Mark Your Calendar

Slap Your Co-Worker Day is here! ( I really have no idea when the day actually is so, pick a day that suits you best. Work has been really crappy the last few days, so my day is Wednesday, Oct 17th). I know at least a handful of people who deserve to be slapped even if I don't work with them :)


This is the official Slap Your Irritating Co-workers Holiday: Do you have a co-worker who talks nonstop about nothing, working your last nerve with tedious and boring details that you don't give a damn about? Do you have a co-worker who ALWAYS screws up stuff creating MORE work for you? Do you have a co-worker who kisses so much booty, you can look in their mouth and see what your boss had for lunch? Do you have a co-worker who is SOOO obnoxious, when he/she enters a room, everyone else clears it? Well, on behalf of Ike Turner, I am so very, very glad to officially announce tomorrow as SLAP YOUR IRRITATING CO-WORKER DAY! There are rules you must follow:


* You can only slap one person per hour - no more.

* You can slap the same person again if they irritate you again in the same day.

* You are allowed to hold someone down as other co-workers take their turns slapping the irritant.

* No weapons are allowed...other than going upside somebody's head with a stapler or a hole-puncher.

* CURSING IS MANDATORY! After you have slapped the recipient, your "assault" must be followed with something like "cause I'm sick of your stupid-a$$ always messing up stuff!"

* If questioned by a supervisor or police, if the supervisor is the irritant, you are allowed to LIE, LIE, LIE!



Now, study the rules, break out your list of folks that you want to slap the living daylights out of and get to slapping.....and have a great day!

The past few days have been spent doing stuff for and with the girls.

On Thursday, I took the afternoon off and went to Harry W Schwartz bookstore. Deanna Favre, wife of Green Bay Packer, Brett Favre was there promoting her book, Don't Bet Against Me! It details her journey in her battle with breast cancer. She was very sweet and has the cutest southern accent.

Here are a couple of pictures I took while she was signing the book I gave to Ms. Gambino.











After I was done at the bookstore, I headed up to Big Momma's to meet A and Gambino for a cocktail or two. I gave Gambino the book. She was tickled. When she looked inside to see that it was autographed by Deanna and addressed to my survivor sister, J was touched. We almost started bawling right there in the bar. We had a few more cocktails and by 7:30 I headed home

Friday came the call that I was dreading. The TV repair guy said the big screen was no longer fixable. Damn!! So I spent a hour or so looking online for a new tv. Made a stop at Circuit City to do some comparison shopping and headed home. I ended up at my sister's house to set her computer back up and give her some pointers on what to avoid so she stops getting viruses. Good thing from that was she picked up some fish fries and bought me dinner. Note to self Dead End Saloon has good fish fries.

Saturday morning was spent looking for the new tv. Did more research online and found that Samsungs are about the best value for the money and were in my price range. Hubby stepped up and offered to pay for half of whatever I bought so I was able to upgrade a bit. I ended up getting a 50" plasma. It is really nice.

Saturday afternoon, A, J and I did something that none of us had ever done before. No, not that... so get your minds outta the gutter. We went to a rugby game for the Westside Harlequins. It was very interesting. Thanks for Byron telling us some of the rules. Fun watching hot, sweaty guys walking around with no shirt on. The guy that A knew, ended up getting hurt during the game. He took a cleat to the eyebrow. He had a nice lump and will need a few stitches to close the gash. This was the last game of the season so will have to wait until next year to watch them play again.

I have to work tonight so heading off to take a nap. We are upgrading a database. Hopefully it will go as planned and I can be done by 11:30 or so.


ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

If you had to come up with 50,000 in five days to get a sibling out of jail, try to steal it

----OR----

go to Vegas?

First off, I would let my sibling stay in jail. It would be good for her. Second, I'd go to Vegas. Doesn't say I have to win any money while there...

Thoughts I am Pondering

Over the past few days, I have pondered several things.

1. The shooting in Crandon. I find it interesting that one local news station has labeled the tragedy "Deputy Slaughters Six". Sounds like a book title to me. I think that slaughter is a strong word. You slaughter livestock. What he did was not kill them in a cruel manner. Jeffrey Dahmer slaughtered people. This was a shooting. Why is no one asking themselves, what is a 14 year old doing out at 3 am?? When I was 14 I had to be home by 10 at the latest. Since we lived in the country, someone's parents had to drop us off and pick us up from our destination.

