Snubbed by the man in the can...

Monday again...it seems like it is always Monday! I woke up at 4:00 a.m. this morning worrying about work, jobs, future, past, and life in general and never did go back to sleep. I know...stupid huh?! That nasty little thing called 'sleep deprivation' made for a really long, tired, day! Work was alternately slow and busy...! I decided that a brisk walk might perk me up a bit, so I went to the Mall during my lunch hour and did about three turns around it, then ate half of an Arby's roast beef sandwich. Believe it or not...it actually did help!

There is something odd going on at the mall though...I'm beginning to take it personally. Spaced all around the food court are new trash containers, the kind that work on motion sensors. All you have to do is push your tray toward the door and it automatically opens, as a soothing male voice greets you with an almost sultry "Hello". However, the trash can won't talk to me. The first time it happened, I assumed that I had approached it too soon after the last patron and it simply hadn't had time to reset. So, the next time, I made a special effort to wait about 30 seconds after the person ahead of me. Approaching the trash can slowly, I pushed my tray toward it ...waiting for my greeting. NOTHING...NOT A WORD! I pulled my tray back and tried again, this time from an angle...alas...nothing! Totally frustrated, I turned and dumped my tray into one of the few remaining manual cans. As the trash slid off my tray, an elderly man approached the unfriendly can that had just snubbed me. He pushed his tray toward it, it opened wide, and that little voice inside said "Hello!" What the heck??? I'm thinking that perhaps I need to take a peace offering of some sort tomorrow...or maybe I need to speak first...what kind of gift does one take to a trash can?? If I do speak first...should I lean down and speak directly into the door...or is that too familiar...???

Be well!

Not bad...

Not a bad day! I slept until 9:00, watched the end of a ridiculous, predictable movie (which made me cry even though I had guessed the ending), took a long shower, cleaned the bathroom, spent some time writing, then got ready to face the world outside.

We left the house around 2:00, and headed for a gun show...that's right a gun show. I have never been to a gun show and it was pretty much as I expected it would be! The parking lot was loaded with pickup trucks and bubba's. Inside, there were guns of every description...Ginormous guns...itsy bitsy, teensy weensy guns, old guns (civil war era) and new guns! There were knives, all things camouflage, some sort of military rations (vacuum packed food), tri pods, gun sights, gun cleaning supplies, tee shirts with every red neck slogan imaginable on them, shoes, boots, and galoshes for hunting, fishing, and killing, badges, bullets, artillery too heavy to lift, bayonets, jewelry (apparently, you can't be without your pearls in the bunker), Bullet proof vests, jackets with little slots for bullets, some sort of full body suit to make one look like a bush, Numchucks (spelled wrong I'm sure), billie clubs, Earplugs, books about all of the above, books about Nazis, books about surviving naturally, books about growing your own mushrooms (magic and regular), books about growing pot, books about cooking with pot, books about making your own weapons from things around the house, tasteless cartoons, and last but not least...Mountain Man candy. All in all, it was very interesting. I did see some absolutely adorable firearms...and some absolutely repulsive other stuff.

We left the gun show and went across the street to the pet store where I got a hefty dose of warm fuzzies from piles of puppies!! Then, on to another pet store to oooh and ahhh over more puppies! Dinner at Applebees, then I went for a long walk with my ipod and 4 slices of bread, to the pond across the way and fed the ducks!

The sun was setting beautifully as I walked back out to the sidewalk from the pond and it was just dark enough not to be highly visible from the road, so I turned up the music and let the beat guide my feet!

I'm back where I started the day now...only in reverse...taking a shower and putting my p.j.'s on, then a hot cup of decaf and another predictable movie! A nice end to a nice day.

Be well!

Another day at the salt mine ( brokerage), another dollar (almost). Thank heavens for Friday!! I am so ready for a weekend! For the past two days we have had the daughter of one of our brokers come in to file for us, and it has been extremely helpful! However, the best thing about her coming in really wasn't her filing. The best thing was Tojo...her Pomeranian! Tojo is only a few months old and doesn't like to be alone, so whenever Courtney comes in to help out...she brings Tojo! Tiny, fiesty, friendly, and wriggley as heck! She is jet black and still has 'puppy breath'! She is just the sweetest little thing you can imagine! Wouldn't it be great if all offices had an 'office puppy'?! What a great concept! Something to bring a smile to your face when the day gets long and hard...!! Hmmmm....perhaps a memo is in order.

