Updating my Site

I am making a few changes to my site. Mostly just adding and removing some links on the side.


I removed the link to Whisky Ponders Thoughts. N has not updated her site in over 6 months so, she is being dropped.


Check out the new ones...


PostSecret. This is a site where people send in postcards with their secrets on them. It is updated only once a week and is very interesting.


Dad Gone Mad - Here you can read about life at Evans World Headquarters. Life with Dad, Hot Wife, The Champ and the Artist Formerly Known as Barney's Biggest Fan. I have no words to describe how funny the site is but Danny is a fantastic writer.


King of the Cubicle - Also written by Danny of Dad Gone Mad fame. This site chronicles life in a cube farm. I am pretty sure he has been lurking in the empty cube in my row and writing about us. Way too funny. Anyone who works in an office can relate. Make sure you go back and check the archives out.


Life is Grand, Love is Real and Beauty is Everywhere - Authored by Scott from Toronto. Music lover, dad to cute puppy Gordie, and I can't forget his Freaky Friday Question, always entertaining. Want to know more - go check his site out.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Have to walk to the end of your driveway nude everyday to get your mail

----OR----

Have you spouse walk to the mailbox in the nude?

For those of you who know my hubby, I think that you will want me to say that I'll walk in the nude. Plus, my boobs are fabulous.

The Great Campout

Another absolutely fantastic weekend of camping has passed. It was group camping weekend at Bong.

The weather was perfect.... sunny.... warm during the day... cool in the evening... and no bugs (except for the ones in J's hair).

It was a very relaxing weekend surrounded by wonderful friends. We missed one of the regulars, StB, who thought that it was more important to go to Vegas and play poker than to play with us.... We missed you. No one else could tend to the fire like you can and the cheese just wasn't the same.

On Saturday, K and I teamed up to kick everyone's butt, at least once, in washers. A game that K said she never played before. I don't think that people believed her. At one point we played Ken and I forget who else and beat them by throwing3 times each. If I recall, K's first round was 6, my first round was 3, K had 6 in the 2nd round and I had 6 more to win the game. The guys didn't know what hit them. Blue UV and Mountain dew and wine will make you into awesome washers players.

After the fun and games, A, K, B and I went to the theater area to see a K-9 Search and Rescue demonstration. It was really interesting. The dogs were really great as well. The blue doberman was such a sweety.

When we returned, the guys had started preparing dinner. I have to give hubby credit. He can make diced potatoes rather well. A, on the other hand, made the weekend mascot. Mr Potato Head. He spent the rest of the weekend drinking Hamms and Jack, eating Pringles and Spam and tending to the fire. Kinda like an StB substitute. Except Mr. Potato Head didn't answer every trivia question with "My Balls!"



Mr. Potato Head relaxing

And for those of you who may remember last year's group camp, 'No, I did not come home with a new puppy'. It was 1 year ago since we adopted Boomer from the group camp last year. It has been a fun year with him and I thank God every day that we rescued him from the life he was in and now lives a life of leisure.

One of the best parts was that by time we got home, my dad had finished installing the flooring in our bedroom. We now have new hardwood floors in the living room, hallway and our bedroom. I just have to finish up staining the doors, putting all my clothes back in the closet and getting the bed put back together. Next room will be the family room. That won't be until fall sometime so we can save up some cash. Have to remember to make sure Dad get a really nice Father's Day gift this year. He did a fantastic job.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather...

As a man, accidentally lose control of your bowels during a prostrate examination

----OR----

get an erection during a hernia check?

Going with the erection. I would think that would happen fairly frequently. Also less messy to clean up.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

I want to say a big THANK YOU to all the people who sponsored me in my efforts. With your help, I raised over 650 bucks. The Trek website doesn't reflect the donation I dropped off on Saturday morning but when it does, I'll make sure to link to it again.

Well, we survived the Trek100. We did the 32 mile route and clocked in at about 3 hours. That included stopping at the rest stops and waiting for K to pee. You would think that she and Arnie are related as often as they have to pee....

The ride was not too bad. A couple of tough hills but nothing that I couldn't handle. P had a rough start with having two flat tires within 15 minutes of each other. We got to know Jason, the Trek apparel/sag guy very well.

The weather started out a bit shaky as a few showers went thru the area before the ride started. We left about 8:30 or so to avoid the Lance mess. You know it was never good when you see all the news helicopters flying above. It was cloudy most of the ride until about the last 8-9 miles or so. Then it became really nice out. A quick shower went thru again after we got back to WCTC and were ready to eat lunch but that also passed quickly.

The afternoon was spent with good friends and co-workers enjoying the weather and the company. Oh yeah... can't forget the great Delafield Brewhaus beer. The Dock Light Lager was yummy.

Here is a picture of K and I at one of the rest stops.

Thanks again for your sponsor ship and if you want to still donate, you can do so until early July. Go to my previous post and click on the link.

Trek100

Ok, folks... I know it has been awhile since my last post. Just no time or energy in the evenings to do much beyond what needs to get done.

It is once again time for the big plea for your cash!

For those of you who have made a donation in support of me for the Trek100.... a big THANK YOU!!! It is much appreciated.

For those of you who have not donated. Do so now!! (hint, hint, StB and OMW). I have a long way to go to make my goal. Just click on the link and make your donation. A little goes a long way.

The MACC Fund, Inc. (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) is dedicated to eradicating pediatric cancer and related blood disorders through research. The primary beneficiary of MACC Fund support is the Midwest Children's Cancer Center with research conducted in the MACC Fund Research Center of the Medical College of Wisconsin. The MACC Fund is also proud to support the Paul P. Carone Comprehensive Cancer Center of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

So, if you have a child, niece, nephew or even a pesky neighbor kid, think of them and how your donation can help them if need be. I know my friend, Ms. Gambino, is all too familiar with childhood cancer as her nephew, Ricky, is a leukemia survivor. I don't recall how long he has been cancer free now, but I know it has been several years.

If you make a donation, ask your employer if they will match it. Many will. That doubles the bang of your dollar. All you have to do is get the form from your employer, fill it out and send it in with the offline donation form. Hey, if you don't want to pay for the stamp, give it to me and I can turn it in the day of the ride. Remember, your contribution is also tax deductible. Who can't use a few extra deductions each year!

So... I hope I have now guilt ed you into donating!!! I thank you and the kids thank you!!

I should be working....

but I am feeling lazy so decided to post something. Our boss lets us work from home now usually at least one day a week. Other than the fact it save me about 10 bucks a day in gas, it is nice to roll outta bed, brush my teeth, take the dogs out and fire up the computer and start my workday. Hell, I didn't even put a bra on today until almost 9:30.

Last weekend was the weekend we lived at the ballpark. Hubby and I took the nieces to the Brewer game. It was $1 hot dog and soda nite. I was shocked when S, the 6 year old ate three, yes, three hot dogs. I guess she was hungry. The girls had a blast and loved it when we hit three home runs and they got to see Bernie Brewer go down the slide. It is a trip we will plan again. Brewer win 10-0.

On Sunday, hubby and I went with his new production leader and her brother to the game. She was nice. Her brother was a bit of a pill but still alot of fun. We had awesome seats. Right behind the visitor's dugout about 4 rows back. I DVR'd the game and seen that we had alot of face time every time there was a right handed batter. Hubby needs to make sure he gets those tickets again. They rocked. Even better, Brewers win again 6-4. Another exciting game. Brewer fever has struck Milwaukee. It is great to see that Antanasio's opening of the wallet is doing some good. Wendy Selig should take note. That is how you put a winning team on the field.

It has been nice enough out that I have been able to get out and ride my bike almost every nite this week. It feels good to get the muscles moving again. That should also help the winter weight I have put on melt away. I already have my bike short tan lines on my legs.

On Monday, I filled up my truck with gas. It cost me 68 BUCKS!! WTF?!?! That is crazy. Good thing I still had 1/4 of a tank left or it could have been closer to 80 bucks. And that is for just one week of driving back and forth to work.

This weekend is our first camping trip of the year. I cannot wait. Have to hit the store tonight and pick up supplies. I am thinking 4 bottles of wine should be enough. Sitting around the campfire, listening to some tunes, drinking, playing trivia that Ken and I have a 5 seconds delay on answering (it gives others a chance to answer) and hearing StB give the answer of "my balls" to every question.

Well, I guess I have wasted enough time for now and should get back to work.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather...

Have one long, thick, furry eyebrow across your entire forehead

----OR----

an inordinate amount of ear and hose hair that cannot be removed??

