Thanks Shane!
Q. What is your occupation?
My occupation right now is…homemaker…in search of gainful employment.
Q. What color are the socks you are wearing?
No socks - I'm in the house!
Q. What are you listening to right now?
Beatles…”Come Together”
Q. What was the last thing that you ate?
A handful of miniature marshmallows and two chocolate Hershey miniatures…
Q. Can you drive a stick shift?
Yep…but I’d rather not.
Q. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
I’d be the color of a prism…does Crayola have that??
Q. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Personnel Agency
Q. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
I stole it…from my son…who I love!
Q. How old are you today?
51
Q. Favorite drink?
Cold, fresh, water!
Q. What is your favorite sport to watch?
I don't watch sports
Q. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Repeatedly…
Q. Pets?
None right now
Q. Favorite food?
Chocolate
Q. What was the last movie you watched?
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Q. Favorite day of the year?
Christmas Day
Q. What do you do to vent anger?
Clean or walk
Q. What was your favorite toy as a child?
I didn’t have a favorite
Q. What is your favorite: fall or spring?
The flowers of spring, the leaves of fall…but spring wins over all!
Q. Hugs or kisses?
Depends on who they're from
Q. Cherries or Blueberries?
Cherries
Q. Do you want your friends to email you back?
Of course!
Q. Living arrangements?
Me and my husband…in a big ole house
Q. When was the last time you cried?
A few days ago
Q. What is on the floor of your closet?
Carpet…and shoes…and shoe boxes
Q. What did you do last night?
Went for a walk, watched TV, chatted on IM, went to bed and dreamed about aliens.
Q. Favorite smells?
I love the smell of Christmas…and clean sheets!
Q. What (who) inspires you?
My family, nature, humanity…
Q. Favorite dog breed?
I love almost all dogs (just not the mean ones)…
Q. Number of keys on your key ring?
5
Q. How many states have you lived in?
2
Q. What are you afraid of?
Snakes
Q. Ever driven heavy machinery?
Once…a big bus…does that count??
Q. What is your favorite hobby?
Writing, Reading, and people watching…
Be Well!
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Godcidence....
Over and over, I have commented on the fact that, in this town, I never see anyone that I know…
We began the day by attending a baptismal service for some friends. The church that they attend is very large and holds three services to accommodate everyone…we were at the middle service…9:30 a.m. There we sat, waiting for the service to start…when our daughter noticed the names of a couple who we hadn’t seen in more than ten years. This particular couple had a very ‘remarkable’ history where we came from…having split up two families and devastated our church by having an extramarital affair, he being the pastor, and she the secretary. In the end, they divorced their respective spouses, married each other and disappeared into the sunset. Despite the fact that we were…sitting in church…our human curiosity got the better of us and we began to crane our necks…hoping for a glimpse of the wayward twosome. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man and woman slide into the row in front of us and sit down…it was them. After the service, we exchanged handshakes and pleasantries…and left thinking about the strangeness of the encounter.
As we moved out into the hallway, we were greeted by a man who, only a few months ago had discharged my husband from his job of 11 years, during a downsizing. During the ensuing conversation, we found out that, after the company used this individual to do their dirty work, they let him go as well. Before moving forward even one more step…a friend of the ‘company man’ walked up and was greeted by my husband, my son, and the company man…whereupon each looked at the other in amazement as they realized that they all had this acquaintance in common.
We left church talking about the events thus far. We soon arrived at a local Bar B Q place for lunch…a party of 11. As we sat at our table eating and chatting, we looked up to see a couple who we had not seen in three years or so…standing in line to eat. Hugs and updates were exchanged over the next ten minutes or so!
What an odd world we live in. I can’t help but reflect on the particular people who we were brought in contact with today. I believe that things happen for a reason, so is it possible that…the couple who left church and community in disgrace…may have been a reminder that God has forgiven them…and we should too, the man who dismissed my husband…perhaps to remind us that we don’t have a solitary claim to hardship…even though it sometimes seems as though we do! And…the last couple…a bright spot…at the end of remembrance of more sobering times.
All of these things…after a communion service…This Do In Remembrance Of Me…Godcidence…if ever I saw it!
Be Well!
We began the day by attending a baptismal service for some friends. The church that they attend is very large and holds three services to accommodate everyone…we were at the middle service…9:30 a.m. There we sat, waiting for the service to start…when our daughter noticed the names of a couple who we hadn’t seen in more than ten years. This particular couple had a very ‘remarkable’ history where we came from…having split up two families and devastated our church by having an extramarital affair, he being the pastor, and she the secretary. In the end, they divorced their respective spouses, married each other and disappeared into the sunset. Despite the fact that we were…sitting in church…our human curiosity got the better of us and we began to crane our necks…hoping for a glimpse of the wayward twosome. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man and woman slide into the row in front of us and sit down…it was them. After the service, we exchanged handshakes and pleasantries…and left thinking about the strangeness of the encounter.
As we moved out into the hallway, we were greeted by a man who, only a few months ago had discharged my husband from his job of 11 years, during a downsizing. During the ensuing conversation, we found out that, after the company used this individual to do their dirty work, they let him go as well. Before moving forward even one more step…a friend of the ‘company man’ walked up and was greeted by my husband, my son, and the company man…whereupon each looked at the other in amazement as they realized that they all had this acquaintance in common.
We left church talking about the events thus far. We soon arrived at a local Bar B Q place for lunch…a party of 11. As we sat at our table eating and chatting, we looked up to see a couple who we had not seen in three years or so…standing in line to eat. Hugs and updates were exchanged over the next ten minutes or so!
What an odd world we live in. I can’t help but reflect on the particular people who we were brought in contact with today. I believe that things happen for a reason, so is it possible that…the couple who left church and community in disgrace…may have been a reminder that God has forgiven them…and we should too, the man who dismissed my husband…perhaps to remind us that we don’t have a solitary claim to hardship…even though it sometimes seems as though we do! And…the last couple…a bright spot…at the end of remembrance of more sobering times.
All of these things…after a communion service…This Do In Remembrance Of Me…Godcidence…if ever I saw it!
Be Well!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
A cold, blustery day...
I headed out for my morning walk...still in a funk. Out of the blue...familiarity lifted me. The geese have returned...today!
Geese
In an ever changing world
Of discontent…
Familiar things…
Like balm to the soul.
Cold wind in my face
Uncertainty in my heart
I trudge forth…
Battling dark thoughts.
In the distance…
I see them.
Waddling, honking,
Old friends in a storm.
Normalcy…comfort…
A parallel universe,
In which…yesterdays peace
Still exists.
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Geese
In an ever changing world
Of discontent…
Familiar things…
Like balm to the soul.
Cold wind in my face
Uncertainty in my heart
I trudge forth…
Battling dark thoughts.
In the distance…
I see them.
Waddling, honking,
Old friends in a storm.
Normalcy…comfort…
A parallel universe,
In which…yesterdays peace
Still exists.
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Foggy Tuesday...
I found out yesterday that my former employer is contesting my unemployment compensation. After a bit of thought and going back through some paperwork…it has become glaringly apparent why…the ‘good ole boy’ network. It seems that the need to protect each other is more important than honesty, ethics, or human decency. In their quest to be sure that they ‘get even’ with me for leaving their good buddy…they are willing to band together and lie.
I knew that there was some animosity towards me…but I would never have dreamed that they would do something like this. I assumed that they were professional people…who would put aside petty nonsense and move forward…I was wrong. It’s frightening to think that people who handle other people’s money and financial futures…are so ready to be dishonest. I will not work for another broker.
I am fighting depression this morning in a big way. I want nothing more right now, than to crawl back into bed, cover my head up and stay there. I am fed up with trying to do the right thing, and being kicked in the teeth. I hate the stupid ‘games’ that people in office settings seem determined to play…why not just go to work, do the job, give those around you a hand…and go home? I’m tired…disillusioned…hurt…and angry. I really don’t want to try anymore…but…the sun is trying to shine (although, much like me, it is shrouded by a dense fog this morning). I will put on my freaking ‘big girl panties’, go for a walk, and hope that it helps. Life goes on…and on…and on.
Be Well
I knew that there was some animosity towards me…but I would never have dreamed that they would do something like this. I assumed that they were professional people…who would put aside petty nonsense and move forward…I was wrong. It’s frightening to think that people who handle other people’s money and financial futures…are so ready to be dishonest. I will not work for another broker.
I am fighting depression this morning in a big way. I want nothing more right now, than to crawl back into bed, cover my head up and stay there. I am fed up with trying to do the right thing, and being kicked in the teeth. I hate the stupid ‘games’ that people in office settings seem determined to play…why not just go to work, do the job, give those around you a hand…and go home? I’m tired…disillusioned…hurt…and angry. I really don’t want to try anymore…but…the sun is trying to shine (although, much like me, it is shrouded by a dense fog this morning). I will put on my freaking ‘big girl panties’, go for a walk, and hope that it helps. Life goes on…and on…and on.
Be Well
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Fast visit...
Sunday evening and Rich's visit is almost over. We will miss him more than he knows! He has truly become a wonderful part of our family! It takes a special person to fit in with our nutty bunch...he is very special and fits in perfectly! I am sad to see him go... but I already look forward to his next visit!! We have been so blessed by him this week!
Be Well!
Be Well!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Saturday morning...
Hello world! It’s been a fast few days! Here’s a recap!
Wednesday- We made a “Welcome to Kansas Rich” banner and headed to the airport to finally meet face-to-face with someone who I feel like I’ve known forever! As Rich came down the aisle, he was greeted by five crazy people holding the aforementioned banner and yelling and waving! I think we surprised him!
Thursday-Marvin and I headed for the airport about 2:30, so that he could catch his plane to Chicago for a seminar. It turned out to be a very long afternoon! He got checked in, picked up his boarding pass, then after going through security…was advised that the flight had been delayed…from 4:45 until 6:30. Over the next couple of hours, that time was changed several times and he finally ended up boarding at 7:00…then sitting on the runway until 7:45. The nightmare wasn’t over….after a long wait in Wichita and the usual flight time, he arrived in Chicago to find about 200 people trying to hail cabs. The weather was cold and blustery, and he was tired and half sick with a dreadful cold. It was after 10:30 p.m. by the time he finally stepped into a cab! Meanwhile, I found out just how big and empty our house can be! I hadn’t been ‘on my own’ in over 30 years. I ended up reading until after 2 a.m.
Friday-I got up around 8:30, checked email, showered, dressed, then began working on my book. About 11:00 Shane and Rich came over and we visited for an hour or so, then went to Fazoli’s for lunch. Afterwards, we drove around the eastside of Wichita for a bit and stopped at World Market to look around. By 2:00 we were back at our house and talked and laughed and laughed and laughed! It was great! Rich is one of the nicest people I have ever met, and he fits right in with our family! It really feels like we have always known him! Shane and Rich left about 4:00 or so, to go let Sugar out, then we met Chas and Candy at River City Brewery for dinner at 5:00. After dinner, we headed back to Chas’s to kick back and relax for a bit. We met Harold and Diane at Bergman’s Corn Maze at 8:15 or so, and the evening began in earnest! We were equipped with flashlights, a map, and a list of questions to answer in order to find our way through the maze. It was totally dark by the time the driver dropped us off at the entrance to the field, and a chilly wind had begun to blow. We spent the next two and a half hours tromping through rows and rows of corn. As we came to each station, we read the questions, debated the answers, wrote them down, then looked to Harold for direction! We completed the first maze at 10:00, entered the second one, and completed it at aprox 11:00! By the time we got back in the car to leave, our feet and hands were numb with cold! We talked, laughed, screamed and joked and…even though it was freezing…we had a blast! After a very hot shower, a cup of steaming hot chocolate, and a piece of banana bread…I hit the sack at 1:15!
That brings us to now…Saturday morning! I have a few errands to run, then I will pick Marvin up at the airport at 4:00…unless his arrival is as hexed as his departure was! This evening, he will make a big pot of chili, and after church tomorrow, we will have everyone over for a cookout! I love having a houseful of people, so I am really looking forward to it!!
See ya on the flip side!
Be Well!
Wednesday- We made a “Welcome to Kansas Rich” banner and headed to the airport to finally meet face-to-face with someone who I feel like I’ve known forever! As Rich came down the aisle, he was greeted by five crazy people holding the aforementioned banner and yelling and waving! I think we surprised him!
Thursday-Marvin and I headed for the airport about 2:30, so that he could catch his plane to Chicago for a seminar. It turned out to be a very long afternoon! He got checked in, picked up his boarding pass, then after going through security…was advised that the flight had been delayed…from 4:45 until 6:30. Over the next couple of hours, that time was changed several times and he finally ended up boarding at 7:00…then sitting on the runway until 7:45. The nightmare wasn’t over….after a long wait in Wichita and the usual flight time, he arrived in Chicago to find about 200 people trying to hail cabs. The weather was cold and blustery, and he was tired and half sick with a dreadful cold. It was after 10:30 p.m. by the time he finally stepped into a cab! Meanwhile, I found out just how big and empty our house can be! I hadn’t been ‘on my own’ in over 30 years. I ended up reading until after 2 a.m.
Friday-I got up around 8:30, checked email, showered, dressed, then began working on my book. About 11:00 Shane and Rich came over and we visited for an hour or so, then went to Fazoli’s for lunch. Afterwards, we drove around the eastside of Wichita for a bit and stopped at World Market to look around. By 2:00 we were back at our house and talked and laughed and laughed and laughed! It was great! Rich is one of the nicest people I have ever met, and he fits right in with our family! It really feels like we have always known him! Shane and Rich left about 4:00 or so, to go let Sugar out, then we met Chas and Candy at River City Brewery for dinner at 5:00. After dinner, we headed back to Chas’s to kick back and relax for a bit. We met Harold and Diane at Bergman’s Corn Maze at 8:15 or so, and the evening began in earnest! We were equipped with flashlights, a map, and a list of questions to answer in order to find our way through the maze. It was totally dark by the time the driver dropped us off at the entrance to the field, and a chilly wind had begun to blow. We spent the next two and a half hours tromping through rows and rows of corn. As we came to each station, we read the questions, debated the answers, wrote them down, then looked to Harold for direction! We completed the first maze at 10:00, entered the second one, and completed it at aprox 11:00! By the time we got back in the car to leave, our feet and hands were numb with cold! We talked, laughed, screamed and joked and…even though it was freezing…we had a blast! After a very hot shower, a cup of steaming hot chocolate, and a piece of banana bread…I hit the sack at 1:15!
That brings us to now…Saturday morning! I have a few errands to run, then I will pick Marvin up at the airport at 4:00…unless his arrival is as hexed as his departure was! This evening, he will make a big pot of chili, and after church tomorrow, we will have everyone over for a cookout! I love having a houseful of people, so I am really looking forward to it!!
See ya on the flip side!
Be Well!
Monday, October 09, 2006
N-U-C-L-E-A-R...Heaven help us...
Too late…
Clouds are gatherin
Skies gettin dark
Tomorrow, my friends…
Won’t be no walk in the park.
Korea proclaims…
"We’re catchin up."
In the dead of night
The flume goes up…
Souls of Hiroshima
Cry out in pain…
"Oh God…
Don’t go there again."
From Iraq…
To Bunker Hill
We’re determined…
More blood to spill.
My own doorstep
Now cluttered with ghosts…
They litter the ground
And cling to the posts.
Children playin killing games
Schools under siege…
Babies flyin war planes
Men doin what they please.
Faster and faster
Out of control,
Where it’s gonna stop…
We already know.
Close your eyes
Pretend it isn’t there…
Next time you look
The world is bare.
Covered in ash
No one left…
Except the politicians...
Immune to death.
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Clouds are gatherin
Skies gettin dark
Tomorrow, my friends…
Won’t be no walk in the park.
Korea proclaims…
"We’re catchin up."
In the dead of night
The flume goes up…
Souls of Hiroshima
Cry out in pain…
"Oh God…
Don’t go there again."
From Iraq…
To Bunker Hill
We’re determined…
More blood to spill.
My own doorstep
Now cluttered with ghosts…
They litter the ground
And cling to the posts.
Children playin killing games
Schools under siege…
Babies flyin war planes
Men doin what they please.
Faster and faster
Out of control,
Where it’s gonna stop…
We already know.
Close your eyes
Pretend it isn’t there…
Next time you look
The world is bare.
Covered in ash
No one left…
Except the politicians...
Immune to death.
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Play by play...
7:25-Marvin left for work
7:30-Fixed a small bowl of instant grits
7:33-Ate my grits while I checked email/blogs…I do love grits!
7:40-Put on sweats, tennis shoes, and IPOD and went for my morning walk…it is fresh, quiet, and gorgeous out this morning.
8:12-Back from my walk, changed clothes
8:15-Began cleaning kitchen…wiping out fridge, cleaning appliance fronts, cleaning out coffee maker, emptying dishwasher, washing and drying kitchen floor, landing floor, bathroom floor
10:07-Just finished the above! I decided to rearrange the fridge (took out shelving and relocated it) and made the cold water container much more accessible! Also, cleaned the sliding door track…ehhhh! How does that stuff get in there?
