2 large raw Onions,
3 Chicken Breasts (bone and skin removed) **3 medium potatoes or equal amount Tofu**
1 large, peeled Carrot, finely chopped (7-1/4" to 8-1/2" long)
2 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
1 and a half Jalapeno Pepper with seeds (for the heat, Yay! heat)
2 tsp of fresh Thyme or 1 tsp of dried Thyme
8 cups of fat free Chicken Broth **Vegetable broth**
2 cups or 1 can of black beans
6 cups of fresh chopped baby spinach (best if cut fairly fine)
1 large Tomato (diced)or 2 regular Roma Tomatoes
1 dash of salt or salt substitute
A little bit of pepper
Grated Parmesan Cheese as garnish (7 tbsps)**Non dairy substitute for vegetarians**

** = Vegetarian substitutions

Directions

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.

Add onions, stirring occasionally, for 10 mins or until caramelized.

Add chicken, **potatoes or tof** stirring occasionally, until chicken *or substitute* is cooked through.

Add carrot, garlic, jalapeno and thyme; cook another 2 minutes.

Stir in chicken stock **or vegetable stock** and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil for 3-5 minutes and then reduce heat.

Add beans, spinach and tomato.

Bring back to a boil, then turn off the heat.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle each serving with 1 Tbs. Parmesan cheese **non diary substitute*

Number of Servings: 7

The best way to eat soup? In a bento, of course!!

(click the picture to see what everything is)

Note: My mom gave me the recipe from one of her magazines that target females. I made a few changes to it. But, it is basically the same. I added the suggestions to make it vegetarian friendly. I love soup and this is a hardy soup. As time passes the heat increases. The first day it's more of a background flavor but by the third day, there is noticeable heat.

Best Lunch from a burger joint

2009-04-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

In which it started with a shake.

Today, for lunch, I said I was going to buy something because I forgot to Bento. I really wanted a milkshake. Matt said something like, "If you get a shake, why not a real one from. Ice-Berg!

Oh-My-Gawd! Best shake EVAR! If you are ever in Walla Walla, Washington. Drive down 9th and go to a little drive-in burger joint call The Ice-Berg. Tastes like home cooked BBQ burgers. But the shakes are thick and oh-so-delicious.

I ate the burger. But got too full to finish the fries. I passed them along to Gibblesnix to finish off. Along with the fry sauce. And the company of Bindu. The best blue dog ever. We, of course, discussed how Ice-Berg was the best burger joint in Walla Walla if you're going to do "fast food".

Goodbye, small town life

2009-04-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

In which, why do we downsize and outsource in times like these?

Whatever happened to the small town feeling in businesses? I miss it and find that I hang onto whatever closely resembles it, whenever possible. True, I never knew movie tickets for 50 cents or milk for under a dollar, let alone delivered to my door. But I do remember walking to the local store and hearing "Hey, Rochelle. How's your Mama?" Or. "I know you're good for it." When you're a nickel short. Then making sure to bring the nickel with you the next trip to the store. I just found out the bank my family has used for years is closing our favorite branch. This is not just a bank. I know the ladies that work there. They know us by name. They ask about my kids, using their names and remember the details. They know my word is good and that means something these days. We bought a puppy. So, "V" bought his brother because they are the cutest puppies EVAR! We have play dates with the puppies. But. The economy is in the toilet. Not a newsflash, I know. So, the branch I love, the ladies I grew to know and trust with my money, are leaving. They are closing the Walla Walla branch. I feel cheated. I feel bad that they are going to lose their jobs. Worse yet, no one can do a thing about it.

I started thinking about this while I was dealing with a ginormous company that owns at least 15 of the US state's phone lines. I spoke to 3 representatives in 3 different countries. Not one of them being the U.S. Don't get me wrong. I don't think people are "taking our jobs". The companies are moving our jobs away from us.
They are outsourcing. Not a new phenomenon. It's been happening more as the years pass by. It irritates me. Especially because unemployment rates are so high. These giant corporations should take the lead and bring some, if not all, of these jobs home. I know they are saving money but how much money do they really need? I think it comes down to plain, old fashioned greed. Want to bail us out? Bring the outsourced jobs back. That's a small step.

The one thing I really liked about the company I worked for was, even though it's a nation wide company, they were still "small town". They cared, first and foremost, about our superior and sincere customer service. The most important assets to the company, as stated in their literature, was the customer and the employee. You felt it too. A feeling of camaraderie. Then, things changed somewhat. Ok. A lot. It became more sales oriented. Not outsourced. They are still local. And glad for it. Not a terrible place to work, by far. And with unemployment being at a 20 year high, I am extremely grateful to have a job at all.It's just not as special as it once was, I guess. I understand there is a bottom line. I know that a handshake and a smile doesn't pay the bills. I am not completely naive. I just wish things didn't make me feel so much like Peter Gibbons 2 or 3 days a week. Maybe, it's me in the funk. Because I'm overdosed on hormones that make a girl crazy! It is highly likely that the over abundance of estrogen and progesterone in my body cause a little emotional imbalance.

But I think people, in general, have lost the personal touch. I wonder sometimes if people want things to be impersonal. I think we have all become, dispensable. And we, in turn, think these providers of services are dispensable. Too bad we still don't use the barter system. "I need eggs. You have chickens. You need wood. I have a lot with several trees. I will trade you one rooster and 3 chickens for a cord of wood and some seedlings." But then technology would crash because there would only be so much supply to meet the demand. How many chickens does one need in the end?

I do think we all need to feel appreciated and to be told "Thanks for showing up and giving 100% even though you make 50 cents over minimum wage." *giggle* A little appreciation goes a long way.

Dear this week. WTF !?!?!

2009-04-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

In which, WTF?

The "technical support services" manager called Sunday night and said "I'm sick. Can you please go in early tomorrow to cover for me?" I said, "Yeah. Sure. Feel better." Then he said, "You will be configuring modems too." *makes face* I hate doing that. Not that it is hard because it isn't. It's because the room is completely disorganized. The hardware is never in the same place twice. Plus, we are running low or out of some supplies. It doesn't help that one person in the office knows where things are and the rest of us have to guess. Anyway. I got up 30 minutes earlier than normal. Even though, I stayed up later because I was playing on the interwebz. Went out to start this car because it takes 10 minutes to start and warm up. Went in the house, grabbed my coat, brushed my teeth and went back out to the car to leave. *note: I always leave when I am almost late.* I put the car in reverse and hit the gas. I didn't move. Put it in drive. I didn't move. Played around thinking I could somehow fix it by turning it off and on. Or by shifting from drive to reverse to neutral and back to park...no. No, it didn't. After about 15 minutes, I gave up.
Borrowed my Mom's SUV and arrived to work at my regular scheduled time. Woke up a half early for nothing!

My brother called. "It just needed tranny fluid. It's fine now." Yay! I love my mom's SUV but the gas is a killer! My boss called again. Same thing. He's sick, I cover. Go out to the car. It starts. Finally. I back out to the middle of the road and put it in drive. Nothing. SHIOT! Look in the driveway. There is a puddle of transmission fluid. Nice! Push the car back to the driveway. Borrow my brother's Ford Tempo and get to work. 45. Miles. Away.

There is a hole in my transmission. Apparently. So now I own 2 cars that I cannot drive. I think I will start a collection. I don't know. Use them as vegetable gardens.

Tuesday night there was a 6 state DSL outage. So, Wednesday morning, I walked into a queue 15 deep, plus emails from people who managed to find internet connection elsewhere. On top of that! I was the ONLY tech for 3 hours! I about urinated on myself when Michelle came in at 11. Much like an excited puppy. She said, "I'm logging in, go to break." I love her! She understood without having to be told anything what-so-ever!

Today, the boss was back. Although, he is still sick, he stayed all day. *bless him* I still have to configure all the modems. Not "indefinitely" but until further notice, as per the email "memo". Grrrr. I'll get over that and as soon as I have a system, I won't have to do them anymore.

New theme is the Sux0r

2009-03-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

In which I messed The. Entire. Thing. Up.

I wanted to try a new theme. The preselected themes provided are fine. But like any American, these days, I WANT MORE! So, I googled some codes and found this pretty spring-ish theme. Loved it. Had to have it. Then, immediately, resented it and blamed it for everything. Much like my relationships! While pretty, it has ugly characteristics. Like.... The ad bar across the top that has to remain if I want to use it. Ugh! AND. This is the worst part! It. Took. EVERYTHING. Away. Well, everything except the archives and current postings. Which means that the entire sidebar was gone as well as all of the comments. The blog roll. The linky love. Twitter and Flikr. AND, as I was informed moments ago, even the comment link is gone. Looks like I will be fixing it this weekend.
GAH!

And now for some cute:

A Jumbled mess

2009-03-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

In which the title says it all....

For about a week, a little less, I have been kind of bitchy for no known (to me) reason. I thought maybe it's because I moved and I, for some reason, am feeling all emotional about being back in the place I spent the best and worst times of my adolescence. Thought maybe it's stress. Maybe, it's because I have worked almost 2 years, consecutively, without a vacation. Seriously, not more then 3 days off in a row in 2 years. I think I have only called in a total of like 4 days. I know I desperately need a vacation. That is fact. But I have to wait until August. It's a long story of an explanation I do not want to go into now. I thought maybe it was combination of all of the previously mentioned reasons. But. I. Was. Wrong.