I am going with the eyebrow. Just think of the crap that will get stuck in the nose and ear hair.

The Floor and Stuff

The new floor is well underway. It took awhile to get going on Saturday as dad and hubby spent several hours laying out the floor and trying to determine the best way to make it fit without a lot of wasted boards. We got about 2 1/2 feet installed on Sat.

Hubby and I then went and played poker at the home of one of my co-workers Saturday nite. A good time was had by all. I don't think I ever laughed so hard. M was soooo drunk. I stopped counting when I got to five different kind of drink that he had throughout the evening. We were making up rules as we went along for the last game and he never caught on. Until we told him. We will definitely play with him again.

Sunday morning dad was over bright and early. We made great progress. We had a little assembly line going. Dad and hubby would nail the wood down, I was staging the next pieces and mom was opening the boxes and bringing the wood in for me to pick from. This has been hard work but definitely worth it. Hey, I am using power tools that don't require batteries....

Dad was over today and finished up the last part in the living room. Now he gets to the parts with lots of cutting. He has the entry way and the closet on the agenda next. He has other things going on so this will probably take him the rest of the week to finish up. I still have to stain the molding that needs to go on yet but that should go quick.

Here are some pics. They really don't do the beauty of the floor justice.

Coming attractions for the next few days.... Our boss hired a new person. He starts tomorrow. He IM'd me today to ask me to let him into the building tomorrow. That is fine except I am in Milwaukee, He is in St. Paul, MN. Several hundred miles away. No one told him that he would be the only person from our group in MN. He wasn't to happy about that. Details to follow soon.


ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Spend the night enclosed in a coffin in your bedroom

----OR----

be locked inside a funeral home fo the night but free to wander?

This is super easy for me. Locked in a funeral home. I am terrified of being locked in something small like that and not able to get out. I'm not claustrophobic but I have a thing about my arms and hands being free.

Have a good week!~

My Ass is Dragging

Today was spent getting the house ready for the new flooring. I painted while hubby ripped up the carpeting in the living room and hallway. It took us most of the day and I will have to touch up a bit more painting tomorrow when the light is better but we are finally ready for my dad to come over tomorrow to start installing the floor. I'm so excited. I can't wait to see how it looks. I can tell already that my legs are going to be sore from going up and down the step ladder all day.

My next thing is to find a new area rug for the living room. I think I found a couple of them I like. I was surprised to actually find them at Target. I found one I liked somewhere else and Googled it and it showed up at Target for about 40 bucks less. With the dogs, I don't want to invest a ton of money in to the rug so the Target one is fine for now. Go check it out here.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

For many years have terrible acne that will go away when you are 30

----OR----

for life have a birthmark the size of a quarter in the middle of your forehead?

I am going with the acne. I am 38 so I would no longer have to live with it.

Have a good weekend everyone!!

Book Review - Nineteen Minutes

I recently read a book by Jodi Picoult called "Nineteen Minutes". It is a story about a boy who goes to his high school and shoots the place up, killing several students and teachers. With the recent events I think that now is a good time to publish my review on the book.

The book takes place in a small town in New Hampshire. The boy, Peter, has been picked on by his fellow classmates his whole life. Finally, one day he has had enough. He goes to the school to seek revenge on the bullies.

The story is told from several views. The shooter, Peter. Peter's mother. A policeman who is among the first to respond. Josie, a classmate, who was injured but survived.... and Josie's mother, who is a judge that may be presiding over the case when it gets to court.

I do not want to give away too much of the book but having the story told from so many points of view really make you think. It details the bulling and abuse that Peter took for most of his 17 years. It makes you feel sorry for him. As you may remember, kids can be very cruel in high school. As the story is told from different views your sympathies change. It goes to show that even though people may experience the same event how they perceive it will vary greatly.

One of the lingering questions for me from this book it.... Is it ever ok for the victim to strike back? I still don't know the answer to this.

If you have ever read any of the author's books you will know that she always has a twist to them at the end. It really ties the whole book together.

This is a really great book to read even if you are a guy. No chick book here.

Back in March, I went with one of my girlfriends to see Jodi when she was in town at Alverno College. Here is a pic from that day.

This pic is from when she toured for the Tenth Circle in March of 2006. This is also another great book at deals with date rape. Also very highly recommended.

If you are around here and want to borrow either book let me know. I can lend them to you.

If you have read them or when you do read them, let me know. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on them.

Weekend Recap

Well, last weekend we finally ordered our new flooring. After much debate between a couple of different types, we ended up going with the Brazilian Teak.














The other contender was the Brazilian Koa (Tigerwood)











Both are very pretty but the teak won out in the long run. It will be here in 4-12 weeks. It literally is not shipped from Brazil until we order it. I had wanted the Santos Mahogany but that was at least a 6-9 month wait. I can't wait that long. I want to get rid of this crappy carpet as soon as possible.

We are lucky as my dad is going to install it for us. Before he retired he was a carpenter. He is very picky and will do a good job. That will save us about 8000 bucks by having him do it versus a contractor. He is now on the prowl for a nail gun. He spends his days going from Menard's to Home Depot to Lowe's and then to the local Ace store and who knows where else to find the perfect nail gun. All I told him was to pick it out and let me know how much it is. My mom is happy cuz it gives him something to do and keeps him out of here hair.

UPDATE: I started writing the previous post on Friday morning. I was working from home and sitting in a meeting and trying not to pay to much attention so that I didn't walk away from the meeting with any to-do's out of it. Shortly after my meeting I get a phone call from the lumber place. Our floors are in and we can come pick them up anytime. It looks like someone who had ordered it cancelled. YIPPEE!!!

On Friday night hubby and I played cards at a co-worker of hubby's. It was a good time and profitable. We ended up about 150 bucks ahead. I only took a third and hubby won the rest but I was happy. By time we got home on Friday note it was about 4am Saturday morning. We had to pick the wood up around 9 am.

Needless to say, we got a late start and finally got to the lumber store about 11 am. Then we had to haul the stuff in. 23 boxes. Each box weighed about 80lbs. My triceps are still sore. Dad came over later in the day to help tear off the baseboards. We then made the trip to Home Depot to pick up paint and other supplies that my dad would need for installation.

Today was spent doing yard work. I scoped out the bunnies in the back yard and found them to be alive and well. It looks like Boomer is not the bunny killer after all. I seen the mom bunny moving them out of the nest later this afternoon tho'. I think that the lawn mower scared her.

We were able to get in a bike ride as well. It has been so nice out the past week. I love being able to get out on my bike and ride. We rode about 45 miles this weekend and my legs are feeling every mile of it. I have to get back into some sort of shape. That and getting my ass back to Weight Watchers. Time to shed my winter weight againZOBMONDO!!


Would you rather....

Have no short-term memory

----OR----

no long term memory?

This is a tough one. I would have to say that I would rather lose my short term memory. No real reason I guess.... Today's quote "Clinton lied. A man might forget where he parks his car or where he lives, but he never forgets oral sex no matter how bad it is" Barbara Bush. How true is that!!

Boomer the Bunny Killer

Sounds like the name of a bad movie, eh?

Last week, Tuesday, I got home from work about 4:20pm. Like I normally do, I take the dogs out to do their business. Rufus and Riley get to run free as they wear their Invisible Fence collars and know that they can't leave the yard. Boomer goes out on a leash. He likes to chase everything and can't be trusted to not run after a car or some kid walking down the street.

Like usual, we walk around the house to the back yard and the boys like to pee over by the air conditioner. I am normally just looking around the yard and don't pay much attention to what they are doing. Until today.

Up against the house right under the dryer vent was a pile of dead grass. Unbeknownst to me there was a litter of baby bunnies in that pile of grass. Boomer knew tho' as he dug his nose in there and pulled out 2 of the babies. I didn't realize what had happened until I heard the babies squeal. Boomer had dropped them once they wiggled a bit. I think it scared him a bit. I picked them back up and put them back in the next and covered them up. They couldn't have been more than a day or two old as they had no fur and their eyes were still shut.

All evening Boomer was almost manic about wanting to go outside. Because we have had a hard time housebreaking him, we have to take him out, just in case he really needs to do something. All he wanted to do was go see the bunnies.

On Wednesday, we got all the snow. I had to find stuff to wash so that I could use the dryer to melt the snow that was piling up on the nest. I don't think that the mom had been back.

Over the past weekend, I used a stick to move some of the grass to see if the bunnies were still alive. I think that most of them were. One was dead, he was separated from the rest of the nest. I could see them moving and squeaking so the mom must be coming back to feed them. There is no way that they would have lived this long if they were getting some nourishment from the mom.

