Because I Said So

Fool Me Once....

2006-03-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

Well, I broke my own rule and went on a date last night with what I thought was a real gentleman. We started with a hockey game (perfect 1st date activity for me) and then moved on to some dinner and drinks at a local restaurant. Everything was awesome and he was behaving like someone out of an old black & white movie.

Then it happened.

Super Nice Guy turned into Mr. All Hands.

I should have gone to Olive Garden. Hello again, single me.

I Smell Like an Ashtray

2006-03-19T12:30:00.000-05:00

Cuervo 1800 shots. Draft beers. Bar food. Saturday night.

I had a fantabulous time last night with a friend from work on our first Girls Night Out in months. My ego is sufficiently boosted because my "I'm not dating" vibe drove the boys crazy. The band was great and the singer sucked, as is typical with local cover bands around here.

It was really nice to get out and people watch again. There was a girl standing near us with Runaway Bride eyes...you know the wide open, scary eyes? There were dozens of Sausage Girls. Some of them should have really asked someone before they left the house. Lycra + 75 lbs overweight = EEEK! There were the throngs of army privates trolling and telling the same story: We're leaving base in 2 days and haven't even had a chance to meet people or have any fun yet!

So, so much fun. I was glad to get home where smoke didn't hover and I didn't smell Polo cologne around every turn, though. I hope you all had great weekends!

Peace out. LOL

My Inner B*tch

2006-03-16T20:25:00.000-05:00

15 days smoke-free. And the foul moods are kicking in BIG TIME. I'm almost afraid that this is my true personality and the nicotine just kept me calm before. Boy, I hope not. For the first 12 days or so, I had no problems. No withdrawal symptoms, no moods and almost no cravings. 3 days ago, I got a headache that still hasn't left me and I'm seriously CRAVING a smoke. I will not smoke, however. I'm just going to be miserable for a while. At least I smell better. :-)

Squeezing in a Quickie

2006-03-11T16:53:00.000-05:00

Not as fun as it sounds. I just managed to get a few minutes between applying first aid to little knees keeping my mother from lapsing into a Xanax coma. I've been MIA for a while due to circumstances; my internet at home is no more and my employer has blocked anything remotely related to 'blogging'. So, I've been able to read all of your blogs, but unable to comment or compose new posts. It's been so frustrating!!

Ok, a few updates now. Ex #1 is in fact moving out of state in August of this year. He hid the fact from me for a few days, leaving it up to my 10-year-old to tell me. At first, there was some custody discussion. He backed off of that pretty quickly when he realized that I would probably do some serious damage if he kept pushing. Then, he decided to fight child support. So, I'll be meeting with an attorney on the 23rd of this month. The dummy actually thought that he could deposit the child support into an account that he controlled and just give me an ATM card, so he could monitor how the funds were being spent. Ha.

Work is getting tense. Pole Dancing Girl threw a fit last week because I asked her to shut the hell up, nicely, and now she's not coming in to work. I didn't realize that I could scare her away so easily. I would have done it years ago. :-) Boss Man and I have been trying to get over a case of the Plague for the last two weeks. Sausage Girl still looks like a Jimmy Dean advertisement. All of that is just entertainment. The tense part comes in on a corporate level. My company was purchased by a huge corporation back in the fall of 2005. Beginning in January of this year, things have been changing quite a bit. Things that we didn't sign on for. Some really asinine policies have been put into place and the mutterings of 'Law Suit!' are being heard in every corner of every division office. There's also talk of joining the union, which we've been 100% against for decades. It's going to be terribly interesting for a while.

What's been going on with my social life? Nada. Move on.

I do have good news for myself and anyone within smelling distance of me. Today is day #10 of my smoke-out. I am officially a non-smoker and I'm stoked!! Of course, I haven't had a beer in two weeks either, but that's just to keep the nic-fits away.

I guess that's about it for now. I'll try and get back on as soon as I can with more interesting subject matter. I hope everyone is gas-free and sleeping soundly. :-)

Hasta la bye-bye

Between a Rock and....Another Rock

2006-02-21T11:08:00.000-05:00

Two issues, very similar problems. I've made it clear to two people in my life that I'm not interested in continuing the friendship and I've given my personal reasons. Neither of these people are backing off and it's getting to the point where I'm going to have to be aggressive about getting my voice heard.

I do not like to say or do anything to hurt another person, even superficially. I can be brutal, but I have to really be fired up about something and in battle-mode. That's not a frequent occurrence.

One of these people lives 2 miles away from me. I had been doing the no-contact thing for a couple of weeks when, oops, we run into each other at the grocery store. I had to be somewhat rude that day to keep him from following me while I shopped. Now, I'm getting text messages and emails every day.

I thought staying single would be easier. Now the "just friends" people are clutching at me and I'm trying desperately to stay nice about all of this. I used to be one of those people that held on to past friendships/relationships. I didn't have any ex-boyfriends that I wasn't still friends with. I've got girlfriends that I've known for 10+ years. I'm getting tired of keeping these relationships up. So, I've cut the fat on the people that drag me down or aren't living their lives cleanly and honestly. Is that cold or what?

Well, Duh

2006-02-17T14:46:00.000-05:00

I can't believe this is news:

Men Lie About Number of Sex Partners

Crazy Frog Friday

2006-02-17T13:46:00.000-05:00

I can't get that silly song out of my head. 'Axel F' by Crazy Frog was playing on Radio Disney this morning, right on schedule. I swear, they play the same 7 songs all day long and it's on XM! Anyhoo, my 2 year old loves the stupid thing and calls it the Ding Ding Song. Those of you who have heard it know why. It's now 1:57 EST and the tune is still stuck in my brain! HELP ME

Office Etiquette - What NOT to Do

2006-02-16T16:17:00.001-05:00

1) Do NOT...blow your nose at your desk. Especially if you're in a cubicle. Ew. You people are sick.
2) Do NOT...laugh like a mental patient or hyena at full volume. You know your laugh is annoying. You're just trying to commit suicide-by-coworker. You can't fool me.
3) Do NOT...conduct personal phone calls at your desk. I don't care how quiet you think you're being. We can hear you. And we all know that your boyfriend stole your checkbook to pay for his new tires.
4) Do NOT...talk over cubicle walls to your buddy next door. One of these days, that wall's going to "accidentally" fall over on you.
5) Do NOT...try to sneak out when the boss isn't looking. If he's not paying attention, 15 people who are pissed that they have to stay in the office ARE.
6) Do NOT...drink on your lunch break. Only 15-year-olds don't understand yet that alcohol of any kind makes you smell funny. Yes, even Vodka unless you're drinking the good stuff.
7) Do NOT...destroy the lavatory with your disgusting after-lunch funk. Go the hell home and take care of that nastiness. Ugh.
8) Do NOT...knock on my door if it's closed. I throw things.
9) Do NOT...put on perfume, paint your nails, remove nail polish or spray air freshener in your cubicle. That's how we lost lost our last receptionist. She just keeled over from the fumes.
10) Do NOT...EVER refer to similarities in outfits of two other people and ask, "Did you guys call each other? Har har". You can't sue if nobody sees them smack you.

How about you all....any ideas to add to the list?

My Bacon Number is 3

2006-02-16T15:40:00.000-05:00

Ex-hubby #1 delivered champagne to Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey was in A Time to Kill with Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock was in Loverboy with Kevin Bacon.

Ta-da!

Wow, that was fun.

Last Minute...

2006-02-15T16:30:00.000-05:00

I'm 15 minutes away from being free of the office, and I just realized that I had forgotten a blog post today. Dopey me.

Boss Man has officially taken up 1 hour and 5 minutes of my time today with his idle chatter and hissy fits. And he was in here less often than usual. Just for fun, I'm going to continue to keep track of it, just to see how much time I'm having wasted each day/week. Maybe I should post a NO LOITERING sign?