2. How good is the hot dog business on 9th and Oklahoma?? I was driving on Monday and seen a street vendor selling hot dogs there. Is business that good on the corner? I did not see any customers.

3. When your Internet provider actually calls you up and tells you to fix your computer, that is a bad thing. My sister's pc was so screwed up. Road Runner actually called her and told her that her PC is the host of a denial of service attack and is sending out lots of spam. When I started working on it, my virus scan uncovered 562 virus', Trojans or worms on her pc. And that is with over year old dat files. I re-formatted it and got it back up and running. I have to go over to her house and hook it back up tomorrow.

4. At work they moved some people into the empty cubes next to me. The guy across from me is HOT!!. Found out he ran in the Lakefront Marathon on Sunday and had a respectable time of about 4 hours. Too bad he is married. The guy who sites two seats down, not hot... sleeps at his desk. We could hear him snoring this morning. Last week, he was sleeping every morning for about an hour or so. I wish I had a job that I could sleep at my desk.

5. Boomer may not be the smartest dog. Cute but not so smart sometimes. Right now is is sitting on the bed, barking at his reflection in the window.

6. I'm not ready for winter. I hate the cold weather. Ok, maybe it's not so bad but I hate driving to work in the snow even more. I want to re-live most of the summer over again. I want to go camping more. I miss it being 80 like it was yesterday. Right now it is 53 out.

7. Why do people insist on tailgating in rush hour traffic. Everyone is doing 30 mph. I cannot go any faster than the guy in front of me. Passing me (in the emergency lane of the freeway) will not get you anywhere any faster. Where is the sheriff's dept when you need them. Back off, dude.

8. OMW - it is what it appears to be. You were not reading too much into it. At this point there is not much anyone can do, except for me. I know what I need to do and must do so soon.

I think that's all the stuff I have for today.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Be incapable of love

----OR----

honesty??

This is an interesting one. I have been sitting here for like 5 minutes now debating this in my head. It makes me sad to be incapable of either one. With things the way they are now... I am not going to answer this one for right now.

Have a good one.

Funny Commercials

Gotta love the advertising folks who came up with these. Notice they are not US brands.

More updates on other stuff later.... still trying to process things.

Am I Wrong??

Am I wrong to ask for a little respect? To treat me with at least some resemblance of common courtesy?? You treat a stranger on the street better than you treat me. So you don't bother to come home at nite and then get mad when I ask where you were and could you have at least called or texted me to let me know. So that when I get up at 4:30 am this morning and see that the light is still on in the kitchen, I don't worry. I'm sorry that I still fucking care.

This relationship may be over but the least you could do is don't keep treating me like a pile of shit. I deserve so much better than you.

Did Anyone Catch the Plate Number.....

.... of the truck that ran me over.

Holy crap!! I feel like poop. I am all achy and my body feels like i spent the last month wrestling with a bear. My head and sinuses are blocked up and it feels like I am breathing thru water... barely.

I just got up now to take the dogs out and take more drugs. Thank goodness I stopped on my way home and got stuff. No way, I'm going anywhere now.

I don't need this now. I have the Beer ride on Sat and I even got this very cool new jersey to wear. I am so looking forward to that. Damn. I have to be able to breathe (other than coughing and gasping) to ride.

Back to bed for now.... See ya later.

And You Wonder Why I Don't Have Kids

Since I have now figured out how to post videos on my site, you will get to see some of the funnier ones I have.

Another reason as to why I will never have kids. This is just too funny.

End of the Season

Last weekend was the last camping trip of the year. It was a good time. I was so proud that I was able to get the camper backed into the site. Ok, so maybe it wasn't exactly where it was supposed to be parked but it was there. I ended up in the bushed a bit but did not pull a "Connie" and end up with a tree between the truck and camper. Thank god for the camp host who seen my misfortune and helped me out by parking it back on the gravel for me. I was able to get the camper put up and even closed it up and got it hooked back up to the truck all by myself when it was time to leave.

I am sad that this is the last trip of the year. I really like camping even if I end up conking out by 10:30pm. Too much fresh air I guess. It is just nice to relax around the fire and chat it up with good friends. I wish I could remember the song we made up about K starting himself on fire. It was pretty funny.

