Perks

It's that time of year at work. The self evaluation. I hate doing them as most people I'm sure do.

I am somewhat anal so I keep a list of things that I have accomplished throughout the year so that at the end of the year I don't forget something. I print (and send to my boss, if he wasn't copied on it) the emails when I get praised for something good and attach them to my review.

So in January when my boss sits down with me and goes over my review, I know that he will only be able to offer me so much in bonus and wage increases. What he can do though is gives us perks. Some things are at his discretion.

Here is the list of things I will ask for:

• Install a tanning bed in the break room. I'm going to Mexico in 49 days. I need to get a base tan or I'll be a lobster the entire week.
• Get rid of the soda in the vending machine. Replace it with beer. I'm asking for Miller Lite and Spotted Cow year round and have at least two seasonal beers that rotate every season.
• Let me replace my desk with a futon so I can work laying down. It is way more comfy than sitting upright all day.
• Hold our next team meeting in Hawaii. I'm flexible and will accept any warm weather location.

Now if you got this list would you think twice about maybe it would be easier to just give me an extra week of vacation??

I'll let you know how that works out for me in January.

~Peace out~

Christmas Lights In Wisconsin

Only in Wisconsin would you expect to see this. I have to admit, it is funny.

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Drunken Antics

Ok, no matter how drunk I may get, I WILL NOT let anyone talk me into this.

Thankful

This past year has been a wild ride for me. Some ups but alot of downs. Even though the downs out numbered the ups this year, I have alot to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for my health. I'm in relatively good health. I try not to take my health for granted and do the things I'm supposed to. Exercise, eat sorta healthy, don't smoke. All the things the doctors tell you to do. I know that by doing these things my body will be stronger and hopefully last a long time.

I'm thankful for a good job. This job, while some days is putting up with people's BS, pays the bills, allows me to have a nice home I can call my own, a decent vehicle to drive and the random vacation and fun toys. I know many people who are either out of a job or in a job that they may not like but need it to pay the bills.

I'm thankful for my dogs. While they can be a handful and at times a bit out of control (ok, really that is only Boomer). They are the best listeners. They are also good foot warmers on a cold night.

I'm thankful for my family. Most of them anyways. They have offered me their love and support across the miles. For this I am grateful. I miss the ones who left this world this year alot. I hope they are in a better place.

I'm thankful for my friends. Without them, this past year would have been unbearable. They have been there through the good, the bad and the ugly this past year. They gave me the strength to move forward with my life when I wasn't sure I could. The fun times of camping this year. Giggling like school girls trying to stay up all night. Waiting for the bats to come home. A big hug when I needed it the most. I treasure each of you.

While life may hand you lemons, be thankful for those lemons. You can always make lemonade.

Take the time out today to remember what you are thankful for. I know I will.

~ Peace Out ~

I Hope So

I know Breast Cancer Awareness month is over but it is always a good time to think of the girls.

I thought that this picture said it perfectly.

Is It Just Me??

I just don't get certain people.... Rachel Ray (her voice is soooo irritating), Nickelback (crappy over-played music that sounds like Creed (who I hate even more)) and Oprah.

There has been a big hub-bub-baloo about her ending her show next year. Why are people so freaked out about it?? Other than the books she suggests for her book club, I could care less. I have never gotten into watching her show. I could not even tell you what time or station it is on.

She makes people famous. Like Dr. Phil. Who up until a few years ago I had no clue who he was. Now the only reason I know who he is, is that I have a cousin who looks like him, but skinnier.

She has a school someplace in Africa that had some problems last year. I don't recall what the issue was but I remember seeing it on the news.

She is still dating that guy, Stegman (I think that is his name) or is it her best friend she is 'dating'.

Who knows?? Better yet, who cares??

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

My friend Monte was recently in Key West and sent me a few pictures.

I think I found a Christmas gift for a friend or two. This could be a big hit at camping.

Only in Canada

Only in Canada would you expect to see a sign like this.

Happy Camper

With winter fast approaching, I needed to think happy thoughts and escape from the winter doldrums. So what do I do??

I book the first camping trip for next season. Ok, technically it is not the first trip we will be taking but it is the first booked. Now I only have to wait a little over 10 months to go on this trip.

We are heading out to Yellowstone Lake State Park in southwestern WI. We will be there for the week after Labor Day. We were there this year during that time and it was great. We had the place to ourselves. Next year I hope to get in some fishing as I never got that far last trip.

Here are a few pictures of the lake. It was really peaceful out there.

Here is StB with his fish. He did release it back. Maybe next year we can catch enough to actually eat as a meal.

As the fall turns into winter, I will look back at these pictures fondly and count the days until our next trip.

This is a test from my BlackBerry

Let's see what this looks like.

Will it keep the formatting?

#
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Pumpkin Store

To get you in the halloween mood.

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

Normally I do not remember my dreams. They come and go throughout the night.

Last night, I had a very odd one that when I woke up the actually wanted to call the person and tell them.

It started out simply enough. Hanging out at the bar with Annette, Ben, Anita, Barney, and StB. Drinking beer like any Friday night.

StB was telling us about the new car he wanted to get. Another Mustang. We all thought that was cool. Annette then asked him if he would be willing to get the one that shows he supports breast cancer. StB, being the lover of boobs that he is, told her that he would. In honor of Annette's boobs. We were all happy with his choice and told him so.

Annette told StB that she would even be nice enough to go to the dealer and place the order for it as the purchase was limited to breast cancer survivors. StB agreed.

A few weeks later, we are at the bar again when StB's new car is delivered. I guess in my dreams they deliver vehicles to bars at night.

StB goes outside and sees his new Mustang. Ten seconds later he comes storming back in. Not happy at all. We ask him what is wrong. He tells us to go outside and see for ourselves. We all walk outside.

Us girls, see the car and are all like, "Wow!! Cool!! How sweet is that car"

StB asks if we notice anything about the car. Anita said that she liked like Warriors in Pink tribute that is on the car. Annette and I agreed. It was very sharp.

StB then asks if we think there may be a bit too much pink. Us girls all say no. StB's voice gets all high and squeaky and asks if we think it is a bit much for a young (ok, almost middle-aged), single guy who has a reputation to uphold.

We all start laughing at him, even the guys. Ben told him that it showed his sensitive side. StB called bullshit.

When I woke up I wanted to tell StB that he should not do two things. 1. Never let Annette pick out his cars. 2. Get over it! It's for the boobs.

I had to Google the car this morning to see if I could find it. Nothing came to an exact match but this was close. You can see more pictures here

I don't know, I kinda like it. What do you think?? It could be all pink.

Is It Spring Yet?

I'm not ready for the next 6 months. Today is a preview. It is cool, cloudy and blustery outside. I'm very much a summer gal. Give me the warm sun, gentle breeze, a cocktail and a ball game and I'm a happy camper. Screw the cold and snow.

Yesterday, we did the Susan G Komen walk for breast cancer in honor of Gambino. She is coming up on three years. This fact makes us all happy. You can still donate to a great cause from this link. I have a few pictures but need the time to get them off my camera and phone. I'll try to post later in the week. We had a great time during the walk. A fun way to spend a sunny Sunday morning. The Packer game afterwards at P & K's home was fun as well. Good times with good friends.

I have now developed a cold. I knew the sick guy at work would be sharing his germs with the rest of us. I'm planning on working from home until I feel better. No need getting anyone else sick. I'm very lucky to have that option.

Riley started his allergy shots today. Just like a person, dogs get allergies as well. He is allergic to dust mites and of all things, animal fur. Mainly, cats as I found out from the vet today. So he will be getting shots every 4 days for a few weeks and then start spacing them out a bit. Good news is that I can give him the shots after a few times. It doesn't looks too hard. The biggest thing is that he needs to be watched for about an hour afterwards to make sure he does develop a reaction to the shots. He may end up coming camping with me this weekend. He will like the time away from Boomer I'm sure.

