I've little more than 16 hours left to work before vacation officially starts. Officialy starts, I say. Mentally, I've been on vacation all week. I swear, I can't think straight, my mind just keeps wondering off... what clothes to pack?, what food to pack?, things to get done, will the weather be nice? will Olivia behave?, will John & I get through this trip without any major arguements on a daily basis?, yadda, yadda, yadda
Is it friday yet????
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
We've Got It All
I caught a re-run episode of "Home Improvement" last night, and while I know I've seen it before, I swear I don't remember having heard the song before. It was a 2-kleenex song. I had the sniffles for quite some time after the show went off.
It was the final episode, before the show went off the air. The song was sung by Kenny Rogers, entitled "We've Got It All".
I was telling my co-workers about it today, and by some fluke of nature, both of them happened to see the show last night too. Odd, since we're not all regular watchers of the show. I couldn't help but think how the song was one that would be good for playing at someone's funeral, but after searching the web for the lyrics, apparently most people want it to be played at weddings.
Weddings, funerals, not much difference. Ha! Just kidding... anyway, I would love to find the actual tune to this song, but from what I've been finding so far, it isn't an easily acquired song.
Anyway, for those of you that are unfamiliar with the song, here are the lyrics...
It's hard to say goodbye,
You're much more than a friend.
When goodtimes become memories,
They never really end.
Like ancient rights of passage,
It's time to carry on.
We caught lightning in a bottle,
As we went along.
We've got it all,
Wouldn't change a minute,
We've got it all,
Never will forget it.
As years go slipping by us,
You know we will recall,
These times we found together,
We've got it all.
Long goodbyes never suited you and me,
You know if God is willing,
We'll go on eternally,
We've got it all.
It was the final episode, before the show went off the air. The song was sung by Kenny Rogers, entitled "We've Got It All".
I was telling my co-workers about it today, and by some fluke of nature, both of them happened to see the show last night too. Odd, since we're not all regular watchers of the show. I couldn't help but think how the song was one that would be good for playing at someone's funeral, but after searching the web for the lyrics, apparently most people want it to be played at weddings.
Weddings, funerals, not much difference. Ha! Just kidding... anyway, I would love to find the actual tune to this song, but from what I've been finding so far, it isn't an easily acquired song.
Anyway, for those of you that are unfamiliar with the song, here are the lyrics...
It's hard to say goodbye,
You're much more than a friend.
When goodtimes become memories,
They never really end.
Like ancient rights of passage,
It's time to carry on.
We caught lightning in a bottle,
As we went along.
We've got it all,
Wouldn't change a minute,
We've got it all,
Never will forget it.
As years go slipping by us,
You know we will recall,
These times we found together,
We've got it all.
Long goodbyes never suited you and me,
You know if God is willing,
We'll go on eternally,
We've got it all.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Saint John
It's the little things that truly do, mean so much!
I know I poke fun at my husband, and he's often the butt of my blogs, but I must say, I'm truly blessed to have him.
I appreciate the little things he does, which I so often take for granted.
Such as: he always puts the toilet seat down. And not just the seat, but the lid too! I'm not sure I can remember even one instance where he's left them up. Yeah, when I have to go into the bathroom at work after some man has been in there and left the seat up, not to mention, going in there after they haven't flushed, UGH!!, well, it just makes me appreciate him all the more.
And I'm so glad that he and I are in total agreement on how the toilet paper goes on the roller. I don't ever have to go and change the direction of the toilet paper, like I do at so many places I go. He hangs it exactly as I do. And for that matter, he's better about making sure there's plenty of t.p. in the bathroom than I am, so again, I'm greatful for these little things.
He doesn't leave wet towels on the floor after taking a shower. He always hangs his towel up. He doesn't leave dirty underwear lying around the bedroom. Granted, he doesn't walk over and put them in the hamper, instead preferring to kick them off the end of his toe towards the hamper, but should his aim be off and he misses the basket, he does at least walk over and pick them up. Same thing for socks.
When he takes an article of clothing off of a hanger, he doesn't leave the hanger buried in among the clothes. No, he takes the empty hanger and places it on the shoe rack that hangs on the closet door, where I have quick and easy access to them, so that I don't have to hunt for empty hangers.
And he hug and kiss his children every day, without fail.
Yes, I believe I truly did marry Saint John.
I know I poke fun at my husband, and he's often the butt of my blogs, but I must say, I'm truly blessed to have him.
I appreciate the little things he does, which I so often take for granted.
Such as: he always puts the toilet seat down. And not just the seat, but the lid too! I'm not sure I can remember even one instance where he's left them up. Yeah, when I have to go into the bathroom at work after some man has been in there and left the seat up, not to mention, going in there after they haven't flushed, UGH!!, well, it just makes me appreciate him all the more.
And I'm so glad that he and I are in total agreement on how the toilet paper goes on the roller. I don't ever have to go and change the direction of the toilet paper, like I do at so many places I go. He hangs it exactly as I do. And for that matter, he's better about making sure there's plenty of t.p. in the bathroom than I am, so again, I'm greatful for these little things.
He doesn't leave wet towels on the floor after taking a shower. He always hangs his towel up. He doesn't leave dirty underwear lying around the bedroom. Granted, he doesn't walk over and put them in the hamper, instead preferring to kick them off the end of his toe towards the hamper, but should his aim be off and he misses the basket, he does at least walk over and pick them up. Same thing for socks.
When he takes an article of clothing off of a hanger, he doesn't leave the hanger buried in among the clothes. No, he takes the empty hanger and places it on the shoe rack that hangs on the closet door, where I have quick and easy access to them, so that I don't have to hunt for empty hangers.
And he hug and kiss his children every day, without fail.
Yes, I believe I truly did marry Saint John.
Remember when...?
I don't know if all these restaurants were national chains, or just local joints, so some of you may not have a clue what I'm talking about.
But...
Remember when there used to be Burger Chef & Jeff, Burger King, and Burger Queen fast-food places? I used to get them so confused as a kid. Burger Chef's disappearred, I don't know whatever happened to them. Burger Kings are still going strong. And Burger Queens were turned into Druthers which was then bought up and changed over to Dairy Queens. Ah the confusion.
Speaking of Dairy Queens... what I remember from my childhood were D.Q.'s that were strictly walk-up ice-cream stands. Now they're changing over to D.Q. Grill 'n' Chills, full-service restaurants. Ah, the times they are a changing.
Noble Romans pizzerias... I always LOVED their breadsticks. After I got my drivers license and started hanging out with my friends, we'd hit the one in New Albany almost every weekend. Then it closed. : ( Recently I discovered that there is a Noble Romans in Buckner. I've yet to try it, but wonder if they still make those fabulous breadsticks?
One last one... Hardees. Remember when Hardees menu consisted mostly of roast beef sandwiches and they were the main competition for Arbys? Whatever happened to their roast beef? In my opinion, their roast beef wasn't as good as Arbys, but considering how down hill Arbys has gotten over the past few years, maybe Hardees should consider bringing theirs back.
But...
Remember when there used to be Burger Chef & Jeff, Burger King, and Burger Queen fast-food places? I used to get them so confused as a kid. Burger Chef's disappearred, I don't know whatever happened to them. Burger Kings are still going strong. And Burger Queens were turned into Druthers which was then bought up and changed over to Dairy Queens. Ah the confusion.
Speaking of Dairy Queens... what I remember from my childhood were D.Q.'s that were strictly walk-up ice-cream stands. Now they're changing over to D.Q. Grill 'n' Chills, full-service restaurants. Ah, the times they are a changing.
Noble Romans pizzerias... I always LOVED their breadsticks. After I got my drivers license and started hanging out with my friends, we'd hit the one in New Albany almost every weekend. Then it closed. : ( Recently I discovered that there is a Noble Romans in Buckner. I've yet to try it, but wonder if they still make those fabulous breadsticks?
One last one... Hardees. Remember when Hardees menu consisted mostly of roast beef sandwiches and they were the main competition for Arbys? Whatever happened to their roast beef? In my opinion, their roast beef wasn't as good as Arbys, but considering how down hill Arbys has gotten over the past few years, maybe Hardees should consider bringing theirs back.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Observations
A few observations I'd like to share...