We went to the dog track on Saturday afternoon. I did ok. Won like 5 races and ended up about 35 bucks down for the day. There was one race that I quinella boxed and should have trifecta boxed it. That would have netted me about 1100 bucks vs the 49 I ended up winning. Guess I picked the wrong races to quinella... oh well...

The weather held out and only really needed the heat on in the camper a little on Friday nite. More so to take the dampness out of the air than keep it warm.

Now just have to wait for a couple of months when we have a camping planning party for next year. sigh......

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Get everywhere by crawling

----OR----

have to stand on your hands when you are stationary?

I will go with standing on your hands. It would be hard to go camping, pulling a camper down the freeway while crawling.

Have a good week all.

How They Became X-Stinked

Now I know how the Dinosaurs died... or is this a camping trip?? Can you match up the farts with the camper?? hmmmm.....

Do You Remember When...?

(aka... I have nothing else to post about today so this is what you get)

• It took five minutes for the TV warm up? This was my grandparents tv for the longest time
• All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?
• Nearly every one's Mom was at home when the kids got home from school?
• Nobody owned a purebred dog?
• When a quarter was a decent allowance?
• You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?
• Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces?
• All your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done every day and wore high heels?
• You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free, every time? And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?
• Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box? Once again, I remember my grandma have this
• It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents?
• They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed. . . and they did? Not me... I skippde a grade. My 3rd grade was 6 weeks in summer school
• No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never locked? Have you been up north??... go to any bar and the keys will be in the ignition
• Lying on your back in the grass with your friends and saying things like, "That cloud looks like a ..." I still like to do this.
• and playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game? don't forget about having ghost runners. They could run really fast and score a run from no matter what base they were on.
• Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger?
• When being sent to the Principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the student at home? Hell yeah!! Dad and his belt. I was a goody-two shoes tho' so didn't spend much time there... my sister did tho'
• Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.
• Candy cigarettes
• Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside
• Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
• Coffee shops with table side jukeboxes
• Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum - don't forget sen-sen
• Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers
• P.F. Fliers
• Telephone numbers with a word prefix...(HEmstead 7-1538).
• Party lines
• Peashooters
• 45 RPM records - I think my first 45 was a Shaun Cassidy record
• Green Stamps
• Hi-Fi's
• Metal ice cubes trays with levers
• Mimeograph paper
• Beanie and Cecil
• Roller-skate keys
• Cork pop guns
• Drive ins - now it is NML
• Washtub wringers - once again , I vaguely remember my grandma washing clothes on a washboard and wringer
• The Fuller Brush Man
• Reel-To-Reel tape recorders
• Tinkertoys
• Erector Sets
• The Fort Apache Play Set
• Lincoln Logs
• 15 cent McDonald hamburgers
• 5 cent packs of baseball cards - with that awful pink slab of bubble gum - why, oh, why did we ever eat that gum???
• Penny candy - I liked it when we were finally old enough to ride our bikes to the penny candy store. My favorite... the communion wafer tasting spaceships with little dot thingys in them.
• 35 cent a gallon gasoline
• Jiffy Pop popcorn - I burned the stuff every time
• Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-moe"?
• Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "Do Over!"?
• "Race issue" meant arguing about who ran the fastest?
• Catching fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening?
• It wasn't odd to have two or three "Best Friends"?
• The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was "cooties"?
• Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot?
• A foot of snow was a dream come true? - snow days even better. I loved it when the snow would drift really high against the back of the chicken coop and we would climb on the roof and do back flips off the roof into the snow.
• Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute commercials for action figures? do they still show Bugs Bunny, Wil E Coyote and such??
• "Oly-oly-oxen-free" made perfect sense?
• Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for giggles?
• The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team?
• War was a card game?
• Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle?
• Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin?
• Water balloons were the ultimate weapon?
  

A Great Day, with Great Friends

Today we walked for Gambino's boobs. If you want to donate, click on her site and go to the Race for the Cure link.

It was a wonderful day. The four of us (A, J, K and I) along with 12,000+ other people walked the lakefront of Milwaukee in the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure in support of breast cancer research. The weather was absolutely beautiful. Not too warm but not too cool. The backdrop of Lake Michigan was gorgeous. The cause a good one that hopefully we don't have to walk for for much longer. Let's try to eradicate this disease in my life time.

A woman had a shirt on that I found so neat. Here is a picture of the shirt and a link to her website that has more details on it. It looks like the store is not yet up and running. I like how she makes the flower look like a boob.