10:10-Vacuuming house (upstairs and downstairs…and both sets of stairs)
10:15-There is enough hair in the bag to make a wig! Worked up the nerve to check the mirror…I haven’t gone bald…
11:00-Finally finished vacuuming!! There’s a lot of house here! I must have gotten too hot…stupid head is trying to hurt. Time for a cool shower.
12:30-The shower and a few minutes of rest seem to have taken care of the headache! Thank heavens!
12:50-Eating a bowl of chicken noodle soup while I peruse Career Builders .com…these are the tiniest noodles I have ever seen…
1:00-Filled out online app for FBI…I fear it was for naught
1:30-Cleaned my desk up…I’d forgotten what the top looked like
1:46-Stupid headache is trying to wack me again…better lay down for a bit
2:30-Headache gone again-decided to prune hanging plant in living room…I’m afraid I killed it. Mourning period of 5 minutes ensued…followed by interment in the garbage bin. Shuffling of other plants resulted in an appropriate replacement…I decided not to prune it.
3:30-I ran a pot of vinegar water through the coffee maker…it has run over twice in as many days, and, as expected, it began to run over immediately. I finally took the gasket around the inside of the lid out, and it seems to work fine now…so I ran three pots of fresh water through it…daring it to run over again. If it had…it would have joined the plant.
4:07-Just finished applying online for two more jobs. Time now to fix dinner!
Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious evening!!
Be Well!
7:30-Fixed a small bowl of instant grits
7:33-Ate my grits while I checked email/blogs…I do love grits!
7:40-Put on sweats, tennis shoes, and IPOD and went for my morning walk…it is fresh, quiet, and gorgeous out this morning.
8:12-Back from my walk, changed clothes
8:15-Began cleaning kitchen…wiping out fridge, cleaning appliance fronts, cleaning out coffee maker, emptying dishwasher, washing and drying kitchen floor, landing floor, bathroom floor
10:07-Just finished the above! I decided to rearrange the fridge (took out shelving and relocated it) and made the cold water container much more accessible! Also, cleaned the sliding door track…ehhhh! How does that stuff get in there?
10:10-Vacuuming house (upstairs and downstairs…and both sets of stairs)
10:15-There is enough hair in the bag to make a wig! Worked up the nerve to check the mirror…I haven’t gone bald…
11:00-Finally finished vacuuming!! There’s a lot of house here! I must have gotten too hot…stupid head is trying to hurt. Time for a cool shower.
12:30-The shower and a few minutes of rest seem to have taken care of the headache! Thank heavens!
12:50-Eating a bowl of chicken noodle soup while I peruse Career Builders .com…these are the tiniest noodles I have ever seen…
1:00-Filled out online app for FBI…I fear it was for naught
1:30-Cleaned my desk up…I’d forgotten what the top looked like
1:46-Stupid headache is trying to wack me again…better lay down for a bit
2:30-Headache gone again-decided to prune hanging plant in living room…I’m afraid I killed it. Mourning period of 5 minutes ensued…followed by interment in the garbage bin. Shuffling of other plants resulted in an appropriate replacement…I decided not to prune it.
3:30-I ran a pot of vinegar water through the coffee maker…it has run over twice in as many days, and, as expected, it began to run over immediately. I finally took the gasket around the inside of the lid out, and it seems to work fine now…so I ran three pots of fresh water through it…daring it to run over again. If it had…it would have joined the plant.
4:07-Just finished applying online for two more jobs. Time now to fix dinner!
Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious evening!!
Be Well!
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
No hump...
Here it is…Wednesday…hump day…and there is no hump. I spent the morning setting up a spreadsheet to accommodate my job search info, filling out applications to mail, registering with Kansas job link and Specialists Group. Did a bit of laundry, housecleaning, took lunch to Marvin, then stopped at Dillons for meds and food.
It is an absolutely glorious day outside! The windows are open and a fresh breeze is circulating the warmth and sunshine throughout! I cannot believe it is October 4th already! I shudder to think what Arkalalah holds…weather this mild now is probably only a precursor to a downhill slide! Be that as it may…I am still looking forward to that annual weekend of parades, concessions, seeing people that I can’t quite remember, and walking all day!
Dinner is in the oven…I have organized some of the chaos on my computer desktop, a new project is blooming in the back of my feeble brain…and my desk looks like a tornado hit it! All in all…a good and profitable day!!
Be Well!
It is an absolutely glorious day outside! The windows are open and a fresh breeze is circulating the warmth and sunshine throughout! I cannot believe it is October 4th already! I shudder to think what Arkalalah holds…weather this mild now is probably only a precursor to a downhill slide! Be that as it may…I am still looking forward to that annual weekend of parades, concessions, seeing people that I can’t quite remember, and walking all day!
Dinner is in the oven…I have organized some of the chaos on my computer desktop, a new project is blooming in the back of my feeble brain…and my desk looks like a tornado hit it! All in all…a good and profitable day!!
Be Well!
Monday, October 02, 2006
Thank you Rich!!!
E-Mail Survey Time!
Put an X by all the things you've done, or remove the x from the ones you have not, and send it to all of your friends (including me). This is for your entire life.
( ) Smoked a cigarette
(x) Drank so much you threw up
( /) Crashed a friend's car(dad's car)
( ) Stolen a car
(X) Been in love
(X) Been dumped
(X) Quit your job
(x) Been in a fist fight
(x) Snuck out of your parents' house
(X) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
(/ ) Been arrested (taken in for questioning)
( ) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
(X) Seen someone die (Too many times)
( ) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been lost
( ) Been on the opposite side of the world.
( ) Gone to Washington , DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(X) Felt like dying
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
( ) Recently colored with crayons,
( ) Sang karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with only coins
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue.
(x) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(X) Blown bubbles
(x) Made a bonfire on the beach
(x) Crashed a party
(X) Gone roller-skating
(x) Ice-skating....
1. Any nicknames? Jodyo, Jo, Jo Jo
2. Mother's name? Ellen
3. What is your favorite drink? Water, Diet Coke
4. Tattoos? No
5. Body piercing? 3 holes in each ear
6. How much do you love your job? I don't have a job.
7. Birthplace? Coffeyville, KS
8. Favorite vacation spot? Beach
9. Ever been to Africa ? No
10. Ever steal any traffic signs? Yes and parking meters
11. Ever been in a car accident? Yes
12. 2 Door or 4 Door? 2!
13. Salad dressing? Buttermilk Ranch, Raspberry Vinaigrettee
14. Favorite pie? Pumpkin
15. Favorite number? 2,4,8,16,5,11,
16. Favorite movie? Too many favorites to list
17. Favorite holiday? Christmas
18. Favorite food? Real mashed potatoes
19. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
20. Favorite brand of body soap? Victoria's Secret Amber Romance
21. Favorite TV shows? Everybody Loves Raymond
22. Favorite toothpaste? Crest
23. Favorite smell? Christmas
24. What do you do to relax? Write, talk, walk
25. What do you want to say to all of your friends reading this? Hi!
26. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Still goofy
27. What do you do when you are bored? Clean, walk, sleep
28. Where is the furthest place this message will go? My blog
Put an X by all the things you've done, or remove the x from the ones you have not, and send it to all of your friends (including me). This is for your entire life.
( ) Smoked a cigarette
(x) Drank so much you threw up
( /) Crashed a friend's car(dad's car)
( ) Stolen a car
(X) Been in love
(X) Been dumped
(X) Quit your job
(x) Been in a fist fight
(x) Snuck out of your parents' house
(X) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
(/ ) Been arrested (taken in for questioning)
( ) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
(X) Seen someone die (Too many times)
( ) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been lost
( ) Been on the opposite side of the world.
( ) Gone to Washington , DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(X) Felt like dying
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
( ) Recently colored with crayons,
( ) Sang karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with only coins
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue.
(x) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(X) Blown bubbles
(x) Made a bonfire on the beach
(x) Crashed a party
(X) Gone roller-skating
(x) Ice-skating....
1. Any nicknames? Jodyo, Jo, Jo Jo
2. Mother's name? Ellen
3. What is your favorite drink? Water, Diet Coke
4. Tattoos? No
5. Body piercing? 3 holes in each ear
6. How much do you love your job? I don't have a job.
7. Birthplace? Coffeyville, KS
8. Favorite vacation spot? Beach
9. Ever been to Africa ? No
10. Ever steal any traffic signs? Yes and parking meters
11. Ever been in a car accident? Yes
12. 2 Door or 4 Door? 2!
13. Salad dressing? Buttermilk Ranch, Raspberry Vinaigrettee
14. Favorite pie? Pumpkin
15. Favorite number? 2,4,8,16,5,11,
16. Favorite movie? Too many favorites to list
17. Favorite holiday? Christmas
18. Favorite food? Real mashed potatoes
19. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
20. Favorite brand of body soap? Victoria's Secret Amber Romance
21. Favorite TV shows? Everybody Loves Raymond
22. Favorite toothpaste? Crest
23. Favorite smell? Christmas
24. What do you do to relax? Write, talk, walk
25. What do you want to say to all of your friends reading this? Hi!
26. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Still goofy
27. What do you do when you are bored? Clean, walk, sleep
28. Where is the furthest place this message will go? My blog
Monday, Monday...
The reunion service at Randall Road was…interesting. We saw lots of people that we hadn’t seen for a while, and heard three (that’s right folks…THREE) sermons in one service. The first sermon was from the interim pastor…very ‘old school’…holy cow…I could have done without that one! The second from a former pastor…again…holy cow. Then a mini sermon by his wife and a…song…of sorts. All of the aforementioned had the tone of a dirge. Finally, we got to the good stuff! Chas sang John The Revelator (which was awesome, and was also exactly the lift that the service needed)! Then Marvin took the pulpit and immediately changed the entire atmosphere with a little laughter and irony! He did an excellent job! I must say, for the first time since we left this church…coming back did not feel like ‘coming home’. I don’t like change…and it takes me a while to ‘move on’ when life throws curves in the road…but I think I finally have.
Unfortunately, during the song that she sang, Chas was hit by a blood pressure/blood sugar/anxiety combo that nearly took her down! After some rest and meds, she was good to go again!
Lunch was pizza at our house, then Marvin and Shane left to go work on Shane’s porch, Candy went home to take a nap, and Chas and I began to get ready for the evening concert!
The Rolling Stones were amazing!! The Stones have always been fantastic…but I never knew that Keith Richards was so awesome in his own right!! Oh my gosh!! He did a blues number that BLEW ME AWAY!!!!!!! The pyrotechnics were outstanding, and the crowd was in sync!! All in all…it was a perfect evening!! I think it may well have been the best concert that I have been to since I was a kid!!
I would be remiss, not to mention the opening band…Black Rebel Motorcycle Club! I heard lots of comments, while standing in line to enter the stadium…about how ‘we got ripped’ by the enlistment of an unknown band as an opener. I believe that we were pleasantly surprised! I definitely enjoyed their performance! They rocked the house for an hour…there wasn’t a body in the stands that wasn’t feeling the beat! I don’t think they will remain ‘unknown’ for long!
I don’t seem to have any words of wit or wisdom to offer this morning…just trying not to start the week in a funk. A hot shower, then a bit of housecleaning and exercise may be just what the doctor ordered!
Catch ya later!
Be Well!
Unfortunately, during the song that she sang, Chas was hit by a blood pressure/blood sugar/anxiety combo that nearly took her down! After some rest and meds, she was good to go again!
Lunch was pizza at our house, then Marvin and Shane left to go work on Shane’s porch, Candy went home to take a nap, and Chas and I began to get ready for the evening concert!
The Rolling Stones were amazing!! The Stones have always been fantastic…but I never knew that Keith Richards was so awesome in his own right!! Oh my gosh!! He did a blues number that BLEW ME AWAY!!!!!!! The pyrotechnics were outstanding, and the crowd was in sync!! All in all…it was a perfect evening!! I think it may well have been the best concert that I have been to since I was a kid!!
I would be remiss, not to mention the opening band…Black Rebel Motorcycle Club! I heard lots of comments, while standing in line to enter the stadium…about how ‘we got ripped’ by the enlistment of an unknown band as an opener. I believe that we were pleasantly surprised! I definitely enjoyed their performance! They rocked the house for an hour…there wasn’t a body in the stands that wasn’t feeling the beat! I don’t think they will remain ‘unknown’ for long!
I don’t seem to have any words of wit or wisdom to offer this morning…just trying not to start the week in a funk. A hot shower, then a bit of housecleaning and exercise may be just what the doctor ordered!
Catch ya later!
Be Well!
Friday, September 29, 2006
No words...
I started the day with a job that I wasn't happy with...but at least it was a job. I ended the day...without a job. I was supposed to be trained to be the compliance assistant...a process that takes 6 months to a year to complete...as it turns out...they have decided that they don't have time to train...they want someone who has experience in compliance, is fully trained, has taken all of the tests, and can step in and take it over now. So...Monday begins a new job search.
I'm tired...and I am all out of words.
Be Well
I'm tired...and I am all out of words.
Be Well
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Slide on the ice...
Tomorrow is Friday!! Thank you Lord! We're in the home stretch now guys!! Pull down your pants and slide on the ice!!!
Be Well!
Be Well!
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Nostalgia...
Today was long. My mind kept wandering...back through the years. As hard as just 'being' was when we were children...I always thought that the bonds that kept us going through it all...would last forever. Somehow, along the way, my brother and sister have drifted off...I miss them.
For Ran and Toby…
Reminiscing softly…the past we didn’t have
Childhood lost to monsters in the night…
Fending off the demons, hand in hand,
Protecting each the other…fought the fight.
Much has come and gone with years
Love brought down the ugly walls…
Banished are those dark and lonely fears
Time worked its magic on us all.
To the darkness…I gladly bid farewell
With a joy my soul cannot contain…
But your voices and your presence
In my heart…forever will remain.
I miss the bond of love
Shared…all through those years
I miss your closeness,
Though I do not miss the tears.
If someday…again you need me...
Just know that this is true
I’ll be right here waiting…
It’s all that I can do.
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Be Well!
For Ran and Toby…
Reminiscing softly…the past we didn’t have
Childhood lost to monsters in the night…
Fending off the demons, hand in hand,
Protecting each the other…fought the fight.
Much has come and gone with years
Love brought down the ugly walls…
Banished are those dark and lonely fears
Time worked its magic on us all.
To the darkness…I gladly bid farewell
With a joy my soul cannot contain…
But your voices and your presence
In my heart…forever will remain.
I miss the bond of love
Shared…all through those years
I miss your closeness,
Though I do not miss the tears.
If someday…again you need me...
Just know that this is true
I’ll be right here waiting…
It’s all that I can do.
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Be Well!
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Sedgwick County Zoo...
We spent the afternoon and evening at Marvin’s company picnic, a good time was had by all! The temperatures were in the mid 70’s all afternoon, and it was perfect for wandering around watching the animals! I had heard so much about the elephants and their paintings, but I had never been privileged to see them do it before! Today, we watched Stephanie, a 35 year old elephant, actually paint! It was very cool! Both of the elephants were in fine form and were absolutely endearing!! I have always had a soft spot for elephants though…so perhaps endearing is in the eye of the beholder. We saw everything…and walked forever!
Around 5:30, the company served Bar B Q for dinner. I normally have a difficult time getting to know people, but a very nice couple (the wife works closely with Marvin in the office) sat down at our table and struck up a conversation with us! Before we knew it, we were chatting and laughing and really enjoying their company!
Shortly before dinner, the temperature had begun to drop, and by the time we were finished eating, we had begun to shiver! People began to disburse quickly! I think it could have gone on for another hour or so…if there had been coffee and hot chocolate! We got some nice shots of things that we saw today, and I have posted them above!
Be Well!
I found this poem this morning...it is beautiful! I just wanted to share!!
To Daffadills
Faire Daffadills, we weep to see
You haste away so soone:
As yet the early-rising Sun
Has not attain'd his Noone.
Stay, stay,
Untill the hasting day
Has run
But to the Even-song;
And, having pray'd together, we
Will goe with you along.
We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a Spring;
As quick a growth to meet Decay,
As you, or any thing
We die,
As your hours doe, and drie
Away,
Like to the Summeres raine;
Or as the pearles of Mornings dew,
Ne'er to be found again.
Robert Herrick.
Catch ya on the flip side!
Be Well!
To Daffadills
Faire Daffadills, we weep to see
You haste away so soone:
As yet the early-rising Sun
Has not attain'd his Noone.
Stay, stay,
Untill the hasting day
Has run
But to the Even-song;
And, having pray'd together, we
Will goe with you along.
We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a Spring;
As quick a growth to meet Decay,
As you, or any thing
We die,
As your hours doe, and drie
Away,
Like to the Summeres raine;
Or as the pearles of Mornings dew,
Ne'er to be found again.
Robert Herrick.
Catch ya on the flip side!
Be Well!
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Looooooong day.....
After the longest day ever…it was thankfully time to go home!! Eggs, pancakes, and bacon for supper, then chores!
Marvin closed the pool for the season while I gave my bamboo plant a clean vase and fresh rocks, emptied all of the trashes, pulled the cart to the curb, and swept the kitchen!
A productive evening all around!