Remember the boom-boxes that everyone toted on their shoulders back in the 80's? The bigger, the better, or so the theory went. It's amazing how completely opposite things are 20 years later. Now everyone listens to music on these little-bitty Ipods or Itunes, or whatever they're called. Obviously I don't have one, so I'm not exactly sure of the proper name, I just know they're teensy compared to what we listened to music on when I was a kid.
I was surfing the net the other day looking at different campgrounds, and one of them I was reading about was Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green. As I was reading the history of the park, it told about how they used to give live pony rides. Hmmm, yeah, live pony rides would be much better than dead pony rides.
Much like when they advertise someone coming to town for a concert. They always advertise that So-and-so will be performing live at such-and-such venue.... well duh!, like they'd be performing if they were dead?
Remember the boom-boxes that everyone toted on their shoulders back in the 80's? The bigger, the better, or so the theory went. It's amazing how completely opposite things are 20 years later. Now everyone listens to music on these little-bitty Ipods or Itunes, or whatever they're called. Obviously I don't have one, so I'm not exactly sure of the proper name, I just know they're teensy compared to what we listened to music on when I was a kid.
I was surfing the net the other day looking at different campgrounds, and one of them I was reading about was Beech Bend Park in Bowling Green. As I was reading the history of the park, it told about how they used to give live pony rides. Hmmm, yeah, live pony rides would be much better than dead pony rides.
Much like when they advertise someone coming to town for a concert. They always advertise that So-and-so will be performing live at such-and-such venue.... well duh!, like they'd be performing if they were dead?
Monday, March 20, 2006
Proud parent
I should've blogged this last week, but totally forgot!
I was such a proud parent at obedience school thursday night. Olivia did so very well. 'Cept for doing her "finishes" at the end of class, which are something she normally does very well, but by then I know she was very tired.
But anyway, the instructor used her a couple of times to demonstrate to all the new kids in class how to do the figure 8's, and how to do the "stand-for" exam.
And she did perfectly on her down-stay, even though there were some major distractions going on right next to her.
Yep, I was a gloating and very proud momma that night.
Now, if only she would continue to behave like that!
I was such a proud parent at obedience school thursday night. Olivia did so very well. 'Cept for doing her "finishes" at the end of class, which are something she normally does very well, but by then I know she was very tired.
But anyway, the instructor used her a couple of times to demonstrate to all the new kids in class how to do the figure 8's, and how to do the "stand-for" exam.
And she did perfectly on her down-stay, even though there were some major distractions going on right next to her.
Yep, I was a gloating and very proud momma that night.
Now, if only she would continue to behave like that!
Unhappy puppies
I have some unhappy puppies at home. They're a little bit p.o.'d with me right now, especially Eliott.
I've been after the husband for some time now to get the ottoman and loveseat out of the house by whatever means were necessary. The dogs have trashed both items to the point that they were becoming hazardous to keep around. Poor Olivia got her leg caught in the shredded upholestery one day and couldn't get loose. If I hadn't been there, I fear she'd have dislocated her leg, if not broken it. Or at the very least, panicked and taken off running around the room, ottoman in tow, breaking every piece of furniture we own.
We try to keep them covered with old blankets or sheets, but the dogs keep pulling them off and tearing the cushions a little more each day, if that's even possible.
So, after weeks of the husband taking no action to remove these items, I finally got fed up Saturday evening, grabbed a pair of scissors and some large trash bags and started dismembering the ottoman. We stuffed the seat cushion of the loveseat into trashbags too, and now all that's left is the body of the loveseat. As I said, the dogs are not happy about this. It now sits very low to the ground, and isn't nearly as comfortable. I attempted to soften things up a bit by putting down the large pillow-cushions that originally came with the matching couch (also long gone thanks to Smokey), but the dogs aren't having much to do with the loveseat now.
Poor Eliott, he's taking it the hardest. Until now, he would only sleep on either the green recliner or the couch. So if one of the girls beats him to the green recliner (I don't know why he won't get on one of the blue ones), he just stands there with a pitiful expression on his face, then finally flops down on some of the cushions lying on the floor in front of the loveseat-carcass.
Olivia never has been one to sleep on the loveseat at all, always preferring a recliner, so this is affecting her the least.
And Bootsy was so disgruntled, that when all the recliners were occupied the other night, she curled up on the loveseat and made sure her back was to me. I'm not sure I've ever seen her sleep facing that direction before. I think she was trying to "dis" me.
On the plus side, the living room suddenly seems bigger, not having that huge ottoman there. Now, if I could only get the loveseat carcass out too. But, I fear I'll have a mutiny on my hands if I do.
I've been after the husband for some time now to get the ottoman and loveseat out of the house by whatever means were necessary. The dogs have trashed both items to the point that they were becoming hazardous to keep around. Poor Olivia got her leg caught in the shredded upholestery one day and couldn't get loose. If I hadn't been there, I fear she'd have dislocated her leg, if not broken it. Or at the very least, panicked and taken off running around the room, ottoman in tow, breaking every piece of furniture we own.
We try to keep them covered with old blankets or sheets, but the dogs keep pulling them off and tearing the cushions a little more each day, if that's even possible.
So, after weeks of the husband taking no action to remove these items, I finally got fed up Saturday evening, grabbed a pair of scissors and some large trash bags and started dismembering the ottoman. We stuffed the seat cushion of the loveseat into trashbags too, and now all that's left is the body of the loveseat. As I said, the dogs are not happy about this. It now sits very low to the ground, and isn't nearly as comfortable. I attempted to soften things up a bit by putting down the large pillow-cushions that originally came with the matching couch (also long gone thanks to Smokey), but the dogs aren't having much to do with the loveseat now.
Poor Eliott, he's taking it the hardest. Until now, he would only sleep on either the green recliner or the couch. So if one of the girls beats him to the green recliner (I don't know why he won't get on one of the blue ones), he just stands there with a pitiful expression on his face, then finally flops down on some of the cushions lying on the floor in front of the loveseat-carcass.
Olivia never has been one to sleep on the loveseat at all, always preferring a recliner, so this is affecting her the least.
And Bootsy was so disgruntled, that when all the recliners were occupied the other night, she curled up on the loveseat and made sure her back was to me. I'm not sure I've ever seen her sleep facing that direction before. I think she was trying to "dis" me.
On the plus side, the living room suddenly seems bigger, not having that huge ottoman there. Now, if I could only get the loveseat carcass out too. But, I fear I'll have a mutiny on my hands if I do.
Weekend in review...
Well, I didn't get the flowerbeds worked on this weekend, but, unless it's snowing or raining this coming weekend, I'll have to do them for sure, as I'm going to raid my f-i-l's flowerbeds before he moves to his new condo. And oh!, does he have some fabulous flowerbeds to dig in... full of jonquils, peonies, surprise lillies, lilly of the valley, some azalea & forsythia bushes, some small pine trees and dogwood. My back will be hurting next week for sure.
The hubby & I went and opened up the camper yesterday to let it air out. Since it hadn't been used in over a year & a half, it smelled a little, um, funky shall we say. I took all the dishes, linens and small appliances home and scrubbed everything down before taking it all back over. Then wiped down the surfaces in the camper and sprayed Febreeze on all upholestered areas (I wish I kept my home as clean as I do my camper, or at least gave it as much effort). Next weekend we'll open it back up again and flush the plumming, and hope that nothing leaks.
From standing at the kitchen sink for so long yesterday, scrubbing everything, my poor hands are chapped from the soapy-hot water, and my back and knees were aching like crazy last night. I had to keep reminding myself that it was worth the effort.
The husband and our neighbor finally got the new outdoor lighting installed, and nobody got electrocuted. The only drama came when one of them dropped a tiny screw and it fell between the boards on the deck. Amazingly though, John found it and was actually able to retrieve it without crawling under the deck on his belly. I'm loving the new lighting too. We just leave them on at all times, they come on automatically when it gets dark out, and go off when it gets light again, and both are motion-sensor activated. I can't help but wonder why we didn't do this years ago!