You see. I got a new neighbor almost a week ago. Or my ovary got a new neighbor. Maybe neighbor isn't a good word. Parasite doesn't fit either. Growth... Not really. It's a "functional" cyst. With no real function what-so-whatever, I might add. Apparently, the reason I felt or feel pain, is because it is twisting the ovary. Fun right!? My point... they gave me birth control, of all things. Let's clear something up. I do not need birth control.
A. I am 34 years old.
B. I'm fairly certain my eggs are all dried up.
and....
C. One must be having actual sex in order to get pregnant.

However, something about the hormones in "the pill" is supposed to make the cyst go away. Often times, they come and go with the incubator never aware of their existence. If it doesn't go away. I will have to have surgery. Either removing the cyst or the ovary and the cyst. Crossing my fingers that it goes away.

I am irritable. Tired, exhausted really. A emotional train wreck. Back to the reason I am in a funk. Hormones. With a capitol HOR. (phonetics people!!) Moral of this "Aha moment" brought to you through my glorious, ranting, rationalization is: I need to stop taking hormones. They are bad. bad. bad. I get a tad psychotic! Reminiscent of pregnancy. Soon, I will be running full speed down the hallway to hurdle the coach so I can tackle you because you ate the last fudge pop! Not a good scene. That's all I'm saying.

Finishing where I started

2009-03-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

In which..."Hey interwebz, What is up?!?!"

I realize that it isn't because I lack things to say that my blog has taken a backseat. Or perhaps it's not the only reason. It's all because of TWITTER. That's why it takes 800 months (that's for you, Goblinbox) to post something! So, why am I posting today? Because. Twitter. Is. Down. See how that played out? It's a true story. I have, already, become a lazy blogger due to micro-blogging. Therefore, no blame can really be placed upon me. It is the convenience of the interwebz fault.

As discussed in the previous blog, I have moved. I have moved back to my home town, or one of them anyway. It's the tiny town of Burbank Washington. Now, I will give you a story and pictures.

I first moved to Burbank in 1989. That's right! I am that old. Moving on. I was a freshman. I had gone to about 8 schools from the 6 grade to the 8th grade. We moved alot. So, when I was forced to move to this tiny little town from the Seattle area. I made my mom promise we would stay at least 2 years. I lived right down the street from the High School.

It's been remodeled since my days of roaming the halls but still the same at heart. I remember my very first day. I had come from a much larger school in a much larger city. I didn't think I would like it there at all. What would I have in common with "farm kids". Turns out. Some of the best people I have ever known in my life, I met at that school, in 1989. I'm not sure if that is because I remember them the way I want to or if the majority of people that have been in my life since then just simply suck. The first day though. Hmmm. It was different. I met a girl in gym class that would ask me questions and after I'd answer she say, "Bitchin!" Seriously. After. Everything. I. said. Now she is world traveled and very classy. Go figure. *shrug* But the best people for me. Well, they were the "corner club" or so dubbed. We all gathered at the corner to talk and smoke (some of us). Labeled by some "the bad kids". Really, we weren't that bad. We didn't join a lot of clubs. We were our own. We accepted each other for who and what we were. For better or worse.

By my senior year, I crossed lines in the cliques and talked to everyone that talked to me. I found out that the "preps", "jocks", "brains", "bad kids" and all the other labels that were in existence at the time, were just kids, like me.
I still talk to several of them and wonder what happened to others. I met my very, best friend at this school, in this town. We've been friends 20 years. I have reconnected with friends I haven't seen in 15 years. As my son says, "It makes my heart smile." And what of the people I have lost contact with? I will always have love for them.

I don't know which hand belongs to which one of the 63 members of my senior class. And it doesn't matter. What mattered was that we were there, together. If only for that one day in 1993.

Now my kids are going to school here. I don't know why I am having such an emotional reaction to moving back here. But I am. Maybe, I hope that my children will make the kind of friendships I made here. So, I decided that I will try to stay here until they graduate. I know I am grateful to my mother for allowing me to stay all four years.

Continue with the story of busy

2009-03-05T12:55:00.000-08:00

In which I explain my absence further...

I think I have, like 2 readers. Right here in Walla2. Which are my co-worker/friends. I may need some therapy to help me regain some self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy.
Or perhaps, just some daily affirmations. Do you remember Stuart Smalley from SNL? That's all I truly need to do. Because I like me.

I moved. And moving. Is teh sux0r! Not even playing. One, I cannot find my clothes. I desperately need to food shop. I haven't made a bento in like, forever. (said in a valley girl-ish tone). Lunch is not the same without Bento. It rained on moving day. One of my younger brothers and my oldest brother help with moving. It still took all day to get it done. By all day, I mean from 9 am until 10:30 pm. I have this dresser that has numbered drawers because they are not all the same size. While trying re-ensemble it, it fell right on my arse! I'm out of the old house and into the new house. Much more room, both inside and outside. The new place is on about 1.3 acres. The dogs love it.

Here we go again

2009-03-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

In which WHERE HAVE I BEEN SINCE THE 11TH OF FEBRUARY?!?!!

I have been busy. Not just regular busy, but SUPER busy! First, I finally, get to join in to conversations with my WoW friends. *Or friends that WoW.* Because.... I has it. Finally. I haven't got to play in a few days. Why? Still busy.

I got a brand new Bento box. Which I totally *heart*. I shopped for it on ebay.
*ebay, my new obsession because I needed yet another one* p-shaw! It looks so pretty. And holds a lot of food.

Then I decided to swap things with a lovely lady in Japan. She's from Oregon and misses somethings found here in the Northwest. I sent her this. I received this, this, this, this and this! I throughly enjoyed swapping. I will do it again. It was interesting to receive not only the Bento goodness, but also the treats from Japan. My kids got to taste another culture. *yes, I meant to say it that way*

Speaking of kids.... How cute are mine?! *it's rhetorical. I know how cute they are! We have game night once a week and one week was Twister!!!!

There is more to come. Because I have done more. LOTS!!

Playing catch up

2009-02-11T09:45:00.000-08:00

In which I have become a lazy blogger.....

It's been, like 800 months since I have blogged! The truth is, I blog all the time, I just don't type it out. It's been busy. No excuse, but it has. *shrug*

Last weekend, my eldest brother and I, took our eldest boys to The Road to Wrestlemania. One would think I would be entertained by muscle bound men in singlets. But sadly no. I have never been more bored in an entertainment event, ever! First of all he wasn't there. I found myself texting and daydreaming. At one point, I looked at my brother and he mouthed, "I'm bored". The boys had a good time. That's what really matters. Although, they even admitted to being bored at times. Did you know there are female WWE wrestlers? The crowd went nuts for them. The only other time I saw that kind of excitement was when the main event started. Aside from the two crowd pleasing matches. It was fairly dull. It was much like watching a ~~dress~~ rehearsal. What did we expect? I mean really. There were no cameras and it was a small venue. I don't think they will be coming back anytime soon. If they do, we won't be going again. Not ever.

I don't have time to finish the catch up in entirety so, I will write more very soon to tell you of my new love Mia.

Day 3 begins

2009-02-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

In which I explain changes...

I have been 3 days, clean and sober, of the Minute Maid Lemonade. As promised, I am a quitter. I decided that I have absolutely no willpower. And crave what is sweet and tart. *Much like my personality* Ha! I made a deal with myself. *Because I do that. ~~Reckon~~ Make deals with myself. Here's the agreement I reached with me. I will make lemonade with Splenda sweetner. No calories. And no after taste like asspartame! I can have one bottle of my homemade, no calorie, not-quite-the-same, lemonade to every bottle of water I drink. Plus, if I need sweet/tart taste, I eat dried cranberries. So far, so mediocre.
They say it takes 30 to 31 days for something to become a habit. 28 more days and I will not even care that the Minute Maid is gone. Now, *because I cannot take one thing at a time* I have added walking to my plan. I have a chartreuse doggie back-pack for my girl, Gracie Bear. She loves to walk and has an abundance of energy. This morning, we walked the kids to school. Everyone loved it!

My brother bought me some gum the other day. Why mention it? I'm so glad you asked. Two reasons. A) It's pomegranate flavored, sugar-free gum! and B) It's sweet that a brother would buy his sister gum because he knows she *hearts* Pomegranates. Not to mention, the gum smells heavenly.

Goodbye liquid sunshine

2009-01-30T09:47:00.000-08:00

In which I am trying to be a quitter

I used to drink Coca~Cola but quit because I didn't want to be reliant on the caffeine. The headache sucked but after a week, I was fine. Yesterday, I had a Coke at lunch and for some reason it didn't taste as sweet as I remembered. Which proved that I don't miss it. But I was doing some math the last night and figured out that what I switched to has more calories and sugar than the soda pop did. Just not caffeine. Lemonade. Sweet nectar. Also very good with vodka. *I'm just saying* I have decided today is the last lemonade day. If I want some in the future. I will make my own. Using Splenda instead of sugar. I found so much more then plain lemonade on their recipes. The yum. And no calories. Because people. Do the math with me. 8 ounces of lemonade (Minute Maid) has 220 calories. *all from sugar, I am sure* Now. I drink about two 32 ounce fountain drinks a day! So, 64 divided by 8 equals 8. Eight servings a day at 220 calories a day equals a grand total of 1760 calories!!! Is that right? That can't be right. Can it? I don't know people. I wasn't a math major.
I was human services major. *math ugh* If that is correct and the daily caloric limit for a female should be 2,000 calories a day, I should only be eating 240 calories of food a day! Now what if it is supposed to 1,500? I wouldn't be allowed to eat at all! O. M. G. Not just a light going off right now but FLOOD LIGHTS! I have talked about quiting my lemonade habit for some time now. But found myself drinking it anyway within a day or two. *or hours* My motivation for blogging about it.. To make it real. I don't like failure. I have to prove to myself, I can do it. So, here it is. In writing. For the entire 5 of you that read my blog. *snort* I warn you now. This may become "The Lemonade Journal". As with any addict, I will be having my last dance with my sweet nectar today. An affair that is over needs to be celebrated first. Overindulged. Over dramatic much. But I have a love affair with Minute Maid Lemonade. NO MORE! I am breaking up with you! It's over. Sure I will think about you. I will wonder if you miss my kiss as much as I miss yours. *Now we have drama*

First Rock Concert in 15 years

2009-01-26T13:09:00.000-08:00

In which Kennewick, WA rocked!!!!!