About 7:30, I headed out for my evening walk. Determined to stay the course tonight, I cranked up the tunes and, for the first time since my bathtub acrobatics, went the entire distance! I was limping by the last couple of blocks…but this too shall pass! I feel really good that I didn’t wienie out on the last third of my usual route (like I have been), but I am pooped out!
A summary of the week thus far…work sucks…but the time after work has been great! Fabulous temperatures…sunshine…lots of fresh air dancing through the house…those things combined always energize me!! I love this time of year! I am so looking forward to the fall colors, as summer says goodbye. I am so NOT looking forward to the gray…blustery…frigid days ahead…when winter says hello. Although, I must admit, the thought of that first glittering snowfall…is nice.
Be Well!
Would you…
If you could..
In the course of a day…
Influence a child
In a positive way…
Make someone’s life
Seem better somehow…
Help them to see
Beyond here and now…
Rid your own soul
Of idiot fray…
Squash every moron
Who gets in your way…
Would you in fact
Effect all these things…
Or is there contentment
That imagining brings?
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved
Marvin closed the pool for the season while I gave my bamboo plant a clean vase and fresh rocks, emptied all of the trashes, pulled the cart to the curb, and swept the kitchen!
A productive evening all around!
About 7:30, I headed out for my evening walk. Determined to stay the course tonight, I cranked up the tunes and, for the first time since my bathtub acrobatics, went the entire distance! I was limping by the last couple of blocks…but this too shall pass! I feel really good that I didn’t wienie out on the last third of my usual route (like I have been), but I am pooped out!
A summary of the week thus far…work sucks…but the time after work has been great! Fabulous temperatures…sunshine…lots of fresh air dancing through the house…those things combined always energize me!! I love this time of year! I am so looking forward to the fall colors, as summer says goodbye. I am so NOT looking forward to the gray…blustery…frigid days ahead…when winter says hello. Although, I must admit, the thought of that first glittering snowfall…is nice.
Be Well!
Would you…
If you could..
In the course of a day…
Influence a child
In a positive way…
Make someone’s life
Seem better somehow…
Help them to see
Beyond here and now…
Rid your own soul
Of idiot fray…
Squash every moron
Who gets in your way…
Would you in fact
Effect all these things…
Or is there contentment
That imagining brings?
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved
Monday, September 18, 2006
Slow down...
Here it is...blue Monday again. Mercifully, it's over. However, not before I was yelled at by the president of our clearing house...and not before I hurled a nasty (though tactful) remark about him in the direction of one of the partners...and then found out that they are personal friends. I have a knack for inopportune moments...I'm remembering the Bobby Love incident...!
Don’t run so fast...
Sometimes, in the blur of the day
We lose our will to find the way…
If indeed, it matters at all,
It’s in the handwriting…on the wall.
Lost in the swirl of do’s and don’ts,
Straddling the fence of will’s and won’ts…
Anxiety reigns, have we lost or won,
In the master plan, it’s already done.
So why do we bother to shed these tears
To fret, and panic, and struggle for years…
The decision is made…the dye is cast
Slow down…don’t run so fast.
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Don’t run so fast...
Sometimes, in the blur of the day
We lose our will to find the way…
If indeed, it matters at all,
It’s in the handwriting…on the wall.
Lost in the swirl of do’s and don’ts,
Straddling the fence of will’s and won’ts…
Anxiety reigns, have we lost or won,
In the master plan, it’s already done.
So why do we bother to shed these tears
To fret, and panic, and struggle for years…
The decision is made…the dye is cast
Slow down…don’t run so fast.
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
A great weekend!!
We arrived in Kansas City Friday evening around 9:30! On the way there, we decided to play with my new GPS…who I had nicknamed Lydia. As we entered the KC area…she told us where to turn and how far to go…every few minutes. Shane began to turn the opposite direction deliberately to see what it would do! It was hilarious…and a bit scary!
She knew EXACTLY where we were, each time we turned…even after a hasty ‘U’ turn in the middle of a street!!
Saturday was spent shopping and eating! We enjoyed both tremendously! We found a new outdoor mall called “Legends” that we had never been to, and by the time we left, I had a sweater, Chas had several kitchen items, Shane had a shirt, and Candy had TWO pairs of shoes (you go girl)!! We ate lunch at a place called “Cheeseburger Paradise” apparently somehow affiliated with Jimmy Buffet (not a football player). The food was great, and the entertainment was awesome! A strolling balloon aficionado stopped by our table and made a huge pair of lips with a large pink balloon tongue coming out between them (all fastened on to a balloon ‘hat’, for the birthday boy (Shane), and then we watched him manufacture a parrot, several monkeys, a jayhawk, a ‘Dr Seuss’ like hat, a brain sucking alien, and a host of other things…for other patrons! He was amazing!
The rest of the afternoon consisted of more shopping (at an indoor mall). Then, Birthday dinner at Cheesecake Factory, and back to the hotel. It was about 8:00 when we arrived back at the hotel, and we were all pretty tired. Chas went on up to the room to shower and rest a bit, but the rest of us (having gotten a second wind on the ride back) went for a walk on the plaza! What a great place! Lots of great shops, street performers, and freaks!! We wound down around 9:15, went back to the room and watched a bit of TV, ate some of the best birthday cake in the world, then hit the sack late.
We headed out for breakfast and the ride home around 10:00 this morning. The ride home was a lot longer than the ride there…as we were all tired and not looking forward to the chores that awaited us at home.
That brings us to now…5:58 P.M. Sunday evening. Upon our arrival, we dug right in, and in 2 ½ hours, we had dusted, vacuumed, shampooed the living room, hallway and upstairs carpets, unpacked, cleaned out the fridge, done laundry, and put dinner in the oven!
It was a really nice weekend! I thoroughly enjoyed it all! We needed some fun, ‘down time’ and we got it! The rest of the month is booked…office picnic, Michael W Smith Concert, Rolling Stones Concert…then October begins…already half full as well, culminating with Arkalalah on October 26th! The next few weeks/months will pass in a flurry of activity!
I have to end this post with an observation…from the heart. Every time we are privileged to spend time with our kids…I am reminded again of how blessed we are! As our kids were growing up, they were great! Kind, sweet, intelligent, wonderful kids! They have become adults…in what seems to have been ‘the blink of an eye’. They have both grown into the most responsible, sweet, kind, thoughtful, successful, fun loving, and ‘fabulous to be with’ adults that I have ever known! We are blessed beyond belief!
Be Well!
She knew EXACTLY where we were, each time we turned…even after a hasty ‘U’ turn in the middle of a street!!
Saturday was spent shopping and eating! We enjoyed both tremendously! We found a new outdoor mall called “Legends” that we had never been to, and by the time we left, I had a sweater, Chas had several kitchen items, Shane had a shirt, and Candy had TWO pairs of shoes (you go girl)!! We ate lunch at a place called “Cheeseburger Paradise” apparently somehow affiliated with Jimmy Buffet (not a football player). The food was great, and the entertainment was awesome! A strolling balloon aficionado stopped by our table and made a huge pair of lips with a large pink balloon tongue coming out between them (all fastened on to a balloon ‘hat’, for the birthday boy (Shane), and then we watched him manufacture a parrot, several monkeys, a jayhawk, a ‘Dr Seuss’ like hat, a brain sucking alien, and a host of other things…for other patrons! He was amazing!
The rest of the afternoon consisted of more shopping (at an indoor mall). Then, Birthday dinner at Cheesecake Factory, and back to the hotel. It was about 8:00 when we arrived back at the hotel, and we were all pretty tired. Chas went on up to the room to shower and rest a bit, but the rest of us (having gotten a second wind on the ride back) went for a walk on the plaza! What a great place! Lots of great shops, street performers, and freaks!! We wound down around 9:15, went back to the room and watched a bit of TV, ate some of the best birthday cake in the world, then hit the sack late.
We headed out for breakfast and the ride home around 10:00 this morning. The ride home was a lot longer than the ride there…as we were all tired and not looking forward to the chores that awaited us at home.
That brings us to now…5:58 P.M. Sunday evening. Upon our arrival, we dug right in, and in 2 ½ hours, we had dusted, vacuumed, shampooed the living room, hallway and upstairs carpets, unpacked, cleaned out the fridge, done laundry, and put dinner in the oven!
It was a really nice weekend! I thoroughly enjoyed it all! We needed some fun, ‘down time’ and we got it! The rest of the month is booked…office picnic, Michael W Smith Concert, Rolling Stones Concert…then October begins…already half full as well, culminating with Arkalalah on October 26th! The next few weeks/months will pass in a flurry of activity!
I have to end this post with an observation…from the heart. Every time we are privileged to spend time with our kids…I am reminded again of how blessed we are! As our kids were growing up, they were great! Kind, sweet, intelligent, wonderful kids! They have become adults…in what seems to have been ‘the blink of an eye’. They have both grown into the most responsible, sweet, kind, thoughtful, successful, fun loving, and ‘fabulous to be with’ adults that I have ever known! We are blessed beyond belief!
Be Well!
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Downs...and Ups.....
This has been a long, tired, but productive week! Here are the highlights and lowlights!
-Low light-The cable guy came to Shane’s house this evening to install cable at the other end of his newly renovated bedroom…and broke a water pipe under the house.
+High light - Shane’s bedroom looks fantastic! After two days of work (that’s with all three of us…he actually worked on it for a couple more days before we got there), it is an amazing transformation! I have always thought it was a really cute house! But it’s even better now!
-Low light – I had a ‘set back’ that I honestly thought might land me in the hospital by Thursday afternoon. The pain was severe.
+High light - After two doses of meds…I am good to go again. Moral: Don’t stop taking your meds because you feel better…take them until they are gone.
-Low light – I had an interview for a possible position as a copy writer. Unfortunately, the company looks very ‘temporary’. It would not surprise me if they disappeared in the night sometime. Probably not a good place to risk our financial future.
+High light – I had an interview for a possible position as a copy writer. They said that they thought the sample that I wrote for them was excellent! Maybe there is hope yet, that I will someday make a living doing what I love to do!
Tomorrow is Friday!! Yea!!! By this time tomorrow evening, we will be almost in Kansas City for the weekend! We all need some down time…some FUN down time!!
Be well!
-Low light-The cable guy came to Shane’s house this evening to install cable at the other end of his newly renovated bedroom…and broke a water pipe under the house.
+High light - Shane’s bedroom looks fantastic! After two days of work (that’s with all three of us…he actually worked on it for a couple more days before we got there), it is an amazing transformation! I have always thought it was a really cute house! But it’s even better now!
-Low light – I had a ‘set back’ that I honestly thought might land me in the hospital by Thursday afternoon. The pain was severe.
+High light - After two doses of meds…I am good to go again. Moral: Don’t stop taking your meds because you feel better…take them until they are gone.
-Low light – I had an interview for a possible position as a copy writer. Unfortunately, the company looks very ‘temporary’. It would not surprise me if they disappeared in the night sometime. Probably not a good place to risk our financial future.
+High light – I had an interview for a possible position as a copy writer. They said that they thought the sample that I wrote for them was excellent! Maybe there is hope yet, that I will someday make a living doing what I love to do!
Tomorrow is Friday!! Yea!!! By this time tomorrow evening, we will be almost in Kansas City for the weekend! We all need some down time…some FUN down time!!
Be well!
Thursday, September 07, 2006
More whining...
Today was my first day at work after the fateful shower. It was a looooong day! By the time I got home...my entire leg was cramping. I ran a hot bath, grabbed a couple of magazines and some cherry juice...and relaxed for quite a while, in the tub! I feel much better now!!
I seem to be experiencing an odd phenomena though..it started a few minutes ago...my leg muscles are twitching like there is no tomorrow. I do believe they have a mind of their own! Or perhaps they are just tense from the day. At any rate...I think I had better sign off and take a muscle relaxer...and put my feet up for a bit!
Celebrate Friday!!!!
Be Well!
I seem to be experiencing an odd phenomena though..it started a few minutes ago...my leg muscles are twitching like there is no tomorrow. I do believe they have a mind of their own! Or perhaps they are just tense from the day. At any rate...I think I had better sign off and take a muscle relaxer...and put my feet up for a bit!
Celebrate Friday!!!!
Be Well!
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
A bit better...
After 2 days of meds...I do feel a bit better. Tomorrow will be a rough day though. It still hurts to sit, and it hurts a LOT to stand after sitting for very long. So, I will stand frequently, and get through it.
Today has been a more productive day. I still have not taken the pain meds, I just see no sense in taking them if I don't need them. The pain that I feel is not good, but it is not so bad that I can't bear it. I am so susceptible to meds that it has taken all day for the last muscle relaxant to wear off enough that I don't feel 'hazy'. I cannot go in to work tomorrow...dealing with other people's money...in a fog.
I have been able to accomplish some writing today! It has been a while since I was able to just sit down and take the time to get in the proper frame of mind to work on the book. I have finished about three more chapters! I feel very good about that! I very much want to finish it, and every time I successfully complete any portion...it is extremely satisfying. At the end of the day...I doubt very much that I will ever find a publisher who is willing to take it on, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
I've often wondered, why my brother and sister and I went through the things that we did as we were growing up. We were only children...all we wanted was to be loved, to be cared for, and to feel secure. The things that everyone wants. We were denied those things, often suffering brutality, and hostility that still haunts us. Over the years, I have had several opportunities to help people who have lingering pain from their own childhoods. Most of the time, the only help that I can give is to let them know that I have been where they are, and I understand, and can listen with compassion. I could not do those things, if not for my own experiences.
The season's of our lives are unpredictable at best. Just remember that without the storms, and clouds...the sunshine and rainbows would seem mundane.
Be Well!
Today has been a more productive day. I still have not taken the pain meds, I just see no sense in taking them if I don't need them. The pain that I feel is not good, but it is not so bad that I can't bear it. I am so susceptible to meds that it has taken all day for the last muscle relaxant to wear off enough that I don't feel 'hazy'. I cannot go in to work tomorrow...dealing with other people's money...in a fog.
I have been able to accomplish some writing today! It has been a while since I was able to just sit down and take the time to get in the proper frame of mind to work on the book. I have finished about three more chapters! I feel very good about that! I very much want to finish it, and every time I successfully complete any portion...it is extremely satisfying. At the end of the day...I doubt very much that I will ever find a publisher who is willing to take it on, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
I've often wondered, why my brother and sister and I went through the things that we did as we were growing up. We were only children...all we wanted was to be loved, to be cared for, and to feel secure. The things that everyone wants. We were denied those things, often suffering brutality, and hostility that still haunts us. Over the years, I have had several opportunities to help people who have lingering pain from their own childhoods. Most of the time, the only help that I can give is to let them know that I have been where they are, and I understand, and can listen with compassion. I could not do those things, if not for my own experiences.
The season's of our lives are unpredictable at best. Just remember that without the storms, and clouds...the sunshine and rainbows would seem mundane.
Be Well!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Muscle relaxers...
I got up this morning intending to go to work...then get in to the doctor as soon as possible. By the time I was almost there...I realized just how much I was hurting. The parking lot may as well have been a billion miles across. I called and let them know that I was heading on over to the doctor instead.
After three exrays, the doctor pronounced me injured...but not broken! That was a relief! Although she said that a break would heal a good deal faster. She gave me a muscle relaxer, an anti-inflammatory, and a pain med.
Around 11:00, I took the muscle relaxer and anti-inflammatory, then laid back down on the heating pad. Marvin came in for lunch about 11:45, and by 12:30, I was fast asleep...and didn't wake up until after 4:00. I feel like I lost the day entirely. I had intended to get in some reading and perhaps some writing...neither happened.
My leg is already a bit better, so maybe tomorrow I won't need the muscle relaxer. I don't think I will take the pain med...I'm afraid I would sleep for the rest of the week.
It sounds like both Shane and Chas are a bit under the weather today as well. Both with stomach trouble...although not presenting in the same way. Hopefully...everyone will heal quickly and we will all be back on track in a day or two!
I think it would be unwise to sit much longer...so here's to better days!!
Be Well!
After three exrays, the doctor pronounced me injured...but not broken! That was a relief! Although she said that a break would heal a good deal faster. She gave me a muscle relaxer, an anti-inflammatory, and a pain med.
Around 11:00, I took the muscle relaxer and anti-inflammatory, then laid back down on the heating pad. Marvin came in for lunch about 11:45, and by 12:30, I was fast asleep...and didn't wake up until after 4:00. I feel like I lost the day entirely. I had intended to get in some reading and perhaps some writing...neither happened.
My leg is already a bit better, so maybe tomorrow I won't need the muscle relaxer. I don't think I will take the pain med...I'm afraid I would sleep for the rest of the week.
It sounds like both Shane and Chas are a bit under the weather today as well. Both with stomach trouble...although not presenting in the same way. Hopefully...everyone will heal quickly and we will all be back on track in a day or two!
I think it would be unwise to sit much longer...so here's to better days!!
Be Well!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Becky...