I hope to have walk pictures in the next day or so as soon as K sends them to us.

Next year we are going to be more organized and get a team together. Guys, this mean you as well. Watch for details in the coming year.

After the walk, we went back to P & K's house for a cook out. The beer was cold and food fantastic. Now, I am home tired, full and happy. Trying to stay awake long enough so that I can go to bed and not be up at some ungodly hour.

Have a good week everyone.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather

Stutter badly

----OR----

drool noticeably?

I would have to go with stuttering. I notice that I stutter now sometimes. I know that I did it more when I was a kid. Not sure why...

What a Wasted Day

First off. Thanks for putting up with my disclaimer. It had been brought to my attention that certain things offended others. I use this site as my sounding board. That's all. So back to your semi-regularly scheduled blog.....

I get to work this morning and fire up the ol' PC. I go get my water and oatmeal and head back to my desk. When I open applications up I have an order that I open them.. Email, tool, 3 Internet Explorer windows, another tool, excel. I use these apps all day so it just makes sense.

Well, today, I go to open up Excel and get an error. It is a visual basic error. CRAP!! I had this error about 3 weeks ago and it took the IT folks three days to get it fixed. I tried doing some of the same things I tried last time to fix it. Re-installed Office, delete my profile on my workstation, reboot several time. No luck.

I call the help(less) desk and get a ticket open. I then call my boss (who calls me back 3 hrs later) and tell her I am going home. I have things to get done today and can't sit here waiting for them to fix my pc.

Last update from my co-worker was that the guy was there to look at it and started to re-image it. So, that means most of Monday will be spent installing everything that they missed and configuring what was added back. I can't wait to get to work on Monday :(

On Sunday, the girls are walking for Gambino's boobs. If you want to help save her boobs, click here and donate. If you have ever seen her boobs, you know they are worth saving. I'll post pictures next week.

Have a good weekend all.

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Go to your high school reunion a multimillionaire but 200 pounds overweight

----OR----

poor but in perfect shape?

This is a tough one but I will have to go poor but in perfect shape. No one has to know that I am poor. Unless I tell them.

Disclaimer

I would just like to state that the words on this site are my opinions on the world as I see it. If something I write here offends you.... get over it.

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was spent camping. We went to Lake Kegonsa state park. It is one of my favorite. I now like it even more because they put in electricity this year. It really came in handy when the temperature got down to the 30's on Friday night. That goodness for a furnace in the camper.

I went by myself this time and it was fun. I drove the camper out there by myself and when we got to the park, A and K stood behind the camper and directed me into the site. I only had to pull forward a couple of times. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I didn't pull a Connie and end up with a tree between the camper and truck either so that was a good thing.

Like I said before Friday nite was COLD!! We had a nice roaring fire and even tho' StB wasn't there to keep it stoked, J did a good job. It was a long day and I was sacked out by 10:30pm. I must have been tired as I slept until almost 9 am on Saturday morning.

On Saturday, P and K drove up for the day. We spent most of the day down by the lake. Played some bocce ball, cooked hot dogs on the grill and had fun trying to kill the bees by drowning them in wine or beer bottles.

K, A and I sat down on the pier for a couple of hours and just talked. That was nice. It really helped to get some things off my chest and they made great sounding boards. Thanks guys :) and when A asks if the boats are going by, just nod your head and smile.

K, P and I also took a walk along the lake to the doggy beach. We met up with Roxy, the pit bull. She was a beautiful brown and tan brindle. Such a nice dog and owner.

On the way home we stopped to sign up for the Komen Milwaukee Race for the Cure. As many of you may know, our friend, Ms. Gambino is a breast cancer survivor. Please go to her page and donate. We have to save her boobs :) We are walking next Sunday. I will try to take some pictures and post them next week.

It's back to reality next week. I was a bit bummed when a job that I had sent my resume in to was turned down. They hired someone with more experience. Oh well. I knew it was a bit above me but hoped that they would give me a chance. Just have to keep looking.

ZOBMONDO??

Would you rather.....

Never look healthy

----OR----

Never feel healthy?

I have to go with never look healthy. Feeling icky sucks.

Have a good week folks.

R.I.P. Scott

Today, we buried my cousin, Scott. He was 43 years old. He left behind a wife of 14 years and a12 year old daughter. This was way too early for him to die. No wife should have to bury her husband when she is only 45.