We found out today that the brand of our company is going to be changed completely. We were purchased by another large company back in September or so, and we were told that the brands would merge. However, leaked images of corporate vehicles (already with new paint jobs) show no trace of the original company logo or name. Kind of sad to see it all go. I'm guessing that I have until December 2006 before my job is moved or eliminated. I'm not sweating it, though. My job sucks out loud.

10 minutes now, folks. I'm going to have to wrap this up so I can get ready to claim my munchkins. Then it's home for the usual night-time tight schedule. I will be back tomorrow with more boring spew.

Toodles!

Down With Cupid!

2006-02-14T13:04:00.000-05:00

Nah, just kidding. That's just what all of my coupled-up friends expect me to say on this, the Super Day for Love! Eh. I don't really care one way or the other this year. Is that weird?

My kids made the entire day for me. This morning, they gave me a very pretty little box to keep earrings in and both were full of hugs, kisses and 'I Love You's (the kids, not the boxes, teehee). My 10 year old even straightened the den up without my asking her to!! It was a fabulous morning.

So what if I'm not dating? I didn't want to share any of my chocolate anyway!

Have a great holiday everyone. And if you're single and having a hissy over it, just remember...it could always be worse. You could be married. Ha!

Smooches

Test Me

2006-02-14T12:30:00.000-05:00

I've changed the template of this blog, yet again, to try and fix a problem with comments. Please try and comment and let me know if there are any issues.

Thanks!

Jose Cuervo, te amo

2006-02-10T13:36:00.000-05:00

Si. Mucho gusto.

It's been a crazy week or so. I've run the gamut of stress - from little issues to big giant elephant issues. Hopefully, I'm gaining some sort of knowledge from all of my challenges of late. Hopefully.

One thing that hit this week is related to parenting. My daughter's school had a big DUH! moment on Monday. Her bible-thumping (Sorry Mac! Sorry Finding!) Principal decided that in her world of "tear them down, build them up" educating, the 10-year-olds should be publicly disciplined for a range of offenses: passing notes, attitude, lackluster grades, etc. They were asked to stand in front of the rest of the 5th graders, were 'talked to' by the Principal and then, in some cases, asked to vocalize their crime into a microphone. Needless to say, those that weren't humiliated in the assembly were shortly tracked down by the class bullies and teased. My daughter happened to be one that was called up for note passing. It took 2 hours to get her calmed down after school.

See, where they went wrong is most obviously the tactic used. Public humiliation as a form of discipline was outlawed with the dunce cap. Second, they were re-punishing these kids for something that had already been addressed. Therefore, the kids see that making changes in their behavior doesn't do them a bit of good. They're going to keep getting punished for the past, right?

Over the last five days, I've had long telephone conversations with the Principal and quite a few emails from other parents. The phone calls alone could run another three days in posts, but I'll leave that where it is for now.

I may be a pushover when it comes to my issues, but don't mess with my babies!!

Nightmare

2006-02-03T12:54:00.000-05:00

Does the unconscious mind determine waking thoughts or vice versa?

I awoke from a dream this morning in what can only be called a panic attack. There were no monsters or snakes or murderous beings in my dream. I wasn't drowning or falling. I dreamt that I got married.

From what I remember, I progressed through the first part of the dream in a foggy state. I wasn't really aware of what was going on around me. Almost as if - irony here - I was sleeping. It wasn't until I looked at my hand to see a bubble gum machine, plastic ring on my finger that I snapped out of it. At that point, I went into full panic mode and I desperately tried to figure out a way out of the marriage. I remember saying over and over to myself, "I can't be married. I don't want to be married."

I have never been so happy to hear my annoying cell phone alarm go off. Once I was fully awake, the relief set in. Thank goodness, it was just a dream. Big. Fat. Whew!

Yippee!

2006-02-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

Good news! I just heard from Ex-hubby and he's interviewing here in the city! He is freakishly lucky, so I'm optimistic that he'll find something suitable and he won't have to move. Yay!!

Thursday

2006-02-02T13:29:00.000-05:00

Thursday started out like any other weekday; my alarm went off at 5:45am and I hit snooze until Little Man climbed into bed (the couch) with me and asked for "gapes n joosh". Miss Thang responded to my status inquiry, or yell up the stairs, with "I'M UP!!! GEEZ!!".

7:05am - We're late and I can't find Little Man's left shoe. There is a huge snag in my stockings. Miss Thang has to pee, all of a sudden, at the last minute. The car isn't warm yet.

Sigh.

All is right with the world and I smile as I wrestle the writhing beast I call Son into his car seat. The sun is just barely coming up - just enough to blind me as I'm backing out of the driveway.

We arrive at Babysitter #1 to drop Miss Thang off around 7:20am. As I park the car and prepare to say goodbye, she gasps, "I forgot that I need a note for this afternoon!". Of course, we had forgotten today was an after-school activity day. So, I write a brief note with my metallic purple pen and send her on her way.

It's 7:40am when I pull into the driveway at Babysitter #2. Little Man skips and sings his way to the front door, where we are immediately pounced on by 3 Yorkshire Terriers. A few shoo's to scatter the dogs, a kiss on the top of the head, and I'm on my way to work. Only 15 minutes behind schedule.

But, what's this? A trash truck. Following a school bus. Faaaarg.

Using the magic of commuting through bad neighborhoods where the cops don't hang out with radar, I made it to work only 8 minutes late. Almost immediately after unlocking my office door and hitting the power button on my PC, Boss Man sits his bulk in my guest chair to discuss the mondo important issue of his breakfast. I ignore him and try to concentrate on my email until he gets up like he's leaving. The minute that I turn my head to face him, he sits back down. At least he's predictable.

I get through most of the morning with no trouble at all. The phone is silent and the emails are infrequent. Then, it happens. Boss Man comes tearing into my office, sweating and puffing. After several attempts, I finally figure out what the big panic is about. His W-2 has not arrived yet! Gasp!

A little history on this. Last year, Boss Man's W-2's for both of his jobs were over a month late getting to his house. He spent the better part of that month harassing our Payroll Dept. and freaking out. He was convinced that he would not be able to file his taxes. Have I mentioned how high-strung and irrational he is?

I tried in vain to convince him that he could get a copy or even use his last pay stub for the year to calculate it, but he just couldn't wrap his mind around it. He had to have that form or the world would collapse on itself . Curiously, both of the statements showed up on the same day after being lost for so long. Hmmm...

Anyway, it's now February 2nd and he has no statement (like most of the rest of the country). He just knows that it's going to happen again. He's already after Payroll about a replacement.

How do you reason with someone like this? I haven't figured it out yet, but this is my life. From start to finish, a lot of funny things that fill sleep with the weirdest dreams. I'll tell you all about some of those another time.

He's now napping peacefully at his desk. I'm going to start calling and hanging up after the first ring just to mess with him. Toodles!

Home Base Updates

2006-01-30T13:16:00.000-05:00

Is stapling someone to their rolling office chair considered assault?

At about 12:30pm today, a driver slammed into a telephone/power pole nearby Home Base, blowing up a transformer and leaving about 12 square blocks without power. This 9 story, sealed building is running on generator power, but that's not enough to run the fans needed for ventilation. Only 1/3 of the workstations are functioning.

Lucky me, mine is working fine and Boss Man's is not.

I think I mentioned in the earlier post that Boss Man is high-strung. Yeeeeeeaaaaahhhhh...........I was being nice when I said that. It's more like insanely hyper high strung with tendency to resemble Nathan Lane's character in The Birdcage. And we've just discovered that on top of the balloon and thunderstorm fears, he's afraid of suffocating in a building with a kadrillion exits. His common sense is telling him that running in and out of my office and jabbering constantly at a very high pitch, will make the power come back on and everything will be allllllll better.

I'm doing my very best to ignore the voice in the back of my mind telling me to trip him. And the one about throwing my orange at his face. I'm afraid that I might lose the battle, however.