That's about all I know for now.

~ Peace Out ~

The Fine Print

I don't get much mail. Other than utilities, I get most of my bills electronically.

Today I get a bill from Kohl's I have not used the card in quite some time but do so to keep it active. When I do use it I usually pay it off when I get the bill. I am probably one of the few people that will read the inserts with the fine print.

You know what I mean. It is the insert that companies stick in your statement that tell you of changes to your account.

Today I found out that:

1. The late fee is now $29.
2. They have an interest free option each month. You can make three equal; payments and pay your account off. When you do this you avoid any interest charges. May have to remember that if I need to make a big purchase there.
3. The grace period is now 25 day. This is down from 31.
4. The card has a variable rate. It is now prime plus 18.65%. WH-WHA-WHA-WHAT?? Holy crap. That mean that the current interest rate on this card is 21.9% That be some very pricey clothes if you carry a large balance.
5. If you miss a payment, your interest rate now goes up to 24.65% plus prime. That is just freaking crazy. Now the prime rate in at 3.25%. It was not all that long ago that it was over 8%.

All I know if that If I have to charge something pricey at Kohl's I will be using my bank card which carries a nice low interest rate of 7.99%. It pays to read the fine print.

Swinging the Bat

As the baseball season begins to wind down (yeah, it makes me sad too), here is something to watch.

When I Go Walking

It is usually before midnight, but sometimes after...

You tend not to notice the things you pass when in a car. Walking gives you time to explore your surroundings and take notice of the little things.

I will walk almost everyday with the dogs. It is good for all of us. Depending on the weather, time of day and what is going on I will walk the dogs either the short route about a mile and takes 20 minutes or the long route about 1.75 miles and takes 45 minutes. The dogs like to explore as well so it takes longer to walk around the park.

Things I have notices this past week while walking are:

• Lots of people are having their windows replaced or at least sticking the signs in their yard.
• There are 2 trees in Greene park that are really pretty right now. The leaves are a vibrant red and orange. The rain today will probably make the leaves go away.
• The house with the trashy yard now has a tarp over most of the front yard. I wonder if this is to avoid cutting the grass or avoid a ticket from the city. Still looks like crap.
• One house put some new bushes along the driveway. They left the one that is dead and took out the other two that were living. Not sure why.
• One house finally took down their Christmas decorations from last year.
• Another house put some Christmas lights up. And did a lousy job at it.
• One house had new siding put on. It really looks nice. I think they got a new front door as well. May have to stop and ask about where they got it.
• One house really need to pick up the dog poo in the front yard. You can smell it 2 houses away. Even worse when it is warm out.
• The city has a speed warning thingy up that tells you how fast you are going. Most people are going 35-40. Speed limit is 25.

What do you notice about your neighborhood??

Kind Words

I'm stealing this from Kris' blog. Thought it was a very nice passage. I will ty to think of this as I remember the family and friends who have passed on.


Pippin: "I didn't think it would end this way."
Gandalf: "End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path... One that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass... And then you see it."
Pippin: "What? Gandalf?... See what?"
Gandalf: "White shores... and beyond, a fair green country under a swift sunrise."
Pippin: "Well, that isn't so bad."
Gandalf: "No... No it isn't."
-The Return of the King-

Now She Should Rot in Jail

Note: This story contains a link to a very graphic story. When I first read this I was appalled at the gruesomeness of it. Be warned

In Ohio, a young woman who works in a Petland store took two rabbit and drowned them. To make it worse a co-worker recorded it and then she posted it on her Facebook page. She was charged with two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. I only wish they were felony counts.

You can read the story and see the video here.

I can't imagine why someone would hurt a defenseless animal. I have had several rabbits in the past. They are great pets and if treated well will make wonderful companions. My first bunny, George, loved to play fetch with an empty paper towel tube.

Keep your Hands to Yourself

Not sure how nuts this guys is but you really have to be desparate to feel up Minnie Mouse at DisneyWorld.

You can read all about it here.

Must be a furry fetish.

Back in the Saddle

I'm glad the past few weeks are over. The combination of my dad being sick and eventually dying, my dad's sister, his niece and my sister and top it off with work have left me emotionally drained.

My dad's funeral went as well as could be expected. Basically my dad's sisters and other on his side of the family ignored my mom and sister and then dumped their crap on me. I almost decked a cousin for saying something at the cemetery that left me fuming. I don't think I have ever been that angry with someone before. EVER!! At this point it is basically good riddance to them!

I'm looking forward to getting away a week from now. Heading out camping for a week. Should be fun. I am stocking up on books now. Ok, not really stocking up but I organized my basement a bit this past weekend and found that I have about 100 books that I have purchased and have yet to read. Must get my butt in gear. Or stop going to the bookstore. What is amusing is that I have not purchased a book since March. The library is keeping my reading list stocked.

With the cooler weather and all the rain my grass needed attending to. I had just cut it last Sunday and it really should have been cut on Friday. I was too lazy to hunt down the big garbage bags so I didn't bag the clippings like I normally do. Maybe I'll get ambitious and rake them up this week... or not. The flipping weedwacker, that I bought like 2 months ago, broke. Somehow the head part of it came off. I'm really lucky I didn't get hurt as it went flying like 15 feet when it flew off. I need to see if I can get someone to take a look at it and figure out how to fix it (hint, hint Ben or Barney)

I got the truck cleaned up for the camping trip as well. Vacuumed and shampooed the floor mats and carpet. I really should get a new floor mat for the driver side. It didn't want to come clean and there is a spot that is wearing thin. But it is all nice and armor all'd and smells good. I'll go get it washed this next week.

I have been playing a bit more poker online the past week or so. Trying to get back into a rhythm for when we go to the casino in Iowa. I have not played live poker for quite awhile now. Not that online is the same but it still is better than nothing. I did fairly well. Saturday I cashed in 5/6 games for a net profit of almost 50 bucks. Today not as well as I took a first in one game but failed to cash in the other two.

Well, it is time to hit the road. I have been starting work at 6 am this past week. 4:30 comes around mighty early. Good thing is that my 4:00pm meeting that was every day has now been scaled back to Tuesdays and Thursdays so I can get out of work at 3 or so.

~peace out~

Personal Responsibility

Got back from Boomer's 3rd obedience class. Sometimes he is really good and other times, terrible. He started out well and the dogs that are in an agility class came into the building and he went ballistic. After he calmed down, he was somewhat ok the rest of the class. I'm not sure who is more tired, him or me.

With my dad in the hospital and probably not ever coming home I told my sister once again that she would have to start paying for things at the house. She was pissed about that. I asked her why should dad pay for cable, phone, etc. that he is not using. She got all huffy with me again and said that she has to pay for food and toilet paper and such. WH.. WHA.. WHAT??? Ummm, yeah, you need to also pay for the food you eat and the paper you use to wipe your ass. When My dad was living there, he wasn't eating much solid food anyway so it wasn't like he was costing her $200/week in food.

She brought up the fact that when my mom moved out, she left the dog. There are also 11 kittens in the barn (hint, if anyone wants a kitten, they are cute. I can post/send pictures) Why should she have to pay for feeding those? I told her to get rid of them then if she didn't want to pay for their food and upkeep. That made her once again angry that I would suggest that she gets rid of their pets. Her rational... the kids like them. My rational... then pay for their existence. If you can't afford them, get rid of them. I know it may be a hard decision but, hmmm... cats or food for the kids. Your choice, sis!