I think a rock concert is a right of passage to any young rocker. I remember my first show. I was 12 and I received Ozzy tickets to take one friend with me for my birthday. The show was in Seattle and I had the time of my young life. Of course, I am more of a VH1-er these days, I still rock from time to time.*wink* My son and nephew are huge Disturbed fans. My brother and I decided to take them to a live show. Their first one EVAR! Yeah! *said with horns up!

The crowd was amazing! I have been to concerts in Seattle, Spokane, and Atlanta so the 6,000 people in the Toyota Center should not have been as loud as 25,000 in Seattle. And they weren't. They were louder!!! Complete with crowd surfing and mosh pit. It was impressive to see everyone bouncing and the 12,000 fist in the air!

The bands were all very good. Skindred was the opener. I thought, "I don't even know who they are so I'll get shirts for the boys while they play." I'm glad that didn't happen. My brother and I got the shirts before finding seats. *It was all general admission* Then Skindred took the stage and blew us away! They are from England but the have a little bit of reggae in their metal. I bought their CD after the show and enjoy it immensely.

Sevendust was my personal favorite of the night. The guitarist did an excellent job of showing all of us affection. Running back and forth on the stage. Throwing drumsticks and pics in the crowd. A kid 4 people away from me got one. And the kid a couple people away from my son got one.

Then it was time for Disturbed. Check out their killer board. OMG!

The crowd was up on their feet the entire time Disturbed was on stage. The guitarist for Disturbed was also doing a fantastic job interacting with the crowd. My son had his horns/fist in the air. My nephew, banging his head and playing the air drums. I cannot decide if it was more fun watching them or watching the band! All of the sudden, they finished a song and said "Thank you. Goodnight." And left the stage.
The crowd went crazy! That's when it got loud. Of course, the band came back. Disturbed is known for doing an encore when the fans ask so nicely.

They didn't just perform an encore. They played 3 more songs for us. And a killer drum solo. By killer, I mean amazing. Reminded me of why I liked rock in the first place. Hard to believe I can listen to Michael Buble and then turn on Disturbed. Wrap your mind around that one. I am a music connoisseur of sorts, so it does not surprise me. ALL
of the bands said they wanted to come back to Kennewick. I'm sure they tell all their cities that. But for us, it's true. I knew the boys would love it. I didn't expect that I would be so impressed. After all, I'm not new to the concert scene. But they impressed me. The aftermath wasn't bad either. I didn't see much garbage anywhere.

I hope this means the Tri-Cities will be a destination for more bands. I realize the pictures are not high quality but all I had was my cell phone. And bad pics are better than no pics. Right?

I got Obama for my Birthday

2009-01-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

I had yet another birthday this year. Yesterday to be exact. There has been a debate in my family. *Sparked mainly by myself as a child* I believed I should get two birthdays because of the international time difference on the day of my birth. I was born in Seoul, S.Korea on the 21st of January. In the U.S.A it was the 20th. Therefore, I somehow rationalized that I should be entitled to 2 birthdays. My dad, now retired Army, was stationed at the real MASH 4077. You all know MASH, right? I found some pictures on this great site about Camp Mosier. *Which is where my family was stationed when I was born* He had awesome pictures of the camp in 1972, just three years prior to my birth. See them here. I thought to myself, "Leftcoastgirlie, (because that's how I talk to myself) you should put actual pics of when you were there." But then I thought. "That requires finding the pictures. Scanning them. Uploading them to my flickr and using the html and posting them to the blog. *sigh* I am just too lazy for all that." Here's the main part of the-day-I-was-born-story. Mom was in ambulance from Camp Mosier to Seoul and a bunch of locals hitched a ride on the back so they could get into the city. I came home a couple days later. My mom took me to Rosie bar. Rosie stood on a chair and looks down at baby me. She said "That no Korean baby!" My mom responded, "I hope not. Her dad is a G.I."

What did I get for my birthday, you ask? My nephew gave me an unicorn. Which I promptly named Morgana. My mom gave me a black sweater. My kids gave a a black shirt with skulls on it so I can wear it to my brother's birthday gift. You know. The angry white boys with Mommy issues concert. Or Disturbed. My son also said his gift to me was Obama being President since he was sworn in on my Korean birthday. So, after 34 years. I finally got 2 birthdays. But then I got IBM ThinkPad from Goblinbox! Because she is the AWESOMEST EVAR!! I took it home touched for hours. It didn't even complain that we didn't have sex. It's my new boyfriend.

Yes! We can. We did. We Will.

2009-01-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

In which I am hopeful....

I won't say much. Here is the link for the text of the speech that made me cry.
Click hereor just read on...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

'Time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit'
Text of Obama's speech for his inauguration as 44th president

WASHINGTON - The text of Barack Obama's speech for his inauguration as the 44th president of the United States, as prepared for delivery:

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them— that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence— the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

It is coming

2009-01-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

In which I explain...

I haven't had alot going on this weekend. I did the normal stuff. Played a little. watched a few *not-so-good* movies. Cleaned the house and did laundry. Question... When did I become the oldest 33 year old I know? I will be moving within a months time which causes a whole new anxiety level for me. I am, by nature, a creature of habit. I am not comfortable with change. Srsly. It freaks me out. I have complain and try to hold on to the old as long as I can. I do, however, like to move. Or I did. Until this year. Don't get me wrong. I do not like packing, heavy lifting and unpacking. But I do like new locations. I grew up a military brat, that's the only explanation I can offer for my personal oxymoron. I like moving somewhere new, but hate change. Ugh! The inner turmoil. I already have the place. It's just a matter of paperwork. I always tell myself. "I will pack now. Label everything. That way when I get in the new place. It's a snap to unpack." That's what I say. I lie. I will, inevitably, wait until the last minute, run to the local grocery, buy as many hefty bags as I can, throw my ~~shit~~ possessions inside and figure out the mess when I can. You know. Later. The population of the town I am moving to is 3,451. Or at least it was in June of 2007. I got the information from the internet. So you know it is ~~true~~ partially true. I graduated from the high school in that town. I feel good about my kids going to school there. I *heart* small town schools. Big schools you can get lost in. I hope my kids like it there. I plan on staying at my job. I like these people. And I'm comfortable here. We'll see how it all plays out. No one knows the future. Except. Maybe. Miss Cleo.

*Curtsy and I'm out*

Gluttony

2009-01-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

In which I admit my excesses in rainbow, sugary, goodness....

I have now changed the sweet rewards my M&M Genie. She now delivers skittles. How's that for nonconformity?! However, I didn't think the consequences through. My tongue is getting some kind of sugar coating that may or may not be eroding the top 3 surface layers. I ask the genie one question prior to the dispensing of fruity goodness. "Am I AWESOME?". Each time I get negative or vague answers. Such as "Not Sure". Then I need to sooth my ego with the candy that is provided. It's is a vicious cycle. I bet I have had 103 skittles. All before noon. I keep having this internal struggle. Me vs. me. Every time I hit the button I repeat the following phrase:
"Last Time" It's never the last time. I believe the green M&M, with blond plastic hair, has some sort of mind control on me. Strange enough. I don't think they taste anything like what a rainbow would taste.

In other news....

I bought "The Road to Wrestle Mania" tickets. 4 of them. I get them Early from Ticketmaster because I get a code from my local rock station which gives me pre-sale ticket purchasing power. *insert maniacal laugh* Remember how I said I bought 4 tickets. Who is going? My oldest brother, my oldest nephew, my son, my daughter and myself. Turns out, I forgot half my kids. *For those of you that were told there would be no math in blogging or those running to catch the short bus..That means I was supposed to get 5 tickets.* I didn't get my daughter a ticket. I know. I am expecting my "Mother of the Year award" any day. So, I had to add another ticket and get 5 seats together. Which meant releasing my tickets to be purchased by some other fan or mother that has to go because the young males love it but she has flashbacks of the DDT being done on her repeatedly by her brother and his friends. Even when she hid under the bed, they came in her room and drug her out by her ankles to inflict more pain while pretending to be Jake "The Snake" Roberts. In the year 1988. But. It's alright because she got even. She was younger and smaller then the boys. When they played Hide and seek, in the trailer park *in South Carolina*, she could run right under the clothes lines. They could not. In the dark, the boys couldn't see the lines. She ran right under them with a boy chasing close behind. Smed (the boy doing the chasing) was literally clotheslined. And she laughed. Hard. Ok. ok. It was me. Eventually I am going to pull the couch on the front porch and fully claim my redneck-ness!