When he realized that I still have a working PC, he set up camp in my guest chair and proceeded to have me look up web pages while telling me that I was lucky I can still work. He said this twice before I snapped, albeit nicely.

"I doubt that I'll get any work done, " I said, "when you know everyone without a workstation will be in here momentarily to keep me from it."

Nothing. The slightly passive-aggressive comment sailed right over his head. He chuckled at my obviously clever comment and continued to talk about chicken tenders and convertible tops. Dammit.

"Boss Man, do you want to use my computer since you're going to be in here anyway and it doesn't look like I'm going to be able to get to this stack of work?" I tried again.

Again. Nothing but movie trivia and American Idol talk. Can't-hold-on-much-longer. Time for a new strategy.

"Well, if I can't get anything done, I may as well head home, " I said, while gathering my things. "Tell Big Boss Man that I left, please."

"I'll just let you get back to work," he muttered, on the retreat.

Once alone, I turned back to my keyboard and...........wrote this post. Ha. Sucker.

Just a Friday

2006-01-27T09:43:00.000-05:00

I don't have anything new to report on the ExH's decision process. He's unavailable for discussion today because he's getting neutered. Fixed. Snipped.

Are the male readers groaning yet? Ha!
_____________________________________________________________________

Today, we'll just have a brief overview of what's going on with the office freaks.

PDG is in a tizzy because her two little girls complained to their sitter about the living conditions at their dad's house (PDG's ex-hubby). The sitter then advised PDG that Child Services was going to be called. Right on, redneck-chain smoking-child-care-in-my-home lady. It's about time that someone did something right for those poor babies.

Boss Man fell last Saturday in his driveway and split is noggin open, which required 3 staples. He's been walking around the office all week with nasty, greasy hair because he's afraid to get the wound wet. Thank goodness, the staples come out today and we won't have to try not to stare next week.

YO has a new nickname. Let her forever be known as 'Sausage Girl' (SG). You all know what I mean by that; the size 12 girl that wears the size 8 shirt, therefore giving the impression of an over-stuffed sausage casing. 4 sets of back boobs are not attractive unless you're a character on Star Trek. And don't get me started on the pants. Ugh.

I am finally over my mysteriously flu-like illness that took off a few pounds this week. Is it wrong that I wasn't upset about feeling like crap as long as the weight was coming off?

I hope you all have a great weekend, full of rainbows, sunshine and puppies. Or, at least a good buzz.

Ta!

A Shift in the Wind

2006-01-26T16:26:00.000-05:00

The last two days have been a rollercoaster of emotions, from anger to grief to hope and back again. I received some bad news yesterday; via email, no less. My 1st husband, my daughter's father, has been asked to either relocate or resign his position at work.

Our history is pretty extensive and has been extremely amicable since the divorce; 10 years ago this April. I can count on one hand how many disagreements we've had since then. I chalk this up to the fact that we are 100% cooperative parents and we split everything (financially) down the middle. There has never been an issue of child support and there has never been a question of custody. She's just ours.

Now, he has to decide whether he's going to change careers, take a pay-cut and stay near his daughter OR move 5 hours away and keep his income steady. And here's the kicker: he's decided that she should go with him. !!!!!

Needless to say, I've drawn a line in the sand and he's aware of what I intend to do if he continues to push this. I really hate confrontation with this man. This is not something I'm doing out of spite, but out of true concern for my daughter's welfare. She does not need to start all over in a new location & school without her mother nearby. I can't move with them because my son's father is here.

So, it looks like there's going to be lawyers and stinky old courthouses in our future. We don't even have a formal agreement that's any good anymore. That's how well things worked in the past - before he got remarried, mind you.

Man, I hate this stuff.

Setting the Stage

2006-01-24T12:40:00.000-05:00

It's about time that I wrote about my day to day life on this silly blog. In order for me to do that, I'll need to give a little background on the characters in this abstract play:

Boss Man
I started working this job in 2002 and Boss Man became my fearful leader in late 2003. The strategy behind his placement in the position was that he would retire 6-12 months later and the Company would finally be Boss Man-less. He's a wonderful person, but he's not exactly corporate material anymore. Try to imagine a 56 year old, high-strung, effeminate, over-weight hypochondriac with fears ranging from balloons to thunderstorms.

That's right. I said balloons. He screams like a little girl if he gets anywhere near them.

Add to that a fear of anything that smells like confrontation and daily naps at his desk in plain view, and you've got yourself a mess. I love the guy - but I can't stand working for him.

Pole Dancing Girl
As the nickname infers, she was stripper in her younger and thinner days. Now, she's a contractor for a company that works for my company and she's on site. Well, most days, she's here. Actually, only some days. As of today at 12:51am EST, she's nowhere to be found. See description for Boss Man to explain why she can get away with that. When she shows up and actually works, she's really good. It's a shame.

Some interesting facts about PDG: None of her friends are over the age of 18 (she's 30). Her husband is 15 years older than her and the two of them frequent 'swing' clubs in DC.

Young One
(YO) 18 year old daughter of a Company manager with no education, work experience or skills. She was hired earlier in the year as an on-site contractor by another vendor of the Company, after the urgings of her mother intimidated Boss Man. Since she was hired, she's been stalked by an ex-boyfriend, had two car accidents and dozens of personal dramas that kept her on the phone for hours at a time. She's slowly turning into a carbon copy of PDG and showing up less and less.

So there you have it. These are the three people that I am in contact with most often when I'm at work. Look forward to some very funny and somewhat sad stories in the near future.

Reboot

2006-01-24T09:16:00.000-05:00

I'm back and I'm going to try and stay focused. Unfortunately, the last few weeks have been a black hole for creativity.

There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept. (Ansel Adams)

Gulp

2006-01-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

Just a quick link to an article I read on Yahoo this morning. I didn't realize how scary-powerful employers had become.

Which Way Did She Go, George?

2006-01-10T09:42:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a few days off from writing, but I'll be back soon.

In the meantime, I am posting pictures on my photoblog daily, if you're interested. Some of them have been posted in other places, but I'll add some new stuff as I get my massive collection organized. Have a great Tuesday!

Click the Link

2006-01-08T00:23:00.000-05:00

Everyone should read this article.

Too often, we forget that while the politics of this war are being argued....other people are living it.

Digging In

2006-01-07T19:33:00.000-05:00

Two suspects have been charged in connection to 7 murders that occurred in Richmond over the last week. The two families killed were found in their homes, bound and with their throats cut.

Based on statistics from 2004, Richmond was named the 5th most dangerous city in the country. Not per capita, in the country. 200,000 people call the city home. In 2004, there were 2700 violent crimes, including 93 murders and 101 rapes. Assaults and robberies totaled 2506.

Statistics aside, residents are finally starting to get nervous. Crime has always been a concern. However, in past years, the violent crime was mainly drug related and confined to the poorer neighborhoods and housing projects. At least, that's how it was reported in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Since the Taylor Behl case got national attention, Richmonders are starting to see their much-loved city as the rest of the country does. A small, somewhat behind-the-times city with a HUGE crime problem. Former Governor and current Mayor, Douglas Wilder, has done a major overhaul of the RPD since he took office in November of 2004. But, are the changes too late? Has Richmond already gone too far to the dark side to bring it back?

Richmond has the potential to be a successful city. With several colleges, an active art scene and wonderful restaurants, we have a lot to offer. The history and architecture are widely known and studied. The problem? People are afraid to go downtown. Even during daylight hours, you won't find many people there who aren't employed in one of the buildings. The nightlife is almost entirely made up of students who live in the city to be nearer to campus.

An almost audible sigh of relief was shared by the citizens of the city tonight, after hearing of the arrests earlier today. We can only hope that aggressive police work and prosecuting will send a message to the criminal element in the city. We are tired of being afraid and we're changing things. If nothing else, Richmonders are known for our stubbornness and the recent violence seems to have woken us up. Here's hoping that resolve is sustained.