I will try to see how they are doing over the weekend. They should be getting big enough to start moving out of the nest. That usually happens around 10-14 days or so. They could be really cute. If they are still alive, I will try to grab a few pictures of them to post later.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Have to watch, with your friends, a video of every argument you've ever had with your siblings

----OR----

every argument you've ever had with your parents?

I would say my parents. I really never fought with them while growing up. I was the good kid. I knew how to not get caught when doing bad stuff. My sister, on the other hand, got caught every time and then my parents would say "why can't you be more like your sister". Which is probably why she is the way she is today....

p.s. Don't forget to sponsor me in the Trek 100 ride. I am a long way from my goal.

FINALLY!!

Sanjaya finally went home tonite on American Idol. It is about time. I was scared that by some crazy fluke it would be Lakeisha but the voice of reason and taste finally won out.

Not much time to write tonight but will post more tomorrow. Have a good story about Boomer.

See ya.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Always pick your nose immediately before shaking hands

----OR----

constantly have one hand, including your wrist, down your pants?

I am so going with the hand down my pants. At least I get some pleasure and fun out of it :)

Trek 100 Ride for Hope and the MACC Fund

Yes, it is that time again folks. I am hitting you all up for a donation.

I am once again riding in the Trek 100 Ride for Hope that supports the MACC (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) Fund. It is on June 2nd.

Hubby and I are riding the 32 mile route. I think Pete and Steve are going to join us on the 32 miler and Kim and her sister will ride the 62 mile route. Yeah, we are wimps. We just want to get back and enjoy the free beer and food at the after ride party.

You may remember our adventure from last year. We got lost.... need I say more. Hopefully, that won't happen again this year.

You can make a donation from this link. Your contributions are 100 % tax deductible. Hey, if I can raise 1000 bucks I can go to the party the night before and eat dinner with Lance Armstrong. I also encourage you to check with your employer. In many cases, your employer will match your donation dollar for dollar. It is a plus for all involved. I get the extra sponsorship dollars (hint, I want to eat with Lance ;), your employer gets a good name by donating and most importantly, the MACC fund gets more money. Plus you can get your name on the scrolling list on the side of my page.

Thanks for your support!!!

Was I wrong....

to cut this out of the paper and give it to my sister. This is an article that was originally published in the Monday, April 2nd Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I read it and thought to myself that this could have been written about my sister and her child rearing skills (or lack of..).

Sis was already a piece of work for Easter today. She sent her kids off to my folks about 11 am and since she didn't have to work went back to sleep or something...She called my parents about noon to tell them that she didn't have to work. My mom then decided to move things up a bit and eat earlier in the afternoon. She told my sister that she wanted to eat about 2:30 or so.

Hubby and I get there about 1:30 or so and unload the boys and food from the car. We go inside to meet Buddy, there new little puppy. He is a white mini Schnauzer and cute as could be. He is about 10 weeks old and about 3lbs. Boomer had a ball playing with him. The boys are totally sacked out sleeping since we got home.

So, 2:30 comes and goes and no sis. Niece, C, calls home to find out where she is and gets no answer. C calls again about 3pm ... no answer... WTF?!?! Sis has a thing when she sleeps she is impossible to wake up. Probably all the pain killers and shit she is on. Finally about 3:25pm, mom calls her and says we are eating at 3:3o no matter if she is here or not. She wasn't. It was about 3:50 when she strolls in and says she was 'tired" and needed to rest because she has a cold. She literally said nothing to me or hubby. She ate about 3 bites of food and left. She had to go back home to rest cuz of her cold. I thought it was very interesting that she left the kids at my parents. WTF?!?! Take them home, they belong to you.... I'm taking my puppies home when I leave you can take your kids.

Ok, back to my original post about the article. I left it sitting on the counter and don't think she even saw it....

You can read the entire article here but I wanted to take a few of the topics and offer my own spin on them.

A top 10 list for raising responsible kids
By Deborah Donaldson
Deborah Donaldson of Wauwatosa is the principal of a media, marketing and public relations firm and the mother of a college student. Her e-mail address is donaldso@execpc.com
Posted: April 2, 2007

With grateful acknowledgment to David Letterman, Moses and the news, here are the top 10 commandments for raising kids, updated for the 21st century.

Commandment No. 10: Thou shalt not indulge my every whim.
I don't need $14 eyebrow waxes or $200-a-week spa treatments. If I'm stressed, take me for a walk or cancel one of my activities. And don't let me guilt you into extravagance. "Sweet 16" on MTV is supposed to be outrageous, not an example of parental love. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. My take.... sis, your kids who are 12, 5 and 4 do not need to go to get their hair colored or get fake nails. I am 38 and don't color my hair.

Commandment No. 9: Thou shalt not spoil me with stuff.
I can live with one or two pairs of shoes; I don't need 10. I don't need $250 jeans, either. I just need clothing that keeps me warm and covers me - including my underwear. Besides, if you buy me everything now, I won't have anything to look forward to. My take.... oldest niece, C, has so many clothes it is scary. Sis bitches at her for not putting her clothes away but she can't when she has so many that there is no room in her closet or dresser for them. I have about 6 pairs of jeans. C has over 20. She is 12?!?! Today was the kicker when she wanted a real Louis Vitton purse. WTF?!?! When do 12 year olds get $800 handbags....

Commandment No. 4: Thou shalt not invoke the "Don't do as I do; do as I say" rule.
If you don't set a good example, your words mean nothing to me. If you stay sober, avoid drugs and have your kids after marriage, then maybe I will, too. Oh, and don't let me leave a heap of clothing in the fitting room. My take.... where do I even start.... you are in violation of all three of those (stay sober, avoid drugs and have your kids after marriage) There is a reason that C is living with my parents. She can't stand living with my sister. I couldn't live in that house either.

Commandment No. 1: Thou shall teach me the unshakable value of personal responsibility.
I must learn that I alone can make a difference if I stop to think before I act and learn to reflect after I make mistakes. Not because you said so but because you taught me it's the right thing to do. My take... another one of where do I start. You are 35 and mom and dad are still paying your rent. Get a real job with benefits and insurance for your kids. Divorce your dirtbag husband who is now back in prison again for parole violations (see ya in another 5 years, you piece of shit)

Not much else to say on this subject... Thanks for letting me rant.

P.S. Easter dinner was actually nice, since Sis wasn't around. The kids were actually well behaved today... Hope every one had an enjoyable holiday.

Friday Night Lights

For those of you who may not know, hubby used to coach high school football about 20 years ago. He was only like an assistant assistant coach but he loved it. He was coaching with the guy who used to be his coach when he was in high school.

About a month ago, he got a call from his old coach asking if was interested in coaching again. Hubby said sure. It is for the freshman team for a local suburban high school. He went for the interview on Wed and got the job. It sounds like it is a mostly volunteer position but hubby doesn't care. He gets to coach again. It looks like my fall will be spent watching alot of high school football games....

There will be many times during the football season that we will be watching a game (yes, Saturday's in our house consist of sitting in front of the tv from 11 am until at least 11pm, if he is lucky there is a good west coast game on even later than that.) and hubby is talking back at the tv. Either arguing with the play calling (Barry Alvarez had poor clock mgmt skills) or ranting about how stupid the announcers were (I can't even argue that one since most of them are bad).

On to other news, I got my Bon Jovi ticket for Summerfest. Whooo Hooo. I am going with a girl from work and her friend. We have good seats off to the side. This should be a fun concert. Was also supposed to go to the Tommy Shaw and Jack Blades concert tonight. They were part of Styx. The show was postponed... not sure why but oh well... My friend's brother had the tickets and he couldn't go so she asked if I wanted to go with her. It would have been a fun concert as the seats were good. Will have to see when the new date it.

Playing poker tomorrow. Have to be careful not get so drunk this time. I was polluted like the Milwaukee River after they closed the deep tunnel during a rain storm..

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Have a small butt on your forehead

----OR----

two little feet dangling beneath your chin?

I am going with the feet. Butts could be ugly and have dingleberries... feet may not be as bad...

Have a good weekend all.

Survivors

I work with a woman who is a Hurricane Katrina survivor. Z and her husband lived in New Orleans and left during the hurricanes in 2005. She sent me some pictures at work of their home and it was a sight that was almost hard to believe. They had a nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath brick home in a typical suburban neighborhood. You can see where the water had risen to the top off the doors and then fell about 2 feet and it must have stayed there for a few days before it drooped another 2 feet. It was hard to believe what you were seeing. What was really strange is that nothing was disturbed. The water rose and when it receded it left things just as they were. Things on the counters and tables look untouched. It was weird.