In her eyes, confusion, bewilderment, lost memories. Her voice quivers a bit. She no longer walks alone. She shows no fear. A good life behind her, no regrets. The time is drawing nigh. Somewhere deep inside…she is secure in the hereafter…she longs for release from pain, humiliation, and frustration. Her heart won’t let go…of so much. Darkness comes more often now. The terrifying monster of obscurity threatens to overtake her mind…but she fights the good fight…a valiant warrior. With all eighty pounds of her being…she struggles…minute by minute. Keenly aware of life…she laughs, and talks of the ‘future’ in terms of ‘when’…not ‘if’. She is the epitome of selflessness...clothing already given to the needy…birthday calendars left for him to use…pictures distributed…finances in order. She awaits her unfuture, with unbelievable grace.
Weekend wrap up...
It's been a good weekend overall! I needed the time away from work...but it has gone sooooo quickly! The visit on Friday/Saturday with my dad and step mom was good...although sad. The doctor says 4 - 5 months...I will be surprised if we have her that long. She is deteriorating rapidly now. Although my dad is physically healthy...he is an emotional wreck...as we all would be (and sometimes are). I wish we lived closer, so that I could run over in the evenings and help out, or just spend time with them...but, that isn't the case.
Those of you who know me...know that I am the queen of klutzville. I had an accident Saturday morning that reminded me just how coordinated I'm not! Suffice it to say that showers are slick! I had no idea that my leg could twist so far backwards without coming off! I have also become painfully aware that shoulders/arms/ hips...do not provide sufficient buffering for slamming against porcelain! I am doing better this morning...I can sit almost flat in the chair...but I still have a definite 'hitch in my git along'!
I missed church on Sunday due to the inability to sit/stand/walk without gasping. I did a bit of hobbling while I waited for Marvin and the kids to get home for lunch though...and baked a chocolate cake and ordered pizza. Good food and lots of laughter brightened the day!
Bringing us to the here and now! The last day of a long weekend! I so dread going back to work tomorrow...but that is the way of life. I have been writing more lately than I had been for a couple of months, and I am enjoying that...sometimes it takes the edge off of an otherwise excruciating week. I still have one poem out from my last round of submissions...as soon as that comes back, I will send out more. I know...I am a glutton for punishment! My file of rejections is growing exponentially! I guess there are two ways to look at that: (1) I am a total failure, or (2) as long as I am receiving rejections...I am at least trying! I prefer the later! Although...I am fully aware of the probability that at some point I shall have to concede to the former. I shall not go quietly into the night!!
I guess I will sign off now...my hiney hurts! I think I need to walk around a bit.
Be Well!!
Those of you who know me...know that I am the queen of klutzville. I had an accident Saturday morning that reminded me just how coordinated I'm not! Suffice it to say that showers are slick! I had no idea that my leg could twist so far backwards without coming off! I have also become painfully aware that shoulders/arms/ hips...do not provide sufficient buffering for slamming against porcelain! I am doing better this morning...I can sit almost flat in the chair...but I still have a definite 'hitch in my git along'!
I missed church on Sunday due to the inability to sit/stand/walk without gasping. I did a bit of hobbling while I waited for Marvin and the kids to get home for lunch though...and baked a chocolate cake and ordered pizza. Good food and lots of laughter brightened the day!
Bringing us to the here and now! The last day of a long weekend! I so dread going back to work tomorrow...but that is the way of life. I have been writing more lately than I had been for a couple of months, and I am enjoying that...sometimes it takes the edge off of an otherwise excruciating week. I still have one poem out from my last round of submissions...as soon as that comes back, I will send out more. I know...I am a glutton for punishment! My file of rejections is growing exponentially! I guess there are two ways to look at that: (1) I am a total failure, or (2) as long as I am receiving rejections...I am at least trying! I prefer the later! Although...I am fully aware of the probability that at some point I shall have to concede to the former. I shall not go quietly into the night!!
I guess I will sign off now...my hiney hurts! I think I need to walk around a bit.
Be Well!!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Ooooooooooveeeeer...the hump...
This has been a ‘not good’ day. I made two mistakes at work today…they were both minor…but none-the-less…they were there. There isn’t room for much error in this business.
I sometimes wonder if I am really cut out for the ‘human race’. I don’t seem to be able to settle down into a normal routine of contentment, instead…I am filled with resignation. My family life is the only good thing that I can see, and it is awesome! I have the most wonderful husband and kids that anyone could ever hope to have. But I cannot seem to find a work niche that I am happy with.
Time rushes by with terrifying speed. I see those around me enjoying their jobs…even committed to them. Meanwhile, all I can think of is being somewhere else. I feel restless. I know this isn’t normal…but then…what is ‘normal’? Who knows…certainly not me.
I am sorely tempted to do something bizarre lately. Although…it’s really not in my character. The last time I felt this way, I was at Wal-Mart. The kids had both moved out, and I felt at loose ends. On a whim, I decided to have the tops of my ears pierced…thank heavens the woman at the jewelry counter wouldn’t do it. She said she wasn’t able to pierce the cartilage…so instead…I had another set of holes in my lobes (I now have three in each ear). I don’t regret the holes in my lobes…but I think I would have regretted piercing the tops of both ears…it would have looked perfectly ridiculous (at least on me).
It would be so great to be one of those ‘spur of the moment’ people. Wouldn’t it be grand to get up off the couch in the middle of the Friday night news, pack a change of clothes, a razor and a toothbrush, jump in the car and drive somewhere fun…somewhere that you’ve never been before! Then spend the weekend just ‘being’ there…no schedule, no agenda, no itinerary.
I know that most of these feelings (except the work stuff) are very much related to my step-mom preparing to die. I see her mortality looming like a monster in the dark…and it is causing me to feel the reality of my own. Hence…the sense of restlessness, and the desire to make more out of every moment.
This too shall pass.
Be Well!
I sometimes wonder if I am really cut out for the ‘human race’. I don’t seem to be able to settle down into a normal routine of contentment, instead…I am filled with resignation. My family life is the only good thing that I can see, and it is awesome! I have the most wonderful husband and kids that anyone could ever hope to have. But I cannot seem to find a work niche that I am happy with.
Time rushes by with terrifying speed. I see those around me enjoying their jobs…even committed to them. Meanwhile, all I can think of is being somewhere else. I feel restless. I know this isn’t normal…but then…what is ‘normal’? Who knows…certainly not me.
I am sorely tempted to do something bizarre lately. Although…it’s really not in my character. The last time I felt this way, I was at Wal-Mart. The kids had both moved out, and I felt at loose ends. On a whim, I decided to have the tops of my ears pierced…thank heavens the woman at the jewelry counter wouldn’t do it. She said she wasn’t able to pierce the cartilage…so instead…I had another set of holes in my lobes (I now have three in each ear). I don’t regret the holes in my lobes…but I think I would have regretted piercing the tops of both ears…it would have looked perfectly ridiculous (at least on me).
It would be so great to be one of those ‘spur of the moment’ people. Wouldn’t it be grand to get up off the couch in the middle of the Friday night news, pack a change of clothes, a razor and a toothbrush, jump in the car and drive somewhere fun…somewhere that you’ve never been before! Then spend the weekend just ‘being’ there…no schedule, no agenda, no itinerary.
I know that most of these feelings (except the work stuff) are very much related to my step-mom preparing to die. I see her mortality looming like a monster in the dark…and it is causing me to feel the reality of my own. Hence…the sense of restlessness, and the desire to make more out of every moment.
This too shall pass.
Be Well!
Monday, August 28, 2006
Recap...
Weekend recap:
Saturday – This was the week for my Writer’s group meeting, so sleeping in wasn’t an option. I got up at 7:45, showered, and headed off at 9:30. The meeting was good! When we began our meetings, I wondered how long we would actually continue…it has been more than a year now and we have only missed a couple of meetings! I think that forming this group has been good for everyone involved…it keeps us writing! That may sound odd…but in these busy times, it is often very difficult to find/make time to write (even for those of us who love to do it). Knowing that there is an appointed time and place during which we will share our efforts…gives us an extra ‘push’!
After the meeting, I went grocery shopping. That part of the day was horrendous! A simple trip to the grocery store provides one with a disgusting picture of what our society has become! Somewhere along the way, manners, common courtesy, and parental responsibility have all gone by the wayside. As I pushed my cart through the aisles, I encountered several groups of children, running (some with a cart), yelling, and causing all sorts of chaos, and adults who were riding those motorized carts, with absolutely no regard for other shoppers. One in particular really ‘fried my rice’! She had driven the cart to the absolute center of the aisle…then she got off of it…leaving it parked in a position where no one else could proceed up or down the aisle…while she strolled along both sides of the aisle shopping. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAArgh! By the time I got home…my mood was thunderous.
We put groceries away, then headed to TGI Friday’s for lunch! The food was great (I had the Tilapia), and the atmosphere was just what we both needed! After relaxing and chatting for over an hour, we drove to Newton in search of a rack for utensils for the kitchen. We didn’t find what we were looking for, but we did find a new blender, and some knick-knacks! Then we headed back home for a bit of house cleaning and preparation for Sunday.
Sunday – Sunday was a very good day! I actually found myself ready for church 1 minute early (instead of 5 minutes late)! The sermon was long, it seemed to go on forever…but that could have been just me. I have the attention span of a gnat, and my mind very often runs amuck. After church, the kids came over to the house for lunch! We had Rotel dip, taco’s, refried beans, and for dessert…smoothies and cheesecake! Yum!! We talked, and laughed all afternoon! It was wonderful!! Around 4:30, the kids left and Marvin and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV, then went to bed around 9:30!!
That brings us to the here and now…Monday, Monday, Monday. It seems like Monday arrives quicker than any other day of the week!! It is the most dreaded day of the week, the most depressing day of the week, and the most hated day of the week…but without it…we would never get to Friday!
Be Well!!
Saturday – This was the week for my Writer’s group meeting, so sleeping in wasn’t an option. I got up at 7:45, showered, and headed off at 9:30. The meeting was good! When we began our meetings, I wondered how long we would actually continue…it has been more than a year now and we have only missed a couple of meetings! I think that forming this group has been good for everyone involved…it keeps us writing! That may sound odd…but in these busy times, it is often very difficult to find/make time to write (even for those of us who love to do it). Knowing that there is an appointed time and place during which we will share our efforts…gives us an extra ‘push’!
After the meeting, I went grocery shopping. That part of the day was horrendous! A simple trip to the grocery store provides one with a disgusting picture of what our society has become! Somewhere along the way, manners, common courtesy, and parental responsibility have all gone by the wayside. As I pushed my cart through the aisles, I encountered several groups of children, running (some with a cart), yelling, and causing all sorts of chaos, and adults who were riding those motorized carts, with absolutely no regard for other shoppers. One in particular really ‘fried my rice’! She had driven the cart to the absolute center of the aisle…then she got off of it…leaving it parked in a position where no one else could proceed up or down the aisle…while she strolled along both sides of the aisle shopping. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAArgh! By the time I got home…my mood was thunderous.
We put groceries away, then headed to TGI Friday’s for lunch! The food was great (I had the Tilapia), and the atmosphere was just what we both needed! After relaxing and chatting for over an hour, we drove to Newton in search of a rack for utensils for the kitchen. We didn’t find what we were looking for, but we did find a new blender, and some knick-knacks! Then we headed back home for a bit of house cleaning and preparation for Sunday.
Sunday – Sunday was a very good day! I actually found myself ready for church 1 minute early (instead of 5 minutes late)! The sermon was long, it seemed to go on forever…but that could have been just me. I have the attention span of a gnat, and my mind very often runs amuck. After church, the kids came over to the house for lunch! We had Rotel dip, taco’s, refried beans, and for dessert…smoothies and cheesecake! Yum!! We talked, and laughed all afternoon! It was wonderful!! Around 4:30, the kids left and Marvin and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV, then went to bed around 9:30!!
That brings us to the here and now…Monday, Monday, Monday. It seems like Monday arrives quicker than any other day of the week!! It is the most dreaded day of the week, the most depressing day of the week, and the most hated day of the week…but without it…we would never get to Friday!
Be Well!!
Friday, August 25, 2006
From hell...
Friday at last. Cloudy, heavy, thick with humidity and innuendo…both climatically and socially.
Lunchtime was a veritable disaster. I left work with no idea what I wanted to do…my first mistake. As I drove down Rock Road, I remembered Jason’s Deli, and a baked potato sounded good…so I turned in. I parked right in front of the door, went inside and got in line. I found myself behind ‘Paris and her sidekick’. There they stood…huge Louie bags over their shoulders…mandatory flip-flops, manicured, pedicured, Revloned, streaked, and fake baked. In no hurry at all….because they had all day to linger over lunch and spend ‘daddy’s money’ on expensive crap…they couldn’t decide what to eat. FINALLY, my turn came. I hurriedly ordered ½ a baked potato and a medium drink. Food in hand, I turned to the dining area to find that the only table available was straddling a pole…I took it. On one side sat two foreign men, discussing ‘hot women’ in loud tones…on the other side…ma and pa kettle, in town fur the day!
I shoveled in a spoonful of cheese covered baked potato…which turned out to be totally tasteless. I accepted it as part of this lunch hour from hell, and reached for my iced tea. One big gulp of tea almost caused a very ugly scene. The moment it hit my throat…it tasted like stale cigar smoke. My mind went into overdrive… those horrible stories about what the cooks in restaurant kitchens do to food before serving it (spitting in it…or the famous ‘fecal chili’) spun through my brain…out of control! I gagged as I imagined a cigar butt bobbing around inside the metal tea urn.
Unable to get the despicable image out of my mind…I trashed my lunch and left. Once in the car…I headed for the parking lot at Home Depot, where the Heavenly Snow trailer is parked. Glancing at my watch, I saw that I still had 30 minutes left. To my despair…Heavenly Snow is no longer open all day…they are now open from 2:30 – 9:00 p.m.! Good grief Charlie Brown! As I lamented the events of this day…I heard a ‘ding’…my gaslight had come on! “Fine,” I thought, “to heck with lunch…I’ll head to QT and get gas.” The precious minutes were ticking away rapidly by this point. Wheeling into QT, I realized that every stinking pump was backed up…all the way to the street! Gas was down to $2.59 a gallon! I frantically searched for a short line…there were none! There was no time left for lunch, and certainly no time for sitting in a long line at a gas pump! I drove out…past all of the anxious drivers…their eyes glazed over at the thought of saving all that money! At the last moment, I threw caution to the wind, pulled into the drive through at Braum’s and got a yogurt twist, which I slurped down as I drove. I got back to my desk with about 30 seconds to spare.
What a day!
Be Well!
Lunchtime was a veritable disaster. I left work with no idea what I wanted to do…my first mistake. As I drove down Rock Road, I remembered Jason’s Deli, and a baked potato sounded good…so I turned in. I parked right in front of the door, went inside and got in line. I found myself behind ‘Paris and her sidekick’. There they stood…huge Louie bags over their shoulders…mandatory flip-flops, manicured, pedicured, Revloned, streaked, and fake baked. In no hurry at all….because they had all day to linger over lunch and spend ‘daddy’s money’ on expensive crap…they couldn’t decide what to eat. FINALLY, my turn came. I hurriedly ordered ½ a baked potato and a medium drink. Food in hand, I turned to the dining area to find that the only table available was straddling a pole…I took it. On one side sat two foreign men, discussing ‘hot women’ in loud tones…on the other side…ma and pa kettle, in town fur the day!
I shoveled in a spoonful of cheese covered baked potato…which turned out to be totally tasteless. I accepted it as part of this lunch hour from hell, and reached for my iced tea. One big gulp of tea almost caused a very ugly scene. The moment it hit my throat…it tasted like stale cigar smoke. My mind went into overdrive… those horrible stories about what the cooks in restaurant kitchens do to food before serving it (spitting in it…or the famous ‘fecal chili’) spun through my brain…out of control! I gagged as I imagined a cigar butt bobbing around inside the metal tea urn.
Unable to get the despicable image out of my mind…I trashed my lunch and left. Once in the car…I headed for the parking lot at Home Depot, where the Heavenly Snow trailer is parked. Glancing at my watch, I saw that I still had 30 minutes left. To my despair…Heavenly Snow is no longer open all day…they are now open from 2:30 – 9:00 p.m.! Good grief Charlie Brown! As I lamented the events of this day…I heard a ‘ding’…my gaslight had come on! “Fine,” I thought, “to heck with lunch…I’ll head to QT and get gas.” The precious minutes were ticking away rapidly by this point. Wheeling into QT, I realized that every stinking pump was backed up…all the way to the street! Gas was down to $2.59 a gallon! I frantically searched for a short line…there were none! There was no time left for lunch, and certainly no time for sitting in a long line at a gas pump! I drove out…past all of the anxious drivers…their eyes glazed over at the thought of saving all that money! At the last moment, I threw caution to the wind, pulled into the drive through at Braum’s and got a yogurt twist, which I slurped down as I drove. I got back to my desk with about 30 seconds to spare.
What a day!
Be Well!
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Stolen from Rich...just for fun!