Alone

2006-01-06T17:56:00.000-05:00

Alone...Alone...Alone

2 years ago that was a happy word. A jump up and down and shout yippee word. Now, I've gotten used to it and, I gotta tell ya, it blows. Sure, I can drink beer in my pajamas and watch re-runs of That 70's Show without interruption or criticism. Yes, I can even eat ice cream right out of the carton. Except I don't eat a lot of ice cream. And I don't own pajamas.

My kids are gone every weekend now and it's just me and my appendage-challenged cat. And I can only listen to her tinkle ball jokes so many times. They're really not all that funny.

I get out, don't get me wrong. Coming home to an empty house, sans kiddos, is starting to get to me, though. After five days of incessant "Mommy!"s and cooking and cleaning, I'm at a loss of what to do with myself. There's nobody here to diaper or bathe. No toys to pick up 74 times. Not even an argument to break up. Sigh.

I'm going to go put the cat in time out. Maybe that will help.

Poll

2006-01-04T22:03:00.000-05:00

I've recently been asked to include more personal accounts on my blog, rather than the usual story or rant. What do you guys think? More me or more of the same? Majority rules.

Adios Fumar

2006-01-04T10:33:00.000-05:00

I'm back at work today and had forgotten that yesterday was the big smoke out here. As of January 1st, employees are no longer allowed to smoke on grounds or on their paid breaks. Good thing I started the process a couple of weeks ago.

I know that a lot of employers are doing this and to tell you the truth, I can't find many good arguments against it. Smoking is gross and I can't wait until I'm 100% smoke free. Being a red-blooded American, however, I want to scream because they've (they being The Man) have stripped another layer off of our individual freedom.

Is smoking cool? Healthy? Nice to be around? Smart? All answers are a resounding NO. However, I do not think that it's the boss man's job to determine how I make my decisions.

My realistic self totally gets that the company is looking to reduce health care costs. I understand and appreciate that. Are the employees getting a cut in costs? Nope. I still pay more for health care here than at any other place I've ever worked. And it goes up every 6 months because The Top Floor decides to fiddle with the plan so that their contribution is reduced.

Are the other 200 locations also going smoke-free? Nope, just the general office. Where there is almost zero customer contact.

Are they helping with the cost of stop-smoking aids? Nope. That's on us. There is a seminar coming up though. Those usually make me want to go have a smoke.

So I b*tch about it on principle. I think that if it's going to be done, it needs to be company wide and we need a little help, since it was forced on us. I say us, though I am doing fine on my own. There are people here that have been smoking (at their desks up until 10 years ago) for 30+ years that will need the help.

Now, it's time that they got the 'cubicle spread' under control. 65% of the employees in this 9 story building are overweight. I guess they're going to tackle that next. Or not. Depends on what the sales rep for BCBS says.

Grocery Store Mayhem

2006-01-03T12:14:00.000-05:00

I am off of work today! Woohoo! Time to run those errands and clean the house.

My first errand was grocery shopping. I had so much fun in my little weird mind. Nobody told me that you had to be a card carrying member of the AARP to shop at Kroger on Tuesday morning. I did not know that. I was poorly prepared for the carnage.

Ok, so maybe no carnage. Hilarity.

First off, old people steal. They do! I saw it with my own eyes twice! First, there was the gentleman eating grapes while he was shopping for oranges. Then there was the lady who asked for her groceries to be bagged in plastic...then she looped back and grabbed a stack of paper bags, folded them up and shoved them into her cart. Tricky, tricky.

Second...walking farts are REAL. Oh my gah. Every aisle I went down had a soundtrack and strange, yet familiar, um...smell. BenGay and last night's pot roast. Mmmmmm.

Finally, Rascal Scooters were invented by the Devil. I just know it. First, they putter along slowly in front of you, stopping every so often just to look. Then, when you go around, they speed up and try and beat you to the frozen vegetable cooler. You're lucky if you don't lose a toe! And the evil looks! Oh my! I was lucky to get out of there with my life, I just know it.

I can't wait to get older. Those of you that know me, know that I'm a bit...well, mischievous. Can you imagine when I'm old? I can do whatever I want right out in the open and onlookers will just think to themselves, She's old and doesn't know any better. Ha! Suckers!!!
____________________________________________________________________________________

Another funny thing happened. My boss called while I was perusing lettuces, and asked me if I knew his voicemail password. Mind you, this is the same password that he's had for 4 years. He just can't remember it after 3 days off. I told him it was his middle name, converted into numbers, deducted from 1,417,212. Heehee

____________________________________________________________________________________

Last funny thing. At my own expense.

About a month ago, I bought a pair of much hated hip hugger jeans. I don't know why I bought them, but there ya go. Anyway, I'm wearing them today under a huge sweatshirt (defeats the purpose, huh?).

Over the last couple of weeks, I must have lost a little weight because the jeans just aren't hugging anymore. Well, when I bent down to pick up a can of soup that fell to the parking lot...the suckers fell down. I don't mean, showed a little crack. They FELL. I thought I would laugh myself silly.

Good thing old people can't see that well. :)

My Three-Legged Cat Has Allergies

2006-01-01T21:17:00.000-05:00

Catchy title, right? It's all true. My poor wittle amputee kitty is allergic...to herself.

I adopted her through the rescue organization that I volunteer for. She was 4 weeks old when she broke her leg and they had to amputate. At 6 months old, it doesn't seem to bother her in the least.

About a day after I brought her home, I noticed that she was sneezing the most unpleasant substance and wheezing quite a bit. I called her foster mom and was told that she has chronic respiratory issues because of a bad infection that she had as a kitten. Ok, no problem. I'll just wipe her eyes and nose a couple of times a day and she'll be fine.

Then, I start find the "substance" all over the place....walls, floors, you name it. Eww. On top of the litter box maintenance, I have to clean up cat snot. Yippee.

Yesterday, her sneezing and congestion seemed excessive, so I took her to the vet. No respiratory problems, though. She's allergic to dander! How silly is that?

So, no more snot. My three-legged cat is now on allergy medication. Ha! I love my life.

Bad Timing

2005-12-31T21:40:00.000-05:00

I just spoke with my oldest friend in the world. He's being deployed on Tuesday to Iraq. Infantry.

Please tell me that "bad feelings" don't exist and I'm freaking out for no reason. Tell me that I'm just being emotional. Every time I think about him in Iraq, I break down. And I know other people there and haven't reacted in this way.

Tell me that 6th sense doesn't exist!

And the Winners Are....

2005-12-30T11:06:00.000-05:00

Richmond's Raspberry Award Winners

We just couldn't make this stuff up. I love my city!

The Profitable Epidemic

2005-12-28T09:12:00.000-05:00

There's an article on Yahoo this morning that details how automakers are widening seats in cars to accommodate the widening of the consumer. Now Mr. Squishy down the street can get that Miata he's always wanted, but couldn't get into. What's next? Back to bench seats and no seat belts just so our fat asses can fit in the vehicles?

Now Serving: 2006

2005-12-27T12:02:00.000-05:00

Christmas is over, but there's only 6 more days until we celebrate the New Year. 2006. Wow.

I love New Year's. Not because of the partying and spectacles, but because most everyone is filled with hope for the coming year and determined to become better people. Even if the resolutions only stick for a couple of weeks, the positive energy is bound to rub off on some of us.

So, do you have New Year's resolutions for 2006? Are they pick-ups from last year or brand new goals? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours ;-)

Save the Gentlemen

2005-12-22T22:27:00.000-05:00

Every so often you hear the rumors; a gentleman spotted on a remote hillside somewhere in the Midwest. Occasionally, a lucky hiker may be able to get a picture or spot a footprint. These rare sightings give us hope that the species is making a comeback. The elusive creature that is called "Gentleman" has seen its numbers reduced in past years due to the encroachment of the Mega-Feminists; ferocious creatures that tear the head off of any Gentleman within striking range.