Be well!

Unbelievable...

Well, as if this day and week haven't been plagued enough with problems, worries, and stress...after work tonight, we all met for a quick dinner, then on to the range for some target practice. Marvin, me, Chas, Shane and Candy. We had a good time shooting, laughing and horsing around! Around 8:00 we decided to call it a day and we went to the parking lot, where we discovered that some inbred, monkey brained, moron had broken the passenger window on Marvins truck, ripped his radio out and yanked the dash halfway off the truck, AND had also broken Shane's back drivers side window out, and ransacked his truck and stolen Candy's purse. I can't believe it! I am soooo glad that none of us came out and surprised them in the act...or it might have been much worse! I thank God that everyone is okay! The irony is that we picked this particular range because it is in a BETTER neighborhood than the other one and we felt safer...go figure. What is wrong with people??? I find it odd that anyone would choose a place crawling with people carrying loaded firearms to do something like this...

Going to bed now...I hope tomorrow is better.

Be well!

They came...

For the past two days we have been treated to an audit…my first actually. The circumstances surrounding the current office situation are not optimum. Basically, for more than 20 years, one person had total control of all office functions, records, procedures, finances, etc. She was a partner and she relinquished nothing to anyone. Then one day…she took a powder. Giving absolutely NO notice, she packed up her belongings in the dead of the night, leaving a letter of resignation on the desk of one of the two remaining partners…and nothing more. There were no training manuals…no written instructions…nothing. So, being (by default), the senior administrative assistant (and the only administrative assistant), and having a grand total of less than 60 days experience (under the previous regime), we were forced to take into our own hands, matters of compliance, purchasing, correspondence with government agencies, all areas of operations, etc. It has been a long and frustrating road…and by the end of this examination, I’m sure we will realize how much, much more we have yet to learn.

They came…

Like soldiers in Armani
They marched in…
Pulling behind them
An arsenal of secrecy.

From within their fortress
Of glass and metal…
They invaded, ravaged, pillaged
Our private domain.

Mice in a maze
Winding through paper trails
And email highways
Inspecting all the i’s & t’s.

Frowning, whispering,
Comparing, verifying,
Folding, Stapling,
Mutilating…

Demanding answers
No one has…
Copies never made,
Records no one kept.

A special place
In the afterlife…
For those miserable beings
Called ‘Auditors”…
Copyright©2005 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.

Be well!

Better late than never...

I tried to log on last night around 7:30 to post, but…alas…I could not get online and due to another wonderful visit with the dentist…I just plain felt too bad to care.

I have been trying to have a root canal done for aprox 6 weeks now, yesterday was the third unsuccessful visit. Each time I go, the dentist gives me several shots, drills until I fly through the roof in pain, gives me another shot, drills some more, then another shot, more drilling, and finally packs the tooth with meds and sends me home for a couple of weeks. At the end of the torture session yesterday, he told me that three tries is his limit…he referred me on to an endodontist. Apparently, I have some sort of freak thing going on (big shock), which is keeping the anesthesia from reaching the nerves. I had this same trouble with a tooth 13 or 14 years ago, and it took a specialist to correct it. The dentist is completely stymied…says he has only seen this one other time in 26 years of practice. So, I guess I will need to decide in the next few days who to go to next. He said that the meds and temporary filling will last for quite a while…so I will probably take a few days to work up my nerve before scheduling another appointment! I am the coward of cowards!

Be well!

Short note....

Just a short note tonight...Church was good this morning! Great music, great message, friendly people! They will be moving to a new building soon, I'm anxious to see what sort of changes this brings. Marvin had lunch with the pastor and apparently, he is a really nice guy, totally genuine. That's refreshing! These days you never can tell and it is always sad to find out that things aren't what they seem. I'm glad that hasn't been the case thus far!

I think that people should come with labels...like food. That way there would be no surprises! These labels would (of course) need to be worn somewhere conspicuous, maybe across our backs. Upon meeting new people...we would be required to recite our label immediately following "Nice to meet you!" One could always falsify one's label...and this should not be against the law...as long as the last line of the liar's label reads..."Prolific liar". Wouldn't the ACLU have fun with that one!