I guess I just don' get why some people think that they deserve something that they did not earn or work for. Why should she live there and not pay utilities and such. I have to pay for them where I live. I'm pretty sure most of you have to pay for utilities and your mortgage and such. I'll also bet that most of you also have jobs to pay for these things. She says she can't work because she has the kids to take care of. Once again, WH.. WHA.. WHAT??? Give me a freakin' break. I know there are millions of single moms who work and have kids to take care of. She is not unique.

We talked about this topic a bit this past weekend at camping. I have worked since I was 16. I payed for my own cars, insurance and once I moved out, my own rent. I had to pay for my own schooling as well. I only went to college for a year and a half. I still to this day regret not staying in school and getting a degree but sometimes there are other priorities in life.

Bottom line is I think that after my dad passes, she will find herself in a big hurt. The house will get sold and she will have to move. Maybe it is time for her to grow up and learn to stand on her own two feet for a change. She is setting a bad example for her kids. To learn the same kind of "the world owes me" kind of attitude that she has.

Random Thoughts

I'm sure you all think I forgot about my blog. Between Facebook and Twitter I end up neglecting the blog a bit more than I want. It seems that by time I get home to write about something, 42 other people have already blogged, facebooked and tweeted about the event.

I love the story about the four women who tied up the guys after they found out he was seeing all of them. Best part is that they glued his dick to his stomach. Bet he don't cheat on any future girlfriends/wives.

Spent the past weekend camping. I barely survived StB's smelly flatulence that woke me from a dead sleep in the camper. Mustard Fest was, as always, interesting. Not much to do other than sample the mustard custard (not as bad as you would think, but not very good either) from Culver's and try my hand at the ring toss around some mustard bottles (not a winner). I think everyone was more than happy to leave that and head to Lucky's for beer and root beer float shots. I like the schedule we have for camping for this summer. It is about every 3 weekends that we go. Perfect time for me to rejuvenate.

Thought it was funny, when I got my credit card bill in the mail today. It was for $.35. Yep, 35 whopping cents. I bought a song off of iTunes a few weeks ago and didn't have enough in my account so it goes to my card. If I miss the payment, I will have to pay the $1 finance charge. Isn't that almost like a 300% penalty for being late?? What a crock. At least I pay it online and not waste a stamp on it.

Speaking of stamps, when did the price go up? I mailed some bills out for my dad last week. Good thing I stuck my address label on it as they came back marked insufficient postage. I was still trying to use up my Christmas stamps. I can't remember the last thing I actually did mail that I didn't pay for the postage online and print a mailing label for.

Have a good rest of the week all.

~peace out~

Helluva Week

Let's start with good news first. Brewers won the first game back after the All-Star break. Let's hope they can keep it going. The runs were a flowing and the pitching not too bad.

This has just been a crappy, busy week. My dad has been in the hospital since Sunday night. He was having problems with his feeding tube and needed to get it fixed. They could not get a new tube in so they admitted him. They put in two new tubs but they kept leaking. At first they thought that he had an aneurysm in his stomach but turns out is was just an abscess. That was good.

We found out last Friday that the cancer is back for my dad. He goes in for surgery on August 18th. He will have to have part of his lower jaw removed, possibly his entire jaw, depending on what is found. That really upset my dad. He has spent the better part of the past year going thru radiation and chemo to only find out that it didn't work. Right now his spirits are pretty low.

On Monday, I was talking with my Aunt and we decide to have a surprise 70th birthday party for my dad in August before his surgery. His birthday is actually today but a bit hard to arrange that in 4 days. We are going to get his brothers and sister from North Dakota in and some of my relatives from central Wisconsin. I think (and hope) that this will give him the boost that he needs to get thru the surgery.

He has lost so much weight in the past few months. He literally looks like someone who survived the concentration camps. Nothing but skin over bones. When I seen him tonight it made me so sad to see how awful he looks. He was always a small, thin guy but was always strong. He now is so weak he can barely stand. It is so hard to see him like that. I'm very scared that he won't make it thru the surgery.

He will be released tomorrow and will go to a rehab place for a week or two so that he can learn how to use his new feeding tube/pump and get some strength back. Instead of him using a tube and pouring the shake stuff in it, it will be a pump that will drip continuously. I hope this will help him get better.

Work has been super busy and I'm not getting out of there until almost 5 each night. Traffic sucks at that time of day and it takes me almost 45-50 minutes to get home. I seem to rush home, walk the dogs, go to visit my dad, eat a bit of dinner, make a bunch of phone calls to relatives and go to bed. I can't wait for this weekend to relax a bit.

I'm looking forward to the Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick concert on Saturday. Good music and good friends will make for a fun evening.

Ok, enough sad and bitching for now.

Have a good weekend folks. Peace Out!!

Beating a Dead Horse

Is anyone else sick and tired of seeing all the Michael Jackson coverage on TV? How many more specials can they do of him?? I would have liked to see my soap opera today and not his funeral on the dvr. UGH!!

Yes, I liked his music. More so, his earlier stuff than his more recent stuff but come on people, enough is enough.

I am so hoping that all the flags at half staff today were for Robert McNamara and not Michael Jackson.

Back from Vacation

Going back to work after having the last 10 days off sucks. I'm not looking forward to it. The only bright spot is that I have next Friday off. Nice to ease back into the grind with a 4 day work week.

Spent the time off doing lots of things but yet nothing. I had a few things I wanted to get done, but didn't. Other than the laundry. That doesn't really count as I do that all the time anyways. Things I wanted to do.... put R's bike on eBay. I need to get it out of the garage and I should be able to get at least 1200-1400 for it. Also wanted to get the "attic" built in the garage. Ok, so it is not really an attic but four 2x4's and a sheet of plywood laying across the joists but still. It will help free up more room in an already over crowded garage.

Seen some great shows at Summerfest. Ended up going three times. Check out my facebook or Twitter pages for the details and some pictures. Have to say that Staind was my favorite. Judas Priest was pretty good as well. I don't know alot of their songs but it sure rocked.

4th of July was spent at Summerfest during the day and at K&J's later. This video clip will pretty much sum up the day. Somehow I do not remember StB dancing like Eddie in this clip, taunting me when I chose not to get any ice cream. I even got the psych from A. I have to give Gambino props for going out and getting some more ice cream. It was yummy. Thanks!

Have a good week all and Peace out!

Letter From a Farm Kid

Dear Ma and Pa,

I am well. Hope you are. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer, the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled. I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m. but I am getting so I like to sleep late.

Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot, and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing.

Men got to shave but it is not so bad, there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you until noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.

We go on "route marches," which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.

The country is nice but awful flat. The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The Captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.

This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.

Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I' m only 5'6" and 130 pounds and he's 6'8" and near 300 pounds dry.

Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join before other fellers get on to this setup and come stampeding in.

Your loving daughter,

Alice

Mow the Lawn

Yesterday morning, I take the dogs outside. It is like 6:15 am or so. The creepy 14-15 year old kid from across the street is outside. Why?? I have no idea. I walk the dogs from one corner of the block to the other and back. Just like I do every morning. As I'm walking up the driveway, the kid walks across the street towards me. By this time, Boomer is barking his head off at him.

I put the dogs in the house and say Hi. The kid asks if he can mow my lawn. I almost start laughing in in face. I thank him for the offer but tell him that I like to mow my own lawn.

I couldn't stop thinking of this video. Thanks Gambino for the link.

Ain't Got The Common Sense Your Mama Gave You

It was good to read a story in today's newspaper. Yes, I know that I'm one of only a few people who still get the paper delivered to my front step each day.

A mother found some candy on her son's bed and wondered if he had anything to do with the shooting and murder of a 77-year old candy store owner. Turns out he did.

Good for you, mom. You did the right thing. Now if only more people would take that much interest in their children's lives the city/world would be a better place.

You can read more about this story here.