Gentlemen have become so fearful of the dreaded Feminist, that they have begun hiding their natural tendencies to worship the female of the species and have become reclassified as "Jerks". Ironically, by the same Feminists that pressured the Gentleman to change.

Non-feminists are calling for the re-introduction of the Gentleman. If one tries to open your door - let him. Don't snatch it from his grip and hiss. This will only drive him further into hiding. If one lets you go first through said door, please do not yell or scratch at his face. He is a sensitive creature and only wants to make you happy. He does not think you are incapable of doing things for yourself. He is programmed to help you, in any way that he can.

Please save the Gentlemen. We need them to balance our very delicate social system. Won't you help?

I Need a Geek...

2005-12-22T11:11:00.000-05:00

...to fix my blog page. The margins are all wonky!!

Drop in the Bucket

2005-12-20T08:54:00.000-05:00

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin

I don't usually write about politics. Hell, I don't even talk about them often. But, I wanted to see what everyone's opinions were on the recent revelations that the US Gov't has been monitoring international communication by US Citizens.

I haven't finished reading everything about the press conference that revealed this information, so I don't feel ready yet to voice an opinion. To be honest, though, I'm not feeling the anger and outrage that I'm seeing in articles and blogs all over the web. Does that make me a bad American?

Maybe it's a little different for me because my father and several great-uncles were soldiers in various wars where this sort of thing was commonplace. I don't know. I'm going to read the press conference transcripts today and see how I feel then.

What are your opinions on this?

Nail Tech Stories

2005-12-19T11:53:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a big blur with a few sharply focuses moments.

After working Saturday morning at the hospital, I drove way out in the county to help my friend and her family move into their new home. After finishing that, I decided to get a manicure for a party that I was going to that night.

The place where I usually go to have my nails done is a nice place and everyone is friendly. Most of the employees do not speak English well, but they do speak it. So, the conversations are usually very limited. On this day, I got an older man who I have seen in there before. He usually doesn't say a word to anyone.

I was exhausted and staring into the mirrored wall, watching the TV backwards when he got a phone call. As he ended it, he rolled his eyes and said, "Kids". Somehow we ended up having an hour long conversation (albeit, sometimes very difficult due to the language barrier) about his life. He works 7 days a week, 10 hours a day. He is married and has two children, one of which is dealing with severe hearing loss. His relative are all in CA, while they live and work with his wife's family.

His sense of humor was wonderful but you could tell that he hurts so much for his son, who is only 8. And, he suffers to be away from his children so much in order to be able to pay for the surgeries and other medical needs that his son has.

I left the salon thinking about one of my favorite current movies, Crash, for obvious reasons. Obvious if you've seen the movie, I mean. It's amazing how different people are from the stereotypes sometimes. And how similar their lives are to our own.

Holiday Violence

2005-12-16T23:26:00.000-05:00

I have never wanted to hurt somebody as badly as I did tonight. My dumb ass was in Toys-R-Us, wrapping up the Christmas shopping. I usually do most of my shopping online, but I decided to brave the crowds this year. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Crowds don't usually bother me - I expected to be bumped into and have my path blocked. I didn't expect, however, to hear grown women cursing at each other in the Bratz section. I never thought I'd almost break my neck on the toys that had been thrown off of the shelves onto the floor. My gosh, it was like a riot in there and we've still got over a week to go!

And the poor, sour-faced cashiers. Bless their little 16-year-old hearts. They probably thought working in a toy store part-time would be easy and fun. Poor dumb souls. I think that if the human body was capable of spitting fire, these girls would have piles of ashes on the other side of their conveyor belts, where customers used to be.

And tell me why The Ring 2 was on sale there? And why most of the dolls look like hookers?? I was caught between a laughing fit and an anxiety attack every time I turned down the next aisle.

Next year, I'm sticking with online shopping. All hail Amazon and eBay. All hail.

Chaos Reigns No More

2005-12-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

I had an epiphany last night around midnight. My life has become so chaotic lately that I'm no longer have the free time to focus on myself. I realized this as I was standing out on the front porch, smoking, and looking at the rain fall. Pour, actually.

The first thing that jolted me was the fact that I no longer see pictures wherever I go. I used to see freeze frame shots in everything. Driving down the highway or just walking around, I could focus in on a specific area and sort of define the picture in my mind. I felt lucky that I was able to see something interesting or beautiful in almost anything that I came across, and I was so glad that I didn't take my surroundings for granted after looking at them for so many years. You know those people that complain that living at the shore gets old after a while? I'm not one of those people.

But last night I realized that I haven't picked up my cameras in over a week. I don't feel like I've been focusing on anything, much less taking photographs. That's task #1 that I have to work on.

Second, I found out that I am bitter. And jaded. And a mess. When it comes to dating, anyway. A friend of mine pointed out recently that I seem bitter. The knee jerk reaction was to deny and come up with a different tag for how I was projecting myself. However, the more that I've thought about it, the more I realize that he is absolutely right.

After I wrote the post earlier in the week about Bipolar Disorder, I realized that even after two years, I'm still not healed from what happened during my marriage. I don't trust anyone. My tolerance for a lot of things is way lower. If I meet someone that shows even one of the traits that my ex has, I bail out. It's straight up fear and I hate that. Now that I'm done being stubborn and pretending that I had no lingering issues, I'm ready to get rid of that fear. Task #2.

Thanks for letting me ramble, readers. And thanks to D for calling me out. :-)

P.S. - If a chicken had lips, could it whistle?

(you know I had to throw some humor in somewhere)

Moms Can't Be Punk Rock

2005-12-14T18:36:00.000-05:00

My daughter thinks I can't be a rocker. Dammit. And I was planning to get a nose ring. Not.

We played hooky today. Moaning and groaning, she complained of a mysterious stomach ailment that made it impossible for her to go to school. To be honest, I jumped at the chance to skip work and spend the day with her.

So we lounged and napped and watched movies for the majority of the day. I popped in School of Rock, which I hadn't seen yet. Cute-ish movie, I guess. I got a little bored every once in a while. Jack Black is hilarious but I have to wonder if the guys with the butterfly nets were standing to the side of the set waiting to take him back to the "farm" once filming was over.

After watching the movie, I had a craving for a heavy dose of The Ramones and I popped in one of my CD's. By the time "I Wanna Be Sedated" came on, I was in full flash-back and thoroughly enjoying myself.

My daughter looked me right in the face and said, "You can't do punk rock".

"Oh yeah? Why not?"

"Because you're a mom."

Shit.

Nobody told me that becoming a mother would take away my rock-n-roll points. I'll have to add that to the ever growing list of rules that I'm learning day by day.

#4,457 No behavior that could be interpreted as "cool" or "punk rock"

Wait a minute...#74 says that I'm always to be an embarrassment to my children. And my jumping around head-banging embarrasses her. I think that negates the new rule. Throw up those devil horns, man! Rock on!!