Here are some things you may or may not know about me:
Four jobs I have had in my life:
1- Assistant Cashier/Compliance (admin assist)
2- Delivering phonebooks
3- Barmaid/bartender
4- Production line in mobile home window plant
Four movies I would watch over and over:
1- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
2- Miracle on 34th Street
3- Elf
4- It’s a Wonderful Life
Four places I have lived:
1- Wichita, Kansas
2- Arkansas City, Kansas
3- Winfield, Kansas
4- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Four TV shows I watch:
1- America’s Got Talent
2- The Closer
3- 24
4- Everybody Loves Raymond
Four places I have been on vacation:
1- Las Vegas, Nevada
2- Los Angeles, California
3- Jacksonville, Florida
4- Orlando, Florida
Four of my favorite foods:
1- Chocolate
2- Potatoes (fixed any way)
3- Ice Cream (lactose free)
4- Cheesecake
Four places I would like to be right now:
1- At Barnes and Noble signing my best seller
2- At home doing anything (except vomiting)
3- In my attorneys office, figuring out how to best proceed with my 30 billion dollar lottery winnings (which I won…of course…with a ticket given to me as a gift).
4- Leaving on a jet plane for a month long vacation to a sunny beach. Somewhere with clear, blue water… fine, clean, white sand…tall palm trees…a private cabana…and an endless supply of yogurt smoothies and crushed ice drinks (nabs of course).
Be Well!
Four jobs I have had in my life:
1- Assistant Cashier/Compliance (admin assist)
2- Delivering phonebooks
3- Barmaid/bartender
4- Production line in mobile home window plant
Four movies I would watch over and over:
1- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
2- Miracle on 34th Street
3- Elf
4- It’s a Wonderful Life
Four places I have lived:
1- Wichita, Kansas
2- Arkansas City, Kansas
3- Winfield, Kansas
4- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Four TV shows I watch:
1- America’s Got Talent
2- The Closer
3- 24
4- Everybody Loves Raymond
Four places I have been on vacation:
1- Las Vegas, Nevada
2- Los Angeles, California
3- Jacksonville, Florida
4- Orlando, Florida
Four of my favorite foods:
1- Chocolate
2- Potatoes (fixed any way)
3- Ice Cream (lactose free)
4- Cheesecake
Four places I would like to be right now:
1- At Barnes and Noble signing my best seller
2- At home doing anything (except vomiting)
3- In my attorneys office, figuring out how to best proceed with my 30 billion dollar lottery winnings (which I won…of course…with a ticket given to me as a gift).
4- Leaving on a jet plane for a month long vacation to a sunny beach. Somewhere with clear, blue water… fine, clean, white sand…tall palm trees…a private cabana…and an endless supply of yogurt smoothies and crushed ice drinks (nabs of course).
Be Well!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Hump Day...
I know this is called hump day…but if feels more like ‘insurmountable mountain’ day. This entire week seems to be dragging in the most horrific way!
Here’s a recap of the week thus far –
Monday – Long, very busy day at work. Short handed and chasing our tails. Mimi’s after work to have my nails soaked off and a new set put on. Dinner at Red Rock…THAT was yummy! By the time we got home, it was late, and we were both pooped! Talked to mom and step-dad – and dad and step-mom. The news was not good for my step-mom…she is increasingly exhausted, and the decrease in her speech skills and memory is marked, even on the phone.
I couldn’t sleep, so I took an Excedrin PM about 11:00…woke up on Tuesday groggy.
Tuesday – Another long day at work…though they all are lately. We went straight home after work and I fixed dinner there for a change. Penne pasta w/sausage, buttered peas, and cornbread. Marvin had lunch with the pastor today, and the result was interesting. He was asked to preach the early service on Sept 10, at our new church…in view of a possible call (at a later date) as associate. He will also preach the ‘reunion’ service on Oct 1, at our old church. I think that God has given him a time of rest…and may now be calling him back to service. We will continue to pray about it and see what develops. The highlight of my day was a call from Shane about a mini Yorkie! Apparently, a friends, friends, sister…has one that she needs to get rid of in order to relocate! The price is right, and if it is housebroken…we will definitely make an offer! I am very excited! I love dogs and have missed having one!
I had a bad backache when I got home from work, and it hung on all evening. I don’t normally have backaches…so that is very unusual. I spent the evening leaning against a heating/vibrating pad. No Excedrin PM tonight, but…not much sleep either.
That brings us to today…Wednesday – Another long day…it is 11:45 a.m., and it feels like it should be 5:00! Lots of scuttlebutt around. Not sure where lunch will be yet…or if it will be. I don’t feel particularly hungry right now…my stomach hasn’t been very happy for a week or so. I may try the new deli down the street…or I may go to the mall and walk.
2:06 – In an effort to calm my stomach…I opted for a baked potato at the deli. My co-worker has gone home sick, and one of the broker’s is ill. Not a good sign!!
3:51 – Back from the bank. Everything has slowed down again…HURRY 5:00!!
Be Well!
Here’s a recap of the week thus far –
Monday – Long, very busy day at work. Short handed and chasing our tails. Mimi’s after work to have my nails soaked off and a new set put on. Dinner at Red Rock…THAT was yummy! By the time we got home, it was late, and we were both pooped! Talked to mom and step-dad – and dad and step-mom. The news was not good for my step-mom…she is increasingly exhausted, and the decrease in her speech skills and memory is marked, even on the phone.
I couldn’t sleep, so I took an Excedrin PM about 11:00…woke up on Tuesday groggy.
Tuesday – Another long day at work…though they all are lately. We went straight home after work and I fixed dinner there for a change. Penne pasta w/sausage, buttered peas, and cornbread. Marvin had lunch with the pastor today, and the result was interesting. He was asked to preach the early service on Sept 10, at our new church…in view of a possible call (at a later date) as associate. He will also preach the ‘reunion’ service on Oct 1, at our old church. I think that God has given him a time of rest…and may now be calling him back to service. We will continue to pray about it and see what develops. The highlight of my day was a call from Shane about a mini Yorkie! Apparently, a friends, friends, sister…has one that she needs to get rid of in order to relocate! The price is right, and if it is housebroken…we will definitely make an offer! I am very excited! I love dogs and have missed having one!
I had a bad backache when I got home from work, and it hung on all evening. I don’t normally have backaches…so that is very unusual. I spent the evening leaning against a heating/vibrating pad. No Excedrin PM tonight, but…not much sleep either.
That brings us to today…Wednesday – Another long day…it is 11:45 a.m., and it feels like it should be 5:00! Lots of scuttlebutt around. Not sure where lunch will be yet…or if it will be. I don’t feel particularly hungry right now…my stomach hasn’t been very happy for a week or so. I may try the new deli down the street…or I may go to the mall and walk.
2:06 – In an effort to calm my stomach…I opted for a baked potato at the deli. My co-worker has gone home sick, and one of the broker’s is ill. Not a good sign!!
3:51 – Back from the bank. Everything has slowed down again…HURRY 5:00!!
Be Well!
Saturday, August 19, 2006
A lovely way...
A lovely way to start the weekend! I slept until 10:30! I have been exhausted for a week, with frequent headaches and migraine meds. I needed some extra rest!
We had a wonderful evening Friday! The kids came over for dinner (lasagna and garlic/cheese toast), then we watched "RV" with Robin Williams! It was hilariously stupid, and we all laughed until we cried! After the kids left, Marvin and I went for a late night swim! The water temperature was perfect, and lightening in the distance (moving in the opposite direction) added to the ambiance! It was delicious and refreshing! Although I slept well, I woke up around 3:00 with another headache. I thought about more meds, then opted for more sleep...it seems to have worked!
I don't know what the day will hold, I have no 'plan'! I am just happy to not be at work, or in the middle of a crisis of any sort.
I will sign off for now, and take a long shower, give myself a pedicure, and go from there!
Have a great day!
Be Well!
We had a wonderful evening Friday! The kids came over for dinner (lasagna and garlic/cheese toast), then we watched "RV" with Robin Williams! It was hilariously stupid, and we all laughed until we cried! After the kids left, Marvin and I went for a late night swim! The water temperature was perfect, and lightening in the distance (moving in the opposite direction) added to the ambiance! It was delicious and refreshing! Although I slept well, I woke up around 3:00 with another headache. I thought about more meds, then opted for more sleep...it seems to have worked!
I don't know what the day will hold, I have no 'plan'! I am just happy to not be at work, or in the middle of a crisis of any sort.
I will sign off for now, and take a long shower, give myself a pedicure, and go from there!
Have a great day!
Be Well!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
America's Got Talent...but no judgment...
My faith in humanity has taken another hit. Bianca won...holy cow. I may not watch next season. Hang in there Miller!! You are destined for greatness!
On the flip side...our Rolling Stones tickets are in!!! Yea!!!!!!!! Oddly enough...so are our Michael W Smith tickets! These two concerts couldn't be more different...but they will both be a blast!! The dichotomy is astounding!
The search for gainful, rewarding, enjoyable employment continues. I have a job, so I don't feel the urgency of hunger forcing me to 'settle'. I do, however, feel an urgency of a different kind. Time passes so quickly...days become weeks, weeks become months, months turn into years. Even the minutes slip by with dizzying swiftness. I don't want to spend the remainder of my 'allotted time' on this earth, stuck in a daily routine that I don't enjoy. I had a dream of sorts a week or so ago. I dreamt that I had found the 'perfect' job. My title was 'Story Lady', and I went to 4 daycare centers each day. At each one, I would walk in, roll out a big piece of carpet, and then all of the 4 and 5 year olds would sit around me. First, I would read them stories, from big, colorful books...about Fred, and Bertha, and magic gnomes. Then, using a big dry/erase board, pictures, and props...we worked on the alphabet...and phonics. The centers each paid me $25.00 a day to come in and help prepare the kids for kindergarten. (The dream was very detailed.) It was awesome!
Then I woke up. At first I was really excited...then as I REALLY woke up...I realized that no day care would hire me to do those things...that's what they have staff for. It was good while it lasted!
Tomorrow is Friday...thank heavens!!
Be Well!
On the flip side...our Rolling Stones tickets are in!!! Yea!!!!!!!! Oddly enough...so are our Michael W Smith tickets! These two concerts couldn't be more different...but they will both be a blast!! The dichotomy is astounding!
The search for gainful, rewarding, enjoyable employment continues. I have a job, so I don't feel the urgency of hunger forcing me to 'settle'. I do, however, feel an urgency of a different kind. Time passes so quickly...days become weeks, weeks become months, months turn into years. Even the minutes slip by with dizzying swiftness. I don't want to spend the remainder of my 'allotted time' on this earth, stuck in a daily routine that I don't enjoy. I had a dream of sorts a week or so ago. I dreamt that I had found the 'perfect' job. My title was 'Story Lady', and I went to 4 daycare centers each day. At each one, I would walk in, roll out a big piece of carpet, and then all of the 4 and 5 year olds would sit around me. First, I would read them stories, from big, colorful books...about Fred, and Bertha, and magic gnomes. Then, using a big dry/erase board, pictures, and props...we worked on the alphabet...and phonics. The centers each paid me $25.00 a day to come in and help prepare the kids for kindergarten. (The dream was very detailed.) It was awesome!
Then I woke up. At first I was really excited...then as I REALLY woke up...I realized that no day care would hire me to do those things...that's what they have staff for. It was good while it lasted!
Tomorrow is Friday...thank heavens!!
Be Well!
Monday, August 14, 2006
Monday blues...
What a day. Work was terribly busy, and I am finding out just how much I don't know about the securities business. It seems that, at every turn...there is more to learn.
I am constantly learning more about the human condition as well. There is more drama going on in this office than on any soap opera that I have ever heard of. I DO NOT want in the middle of it, but I have been approached repeatedly by both sides...hoping for my allegiance. I just want to do my job and go home...and not be miserable in the interim.
My neice will go home from rehab tomorrow. 17 years old, and already all of this baggage. She is bright, sweet, talented, and full of potential...unfortunately...it may never be realized. When I look at her, I see that little, shy, blond headed girl...who even then looked at the ground most of the time. I wonder where she went...I know she's still in there...I just hope she can find the boldness to come out and take her life back.
Please pray for her...God changes lives every day...it's what He does.
I'm tired...all over.
Be Well!
I am constantly learning more about the human condition as well. There is more drama going on in this office than on any soap opera that I have ever heard of. I DO NOT want in the middle of it, but I have been approached repeatedly by both sides...hoping for my allegiance. I just want to do my job and go home...and not be miserable in the interim.
My neice will go home from rehab tomorrow. 17 years old, and already all of this baggage. She is bright, sweet, talented, and full of potential...unfortunately...it may never be realized. When I look at her, I see that little, shy, blond headed girl...who even then looked at the ground most of the time. I wonder where she went...I know she's still in there...I just hope she can find the boldness to come out and take her life back.
Please pray for her...God changes lives every day...it's what He does.
I'm tired...all over.
Be Well!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
A great turnout...
The party for my stepdad's 75th birthday was a big success! The ad in the paper was small, and the picture was bad...evidenced by the fact that 2 people came to the party, thinking that they were going to celebrate the birthday of a different Bill Rowe. After finding out that they were in the wrong place...we offered them cake and punch and were more than happy to have them join in the festivities...but both declined.
We had 60-70 people in attendance throughout the 2 hour time slot, and almost all of the cake and 2 bowls of punch were devoured. The luau theme was great and even the children seemed to be having fun! We had the opportunity to visit with several family members that we had not seen in well over a year!
I don't know how many more birthdays we will have the privilege of celebrating with him...but I am glad that we made this one special! He is definitely one of a kind, and I am grateful that he came into our lives all those years ago!
Be Well!
We had 60-70 people in attendance throughout the 2 hour time slot, and almost all of the cake and 2 bowls of punch were devoured. The luau theme was great and even the children seemed to be having fun! We had the opportunity to visit with several family members that we had not seen in well over a year!
I don't know how many more birthdays we will have the privilege of celebrating with him...but I am glad that we made this one special! He is definitely one of a kind, and I am grateful that he came into our lives all those years ago!
Be Well!
Monday, August 07, 2006
Poor Fred...
Poor Fred...rejected again...by a great publisher though!
Fred
The lights were all off
The day over and done,
My mind was all filled
With laughter
and
fun!
The darkness and shadows
Intruding and scary,
I started to think...
Of monsters...
all spiny and hairy.
The clock said "tick tock"
The shutters they creaked,
I pulled the blanket up tight
The wind started to shriek.
I waited in terror
For demons unknown,
From hunchbacks to boogie men
My
Worried
Mind
roamed.
From somewhere quite near
I heard a new sound,
Gripping the bed clothes...
My heart started to pound.
I strained...
And I listened...
I wanted to hear,
The source of the sound...
Became suddenly clear.
It was not in the closet...
But under the bed,
Not at the foot...
But up by my head!
I sat bolt upright!
Trembling and cold,
Frightened and scared,
And not very bold...
A bit louder it came then...
A sob and a whimper,
"I'm frightened, and chilly,
and I've got a big blister!"
My mind all confused
I hadn't a clue,
As I thought and I pondered
What now to do...
Up on my knees
I crawled to the edge,
Resigned to do battle
U
N
D
E
R
the bed.
I slid to the floor
And took a deep breath,
Consumed by the fear
Of a horrible death!
I yanked up the bedspread,
Then, fell back on my hiney...
There, rolled in a ball
Was a monster...
All shivery and whiney.
My eyes took him in
From the tips of his paws,
To his small,
purple
chin.
His eyes were as big
As two saucers could be,
His arms were quite l o n g…
Well past his knees!
I looked on in wonder
And, frankly...in envy...
As his big, floppy, striped ears
Perked up...
to hear me.
He shook and he shivered
His long arms hugged himself,
"Are you cold?" I inquired...
Afraid for his health.
"Oh yes," he replied,
"Really quite so! And I'm frightened,
and lonely...from my head to my toes!"
"Is it possible..." I asked,
“do you think it could be...
that we could be friends?
best friends...you and me?"
He cocked his bright orange,
Fur covered head,
At a
comical
angle
u
n
d
e
r
the bed.
He closed one green eye
In a humorous wink...
Then he smiled,
and I saw that his teeth
Were bright pink!
I reached
out
my
hand,
And losing my dread,
I asked him his name
And he answered me...
"Fred!"
I took his green paw
And gave it a tug,
He scurried on out
And we stood on the rug.
"It's time for bed, Fred"
I told him quite sternly,
"We must get to sleep now
for morning comes early!"
We climbed in...
underneath the big quilt,
And we talked and told stories...
And we laughed and we squealed.
I'm not afraid now,
For the truth is...you see...
My monster, my best friend,
My protector
is
he!
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Fred
The lights were all off
The day over and done,
My mind was all filled
With laughter
and
fun!
The darkness and shadows
Intruding and scary,
I started to think...
Of monsters...
all spiny and hairy.
The clock said "tick tock"
The shutters they creaked,
I pulled the blanket up tight
The wind started to shriek.
I waited in terror
For demons unknown,
From hunchbacks to boogie men
My
Worried
Mind
roamed.
From somewhere quite near
I heard a new sound,
Gripping the bed clothes...
My heart started to pound.
I strained...
And I listened...
I wanted to hear,
The source of the sound...
Became suddenly clear.
It was not in the closet...
But under the bed,
Not at the foot...
But up by my head!
I sat bolt upright!
Trembling and cold,
Frightened and scared,
And not very bold...
A bit louder it came then...
A sob and a whimper,
"I'm frightened, and chilly,
and I've got a big blister!"