Because the damage was so severe they ended up abandoning their home of almost 30 years and moving to Dallas. They were lucky because their home was paid for so they didn't end up paying a mortgage on a home that they will never live in again but still....

They are adjusting well and are making a new life in Texas but she still misses home. When she was up here a few weeks ago, she was tickled by the fact that we had a southern style seafood restaurant called Craw Daddy's. She loved it and said that it reminded her of home.

It was refreshing to see that they rose above the disaster and forged a new life in another state and made the best of thing.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather be know as cheap

----OR----

a cry baby??

I guess I would rather be known as a cry baby. Have a good weekend everyone...

Why Does Everyone Who Drives a Minivan....

... drive like a complete idiot. I swear to God that I have run into more idiot drivers driving minivans this past week. They are always in the left lane doing 4 miles per hour under the posted speed limit. They are driving me up a wall. More than half of them will be talking on a cell phone as well. They should just wear a neon sign that says, "I'm an idiot, pull me over!!" Can we ban minivans?? Please!!

The weather up until today has been fantastic around here. The past two days it has been in the upper 70's, low 80's. I was able to get out on my bike and ride. What a great feeling that was. I even have some tan lines on my legs from my bike shorts. My ass and thighs are a bit sore tho'

While riding I did notice quite a large number of dead animals on the side of the road. It is that time of year. I was very surprised at the deer carcass tho' It was nothing more than a skeleton but it was in an odd location along side the road just off to the side of someones driveway. Kinda in a lawny type of area. The only thing I could think of was that it was hit by a plow and buried in the snow drift. Otherwise why would the home owner not move it away from the driveway... kinda gross to look at.

Work still sucks and I am finally starting to put my resume together. I will throw it out on a couple of sites and send to a head hunter that I have used in the past. Hopefully something will pan out from it. I am getting tired of doing the work of 3 people in the same amount of time and not getting paid for it.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather...

every day for a year, have to either wear the same pair of unwashed underwear

----OR----

the same pair of unwashed socks?

Not even close - I would wear the socks. The underwear would get a bit gamey after about the 5th day... and when you get your period... forget it...

Talk to you all soon!

Dentyne-ism

New ones in red....

#1 - Take the path less traveled (but bring plenty of underwear.)
#4 - Why don’t aliens ever kidnap normal people?
#7 - Tall people may be taller, but they always get rained on first.
#12 - If all else fails, hit the ground and start flailing.
#14 - The beauty of a vibrating phone goes beyond silence.
#18 - Beauty is in the eye of the forgiving.
#19 - Don’t date someone who says they need to be “selfish right now"
#22 - Whoever said the chase is half the fun has never been caught.
#26 - Love is blind, but lingerie is still a good thing
#27 - Why is “abbreviated” such a long word?”
#28 - Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?
#31 - How long a minute is depends on which side of the bathroom door you’re on.
#32 - All signs point to yes.
#34 - For a more intense workout, whack a beehive with a bat.
#38 - How is it that every movie that comes out is “The Best Movie of the Year”?
#41 - Why don't fortune cookies give actual fortunes anymore
#70 - Whenever someone says "Fire at Will", does Will get a royalty check??
#81 - Mint is said to be a good mouse deterrent. You’re on your own against hyenas.
#85 - If you’re scared, just whistle. If that doesn't work, run.
# 90 - Just when you thought all hope was lost, along came the Macarena.
#91 - Beware of anyone who overuses the word "paradigm"
#92 - Why do people call their advice “two cents” when it’s usually worthless
#95 - Picking a scab early may leave a scar, but it sure is fun.
#96 - Making the bed: Not fun. Messing it up again: Fun
#101 - Why do all unusual meats taste like chicken?
#102 - If you aren't tall, rich, or smart, then funny may be your best shot.
#104 - If your life had a soundtrack, would it be played by and orchestra or a band of accordions?
#111 - The scenery was nice, but the road was a little curvy
#113 - There's no monster under the bed. He's in your closet tonight.
#116 - Replacing someones parachute with a bag of canned goods is not funny. Ok, it is.
#117 - A first date is not the place to mention you've done time.
#121 - Life is like the protective cup a man wears when playing sports, sometimes it gets sweaty and uncomfortable, but if you get kicked in the nuts you are glad you didn’t forget to wear it.
#127 - Happiness is a brand new pack of Dentyne Fire
#131 - Why is it that the more you spend of dinner, the hungrier you are when you leave the restaurant?
#132 - Making faces in the mirror is one of life's great secret pleasures.
#135 - Why do bad guys always flee upstairs to the roof.
#136 - Much worse than tennis elbow is video game butt.
#138 - Instead of saying cheers, make something up and say it's foreign.
#142 - Don’t cut the pineapple with the a broken knife, or the knife will turn into Woodstock ‘69
#147 - Everyone practices one-upmanship. But I am better at it than you.
#152 - Want to see the world? Just look down. That’s it right there.
#154 - Think about this, EVERYONE thinks they look good then they leave the house
#156 - You can't really call TV characters at phone numbers that begin with "555"
#158 - Surfing used to be done in the water. Now it's done mostly at work.
#159 - Open your eyes when you kiss - if you get caught, what can they say?
#160 - I dare you to chew a few pieces of Dentyne Ice and then drink some very cold water
#161 - Corduroy underwear: Never had a chance.
#162 - Try this: To get someone to keep talking - nod your head and say "Really?" a lot.
#163 - If a candy bar says "Now with real chocolate" what were you eating before?
#168 - Sticks and stones may break my bones, but rug burn really hurts.
#169 - The muumuu has yet to realize its full potential as a fashion trend
#171 - My vacuum cleaner is dusty - what should I do?

I Really Hate....

.... the new Blogger. I always have a hard time logging into the new Blogger with my Google account even though they have the same exact password. Half the time I am reading someones blog and want to comment but I can never get logged in so I give up and don't leave a comment.

Does anyone else have this issue or am I just a complete moron??

American Idol has got some issues this season. Tonight, America sent Stephanie home. I was shocked. She did really well and was one of the better singers. I can't figure out why Sanjaya has not gone home yet. He sucks every week. Ok, I know that there is a site out there that wants you to vote for the worst singer but this is crazy. I think that either Melinda, Lakeisha or Jordin will win this year. They are all great singers and are so much better than everyone else.

While on the reality show subject. I was pissed that Rob and Amber got kicked off the Amazing Race last week. They made the show so interesting and I liked them both. the midget team has to go. They both have such irritating voices and it makes me want to scream.

Where did Those Come From??

I was just watching American Idol and Kellie Pickler was on. Where did she get those boobs?? I think that was what Ryan was alluding to when he asked her what she bought... boobs not shoes. girl.

and her hair looked way too old for her... almost like some granny hair. Not very flattering.

No, I haven't....

.... fallen off the face of the earth.

I know it has been awhile since my last post. It has been busy at work and I have had no ambition.

We went to a wedding a few weeks ago. It was a blast. They had a photo booth (think just like the ones you used to see in KMarts years ago) for people to take pictures in. It was a riot. You sure got some scary pictures. That was a really cool idea to get people doing something other than drinking. Congrats to Kristi and Ray!!

My mom has been undergoing a bunch of tests over the last couple of weeks. Next Wednesday, she will be having a valve replaced and a triple bypass done. She is pretty upset about it. and scared. She just retired last June and this is not how she wanted to spend her 'golden years'. Hopefully everything works out ok and she'll be back to good by summer.

Hubby's uncle died last weekend. Up until just before Christmas he lived with hubby's sister, C, since before their mom died. He had been diagnosed with cancer a couple of years ago. It finally got the best of him. Remind me sometime to tell ya some stories about that situation... due to some questionable readership of my site, no stories will be told here. RIP Jim...

I need to give a few shouts out. Happy birthday to Gambino!! I won't reveal her age but she is older than me (but not by much). We will have to get a gathering together for our birthdays soon.

Also what to let people know about Kris. She is participating in a triathlon this fall for Team in Training. TIT (yeah.. insert your giggles here) supports the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. She needs to raise lot so cash, so stop over and donate a few bucks. Every dollars helps. I know that I still have to donate as well but I have been lazy and need to pick up the form from work so that my company will match my donation.