Testing the mobile blog function

The Manifesto

I took this from Laurie's Facebook page. From trivia..... Please note that I (yes, me , Hey Jo) had the question correct but was nice and went with StB's answer. Bad choice....

One of my regular trivia players tonight didn't like one of the questions (he felt the answer was incorrect) and this is the list of things I must do before he will no longer be upset with me.

1. Public apology that is not sarcastic (I told him I was sorry he had sand in his vagina. He did not find that to be an acceptable apology)
2. Must buy me a beer
3. Admit the question was dumb
4. Admit what you did was wrong
5. Play the X-Rated version of the song "Community Property" by Steel Panther.
6. Make out with a chick (I told him I would only do this after he found a chick who would make out with him)
7. Proclaim that this is NOT a manifesto
8. DUTCH RUDDER (if you don't know what this is, www.urbandictionary.com)
9. Chirp like a monkey
10. Bring me a taco from McBob's
11. Cannot read this out loud to everyone until it's been completed (of course I read it out loud immediately)

And this wasn't even the craziest of things that went on tonight. I love my job. :)

This and That

I have been very lax lately about posting. Just no ambition….that and being busy. It would help if I could access Blogger from work, that is where I think of things and by time I get home, I forget them.

I wanted to post a few pictures from camping a couple of weeks ago. It was kinda breezy out. A gust of wind came up and flipped the canopy over. It wasn’t anchored down. It was funny how, in slow motion, it just went up and over. Thanks goodness no one was hurt.

Lately, there have been a lot of odd stories in the news. You really have to wonder what the hell people are thinking… or not thinking.

A couple of favorites….

A police sergeant who abuses her power to find the phone number of a “hot” guy so she could call him to set up a date. Sounds like she has had other issues with her ethics. Is she just stupid or horny?? You make the call.

Small town of Milton, WI has three 8th graders who overdoes on heroin. It was stolen from one of the kid’s mom. That is not worst of it.

A fourth teenager who happened to be at the park recognized the signs of heroin overdose and called a 20-year-old man known around town as a local heroin user, police said. The man, who was not far away at a laundromat, assessed the situation, then saved the life of the most seriously ill boy by injecting him with Narcan, a drug that counteracts the effects of a heroin overdose."Think about that," said Tim Schigur, the middle school principal. "They know enough to call someone who's a local user to come save their friend's life. It's amazing we live in a world that has that kind of skill set."

I would like to know at what job is this a required skill set for?

I rock at bar dice. Played on Friday after the Brewer game at the bar. It was basically one shake and I was out for that round. Poor StB couldn't win even when the bartender was practically giving it away. Now if I could have that same kind of good luck when shaking dice for “shake of the day”, I would be happy camper.

Speaking of dice, for those of you who are on Facebook, have you played Farkle? Talk about addicting. It is a dice game that was first played this past New Year’s eve. It was hilarious. Farkle became the new word of the day. Farkle this, farkle that…. You get the picture.

Boomer, the barker, is back at home after a week at my dad’s. He was rather naughty this time. I guess that he was just barking all the time. I need to get a new battery for his bark collar. It is nice to get a break from him. Rufus and Riley are happier and I can sleep through the night, not having to take him outside in the middle of the night. I wish I could find him a home where they have time to work with him. He is so possessive/aggressive at times that I just don’t trust him, that he won’t bite someone and that they will have him put to sleep. I will keep him before I take that chance. I go camping at the end of the month so will see if he can stay there for the week after that again.

Was at a party for my neighbor on Saturday. One of the girls there, who I have met once before, recently started using Match.com to meet men. She is a cute girl, in her mid-thirties. She was telling us of one of her recent “dates”. They had been talking online for a couple of weeks. They meet for coffee (or lunch, I forget) and decide to go golfing. After 18 holes of golf they go back to her apartment to clean up and go to dinner. He takes a shower and comes out of the bathroom asking her if she has any lotion. She gets it for him and really does not think any more about it as some men do use lotion on their body. She notices that he goes right into her bedroom and not back into the bathroom. After a couple of minutes she goes to check on him and finds him sitting on the edge of her bed, whacking off. She is horrified. She asks him what he is doing. He asks her if she wants to watch him. She tells him to get dressed and get out. A minute or two later, he leaves. She goes back into her bedroom and discovers that he finished the job in the washcloth that she gave him for the shower. She said she used her cleaning gloves and took it outside to the dumpster and tossed it away. Needless, to say, they never went out again. Why did he not do that when he was in the shower?? I just can’t believed that actually finished… ugghhh… yuck… Men, not a really good way to make a first impression on a date.
Heading out to the Brewer game tomorrow.

Peace out!!

Making Friends

I seen this on the New Yorker and thought it was hilarious. With all the traveling I have been doing recently, I'm glad that this was not me.

Hello, six-year-old child.

Seeing as how fate has brought us together here, in the crowded coach section of this expensive airplane, I thought I should introduce myself.

My name is Amy, and I’m an adult. I suspect that you’re too young to understand what “adult” means, so let me explain. It means that I’m taller than you, and smarter, and that I get to do lots of awesome things, like smoke cigarettes and ovulate. It also means that I like to take naps on airplanes and read my newspaper in silence. These things seem to be very different from the things that you like to do.

I’ve gleaned from its near-constant utterance by the woman sitting next to you—your mother, I suppose, or perhaps a social worker or a federal prisoner who’s being paid to spend time with you—that your name is Timmy. It’s probably Timothy, actually, but people call you Timmy because it’s cuter. Which is appropriate, Timmy, because you’re very cute, you really are. You’re really very fucking cute.

I’m going to drink this cup of coffee—would you like some? I didn’t think so. You’re more of a juice-box man, from what I gather. The way I gather this is by looking at the stain on my ninety-eight-dollar pants, the one you made when you put your juice box there. If I touched your pants, Timmy, I would probably be sent to jail. There are lots of differences between you and me, but that’s one of the big ones: the quality and the seriousness of what happens when we touch other people’s pants.

You’re not much of a sleeper, are you, Timmy? We’ve just met, but it seems to me like maybe you don’t really enjoy sleeping all that much. In fact, it seems to me that one of your greatest joys in life is wakefulness—and not simply passive wakefulness but the kind of vigorous wakefulness that makes a person like me start to question the very possibility of silence as a condition that can exist in the universe. I can see that I’ve confused you, Timmy, and I apologize; I was only trying to point out that you really seem to enjoy being awake. Let me make it up to you by giving you this modest dose of Ambien. It’s a kind of candy for your soul. Your soul is a kind of mouth that’s inside your brain.

Here comes the nice stewardess lady with a bag for collecting people’s garbage. Would you like me to give her some of the garbage that’s strewn all over your seat—and, if we’re being perfectly honest here, Timmy, all over my seat as well? And, while we’re at it, maybe I could give her this talking doll—the one that sings songs, very loud songs, songs of terrifying and ungodly volume, from that animated movie about adventurous insects. It’s not that I don’t love the doll; it’s just that I’m pretty sure it’s illegal for children to carry such things on airplanes. Have you heard of terrorism, Timothy? That’s why it’s illegal for you to have this doll.

Your whimpering and your dripping facial parts suggest that perhaps this conversation has run its course, so I’ll let you get back to your finger painting, your fidgeting, and your wanton, inexplicable shredding of the in-flight magazine. I’ll be here in my seat, fantasizing about hurtling my childless adult body out of the airplane and into the sky. Enjoy the rest of the flight, Timmy. I’ve really enjoyed sitting next to you. It’s fun to make new friends.

On the first day, God created the dog and said: 'Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years.'

The dog said: 'That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?' So God agreed.

On the second day, God created the monkey and said: 'Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span.'

The monkey said: 'Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the Dog did?' And God agreed.

On the third day, God created the cow and said: 'You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years.'