Be well!

Sunshine!!!!!

It is so good to see the sun out today! Yesterdays drab, cold, blustery presence was a real downer for me. I don't do well without sunshine! By the time I got settled last night...I was too tired and too blue to blog. A little extra rest helped the tired part (I slept until 9:00 a. m. which is unusual for me). The blues continue to plague me though...I guess it's just one of those days (we all have them). I can't seem to shake the little rain cloud overhead. I know that this too shall pass (it always does). In the meantime...errands to run, chores to do, blah, blah, yada, yada, life goes on and the earth continues to turn...providing further affirmation of individual insignificance in the grand scheme. Okay...I'm gonna sign off for now...I'm depressing myself more.

The wind blew cold
Stinging my eyes
Numbing my lips.

The landscape was drab
Winters hold apparent,
Shades of brown and grey.

My soul mirrored
The hues before me
Dark and drab.

A single shaft
Of golden sunlight
Cut through the clouds.

Drawing my face skyward
It caressed my skin
Like a lover…

Eyes closed
I relaxed into
Its gentleness…

Then it was gone
Like a promise…
Taken
back.

Copyright©2005 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved

Be Well!!

Almost Friday!!

I am one tired puppy tonight and I am soooooo looking forward to the weekend. I have no specific plans…just to be! After a busy, hectic, exhausting week…I think that ‘no plan’ is the best plan. Although…I do hope to get in some writing time, and I would like to go to the shooting range for a couple of hours, and I need to clean out my closet, the carpet could use a good shampooing, I am in bad need of a pedicure, I should call my parents, the windows need washing, the car needs cleaned out, the oven is filthy…like I said…no real plans for the weekend!

I like to walk in the evenings, and this evening as we were coming down the street (in the home stretch), God provided a glorious encouragement on the horizon…a beautiful sunset! No other palette in the universe can compare with His.



Silently...
The day surrendered,
It's benefactor sank slowly in the west,
Rivers of rich pigment flowed in all directions,
Coral, Tangerine, Lilac, and Saffron currents
Drained into the horizon.

Gradually...
The brilliant hues dissolved,
Beautiful memories
Captured by the mind's eye.

An ebony sea
Engulfed the heavens,
Tiny diamonds sparkled overhead
As night became the victor.

Copyright©2005 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved

Be Well!!

The second level...

Well, if yesterday was the day from hell, (and it was) today was the second level of hell, and tomorrow is shaped up to be the third level. From all accounts of those who have been in the brokerage business for a while, this is typical for the first of the year. Who knew??? Oh well…this too shall pass!

I arrived home this evening, tired to the bone, and tense and stressed to the max. My usual remedy for stress is a mile walk (I know…it sounds insane). I don’t know whether it is the exercise or the sunshine and fresh air, or a combo of the three…but it usually does the trick. Anyway, Marvin consented to a walk before dinner (albeit grudgingly), and away we went! We walked, and I babbled incessantly about everything in the world and by the time our yard was in sight again I was feeling much better.

We jumped in the truck and headed to Cracker Barrel for dinner. Before I go on, I will remind you, that I said that by the end of our walk I was ‘feeling much better.’ What that actually means is that my exhaustion and stress had sort of mellowed out and melded together into a kind of euphoria bordering on hysteria. When I reach this point…I will laugh at ANYTHING…train wrecks…mushroom clouds…three legged dogs…! So, the hostess seats us, the waitress comes to the table, hands us each a menu, then says “Welcome to Cracker Barrel! I’ll be your waitress this evening…my name is SKEETER!” I can only look back with shame at what happened next. I began to giggle, moving rapidly on, to silent, body-wracking laughter. By then tears were running down my face and it was grotesquely contorted as I fought desperately for control. “I’m so sorry!” I gasped, exploding in laughter again. She took our drink orders (from Marvin) and left the table. I know…I’m a terrible excuse for a human being. Unfortunately…I am still giggling.

Sometime during the course of our meal, a local celebrity came in and sat at the very next table. This guy is a large cowboy person. Everywhere he goes he wears a huge 10 gallon hat. Apparently, he even eats with it on…indoors…with other people. Anyway, I began to wonder just what the rules of etiquette are concerning ones head wear. So…I asked Jeeves…

Indoors, a man should always remove his hat, (particularly in a home, church, courtroom or restaurant)

I think I will send him an e-mail advising him of his error…maybe I will sign it "Skeeter”.