Okay, now I gotta tell you about the Bullet. I'm totally loving this new gadget!! The novelty hasn't worn off yet! If you've ever seen the commercial, one of the "amazed guests" comments that she could see herself using the Bullet every day. When you see it, you of course think it's a little hoaky, but in reality, I have used it every single day, usually several times a day. I think if my house ever caught fire, once I knew the dogs were safely out, I think I'd rescue my Bullet next, I love this thing that much! We had quesadillas for dinner last night, and they were delish!, I may never go to Tumbleweed for dinner again now that I can make those and homemade salsa. : )
The hubby & I went and opened up the camper yesterday to let it air out. Since it hadn't been used in over a year & a half, it smelled a little, um, funky shall we say. I took all the dishes, linens and small appliances home and scrubbed everything down before taking it all back over. Then wiped down the surfaces in the camper and sprayed Febreeze on all upholestered areas (I wish I kept my home as clean as I do my camper, or at least gave it as much effort). Next weekend we'll open it back up again and flush the plumming, and hope that nothing leaks.
From standing at the kitchen sink for so long yesterday, scrubbing everything, my poor hands are chapped from the soapy-hot water, and my back and knees were aching like crazy last night. I had to keep reminding myself that it was worth the effort.
The husband and our neighbor finally got the new outdoor lighting installed, and nobody got electrocuted. The only drama came when one of them dropped a tiny screw and it fell between the boards on the deck. Amazingly though, John found it and was actually able to retrieve it without crawling under the deck on his belly. I'm loving the new lighting too. We just leave them on at all times, they come on automatically when it gets dark out, and go off when it gets light again, and both are motion-sensor activated. I can't help but wonder why we didn't do this years ago!
Okay, now I gotta tell you about the Bullet. I'm totally loving this new gadget!! The novelty hasn't worn off yet! If you've ever seen the commercial, one of the "amazed guests" comments that she could see herself using the Bullet every day. When you see it, you of course think it's a little hoaky, but in reality, I have used it every single day, usually several times a day. I think if my house ever caught fire, once I knew the dogs were safely out, I think I'd rescue my Bullet next, I love this thing that much! We had quesadillas for dinner last night, and they were delish!, I may never go to Tumbleweed for dinner again now that I can make those and homemade salsa. : )
Friday, March 17, 2006
Ass*u*me
As the old saying goes, when you assume things, it just makes an ass out of you and me.
And how!!
I've no one to blame but myself for my assumption. And trust me, I'm mentally kicking myself, over & over. I was very near tears when I found out my assumption was wrong. I had a sickening feeling develop in the pit of my stomach, and it hasn't quite gone away yet.
So what's the all the hub-bub you ask?
Well, our vacation that I've so been looking forward to for many, many weeks now, isn't going to take place quite like I had planned. Oh, we'll still go camping, it just won't be the same.
Our most favorite place to camp is at the Moutardier campground on Nolin Lake. It's a federally run camp-ground, operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. I went on-line today to make reservations for the week we're going to be there, only to discover, much to my horror, that the campground doesn't even open until the 16th of April!!!!!!!!! A full week after our vacation ends!!!! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My husband doesn't know this yet. I'll tell him this evening of course, but gosh darn it!, it's not fair!! I got to looking, and the state-run campground a mile down the road, on the same lake, is open the week we'll be there. But it's also not quite as nice. Grrrr!
I just don't know if I want to down-grade to a state-run campground, or try to find another federally operated campground elsewhere that may be open. Decisions, decisions.
Well, if nothing else, my assumption has taught me a lesson... next year, when it's time to pick vacation dates, make sure to investigate when the campgrounds will be available before picking a week to take off.
Hmph!!
And how!!
I've no one to blame but myself for my assumption. And trust me, I'm mentally kicking myself, over & over. I was very near tears when I found out my assumption was wrong. I had a sickening feeling develop in the pit of my stomach, and it hasn't quite gone away yet.
So what's the all the hub-bub you ask?
Well, our vacation that I've so been looking forward to for many, many weeks now, isn't going to take place quite like I had planned. Oh, we'll still go camping, it just won't be the same.
Our most favorite place to camp is at the Moutardier campground on Nolin Lake. It's a federally run camp-ground, operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. I went on-line today to make reservations for the week we're going to be there, only to discover, much to my horror, that the campground doesn't even open until the 16th of April!!!!!!!!! A full week after our vacation ends!!!! WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My husband doesn't know this yet. I'll tell him this evening of course, but gosh darn it!, it's not fair!! I got to looking, and the state-run campground a mile down the road, on the same lake, is open the week we'll be there. But it's also not quite as nice. Grrrr!
I just don't know if I want to down-grade to a state-run campground, or try to find another federally operated campground elsewhere that may be open. Decisions, decisions.
Well, if nothing else, my assumption has taught me a lesson... next year, when it's time to pick vacation dates, make sure to investigate when the campgrounds will be available before picking a week to take off.
Hmph!!
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Brain waves
They say great minds think alike.
It's also said that when two people are in tune with one another, they can read one another's thoughts & finish one another's sentences for them. My mother & I used to do that a lot when I still lived at home. One of us would be thinking of something or someone, totally random, and out of the blue, the other of us would mention that very thing we were thinking about. We often psyched each other out with these occurances.
Yesterday, on the way home from work, as I turned off the main highway I was still a half mile from home. I gazed upon the grass growing next to the gas station and noticed how tall it was getting (thanks to the recent rains & mild weather) and thought to myself, "oh, our grass at home is getting rough looking too. We're going to need to give it it's first cut of the season soon."
So needless to say, I was surprised when I turned into the subdivision. Before I even saw the husband pushing the mower back into the garage (because my view of him was blocked by his car), I saw that our lawn had a fresh cut-job. It looked wonderful! It made the daffodils and hyacinths that are blooming stand out even more. I was thrilled!
Hopefully the weather will be halfway decent this weekend, and dry enough so that I can get out and spruce up the flower beds. Remove the dead leaves, pull some weeds, dig up some unwanted plants and relocate some others that the dogs are trampling in the back yard. Ooh, I just love spring time when everything is so fresh and new!!
Side note... if anyone wants any irises, day lillies, or yuccas, feel free to come over and help yourselves. I'm going to be thinning & tossing a bunch of these things out.
It's also said that when two people are in tune with one another, they can read one another's thoughts & finish one another's sentences for them. My mother & I used to do that a lot when I still lived at home. One of us would be thinking of something or someone, totally random, and out of the blue, the other of us would mention that very thing we were thinking about. We often psyched each other out with these occurances.
Yesterday, on the way home from work, as I turned off the main highway I was still a half mile from home. I gazed upon the grass growing next to the gas station and noticed how tall it was getting (thanks to the recent rains & mild weather) and thought to myself, "oh, our grass at home is getting rough looking too. We're going to need to give it it's first cut of the season soon."
So needless to say, I was surprised when I turned into the subdivision. Before I even saw the husband pushing the mower back into the garage (because my view of him was blocked by his car), I saw that our lawn had a fresh cut-job. It looked wonderful! It made the daffodils and hyacinths that are blooming stand out even more. I was thrilled!
Hopefully the weather will be halfway decent this weekend, and dry enough so that I can get out and spruce up the flower beds. Remove the dead leaves, pull some weeds, dig up some unwanted plants and relocate some others that the dogs are trampling in the back yard. Ooh, I just love spring time when everything is so fresh and new!!
Side note... if anyone wants any irises, day lillies, or yuccas, feel free to come over and help yourselves. I'm going to be thinning & tossing a bunch of these things out.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Getting my feet wet
When it rains, it pours.
Oh, I'm not talking actual rain. Who does when we use that phrase?
But in this case, I am talking about a small flood.
I had filled the sink with hot-soapy water so I could wash all the attachments to my new kitchen toy. When done, I pulled the stopper out of the sink and watched the water drain away. I was still standing at the sink, towel drying the attachments, when I noticed Olivia standing next to me, licking something off of the floor. I hadn't cooked anything yet, so I couldn't imagine having spilled anything. I stepped back and looked, and noticed water all over the floor at my feet.
Hmm, where did that come from? I didn't think I had sloshed water when I did the dishes. If I had, I'd have gotten wet in the process. But as I stood there and pondered the situation, I felt my toes starting to get wet, as the water I'd been standing in finally soaked through my house shoes to my feet. Grrrrr
I opened the cabinet door under the sink and went down on my knees. Sure enough, there was water everywhere. I started grabbing towels to mop it all up, John grabbed a flashlight so we could inspect closer. We looked at the pipes and the trap, but didn't see any water dripping from them. What a mystery. I turned the water on and let it run in the sink. Aha!, I finally spied a small hole in the garbage disposal. The metal had corroded and water was running out of it.