The cow said: 'That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about twenty and I'll give back the other forty?' And God agreed again.

On the fourth day, God created man and said: 'Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years.'

But man said: 'Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?'

'Okay,' said God, 'You asked for it.'

So that is why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. For the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you. There is no need to thank me for this valuable information. I'm doing it as a public service.

Fait Accompli

I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day. Thank you to all those who serve to protect our freedom.

The past few weeks have been busy. It seems like the weekends just fly by. I have been doing some remodeling in the house and now things are finally almost done. I had the hardwood floors refinished, painted the living room and hallway, stained and installed new molding in all the rooms, hung new window treatments. It is nice to have this almost done. I still have to find things to hang on the wall yet so that is what keeps me from being finished.

Saturday was indoor stuff. I finally took the sheets that were hanging in the windows down and hung new panels. Getting the old hardware out was a pain in the ass. The previous owners used some crazy ass metal screw thingys that were a pain to get out. I spackled the holes, sanded and touched up the paint a bit. Got the new hardware installed without issue and viola... new curtains were hung. I also put two of the cordless shades in the windows that face the neighbors driveway. They are nice cuz they let in light but offer privacy.

I went to Milaegers on Sunday and got some pepper and tomato plants and flowers. Once I got home and started planting I realized that I needed more planters. A quick trip to Kmart and I was back in business. Got the grass cut. Still pissed that I can't get the new weedwacker to work.

Went to watch the Brewer's games on Friday and Sunday nights. That was a mistake. The Twins are not supposed to be good but they sure walked all over the Brewer's. It was nice to see them bounce back in today's game.

Today was more outside stuff. I took down the storm windows. That was hard. They are freaking heavy. I got the windows washed. It is amazing how much brighter the rooms see when the windows are clean.

17 loads of laundry later and I'm ready to call it a weekend. My back and legs are tired from going up and down a ladder.

I feel really good that I got alot done this weekend. It really gives me a sense of pride that I can do so many things, on my own, that I never knew I could do.

I Smell Poop

It started in March. The setting: Universal Studios in Orlando, FL. While waiting for my nephew and his girlfriend to get their drinks refilled, I sat down under a tree to stay out of the sun. I felt something hit my head. I lift my hand up and sure enough... a bird pooped on me. A few napkins and water later, I was all cleaned up and ready to go.

Last weekend in Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN. My cousin and I are walking around. There are alot of trees and the park is nicely shaded. Once again, I feel something brush against my hair. Once again, another bird pooped on me.

Last but not least, this afternoon. I'm walking down the street with the dogs, heading towards the park. Rufus stops to whiz on a small tree. Once again, I feel something brush against my hair. Once again, another bird pooped on me.

WTF?!?

It was a small bird in a tree that was not more than 8-9 feet tall. Thanks goodness I had a Kleenex in my pocket.

What does it mean when you keep getting crapped on by birds? Is it good luck... bad luck... or just damn unlucky?? All I know is that I'm not sitting under any trees at camping this weekend.

Picture Show Horror

I was going to write about my trip to Tennessee last weekend and post lots of great pictures. More about that in another post.

Except for one thing.... my crap camera has decided that it does not like my memory card and keeps wanting to reformat it. Hence, I lose the pictures on it. I have determined that it is the camera and not the memory card as it has done the same thing with three different cards.

I may be heading out to Best Buy to go get a new camera tomorrow. I never really cared for the camera. It sucks batteries like crazy. When I was in Florida last month, I went thru 8 AA batteries in one day at Sea World. It's not like the batteries are crappy ones. They were Kodak brand. Recommended for cameras. My last camera had a nice rechargable battery that I never worried about.

I figure I will sell the crap camera on eBay and let someone else deal with the mess.

Does anyone have any recommendations for a new camera? I want to stay in the $200-$300 range

The Shii for women

The women's answer to the Wii. I really like the last game!!


Shii - The Wii For Women - Watch more Funny Videos

Generation Y

What is Generation Y?

Hmm, I've always wondered this myself.

Now I know.

• The Silent generation, people born before 1946.
• The Baby Boomers, people born between 1946 and 1959.
• Generation X, people born between 1960 and 1979.
• Generation Y, people born between 1980 and 1995

Why do we call the last one generation Y? I did not know, but a cartoonist explains it eloquently below...Learned something new today!

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet

I'm on Twitter. If you click on the link you will get my page where you can follow my boring life.

I am amused by the people that will follow you. I am being followed by the Los Angeles Clippers, George Webbs, Germanfest, a plumber and a shoe store. I am not sure why these people are following me but hey, they must find my boring life interesting. Especially when it is 140 character snippets.

I am following the local newpaper, a couple of friends, an author that I like and several other random people/groups.

Are any of you Twitter's? If so, do you have any strange followers?

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all of my readers.

I hope you enjoy the day.

The Boys of Summer

The smell of fresh cut grass, the sounds of the ball hitting the glove. It's that time again, kids.

Welcome to baseball season!!!

Yesterday was opening day for the Milwaukee Brewers. Thanks to Gambino for hosting it this year. A good time was had by all. Popped open the first beer about noon. It was a cool, sunny day. It would have not been so bad outside if the wind wasn't so crazy.

Shortly before the game, with the food ready, the party was moved inside. The gang was gathered around the tv downstairs rooting the Brew Crew to a victory over the Cubs (can you say, YUCK!!). It was an exciting win in the bottom of the 9th.

Watched the game tonight and the score went back and forth several times. The umps missed a double play call that may have changed the flow of the game. In the end the Brewers rallied but fell short. The rubber match is tomorrow night. If I recall correctly, it is the Fox game of the week. You can watch the Brewers win even if you are not a local.

When I was over at my dad's last week, my nieces asked if I would take them to a game. That was something that they liked to do with hubby and I. Now that he is gone, I plan on still going with them. Now if I can just find someone to drive.....

It's Rufus Time

This weekend I'm having the floors in my office and the spare bedroom refinished. More on that later. Because Riley and Boomer like to bark and are a bit hyper they were shipped off to my dad's for the weekend. So this weekend it's just Rufus and I.

I think Rufus is happy about that. He gets to lay on my lap without Boomer honing in. He gets to eat when he wants without the other two coming in and hogging the food dish. He gets the good spot next to me in bed without Boomer starting a fight.

Right now he is laying on the couch chewing on a Booda bone. He loves to chew on them but never gets to because the other two dogs will take them away from him. Rufus tends to be very mellow and doesn't always fight back for stuff like this. So when one of the other dogs takes it away from him, he lets them.

He loved it when we went for a walk in the park this afternoon and he got to stop when he wanted to. We could pass other dogs and he just keeps walking by. The other two have to bark at anything that walks by.

I have to pick the other two back up tomorrow but Rufus and I will have enjoyed our time together.

Questions That Will Make Your Dad Cringe

How hard is it to move a heating duct to a new spot??

Can't you just cut the old metal door jamb out and put in a new wood one??

The heating ducts are in the middle of the walls in my bedroom and the spare bedroom and it makes it hard to put furniture in the room without covering it up.

He hemmed and hawed a bit and said no. Darn.

I am finally getting the floors in the house refinished in the next couple of weeks. That means that I have to rip up carpeting in the spare bedroom and get the furniture moved around enough for them to do the floors. Anyone want to help??

The sucky thing is that I can't walk on it for like 3 days and can't put furniture on it for 10 days. Not so bad for the bedrooms but the living room will be hard. Not sure what I will do with the tv and stuff. I just can't wait until it is done. I am going to put new baseboards on and paint the walls.

I would like to put new solid 6 panel doors in. The current doors are set into metal door frames. Why?? Who knows... usually you see metal in commercial buildings not homes. Which means that you have to paint them. First you actually have to sand them and then paint them. That sucks and they look crappy.