Be well!

When you have a minute...

The close of another day is near, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Just knowing that the deep, soft, pillow-top mattress is waiting to cradle my weary body is more comfort to me than I can even say. I hit the door at work this morning…running…and I didn’t stop until after I had been within the confines of this sanctuary…home… for well over 30 minutes. This has been the day from hell. Ten voices…all wanting everything NOW. It was one of those days when my heart’s desire was to turn to the next person who said “I need…” or “Can you?” or “When you have a minute…”, and hand them my office keys as I pick up my purse and walk out the door…never to return. They, of course, would stare after me blankly…wondering which of their ten thousand requests I might be on my way to fulfill. But…of course….I don’t hand them my keys…and I don’t walk away. Why?? Good question. Maybe somewhere deep down inside (really deep down) I enjoy knowing that they need me…or maybe it’s the power of knowing how to accomplish all of those demands…or maybe it’s just the freaking mortgage that’s due next week. Who knows?!

In all probability…it has more to do with the fact that I am an adult. Grown up, responsible, dependable, and indebted. Up to my eyeballs in ethics, fair play, bills, and hope! Hope that eventually…someday… maybe I can be the demander instead of the demandee (is that a word? I don’t think so).

This grown up stuff ain’t always what it’s cracked up to be! And so I leave you with this…just a question to ponder…

Must we grow up all the way…
Or can we keep some secret part
Some giggly, squirming, wild haired things…
Tucked in behind
our ‘grown up’ heart?

Be well!

Possibilities...

We’ve been looking for a new church to attend for the past several months, and for the first time since we’ve been looking…it seems hopeful! We visited Glenville Baptist yesterday…for the second time actually. Our first visit was during their missions conference, and we felt as though we didn’t really get an accurate picture of the church that day. Yesterday however….the sermon was good….the people were very friendly and welcoming…the music was outstanding…and we left feeling blessed!

Searching for a new church home has been difficult…we were at our last church for four years. My husband was pastor and adult Sunday School leader, my son ran the sound, my daughter helped with the music, and I taught the youth class. Between the four of us, we held at least nine offices and were responsible for 95% of all church activities and functions. Although we enjoyed the church and the people immensely…we are tired. It will be nice to simply be a part of the congregation for a while.

Below is a poem that I wrote about three little ladies at our last church…they were very special! I welcome your comments.

Church Ladies….

They were three…
Seasoned with the years,
Silver hair, soft wrinkles,
Life, love, laughter and tears…
Reflected in their eyes, windows to yesterday.

Every Sunday…
Third pew…piano side…all in a row…
Sunday best…starched and pressed,
Kelly bags, Avon scent, kitten heels.
So richly blessed….

Heads held high, Amens abounding
They praised their God together,
In the twilight of life….
Steadfast, sure, faithful…
Never wavering, void of strife….

Giggles, gossip,
Twinkling eyes….
Loud whispers,
None were shy…
Ancient school girls.

Then…
He called one home.
There were two…
Calmer now… subdued.
Same side, same pew…

An empty place taunted
Shadows haunted…
Then came she,
Again they were three…

Copyright©2005 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.

My first posting...

Well, here I am...posting my first blog! I guess the first order of business would be a brief introduction of me! My name is Jody, and I live in the Wichita, KS area. I work for a small brokerage as an administrative assistant, and am an aspiring writer.
My husband's name is Marvin and we have been married for 32 wonderful years! Marvin works as a print buyer for a local company, and is also a minister (although he does not currently have a church). We have the two most fabulous kids on earth! In birth order, they are our daughter Chas, 30 years old, and our son Shane, 25 years old. Both kids work in the Wichita area, both bought their own homes two years ago, and both will graduate this May with their Bachelor's degrees. We are extremely proud of them!
As I said, I am an aspiring writer...thus far I have been rejected by some excellent publishers! :) I'm certain that my stack of 'no thank you' letters will continue to multiply (perhaps exponentially) . At the end of the day...I write because I enjoy writing!
Thanks to much encouragement from Shane and his friend Rich, I am looking forward to the World of Blog!