Grrr!! somemore. If it isn't one thing, it's another. Now the garbage disposal is going to have to be replaced. What else is going to go wrong? Wonder how much that's going to cost? We still have to get our taxes done, and believe me, we rarely get anything back, so it's not like I could count on the refund to cover the expense. But I'll be damned if I'm going to dip into our upcoming vacation fund! The house can flood for all I care... I'm going camping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not only is this now an unexpected expense, my husband uttered words that just made me cringe. "Oh, it looks like a relatively simple thing to replace."
Oh No!!! No, please, no!!
I love my husband, but honestly, Bob Villa he's not. My bathroom and kitchen still haven't been finished, and those are projects he started years (& I do mean YEARS) ago. I'm afraid to let him try to replace the disposal. I can't live without my kitchen sink for an indefinite number of years.
So for the time being, I'll keep an old dishpan under the sink to catch the leaking water, and try to remember that I shouldn't use the disposal. **sigh**
Oh, I'm not talking actual rain. Who does when we use that phrase?
But in this case, I am talking about a small flood.
I had filled the sink with hot-soapy water so I could wash all the attachments to my new kitchen toy. When done, I pulled the stopper out of the sink and watched the water drain away. I was still standing at the sink, towel drying the attachments, when I noticed Olivia standing next to me, licking something off of the floor. I hadn't cooked anything yet, so I couldn't imagine having spilled anything. I stepped back and looked, and noticed water all over the floor at my feet.
Hmm, where did that come from? I didn't think I had sloshed water when I did the dishes. If I had, I'd have gotten wet in the process. But as I stood there and pondered the situation, I felt my toes starting to get wet, as the water I'd been standing in finally soaked through my house shoes to my feet. Grrrrr
I opened the cabinet door under the sink and went down on my knees. Sure enough, there was water everywhere. I started grabbing towels to mop it all up, John grabbed a flashlight so we could inspect closer. We looked at the pipes and the trap, but didn't see any water dripping from them. What a mystery. I turned the water on and let it run in the sink. Aha!, I finally spied a small hole in the garbage disposal. The metal had corroded and water was running out of it.
Grrr!! somemore. If it isn't one thing, it's another. Now the garbage disposal is going to have to be replaced. What else is going to go wrong? Wonder how much that's going to cost? We still have to get our taxes done, and believe me, we rarely get anything back, so it's not like I could count on the refund to cover the expense. But I'll be damned if I'm going to dip into our upcoming vacation fund! The house can flood for all I care... I'm going camping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not only is this now an unexpected expense, my husband uttered words that just made me cringe. "Oh, it looks like a relatively simple thing to replace."
Oh No!!! No, please, no!!
I love my husband, but honestly, Bob Villa he's not. My bathroom and kitchen still haven't been finished, and those are projects he started years (& I do mean YEARS) ago. I'm afraid to let him try to replace the disposal. I can't live without my kitchen sink for an indefinite number of years.
So for the time being, I'll keep an old dishpan under the sink to catch the leaking water, and try to remember that I shouldn't use the disposal. **sigh**
I bought the bullet
Well, as mentioned in a previous blog, I was tempted by an infomercial. I caved in to temptation and I purchased the Magic Bullet. In the first 12 hours I've had it, I made turkey salad (for my dinner), a milk shake for dessert, chicken salad for John's & my lunches today, and muffin mix from scratch for breakfast. Oh, and very finely crushed ice for my soda. : )
I'm loving this gizmo!
And it is soooo much easier to clean than the blender or food processor have ever been. Maybe that's why I like it so much.
I just hope it isn't because it's still in the "novelty-phase", and that once the new-ness wears off, it ends up collecting dust and taking up space like everything else.
It takes some getting used to, the amount of time to run the machine that is. Granted, my turkey & chicken salads had the consistency of Pate', but they were still very tasty!! With practice comes perfection. I can't wait to get to the grocery so I can buy some fresh veggies & fruit to try out in this thing.
It even came with a juicer attachment. I'd forgotten (if I even realized it at all) that was included, so I may have to try making some juice-cocktail too.
Oh, the possibilities are endless............
I'm loving this gizmo!
And it is soooo much easier to clean than the blender or food processor have ever been. Maybe that's why I like it so much.
I just hope it isn't because it's still in the "novelty-phase", and that once the new-ness wears off, it ends up collecting dust and taking up space like everything else.
It takes some getting used to, the amount of time to run the machine that is. Granted, my turkey & chicken salads had the consistency of Pate', but they were still very tasty!! With practice comes perfection. I can't wait to get to the grocery so I can buy some fresh veggies & fruit to try out in this thing.
It even came with a juicer attachment. I'd forgotten (if I even realized it at all) that was included, so I may have to try making some juice-cocktail too.
Oh, the possibilities are endless............
I'm so embarrassed for you!
I was standing in line at the video store the other day, and ahead of me was a man with his two young children, about 8 & 10 years old. He handed the clerk his membership card and the video he wanted to rent. The clerk scanned the card and said, "Uh, sir, you have outstanding late fees in the amount of $78.76." He proceeded to ramble off a couple of movie & game titles.
The late charges weren't even mine, but I was totally embarrassed for the man. You just knew he wanted to crawl under a rock somewhere and hide. I certainly did!!
Now, the man could've easily paid the fee on the spot, as he had a $100 bill in his hand to pay for the one rental. But he asked if he could pay it later, the clerk said "ok", and his daughter proceeded to get whiney, insisting that mom had already paid the fee. Dad promptly told her that he was going to make mom come up to the store the next day to pay the late charges.
I just couldn't get over the whole thing. I mean,#1) how long do you have to keep a movie out to rack up those kind of charges, and #2) why would anyone do that?? They could've probably bought all those movies for less money than that.
The late charges weren't even mine, but I was totally embarrassed for the man. You just knew he wanted to crawl under a rock somewhere and hide. I certainly did!!
Now, the man could've easily paid the fee on the spot, as he had a $100 bill in his hand to pay for the one rental. But he asked if he could pay it later, the clerk said "ok", and his daughter proceeded to get whiney, insisting that mom had already paid the fee. Dad promptly told her that he was going to make mom come up to the store the next day to pay the late charges.
I just couldn't get over the whole thing. I mean,#1) how long do you have to keep a movie out to rack up those kind of charges, and #2) why would anyone do that?? They could've probably bought all those movies for less money than that.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Off the clock is MY time!
I'm really not supposed to write about company related issues, but this one is annoying me so much, I can't help it.
Our company encourages it's employees to participate in community involvement. Whether it be volunteering our time to a cause, being on a community committee, or attending community functions. The company will even go as far as to pay membership dues for organizations we are a part of, that's how much they support it. They even let you do these things while on company time, as long as it doesn't interfere with getting our job done.
Up until now, I've thought this was all good and fine. Of course, it really didn't affect me in anyway, as I gave up being involved with my community when I distanced myself from the fire dept's. auxiliary a couple of years ago.
Now the company has decided that they not only support involvement, they expect it. We're suppose to keep a log of everything we do and submit it each month.
Needless to say, I'm fit to be tied!
I'm not involved with anything that happens during company hours, and what I do on my own time is my business!! They aren't paying for my meals if I go to a fish-fry, or my mileage to drive back/forth to these things. They aren't paying for Olivia's obedience classes (in my attempts to turn her into a therapy dog). So why should I report it to them?
We get no compensation for doing these things, no bonus', no "gifts", nothing.
I say it's none of their business, and they've no right to ask!!!!
Our company encourages it's employees to participate in community involvement. Whether it be volunteering our time to a cause, being on a community committee, or attending community functions. The company will even go as far as to pay membership dues for organizations we are a part of, that's how much they support it. They even let you do these things while on company time, as long as it doesn't interfere with getting our job done.
Up until now, I've thought this was all good and fine. Of course, it really didn't affect me in anyway, as I gave up being involved with my community when I distanced myself from the fire dept's. auxiliary a couple of years ago.
Now the company has decided that they not only support involvement, they expect it. We're suppose to keep a log of everything we do and submit it each month.
Needless to say, I'm fit to be tied!