*curtsy and I'm out*

The red dots cometh

2009-01-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

In which I get excited about dots..

The USA is getting covered in red dots! That makes me so happy. I cannot even tell you. I know, it's sooo not interesting. (My grammar teacher would be appalled) I had labeled the little widget "The map that apparently never changes". It is changing. Slowly. Which makes me unusually excited. Just thought I would share. I usually seem to twitter everything. Thought I'd, you know, blog it instead. Oh Happy Day!
*sings and dances*

*curtsy and I am out*

I sucketh

2009-01-12T13:54:00.000-08:00

In which I realize how much I suck for not blogging......

Here's the thing. It's been 10 whole days since I last blogged and I keep thinking, " What am I going to write about?" Which then makes me realize how lame I really am. So, you will have to bare with me on this little blog-o-journey. Not sure where it will take us.

We finally opened our Secret Santa gifts last friday at work. There was a mini-blizzard in December and a bunch of us are Sissy la-la's that worked from home. Friday was the first time since December 12th we were all in the office. Considering that we only have a total of 13 employees (including the bosses) it should not have been quite so hard. But alas, it was. I can tell you. I missed my people's when they worked from home and if I didn't have 3 kids (that were not in school due to snow and winter break) I would've worked from home because I happen to be a Great Big Sissy La-la. About 3 people guessed me as their Secret Santa. Because why... I do not know. But I was Tyler's S.S. What did you get, LCG? I am so glad you asked. I received a fortune teller that gives me candy. It's just like a Magic 8 ball only completely different. My Secret Santa was Matt!

I put the monster trampoline back together and screwed the posts back together. Because the wind apparently can pick up and throw a 200 pound object. Score one for the wind. On the ready, LCG.

A new quirk appeared in "Christine". (My car) When I turn the headlight switch in the on position, the windshield wipers come on and do not go off. Now, I get to look like a jackass all the time. That's fantastic! I don't care. I own it! Like I totally mean for my wipers to be on. I stare at people like I cannot believe they don't have theirs on! Throws them off. *giggle*

My birthday is coming up. Not really stressing this one. I only stress on the 5's. 25 was a big one. 30 was a big one. I'm sure next year will be a big one. You get it.... So. Yeah. I am 29 again. Or 34. Whatever! I'm such a bad liar!

What else? Oh! I watched a movie (lots of them but one I'm telling you about.) Twilight. We're watching the movie. (By we, I mean, My older brother, our mom and myself.) They said things like... "I think this is geared toward 16 year old girls" and "I don't see what the hype is around this movie". I sat there silently. When it was over my brother said " I cannot believe I wasted 2 hours of my life on that turd!" I smiled a little and put my head down. He said. "O.M.G!! You liked it didn't you?" Of course, I had to defend myself and say, "I did! It was a great love story. I would totally love Edward! Ok. So. I do love him! He's got the quiet, inner turmoil thing going and he is completely devoted to her. (I can't remember her name.)It's set in Forks. Right here in Washington! Aaaaand they left it open for a sequel!" Silence. I realized then, I was tragically, lame. And yet, I admit, shamelessly on the interweb.

And finally. This morning there was an award assembly schedule at the grade school where my daughter was to be awarded the "Super Eagle" for being an outstanding example of Eagle (the school mascot) pride. She was so surprised, she didn't hear her name called. She walked up and accepted her award and waited on stage (so to speak) until they were all told to sit down. After applause, of course. Then she received yet another award. The "Eagle Feather" for excellence in problem solving and respect. She was just beaming with pride. I was too.

Do over day

2009-01-02T10:07:00.000-08:00

In which I have a day....

New Year's Day was super easy! We rotate holidays. There is 4 techs at my job. And I haven't had to work a holiday in a while so, my name was drawn for New Year's Day. At first, I was bummed because that meant I really couldn't go out on the eve of the New Year. I do not function great when intoxicated the day before. I was invited to go to Matt's but could not because of the whole I-have-to-work thing. So I went home and played Guitar Hero for like 5 hours. Because, yes, I AM that big of a dork! It was sooo much fun though. Guitar Hero makes me feel like a rockstar!

At work, I took like, 8 calls. SRSLY. It was so dead. Just Victor and myself in the office. We didn't even turn the lights on. He watched movies on his Ipod Touch and I watched movies too. I am not ashamed to admit, I watched senseless comedies. (Drillbit Taylor being one of them) Really. It wasn't that bad. *I mean the day. Not the movie.*
I got off at 6 and went home. Watched the idiot box for a while. Went to bed.

I woke a few minutes late. Ok. 30. Looked outside and said "O.M.G. It's snowing. Again!" That's good. We need new snow. We just got rid of the 2 feet we had. No. No. It's not good. I just took the chains off the car. Gah! I should have left early. As I said though, I woke up late. I had to shower. As I didn't have one the day before. No make up again. I am getting lazy. I went out at 8:40 to start and sweep off the car. Got in to drive to work. Gas light is on. Crap! I forgot to stop on the way home last night. I went to the Conoco and put the 5 dollars cash, I had in my pocket, in the tank. Arrived to work, after sliding through 2 intersections, 2 minutes past 9. Clocked in late and started bringing up the programs I use. I thought to myself, "is my leg getting wet?" Looked down and sure enough, it was! Have you ever thought, "I should've taken a picture so people could see what I was talking about"? Well, I should have. I looked down and there was, literally, a puddle of water under my keyboard. I lifted it up and water poured out of the keyboard. Of course I announced, "There is water in my keyboard"!!! My supervisor, Matt and the receptionist, Gena came to my desk. We all examined the ceiling for any watermarks but found none. Then, I realized, there was a small amount of water under my monitor as well. Tried to find a USB keyboard because for some reason, there is not a PS2 connection on my tower. None to be found in the office. Matt tried to drain the rest of the water from the keyboard and blow in dry with condensed air. I plugged it back in and said I want a do-over day because this one sucks!"

Fear not, Left Coast Girlie! The day will get better. If not... There will be another one tomorrow.

*Curtsy and I'm out"

New Year, New um.. other stuff

2008-12-30T15:10:00.000-08:00

In which I talk about newness....

It's been a minute since I posted. Gah! Maybe it's because I twitter so often I forget to actually blog. I'm not sure. But here's what I've been thinking. Almost all of my social sites are dark backgrounds. Dark..Dark...Dark. I think it's time for a change. I'm thinking I will change the blog first and take baby steps to changing other things around.

Let's talk about Christmas for a minute, shall we. I gave my son the 200 lb Trampoline and my daughter got the fur real friend, Biscuit. Both got exactly what they asked for this year. That felt good. Plus, they received other gifts that they loved. Like System of the Down CD and an Easy Bake oven, respectively. So, we did have to dig a 14 ft (in circumference) hole in the snow to put the trampoline up. But, the kids all bounced on it, even in the snow. Here's the process:

Yep. That is the trampoline. Later, there was a wind advisory that I neglected to consider. Which picked up all 200 pounds of the above trampoline and threw it across the yard and into the neighbors fence. As seen here. I rescued the monster and laid it flat in the yard until the winds die down. Or I figure out how to anchor it in the yard.

In other news...
I have entered into a new food hobby. Called (insert drumroll) Bento. I already adore it. I knew I would when I saw goblinbox doing it. I am still learning portions and how to make everything ascetically pleasing. Then, after I have that mastered, I will begin making cute designs and figures and what not. *Mwahahaha* I have all kinds of links for Bento and where to buy stuff cheap. It's all in the "where I go section". I would recommend this food hobby/obsession to anyone. Srsly. So. Much. Fun. I think I only want to eat bite size food that are in cute little containers from now on. Too far? Eh. Whateva.

*Curtsy and I'm out*

It's the day before the night before......

2008-12-24T11:10:00.000-08:00

In which I feel human again and spread love...

I am still a touch sick. But nowhere near as I was. Ugh. Thankfully, that has passed. Right. Today is Christmas Eve *day*. I start to get excited for tomorrow. I remember waking up in the very early morning hours, begging to open presents. But my sleepy mother would say, "Socks only". So. Me and my brothers, would open our stockings to find the traditional fruit and candy, plus a few toys. Sometimes, those toys would hint at something to come. Sometimes, there would be batteries, then I knew I was getting something that required batteries. Which AWESOME! I never understood why my mom was sooo tired Christmas morning. That is until I had children. Now I know why she prayed for just 1 more hour of sleep when we woke her at 4 am. She had only been sleeping for 40 minutes. There is so much to do. Well. Not. This. Year.

This is the year where I got smart. I finished most everything *including wraping* before Christmas Eve. The big things are left and that's it. I feel like I outsmarted Christmas! Except for this one little thing..... I bought a 200 pound trampoline! Which I was going to set up on Christmas Eve and just when my son had his "I appreciate everything I have but I cannot help hiding the disappointment that I didn't get the one thing I wanted" look. I would throw the front door open and there in the front yard, with a giant red bow, is his trampoline! And I was MOM-OF-THE-YEAR!!! But here's what happened.. Feet upon feet of snow!! So, instead of setting up the trampoline and calling it a night. I will be digging a hole then setting up the trampoline. It will be a late, cold night. Christmas, won again.

At 4am tomorrow morning, my kids will come to wake me and beg to open presents. I will mumble, "Socks only".

Merry Christmas Everyone!