You have probably read some of my other posts about his journey. He was diagnosed back in early December with cancer in his esophagus. He was undergoing some pretty heavy duty chemo and radiation treatments. On August 30th he lost that fight. The memorial service was yesterday and the burial was this morning. His daughter and niece made up some really nice picture boards that I wish I would have taken pictures of. It was funny to look at some of the pictures from when he was a teen and see how dorky everyone looked.

It was nice to see some of my relatives that I have not seen in a couple of years but this is not the circumstances that I want to see them. I much more prefer seeing them at weddings and family reunions. It really makes you step back and realize how fragile life is and to not waste the good times. They may not always bee there.

One of the things I found interesting that I did not know was that my cousin had been to Vegas more than 30 times in his short life. I always knew he liked to go but I was surprised at how often he went. They told the story of how a group of them had been at Potawatomi Casino only 4 days before he died. He had been play poker for a couple of hours and wasn't doing so well. He got up from the table and told his friends that he was going to go and play some video poker for awhile. About 30 minutes later he came back with a big smile on his face. He had won a couple hundred dollars on a machine when it hit. He left this life as a winner.

So, next year I am riding the Trek 100 ride in memory of my cousin Scott.

That's all for now folks, have a good weekend.

It Was A Crazy Game of Poker.... Part 2

{Editor's Note - I originally wrote this post about three weeks ago but never published it. I am finishing the story and posting it now. }

A few weeks ago, hubby and I went by a co-worker of his to play poker. There were 9 people and a good time was had by all. It was 3:30am by time we left. By time we got home and went to bed it was after 4:30 am. My ass was dragging on Sunday as my dad called about 9:30 and wanted to stop over. I did get a bit of a nap in but still tired.

I am always interested when we go to people's home and see how they live. Now most of our friends have (and maintain) homes like ours. They keep the place clean and organized and at times it is a bit messy but never what I would call dirty.


I know if we are going to have people over that I will clean the bathroom (among other things). Scrub the toilet, wash the sink, put out fresh towels and make sure there is enough tp and hand soap. I assume that this is how most people are.

Except for the place where we were on Sat. J&M are very nice people... a bit kooky but nice. I was almost afraid to sit on the toilet. The seat had 'splashes' on it (as if someone (male) missed). (They make Lysol bathrooms wipes for this purpose. People show up unexpectedly, you duck into the bathroom, pull one out and wipe down the toilet seat and handle. Another one to wipe the sink and vanity down and drop into the toilet and flush..... ready for guests.) The sink had toothpaste in it and splatters on the mirror. The sink also did not drain very well and there was no hand soap. It was a bit disgusting to me. The rest of the house was kinda the same way. Dirty dishes on the counter, cleaning supplies sitting out on an end table in the living room.


Now I understand that the place is very small and they have alot of stuff that makes it very cluttered but it can still be organized and neat looking. My sister's house is alot like this. Too much stuff and with three kids she doesn't keep it very clean. Although I have to say with the toys recalls of the last couple of weeks she got rid of a TON of stuff. Her garbage people will hate her.


I guess I am wayyyy to anal about things and like to make sure that when I have people over, that the place is clean. If you stopped over at any time the place would be messy, but not to the point that you would be disgusted. I hate having clutter and regularly go thru the house and throw stuff out that we don't use or I no longer like. If it is something decent, I will try to sell on eBay or donate to charity.


What about your house?? What kind of a housekeeper are you??

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Wake up nude and unharmed on a park bench and have no idea how you got there

----OR----

expecting a costume party, dress as a giant banana for a black tie affair and have to stay the whole night?

I would go dressed as the banana. It wouldn't be the first time I am under dressed for a party. It is scary to wake up and not know what happened from the night before. Just ask this guy. At least someone was honest enough to give him his money back.

Have a good weekend folks and I promise that I will catch you up on all that has been going on the last few weeks.

I've Got Friends Who Love Me

Ok, points to who knows what artist and song the title of today's blog is from. Kudos to Kris to who knew the song and artist from my last post.

Today, I had to do one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.... Not hard physically but emotionally.

Right now I am not ready to share the details with my blogger friends but as I work things out I will keep you updated.

All I have to say right now is a big THANK YOU to my friends. A, J and K.... without you, I don't know where I'd be. You have no idea how much your support means to me. I love you guys and knowing I have your support will help get me thru this rough time in my life.