Ahhh... the joys of home ownership.

Still Winter

It started late yesterday afternoon.

I went by my cousin's home for my great-aunt's 85th birthday. We have always been pretty close and she has been more like my grandma since my aunt lives down here and my grandma died when I was 17. My aunt was surprised to see me there. It made her day she said.

We spent the afternoon looking thru a bunch of old pictures. Most of them did say who the people were so we went and label alot of them. A few I will be using for blackmail (not really) on Facebook. It was really neat to see pictures of my great-great grandparents.

By about 5:00 pm or so it started to rain. By time I left at 8:30 pm it had turned to sleet/snow mess. I had to scrap a half in of inch of my windshield before I could drive. Thanks goodness for 4-wheel drive on the truck.

When I got up this morning I had about 3-4 inches of wet heavy snow. I shoveled a bit, just enough to take the dogs out. My plan is to do just enough shoveling so that the sidewalk is clear and the mail lady/paper guy can deliver my stuff in the driveway. I am hoping that the rest will just melt in the next day or so.

Isn't March supposed to come in like a lion and out like a lamb?? Some days I really wonder why I live here, especially during the winter. There is nothing good about winter in Wisconsin.

When I took the dogs out last night I had to reign them in and keep them in the back yard as the coyotes were back running around. I have not seen them in a couple of months and was not happy to see them now. The mom coyote should be just about ready to give birth in the next few weeks as it is that time of year. She will be hunting and looking for food for the pups.

Welcome to winter in Wisconsin. Have a good week all.

Back in The Saddle Again

It has been a few weeks since my last post. I can attribute some of it to being on vacation. the rest.... being lazy.

I was in Orlando on vacation a week ago. Had a great time. Even with the quasi-tralier trash I had to room with. I went with hubby's brother (BIL), his wife (SIL), their son and his girlfriend and the wife's sister and her husband (now known as TT Wife (TTW) and TT Husband (TTH)).

I got into town on Sunday late afternoon. Got to see the space shuttle taking off. It was very cool even from 90 miles away. BIL, SIL and kids picked me up. We went to Downtown Disney and ate at Planet Hollywood.

Monday was spent relaxing. Since we had two condos we had a kitchen and we went shopping for some food. Things were a bit pricey compared to Wisconsin. A 12 pack of Miller Lite was 13.59. Hung out at the pool in the afternoon and went to downtown Disney for dinner. Ate a a nice Italian place. Here is the pool at the condo.


On Tuesday, SIL, TTW, TTH and I went to Sea World. TTH kept referring to Shamu as Orca. The Shamu furry did not think this was funny. Here is a pic of SIL and I with Shamu.


TTW and TTH are basically drunks. Most of the time they were drinking or talking about drinking. TTH had his first drink at 7:14 am on Tues. He was mad that Sea World did not sell beer until 11:00 am. He wanted a drink about 8:30 or so. They were so exhausting to be around. I have never met more negative people in my life.

Here is a cute pic of a sea lion sleeping.


Wednesday was spent at Universal Studios. We left TTW and TTH as they went to Animal Kingdom. I would have liked to go there but not with them.

Here I am with Shrek and Fiona (with SIL) and also with Marge and Homer. The Simpson's ride was awesome.





Thursday was the highlight of the trip. SIL, TTW, TTH and I went to Discovery Cove. This is a park where there only allow 1000 people in the park each day. You never feel crowded. We got to swim with the dolphins. Our dolphin was Natalie. She was great. I got to give her a kiss, a hug and the finale was where we got to hold on to her fins and she pulled us thru the water. It was SO FREAKIN' COOL. If you ever get the chance to do it, do it. It was well worth the cost. Here are pics of me and Natalie.








Friday had BIL, SIL, the kids and I at Islands of Adventure. We left the TTW and TTH back at the condo as they were out of money. Had a great time riding the Dueling Dragons and the Hulk roller coasters. I was there about 10 minutes when the kids went to go fill up there soda cups. I sat down under a tree in the shade. I left what I thought was a leaf drop on me. Turns out it was a bird pooping. I had bird poo in my hair and on the front of my shirt. Oh well....

All in all it was a great time. I am hoping to convince BIL and SIL that they want to take their next vacation in Hawaii in Dec. The Badgers are playing a football game there and a few days later the men play in basket ball tourney. They are thinking about it.

See ya'll soon.

A Milestone

Today is my birthday.

I'm 40. I certainly do not feel that old. Ok, maybe tomorrow morning after a few cocktails this evening....

I am sure not where I thought I would be in my life by this time. Life sure has a way of throwing you curveballs when you least expect them.

Massage Envy

I went for a day of pampering this afternoon. My neighbor works at a salon and invited me to try them out.

So today, I went for a massage and a pedicure. Talk about heaven. I have never had a massage before so I splurged and went for the full hour. Well worth the money. Adrianna was fabulous. She started at the top of my head and worked her way down to my feet. Then I flipped over and she worked her way back up. She ended it with a hot towel on my back. WOW!! I layed there for a bit and so could have fallen asleep.

I may have to get a second job so I can get a massage every week. That felt so good.

I think I will sleep very well tonight.

The Ax Has Fallen

Today was the day I knew was coming last week. It is always nice to have a heads up for these kinds of days. It is never nice to know that people you have worked with for the past nine years no longer have a job.

We lost one guy from our team. That was no surprise. If you have read previous posts, you will see my crabbing about him. He wasn't happy with the job and we were not happy with his work. Sucky thing is that I spent Friday doing the on-call schedule for next quarter. I now have to re-do it and take him out.

Overall, I think about 150 people were let go across the country. There were several people who I really like that were let go. Three of them from my building had more than 25 years each with the bank. That is a hard thing to take. One woman who I was close to, kept asking "why, why her?" I talked to her manager after work and she said that was the hardest thing she has ever done. How do you tell someone who has been there for 28 years (and this was her only job, ever) that they no longer have a job?!?

Our team gets the terminations when they come out. Tomorrow I should get a more comprehensive list of who was let go. I'm afraid to see it.

I'm glad that I did not buy bagels on my way in this morning to celebrate my birthday (which is Friday!). Not a day to celebrate.

Playing Catch Up

Not a bad weekend if you don't count the weather. It started out being a really nice Friday. Warm, in the mid-50's, sunny. The kind of day that just puts you in a good mood. I went to lunch with a friend and had a good time. It had been several months since we talked and it was nice to catch up.

Hit happy hour. Once again spent the evening talking with a friend who I have not seen in quite awhile. It was a good time. I miss sitting around with friends and just shooting the shit, laughing and drinking beer. I need to do that more often.

Saturday, the weather turned cooler. I spent the afternoon trying to get caught up on my dvr watching. I swear it does not take long for it to fill up. I want to make sure that it is empty before I leave for Florida next week. I only have a few shows left to watch.

Went to another friend's for dinner on Sat nite. She grilled a pork tenderloin and it was yummy. We sat around drinking wine and once again just shooting the shit.

Today, it was rainy, snowy, cold and windy outside. Went and ran a few errands in the morning but spent the day playing poker. Ended up only down about 3 bucks so not too bad. I just could not get cards. When I would have big starting hands the flop would totally miss me. I would try to bluff and get called on it. It seemed like the crappy hands were hitting the flop. I swear I'm going to start playing the 3 9 o. Have to review my strategy and figure out what I need to tweak.

The house next to me finally has an accepted offer. It has been on the market since before I moved in over a year ago. They started out trying to sell on their own but went with a realtor last summer. I am curious to see what it went for. My guess is about mid 150's. It started off at 200. I will now have to remember to close the drapes on that side of the house as the office window and my bedroom window is directly across from windows on their house. Also can't blow my snow on their yard anymore. I would blow all the snow from my driveway on to theirs. Didn't matter as no one ever shoveled it. Except the realtor. If I were him, I'd be pissed as he had to pretty much shovel the walk and driveway before every open house.