My mind all confused
I hadn't a clue,
As I thought and I pondered
What now to do...
Up on my knees
I crawled to the edge,
Resigned to do battle
U
N
D
E
R
the bed.
I slid to the floor
And took a deep breath,
Consumed by the fear
Of a horrible death!
I yanked up the bedspread,
Then, fell back on my hiney...
There, rolled in a ball
Was a monster...
All shivery and whiney.
My eyes took him in
From the tips of his paws,
To his small,
purple
chin.
His eyes were as big
As two saucers could be,
His arms were quite l o n g…
Well past his knees!
I looked on in wonder
And, frankly...in envy...
As his big, floppy, striped ears
Perked up...
to hear me.
He shook and he shivered
His long arms hugged himself,
"Are you cold?" I inquired...
Afraid for his health.
"Oh yes," he replied,
"Really quite so! And I'm frightened,
and lonely...from my head to my toes!"
"Is it possible..." I asked,
“do you think it could be...
that we could be friends?
best friends...you and me?"
He cocked his bright orange,
Fur covered head,
At a
comical
angle
u
n
d
e
r
the bed.
He closed one green eye
In a humorous wink...
Then he smiled,
and I saw that his teeth
Were bright pink!
I reached
out
my
hand,
And losing my dread,
I asked him his name
And he answered me...
"Fred!"
I took his green paw
And gave it a tug,
He scurried on out
And we stood on the rug.
"It's time for bed, Fred"
I told him quite sternly,
"We must get to sleep now
for morning comes early!"
We climbed in...
underneath the big quilt,
And we talked and told stories...
And we laughed and we squealed.
I'm not afraid now,
For the truth is...you see...
My monster, my best friend,
My protector
is
he!
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Another one bites the dust...
Another weekend...all but gone. They pass so quickly! Church was good this morning...although...I almost fell asleep during the sermon...my fault...not the pastors. Lunch was at Freddies, and the chili cheese fries were great! Then on the the movies... where we saw Taledaga Nights, The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. It was really funny! Unfortunately, I fell asleep there too. I don't think I slept long though...the kids realized that my eyes were closed, and woke me up!
The coming week promises to be a long, hard one. The girl who is training me will be gone Friday, Monday, and Tuesday...very scary! I hope I don't screw up too much stuff while she is out.
We stopped at Party City and bought decorations for my step dad's 75th birthday party, which will be next Saturday. We decided on a Luau theme! I think it will be fun! I don't know how many of his friends are still living, but I hope that we have a good turnout! He is a great guy...doesn't know what a 'stranger' is...and would help anyone, anywhere, anytime!
Hopefully, we will head to bed around 9:30...I would hate to continue my 'sleeping spree' at work tomorrow!
Be Well!
The coming week promises to be a long, hard one. The girl who is training me will be gone Friday, Monday, and Tuesday...very scary! I hope I don't screw up too much stuff while she is out.
We stopped at Party City and bought decorations for my step dad's 75th birthday party, which will be next Saturday. We decided on a Luau theme! I think it will be fun! I don't know how many of his friends are still living, but I hope that we have a good turnout! He is a great guy...doesn't know what a 'stranger' is...and would help anyone, anywhere, anytime!
Hopefully, we will head to bed around 9:30...I would hate to continue my 'sleeping spree' at work tomorrow!
Be Well!
Saturday, August 05, 2006
A full day!
Saturday was a full day! Marvin got up early (6:45), and I slept until 8:30! After cooking breakfast (crazy mixed up eggs...not googy...and biscuits), we cleaned house like crazy! Our spotless spree extended to the pool, and by 1:00, we had cleaned it and spent about an hour in it to boot!
We thought that the kids might come and swim, but by 2:30, we decided they must have other stuff going on today, so we got out of the pool and headed to town. First stop was Hobby Lobby, where I bought some new frames for pictures of both kids and Marvin, so that I can take them to work with me! Then, on to Verizon for new phones (our plan had expired). We ended up with really cool phones! We both got Razor phones, with photo capability, and we also took advantage of the 30 day trial period for the GPS feature. For those of you who know me...I can get lost in a circle drive...it's pathetic! Hopefully, this will help...we'll see. We bought the extra package, with a blue tooth...which was so darn large that it fell off of my ear (and would not adjust down), but it fits Marvin very well. The photo feature is very cool, however...the voice recognition feature sucks! I could not get it to recognize anything I said (including a few...unseemly...things that I asked it for after major frustration set in).
The whole Verizon experience took over 2 hours...and by the time we got home...I had a dang migraine. I spent the rest of the night on the couch with an ice bag on my head! It is just now feeling a bit better!
Chas did come to swim while we were gone, and left a movie for us to watch that we have been wanting to see. Thanks Susie Q!
Gonna call it a day...hopefully this stupid headache will be gone when I wake up!
Be Well!
We thought that the kids might come and swim, but by 2:30, we decided they must have other stuff going on today, so we got out of the pool and headed to town. First stop was Hobby Lobby, where I bought some new frames for pictures of both kids and Marvin, so that I can take them to work with me! Then, on to Verizon for new phones (our plan had expired). We ended up with really cool phones! We both got Razor phones, with photo capability, and we also took advantage of the 30 day trial period for the GPS feature. For those of you who know me...I can get lost in a circle drive...it's pathetic! Hopefully, this will help...we'll see. We bought the extra package, with a blue tooth...which was so darn large that it fell off of my ear (and would not adjust down), but it fits Marvin very well. The photo feature is very cool, however...the voice recognition feature sucks! I could not get it to recognize anything I said (including a few...unseemly...things that I asked it for after major frustration set in).
The whole Verizon experience took over 2 hours...and by the time we got home...I had a dang migraine. I spent the rest of the night on the couch with an ice bag on my head! It is just now feeling a bit better!
Chas did come to swim while we were gone, and left a movie for us to watch that we have been wanting to see. Thanks Susie Q!
Gonna call it a day...hopefully this stupid headache will be gone when I wake up!
Be Well!
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Almost over...
It's almost Friday! Yea!!! My step dad is doing well, and hopefully will get to go home tomorrow! My step mom is home from the hospital...and despite another fall, this one in the shower...she is doing well also. It has been a very long week!
The new job is going okay. I have experienced a lot of new things this week...it remains to be seen how many of them I actually 'learned'. Hopefully enough to form a solid base for my position. We'll see.
There seem to be lots of questions from co-workers about my previous employer...all of which I have answered in general, un-informative ways. I will not carry information...or tales...from office to office. It has been interesting though...on top of the questions about my previous boss...one woman came up to 'warn' me about someone else in the new office. I listened...thanked her...and went on about my business. Today, the woman she warned me about, came to me to 'warn' me about her and another co-worker...holy cow! Doesn't anybody just simply do their jobs...collect their wages...and go home anymore?? Is every office a mini Peyton Place?
We got about two inches of rain last night...the thunder rumbling in the distance was nice, and the cooler temperatures have been great today! I am looking forward to a nice weekend...sunny, temps in the mid 90's...maybe a little pool time...definitely some writing time!
Here's to resolution of last weeks concerns...and hope of brighter days ahead!
Be Well!
The new job is going okay. I have experienced a lot of new things this week...it remains to be seen how many of them I actually 'learned'. Hopefully enough to form a solid base for my position. We'll see.
There seem to be lots of questions from co-workers about my previous employer...all of which I have answered in general, un-informative ways. I will not carry information...or tales...from office to office. It has been interesting though...on top of the questions about my previous boss...one woman came up to 'warn' me about someone else in the new office. I listened...thanked her...and went on about my business. Today, the woman she warned me about, came to me to 'warn' me about her and another co-worker...holy cow! Doesn't anybody just simply do their jobs...collect their wages...and go home anymore?? Is every office a mini Peyton Place?
We got about two inches of rain last night...the thunder rumbling in the distance was nice, and the cooler temperatures have been great today! I am looking forward to a nice weekend...sunny, temps in the mid 90's...maybe a little pool time...definitely some writing time!
Here's to resolution of last weeks concerns...and hope of brighter days ahead!
Be Well!
Monday, July 31, 2006
Second day...
Second day on the new job was not too bad. There is so much to learn! The people still seem nice...but it is early. I am becoming a skeptical cynic. Oh well.
Bill is doing well, and mom is doing better than I expected. Tomorrow morning is the procedure...scary stuff.
I am having a bit of trouble figuring out where I want to go next with the story that I am working on. Reality just seems like whining...but...creative non-fiction...hmmm...! It has all been reality so far...I am now considering taking a turn toward what we always wanted to do, to resolve our childhood situation. A light hearted look at the vengeful mind of a child...we'll see.
Be Well!
Bill is doing well, and mom is doing better than I expected. Tomorrow morning is the procedure...scary stuff.
I am having a bit of trouble figuring out where I want to go next with the story that I am working on. Reality just seems like whining...but...creative non-fiction...hmmm...! It has all been reality so far...I am now considering taking a turn toward what we always wanted to do, to resolve our childhood situation. A light hearted look at the vengeful mind of a child...we'll see.
Be Well!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Lost weekend...
This has been a lost weekend. I got off early on Friday, in order to go get finger printed for my new job. Marvin, Chas and I went to supper (Chinese), then on to the hospital to meet mom and my niece. From there...it has been a mess. Mom is the absolute slowest person on the face of the earth...bless her heart. It was after noon Saturday before we could get her to the hospital to be with my step-dad, then today, almost 1:00. I am terrified of how tomorrow morning will go...it is the second day on my new job...I cannot be late. Holy cow. On top of that, there is chaos and ugliness going on at their house...prompting a 2 a.m. call from my niece (who insisted on going home...60 miles away on Saturday afternoon). I feel terrible that she is irritating me at every turn...I don't understand her. I am not showing my irritation...but 'not showing' it, is making my jaws ache and my stomach in a knot.
On the flip side...my step mom is doing very well. The hospital got her up and made her walk to the door last night, and sit in a chair for a while. She has two screws in the hip that she broke, and my dad fears that this will weaken her enough that the decision about whether to have the horrible procedure that they have suggested to her (chemo through a port in her brain) may not be an option any more. Her appointment for that should have been next Wednesday.
I just finished reading some 'homework' for my new job...none of which I understand. I did, however, find a website that has shed a bit of light on the subject. Hopefully...it will fall into place.
I'd say I'm looking forward to a better week...but at this point...who knows?
Be Well!
On the flip side...my step mom is doing very well. The hospital got her up and made her walk to the door last night, and sit in a chair for a while. She has two screws in the hip that she broke, and my dad fears that this will weaken her enough that the decision about whether to have the horrible procedure that they have suggested to her (chemo through a port in her brain) may not be an option any more. Her appointment for that should have been next Wednesday.
I just finished reading some 'homework' for my new job...none of which I understand. I did, however, find a website that has shed a bit of light on the subject. Hopefully...it will fall into place.
I'd say I'm looking forward to a better week...but at this point...who knows?
Be Well!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Pit bull strikes again...
It seems that the pit bull was bored today. My former co-worker (who quit the week before I did) sent an email to her regarding information about rolling her 401K to her new employers plan. You would think that a simple response, with the necessary facts would have been forthcoming. What she received was, a response to her query...and a personal note, which began "Tell your friend (my name here)...blah, blah, blah..." The "blah, blah, blah", consisted of a snotty, sarcastic message to me. To say that my former co-worker and I were both surprised, would be an understatement. What a juvenile, and totally unprofessional thing to do. I'm sure that her peers would be proud to call her a member of their profession. It only confirms what we already supposed...she is a spoiled little girl...playing 'office'. What a mess.
Be Well!
Be Well!
Please listen...
This story has been in the news for a few days now. It has been particularly poignant for me. Children left in the care of a selfish, brutal, heartless, monster…while the only hope they had (their father) looked the other way. Dear Lord.
I don’t know the particulars in this case…but I can guess. My guess would be that the kids told their father…more than once…what was happening. My guess is that he didn’t believe them…or didn’t want to be bothered, so he ‘turned a blind eye’. I shudder to think of the things that the children endured…my heart breaks for them.
Children don’t ask to be born…they are precious gifts entrusted to us for a very short time. If a child tells you that someone is mistreating him/her…please listen…please take action. Adults like this woman, count on the fact that other adults won’t believe the things that a child says….particularly when they are as heinous as this. They count on the gullibility of their peers, and on their own prowess at concealing the things that they do.
These children will most likely survive…we did. But how damaged will they be? Their lives have been forever altered. Hopefully, they will never, ever live under the same roof as their step-mother or their father again. Nonetheless…there will be nightmares, seemingly irrational fears and things that they absolutely despise, without knowing why. They will cringe when they see a child spanked, and feel the need to overfeed every living, breathing thing they see. They will feel absolute rage when they read about things like this…and to some degree…they will never be able to completely shake the feeling of apprehension and vulnerability.
Pray for these kids…and for this world…which somehow continues to foster this kind of behavior…on an increasing and alarming basis.
Be Well!
Father Arrested In Possible Child Neglect Case
KAKE News
Father Arrested In Possible Child Neglect CaseJuly 25
A local father joins his wife, both facing charges of child endangerment.
"He knew, or should have known, the condition of his daughters," said Captain Randy Landen with Wichita police.
It was obvious to the social worker who got a tip to check on the six and seven year old girls last Friday. The mere sight of the children enraged some officers at the scene.
For police, there is no explanation a father could give as to why his children had been deprived of food and water for at least several days. The children were dehydrated and in dire straits.
The children were admitted to the hospital. Their father, Alex Wood, was arrested on two counts of aggravated child endangerment.
Just hours before his arrest, the children's stepmother, Jennifer Wood, was released from jail. Police claim her two biological children were in great shape, but her two stepchildren were a different story.
In addition to being deprived food, Wood is also accused of aggravated battery. Ligature marks were found on one of the girls' throats.
While all of this was unfolding, the family of the father of Jennifer Wood's children, were in a panic. They didn't want to be identified, but say Wood brought all four children to their home for a picnic about a year ago. They say she wouldn't let the step children have anything but water, claiming they had food allergies.
Authorities say they are still investigating exactly what happened inside the home, and how long it had been going on. One question they might never understand the answer to is, why.
I don’t know the particulars in this case…but I can guess. My guess would be that the kids told their father…more than once…what was happening. My guess is that he didn’t believe them…or didn’t want to be bothered, so he ‘turned a blind eye’. I shudder to think of the things that the children endured…my heart breaks for them.
Children don’t ask to be born…they are precious gifts entrusted to us for a very short time. If a child tells you that someone is mistreating him/her…please listen…please take action. Adults like this woman, count on the fact that other adults won’t believe the things that a child says….particularly when they are as heinous as this. They count on the gullibility of their peers, and on their own prowess at concealing the things that they do.
These children will most likely survive…we did. But how damaged will they be? Their lives have been forever altered. Hopefully, they will never, ever live under the same roof as their step-mother or their father again. Nonetheless…there will be nightmares, seemingly irrational fears and things that they absolutely despise, without knowing why. They will cringe when they see a child spanked, and feel the need to overfeed every living, breathing thing they see. They will feel absolute rage when they read about things like this…and to some degree…they will never be able to completely shake the feeling of apprehension and vulnerability.
Pray for these kids…and for this world…which somehow continues to foster this kind of behavior…on an increasing and alarming basis.
Be Well!
Father Arrested In Possible Child Neglect Case
KAKE News
Father Arrested In Possible Child Neglect CaseJuly 25
A local father joins his wife, both facing charges of child endangerment.
"He knew, or should have known, the condition of his daughters," said Captain Randy Landen with Wichita police.
It was obvious to the social worker who got a tip to check on the six and seven year old girls last Friday. The mere sight of the children enraged some officers at the scene.
For police, there is no explanation a father could give as to why his children had been deprived of food and water for at least several days. The children were dehydrated and in dire straits.
The children were admitted to the hospital. Their father, Alex Wood, was arrested on two counts of aggravated child endangerment.
Just hours before his arrest, the children's stepmother, Jennifer Wood, was released from jail. Police claim her two biological children were in great shape, but her two stepchildren were a different story.
In addition to being deprived food, Wood is also accused of aggravated battery. Ligature marks were found on one of the girls' throats.
While all of this was unfolding, the family of the father of Jennifer Wood's children, were in a panic. They didn't want to be identified, but say Wood brought all four children to their home for a picnic about a year ago. They say she wouldn't let the step children have anything but water, claiming they had food allergies.
Authorities say they are still investigating exactly what happened inside the home, and how long it had been going on. One question they might never understand the answer to is, why.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Brain doodles...
Summer dreams, lazy days,
Nights without end...
Imagination...fascination...
Blowing like the wind.
Knowing...ever knowing,
Tomorrow can't remain...
Fear, and worry...apprehension,
Fresh within my brain.
Comin round the bend...
Change...
Disguised...again,
...as my old friend.
Looming, lurking, hiding there...
Waiting for the moment,
To catch me unaware...
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Nights without end...
Imagination...fascination...
Blowing like the wind.
Knowing...ever knowing,
Tomorrow can't remain...
Fear, and worry...apprehension,
Fresh within my brain.
Comin round the bend...
Change...
Disguised...again,
...as my old friend.
Looming, lurking, hiding there...