*curtsy and I'm out*

Day 4 of the sickness diary

2008-12-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

In which I totally think I have the bird flu....

I have not blogged lately due to illness. I can produce a note from my mother if needed. Do you remember when you were sick and all you had to do was lay in bed? I do. Not anymore of course. Because I am a mom now. Therefore, my mom will not come and check to see if I have a fever by kissing my forehead and bringing me some soup. I get this instead, "There's nothing you can do. Mom's don't get a day off." *Sigh* Where did her sympathy go?

I have been sleeping in excess though. Still feeling a little weak, mostly due to lack of food probably. I haven't eaten since friday and it is now monday. You know that question of, is it worth eating this now to feel bad later? My answer to that question was and is no. I have been smoking the same pack of cigarettes since friday. I think I should just quit. Maybe this sickness is how I will attain every New Years resolution I have ever made, EVAR! Quit smoking, lose weight and get more rest. Check. Check. And check.

I had a fever ranging between 102.7 and 103.2 for three days. It finally broke. I feel a little better. I think I might be dehydrated. I kept having a dream last night. The same one over and over. I was in the desert and had a 32 ounce cup of water. I kept sucking on the straw but it was broken so I couldn't get any water. Then I tried to take the lid off but it was stuck. There I was, dying of thirst, while holding the life saving fluid in my hands. I woke up, finally. And got a drink.

*curtsy and I'm out*

Blah, blah, blah

2008-12-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

In which I'm wearing the same pants as yesterday. I am bored and talk about a bunch of nothing until you are bored with me.

It's been snowing and freezing all week here. *no plows, no sand, no salt* All of the emergency vehicles are wearing chains. And driving around looking for accidents.*I assume* Schools are on a 2 hour delay. With the exception of today, which they closed session completely. In anticipation of the coming winter storm that is expected later this evening. Right. Because what happens after school hours effects the school day. At least on the parallel universe. I have so much faith in the Walla2 educators now.

I stayed up late last night. Playing Bejeweled 2 on the iTouch. I reached level 20 before deciding I should just put it down and crawl into bed. Which is exactly what I did. Without taking my pants off, I might add. Then I woke at 8:30am needing to be in the office by 9:00am. Remember we spoke of the ice. No time to get ready or, you know, change my clothes. I am, indeed, wearing the same brown cords as yesterday. Without a shower. I don't have hot water in the bathroom. It's so cold it froze the hot water while running. Yay! For winter. One day without a shower is fine. More then one day, may just be gross.

Twice, I have thought my car doors were frozen shut and both times they were locked. It's really odd because I never lock my doors. But whatever. The 30 minutes we spent pouring water on it and using a hairdryer and extension cord was fun anyway. I guess I have an IQ of ~~175~~ 75, afterall. *sigh* Oh well.

An update on the concert tickets. I has them. It's official, I get to see angry-white-boys with mommy-issues live in January.

My "wrong-number-texter" has been writing more often. *back story* Veteran's Day, I received a text:

Cali dude: "Happy Veteran's Day. Sure did change us, bro."

I responded: "I think you have the wrong number but Happy Veteran's Day. Thanks for your service."

Since then, he writes every now and then. He's pretty funny. One text:

Cali Dude: "I'm sitting at the DMV right now. Entertain me."

If I ever meet him. You know. In real life.
Or if we continue talking for years. We will have a fantastic "How we met" story. Or not. Either way. He did send me some pics the other night. He's a hottie. Maybe even enough for H-A-W-T!

In other news*
I can tell people are, in fact, reading my blogs but the only commenter's seem to be my friends Goblinbox and Gibblesnix. And I SUPER *heart* them for it. <3 I would also love, love,love, to talk to random strangers about my Dear Diary type entries. Which they all tend to be. Except for one big difference. They are entered into the blogosphere for everyone to read. Honestly, that appeals to be on so many levels. I may have more then a few issues.

That's about all for now. More later.

*curtsy and I'm out*

I peak by Wednesday

2008-12-15T09:35:00.000-08:00

In which I go out....

Normally, after about Wednesday, I run out of interesting information. I often wonder if it's because I am long winded and fill you in on a few days all in one shot. Then I wonder, why do I care that I peak by Wednesday. As long as I blog once a week, I feel I've accomplished something. Right. On with it then. How was your weekend, LCG (LeftCoastGirlie), you ask? It was hilarious, is my answer. At least it was in my perspective. A little history for you first. We, my bizarre little family, have a tradition to go out and chop down our Christmas tree every year. Sometimes, it makes me feel sorry for the tree. I know that's strange. But the tree is just minding it's own business. All, you know, growing and producing oxygen and along we come with our kids and saw. We cut it down. Throw it on top of our car, drive down the mountain and cut the end off. Then we stick it in a stand and screw metal rods into the trunk. Pile on lights and decorations. When we are through with it, we throw it outside for the boy scouts to pick up. Kind of sad. Or maybe, it's just me.

Since there are so many of us living together, we had to take 2 cars. We started out knowing where to go then... not so much. The snow level was rising the farther we up we traveled. Eventually, my cell phone rang. It was my brother in the car behind me.

My brother: "I'm going to have to turn around and go back. The snow is deeper then the car is high".

Me: "Alright" I said, "let me find a place to turn around."

And here is where the fun started. I was able to turn around in the driveway of a farmhouse without incident. I parked in the road. Then it was Troy's turn. He got turned around in the driveway but trying to make it make to the road he got stuck. So. Time to push. While trying push the car backward, I believe we broke the World Dead lift Record. We had my mom steer the car while we pushed. After a few minutes, we managed to get it out of the driveway and onto the road. I would have photo's but for the following conversation:

Me: "I should take pictures of this for Flickr and my blog."

Troy: "If you do that, I will throw your little phone under the tires for fucking traction."

So, no pictures of the pushing the vehicles. We got into the SUV. And I thought it was parked on the shoulder. Everything was covered in a couple of feet of snow, I couldn't tell for sure. Turns out. I was on the shoulder. We drove into the ditch and stayed there. Driving in the ditch. The bank less then a foot from my window. I leaned to the left while holding the "Oh-shit-handle".
and thought *out loud* "We are in the ditch! We are in the ditch!" *You know. In case he didn't know.* I saw a mailbox in our path. And stated "There's a mailbox! There's a mailbox!" (Thank you. My alter ego is Obvious Woman!) Luckily, we hit a driveway that bounced us onto the road and across into another ditch. Hit another driveway and was able to just stay on the road. My brother looked at me and said, "Do you think it is possible that you could shut the fuck up?!" *snort* No, probably not.

We ended up having to go to a tree farm with pre-cut trees. Which was still fun because the kids didn't seem to mind. They bombed each other and us with snowballs. We picked out our tree and took it home. I was going to settle in and watch "It's a Wonderful Life" then I got a text from Goblinbox saying she was down at Sapolil Cellars playing from 8-11. And that I should come. So, I talked the brother, also called, my brother, into babysitting and hitched a ride down there. You see, it was and is still snowing and I am a big sissy la-la when it comes to driving in the snow. I drank some wine and listened to Mush and Coyote Kings play some groovin blues music. There was a small crowd, which was actually really nice. They then invited me to be their hostage, which I gladly accepted. There was a bite-size dog in the bar that someone brought in the purse. *Not even kidding*. Gibblesnix and Goblinbox thought it was adorable, as did I. Gibblesnix wanted to put it in his coat and take it home. We decided to go out to breakfast because Mush needed "an omelette STAT". We arrived safely to Shari's and waited to be seated. And waited and waited. While waiting, we were talking to a foursome that came in to eat breakfast as well. The little girl was telling us a story about how they had stolen a chocolate pie the last time they were there. Here's something I learned, when Mush counts, things happen. Mush said "they have 80 seconds to seat us. If not, we are going to Taco Bell". And she began to count. I think she reached 40-something before we were actually seated. Our both was still wet. You know, from sanitizing. We ordered our beverages and received them in a timely fashion. He even took orders fast. Mush and I both ordered the veggie omelette. KandaJ ordered an entire cow. Which apparently they had to slaughter and butcher themselves because we waited like an hour for our meal. Once again, Mush said, "I am counting to 90. *I think* If our food isn't here we are going to Taco Bell!" It arrived in about 80 seconds, give or take. While the food was good. It was obvious that the eggs had been sitting for a little bit.

The moral of my story is this: Don't drive up mountains without a lift kit or a power-lifter in the back seat. Even unplanned events, turn into fun! And my friends are WAY better then your friends. *snort*

*curtsy and I'm out*

Beautiful Bento Goodness

2008-12-10T16:19:00.000-08:00

In which I am falling in love (not with a boy...eww) WITH BENTO
and I give you pictures

Yesterday, Mush surprised me and her BF *who really needs to blog* with Bento goodness *see above*. Yay! They are soo good. Srsly. She makes me want to be a Bento lover too.

Today. I came to work on a mission to purchase concert tickets. The first ROCK show is coming to the Tri-Cities in 15 years. I, myself, haven't been to one since Queensryche and *I think it was* Winger. Gah! How old am I? Anyway, I went to the local station, where I am a VIP family member, and used my secret, pre-sale code to buy my tickets so I don't have to wait in long lines, with crowds of "slayer dude" kids, only to discover it was all for not because the venue sold out. First, I couldn't get the debit card to go through because the effin credit union wanted to verify the company (Ticketmaster) first. Finally, it went through and I reserved 4 seats close to the stage! Fantastic, right? Not so much. I opted for fast tickets that I can print at me convenience. Ha! I can't get to them. *There was an error retrieving your tickets. Please contact customer service*. I have emailed them because the phone system is, apparently, flooded with the "Slayer dude" kiddo's. So. Now. I. Wait.