I'm not involved with anything that happens during company hours, and what I do on my own time is my business!! They aren't paying for my meals if I go to a fish-fry, or my mileage to drive back/forth to these things. They aren't paying for Olivia's obedience classes (in my attempts to turn her into a therapy dog). So why should I report it to them?
We get no compensation for doing these things, no bonus', no "gifts", nothing.
I say it's none of their business, and they've no right to ask!!!!
Monday, March 13, 2006
Age specific
I was looking through the LTD catalog that comes to the office, and I came across the following item:
Scholastic "I Spy" computer games on cd rom
There were 3 to choose from.
I've got 2 of them in the actual book form. And I love them.
When I saw they were on CD rom I went "Ooh, cool!!".
Then I read the description: for ages 6-10 years old.
Hmph!
What about for ages 35-40?
Scholastic "I Spy" computer games on cd rom
There were 3 to choose from.
I've got 2 of them in the actual book form. And I love them.
When I saw they were on CD rom I went "Ooh, cool!!".
Then I read the description: for ages 6-10 years old.
Hmph!
What about for ages 35-40?
Friday, March 10, 2006
When is a little, a lot?
Okay, so when is a little, in reality, a lot?
There are an infinite number of answers to that question.
But here are a few of mine...
* When a little microscopic piece of lint gets between your eye and contact lense, causing you a lot of discomfort.
* When you have to wear your old eye-glasses (after taking out irritating contacts), and they weigh a whole one or two ounces than your current eye-glasses. Those one or two little ounces will make the bridge of your nose hurt, a lot!
* When you eat those little pieces of candy, they eventually add up to a lot of extra pounds on the hips & thighs.
* When a little piece of ice, accidentally dropped on the floor, melts, then you slip on it, fall, and end up with a lot of aches and pains.
* When you transpose to little numbers in your checkbook, they can cause you a lot of headaches until you finally get the mess straightened out.
* When that little, tiny, 2 lb. puppy I held at the age of 11 days, grows into a 140 lb lap dog.
* When a small, random act of kindness can mean a lot to someone else.
So what are some of your little things that are really a lot?
There are an infinite number of answers to that question.
But here are a few of mine...
* When a little microscopic piece of lint gets between your eye and contact lense, causing you a lot of discomfort.
* When you have to wear your old eye-glasses (after taking out irritating contacts), and they weigh a whole one or two ounces than your current eye-glasses. Those one or two little ounces will make the bridge of your nose hurt, a lot!
* When you eat those little pieces of candy, they eventually add up to a lot of extra pounds on the hips & thighs.
* When a little piece of ice, accidentally dropped on the floor, melts, then you slip on it, fall, and end up with a lot of aches and pains.
* When you transpose to little numbers in your checkbook, they can cause you a lot of headaches until you finally get the mess straightened out.
* When that little, tiny, 2 lb. puppy I held at the age of 11 days, grows into a 140 lb lap dog.
* When a small, random act of kindness can mean a lot to someone else.
So what are some of your little things that are really a lot?
Thursday, March 09, 2006
I just love...
I haven't done any "I just love..."'s in a while, so it's about time I caught up.
I just love the new flavor of Dean's chip-dip, Grilled Chipotle. It is soooo good!!!
I just love the bunco group I joined back in November! I've had more fun with that group of women.
I just love my crockpots!, 'specially when I think of the dinner that will already be cooked and ready to eat by the time I get home after work. : )
I just love that there are only 24 more days 'til vacation. Woo-hoo!!!!
I just love the new flavor of Dean's chip-dip, Grilled Chipotle. It is soooo good!!!
I just love the bunco group I joined back in November! I've had more fun with that group of women.
I just love my crockpots!, 'specially when I think of the dinner that will already be cooked and ready to eat by the time I get home after work. : )
I just love that there are only 24 more days 'til vacation. Woo-hoo!!!!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
new song
Okay, I've been waiting to share this with y'all, but I had to wait 'til after my friends baby-shower.
As many of you know, I'm the "Weird Al Yankovich" of Brownhurst Manor. Meaning, I like to take songs or poems, and change the lyrics to suit my mood or the occassion at hand. We had a baby-shower for one of our bunco-gals last night, so I took the opportunity to change the lyrics to the popular "Camp Granada" song (set to the classical song: "Dance of the Hours").
Just thought I'd share with the rest of you... (ps, some of the lyrics are a stretch, syllable wise, so you may have to use your imagination in a couple of places)
Hello Mother, Hello Father,
Greetings now you've, Broken-Water,
This womb is getting, a little too snug,
When I get there I expect to get a big hug.
I've been 9 months, in the making,
I'll be there now, I've finished "baking".
It's been dark here, inside your womb,
I'll be seeing you both in the delivery room.
All the effort, on your part,
Has given life to, my little heart,
And for your patience, I reward you,
With a dirty diaper full of stinky poo-poo.
So we meet now, for the first time,
And your tears make, your eyes bright 'n' shine,
I am Taylor, your little baby girl,
It's good to finally be here in the real world.
Take me home, oh mudda, fadda,
Take me home, I cry a lotta,
Now, I want, to have my dinner.
Oh, my, mom, you're looking thinner.
Take me home, I promise you, I will, make, noise,
And mess the house with all, my, toys.
Oh please don't make me stay,
In here, for one, more, day.
Dearest father, darling mother,
I'm your precious, little daughter,
Take me home now, to my own crib,
And put on one of my new cross-stitched bibs.
If I may now, give my thanks,
For all the things, you have foresaked,
It's good to finally, feel your gentle touch,
I know you both will give me unconditional love.
As many of you know, I'm the "Weird Al Yankovich" of Brownhurst Manor. Meaning, I like to take songs or poems, and change the lyrics to suit my mood or the occassion at hand. We had a baby-shower for one of our bunco-gals last night, so I took the opportunity to change the lyrics to the popular "Camp Granada" song (set to the classical song: "Dance of the Hours").
Just thought I'd share with the rest of you... (ps, some of the lyrics are a stretch, syllable wise, so you may have to use your imagination in a couple of places)
Hello Mother, Hello Father,
Greetings now you've, Broken-Water,
This womb is getting, a little too snug,
When I get there I expect to get a big hug.
I've been 9 months, in the making,
I'll be there now, I've finished "baking".
It's been dark here, inside your womb,
I'll be seeing you both in the delivery room.
All the effort, on your part,
Has given life to, my little heart,
And for your patience, I reward you,
With a dirty diaper full of stinky poo-poo.
So we meet now, for the first time,
And your tears make, your eyes bright 'n' shine,
I am Taylor, your little baby girl,
It's good to finally be here in the real world.
Take me home, oh mudda, fadda,
Take me home, I cry a lotta,
Now, I want, to have my dinner.
Oh, my, mom, you're looking thinner.
Take me home, I promise you, I will, make, noise,
And mess the house with all, my, toys.
Oh please don't make me stay,
In here, for one, more, day.
Dearest father, darling mother,
I'm your precious, little daughter,
Take me home now, to my own crib,
And put on one of my new cross-stitched bibs.
If I may now, give my thanks,
For all the things, you have foresaked,
It's good to finally, feel your gentle touch,
I know you both will give me unconditional love.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Trash pick-up
I've got issues this morning. For those of you that are my neighbors, you probably already know what those issues are.
Here's the full story...
When I arrived home Monday, 03/06, I got the mail, let the dogs out, changed clothes, fed the dogs, then finally looked through the mail. It was well after 5pm. In with the mail, was a yellow postcard from our trash pick-up company, Industrial Disposal (I.D.). As you can see from the attached photo, there is no date printed on it to indicate when the service would be changing, nor is there anything marked to indicate what day it would be changed to. What, was I supposed to guess? Or fill in a date and send it back to them letting them know what day I preferred having it picked up on?
As it was after 5pm, I figured their business office was probably closed, and decided I'd call in the morning to inquire. I figured they'd be giving a week or two's notice, so there was no pressing need to get the info right then and there. By the way, our normal pick up had been on wednesday mornings.
When I walked out of the house at 7:50 this morning, I saw that many of the neighbors that also used that company had their dumpsters sitting out, and that they had already been emptied. I felt my blood starting to boil! I was livid!!!
I called Industrial Disposal after I arrived at work and spoke with a young woman. I explained the situation to her and she promptly got on my bad side. She said, "Well, if you'd turn the card over and look on the back, it has a date of when the service will change."