Only have two days this week for work. You know darn well they will go by very slowly. Hopefully, people will leave me alone so I can get my work done and not pile more crap on my plate.

Have a good week. Peace Out!

Got That One Wrong

It is a good thing that I don't dress according to John Malan.

Wait, I did.

When I watched the news last nite at 10:18 pm, they said that a light dusting of snow by the lake. Maybe an inch or so. When I got up at 5:50 am, I seen something different. Like 7 inches of snow. I was pissed. I now had to change the clothes that I was wearing as I had to wear shoes that I could wear socks with. Going sockless not a good option when you have to trudge thru snow to get to the garage. (damn, I wish my garage was attached. I really miss that).

I turned on the tv to see what traffic was like. It didn't look too bad once I got on the other side of downtown. So off to work I left. Going over the Hoan was slow but not bad. Once I got to the other side of downtown the roads were wet. By time I got to the Zoo interchange. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. I took the truck out of 4 wheel drive. The sun was shining when I got to work.

I kept an eye on the weather from work. I didn't want to get caught in a mess driving home. So I left at noon and went home. The roads were fine until I got to my street which was not yet plowed. I worked most of the afternoon and after the plows went thru snowblowed. Went quick. I had thought of using the leaf blower. The snow was light, and the leaf blower would be easier to direct the snow with. If I could have gotten to the 100 ft. extension cord I just may have done that.

Let's see what happens tomorrow night. They called for a chance of snow showers Tuesday nite/Wednesday morning.

The Good Mail

These are the kinds of things you like to get in the mail.

Dear Ms. W,

We are pleased to inform you that the results of your recent mammography examination are benign (not cancer).

Jumping for Your Heart

This is a shameless plug and a flat out request for donations.

As most of you already know, my husband passed away on Dec 6, 2008 from a massive heart attack at the very young age of 45. On Christmas morning, my mom was in the hospital having a heart attack. (yeah, it was a sucky Christmas this year).

Heart disease is something that runs in my mom's side of the family. Both of my uncles have had heart attacks and bypass surgery. I have had many a relative pass away from heart disease. Too many.

So... m nieces (ages 6 and 8) are doing a Jump Rope-a-thon for the American Heart Association.

This is a request to help support them in their quest.

To donate to Jayanna (age 6) click here.

To donate to Skylinn (age 8) click here.

Thanks in advance for your support!!!

The American Heart Association is a 501(c)3 organization which all donations to Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart are tax deductible. Everyone that makes an on-line contribution will instantly receive a confirmation e-mail that includes the amount donated along with the American Heart Association's Federal Tax ID #. Thanks for your support of the American Heart Association.

Not A Winner

I got the email today.... I was optimistic when I seen the subject line "Thank you for entering the Opening Day ticket lottery" Then I read it...

Thank you for registering for a chance to purchase tickets for the Milwaukee Brewers Opening Day game, scheduled for April 10, 2009. Unfortunately, your entry was not selected for this ticket purchase opportunity.

I had also signed up with my 3 other email addresses as well as one of hubby's. None were a winner.

I guess that I have to hope that one of the other girls were winners so we can go to the game.

Concerts Galore

There are several groups coming to town in the next few months that I would like to see.

The best one is Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave. I first started liking him when I seen the Audioslave in Cuba concert dvd. He is hot and just rocks hard.

The Gsslight Anthem is here in early April as well. I love their song The '59 sound. They kinda remind me of the '80's group The Hooters.

At the end of April is Franz Ferdinad and the day after that is the Killers. Phish and Coldplay at Alpine Valley round out the list. And this is before Summerfest hits.

Anyone up for some music??

Simply Amazing

Tonight was the premiere of the new season of Amazing Race. It looks like once again it should be a great season.

I think my favorite team may be the mom and her deaf son. They are going to prove that you don't need to hear to do well.

The roadblock proved to be a doozy to start the season out. The teams had to bungee jump more than 700 feet from the second highest bungee in the world. Not sure I could have done it. It seems like the older I get the more freaked out over heights I get. I hate the upper deck in Camp Randall and the Bradley Center. When I was younger I thought nothing of doing back flips off the high dive in the pool or jumping off the roof of the chicken coop into the snow banks.

After that the teams had to move 200 lbs of cheese from the top of the hill to a rack at the bottom. I was busting a gut laughing at the teams who's carrier things broke and the cheese goes flying down the hill. Seems to me that would have been easier to do than hauling it down. The best was Linda and Steve from VA. They came up with a way to only make one trip and it worked out for them. They may prove to be annoying as Linda is not in very good shape. She can't run. You keep hearing Steve tell her to go faster. I was glad that they didn't finish last and will survive another week.

I spent most of the day (can you say almost 6 hours) cleaning out the basement. Heck I even vacuumed all the cobwebs from the rafters. I wanted to get rid of some of hubby's things and organize it better. When he moved back in we just kinda dumped it all in piles. I have 3 boxes and one bag of stuff for Goodwill. Now just have to figure out what to so with the extra set of pots and pans, silverware, toaster oven and the pizza oven. I will probably try to sell it on Craigslist. If you know of anyone who wants or needs them, let me know.

Have the day off tomorrow for President's Day. Gotta love those bank holidays. Since I now have another 10 vacation days to use (unfortunately, they are unpaid) I will try to take some random days off. Probably Mondays or Fridays. Heck, I could not work a full week from Memorial Day to Labor Day. I have the annual girl exam and am going to lunch with a friend. I also want hit Kohl's up. I have some bonus bucks to use and want to get some stuff for my trip to Florida next month.

Well, that's about all for now. Have a good week everyone.

MN Recap

The last couple of days have been busy.

Work has been nuts the past few days. Being in the same location as most other people I work with is good because you get to sit down face to face with people and work things out. I am not convinced that this project I'm working on is headed in the right direction. There are ALOT of things that were 'lost' in the original requirements and the statement of work that we are now working from. One bomb shell was dropped yesterday that I consider a show stopper. All I can do is express my concerns and if others choose to ignore them... oh well...

Got my review yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised. I ended up with a 4.55% raise and my bonus was actually doubled from last year. It is good to know that my hard work over the last year has been appreciated. This has made me a happy camper.

Bad news is that today they announce that everyone will take two weeks off unpaid as a cost savings measure. I think that they will implement this by taking a portion of the time off out of each paycheck. You then don't miss an entire paycheck. You are shorted about 2 hours a week. I only had one vacation day left that was not planned for. I now have at least another 5 and maybe another 10. Can't complain that I will end up with 6 weeks of vacation. Bottom line the raise I got will probably not be actually seen on my check. Oh well.... at least I still have a job.

Hit the Mall of America again the past two evenings for dinner. Last night, was Tiger Sushi. YUMMY!!! Hubby never cared for sushi so we never went to places like that to eat. I had the number 10zen maki roll. It was shrimp tempura, garlic chile mayo and mango on the inside. Outside was smoked salmon, unagi (which is eel), avocado, sushi rice, spicy mango sauce, unago sauce and toasted sesame seeds. It was soooo good.

Tonight was Ruby Tuesday's. Also good but nothing special.

After dinner we went to the Underwater Aquarium. Very cool. I took a bunch of pictures with my BlackBerry. You will have to wait until I get home to take them off my phone. You walked thru this tunnel so that you can see all around you. The sharks were really neat. They swam only a few inches from you

Survivor started its new season. I have Debbie Beebe from Timbira and Sandy Burgin from Jalapao. I was sure that Sandy was going home. Didn't happen, so I was happy. I hate it when my people are the first to go.