Around 11:18am, I was told I would be going shopping for the lot of us at the "office". Walmart shopping is always an adventure. We go and get all kinds of junk food and then eat it. It took unusually long today, two trips and three carts full. Looks like this:

Then, just when I resigned myself to eating cheesesticks and sunflower seeds..this was escorted to me by Mush.

Not only is it adorable, it's so tasty. *Confession: I have never eaten pomegranate seeds before!* They are totally slammin! Absolutely a new fav. for me. Seriously! This was so delicious! Best lunch, in like, EVAR!

*Curtsy and I'm out*

Christmasness

2008-12-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

In which I can't help feeling the joy....

Creative juices are a-flowin. This week has just begun and I have already got so much done. The house is pretty much done on the outside.
We usually make a gingerbread house but the kids are getting older so, now they want to be all individual like, for some reason. *shrugs* I conceded to their requests and allowed them to each make their own. It was a blast. The boys worked together and made a fabulous house. My daughter designed hers as well. We all chipped in on the tree. I have the Christmas candles throughout the house which makes it smell soooo good. A combination of cookies and pumpkin pie. You know what they say about the scent of pumpkin, don't you?

The office is decorated now as well. Including Mush's area, complete with ense ense ense sound effects provided by myself. *giggle* She has a total of 500 feet of flashing, white-light, goodness! While I enjoy the time away from the phones, I have reconsidered my volunteerism in the office. Garland and tumb-tacs in stucco-ish walls= mild pain. I learned 2 things yesterday. a)If you make a fist while holding tacs, you will get stabbed. and 2) You can actually bruise the tip of your thumb.

In a side note:
Mush brought me the adorable-est (in her words)"super smiley snack bento" EVAR!! Look!!!
I know what I am having for lunch, bitches. Yay!

*Curtsy and I'm out*

SO ELFIN HAWT

2008-12-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

In which I place people's heads on small elf bodies to make myself giggle with glee..

You would think I would have better things to do but... I. Don't. Plus, I work with everyone in the film with the exception of Vuboq. So this is a depiction of what it would look like if he worked with us. See it for a limited time here. I made lots and lots. I can't decide which is my favorite. I *heart* them all! The sad news, they will expire in January.

I will write more later. Just wanted to share the elf goodness.

*Curtsy and I'm out*

ummm... on a side note.. I didn't ask if I could use anyone's likeness. I just did it for my own selfish pleasure. They are TOTALLY cute though right?

Nothing Blog worthy really

2008-12-05T16:20:00.000-08:00

For a couple hours, this totally handsome, orange cat (O.C) was stuck in a tree. I would go over and talk to him. Best conversation of the day. Then my boss came over and joined our little confab. O.C was very friendly & had much to say. We talked about the dog that had been sniffing around earlier and the squirrels he had stalked up there in that tree. I thought *IDEA! I will go get some tuna (from the cabinet in the lunch room) to entice O.C to come down. By this time, others had arrived. James, KJ and Mike. I came out with fish in hand. Placed it in a little plastic quasi-dish. Started walking toward O.C to, you know, rescue him. And was dismissed! He had made his way down the tree before I could bestow my offering before him. *sigh*

In other news....

We had our monthly potluck today. Most potlucks have a few dishes and that's it. Not this one. We had a great selection. I, of course, did not take a picture because I tend to forget things but Michelle did. Here it is. Everyone did a fabulous job.

*Final thought*

I did nothing noteworthy this week. Hmmmm.

*Curtsy and I'm out*

Dear crack head(s) that stole my stereo

2008-12-02T23:45:00.000-08:00

I begin a small rant....

If you were at the Toyota Center on 12-2-2008 ripping a car stereo from the above car, this letter is for you. I would like to thank you for making things just a tad harder for us right before Christmas. Really. I love a challenge. It's not as if I, a single mom, am not having difficult enough of a time in this current economy. Providing for 2 kids on one income and helping to support her mother that cannot work. Who needs a frivolous luxury like a stereo in a car? It's not as if I loan the car to my brother who has to drive 160 miles round trip to work and needed a vehicle that is good on gas mileage. The same brother that parked said vehicle at the Toyota Center tonight while he attended his union meeting. Although the noise does help to keep him awake behind the wheel at 4am in the morning while he drives from Walla Walla to Hanford to help build the plants that will clean up the tons of nuclear waste that could be seeping into Columbia River or our drinking water. Oh wait! That is exactly the situation, on all points!

You sir(s), suck ass! It's bad enough that you yanked the stereo from it's perfect-fitting, designated spot and you left this big gaping hole.Then you must not have liked my taste in music because you threw my CD's all over the floor and ground. Sheesh! Did you have to add to the disrespect? Did you, by chance, give any thought to the frayed wires that you left behind? Let me enlighten you of the safety hazard. After the initial, "I wish I would have caught the asshole(s) in the act" pissed off-ness passed. He started down the road only to see sparks coming from the wires. Thankfully, he had the tools and equipment to fix the frayed mess. The time spent on the repair cost him precious minutes that he desperately needs for sleep.

I know this matters not to you. After all, you can get what, 15 or 20 dollars for the radio? That's a good rock! All I can say is I hope you choke on the smoke and get a pulmonary embolism, YOU WANKERS!

*Deep breath and exhale*
Since I believe in Karma... I will take that last statement back *excluding the WANKER part. I meant that* You obviously needed the money from ripping me off. So, I will hope you find help for yourself. I hope you will make it up sometime in your life by doing something useful for someone else. I will not wish bad events upon you. My guess is your life isn't daisies and sunshine. But you choose to live it how you do. Because everything comes down to a choice. I wish you a Merry Christmas anyway. I pray you have someone in this world that loves you and have faith you might learn to love yourself. Unless you want to come by and steal my daughter's barbie bicycle? It has a basket on it and a cool bell! YOU WANKER!

*Curtsy and I'm out*
Night

Lot's o' links

2008-12-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

In which I apologize and carry on....

Right. Well. It's been a minute, hasn't it. I have been super busy and neglected the blog. If this was the days of old, I would need to be stoned in the streets or at least flogged. Thanks to humanitarians everywhere. I will not endure any pain for lack of commitment. As with all of you, I'm sure, I am braving the swarms of women in housecoats trying to find the best deals while avoiding charges of assault for taking the last Wolford Velvete de Luxe Legging.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I went to see him and the fam in Spokane, WA. My Pops is fantastic. We weren't close when I was a kid. You've heard the story of a broken home before so no need to run through that. I ate Thanksgiving dinner, the entire menu, 3 nights in a row. So on the 4th night, Pizza! But I digress. I had a blast, even though, there was snow on the ground. Which made me pull over and change drivers while I hyperventilated. Had to wake sleeping beauty. It was good to visit Shane and Dustin, my kid brothers. And of course my fabulous, step-Mom Hyo Shim. Dad showed off some toys. I went shopping with Hyo. I got to see the cutest wedding pics EVAR!Them.
I could go on and on with flickr links but I will give it a rest and say this... On the way home Sunday morning, there was not snow. There was however, fog.

It was a long 3 hour ride home. I felt like I could use a weekend from my weekend. But I went back to work, like a big girl. Yesterday,Mush and I kicked some major ass in the queue. Today, she is off. I'll be alone from 1pm until close. Should be a shit ton of fun. For those that don't know what a shit ton is.... It's way more than a ton. *giggles*

Victor, my co-worker, came back from his Thanksgiving in Maui. He brought us all key chains. There is a pic of mine in flickr but I said I would stop with the links. I must resist.

In other news.... Gibblesnix has posted 2 blogs in one week!! Which allowed him the opportunity to give me shit for the lack of blog on my part. You win this round, grasshopper. I will overcome my blockage. *again I giggle*

And finally, I break my promise and say on a side note.. My pops gave us, yet another computer while we hung around, eating his food. That gives each of the kids one. 3 total (my nephew included). So tonight. My plan, other then watching this is to do some networking. *so sue me. it's a flickr pic* I lie, apparently. It's part of my charm. Notice it's ALL Encore products. Secret= it's free from the employer.

*Curtsy and I'm out*

Black Friday...GAH

2008-11-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

Just so we are clear from the gate.. I NEVER. I mean EVER. Go shopping on black friday. I loath shopping. Not just dislike, loath. But. This year. It was a must. The Christmas present (to be named later because he knows I have a blog) I needed to get my 12 yr old son, was on sale. 60 dollars off! That's a lot for a single mom/gal like me.

My brother, Troy,AKA "the muscle" said he would go with me but he wouldn't be happy about it. Thank God, he did. That ginormous thing weighed over 200 lbs. I think I have a hernia. Srsly.

Our plan? Divide and conquer. An "action isle" away was the cutest vacuum for only 28 bucks. In pink, blue or green. I know! Right! Cuteness!

How the day began actually starts with the night. I, in my infinite wisdom, did not go to sleep until midnight. At 3:22 AM. Yes! AM! My brother woke me up. He gets up that early everyday to go to work at the VIT. Needless to say, I, unenthusiastically, crawled out of bed and stumbled down the stairs to the bathroom. Thinking the whole time that, maybe, the 60 dollars was so not worth the loss of sleep. But when you say you are going to do something, you should always do it. After a condensed morning routine. We headed to WalMart. Because I am too cheap to shop anywhere else. Not that there is a huge selection of department stores in Walla Walla, Washington.