My 100 Things

2005-12-13T14:46:00.000-05:00

I keep seeing this on other blogs and I've enjoyed reading them. Here's mine:

I was born on the 4th of July
I have two children
I have been married & divorced twice
I prefer beer
I don’t wear make-up
I learned how to drive when I was 12
I can hold my own in a burping contest
My favorite color is green
I believe in the paranormal
I’ve never had a crush on a celebrity
I’m terrified of spiders and water critters
I don’t tan without first getting a terrible sunburn
I watch Nick at Nite until I fall asleep every night
I love to cook
I hate to clean
My dream car is a 1965 Ford Falcon Futura Convertible (do wha?)
I used to live in Mississippi
I hated living in Mississippi
I try to quit smoking at least 6 times a year
I can’t stand to watch basketball
I played softball for 10 years
I’ve never had a speeding ticket
I can change my own oil/tires
I have memorized the ABC’s backwards, just in case
I once passed out in a custodian’s supply closet at a Rush concert
I got my first tattoo at age 17 in New Orleans (I have 2)
I am muy addicted to Mexican food
I always hit the snooze button at least once
I believe in reincarnation and karma
I dream about water a lot
I appear to be tough but am actually a closet mushy mush
I used to play the French horn
I sucked at piano even though my mother taught me
I love being tall
Two of the cars I have owned have been stolen
In 11th grade, I was a guest teacher for an 8th grade Algebra class. I never wanted to be a teacher again.
I am right-handed
I have been in a fistfight. Once. I won.
I love to write but have a hard time finishing projects. I have dozens of incomplete journals.
I sleep better during a violent thunderstorm
I once worked in a Head shop, where we didn’t sell "lamps"
I make up curse words in front of my children like, "Snart!" and "Flinkenbah!!"
I get seriously pissed off at rude waitstaff
I am clumsy and agile all at once. Can’t explain it
I talk out loud to myself when the house is empty
I misplace items all of the time. I mean, ALL of the time
I have had my tarot cards read and it scared the shit out of me
I do not like to have my photograph taken
I used to compete in horse shows
Photography is my passion
I don’t pretend to like all art pieces just because they’re hanging somewhere
I curse entirely too much
I worry entirely too much
I’ve never had a spa massage
I will fall asleep almost instantly if someone plays with my hair
I wish that I had learned how to surf before I acquired my fear of all things fishy
I have friends all over the world that send me cool stuff
I do not like anything that is remotely close to tasting like watermelon
My favorite scent is lilac
I am devoted to my friends
My children think I’m funny…and a little weird
My late grandfather looked like Jimmy Stewart
My uncles are twins
I have been employed since I was 14. Obviously, I wasn’t always legally employed.
I’m trying to re-learn Spanish now that everything is bilingual
I have never owned a brand new car
I have one younger sister
She and I could not be more different
I love accents
I’m a little obsessive about how my laundry is folded
I daydream often and in depth
I like to wear baseball caps
I’m afraid to attend Catholic funerals. I went to one once and it terrified me.
I want to retire in another country
I’ve never dated a musician
I love to make people laugh. Even at my own expense.
I’m bull-headed about accepting help
I love hiking and exploring trails
I rarely raise my voice to yell
I sleep with my hand tucked under my chin
I’m a whiz at bar trivia games
I never go #2 in public restrooms
I call everybody I like, "baby". I know. It’s terribly annoying. I have to stop.
I was MIA for most of my senior year of high school. The Principal started holding the door for me on my way out.
I have only smoked pot 3 times and I didn’t care for it. That was the only drug I ever tried.
My mother put me in rehab when I was 14 years old when I got drunk for the first time. Off of 3 beers.
I love to fish
I don’t date skinny men
I hope to see a bear while on one of my hiking trips
I love proving people wrong when they doubt me
I am stubborn, stubborn, stubborn….
….but I have been known to change my opinion. Especially when someone takes the time to explain the other side of an issue.
I sometimes feel that I’m lacking
I love high-heels
I used to swim competitively
I can admit when I’m wrong. It may take a few minutes of hindsight, though.
I enjoy home improvement projects immensely
I only check my mail once a week
I sleep on the couch. It’s comfy.
8 hours on the beach in the sun is perfection to me

Congratulations, Donald!

2005-12-13T11:29:00.000-05:00

My 30-something (he won't tell me his real age) friend graduated with a BA this past weekend. For the last 6 years, he has been in a management position full time and going to school.

CONGRATULATIONS, DONALD!!!

And to everyone else that is doing the same thing - Right on!
(You too, Daddy D)

Educate Yourself

2005-12-12T09:33:00.000-05:00

I had no idea what Bipolar Disorder was until I was married to someone with it. In today's Richmond Times Dispatch, there is an article about the disorder (also called Manic Depression) that is a good start but doesn't explain it all.

People with Manic Depression have an over-inflated ego, therefore a lot of them refuse any kind of treatment. They either don't believe that they have a problem or they think that they are strong enough to handle it on their own. This was the case with my ex-husband.

Chances are, you know someone who is Bipolar. The best way to survive it emotionally is to educate yourself about the disorder. I wish I had known what I was dealing with before it took over.

For more information, check out these links:

National Institute of Mental Health

DSBA

Bipolar.com

Party Season

2005-12-12T08:57:00.000-05:00

The first Christmas party of the season is over. Woohoo!

I ran into a childhood friend Friday night, who invited me to a Christmas party at her home on Saturday. We run into each other about once a year but don't really have any kind of relationship. Nonetheless, I agreed to go.

I arrived about 30 minutes after the shindig was supposed to begin, toting my 12-pack and sort of looking forward to annoying a whole new group of people. After the initial meet-n-greet where I'm given 37 names that I don't remember, I realize that (1) I'm the only single person there and (2) my friends are old.

I don't mean age-wise. We're only not even 30 yet. I still feel like I'm a kid most of the time. What I mean is that my 29 year old high school chum acts like she's years older than she is. She dresses like she's years older. Her hair is already in the old woman poof.

But it's not just her. I've run into other people who seem to have aged very quickly and lost their spunk. So the question becomes; am I the odd one here? How are almost-30-somethings supposed to act? Can I still watch Sponge Bob? Should I stop going around without makeup? Maybe I should buy a minivan.

(shudder) Nope. Just can't do it. I don't want to be the stereotypical grown up. My inner child is not ready to be 100% on the inside just yet.

___________________________________________________________________

Kind of a related side-note, I met a guy Friday night who spent most of the conversation talking about dragons, cartoons, fantasy and role-playing games. 34 years old. Guess I shouldn't have run away screaming - I should have walked away quietly and then run for the car once I was out of his line of sight. But, at least he was being himself.

Heartache

2005-12-10T16:19:00.000-05:00

I worked at the hospital this morning and took the very first portraits of 6 beautiful babies. But there was one little girl who I couldn't photograph. She was lying in the nursery going through a painful drug withdrawal. You have never experienced agony and helplessness unless you've seen this happen. At two days old, this precious little girl was having to go through what most adult addicts can't handle.

She is underweight. Her skin is discolored. She can not tolerate clothing or diapers because of the pain she feels just from having anything touching her. It's not known yet what permanent damage has been done.

Her mother admitted to drug use but did not think that her daughter should be taken from her. It was like a scene from ER. Social workers and nurses were all over the place guarding the child to make sure that her mother couldn't take her out of the hospital. The nursing staff was in full-out animalistic protective mode.

When I finished up for the day, a decision hadn't yet been made on what would happen to the baby girl. I'm not a nurse; I couldn't comfort her or ease her pain. I can only be sad and angry. I can only write this.

Can I Do My Dance Now?

2005-12-09T10:02:00.000-05:00

...My "Happy I'm Not Married" Dance? I'm doin' it.

I got a phone call last night from a seemingly nice man who I met a couple of weeks ago at a volunteer function. Over the course of the conversation, I find out that he has three children and has been separated for about 5 months. No big deal; I asked how the separation came about. I shit you not, he chuckled, "Pretty much for doing stuff like this".

What??? I mean, the honesty is great, but I think he was open about it more because he wasn't ashamed in any way.

So, I told him that I appreciated his interest, but I don't have any desire to see anyone lacking in "focus". To which he responded, "Aw, c'mon. My year in Iraq didn't help the marriage either". What an ass-clown. I'm guessing that wifey would have supported him, seeing as they have 3 boys together, if he hadn't been running around on her. He said it like I should feel bad for him. Like she left him because he was in the military.

If I had the power of telekinetics, he would have been seriously injured at that moment.