Work has been crazy. My new boss is getting a bit better but there are still days when she jut doesn't get it. I really need to get off my ass and get my resume together. Anyone in need of a computer geek?? One of our teammates, K, is in MN. Well as of today she moved to another team (yippee!!) and we got a girl that is here in our location. J is a great girl. Young but good. It will be nice to not have to wonder if K can make it into work for our morning meeting. She lived like 10 minutes from work and at least 3 days a week she was calling in for our 8:15 meeting from home. You can't get your ass out of bed in time to get to work by 8?? WTF?? I am up and at work with a 45-50 minute commute by 7 am each day. Her attention to detail was not very good either. It will be nice to not have to pick up after her.

Well, time to wrap it up for now. You all are probably bored by now. Talk to ya all later.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Get caught by your spouse, in bed with your lover

----OR----

get caught by the press, embezzling money from the charity over which you preside?

that is a tough one but the press attention will only last until a better story comes along. Losing the respect and trust of your hubby would not be forever and not worth it.

The Dead Pool

So, who took Anna Nicole Smith in their dead pool this year. Not me. You have to feel a bit sorry for such a wasted life. I thought she was cute when she was the Guess? girl. She made curvy women sexy. Women with hips and boobs. I wonder who they will find to be the baby's daddy? and what will happen to the baby. That is who you feel sorry for. Not the kids fault it was born into a crazy train wreck mess.

New boss is in town. Got my review. Pleasantly surprised. Not by the content but by the amounts. Raise kinda sucked but the bonus was better than last year. Enough to be where I think we will be getting hardwood flooring put in the house this spring!! YIPEEE!! I think we are going with a wood called amendoim. It has a really pretty color and pattern. Both which vary depending on where in the tree it is from. It is much nicer looking than oak, maple or the Brazilian cherry we were looking at.

New boss took hubby and I and coworker, L and his partner to dinner. We went to Friday's Front Row. She was excited to see the park and couldn't believe how cool it was that you could go and eat at the ball park in left field. She wants to come back during the summer and catch a game. I guess you never realise what a cool things Milwaukee has to offer when you live here. We are pretty lucky.

My mom was supposed to go into for surgery on Tuesday. Well we got there and she was in the OR and when the anesthesiologist was doing his pre-surgery testing he discovered a heart murmur. It was a bit strange that no one else caught it with all the tests that she has had done over the last few months. So, she has a few more test done next week but it looks like she will have to have a valve replaced in her heart first. The doctor is looking to do this within the next couple of weeks. She is rather bummed about it but heart stuff does run her family. My grandma died about 20 years ago from heart disease.

Any one have any ideas on what to do with our dog Boomer? For those of you who may not remember... Boomer is the dog we rescued while camping this past summer. He is a Yorkie-Pomeranian mix. Looks like a Yorkie tho'. When we got him he was 9 months old and had been in at least 6 homes by this time. At some point someone beat him and he was/is terrified of men. To this day if hubby moves to fast or startles Boomer he gets scared and growls. He is getting better tho'. The problem is that he has some major separation anxiety. He hates being in his crate and messes in there every day. I have a whole stash of old crate towels that I use. I give him treats and toys when he goes in there. It is getting to the point that as soon as I bring him back in from outside in the morning he goes and hides out under the bed. He knows he is safe there cuz it is a king bed and we can't reach him. Rufus and Riley don't mind being in their crates and go in there so well. If we leave him out he messes in the house. I have tried to confine him to the kitchen but somehow he is Houdini dog and jumps over the half wall that separates the kitchen from the living room. We have a breakfast nook in that corner and he would jump on the bench then on the table and over the wall. I tried putting stuff on the bench but he would pull it off or jump over it. I hate leaving him cuz he just shakes and cringes when I put him in his crate each day. I am almost to the point where he may go into doggy day care. I don't know what else to do. Any suggestions??

Well, on to the moment you have been waiting for....

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

As a woman have a really hairy back

----OR----

really long curly, exposed nose hairs?

I am going with the back hair. I can hide that better than the nose hair.

Have a good weekend everyone!!

TV Show Review

A guy I work with is from Nova Scotia. Frank is a great guy with a very warped sense of humor. He recently turned me on to a Canadian TV series that is now on DVD. I have rented the first two season so far and I have to say it is hilarious.

Trailer Park Boys. Shot documentary style. It chronicles the lives of Julian and Randy, who live in the Sunnyvale trailer park. They are a couple of not too smart guys who drink so much, swear WAY too much (this show could never make it on US TV), and do a bit too much dope.

The humor is not for everyone. This is definitely rated R. There is a bit of over the top gun violence and Ricky and Julian end up in prison three times in the first two seasons. But with episode titles like "Fuck Community College, Let's Get Drunk and Eat Chicken Fingers", "I'm Not Gay, I Love Lucy... Wait a Second, Maybe I Am Gay" and "A Dope Trailer Is No Place for a Kitty" how can you go wrong by renting it. They make great episodes to watch while working out.

The characters are great. Bubbles, Mr Lahey, Randy, J-Roc, Trevor and Corey. Each one of them sorta remind you of someone you may already know.

Some of the things to take note of are... You never see Julian without a drink in his hand, even when driving, Ricky wears the same track pants every episode and how Bubbles got his name.

You can rent the first four seasons from Netflix.

If you rent it or have already seen it let me know what you think.

Note to self....

Remember to move the Clorox Clean-Up bottle away from the Spray -n- Wash bottle in laundry room.

I accidentally 'clean-up'ed a colored shirt. Now it is ruined..... DAMN!!

Drunk Munchies and Ramblings

I went out for a few drinks after work and got a pretty good buzz going. Now I am home and am hungry. I already ate dinner and and craving something sweet. So I decide to play some poker. That usually takes my mind off of eating. I have been packing on some pounds lately. I am usually good during the week but the weekends suck. I drink and then get the munchies. I could so easily make that box of pudding that is in the cupboard and it the whole thing. I won't but I could.

Back to my story.... I powered up the laptop and logged in to the poker room and find a table to play. I get about 20 hands in and the site goes down. Damn. I was doing really good too. Now I am thinking about eating... grrrr..

So I will type.

Hubby went to the Bucks game tonite with some people from work. I told him that if he wanted to play poker tomorrow that he needed to be home earlier than 3 am. Last time he went out after work it was almost 3am before he got home. I hate it cuz then he ends up not doing anything the next day except sleep.

Work sucks. I am so looking for another job after we get our bonuses in March. My co-worker, L, is on vacation today and all of next week and already it a nightmare. I literally spent most of the day working on two pagers than were not getting a signal from the network. The vendor has no idea why this is happening and have already shipped them new devices. Monday is already shaping up to be a crappy day. I hope that L is having fun on his cruise in the Caribbean. It is a gay and lesbian cruise. Charo is one of the feature entertainers on the cruise. These should be some very interesting pictures. He better bring me back a bottle of rum!!

The poker site is still down. It has been almost an hour now. Maybe I should take a nap. That will cure my munchies. That sounds like an idea.... sorry for the ramblings... and see ya when I wake up!

Because I have Nothing Better...

.... to Write About. You get a little thing about how to tell if you are from Wisconsin. I will add my own stupid comments.

• You know how to polka, but never tried it sober. What else do you do at weddings other than polka... wait see the one a few down.
• You know what knee-high by the Fourth of July means. I won't tell you the answer to this one
• You know it is traditional for the bride and groom to go bar hopping between the reception and wedding dance. This depends if you live in the southern or northern half of the state. In the southern half, you go after church and pictures but before the dinner. Up north, you go after dinner and make your grand entrance at the bridal dance about 9:30pm.
• You know the difference between "Green" and "Red" farm machinery, and would fight with your friends on the playground over which was better! Do you know which is red and green? It is kinda like a red or blue state....
• You buy Christmas presents at Fleet Farm. We have Farm & Fleets around here. Where else can you buy a saddle for your horse, a 6lb bag of cashews, oil for your tractor, paint and a dress??
• You spent more on beer & liquor than you did on food at your wedding. uhhhh yeah!!!
• You hear someone use the word "oof-dah" and you don't break into uncontrollable laughter. My aunt still uses that word to this day... same thing with the word "dupa"
• You or someone you know was a "Dairy Princess" at the county fair. I was too busy showing horses to be a princess.
• You know that "combine" is a noun. Think wheat
• You let your older siblings talk you into putting your tongue on a steel post in the middle of winter. I was the older sibling...
• You think Lutheran and Catholic are THE major religions.
• You know that "creek" rhymes with "pick". My parents have one of those in their backyard.
• Football schedules, hunting season and harvest are all taken into consideration before wedding dates are set. This is more true up north than around here.
• A Friday night date is getting a six-pack and taking your girlfriend shining for deer. Ditto above
• Saturday you go to your local bowling alley.
• There was at least one kid in your class who had to help milk cows in the morning...phew!
• You have driven your car on the lake. How else do you get to your fishing shanty??
• You can make sense of "upnort" and "batree".
• Every wedding dance you have ever been to has the hokey pokey and the chicken dance. That is a given.
• Your definition of a small town is one that only has one bar. Think Husher Pub
• The local gas station sells live bait. Don't forget your cheese whiz and lottery tickets
• At least twice a year some part of your home doubles as a meat processing plant. We had to be twelve to be able to use a knife when we would butcher the chickens... We still got to use the ax to chop their heads off tho'. The worst job was stripping out the gizzards... YUCK!!
• You think that the start of deer season is a national holiday. There is more vacation time taken during this time than any other time of the year!!