At 4 am, my brother and I had staked claim to the *present not to be named*. Much like the early Americans in the great land rush. Exactly like that only way different. We were standing there conversing with 2 other men. They were telling stories about "Black Friday" sales of old. The one I remember went something like this.

Old man speaks. "A few years ago, we were lined up outside because back then WalMart was closed. I remember we had been there for two hours already when a women came to line and tried to make her way to the front. Someone shouted, "Hey! There is a line for a reason you know?" The new arrival said, "I know. But I am disabled." Then the women that shouted, still wearing her pajamas barked, I don't care WHAT you are! Get in line lady".

I didn't say it was a nice story. Just was funny in a pathetic kind of way. It's not the end of the world if you don't get what you came for. It's a gamble. I didn't expect the "competition" side of it though. As the minutes ticked past. I turned to my brother and said time to divide? He said "yep". He's a man of few words, that brother of mine. Before I went to lay claim to my vacuum. I whispered, "Roll up your sleeves and put your 'Grr' face on." You see, my brother has his arms "sleeved" with Tattoos.

We were texting back and fourth until about 4:45 AM PEOPLE. Then the flood gates opened and people poured into the isles. He wrote me a final text. And I Quote..."Get the vacuum. I got the *present not to be named* and the shop vac. I'll meet you up front. You got the plan. No more texting. It's Showtime!" I *heart* him.

At 5AM. The black shrink wrap was devoured us consumers and chaos ensued. I did help the lady I had be talking to find a green vacuum. I started to head to where I left my brother when I got a text. Come on! it read. He was already up front. I asked if he helped the old man get one of the *presents not to be named* and he said, "Are you crazy!? He one pulled down when I did. He was trying to get two." I asked, "Well how many people were there?" His answer. "More then there was *presents*." We got to the cash register. No waiting. In and out. Woo-to-the-hoo! We were VICTORIOUS!

After we hid everything from the kids I went inside and curled up with my iTouch searching through the movie channels. Found Footloose on. Hence the chosen video above. After watching and having 80's fashion flashbacks. I packed for my trip right after work to see my Dad in Spokane. (about 3 hours from here)I got in the shower. Stayed too long, again. And arrived at my desk at 9

Ding Ding! In various ways

2008-11-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

In which I have an idea or two...

I always have songs spinning in my head. It's amazing how I even think original thoughts at all. Srsly! This morning. ABBA. That's right! And then as the day progresses, more out-of-nowhere songs pop in. "Come on ride the train. Choo-Choo. Ride it!" That song was never even in the air waves this morning. WTF?

Then I was trying to find Selena Cross - I'm Not Lost (because it's beautiful...DUH) and it hit me. Maybe I should blog my-favorite-song-of-the-day! WOW! Fantabulous idea, I repeated to myself with a goofy grin. So, hence and what not. HA! That is why there is now a video widget/gadget, whateva, at the top of the page. I must caution you. I have strange and not at all consistent taste in music. I love EVERYTHING!. But I am so unbelievably excited about posting a what's-in-my-head song everyday that I could squeal, just like a lil school girl. I know. I know. It's probably just me that is this excited. Yet. Still. Excited.

As for the secondary, but equally important, ding ding. My headlights! (no boobies was the last post). It was/is very foggy out today. Headlights required kind of fog. Of course. I sometimes, almost always, leave a tad-bit late. I arrive in the parking lot, grab my gear. You know, drink. Smokes. Chargers for the cell and the iTouch, delicious toy. Arms full of goodness as I try to exit the vehicle. It is then that the DING DING commanded my attention and alerted me. Saying calmly, Hey Dillhole! You forgot your lights AGAIN!!!

Today. I am thankful for the DING DING(s) in my life.

In other news... Mush gave me a blanket of bubble wrap. Yay! for bubblewrap.

Lost the fight with gravity

2008-11-24T11:41:00.000-08:00

In which I talk about boobies and not in a good way....

It all started with a shower. I *heart* morning showers. I play the radio and make it an event.
Gets the day off right. Then, I step out. OMG! Why, oh why, is the a mirror directly across from the shower? Whose design choice was that? I think I might have to change the log to the "ask if you want to proceed" type. Give everyone the chance to avoid this entire post.

Anyway, I am 33 rounding the corner to 34 AND I have 2 kids. Things have happened. Like the location and size of my ass! Not only did it fall but it widened. A great deal. As if that weren't enough! WTF happened to my boobs? They used to be round and perky and positioned proper. NOW. They hang and I don't know that I can actually see my nipples when looking "head on". If someone asked for a picture of them. I am fairly certain, I would have to place the camera on the ground below me pointed up.

As if on queue, Cher "If I could turn back time" played on the "mixed" CD. Thank you Cher! She snapped back from the looking glass. I decided I didn't care. One day, I will have a bring-the-boobies-back fund! Then the girls will be back to how they were at 21.

Super, groovy, cute iTouch!

2008-11-21T16:00:00.001-08:00

I know what I will be doing this weekend. Because I have a brand. New. Toy. I adore it! It even has my name etched on the back. Which, like Mush said, eliminates the option of pawning. But 8 gigs will probably be enough for me. I do wish there was a place for additional storage though. Still the best present from an employer, EVAR!

That is all. *happy dance and curtsy*

Tragically Lame

2008-11-21T12:02:00.000-08:00

I describe and ponder my life...

I know this will be a short post because I'm currently at lunch. I was just wondering a few things. I realize it's all rhetorical but still I must utilize my www as an outlet for what is swimming around in my psyche.

How this topic came to be.... It began yesterday. I was so excited that Survivor was going to be on last night that it became almost sad. Not sad, "I am going to cry" but sad, "I can't believe the intense joy I feel because I actually have something to do tonight." OMGWTF! What has happened?!?!

When did I become a VH1-er when I am the MTV generation? When did curling up with a good book and myself become more appealing then marathon sex with a cute guy? When did my idea of a good time turn into Sunday Cosmic bowling instead of my favorite bar on Friday night. Give Chris a kiss on the cheek after picking up my drink, he already had on the bar waiting for me. Chris always made the vodka nectarean. Then I would shake my sugar-foot all night long.

It's not that I mourn my party days. I'm actually content being a Mommy. I just wonder about the time-line. When did I become the oldest 33 year old, I know?

And the Golden Tampon goes to......

2008-11-19T13:43:00.000-08:00

Holy addlepates, Batman!

Main Entry: moron
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: stupid person
Synonyms: addlepate, blockhead*, boob*, dimwit, dingbat, dolt, dope*,
dork, dumbbell*, dummy*, dunce, fool, half wit, idiot,
ignoramus, imbecile, lamebrain*, loony*, loser*, mental defective, nerd*, simpleton

Antonyms: brain

So... I knew today was going to be a little rough because the "boss" is out and that leaves me the sole tech rep for 3 hours. But Usually, Wednesdays are slow. Not the case this morning. *Of course not!* It started out alright. Not too busy. Then the phones dropped. Because we can't have a system that actually works. As I sit on my arse, the calls pile up. Can't answer them, no phone service. The phones come back up and I jump back in the queue. After a couple of minutes, I am swimming along just fine. Calls getting caught up. Then...BAM!! Calls drop again. Gah! VOIP sucks!

Meanwhile, the queue builds. I jump in again... Treading in the deep pool of calls.
Slowly, getting a comfortable grip on the queue. And, you guessed it, down again!

Holy llama piss! For the love of God! What does a girl have to do to have an easy day at work? I realize My co-worker will be in soon, so try not to stress. Then, one more time, we go down! Turns out the VOIP server was over-heating. With cat-like reflexes. They install a new fan and solve our phone trouble. Thank God. Got all but 3 calls handled before Michelle came in. I thought, "We will be good now"! Hell-to-the-no!

My other co-worker, who is in sales, needed me to take a call because he cannot be tied up doing tech support "type things" when there is incoming sales call. He has to make us dollars. My employer doesn't want sales people handling any tech calls. Even though KJ knows far more then I do. So I took the call. And Poor Michelle worked the queue alone. That sucks. I hate leaving someone to work the queue because I am on a long call. BUT... OMFG! This women was a dink! Anything that I said to do she did the opposite! I said left click, she right clicked. I said click here, she clicked there. When I said, "that's incorrect. I said right click on the Winmail.exe notleft click on some random link in your program files. Dumbass!" Oh and by the way, there is not such a thing as "small caps" (unless you are talking about stocks) since "caps" stands for capital letters!!!

The conversation between myself and the id10t went on for about 33.5 minutes. *not that I'm counting* Again, tech queue suffers. After hanging up with her, I had 2 calls from WoW-ers that couldn't log onto their servers. Ah.. Refreshing to talk to someone I do not have to speak stupid to. And yes! I do know I ended that sentence with a
preposition.

The day did get better. I guess I am just Sally, sore ass today. It is a 10 hour day. I'm tired. So the The Golden Tampon Award goes to me today!! Yay me! For being a crack!

I know what I need. A lemonade and a lil vodka. *maybe 1 part lemonade and 3 parts vodka* Screw it! Pass me the bottle and call it a day!

Runaway....Far, far away....

2008-11-17T12:47:00.000-08:00

In which I share one story of bailing on the groom.