What kind of idiot does she take me for? Don't you think I would've already looked this card over, on all sides, for an explanation?
I said, "NO MA'AM, IT DOES NOT!!! And if you have an email address, I'll gladly scan this card and email it to you so you can see that it is blank."
Then she got defensive and she put me on hold. When she got back on the phone, she said that they were unable to get a hold of the driver in our area to get him back over there. I said, "It's too late anyway. I'm not at home to be able to set it out."
"Well, then, as a courtesy, we'll have a driver come by tomorrow and pick it up."
Then I asked, "Don't you think you all owe it to your customers, just as a courtesy, to give them more than 12 hours notice that their pick-up day is changing?"
"Well ma'am, everyone was given about two weeks notice. Those cards were mailed out two weeks ago."
I flipped my card over and looked at the postmark date... March 3rd.
Again I bellowed, "No Ma'am! This is postmarked March 3rd. That was friday. We received it on monday. By the time I got my mail after 5pm, and you picked up the trash this morning, that ended up being just about 12 hours notice!! And if you don't believe me, then give me your email address so I can send you this card, and I'll prove it to you!"
Needless to say, she wouldn't provide me the email address.
And, needless to say, I'm cancelling my service with their company. This was just the straw that broke the camel's back. I've had nothing but problems with them... after emptying the can, instead of sitting it back where they found it, off to the side of the driveway, in the grass, they would either sit it in the street or smack dab in the middle of the drive, making it impossible for us to get in/out of the drive, or creating obstacles for other drivers going down the street.
Enough is enough!
So I called a couple of other companies that pick up in our neighborhood and got their fees.
Rumpke charges $17.99/month. That's about what I.D. charges.
Waste Management charges $14.92/month. Sounds pretty darn good to me! I'm switching!
I encourage the rest of you to do the same. Oh, but here's one tidbit of info before you do so.
Waste Management wanted to charge me a $35.00 fee to set up a new account. Yikes! "What on earth for???"
"Well ma'am, that's to deliver the new residential dumpster and to set up the account."
"Okay, but if I already have trash cans, so I don't need your dumpster. There's no need to charge me that $35."
"Well ma'am, there's still a charge to set up the account."
I'm thinking, they're going to charge me $35 to type my name and address into a computer? This is going to take them all of 30 seconds!
I expressed my displeasure over that fee, and was prepared to decline their service and hang up when the girl said, "if you'll hold on, I'll see if they'll lower the fee." So I was put on hold. When she came back on the line, she informed me, "Ma'am, we're going to waive the fee."
"Thank you. I'll send you the first 3 months in advance."
So here's my advice to anyone looking to change their service, bitch a little about that activation fee, and they'll waive it. Then start getting your trash picked up for less cost.
Monday, March 06, 2006
Anonymity
I've been thinking long and hard all weekend long about how I would write this blog. ie: what info I'd include, whether or not to mention names, how in depth I'd describe what I saw, what one word would sum it all up...
Well, I've decided to leave all names out of it, if not to protect their identity, then just to keep my theme going here, which is "anonymity".
I attended a bachelorette party saturday night. My first. My last?, hmm, I don't know. I don't know that many single women, so probably so. There were 8 of us in attendance, including the bride-to-be. I volunteered to be a designated driver, as I'm not really a drinker. Plus, most other people's driving makes me nervous. I admit it, I'm a control freak when it comes to driving.
The night started at 7pm at the bride's house. While we waited for everyone to show up (aside from 2 that would be meeting us at the restaurant), martinis and shots were downed, and penis-cake was served. That was a left-over treat her co-workers had given her the day before. I do have a picture, but I won't post it. Shortly after 7:30, we piled into 2 cars and headed for Bearno's pizza in the Highlands. It was crowded and we had to wait for a table big enough to hold 8 rowdy women.
Before I go any further, I gotta tell you, when I first met the bride last year as she and her fiance were moving into their new house, my first impression of her was that she was a shy, quiet, demure little southern belle. Gee, was I wrong. She was anything but shy or demure that night.
Once dinner was over, at about 10pm, we headed for a night club. This is where things got interesting. We went to Connections. For those of you that aren't familiar with this hang-out, it is considered a gay-bar. We were going there to watch a drag-show.
When we arrived, I saw nothing on the outside of the building to indicate where we were. I just trusted the other women (that had been there before) and followed them. Oh! It was sooo dark in there. The lights, what few lights there were, were turned down so low, you really had to strain to see where you were going. I almost felt as if I had to maneuver around by using the touch and feel method. Probably what some of the regular patrons like, I'm sure.
After passing down the first dark hall, we entered the discoteque. This room was quiet... for now. We passed through, down another dark hallway and entered a theater-type room. There were perhaps a couple of dozen people already seated in there. We headed down to the pit, and sat to the far left. Ooh, that might've been a mistake! Little did I realize at that time that we had sat directly in front of the gigantic speakers. Once the music started, I was nearly blasted off my chair. My ears are still ringing, even though it's been over 36 hours since it ended. The cigarette smoke was somewhat overwhelming, but there was no place to go to escape it.
I wish the lights had been a bit brighter in there, at least while the show wasn't going on. I'd have liked to have seen some of the faces in the crowd, but apparently anonymity is the theme around there.
The show started at 10:30, and it was entertaining. There was only one performer that I thought should have been booed off the stage. He couldn't lip-synch worth a darn, he had no rhythm in his moves, and he was a down-right ugly woman. Fortunately, he only performed 2 songs. The other performers were quite good. I couldn't possibly remember their stage-names, but the heavy-set guy was by far the most entertaining.
I did learn a new word, or phrase to be more precise. "John Deere" ("John Dear"?). This is apparently what butchy-women are called, no offense to anyone. I'd never heard that one before.
The show ended at 12:45, and by now, the theater was packed with people, making it standing room only. As we were exiting the room, I feared getting separated from the other girls. I just kept sight of the bride's veil as she bobbed through the crowd. I took great care not to jostle anyone as I made my way through the crowd.
We made our way to the room where the dance floor was located, and it was packed with several hundred people, all bumping and grinding, amongst other things. Many of the men were walking around and dancing without any shirts on. Why is this acceptable for men to do that, and not for women?
Now, I'm no prude, nor am I homo-phobic. I tend to think of myself as being quite liberal. But, I have to say, I was somewhat speechless by some of the things I saw next.
We came upon one total babe standing at a bar, wearing nothing but a pair of white tennis shoes and a pair of tidy-whitey underpants. At that point, I didn't know he was an employee. We then proceeded to yet another room with a bar in the middle, some dreamy-eyed men sitting on bar-stools, and a large-screen tv. The men were dreamy-eyed, not because of what was on the tv, but because of the 3 men that were dancing on the bar... one of them being Mr. Tidey-Whitey. The other two dancers were wearing even less than he was. I will say, they were well worth watching. Nice butts! Nice faces too!! I wouldn't have minded staying in that room a while longer. ; )
I don't know if these cuties were gay, straight, bi or what, but they had something to offer for both genders if interested. I suppose it could've been "just a job" for them. But yuck, I just couldn't do that line of work, even if I had the bod for it.
Back to the dance floor. Six of the gals decided to dance, me not being one of them. So I and the other hold-out stood with our backs to the wall. I took up a firm stance with my arms crossed, leaving no doubt to anyone, that I was unapproachable.
I saw things that I'm not sure should be done outside of the privacy of one's bedroom or bathroom. Just a few feet away from where we stood was a 3-sided cage. A young man, nude from the waist up, entered and started dancing and girating. He then took a "thing" from a girl standing outside of the cage, and proceeded to play with it. Again, I was speechless. Blessedly, the girls finished dancing and we made our way out to the street.
Fresh air at last!!!
I was back home by 1:05. I kissed the sleeping husband on the cheek, and thanked my lucky stars for what I have at home.
Well, I've decided to leave all names out of it, if not to protect their identity, then just to keep my theme going here, which is "anonymity".
I attended a bachelorette party saturday night. My first. My last?, hmm, I don't know. I don't know that many single women, so probably so. There were 8 of us in attendance, including the bride-to-be. I volunteered to be a designated driver, as I'm not really a drinker. Plus, most other people's driving makes me nervous. I admit it, I'm a control freak when it comes to driving.