Have a good weekend all!!

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Have a lisp

----OR----

pronounce all of your Rs as Ws?

Is there a difference??

Time To Get Off My Ass

I have been lazy the last few weeks. I just have not felt like posting anything.

It has been a busy couple of weeks. Two weeks ago, hubby's sister calls me up and asks for hubby. He went to go get bagels and was not home. Sis-in-law (SIL) had been pretty sick the week before and today she thought she needed to go to the hospital as when she woke up she had this HUGE lump in the middle of her chest. It was about the size of a softball (I am not kidding) and sat right in the middle of her breastbone. I call hubby and tell him to forget the bagels and go over there. He spends the next 9 1/2 hrs with her at two hospitals before he gets home. Turns out that she has some sort of infection and when it settled in her body it attached itself to the wires in her chest from her open heart surgery 4 years ago. She spent over a week in the hospital before they decided to lance it so it could drain. She came home the following Saturday. Hubby went to pick her up and take her home.

She lives alone and has three dogs. Two basset hounds and a golden retriever/lab mix. Other brother, T, was going over there every day to take the dogs out and stuff. The next day, she calls hubby up and says that she cannot take care of the dogs, will he take them to the humane society so she can surrender them. Hubby convinces her not to give them up just yet. We have three dogs so we really cannot take another one. We end up taking one of the dogs to my parents, who had recently had their dog die. T also has a dog and two young kids. so he took the other dog. The last dog stayed home with SIL. Well, by Tuesday, SIL, calls up and says that she is back in the hospital, she has kidney stones. Just fucking great. Hubby has been going up to the hospital every nite and was tired of not getting home and eating dinner until 8pm. Thursday, SIL comes home. She calls hubby at 6pm to pick her up. I was just starting dinner. He is pissed. Other brother, T, was off that day from work and had called her 4 times to find out when she was getting out so he could pick her up. I swear that she does that to him just to push his buttons.

During this time, my dad was in the hospital for a few days as well. He has struggled his whole life with alcoholism and fell off the wagon. He is doing much better not and is back in a rehab program.

To make things even more exciting, my mom, who when she was about nine was punched in the stomach by one of my uncles. It was not until years later did they find out that when that happened it was not her stomach but her diaphragm that was hit and part of it has been paralyzed (kinda nerve dead) ever since. She always had problems breathing but had attributed that to years of smoking. Now what is happening is that her stomach is moving up to where her diaphragm should be and is pressing against her heart. So when she eats anything she gets this really uncomfortable feeling. The doctor said that potentially if she eats too much at once it could put enough pressure on her heart to cause a heart attack. She has been going in for a bunch of test and should find out in the next few days when they will be doing surgery on it to move everything back to where it should be.

My cousin, who I have written about in the last few weeks, is also not doing very well. They think that if he does the chemo and radiation, that his heart will not be strong enough to take it. He said that he is not giving up but is starting to prepare for the worst. Getting his affairs in order and such. My aunt (his mom) has lived with them for many years and my cousin's wife said that she could stay with them as long as she wanted to or needed to. That she was always welcome to live with her. That was really great thing.

On Friday, we went to a neighborhood, wine tasting party. Every couple brought a bottle of wine, wrapped up so you could not see the bottle. We then sampled and rated each bottle. The highest and lowest rated bottles got a prize. We had the lowest rated one. It was a bottle we had gotten as a gift a couple of years ago. It was a Merlot that was BAD!! There were a couple of really good ones. The best part was the 'wine trivia'. We took turns answering questions. One neighbor, Sue (who by this time had 2 glasses of wine), was trying to say the word vineyards. She said it like vine (rhymes with line) yards. Not vin (rhymes with tin). Then about 10 minutes later, Jim, was having problems with the word acidic. It came out sounding like ass-a-dick. By the end of the nite everyone was pretty drunk. I don't think I have ever heard Kevin talk that much. It was a great time and are looking for do this again in a month or so. We are lucky to have some really great neighbors who like to party. The best part is that it was only two houses away. Easy walk home!

Well, enough to talk about for today. I will try to be more diligent about writing more often. I am surprised that anyone even bothers to check back on my site to see if I am still alive.

Have a good week, everyone!

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather...

Have a bird that says "Fuck you" every time someone walks into the room

----OR----

have a dog that humps all of your guests' legs?

hmmmm.... I have a parrot and we have been very careful to make sure that he does not know any swear words. He does like to call people dorks and whistle the Jeopardy theme. Hubby did teach him to make farting noises...but no swear words. The dogs are all males but do not hump anyone's legs. They do go after each other alot tho'... is that the same thing?

Dentyne-isms

New ones in red....

#12 - If all else fails, hit the ground and start flailing.
#41 - Why don't fortune cookies give actual fortunes anymore
#70 - Whenever someone says "Fire at Will", does Will get a royalty check??
#91 - Beware of anyone who overuses the word "paradigm"
#95 - Picking a scab early may leave a scar, but it sure is fun.
#96 - Making the bed: Not fun. Messing it up again: Fun
#101 - Why do all unusual meats taste like chicken?
#113 - Thre's no monster under the bed. He's in your closet tonight.
#116 - Replacing someone's parachute with a bag of canned goods is not funny. Ok, it is.
#117 - A first date is not the place to mention you've done time.
#127 - Happiness is a brand new pack of Dentyne Fire
#131 - Why is it that the more you spend of dinner, the hungrier you are when you leave the restaurant?
#132 - Making faces in the mirror is one of life's great secret pleasures.
#136 - Much worse than tennis elbow is video game butt.
#147 - Everyone practices one-upmanship. But I am better at it than you.
#156 - You can't really call TV characters at phone numbers that begin with "555"
#158 - Surfing used to be done in the water. Now it's done mostly at work.
#159 - Open your eyes when you kiss - if you get caught, what can they say?
#162 - Try this: To get someone to keep talking - nod your head and say "Really?" a lot.
#163 - If a candy bar says "Now with real chocolate" what were you eating before?
#168 - Sticks and stones may break my bones, but rug burn really hurts.
#169 - The muumuu has yet to realize its full potential as a fashion trend
#171 - My vacuum cleaner is dusty - what should I do?

I think I've Been Constanza'd

This year for Christmas a co-worker, who is in St. Paul, sent the rest of the team a Christmas card with a note in it saying that a 'gift of love has been given in your name'. Apparently she donated money to a organization called Heifer.org.

What did she donate in our name, you may ask.... a gaggle of geese. Yes, geese. Why can't they just catch the ones that are swimming in our pond and ship them off to some third world country. At least then I don't have to walk in all the poop.

Now, while it is a worthwhile organization and provides a valuable service. I am seriously doubting that she gave the donation. She is like this. I would not put it past her to say that she made the donation and never really did.

For Christmas last year, she wanted to divide the cost of a gift for our boss down to the penny and then only wanted to donate 5 bucks towards the gift. There are only 4 people in our group... that would look really stupid if we gave our wonderfull boss a gift card for 20 bucks for the entire team. The rest of us just contributed more and never really said anything more about it to her.

This is also the woman who, for being in her 50's, is about as flighty as a schoolgirl. She was on vacation for 10 days about 6 weeks ago. On the first day of her vacation, she fell off a ladder and hurt her foot. She waited to go to the doctor until the day she went back to work. That is when she found out her foot was broken. She missed more time due to doctor and therapy visits. Why she did not go to the doctor right after it happened, I'll never know. She is like that.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

As a woman and in front of a crowd of friends, have to crush ten empty beer cans against your forehead

----OR----

mud wrestle a friend while you both are in bikinis?

hmmmm... ok, not a hard choice... I would do both. I am pretty sure I have crushed empty beer cans on my head (and between my boobs) while camping. Mud wrestling... I would choose to wrestle with Mary Lynn or Lisa.... Both have great bodies and nice boobs... plus I'm sure we could make a ton of cash selling tickets.