That's all for now gang.... take care..... Jo

It Was A Crazy Game of Poker

Ok first off.... points to the person who can tell me what song and the artist the title of this blog is from.

It has been a crazy busy couple of weeks. It started out last weekend when we had our 3rd annual Hidden Ponds block party. It is basically a group of neighbors who use the money in our homeowners association fund to have a party. It ends up being just a core group of neighbors who show up each year. Our neighborhood has two 'ponds'. One turned out to never hold water and the other gets the rainwater that runs off from everyone's lots and before we got all the rain in the last couple of weeks was nothing more that a slick of dried algae that was beginning to stink. Because of the pond that has water in it, we have a homeowners association to pay the taxes and have insurance on this lot. Our dues are not expensive... only 25 bucks a year. The crazy thing is there is one house that has refused to pay it and now owes almost 1200 bucks, when you add in lawyer fees and interest. That house is on the market so we will get our money when the house is sold. So we take any money that is left over, rent a tent, order a bunch of pizzas and have a party.

It is held across the street where all the backyard feed into the other 'pond'. Which is now nothing more that a nice large grassy area with a couple of big hills. We get to the party about 1:30 or so and set up our chairs. We get caught up on all the local gossip. Why Judy planted trees between her pool and Nate's. what home are for sale and what they are asking, and why have the trailers not moved yet.

We played some horseshoes (my team lost), drank some beer and played in the 2nd annual HP poker tourney. We played two rounds and I finished first in the first game and took second in the second game. One of the highlights was the giant water slide. The one side of pond has a rather large and steep hill on it. So someone has a huge sheet of plastic sheeting (it has to be about 150 feet long) and we stake it down and BAM! instant water slide. Now I am took much of a chicken to go down it as I don't want to get wet and have to change my clothes and it would be my luck that I slide down and break a arm or something crazy. It was about 1:30 am by time I gathered up my stuff and stumbled home. That is the nice thing... it was only a 2 minute walk home.

On Sunday, I was tired and hungover. Didn't do much except lay around in a big pile, surf the Internet and post my resume out on Milwaukeejobs.com. So on Tuesday, I get home from work and get this phone call from a recruiter who seen my resume. I called her on Wednesday and we set up a time to meet and chat on Thursday. Friday I get an email with an offer of a job. Holy crap!! I was so totally not prepared for things to move this quick. I have to provide her with some more details on my current job and what I support and she want to present me to a client on Monday (that's tomorrow, 8/20!!). I need to really think about this. The job she has in mind for me would be downtown and about 30 miles a day closer to home. I really want to make sure that I move into a new job that I would like. The truth is that I really like my current job but dislike my boss and how she runs things (also I hate the commute). I would only get 3 weeks of vacation a year instead of the 4 I get now but it is for a bit more money. I would also loose out on the bonuses that I get now. Which if things keep going as they are could be rather hefty next year.

Damn... I really don't know what to do. The recruiter wanted to see if I could get an interview with the client by mid week. I guess I will have to wait and see how that goes. There is the possibility that if the client is happy with my work that they would hire me on full time. Which could be good. They are a very stable utility company and WE could be happy there... hint, hint.

So, enough for now....

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Do a mini cheer whenever someone compliments you

----OR----

have to jump up and touch the door frame every time you go through a door?

I will say the mini cheer. I was a cheerleader back in my high school days and can still remembers some of them.

Have a good week everyone!!

London Bridge is Falling Down.... OK, so Maybe It Is Just the 35W.

Holy Crap. The bridge collapses. I am not trying to make fun of the tragedy. Just thought of a amusing title...



The company I work for is now headquartered in the Twin Cities. We have probably about 15,000 employees scattered around 7 campus buildings and about 15 smaller locations. When I first heard about this I thought of how many people I know in the area and are they all ok.



My first thought was for my team mate, F. I was a bit worried on Thursday morning when he is normally in about 8:00 am and then when I did not see him logged into our instant messenger by 9:30 am I was more than a bit concerned. It was about 10:15 or so that he pinged me to let me know he was in the office. It turned out that he and his wife, who are expecting a baby at the end of the month, were on their way to the hospital for a tour of the delivery area. They drove over the bridge about 20 minutes before it collapsed. It said the hospital was just crazy and they had to postpone the rest of their tour until next week. They needed all available people ready for the disaster.