Waiting for the moment,
To catch me unaware...
Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Monday...
An eventful, and productive day! I accomplished everything from changing the sheets to shopping for picture frames!
Early this evening, I heard from my mom...my step dad's heart procedure will take place on next Tuesday (August 1st). It is very frightening to think of him undergoing this kind of thing...as fragile as he is. If he doesn't have it, he probably won't be here much longer, if he does have it...he may not survive it though...so...it is a rock and a hard spot. Please pray for them. He says that he accepted Christ a few years ago...it is my fervent prayer that he did. It is not for us to judge...I know that...yet...I don't feel easy about it. Only he and God know for sure.
I don't know what my step mom's decision will be concerning the new treatment that they want to do on her, for the brain tumors. It sounds horrible...and she is so fragile. It scares me to think of her going through all of that...and it scares me for her not to. Please pray for them also.
I know in my head...that God is in control...yet...my heart struggles to remember.
Be Well!
Early this evening, I heard from my mom...my step dad's heart procedure will take place on next Tuesday (August 1st). It is very frightening to think of him undergoing this kind of thing...as fragile as he is. If he doesn't have it, he probably won't be here much longer, if he does have it...he may not survive it though...so...it is a rock and a hard spot. Please pray for them. He says that he accepted Christ a few years ago...it is my fervent prayer that he did. It is not for us to judge...I know that...yet...I don't feel easy about it. Only he and God know for sure.
I don't know what my step mom's decision will be concerning the new treatment that they want to do on her, for the brain tumors. It sounds horrible...and she is so fragile. It scares me to think of her going through all of that...and it scares me for her not to. Please pray for them also.
I know in my head...that God is in control...yet...my heart struggles to remember.
Be Well!
Friday, July 21, 2006
Fired...quit...gone...
Well...here I sit, unemployed. I gave notice over a week ago...next Tuesday should have been my last day. After a heated discussion with the pit bull...I was dismissed...without my vacation pay. I am so angry that I can hardly see straight. I am hurt that I tried to go the extra mile, because I have some stupid sense of loyalty, and an idiotic, naive idea that if I treat people the way that I want them to treat me...they will respond in kind. My boss simply sat there after the pit bull said "That was MY decision!", and agreed with her. Even though she was so blatantly wrong. They accused me of things that I did not, and would not do...and refused to look at proof that I offered that I had not done them! In retrospect...things happened in such a way, that I believe the decision had already been made to let me go...and to cheat me out of my vacation pay. What a world we live in. The longer I occupy my inconsequential space...the more I realize that it doesn't matter whether we are decent, or fair, or play by the rules...in the end...we are screwed anyway. No one cares what we have, or haven't done. I was a fool to believe that my boss would be fair to me in the long run...simply because I was fair to him.
Now I am concerned that there could be repercussions at the other end of this deal. The man who hired me is my old boss's best friend. One of the conditions of my employment was that I make it absolutely clear to my old boss that the new one did not solicit me...that I answered an ad and came to them. He was deeply concerned that their friendship not suffer, due to my employment with the new firm. I will spend Monday checking ads and looking for an alternative plan...just in case.
I have consulted the labor relations board, and intend to file a claim next week, if this isn't resolved by Monday afternoon. I am determined to shove out the old, naive, moron inside me...to stop taking crap from people and begin standing up and being heard from. If I hadn't been so stupid...I would have been out of there long ago...and I would have taken my vacation first!
Be Well!
Now I am concerned that there could be repercussions at the other end of this deal. The man who hired me is my old boss's best friend. One of the conditions of my employment was that I make it absolutely clear to my old boss that the new one did not solicit me...that I answered an ad and came to them. He was deeply concerned that their friendship not suffer, due to my employment with the new firm. I will spend Monday checking ads and looking for an alternative plan...just in case.
I have consulted the labor relations board, and intend to file a claim next week, if this isn't resolved by Monday afternoon. I am determined to shove out the old, naive, moron inside me...to stop taking crap from people and begin standing up and being heard from. If I hadn't been so stupid...I would have been out of there long ago...and I would have taken my vacation first!
Be Well!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
WALK ON THE RIGHT PLEASE...
Well...in answer to my own question...no...the fun never ends. I am home today with an inner ear infection. I guess there is a down side to all of that fun-in-the-sun pool time. I am dizzy enough that turning my head is quite unwise. Meanwhile, the job service that I registered with 6 weeks ago...finally called this morning. I told them that I have tentatively accepted a position, but that if they find me something better in the next week...I am certainly open to possibilities. We'll see what happens...my bet is...nothing.
While I was trying to navigate my way through the clinic this morning (the world was spinning crazily) I experienced a phenomena that seems to be on the rise lately! For some reason...the entire universe has abandoned the heretofore assumed rule of "walking on the right". What is that about? As I made my way down the aisle, ON THE RIGHT, hoards of people were coming directly towards me...meanwhile, the lefthand side of the corridor was empty. I began to move towards the left, in an effort to go around the erroneous walkers, and danged if they didn't step over in front of me. It was infuriating! In my befuddled state, I was in no position to start any sort of fracas...however badly I wanted to! I am however, considering a letter to my congressman. Legislation may be needed, in order that our right...to walk on the RIGHT...be insured! Perhaps a swift tasering of all 'wrong walkers' is what we need!
I shall now retire for a bit...my meds are kicking in!
Be Well!
While I was trying to navigate my way through the clinic this morning (the world was spinning crazily) I experienced a phenomena that seems to be on the rise lately! For some reason...the entire universe has abandoned the heretofore assumed rule of "walking on the right". What is that about? As I made my way down the aisle, ON THE RIGHT, hoards of people were coming directly towards me...meanwhile, the lefthand side of the corridor was empty. I began to move towards the left, in an effort to go around the erroneous walkers, and danged if they didn't step over in front of me. It was infuriating! In my befuddled state, I was in no position to start any sort of fracas...however badly I wanted to! I am however, considering a letter to my congressman. Legislation may be needed, in order that our right...to walk on the RIGHT...be insured! Perhaps a swift tasering of all 'wrong walkers' is what we need!
I shall now retire for a bit...my meds are kicking in!
Be Well!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
P.S.
The trip to the dentist was a total bust. After an hour of trying...and failing miserably...to deaden my tooth...he told me it is cracked all the way through. Bottom line is, it is not savable (not a word, I know). So...I have to find an oral surgeon who will use general anesthesia...and extract it. It is impossible to deaden, because of the condition it is in. Will the fun never end?!
Be Well!
Be Well!
Terrified Tuesday...
Tuesday morning dawned tired, sluggish…and terrified. My Endodontic appointment is today, and I am scared to the bone. The past three times that I went to my regular dentist, he began by giving me a shot…drilling until I was in pain…another shot…more drilling…another shot…more drilling. Each time, he made three attempts to deaden my tooth, and drill, and then sent me home for a week or so to wait. If I just knew that this dentist would deaden it completely, and finish the job…in the first attempt…my fear would be reduced by at least 99%! I have been praying about it, and I know that I need to relax before I get there, in order to work with the anesthesia.
Apparently, there was a huge mix up with Shane’s arrival time last night. I had decided a couple of days ago, to go and meet his plane, then yesterday, Candy sent an email and really wanted to surprise him by picking him up. I was fairly certain that he would be much more thrilled to see Candy, than mom and dad, so we waited at home to hear from him when he landed. In the meantime he realized, just as he got to the airport to come home, that he had told everyone the wrong arrival time… As far as he knew…his truck would be sitting in short term parking waiting for him…and we would all be at home awaiting his phone call, telling us that he had landed safe and sound, so he didn’t see any need to call and correct the time that he had told us, especially since the right time was actually much earlier. I’m sure that you can see where this is going! Poor Candy had decided to go to the airport a bit early (thank goodness) in case he got in a few minutes early. Apparently, he sent her a text as he was landing, telling her that he was landing…and she didn’t respond. The reason that she didn’t respond, was that she was still in route, and driving like crazy, trying to get there, park, and get inside to meet him! As he got off the plane, he called his sister to find out exactly where she had parked his truck, so that he could go get it. As he walked down the ramp talking to her, she was doing everything she could not to give Candy’s surprise away, when he spotted Candy…out of breath…and still hurrying! Meanwhile, I was at home, checking on arrival times, confirming that the plane from Dallas was ‘on time’ which it was (little did I know that there was more than one flight from Dallas last night). Shane finally called us at 10:30 or so, to tell us that he had actually landed at 8:50…! The best laid plans…J
Today looks like another day of sitting here, searching for something to do. I am leaving at 2:00 for the dentist though…so that will help a bit! My appointment is at 3:00…but, it is on the west side…I have no idea where, and I need to be a bit early (first time patient info and all).
Marvin picked me up for lunch, which was wonderful! We went to Hog Wild, and ate a baked potato! I am now sitting here…my filing is finished, and I am watching the clock for time to leave!!
Be Well!
Apparently, there was a huge mix up with Shane’s arrival time last night. I had decided a couple of days ago, to go and meet his plane, then yesterday, Candy sent an email and really wanted to surprise him by picking him up. I was fairly certain that he would be much more thrilled to see Candy, than mom and dad, so we waited at home to hear from him when he landed. In the meantime he realized, just as he got to the airport to come home, that he had told everyone the wrong arrival time… As far as he knew…his truck would be sitting in short term parking waiting for him…and we would all be at home awaiting his phone call, telling us that he had landed safe and sound, so he didn’t see any need to call and correct the time that he had told us, especially since the right time was actually much earlier. I’m sure that you can see where this is going! Poor Candy had decided to go to the airport a bit early (thank goodness) in case he got in a few minutes early. Apparently, he sent her a text as he was landing, telling her that he was landing…and she didn’t respond. The reason that she didn’t respond, was that she was still in route, and driving like crazy, trying to get there, park, and get inside to meet him! As he got off the plane, he called his sister to find out exactly where she had parked his truck, so that he could go get it. As he walked down the ramp talking to her, she was doing everything she could not to give Candy’s surprise away, when he spotted Candy…out of breath…and still hurrying! Meanwhile, I was at home, checking on arrival times, confirming that the plane from Dallas was ‘on time’ which it was (little did I know that there was more than one flight from Dallas last night). Shane finally called us at 10:30 or so, to tell us that he had actually landed at 8:50…! The best laid plans…J
Today looks like another day of sitting here, searching for something to do. I am leaving at 2:00 for the dentist though…so that will help a bit! My appointment is at 3:00…but, it is on the west side…I have no idea where, and I need to be a bit early (first time patient info and all).
Marvin picked me up for lunch, which was wonderful! We went to Hog Wild, and ate a baked potato! I am now sitting here…my filing is finished, and I am watching the clock for time to leave!!
Be Well!
Monday, July 17, 2006
Weird day...
This day is starting out very oddly.
8:00 – I arrived to find the new girl sitting at her desk…alone. The pit bull wasn’t here yet. So, I started showing her around…unlocking things…what needs to be done to begin the day etc..
8:10 – The pit bull arrived and took over. She doesn’t want me to train at all…she told the new girl that she will be learning as she teaches her…that’s scary. There are too many things that the pit bull doesn’t know.
9:09 – So far, I have addressed an envelope to go out and answered the phone. It’s gonna be a long day. I feel sorry for the other new girl…and I’m glad that I won’t be staying….I just heard a long list of the duties that Erin has decided the person at my desk will be assuming…it consists of ALL of the grunt work. Unlocking in the morning, locking up at night, emptying the shredder, cleaning the kitchen, making the coffee, watering the multitude of plants, etc…and she will be required to know all of the things that the other girl does as well…in order to back her up. Previously, the grunt work was shared by both parties…as were all duties. My position here would be changing drastically…for the worse! If I had any doubts about whether I did the right thing in leaving…they are gone now.
9:30 – Well…two peas in a pod. The pit bull and the new girl, are making snide remarks about the girl who quit on Thursday…interestingly…the new girl never even met the girl who quit. They seem particularly amused about the fact that the girl who quit felt overwhelmed. It won’t be long before the new girl will rue those remarks. This is like watching a train wreck…it’s hideous…but I can’t look away.
10:00 – My post office run is being taken over by my boss today. I’m not sure why I am here.
11:14 – A task that should have been completed in about an hour…has taken the trainer/trainee team over 3 hours…and they aren’t finished yet. However, the pit bull just got a call that she has to go to court at 1:00. Since they have not even finished the morning stuff yet…she asked if I would mind the new girl sitting with me this afternoon instead of her going home. Halleluiah! I won’t have to while away the afternoon too!
1:16 – So…I went to lunch, and a couple of odd things happened…
1) While I was out…my boss called me to ask if I had my keys with me…I replied that I did not. It seems that he forgot to stop and pick up the mail while he was out…picking up the mail…so I just got back from getting it.
2) For my lunch, I decided to grab a Heavenly Snow. I pulled up to the drive thru, and the woman inside took my order, I noticed that she was acting a bit odd. I watched as she made my drink…she was pale, moving very slowly, and having some coordination issues. As she brought it to the window to hand it out, her speech was slurred. I handed her the money, and she seemed to not recognize it. She looked at me in a dazed…confused way, and said, “I don’t have any air-conditioning here today…” The temperature is already 103 degrees, and there she was, in a small metal trailer…with no air. In soft, slow, slurred speech…she told me my order was free today, and disappeared back inside. I pulled forward and called 911. Bless her heart!!
2:00 – Well, it seems that there is some difference between the things that the pit bull is teaching the new girl…and the way they should be done. I tried tactfully, to rectify them…to no avail. I feel sorry for the new girl…stuck in the middle. So…I will back off, time will be their best teacher.
3:54 – Only a little more than 30 minutes left in this day. The new girl says she ‘isn’t comfortable with the phone’, so Erin hasn’t required her to do it… so I have answered every call today…many times…reaching across the new girl, at her own desk, because she sat there like a lump looking at it, while it rang. I am counting the days again.
Be Well!
8:00 – I arrived to find the new girl sitting at her desk…alone. The pit bull wasn’t here yet. So, I started showing her around…unlocking things…what needs to be done to begin the day etc..
8:10 – The pit bull arrived and took over. She doesn’t want me to train at all…she told the new girl that she will be learning as she teaches her…that’s scary. There are too many things that the pit bull doesn’t know.
9:09 – So far, I have addressed an envelope to go out and answered the phone. It’s gonna be a long day. I feel sorry for the other new girl…and I’m glad that I won’t be staying….I just heard a long list of the duties that Erin has decided the person at my desk will be assuming…it consists of ALL of the grunt work. Unlocking in the morning, locking up at night, emptying the shredder, cleaning the kitchen, making the coffee, watering the multitude of plants, etc…and she will be required to know all of the things that the other girl does as well…in order to back her up. Previously, the grunt work was shared by both parties…as were all duties. My position here would be changing drastically…for the worse! If I had any doubts about whether I did the right thing in leaving…they are gone now.
9:30 – Well…two peas in a pod. The pit bull and the new girl, are making snide remarks about the girl who quit on Thursday…interestingly…the new girl never even met the girl who quit. They seem particularly amused about the fact that the girl who quit felt overwhelmed. It won’t be long before the new girl will rue those remarks. This is like watching a train wreck…it’s hideous…but I can’t look away.
10:00 – My post office run is being taken over by my boss today. I’m not sure why I am here.
11:14 – A task that should have been completed in about an hour…has taken the trainer/trainee team over 3 hours…and they aren’t finished yet. However, the pit bull just got a call that she has to go to court at 1:00. Since they have not even finished the morning stuff yet…she asked if I would mind the new girl sitting with me this afternoon instead of her going home. Halleluiah! I won’t have to while away the afternoon too!
1:16 – So…I went to lunch, and a couple of odd things happened…
1) While I was out…my boss called me to ask if I had my keys with me…I replied that I did not. It seems that he forgot to stop and pick up the mail while he was out…picking up the mail…so I just got back from getting it.
2) For my lunch, I decided to grab a Heavenly Snow. I pulled up to the drive thru, and the woman inside took my order, I noticed that she was acting a bit odd. I watched as she made my drink…she was pale, moving very slowly, and having some coordination issues. As she brought it to the window to hand it out, her speech was slurred. I handed her the money, and she seemed to not recognize it. She looked at me in a dazed…confused way, and said, “I don’t have any air-conditioning here today…” The temperature is already 103 degrees, and there she was, in a small metal trailer…with no air. In soft, slow, slurred speech…she told me my order was free today, and disappeared back inside. I pulled forward and called 911. Bless her heart!!
2:00 – Well, it seems that there is some difference between the things that the pit bull is teaching the new girl…and the way they should be done. I tried tactfully, to rectify them…to no avail. I feel sorry for the new girl…stuck in the middle. So…I will back off, time will be their best teacher.
3:54 – Only a little more than 30 minutes left in this day. The new girl says she ‘isn’t comfortable with the phone’, so Erin hasn’t required her to do it… so I have answered every call today…many times…reaching across the new girl, at her own desk, because she sat there like a lump looking at it, while it rang. I am counting the days again.
Be Well!
Friday, July 14, 2006
Fabulous Friday!
It's Friday!!! You can't see me....but I'm doing the dance of JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!! This has been a long, hard, emotional, nasty week!! I am so glad to see it end!! I'm hoping for brighter days ahead!!