Geography Quiz

I was reading an article on MSNBC.com and was amazed at how many people could not answer some basic geography questions. Here is the quiz. I will post the answers in the comments.


1. What is the largest state east of the Mississippi River?

• Pennsylvania
• Georgia
• Florida
• Massachusetts

2. In which continent is Angola located?

• Asia
• Antarctica
• Europe
• Africa

3. What is the state capital of Kentucky?

• Louisville
• Frankfort
• Lexington
• Richmond

4. In which continent is the world's highest mountain located?

• Asia
• Antarctica
• Africa
• Europe

5. What is the world's largest river by volume?

• Amazon
• Nile
• Mississippi
• Danube

6. The deadly 12/26/04, tsunami that killed more than 180,000 people originated in what body of water?

• Atlantic Ocean
• Pacific Ocean
• Indian Ocean
• Red Sea

7. In which ocean are the Solomon Islands located?

• Indian
• Arctic
• South Pacific
• South Atlantic

8. Where does the Mississippi River begin?

• Mississippi
• Minnesota
• Colorado
• Wisconsin

9. Java, a term used for 'coffee', is also an island in which of the following?

• Indonesia
• Indiana
• Seattle
• Madagascar

10. The Gold Rush that began in 1848 occurred in what state?

• Colorado
• Alaska
• California
• Washington

Good Luck!

New Version of Blogger

Has anyone switched over to the new version of Blogger? If so, I am interested in your comments. I have not made the switch and want to know if I should. Thanks!

Back Among the Living

Happy New Year!! Hope you have a wonderful year!

Well, I am finally feeling better. I have been down and out with another cold. Thanks goes in part to my sister, who rugrats are always sick and have infected me. I found an amusing post about sick kids from Reener. Go check it out. Anyway... it seems like my nieces are always sick with something. I suppose that is part of being a kid and all but, I know that my sister's lifestyle does not help. The kids have very poor nutrition and do not eat very healthy. Hence they are sick all the time. I will be downing the Airborne from now on before I visit them.

So being sick has over a holiday weekend has been a bummer. I have pretty much done nothing but sleep for the last 3 days. I did take a shower and head out to the grocery store this morning. It sounds like I missed out on a great party at P&K's. I was fast asleep by midnite... or was until the neighbors started shooting off fireworks and that set the dogs off into a barking fit.

Christmas was ok. Got some gifts that I have yet to return. A Christmas floor mat (why would I like that?? it is blue and matches not a thing in my house), gloves (I only have like 10 pairs of gloves) and a pair of lounge pants that don't fit (mom, I am not an xl but a M). Every year, I tell them to not get me clothes. Gift cards. I even gave my mom the info for some new cages for my bike. They are pink and match my bike perfectly. Did I get those?? noooo... So I will be returning stuff sometime this week. when I feel up to it.

I have been selling some stuff on ebay over the last few months. It has been a good way to get rid of some stuff I no longer have a need for and make a few bucks. I have this tote bag that I got from Victoria's Secret last year. It is a silvery pleather and is ugly. It was free that is why I have it. Anyway, I put it out on ebay for 15 bucks, another 12 for shipping. Someone bought it like a month and a half ago. Three weeks after I shipped it out, she comes back and says that there is a scratch/cut on it and wants to return it. So I send her a label for return shipping, (5 bucks). I get it back and there is no way that it left my house looking like that. If I did not know better, I would say that when she opened the package she cut it with the knife. But the bad thing is that I cannot go back and prove that. I cannot argue about it and don't want a bad mark against me. The fact that she had it for more than three weeks (said that she had not opened it until then) leads me to believe that this is a bit fishy. I send her, her money backl via PayPal and this is the email that I get in response from her today.

Thank you for your prompt action. However, I wonder if this was processed a refund, vs you made a payment. In the past when this happened and the seller refunded my money, I never had to accept or deny it. It just got deposited into my PayPal account. When I visited this site, it told me that I'll have a service charge of $1.11. Now, that's a negligible amount, however, it also goes onto tell me that I can have 4 more such transactions up to Aug next year unless I upgrade my PayPal account. Doesn't sound normal to me.

Can you process this as a pure refund? Sorry, I'm not familiar with PayPal processes, but I've never had to worry before.

WTF?!?! She is not familiar with the PayPal process?? and in the past, when this has happened.... How many people are refunding her money?? And why?? She has 1881 other feedbacks left by buyers and sellers for her. This tells me that she must be doing some buying and selling to have that many feedbacks. Me, I have 42 feedbacks left about me. I had to pay the 1.11 charge from PayPal and will not get that back. That is built into my shipping charges. I now have to go back out to PayPal and figure out how to cancel the transaction that I already sent her the 27.99 and figure out how to do a refund. This woman has really soured me on selling anything else. BITCH!!

So back to work tomorrow... Should be an interesting time. Since we lost a team member who quit at the end of last year. He found out last Thursday that since his last day was 12/29, he lost out on his 401k match by the company. You have to be employed on 1/1 to get the match for the previous year. That probably cost him 3-4 grand. Not a smart move and one I would have looked into before giving my notice.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Talk like you have walnuts in your mouth

----OR----

walk like you have a walnut up your butt?

Hmmm... tough choice. I guess I would go with walnuts in the mouth. The butt is an exit only.

Have a good week all!

Why am I up so Early??

It is 7:30 am and you may ask yourself, self... what are you doing up so early on a day when you don't have to work. Well... blame hubby. When he got up this morning he got the dog all riled up and they had to go out. By the time I got them outside to do their business (in the pouring rain, no less) and back in the house, I was awake. This was about 6 am. So I stayed up. I stripped the bed and am washing everything. Sheets, comforter, mattress pad... the whole works. I have two loads already done. I figured that since yesterday was the start of winter, I could take my fall themed sheets and comforter (they have fall colored leaves on them) off and replace them with my winter ones (snowflakes, mittens and such). Yes, I know, I am a bit goofy that way. I have sheets and comforters for each season. And they all coordinate. Each season I will switch the bedding out with something new. I guess the hardest part is finding room to store all the sheets and comforters (at last count there were 6).

Boomer is a one dog destruction crew. For being only 8 lbs, he sure likes to literally destroy the dog toys we buy. The toys that say they are for chewers, yeah right, those last about a month. Stuffed squeaky animals, those will maybe last a few days. Some of Riley's favorite toys, have met with disaster. Riley has (or had) a couple of toys that made noise when you squeezed them, a duck, pig, monkey, sheep, they are all gone now. Boomer literally rips them to pieces. I am forever walking around and picking up chunks for animal stuffing around the house. The worst ones are the tennis balls. They shred very nicely and hurt when you step on them in the middle of the night. The good news is is that he does not mess with furniture or shoes. Hopefully, he will grow out of that chewing phase.

I worked a half of day yesterday and went to Kohl's around lunchtime. I was shocked. There were only about 40 cars in the lot. The store was practically barren. I was able to wander around the store and pick up some stuff for presents and myself, without having to beat anyone up. There were so many workers milling around, it was kinda sad as they kept coming up to you to ask if they could be of any assistance. You don't see that very often.

I even got all the presents that I had wrapped. Amazing. I hate wrapping presents. And this year I vowed to use up the wrapping paper that I already have and not buy anymore until that is gone... somehow I ended up with about 20 rolls of paper. I killed off 3 rolls already.

My cousin, who was recently diagnosed with cancer in his esophogus, had a heart attack yesterday. Man, he has had some really bad luck lately. I am going to try and get up to the hospital to see him this weekend as it looks like he may be in there a while. He was going to start with his cancer treatment right after the holidays. I don't know what will happen now.

The rest of the weekend is looking to be busy. Saturday, the gang is getting together for our annual holiday gathering. Since P&K sold the bar, we don't all get together like we used to. This should be a fun nite. K, remember to never leave your drink unattended.... For those who may not know, K, is not a big drinker. So last year, whenever she would leave to go to the bathroom we would fill her glass up. She never realized it. The next day we went out to eat with them and she could not figure out how she got so drunk and was a hurting unit. I have a hard time keeping a straight face and had to tell her what we did. She had no idea. It was too funny...