So... I asked him why he didn't just work from home. He said that he tried to log into VPN and it was down. He then tried to call our boss (he called her home phone, cell phone and blackberry (and she is also out on the west coast)) and got no answer. He did not know what to do so he spent 3 freakin' hours driving into work. It is normally about a 20-30 min drive tops. I told him that if he can't get a hold of our boss to call either myself or another co-worker here in Milwaukee and let us know. I told him that once he started driving and realized that it was going to be so bad, he should have turned around and went home. That was just crazy. The shitty thing is that my boss told him that he should leave 30 minutes early on Thursday so he can 'beat' the traffic... Boy was she generous. He works until 4:30 pm. It will probably still take him 3 hours to get home.



I am just glad that he and his family are all safe and sound.



I have not heard if anyone else from work was impacted.



I also found it ironic that on Wednesday, on our company Intranet site, there was an article on what to do in a disaster situation. We have a dedicated number to call in and get instructions and to leave a message with your status. It was used extensively a couple of years ago during hurricane season. It was used quite a bit Wednesday/Thursday as well.



My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those injured and killed.



Have a good weekend everyone!

One for the Ladies... Sorta....

Another HNT post.


It is the Chippendales 30th Reunion....



The Chippendales in 1977.















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And the Chippendales in 2007.






Sorry ladies... time has not been so good to them.

Have a good Friday.

They Come in Three's

July 30th must be a good day to die. They were dropping like flies.

I first heard that Tom Snyder died of leukemia. He was 71. He got his start here in Milwaukee. I remember watching his interview with Brett Favre after the Packers won the Super Bowl in '96. Tom was always a funny guy and very down to earth. I always found it interesting that they let him smoke on the set as long as they did. So not p.c.


Next came Bill Walsh. He too battled leukemia. I always thought he was a class act. Great football mind. His coaching 'family tree' touches almost every football team in the NFL.

Last but not least was Ingmar Bergman. One of the all time great directors. His style is a classic. Many try to copy him but few ever succeed.


On a lighter note.... On Friday, as I was getting into my truck, I closed the door and heard a pop. Could figure out what it was at first. Then I seen it... a crack in my windshield. DAMN!! As I drove home it got larger and now covers about a third of the windshield. I call the dealer to see if the windshield had any recalls or is under warranty. It was not. It is only a 3 years/36,000 mile warranty. I made the three years with time to spare but have over 47000 mile on the truck already. So I called around today and found a place to come and fix it. 280 bucks later.....

Hubby and I went to a new (to us) Mexican place for dinner on Friday. Hector's. It is on Delaware Ave in Bay View. StB recommended it to us, so we thought we would give it a try. We got there and ordered strawberry Margaritas. They were really good so we decided to get a pitcher. The food was excellent. We got the bill and was shocked to find that the pitcher was 27 bucks!! WTF!?! 27 bucks. For a pitcher of margaritas!?! We were a little shocked. Ok, alot shocked. I figured maybe 15-18 bucks... 20 tops... I will have to remember that for the next time we eat there.



ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather...

As a man, have hair implants that are totally obvious
----OR----
a toupee that is a bad match to your remaining hair??

I have to say the toupee. There is an older gentleman at work that has a bad toupee at work and you kinda have to feel sorry for him. I don't think he knows how goofy it looks.

New Guy at Work

Note: I wrote this a couple of weeks ago and left it as a draft. I'm going to post it untouched. It is still applicable.

Time for some bitchin' about work....

We have a new guy that started back in March or so. He is not from this country but from Algeria. He is French and Algerian. His English is not so good. He is nice enough but...

Once of the things my group does is handle the administration for the paging devices for the company. We have about 8000 devices that we maintain. It is a full time job. When we add people to our intranet paging site, we use the name that is listed for them in the corporate address book. So if, you are Susanne Z Smith in the address book, this is how you are listed on the Intranet site. Pretty easy concept, right?? Except for the new guy... Since his English is so poor and does not quite get how people can have nicknames he is adding them twice. Once as Suzanne and again as Suzy. Well, he had been doing this for over a month without anyone realizing it. We found it last week. We had to go back over almost 200 pager orders and fix them. I know that this is a cultural issue but how can you teach that to someone?? We don't have time to go over each and every name and the potential nicknames associated to that name. We tried making him a cheat sheet for the common one but even that he doesn't follow.