When I got into work this morning, I did a little research on adultery statistics. I saw a lot of different numbers, but the average looks to be 1/3 of men and 1/4 of women have admitted to cheating on their spouses. Of course, those are just the ones that got caught or owned up to it. So, I'm guessing it closer to 50% of men and 35% of women.

The last two men that I have been asked out by both admitted that their marriages ended due to their infidelity.

Now, back to my happy dance.............

Favorite Holiday Memory

2005-12-08T10:27:00.000-05:00

What's your favorite holiday memory?

All of my favorite memories seem to be of the Christmases that we spent at my maternal grandparents' house in the country. Back when I still believed in Santa Claus and magic.

I remember standing outside in the freezing cold, hypnotized by the stars on Christmas Eve. I almost got dizzy just laying on the ground in my over-stuffed snow clothes, looking up..and up..and up. It went on forever. The cattle were moving around nearby making their night noises. The air had absolutely no smell; just that clean, cold air bite in my nostrils.

Then there was the time when I thought I heard Santa in the house. I had fallen asleep with my face hidden, so I wouldn't accidentally see him and thereby forfeit my presents. A noise in the kitchen woke me up; Santa was getting a glass of water!! I knew it was him because he wasn't afraid to make noise. He knew that I wouldn't dare peek out to see what he was doing. And he was right. I kept my head tucked under my pillow and woke up the next morning with a tale to tell everyone - at least twice.

I remember caroling on Christmas Eve with the majority of the small town that we lived in at the time. I was about 6 years old, but I remember the smell of the candle wax and what I was wearing. It was a black velvet dress adorned with white, red & green bows...with my snow boots. I thought I looked so silly in those boots. I wanted to wear my dress shoes.

Ah, Christmas. And the memories it creates in an otherwise crazy childhood. I've come to learn that memories is what it's all about once you get older. You don't always remember the bad things if you have some really good things thrown in. Make memories for your kids, folks.

Feliz Navidad

Only Volvos for Gays

2005-12-06T10:45:00.000-05:00

This just made me laugh

Corporate America can be so stupid.

The Holiday Debate

2005-12-06T09:49:00.000-05:00

I was shopping with my mother Friday night and mentioned that I'm helping to plan my daughter's Winter Party for school this month. She was incensed at the thought of calling it a 'Winter Party' and not a Christmas Party. She muttered a threat to contact the local AM talk radio station to start a discussion (aka Bitch Fest). I guess I should have put my two cents in about it then, but I really didn't have the energy for yet another debate on that particular evening.

I know that a lot of people have a problem with the blending of the holidays. Thankfully, I'm able to enjoy Christmas without giving two farts about the issue. Just as I'm sure my neighbors are enjoying their Hanukkah celebration. And their neighbors are enjoying Kwanza. Who cares what they call it? I think it's pretty cool that everyone can enjoy the season together.

As for the school parties and such; the kids don't care what you call it. They get to eat sugary treats and play games. No quizzes or homework and everybody has a blast. You could call it anything you want and their still going to jump up and down yelling, "Cake! Yay!".

That's what I'm gonna do anyway. Mmmmm. Cake.

Snowy Day in Central VA

2005-12-05T12:51:00.000-05:00

Hurry everyone! Run to the grocery store and buy up all of the bread & milk before we get snowed in!!!

Richmonders are so crazy when winter weather shows up. It's been snowing/raining/slushing since the early morning here and already there are mutterings all over the office about going home early. There's not much on the ground because it is still warm. There's no ice on the roads. It's all going to melt away tomorrow when the temps are expected to rise again. Nonetheless, people are freaking out.

My office never closes. We had people in ditches a couple of years back during a real snow fall because they were forced to come in or lose vacation time. I don't really mind as long as I have care for my kids if school's out. My direct boss grew up in Alaska. I'm never getting slack on weather conditions.

So, I sit here in my darkened office and watch the snow fall. I can see my car and it's covered with a thin layer of snow. At least now, my co-workers can't see down into my messy floorboards. :-)

I love snow. I needed a kick-start for my Christmas spirit. This has done the trick. I think I'll put up my tree tonight and force the kids to listen to me sing while I decorate. And as it is tradition for the first snow fall of the year, I will be making a huge french toast feast tonight.

Yay, snow!

Katrina Animal Rescues

2005-12-03T21:37:00.000-05:00

Shameless plug...

If any of you reading this are within driving distance of Richmond, VA and are interested in adopting (or fostering, if you're in the immediate area) cats/kittens rescued from the Katrina disaster area, please leave your email address on my comments.

I am a volunteer with Save Our Shelters and we have dozens of cats & kittens that we rescued and brought up to VA. They have been in foster homes and prison shelters since the storm, in the hopes of finding their owners, but now they are ready for adoption.

Their story is terrifying. They had no idea what was going on when the storm set in. Their owners were leaving them or (sorry for the graphic) deceased. Then, they were grabbed up by a strange person, put in a cardboard box and stacked with scores of other animals in over-crowded animal shelters. THEN, they were put in a van with dozens of strange cats & dogs and driven 15 hours to an unknown place & climate.

Some of them were sick, pregnant, injured....but all were traumatized. There were some with chemical burns and terrible skin problems due to the polluted water they had to wade through to find us. We still have a few cats that we can't touch, but the vast majority have bounced back and are wonderful and loving animals. Everybody is now healthy and happy. I adopted a beautiful cat that survived an amputation and is now an irreplaceable member of my family.

So, if you're nearby and you have any interest in helping these animals, please contact me and I'll make it happen.

Muchas gracias, amigos. Buenas noches.

Ok, I Was Wrong

2005-12-03T21:25:00.000-05:00

It's taken 29 years, but I'm finally ready to admit that men & women cannot be "just friends". Do you know what that means for me?? I've built a life on being that girl that guys can be friends with. Because I enjoy the honesty and the environment where I can just relax. But, dammit....I've been proven wrong tonight.

Sonofabitch.

The Circle

2005-12-02T15:23:00.000-05:00

My 10 year old daughter and I got into a discussion about drugs this morning. I think it began as a plea for another sibling, to which I said NO loudly and repeatedly. Then somehow, it developed into a talk about raising kids, etc etc. Who knows how these things start.

Luckily/Unluckily, I've known many people effected by drug use and had the perfect shock story for her. I've probably given her nightmares talking about the childhood friend who ended up squatting in an abandoned building in downtown Richmond with gangrene in both arms from needle use. She's probably going to visualize his 5'8", 130 lb body lying dead on the floor of that building after an overdose. God, I hope so.

You're probably thinking that this is harsh for a delicate child of 10 years. You don't know my girl. She's starting to scare me with her intense questions and surprisingly sharp observations. I have to remind myself of her age several times a day. Where kids are at that age today is so far ahead of where most of us were. I hadn't even uttered my first curse word at 10 years old. I still had a fleeting hope that Santa actually was real and that ka-ka head down the street was making it up. I worry sometimes that I won't be able to keep up with my kids and everything that they will need to be aware of.

And then our talk this morning made me realize that I'm in better shape than I thought. And (ta dah!) I have my mother to thank for it. Why? Because if she had actually done her job when I was a teenager, I wouldn't have been exposed to a myriad of people and their problems. I wouldn't be able to speak first hand about smoking, sex, drinking and loads of other issues. I wouldn't have known the boy that I spoke of earlier. And I wouldn't have loved him as if he was my brother. And I wouldn't have lost him. And I wouldn't be able to use his story to educate my children. The circle.

I am grateful in a twisted sort of way.

William "Billy" Barfield
1974-1997

TGIF

2005-12-02T11:28:00.000-05:00

(Thanks for the advice on yesterday's post. I'll definitely be thinking about all of it this weekend.)

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm in a great mood today for no good reason. I'm stoked about it.

I really should be working, but hmmmm....I don't wanna right now. I've been organizing my plans for the weekend. I'll be photographing the babies in the morning and then off to an animal adoption event in the afternoon. Sunday is more adoption event. It's going to be a busy weekend but at least it's full of things I enjoy doing.