The night started at 7pm at the bride's house. While we waited for everyone to show up (aside from 2 that would be meeting us at the restaurant), martinis and shots were downed, and penis-cake was served. That was a left-over treat her co-workers had given her the day before. I do have a picture, but I won't post it. Shortly after 7:30, we piled into 2 cars and headed for Bearno's pizza in the Highlands. It was crowded and we had to wait for a table big enough to hold 8 rowdy women.
Before I go any further, I gotta tell you, when I first met the bride last year as she and her fiance were moving into their new house, my first impression of her was that she was a shy, quiet, demure little southern belle. Gee, was I wrong. She was anything but shy or demure that night.
Once dinner was over, at about 10pm, we headed for a night club. This is where things got interesting. We went to Connections. For those of you that aren't familiar with this hang-out, it is considered a gay-bar. We were going there to watch a drag-show.
When we arrived, I saw nothing on the outside of the building to indicate where we were. I just trusted the other women (that had been there before) and followed them. Oh! It was sooo dark in there. The lights, what few lights there were, were turned down so low, you really had to strain to see where you were going. I almost felt as if I had to maneuver around by using the touch and feel method. Probably what some of the regular patrons like, I'm sure.
After passing down the first dark hall, we entered the discoteque. This room was quiet... for now. We passed through, down another dark hallway and entered a theater-type room. There were perhaps a couple of dozen people already seated in there. We headed down to the pit, and sat to the far left. Ooh, that might've been a mistake! Little did I realize at that time that we had sat directly in front of the gigantic speakers. Once the music started, I was nearly blasted off my chair. My ears are still ringing, even though it's been over 36 hours since it ended. The cigarette smoke was somewhat overwhelming, but there was no place to go to escape it.
I wish the lights had been a bit brighter in there, at least while the show wasn't going on. I'd have liked to have seen some of the faces in the crowd, but apparently anonymity is the theme around there.
The show started at 10:30, and it was entertaining. There was only one performer that I thought should have been booed off the stage. He couldn't lip-synch worth a darn, he had no rhythm in his moves, and he was a down-right ugly woman. Fortunately, he only performed 2 songs. The other performers were quite good. I couldn't possibly remember their stage-names, but the heavy-set guy was by far the most entertaining.
I did learn a new word, or phrase to be more precise. "John Deere" ("John Dear"?). This is apparently what butchy-women are called, no offense to anyone. I'd never heard that one before.
The show ended at 12:45, and by now, the theater was packed with people, making it standing room only. As we were exiting the room, I feared getting separated from the other girls. I just kept sight of the bride's veil as she bobbed through the crowd. I took great care not to jostle anyone as I made my way through the crowd.
We made our way to the room where the dance floor was located, and it was packed with several hundred people, all bumping and grinding, amongst other things. Many of the men were walking around and dancing without any shirts on. Why is this acceptable for men to do that, and not for women?
Now, I'm no prude, nor am I homo-phobic. I tend to think of myself as being quite liberal. But, I have to say, I was somewhat speechless by some of the things I saw next.
We came upon one total babe standing at a bar, wearing nothing but a pair of white tennis shoes and a pair of tidy-whitey underpants. At that point, I didn't know he was an employee. We then proceeded to yet another room with a bar in the middle, some dreamy-eyed men sitting on bar-stools, and a large-screen tv. The men were dreamy-eyed, not because of what was on the tv, but because of the 3 men that were dancing on the bar... one of them being Mr. Tidey-Whitey. The other two dancers were wearing even less than he was. I will say, they were well worth watching. Nice butts! Nice faces too!! I wouldn't have minded staying in that room a while longer. ; )
I don't know if these cuties were gay, straight, bi or what, but they had something to offer for both genders if interested. I suppose it could've been "just a job" for them. But yuck, I just couldn't do that line of work, even if I had the bod for it.
Back to the dance floor. Six of the gals decided to dance, me not being one of them. So I and the other hold-out stood with our backs to the wall. I took up a firm stance with my arms crossed, leaving no doubt to anyone, that I was unapproachable.
I saw things that I'm not sure should be done outside of the privacy of one's bedroom or bathroom. Just a few feet away from where we stood was a 3-sided cage. A young man, nude from the waist up, entered and started dancing and girating. He then took a "thing" from a girl standing outside of the cage, and proceeded to play with it. Again, I was speechless. Blessedly, the girls finished dancing and we made our way out to the street.
Fresh air at last!!!
I was back home by 1:05. I kissed the sleeping husband on the cheek, and thanked my lucky stars for what I have at home.
Weekend in review...
Another weekend gone by. So much to blog about, and so little time...
Actually, I do have a lot to blog about, but I'm just not sure where to start. Oh well, no place like the beginning.
Friday night, in anticipation of the dryer-repairman coming the next day, we pulled the dryer out of the closet space, vacuumed all around the lint trap, the vent hose, underneath. I think we sucked up the equivalent of a St. Bernard, there was so much dog-hair and lint. Not to mention all the hangers and clothes pins that had fallen down behind the dryer.
As Sears had told me the repairman would be there between 8am and 5pm, I got up early (earlier than I normally would for a saturday) and got cleaned up. The morning was dawning beautifully, so I sent the big kids out to play and enjoy the fresh air. Sears had also told me I would get a call 1/2 hour before he arrived, to warn me he was coming. So at 8:10 am, I was out back with the kids, when I looked up and saw a Sears van turn onto our street. Hmmm. Was he coming to our house, without calling me first? Or was someone else on our street getting serviced first? It was us.
$59 later, just for showing up at the house, he could find nothing wrong. The dryer refused to make the crazy noise it made for me last week, and it also refused to make the burning rubber smell again. Just like an automobile! Makes all kinds of racket, but as soon as you pull into the mechanics shop, it starts running smoothly. He stated that the belt looked fine, and his best guess was that the motor was going bad, but that was just a guess. And that would cost $200-$300 to replace. I said, that's okay, I'll just get a new dryer if it does go out.
He then proceeded to tell me that while he could find nothing wrong, that for another $66 he could guarantee his work (what work??) for another year. Again I declined.
I swear, Sears is running quite the scam! When I initially made the call to them, the girl tried getting me to let the repairman do a "tune-up" on my washer. This normally cost $100 +/-, but since he would already be there, it would only cost me blah-blah dollars. I said, "tune up?" Oh yes ma'am, it helps keep your appliance running longer. Again, no thanks. The washer is only a year old, and I'm not going to start getting my appliances tuned up. I don't even get the car tuned up like I should.
Okay, so that was $59 down the drain.
I did some laundry, and attempted to take it easy the rest of the day, as I had a bachelorette party to attend that night. That's info for a totally separate blog. Needless to say, I really didn't get any rest, nor did I really get much accomplished. Story of my life.
Sunday morning, I attempted to sleep in, to make up for all the sleep I lost by attending the party, but that didn't happen. Oh, I laid in bed for quite a while, but who could sleep with all the racket the dogs & cats made? I finally gave up about 10am and staggered out of the bedroom to face the day. Aside from laundry, I again accomplished nothing other than some laundry. Oh, and I finished another x-stitch project while watching the Law & Order:SVU marathon. : )
Okay, on to my next blog about the girls-night out...
Actually, I do have a lot to blog about, but I'm just not sure where to start. Oh well, no place like the beginning.
Friday night, in anticipation of the dryer-repairman coming the next day, we pulled the dryer out of the closet space, vacuumed all around the lint trap, the vent hose, underneath. I think we sucked up the equivalent of a St. Bernard, there was so much dog-hair and lint. Not to mention all the hangers and clothes pins that had fallen down behind the dryer.
As Sears had told me the repairman would be there between 8am and 5pm, I got up early (earlier than I normally would for a saturday) and got cleaned up. The morning was dawning beautifully, so I sent the big kids out to play and enjoy the fresh air. Sears had also told me I would get a call 1/2 hour before he arrived, to warn me he was coming. So at 8:10 am, I was out back with the kids, when I looked up and saw a Sears van turn onto our street. Hmmm. Was he coming to our house, without calling me first? Or was someone else on our street getting serviced first? It was us.