Alright, so I have been close to wedded bliss *ha!* a couple of times or 4. But it scares the hell out of me so, I run. Screw the whole "let's sit down and talk like
rational adults about what I am feeling B.S". That is far too logical and mature. Sheesh! That's expecting a little bit much from me! Yes, I am a runaway bride and not in a cool way!
I will tell you the worst of the 4 stories and you will just know that it happened similar to this story. I was with someone, we'll call him "Fred", for about 2 years. We loved each other and "got on" great. I was happy and so was he. Of course, I was only in my very early twenties. So, that gets me some "Ahh, I see" credit. Although the next 3 times, I was older. *Tangent*
Right. Well, I went through the whole "what church, where and when? Whose going to be in the wedding? Where are they going to sit and with whom? Will they all get along? What colors do we want? What kind of cake, traditional or more reflective of us? Where should we have the reception and what kind of food? And the invitations. We settled on teal white for the colors. I went and had the invitations printed. They were
beautiful and 250 dollars. For Cards!" Does that seem okay to people? The stress added up. Until I felt like I was carrying a camel on my back! Then people just kept yacking at me about it. Half the time like I wasn't even in the room. It became a "thing". Like it had a life of it's own. Living, breathing, pulsating monster sitting on my chest until I couldn't breathe. Then, I looked at "Fred". Could I picture my whole, ENTIRE life with this one man? Would I feed him if he couldn't hold his spoon anymore. Because let's face it, we grow older and time marches on! Would I be able to be there, with him FOREVER?!?!
So, in the middle of the night. Just a few days before the wedding. I packed
as much as I could, and my dog, Chelsea into my Datsun 280Z and left town. Drove 2 and a half hours away. Not a goodbye. No note. No phone call. Just split. Showed up at Mom's in the wee hours of the morning. Not crying, relieved. Like I could breathe again.
"Fred" came and found me a couple of months later. Needed
time to "cool down" before seeing my face again. So as not to high five me in it. It wasn't about him though. It was about the life-sucking wedding. The details. The flowers. The church. The Food. The dress. The guests. The placement. The money. The freakin LIFETIME COMMITMENT! GAH! I'm not a headcase
I had to flee. The flight or fight response took over and flight won.
"Fred" and I stayed together a while and even had an "on again, off again" relationship for several years. We even tried to get married another time. With much the same result. There was another man, we'll call him "George". We tried to marry. The story a little different, but the ending the same.
Now, it's not that I think I am a commitment phob. I think it's the stress of all the planning and the details and the money. I am a pretty laid back gal. That is too much for me.
If I am to EVER get married, I think I know the tactic that would need to be deployed. VEGAS! Yes! Let's go to Vegas and get far too intoxicated. Hop in a car (DD in the driver seat of course) and go to a drive-thru chapel with Elvis presiding. There! Done. Srsly! That's the way. Then later. Have a fantastic reception or wedding for everyone to attend. That way, the deed is done no stress.

Or... Or .... OR... show up under my window. In a wicked 80's, trench coat.
Holding a ghetto blaster over your head like John Cusack. Playing "In Your Eyes", exactly like Say Anything!*Swoon*

So the morale of the story.... All little girls really want to get drunk in Vegas and be completely irresponsible. Or perhaps that is just me.

My Geek-dom

2008-11-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

In which I further explain how much of a geek I am...

Right. So. Earlier, I believe I called myself a "Mid-level geek" I must correct that statement. I am really a baby geek. I have been teaching myself html and css. I want to learn all that I can so I can just bang out code with a quickness. I have learned quite a bit. The problem is... it's taking forever. Baby steps. I understand more if I can actually do it. Reading about something gives me an idea but doing a thing, that's how I get it. So, strike the Mid-level geek in my description of myself. From time-to-time you will see/read me obsess. Because I AM an obsesser. No shame in it. I own it.

I have also noticed something in myself lately. I think I may dig Michelle. I'm hope I am not SWF-ing her. I believe it's more of a "she is super cool, smart and funny with the added bonuses of being a techie plus she's a ROCKSTAR. It's official I have become her disciple. *heavy sigh. Hangs head.*

Hope she doesn't mace me in the hallway.

In other news... Stonesoup for lunch today. Yay! For soup.

*Next up* Runaway bride stories

Mazda's Revenge

2008-11-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

Where I get locked inside my car.

Good morning! On my way to work but needed to share a story. I left work after receiving a text to come to the restaurant, formerly known as the Homestead, for free food. They are practicing for opening night and my step dad is a cook/chef there. So, of course, I went. I had fabulous stuffed mushrooms. They were tasty. Then, I left. Walked the block and a half down the alley and onto the street, where I had to park. I proceeded to get lost for a few minutes (because I have no sense of direction). I, finally, found a familiar road and drove to my favorite gas station to get something to drink.

I had locked the doors because I do that at night when I get into the
car alone. No problem. One would think. However, Christine decided I must remain seated. I couldn't get the door to unlocked. It's electric and it was stuck. I could unlock ALL the other doors just not the drivers side. I could swear, when I tried it shocked me. Now I could have went home and gotten assistance but then there would be no witnesses to my dilemma or stupidity, whichever. I resigned myself to the fact that I could not exit through the driver door. So. I crawled my fat, ass over the center console and out the passenger door. I rounded the car and attempted twice, unsuccessfully, to unlock it with a key. But. The third time. I was TRIUMPHANT! I walked in the store. Purchased my lemonade and camel 99's and went back to
my evil, evil car. Without further incident.

The Toilet Paper Incident

2008-11-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

An imported blog from Myspace

In which I begin a rant....

Right. So, it's my lunch hour so this will be brief. And yes, I
know, it's nothing significant to bitch about but yet....Bitch I
must....
So, I got off the phone long enough to retreat to the restroom when
what do I discover!!!???

Yes. That's right! Again!
Apparently. NO ONE in the office knows how to change the roll! So,with cat-like reflexes, I decide to put together a little "How to"...complete with visual aids.
And you, are now subjected to the same.

Step 1: Pick up a new roll. Easy and light, no heavy lifting so a
doctor's note will
not do you any good what-so-ever!

Step 2:

Unwrap said roll. No other explanation should be required of me here.

Step 3: Throw the empty friggin cardboard holder
and the wrapper from the
new roll away.... Simple enough...
One would think.

Step 4: Ta-effin-Da! Place the nice, full, new roll on the
receptacle provided. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is that!
Pretty simple. No power tools needed. No aerobic
excerise.

Finally.....

And please DO NOT forget this step...
Wash or santinize your hands.
I don't know about you... But I feel better.
I even feel a sense of acomplishment. Too bad
there isn't a category called "just plain ranting and
complaining about a pet peeve." But alas, that
wasn't an option to choose.
I know there are, most likely, typo's and
spelling errors. But as I said it's my lunch hour
and I do not have time to proof read. In an earlier post
I told ya...This is therapy for me, blogging. So from
time-to-time, you will see a post where you will be all
"WTF? Who cares about toilet freakin paper?!" And
I'll be all like "Uh,.... me. Right this second." Then we
will both move on and forget the damn thing.
I know... I know... But I also said before that
I was a total geek. Maybe now, you will believe me.
I would so love to bust out into a list of my pet peeves.
But can't, gotta go. lunch is over.
Remember today's lesson and put it to use. You won't
see or hear it, but there WILL be silent appreciation for your
work. :)~

* Side note*
In EVERY picture I took, I was actually on the toilet.
What does that make me? Is there a word for it?*
HA! Have a good day!

There has to be a first one.

2008-11-13T01:06:00.000-08:00

Hi bloggerers! Forgive me for my newbie excitement and possible
lame first post. But I had to at least get started. Like ripping off a
band aid....

I thought I would make an attempt to introduce myself but...
it will not be my life story. If you read...You will get to know me
and my story.

I feel the need to let you know some basics. I exaggerate. I'm a smart ass.
I don't like change in my chaotic routine, that doesn't make sense
to anyone but me. I am a mid-level geek and want to be a SUPER
GEEK someday. I *heart* music. I'm smart but not a genius.
I'm a real "runaway bride* (I will tell you about those stories
someday). I try not to stress on the little things but sometimes
it sneaks up on me. I type like I talk. I don't rehearse, it is what it
is. I tend to go on tangents and sojourns and take you along for the
ride. I sing. Loud. Way off key. But I am still wicked cool. I use
80's slang often. Such as, wicked, killer, sweet, bitchin. I loath math.
It requires logically reasoning and I don't think I am wired to be logical.
*giggle*. I am not a judgemental person, I don't believe. I enjoy the unusual.
People. Places. Conversations. Ideas. And so on. I could go on and on, no need.
You will see who and what I am as time goes by because I dig the blogging thing.

It's like therapy. I don't know yet how hip I am to have all my "dear diary"
ramblings out here on the www for everyone to view, judge, criticize...etc.

Actually, yes, I do. I don't care. I am, who I am and it's good to be me.
I do think of blogging as a journal, of sorts. Some co-workers do it and
I have fallen in love with blogging and reading blogs. Until now,
I have only posted on my social sites. So, it is time to stretch my
wings a tad and enter a new realm of blogging. *happy dance*!
Gah! I am a total nerd.

Right. Well. That's it for now. It's 1:30 in the a.m. and I have to be
up to get the offspring ready for school in the morning and myself to
work, such as it were. Curtsy and i'm out!

LCG