Christmas Eve, since we do nothing with hubby's family, we go out to eat with P & K. Not sure where we will end up this year. It is a nice time. I think StB may join us this year as well. The more the merrier.

Christmas Day is at my parents. We put out a bunch of food and let the kids go nuts. The dogs always have fun as well running around and playing in the paper.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Have heinous breath and good teeth

----OR----

gross teeth and regular breath?

I am going with good teeth. That is the one thing I am very picky about it my teeth. My parents spent alot of money for me to have nice teeth. I try to keep them looking nice.

Have a good Christmas everyone. Stay safe and I hope Santa is good to you!!

Shopping Online

I found a great site that if you do any of shopping online can save you some money.

Jellyfish.com is a site that was started by a couple of guys in Wisconsin and if you go to a retailer's site thru Jellyfish and make a purchase, you get cash back. They have some of the biggest retailers online. Barnes & Noble, Circuit City, Best Buy to name a few.

I have purchased a few things thru the site already and have about 12 bucks in my account. If you use my name as a referral, I get a cut in anything that you buy from the site as well. Use this link to sign up. It is only good for US and Canadian residents.

They also have something called the Smack Deal of the Day. You can get some fantastic deals on stuff. The deals are every weekday at 1:00 pm EST. You can check out the details on the site. Unfortunately, the site is blocked from my work and can't try to get the deals myself. They have some good stuff on there.

Check it out and happy shopping!

Holiday Time

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know it has been a while since my last post. Not much to say and too lazy. It is amazing that I even have any readers left but according to my stats at least 13 people have stopped by today to check me out. I should be nice and give them something to read about.

Last nite was hubby's company holiday party. It was a good time. It was at the Italian Community Center. A really pretty place. The food was fab. I even got to try a new, to me, beer called Sprecher Micro Light. The beer was really good and went down smooth. One you could drink all evening, which I did. Next time you are out, try one. The entertainment was a casino theme. You got 'chips' to play with. Not that you got anything for winning or losing but it was still fun. I wanted to play bocce but found out way later that it was down the hall and somewhere we never found.

Today, we went Christmas shopping. We got most of it done. Tomorrow will be spent getting the gift cards we need to pick up yet. We are fairly lucky in that we only have to buy for a few people and half of them are my nieces. They are easy. Now I have to get everything wrapped. I hate wrapping gifts. I got all my Christmas cards out on Friday. A little later than I wanted but still in time.

Found out earlier in the week that the guy we hired in Sept. is leaving at the end of the year. Great.... now we are back down to three of us again. It is going to SUCK!! He is going to a company that I would love to get into. They are consistently ranked as one of the top companies to work for nationally. I am going to hit him up after bonus/raise time in Feb and see if there are any open positions. This is one of those companies that hires by 'knowing someone on the inside'. The nice thing is that it is about 10 minutes from home. It would mean no more 45-60 min commutes to work and in crappy traffic.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Give someone the finger when he cuts you off in his car and have him turn out to be your priest or rabbi

----OR----

have your friends catch you picking up trash while you're wearing a felon-orange jumpsuit?

I am going with giving the priest the finger. I'm not religious so it would matter.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Update from the Fire Drill

On Monday, when I was bitching about the fire drill, I should have thanked my employer. On Wednesday, there was an explosion at a local company. It killed three poeple and injured almost another 50. Here is a picture of the aftermath and some articles.

Bottom line.... someone smelled gas and they began evacuating the buildings. This action probably saved alot of live. I guess I should be happy that we have a plan in place and know how to execute it...

Week In Review

The past week as been a bit hectic with stuff going on.... not so much to me but to others around me.

Hubby has been working alot of hours and has not been getting home until after 9pm every nite. All I can say is that all the hours had better pay off come raise time. Tonite he is off playing poker. Hope he does better than he did last time. We are also playing tomorrow at Big Momma's. DJW, are you joining us??

For the few people who read my blog, that don't know, Gambino had to go in for more surgery yesterday. Her doctor found more cancerous cells and they did surgery right away. She is doing well. I think that she will now have to go thru radiation and chemo. That sucks!!

I also found out that my cousin has cancer of his esophagus. He is 44. The doctors said that it is inoperable. He is going to Chicago next week to meet with some cancer specialists. What is scary is that he had a sore throat around Thanksgiving and it never got better. It felt like he had something stuck in his throat. He went to the doctor and they did a scope and found a mass in his esophagus. They biopsied it and found out that it was a very aggressive form of cancer. This is really crappy!

We finally got a new boss at work. She is out in Portland, OR. We are in Milwaukee and we have another person in St. Paul. Should be interesting to see how this works. We are used to working in virtual teams so... it will be nice to actually have someone who has the time to work to get stuff back in order. The last few months have been hell and it had better pay for me come raise and bonus time in Feb.

It has been really cold here this past week. I hate it, I am not a cold weather gal. Give me the warm weather any day. At least it is supposed to warm up this weekend. I need to get my truck washed. It is really dirty.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Have frequent spurts of uncontrollable drooling

----OR----

be a bed wetter?

I am going with the bed wetting. Only hubby would know. everyone would see me drool.

Have a good weekend everyone!!

What a Crock....

WTF?!?!

We had fire drill today at work. It was about 9:30am this morning. It was 12 degrees out and snowing. We had to stand outside and wait until the building was cleared. That took about 20 minutes. I was pissed. It was cold outside and our place to meet in inclement weather was the liquor store up the hill that went out of business last summer. So we had to stand outside the whole time. Why could they not do that 2 weeks ago when it was 60 degrees out??

Stuff

I am working on a server upgrade that has gone bad and right now I am hosting a call between several different areas. I don't need to actually do anything except listen and make calls to get the right people involved... I am mad as it was going so well. We were two hours ahead of scheduled then BAM.. the shit hits the fan. Nothing that we did... just stuff that was not caught in testing by other areas. We are now once again looking like we have to back something out. grrrrr.. Somedays I really hate this job.

Let's see what has gone on in the last week.

Hubby and I went to Hooter's to watch the football game with some friends. We got there about 3:30 or so. I guess I am a wimp and can't keep up drinking any more. I was pretty much toast by 8:30-9:00pm. I can't drink with the big boys.....

On Friday, we got dumped on with about 13 inches of snow. Thankfully, I was able to work from home and didn't have to worry about driving in. After the snow was all cleaned up we met some friends for a fish fry. It was a nice time, hubby and I ended up sitting in the bar after dinner and it was almost 1:00am before we got home. We both felt like poo the next morning. We slept until after 10:30am.

Our neighbors had their annual Christmas party last nite. It was ok. For whatever reason it broke up by 10:30. It was strange. I think that the hostess was not happy about something as she hardly said anything to anyone most of the evening. oh well...

It is now 11:15 pm and I am still working on this server upgrade. We are working on a fix and hopefully that will prevent us from having to do a full back out of the server upgrade. If we have to backout it. I am keeping my fingers crossed. I am getting tired and cranky as I have been working on this now since 3:00pm. Nothing like a short weekend. I have to be up for work at 5:30 tomorrow.

Yeah, a temporary fix was able to be implemented. This is great cuz we don't have to back out the server upgrade. It is now 11:53 pm. I am going to bed.... nighty night all!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Later today hubby and I and the boys are heading over to my parents for dinner. Riley will like it cuz he knows that the kids will be dropping food on the floor that he gets to eat.

Last night, we headed up to Big Momma's for a few cocktails. It was good to see a few people who we have not seen in awhile. We laughed over a few stories of our friend Dave who passed away earlier this year and how a several years ago we had a party up at the bar and Dave was deep frying turkeys. He was cutting up the turkey and in between licking his fingers and then going back to touch the food.... ahhh the good times. It was nice to see Russ and Elaine, Vicki and Zeke, and a few others. We are thankful for the great friends that we have.

I am also very thankful that our good friend, Ms. Gambino, is on her way to a speedy recovery. For those of you who may not know, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery yesterday. She came thru the surgery with flying colors and her doctor is very optimistic that everything was removed. She was very lucky that it was caught very early. She has just gone in for a routine doctor visit and in less than a month was having the surgery. She will still need to go thru radiation treatments but it had not spread to her lymph nodes or anywhere else. The scariest part of this is that she is only 38 with no family history. So ladies, I urge you to have a mammogram at your next doctor visit. I know that at my next visit in Jan, I will be having one done.

So my faithful readers... what are you thankful for this year??

Have a wonderful holiday. All I know is that I will NOT be hitting the stores tomorrow for Black Friday. I avoid doing any shopping on that day. I hate the crowds way too much.