$59 later, just for showing up at the house, he could find nothing wrong. The dryer refused to make the crazy noise it made for me last week, and it also refused to make the burning rubber smell again. Just like an automobile! Makes all kinds of racket, but as soon as you pull into the mechanics shop, it starts running smoothly. He stated that the belt looked fine, and his best guess was that the motor was going bad, but that was just a guess. And that would cost $200-$300 to replace. I said, that's okay, I'll just get a new dryer if it does go out.
He then proceeded to tell me that while he could find nothing wrong, that for another $66 he could guarantee his work (what work??) for another year. Again I declined.
I swear, Sears is running quite the scam! When I initially made the call to them, the girl tried getting me to let the repairman do a "tune-up" on my washer. This normally cost $100 +/-, but since he would already be there, it would only cost me blah-blah dollars. I said, "tune up?" Oh yes ma'am, it helps keep your appliance running longer. Again, no thanks. The washer is only a year old, and I'm not going to start getting my appliances tuned up. I don't even get the car tuned up like I should.
Okay, so that was $59 down the drain.
I did some laundry, and attempted to take it easy the rest of the day, as I had a bachelorette party to attend that night. That's info for a totally separate blog. Needless to say, I really didn't get any rest, nor did I really get much accomplished. Story of my life.
Sunday morning, I attempted to sleep in, to make up for all the sleep I lost by attending the party, but that didn't happen. Oh, I laid in bed for quite a while, but who could sleep with all the racket the dogs & cats made? I finally gave up about 10am and staggered out of the bedroom to face the day. Aside from laundry, I again accomplished nothing other than some laundry. Oh, and I finished another x-stitch project while watching the Law & Order:SVU marathon. : )
Okay, on to my next blog about the girls-night out...
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Infomercials
Infomercials. You either love 'em, or you hate 'em.
As a general rule of thumb, I hate 'em. I get more than enough commercials while watching regular t.v. shows... don't need 1/2 hour long commercials trying to sell me something during the wee hours of the morning, when I'd much rather be watching (if not the inside of my eyelids), a good comedy or mystery.
My husband is the more gullible of the two, as I suspect, most husbands are. Granted, I've given my attention to more than a few over the years and thought to myself, "ah, if only the product really worked that way...".
I've only given in to one of the informercials over the years. It was way back in the late 80's, when infomercials were just becoming the norm. It was for a product called the Europainter. They made it look so easy on t.v. I was completely set to resist the sales-pitch, but the husband twisted my arm with promises of how easy painting our new house was going to be and how he'd gladly help if only we had a Europainter. So I caved in and ordered one.
Hmph!, not only did it not work as easily as they had demonstrated, but not once did the husband raise a finger to help. I should've known! Also, the bonus items, 2 paint lids with easy-pour spouts, didn't fit any paint can that I've ever been able to find. **grumble, grumble**
Ever since that one failed purchase, I've managed to successfully resist all other temptations.
'Til now, that is. Well, actually, so far I've managed to resist, but my resistance is weakening.
Have you seen the advertisement for the Bullet? Go to www.BuytheBullet.com for info. It looks so easy. And it would certainly take up less room than my blender which I use only 2 or 3 times a year and my food processor which I only use once every 2 - 3 years.
Now there's a thought... if I'm not using those items very much, do I really need the Bullet food chopper?
As a general rule of thumb, I hate 'em. I get more than enough commercials while watching regular t.v. shows... don't need 1/2 hour long commercials trying to sell me something during the wee hours of the morning, when I'd much rather be watching (if not the inside of my eyelids), a good comedy or mystery.
My husband is the more gullible of the two, as I suspect, most husbands are. Granted, I've given my attention to more than a few over the years and thought to myself, "ah, if only the product really worked that way...".
I've only given in to one of the informercials over the years. It was way back in the late 80's, when infomercials were just becoming the norm. It was for a product called the Europainter. They made it look so easy on t.v. I was completely set to resist the sales-pitch, but the husband twisted my arm with promises of how easy painting our new house was going to be and how he'd gladly help if only we had a Europainter. So I caved in and ordered one.
Hmph!, not only did it not work as easily as they had demonstrated, but not once did the husband raise a finger to help. I should've known! Also, the bonus items, 2 paint lids with easy-pour spouts, didn't fit any paint can that I've ever been able to find. **grumble, grumble**
Ever since that one failed purchase, I've managed to successfully resist all other temptations.
'Til now, that is. Well, actually, so far I've managed to resist, but my resistance is weakening.
Have you seen the advertisement for the Bullet? Go to www.BuytheBullet.com for info. It looks so easy. And it would certainly take up less room than my blender which I use only 2 or 3 times a year and my food processor which I only use once every 2 - 3 years.
Now there's a thought... if I'm not using those items very much, do I really need the Bullet food chopper?
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Seeking guidance
I'm going shopping this weekend, just as soon as the dryer-repairman has come/gone (sometime between 8am & 5pm). I'm going to the book store in search of a book (or books)... "Whistle While You Work: Heeding Your Life's Calling".
I went web-surfing and visited several sites. That book was listed on many, many of the sites I hit, and even if the book wasn't, the author's name was, so it's as good a place to start as any.
One site I visited had a 10 questions. There are no right/wrong ansers. They aren't submitted to anyone and spit back out at me with a magic answer of what I should be doing. They're thought provoking questions, and I think they are good for anybody/everybody to ask of themselves.
I found I didn't really have an answer (at least, not immeditately) to some of those questions.
I printed out the questions and my answers, and I'm going to carry it around with me. Then I intend to revisit those questions again in 6 months, and a year from now, and see if anything has changed.
#1) How have my parents' expectations affected my choices?
#2) What are my assumptions about money?
#3) With whom should I surround myself?
#4) How much power does my environment have over me?
#5) How have I been trapped by my success?
#6) Am I willing to spend years before letting my dream manifest itself?
#7) What assumptions did I make when I was young about what I'm good at or not good at?
#8) Am I afraid of looking inward?
#9) Am I willing to spend years looking for an answer?
#10) What am I naturally curious about?
I went web-surfing and visited several sites. That book was listed on many, many of the sites I hit, and even if the book wasn't, the author's name was, so it's as good a place to start as any.
One site I visited had a 10 questions. There are no right/wrong ansers. They aren't submitted to anyone and spit back out at me with a magic answer of what I should be doing. They're thought provoking questions, and I think they are good for anybody/everybody to ask of themselves.
I found I didn't really have an answer (at least, not immeditately) to some of those questions.
I printed out the questions and my answers, and I'm going to carry it around with me. Then I intend to revisit those questions again in 6 months, and a year from now, and see if anything has changed.
#1) How have my parents' expectations affected my choices?
#2) What are my assumptions about money?
#3) With whom should I surround myself?
#4) How much power does my environment have over me?
#5) How have I been trapped by my success?
#6) Am I willing to spend years before letting my dream manifest itself?
#7) What assumptions did I make when I was young about what I'm good at or not good at?
#8) Am I afraid of looking inward?
#9) Am I willing to spend years looking for an answer?
#10) What am I naturally curious about?
Calling Life
I've often been told that I've missed my life's calling.
But what exactly is my life's calling? How could I have missed it if I didn't hear it? Was I not listening?
I remember back in high school, perhaps my sophomore year, we had to take a test. Not an I.Q. or aptitude test they were always giving us, but one that determined what we perhaps would be best suited to as a career after our schooling was complete.
If memory serves me correctly, when I got the results back from my test, it suggested I'd either make a good librarian, or construction worker, ie: builder/contractor.
At the time I could understand the librarian suggestion, as I always had my nose in a book. Of course, that wasn't how they determined their suggestion. But I never understood the "mans-job" (at least, what we think of as a man's job).
Obviously, I've ended up nowhere near either one of those careers. I don't think those choices were calling me.
So what was?
But what exactly is my life's calling? How could I have missed it if I didn't hear it? Was I not listening?
I remember back in high school, perhaps my sophomore year, we had to take a test. Not an I.Q. or aptitude test they were always giving us, but one that determined what we perhaps would be best suited to as a career after our schooling was complete.
If memory serves me correctly, when I got the results back from my test, it suggested I'd either make a good librarian, or construction worker, ie: builder/contractor.
At the time I could understand the librarian suggestion, as I always had my nose in a book. Of course, that wasn't how they determined their suggestion. But I never understood the "mans-job" (at least, what we think of as a man's job).
Obviously, I've ended up nowhere near either one of those careers. I don't think those choices were calling me.
So what was?
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