I head back home tomorrow. Don't fly out until 5:20 pm. I can't wait to get home. I miss the dogs. It sounds like they have been good.

Hope you all have had a good week.

Life in MN Day 1

I'm up in MN this week for work. Thanks to A for getting me to the airport with time to spare. Can there be anything more boring than sitting there waiting for your flight to board?? Nope.

Got up here and settled into the hotel by about 5pm. Unpacked and checked out the local restaurant menus. Decided that I did not feel like driving anywhere so just walked thru the building to the TGI Fridays. Take a seat in the bar and look at the menu and watch the Pro Bowl. I look around and discover another person from work there. He sits like 6 seats away from me in the office. I grab my beer and sit down next to him. We order food and more beers. Blue Moon was the special of the month so there were only 3 bucks. Whoo hoo. I had a nice time getting to know a co-worker that I really never knew before. After about 5 beers I decided that it was time to head back. I wanted to have a clear head for the long day today.

Got into the office about 8 am. Spent the next hour trying to get a pc that could remote into my workstation in the office. I soooo wanted to head off to a coffee shop where I could just use my laptop and be done with it.

The building is home to about 2500 people or so. They have a cafeteria. It is good. Real food not vend-o-matic stuff I have back at the home office. Today I settled on the salad bar. All sorts of yummy stuff.

After lunch we start the training class that I am up here for. After about 15 minutes, the instructor realizes that I am the one who knows what is going on and the other 3 people will have no clue. We spend the next several hours going over the material. This is my element. I am geek and love the geeky stuff like this.

After work headed over to the Mall of America for dinner. My former now demoted boss is here as well so we went together. Ate at Bubba Gumps. Yep that Bubba Gumps. It was fantastic. I highly recommend it if you get to one.

May try to hit trivia at the mall tomorrow nite. Could be fun.

Wandered around the mall a bit more and headed back to the hotel. I did not sleep real well last nite so want to hit the hay early.

Size What??

About two weeks ago, I was heading out to the local mall. I have a ring that I needed to have resized. It is my favorite ring. It is a three stone LeVian piece that had a tanzanite as the center stone and two diamonds on each side. The lady at the store took my information and said that it would be ready today.

Last night, I get home from work and there is a message on my machine to call the jeweler back. They need to 'talk' to me about the ring. My first thought is "Fuck, they lost it."

So I call them back. The girl said that the ring would not be ready to pick up as they have not sized it yet. What?? Why, I ask. When I dropped it off they said that they would size it in house as it is a simple task. Because it is a LeVian piece it come with a lifetime guarantee for any repairs or sizing. It turns out that if the jeweler resizes it the LeVian warranty becomes void.

So, now they have to send it out to LeVian to be resized. It will be back in 4-5 weeks. WTF???

My question is why did they wait almost two weeks to even look at it and then decide the night before I was going to pick it up that they could not do it. When I dropped it off I even asked them if they were sending it out to LeVian to be resized and was specifically told that they weren't.

Maybe I will be lucky enough to get it back before I head to Florida in March. sigh......

Should a Three Year Old Watch Childbirth??

Due to a power outage, only one paramedic responded to the call. The house was very dark so the paramedic asked Kathleen, a 3-yr old girl to hold a flashlight high over her mommy so he could see while he helped deliver the baby.

Very diligently, Kathleen did as she was asked.

Heidi pushed and pushed and after a little while, Connor was born. The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom. Connor began to cry.

The paramedic then thanked Kathleen for her help and asked the wide-eyed 3-yr old what she thought about what she had just witnessed.

Kathleen quickly responded, 'He shouldn't have crawled in there in the first place ....smack his ass again!'

A Boy and His Train

Always funny...

Breakin' the Law, Breakin' the Law

I recently got a nasty gram in the mail from the library. Who knew that they even sent these out anymore?!?!

Yes, I know I have had the book now for almost 7 weeks but it was over 600 pages. I did finally finish it up last night. The first three weeks I had it, I wasn't much in the mood for reading anything.

So I returned it Monday morning on my way to work. When I looked online later this afternoon, I owed $2.80. Oops. I guess I have to pay it before I can check out any more books.

Good thing I only have one that I am waiting one book from there. I was 73 of 294 holds. I got a ways to go before I get the book.

To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity

1. At Lunch Time, sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask 'Do you want fries with that?'
4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks . Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.
5. In the Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write 'For Marijuana'
6. Skip down the hall Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get.
7. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.
8. Specify That Your Drive-thru Order Is 'To Go'.
9. Sing Along At The Opera.
10. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You have a headache.
11. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!'
12. When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'
13. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'
    
    And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity



14. Pick up a box of condoms at the pharmacy, go to the counter and ask where the fitting room is. (this is even funnier if you are a gal and do this)

Think Spring, Think Spring, Think Spring

As I type it is a balmy 6 degrees out.

Just keeping thinking that it is only 19 days and a little over 13 hours until Brewer's pitchers and catchers report for spring training. And only one month till their first game.

That must mean that warmer weather is right around the corner... right?? They aren't called the Boys of Summer for nothing??

Redneck Carnival Ride

This kinda looks fun. I thought that it would end a bit differently.

Shameless Plug

One of our fellow bloggers, Kris, of Stitch's Playground fame, is once again participating in the Leukemia & Lymphoma's Team in Training triathlon. This year she is running in the Capital of Texas Olympic distance triathlon on May 25, 2009.

Yes, she may be crazy to do this in the Texas heat. At least it is not in the middle of summer. She is swimming 1.5 k (almost a mile!), 40 k (25 miles) bike ride and followed by a 10 k (6.3 miles) run.

Please help support her in reaching her goal. You can click here to reach her triathlon home page. I know that she will appreciate your support.

WTF??

Nothing beats the 4:52 am page from work after you get home from an evening out drinking with friends at 2:00 am.

I ended up being up until about 9:30 am, still half drunk... Slept for a few more hours

Missed lunch with friends and now my body is all out whack. ggrrrrrr....

Ice Fishing Blonde

A blonde wanted to go ice fishing. She'd seen many books on the subject, and finally getting all the necessary tools together, she made for the ice. After positioning her comfy footstool, she started to make a circular cut in the ice.

Suddenly, from the sky, a voice boomed, "THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE!"

Startled, the blonde moved further down the ice, poured a thermos of cappuccino, and began to cut yet another hole.

Again from the heavens the voice bellowed, "THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE!"

The blonde, now worried, moved away, clear down to the opposite end of the ice. She set up her stool once more and tried again to cut her hole.

The voice came once more, "THERE ARE NO FISH UNDER THE ICE!"

She stopped, looked skyward! and said, "IS THAT YOU LORD?"

The voice replied, "NO, THIS IS THE MANAGER OF THE HOCKEY RINK!"

Rockin' Out

Went to the Metallica concert last night. It was really good. I liked it more than I thought I would. You can read StB's review here. It was a good time had by all. I thought for sure that M was going to hit the guy in front of us with his air drum playing.

My neck, thighs and feet are still sore. My thighs and feet are sore from the boots I had on. So get your mind outta the gutter..... While they looked good, not always practical to wear 3"+ heels when trying to rock out. Neck is just sore from the head banging.

It was fun to people watch. The crowd was a mix of young people, older people and parents who brought their pre-teen kids. When I stopped at the place where I take my truck, this morning, one of the mechanics was at the show and he said he had a great time. He was in his 50's. He and his wife went with their 26 year old son and girlfriend. He said that it took them almost an hour to get out of the parking structure. Good thinking on StB's part got us street parking a few blocks away. Easy in...easy out.

I should have brought my regular camera as pictures on my BlackBerry did not turn out as well as I hoped. Enjoy the pics.

The laser show to start the concert.






















The coffins had lights on them and they moved up and down during the show.




















A close up of the coffins as they were moving around.