One of my other duties lately has been Room Mom for my daughter's class. It sounded so great when I signed up. I'm such a dumb ass sometimes.

Do you remember school group projects? Were you the one that ended up with the entire load or one of the others that sat back and collected grades? I was one of the load carriers and things haven't changed! There are 3 moms for this particular class - one of them has completely stopped communicating and the other only wants to do little things when I press her to contribute. I feel like throwing spit balls at them. Maybe sticking gum in their hair.

Well, guess I should try and get some work done. I have to take my mind off of what's going to happen after work today - Christmas Shopping With My Mother (enter scary music here).
EEEEEEK!

May the force be with you, dork-o's. :-)

What a Day

2005-12-01T19:17:00.000-05:00

3 posts in one day!

I've got a new potato to add to my worry stew. First, a little background.

My job. It's something that happened to me, not something that I chose. My workday consists of reading reams and reams of legal paperwork and crunching numbers. It's something that I'm good at but not something that I enjoy, even in the least.

So, for the last year or so, I've been kicking around the idea of switching careers - to something I'm also good at and actually want to do. Would LOVE to do. On a whim, I submitted a resume for a great position in this new field. Today, I got a call. They want to interview me. Yay!!

So here's the problem. The new job would allow me to do what I love. It was also allow me to be home with my kids more. Huge, huge pluses. The only problem with this is the money. It would be a pay cut. Not a huge one, but enough. I'm already working two jobs and the ends don't always meet as it is. And there are no extras around here. We've been down to basics since the separation.

One the one hand - I'll be a better mom...happier with my job and able to spend time with my kids during the week (they're gone on the weekends, so this is a big deal). One the other hand, I would be worse off financially, at least for a while. There's no time for a 3rd job...I refuse to be away from them at night too.

My tummy's in knots. Anyone have any ideas? Advice? Bottomless pots of gold???

Weirdness

2005-12-01T13:22:00.000-05:00

I was having a hard time figuring out what to write about today since I haven't been very focused at all.

Then, I got the IM from my sister.

Seems she was at her mailbox and heard a motorcycle coming up the road. She noticed that the noise was closer and seemed to be less loud (idling) so she turned around. There on the bike (I shit you not) was a man in full Santa gear parked in front of the house and just looking at her.

Now, my sister is a drama queen so I didn't think much of this at first. He could have been across the street waiting for someone for all I know.

The she tells me (1) He was not wearing a helmet, which is state law and (2) He had a hard plastic mask on....like the ones bad guys wear in the movies that make them look like aliens with rosy cheeks. OK! Now, I'm a little concerned.

She said that he kind of waved at her, watched her go back into the house and drove off once she got inside. So then (I have to chuckle a little), this grown woman sits down, signs on to the PC and IM's me to ask "Do you think that was weird?". To which I responded, in true grown-up form, "Duh!". So, she's now calling the local PD to report the Suspicious Sinister Santa. She's in a small town - they LOVE any kind of call that doesn't involve a speeding ticket or drunk in public.

So now I'm waiting for the result of the phone call. Can't wait to hear this one. God, I'm hard up for entertainment today.

I think I'll run down to the break room listen for a little while. I love the stories that people tell in there.

Out.

Ode to Annie

2005-12-01T08:45:00.000-05:00

I'd like to be the sort of friend that
you have been to me;
I'd like to be the help that
you've been always glad to be;
I'd like to mean as much to you
each minute of the day
As you have meant, old friend of mine,
to me along the way.
I'd like to do the big things and
the splendid things for you,
To brush the gray from out your skies
and leave them only blue;
I'd like to say the kindly things that
I so oft have heard,
And feel that I could rouse your soul
the way that mine you've stirred.
I'd like to give you back the joy
that you have given me,
Yet that were wishing you a need
I hope will never be;
I'm wishing at this time that I
could but repay
A portion of the gladness that
you've strewn along my way;
And could I have one wish this year,
this only would it be:
I'd like to be the sort of friend
that you have been to me.

Dumbasssayswha?

2005-11-30T13:16:00.000-05:00

Holy cow I'm scrambling today. Woke up late -> Late for work -> No parking -> More crap -> Even more crap.

I hate to sound paranoid, but I think my Karma's after me!! Aaaack!

--------------------------------------------------------------

Maybe I'll just color for a while. Has anybody seen my binky?

Warning: Very Un-P.C. Post to Follow

2005-11-29T13:05:00.000-05:00

I have had it with the homeless problem in Richmond. There, I said it.

Not too many days go by when I am not approached by a pan-handler in this city. I've been yelled at, followed, threatened and sexually harassed. It's no secret that Richmond has become a catch-all for traveling homeless and the intentional homeless. We're an easy mark. Shelter, food, money, temp jobs and very little real trouble with the police. Why wouldn't they want to come here?? Plus, they know that there are loads of super-sympathetic people here willing to hand over cash.

A staff writer with the Richmond Times-Dispatch did an article not too many months ago where he interviewed and spent days with a couple of different homeless men in the area. His article pointed out that although there are many people that have hit hard times and really do need help, there are also the element that are out there pan-handling and getting their meals off of the charity of do-gooders because they do not want to be a part of our society. In some cases, the guys standing on the corners are making more than I do!! Tax-free!!

Don't want to be part of society, my ass. If that were the actual truth of it, they'd be in some commune out in Arizona, planning the next Phish tour and trading rocks instead of money. (BTW, did you hear that Phish guy was busted drinking a $1500 bottle of wine at a club in NYC this week? In it for the music..yeah right!)

So, anyway. I do a little research and come across a website run by Homeward. Seems they have a 5 year plan that will eliminate the homeless problem in Richmond. 5 years?! Wow! And then everything will be hunky-dory. I especially like the part about creating an information database on incoming homeless. Guess they're going to hire college kids to hand out welcome kits at the train yards and bus stations. They better get someone out to my office pronto because the guy with the orange purse is making his rounds. I bet he wants to give all of his info to these peckers. Check it out.

(Sigh) I'm spent. Rant over.

Adios, Bubbas.

Whine, Sniffle, Cry

2005-11-28T15:33:00.000-05:00

My conversation in the break room:

"How's your husband, R?" (R = me)

"I'm divorced, Paula. Been divorced for 2 years now."

"Oh! I didn't know that! Are you dating?"

"No, not dating right now."

"Well, why not? You shouldn't be single. I can't believe someone hasn't snapped you up!"

"I'm not dating by choice, but thanks for the concern."

"I've got this nephew....."

...And then my head exploded.

Why do my friends, family, children and co-workers think that it's absolutely shameful that I'm single? And (gasp) not miserable?? And yes, you read that right, my 10 year old daughter has started telling me about the single dads of her friends from school. WTF?

When I want to meet someone, all the good ones are married or gay. When I want time to myself, they're coming out of the woodwork. God/Goddess/Whatever you believe in....somebody's got a sense of humor.

I tried dating after my divorce. It sucked. I'm over it.

I've had a couple of first dates but nothing to get excited over. I get intolerant of laziness in dating. For instance, if a guy lays out the standard "What do you do for fun?" question...I'm done. That is the most unimaginative way to get to know someone. How does someone with more than 3 interests answer that? C'mon guys, act like you're actually interested and ask specific questions!

But, I digress. Yes, I'm single. Yes, I'm happy. Finite

Mondays Suck Out Loud

2005-11-28T14:14:00.000-05:00

....and welcome to my blog. If you ever ask yourself why you're reading this....well, good question!

Brief summary of who I am:
29 years old
2 kids
2 ex-husbands
3 jobs
1,584,332.00007 things on my to-do list

Any questions? Yes? I thought so. I'll go into more detail in future posts. Hopefully, I won't crap out and stop paying attention to the blog as I've done with countless journals.

First post - Check.