Our boss had hired him without any input from anyone else on our group. He is supposedly very technical. I have yet to see that. He has been making the same mistakes now for the last 2 months. It is getting frustrating for L and I as well as the new guy. Our boss just isn't listening to us when we say that he is not working out. I think we should cut our losses and let him go. I would rather do the work myself and know it is done right than have to do my work and then check over his work and then fix anything that isn't correct.

Our boss is new to the group and has only been around since Nov of last year. She really has no clue as to what it is we do and how we do it. L and I have been doing this job for the last 4 years. We know what we are doing. Trust us.

She gets upset at me when I call her out about errors she has made. I have to bring them up or she will never know that she is doing something wrong. Bottom line...I really have no respect for her. They put her into this position and she just isn't management material. It is hard to complain about her cuz she treats of very well. But her mgmt style, or lack of a style, is very frustrating.

I am just hanging around until the end of summer. I have too much vacation time planned over the next couple of months and if I go to another company, I'll probably not get any time off.

Ok, enough bitchin'...


ZOBMONDO!!


Would you rather....

Walk barefoot over six feet of holly leaves

----OR----

over six feet of live roaches?

I am going with the roaches. They would just be crunchy. Holly would hurt.

Just a Quicky

I'm implementing a software release tonight and waiting for the final stuff to finish up.

Lots going on but not much time to write anything... I'll try to post some this week tho'. Until then, here is a Zobmondo to keep you entertained.

Would you rather....

As a woman, be totally flat chested with saucer sized nipples

----OR----

have huge breasts with no nipples?

Hmmmm.... this is difficult. I have huge breasts with huge nipples... or at least I think I do. So I guess I'll go with huge breasts.

Have a good week all!!

Do You Think These Sunglasses Make Me Look Fat??

In honor of HNT....

What else can I say about this..... My back hurts just looking at this picture.

And I thought I had a hard time finding a bathing suit to fit me on top.....

Just How Drunk Do You Have to Be....

.... to hit two people with your car and drive with one of them lodged in the windshield of your car??

When I first heard the story on the news last nite, I thought it was an urban legend. It wasn't.

You can read the entire story and see a picture of the car here.

Police say a 40-year-old Green Bay driver was drunk when he hit the two pedestrians, then drove about seven blocks home with the man's body lodged in his windshield.

Seven Blocks?!?! WTF?!?! Did you not see the guys head looking at you as you were driving?? I don't think I have ever been drunk enough to miss another person in the car with me while driving... especially if he is half way thru my windshield.

I do have to give the guy some credit. He did call police and tell them that he thinks he hit someone. Granted it was six hours later but still, he made the call.

Boomer's Twin??

There was a link some time ago on Yahoo to the a picture that looked very much like Boomer.

I, of course, did not save the link but instead had to Google it.

Can you tell which is Boomer and which is the South African Bat Ear fox??










Other stuff that has been going on...

Went to Summer fest a couple of times. Got rained out a bit for the fireworks on the 3rd. Had fun tho sitting in Jo Jo's Martini lounge watching it rain out.

On Thursday, I went to Bon Jovi with a couple of girls from work. The show was just ok. Not as good I had hoped. Really not worth the 90 bucks I spent on the ticket. He played too much stuff from his new album. Which is fine but I have not heard any of it before. He played for about 1 hr 45 min.

What I found kinda amusing, was that during the encore and a couple of slower songs, people were flashing their cell phones instead of their lighters. Oh how times have changed. Who doesn't remember burning either their finger nails or their thumb holding the lighter for songs at a time...

Richie Sambora, fresh outta rehab, was good. He was really jamming at times. Jon, as always, was good to look at. Here is a pic from my phone. Not the best quality but....

Since Lisa was driving, she was not drinking. Her friend, Stephanie, was not much of a drinker either. I was drinking the wine coolers (think I had 7-8) and left the concert and Summerfest more sober than should be allowed. How disappointing...

ZOBMONDO!!

Would you rather....

Be freed by the fire department after your hand got caught in the toilet bowl (while dressed)

----OR----

after your finger got caught in the shower head (while naked)?

I am going with the hand in the toilet bowl. I have been known to accidentally drop jewelry down there from time to time. (hey, how do you think I keep getting bigger diamonds??)

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.