Work has been slow, and for some reason, the pit bull has not bared her teeth this day! I was so angry when I left yesterday that I was ready to scream. I had already decided that if today was a replay of yesterday, I would hit the door. It wasn't...and I didn't...! And that is better for all concerned!
With Shane and Candy out of town for the weekend...our group will be small tonight! Marvin, Chas and I are meeting at Freddie's for a burger, then on to see Pirates of the Caribbean! I hope I don't fall asleep in the theater! I slept really well ONE nght this week, so I am beat.
One of our outside brokers came in a bit ago. He said "I hear you are leaving us...?" I said I was, and he shook his head and replied, "THAT is a shame! You made it nice to come in here! I will miss you!" It made my day! I doubt that anyone else will miss me at all...they are pretty busy sucking up to the pit bull. I don't blame them...if I had half as many brains as vinegar...I would learn to suck up too...it just isn't in me. He advised me to get my license and keep moving forward. I will consider that.
Here's to a weekend full of hope and sunshine!
Be Well!
Work has been slow, and for some reason, the pit bull has not bared her teeth this day! I was so angry when I left yesterday that I was ready to scream. I had already decided that if today was a replay of yesterday, I would hit the door. It wasn't...and I didn't...! And that is better for all concerned!
With Shane and Candy out of town for the weekend...our group will be small tonight! Marvin, Chas and I are meeting at Freddie's for a burger, then on to see Pirates of the Caribbean! I hope I don't fall asleep in the theater! I slept really well ONE nght this week, so I am beat.
One of our outside brokers came in a bit ago. He said "I hear you are leaving us...?" I said I was, and he shook his head and replied, "THAT is a shame! You made it nice to come in here! I will miss you!" It made my day! I doubt that anyone else will miss me at all...they are pretty busy sucking up to the pit bull. I don't blame them...if I had half as many brains as vinegar...I would learn to suck up too...it just isn't in me. He advised me to get my license and keep moving forward. I will consider that.
Here's to a weekend full of hope and sunshine!
Be Well!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Holy cow...
It is unbelievable what a difference a day can make! I handed in my resignation letter yesterday, had a very nice chat with my boss…we are parting friends. For the first time in a week, my stomach felt almost normal. I actually slept last night too.
I came to work this morning, a bit early, in order to get things started…lots of training to do with the new girl. At 8:05 I asked if anyone had heard from the new girl…she has been getting here around 7:45 all week, and she wasn’t here yet. No one had. At 8:10, she called and asked me to tell our boss that she quit. She said that the position is just too overwhelming…there is too much to do and learn…! She had been up since 5:00 this morning with a nervous stomach…which is actually a part of this job description. So…I got the morning reports out…the Pit Bull took her daughter to have her teeth cleaned and to see her grandmother. She arrived around 11:00. Talk about a nasty mood! Whew! The only times she has spoken to me were to inform me that she will be taking over this and that and the other thing…and when I asked if she had a list of reports…she snapped “I know how to do them!” So…fine.
The afternoon was atrocious…however, they do have someone starting Monday to fill the position vacated this morning…and someone starting on August 8th , to fill mine. I’m sure that I will clean up more messes tomorrow…she says she will do all confirms, tickets, and reports in the morning…she seems to have some sort of adversity to asking me for any help…so…good luck! She insisted on posting deposits this afternoon…and when she couldn’t…she literally tossed them on my desk as she walked off, saying “I don’t have a password yet…you do these!” Then I heard her calling tech support…for access to areas required to do daily work…and telling them that ‘she is new’…!
What a week it has been. I'm considering selling all of our earthly possessions, and becoming a beach bum! I'm tired of working for people who are jerks...and smiling when I want to lash out irrationally...and pretending to be what I'm not, in order to fit into some idiot's idea of an employee.
I'd say life was certainly simpler when we were kids...but...it was actually worse. So...there it is...the bright spot....I'm not 12 anymore and I never have to be again!
Okay...I'm clutching at straws...
Be Well!
I came to work this morning, a bit early, in order to get things started…lots of training to do with the new girl. At 8:05 I asked if anyone had heard from the new girl…she has been getting here around 7:45 all week, and she wasn’t here yet. No one had. At 8:10, she called and asked me to tell our boss that she quit. She said that the position is just too overwhelming…there is too much to do and learn…! She had been up since 5:00 this morning with a nervous stomach…which is actually a part of this job description. So…I got the morning reports out…the Pit Bull took her daughter to have her teeth cleaned and to see her grandmother. She arrived around 11:00. Talk about a nasty mood! Whew! The only times she has spoken to me were to inform me that she will be taking over this and that and the other thing…and when I asked if she had a list of reports…she snapped “I know how to do them!” So…fine.
The afternoon was atrocious…however, they do have someone starting Monday to fill the position vacated this morning…and someone starting on August 8th , to fill mine. I’m sure that I will clean up more messes tomorrow…she says she will do all confirms, tickets, and reports in the morning…she seems to have some sort of adversity to asking me for any help…so…good luck! She insisted on posting deposits this afternoon…and when she couldn’t…she literally tossed them on my desk as she walked off, saying “I don’t have a password yet…you do these!” Then I heard her calling tech support…for access to areas required to do daily work…and telling them that ‘she is new’…!
What a week it has been. I'm considering selling all of our earthly possessions, and becoming a beach bum! I'm tired of working for people who are jerks...and smiling when I want to lash out irrationally...and pretending to be what I'm not, in order to fit into some idiot's idea of an employee.
I'd say life was certainly simpler when we were kids...but...it was actually worse. So...there it is...the bright spot....I'm not 12 anymore and I never have to be again!
Okay...I'm clutching at straws...
Be Well!
Holy cow...
It is unbelievable what a difference a day can make! I handed in my resignation letter yesterday, had a very nice chat with my boss…we are parting friends. For the first time in a week, my stomach felt almost normal. I actually slept last night too.
I came to work this morning, a bit early, in order to get things started…lots of training to do with the new girl. At 8:05 I asked if anyone had heard from the new girl…she has been getting here around 7:45 all week, and she wasn’t here yet. No one had. At 8:10, she called and asked me to tell our boss that she quit. She said that the position is just too overwhelming…there is too much to do and learn…! She had been up since 5:00 this morning with a nervous stomach…which is actually a part of this job description. So…I got the morning reports out…the Pit Bull took her daughter to have her teeth cleaned and to see her grandmother. She arrived around 11:00. Talk about a nasty mood! Whew! The only times she has spoken to me were to inform me that she will be taking over this and that and the other thing…and when I asked if she had a list of reports…she snapped “I know how to do them!” So…fine.
The afternoon was atrocious…however, they do have someone starting Monday to fill the position vacated this morning…and someone starting on August 8th , to fill mine. I’m sure that I will clean up more messes tomorrow…she says she will do all confirms, tickets, and reports in the morning…she seems to have some sort of adversity to asking me for any help…so…good luck! She insisted on posting deposits this afternoon…and when she couldn’t…she literally tossed them on my desk as she walked off, saying “I don’t have a password yet…you do these!” Then I heard her calling tech support…for access to areas required to do daily work…and telling them that ‘she is new’…!
What a week it has been. I'm considering selling all of our earthly possessions, and becoming a beach bum! I'm tired of working for people who are jerks...and smiling when I want to lash out irrationally...and pretending to be what I'm not, in order to fit into some idiot's idea of an employee.
I'd say life was certainly simpler when we were kids...but...it was actually worse. So...there it is...the bright spot....I'm not 12 anymore and I never have to be again!
Okay...I'm clutching at straws...
Be Well!
I came to work this morning, a bit early, in order to get things started…lots of training to do with the new girl. At 8:05 I asked if anyone had heard from the new girl…she has been getting here around 7:45 all week, and she wasn’t here yet. No one had. At 8:10, she called and asked me to tell our boss that she quit. She said that the position is just too overwhelming…there is too much to do and learn…! She had been up since 5:00 this morning with a nervous stomach…which is actually a part of this job description. So…I got the morning reports out…the Pit Bull took her daughter to have her teeth cleaned and to see her grandmother. She arrived around 11:00. Talk about a nasty mood! Whew! The only times she has spoken to me were to inform me that she will be taking over this and that and the other thing…and when I asked if she had a list of reports…she snapped “I know how to do them!” So…fine.
The afternoon was atrocious…however, they do have someone starting Monday to fill the position vacated this morning…and someone starting on August 8th , to fill mine. I’m sure that I will clean up more messes tomorrow…she says she will do all confirms, tickets, and reports in the morning…she seems to have some sort of adversity to asking me for any help…so…good luck! She insisted on posting deposits this afternoon…and when she couldn’t…she literally tossed them on my desk as she walked off, saying “I don’t have a password yet…you do these!” Then I heard her calling tech support…for access to areas required to do daily work…and telling them that ‘she is new’…!
What a week it has been. I'm considering selling all of our earthly possessions, and becoming a beach bum! I'm tired of working for people who are jerks...and smiling when I want to lash out irrationally...and pretending to be what I'm not, in order to fit into some idiot's idea of an employee.
I'd say life was certainly simpler when we were kids...but...it was actually worse. So...there it is...the bright spot....I'm not 12 anymore and I never have to be again!
Okay...I'm clutching at straws...
Be Well!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Disaster master...
I can't even believe this day. After much thought, consideration, deliberation, prayer, discussion, and a sleepless night last night...I decided to take the new job. I called, accepted it, then went back to the office. As I sat at my desk, typing my resignation letter...I am called to the kitchen. EVERYONE was in there, with a big chocolate brownie (with a candle on it), and a carrot cake...to wish me congratulations on my one year anniversary with the company. :( My boss says, "We've had a hard year, with a LOT of turmoil...and you've hung right in there!" I felt like pond scum. This impromptu party was completely unexpected and totally uncharacteristic. I couldn't give them the letter today...after all of that. I will deliver it first thing tomorrow morning. I can't help but wonder...what is happening to my twin...in the parallel universe...that surely exists.
I almost decided to delete the letter. Then I remembered the past few months...and the fact that my co-worker was questioned about whether or not I was looking for a job...when she handed in her own resignation (a week and a half ago). Is this genuine change...or simply a last ditch effort to avoid having NO ONE there who knows how to do the necessary things? I don't know. I am tired from thinking about it...I wish people came with labels...I could turn theirs over and see if it reads "Desperate, lying, two-faced, sack of stuff" or "Turning over a new leaf, sorry we were jerks".
Be Well!
I almost decided to delete the letter. Then I remembered the past few months...and the fact that my co-worker was questioned about whether or not I was looking for a job...when she handed in her own resignation (a week and a half ago). Is this genuine change...or simply a last ditch effort to avoid having NO ONE there who knows how to do the necessary things? I don't know. I am tired from thinking about it...I wish people came with labels...I could turn theirs over and see if it reads "Desperate, lying, two-faced, sack of stuff" or "Turning over a new leaf, sorry we were jerks".
Be Well!
Friday, July 07, 2006
Finally...Friday...
I woke up this morning, only slightly comforted by the fact that it is Friday. The thought of getting through the day was getting me down before I opened my eyes. I stopped at the store on the way to work, and bought a big, frosted cookie, and had them write “Good Luck _ _ _ _ _” on it, and bought a couple boxes of Loft House cookies to go with it. I’m fairly certain that no one else here will do anything nice for her…which is sad. When the pit bull passed her test (after flunking it the first time), they had food catered in and threw her a party…but for someone who came in during a time of crisis, and spent almost a year working hard for them…nothing.
9:00 - It looks like they have hired a replacement. I will reserve comment until I see “which way the wind blows”. The pit bull is so excited about her, and they have been laughing uproariously…in her office for the past hour and a half…that I wonder if she is an acquaintance.
9:30 – I just received a ‘heads up’…apparently it was stated that ‘whatever the pit bull didn’t want to do…she would just have me take over. (Groan….)
10:45 - The pit bull just noticed the cookie in the kitchen. After cutting herself a big hunk, she came out and said to my co-worker “Uh…do you have lunch plans today? I guess I should have planned something for you…uh…why don’t I take you to lunch…” After much protest…from my co-worker…she insisted. What a load.
11:41 – Most of the rest of the office has gone to lunch. It is finally calm and almost quiet. I am continually amazed at the way that working in public changes us. In order to survive…we smile when we don’t feel even remotely happy, we nod and agree with things that appall us, we cow down and act as though we don’t mind being walked on…humiliated…and degraded. I have always been a person who spoke my mind…often to my own detriment. All of these ‘games’ don’t set will with me, and I have a hard time playing them.
1:53 – The new girl is being initiated. It takes months (literally) to learn all we need to know in this kind of business…she is getting a brief overview…and it is overwhelming. I’m sure she will go home tonight and worry about what in the world she has gotten into. Wait until the pit bull begins to dump on her…I hope she’s had her shots.
2:07 – Well…in the middle of training…the new girl informed us that she was told she could leave at 2:30 (she didn’t get here until 12:30). This is unbelievable. There aren’t enough expletives to describe my feelings at this moment.
The rest of the day is going to be spent in a much happier way! We are heading to Ark City for dinner at Green Door, and to deliver a TV to Marvin’s mom. We always have a great time together, and I am looking forward to an evening of talking, laughing, joking, fun, and forgetting about work!
Be Well!
9:00 - It looks like they have hired a replacement. I will reserve comment until I see “which way the wind blows”. The pit bull is so excited about her, and they have been laughing uproariously…in her office for the past hour and a half…that I wonder if she is an acquaintance.
9:30 – I just received a ‘heads up’…apparently it was stated that ‘whatever the pit bull didn’t want to do…she would just have me take over. (Groan….)
10:45 - The pit bull just noticed the cookie in the kitchen. After cutting herself a big hunk, she came out and said to my co-worker “Uh…do you have lunch plans today? I guess I should have planned something for you…uh…why don’t I take you to lunch…” After much protest…from my co-worker…she insisted. What a load.
11:41 – Most of the rest of the office has gone to lunch. It is finally calm and almost quiet. I am continually amazed at the way that working in public changes us. In order to survive…we smile when we don’t feel even remotely happy, we nod and agree with things that appall us, we cow down and act as though we don’t mind being walked on…humiliated…and degraded. I have always been a person who spoke my mind…often to my own detriment. All of these ‘games’ don’t set will with me, and I have a hard time playing them.
1:53 – The new girl is being initiated. It takes months (literally) to learn all we need to know in this kind of business…she is getting a brief overview…and it is overwhelming. I’m sure she will go home tonight and worry about what in the world she has gotten into. Wait until the pit bull begins to dump on her…I hope she’s had her shots.
2:07 – Well…in the middle of training…the new girl informed us that she was told she could leave at 2:30 (she didn’t get here until 12:30). This is unbelievable. There aren’t enough expletives to describe my feelings at this moment.
The rest of the day is going to be spent in a much happier way! We are heading to Ark City for dinner at Green Door, and to deliver a TV to Marvin’s mom. We always have a great time together, and I am looking forward to an evening of talking, laughing, joking, fun, and forgetting about work!
Be Well!
Thursday...
8:12 - Here we sit…waiting for the pit bull…again. She was supposed to be here at 7:30 to run reports and do morning confirmations…it is now 8:12 and she hasn’t shown up yet. So, we get to start another day…behind.
8:13 – Some people have more nerve than brains…she just came in the door…smiling ear-to-ear, then announced “Morning…you like my 7:30?”…flounced right on through…no apology…nothing. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…….
9:56 – Well…big shock…she did half of the reports/confirms…then told us to finish, because “It’s all written down…if I can read, I can do it…” I’m remembering the conversation that I had with the vacuum cleaner….
10:33 – Have you ever seen a pit bull dance? This one is almost walking on air…to the point of being rude at how excited she is that one of the front office peons is leaving tomorrow. I would give a lot to be able to turn at 4:30 Friday and say “By the way…you will need someone to sit in my chair on Monday too.”
11:18 – Apparently, we need to send in stuff for a rebate on some equipment that was purchased this week…or should I say…I need to. I think that should be a task for the controller, who has all of the receipts etc…but…she is busy being important.
4:10 – Well…apparently the bank run (which was supposed to be done by someone else today) has fallen back to me. So…catch ya on the flip side!
Be Well!
8:13 – Some people have more nerve than brains…she just came in the door…smiling ear-to-ear, then announced “Morning…you like my 7:30?”…flounced right on through…no apology…nothing. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…….
9:56 – Well…big shock…she did half of the reports/confirms…then told us to finish, because “It’s all written down…if I can read, I can do it…” I’m remembering the conversation that I had with the vacuum cleaner….
10:33 – Have you ever seen a pit bull dance? This one is almost walking on air…to the point of being rude at how excited she is that one of the front office peons is leaving tomorrow. I would give a lot to be able to turn at 4:30 Friday and say “By the way…you will need someone to sit in my chair on Monday too.”
11:18 – Apparently, we need to send in stuff for a rebate on some equipment that was purchased this week…or should I say…I need to. I think that should be a task for the controller, who has all of the receipts etc…but…she is busy being important.
4:10 – Well…apparently the bank run (which was supposed to be done by someone else today) has fallen back to me. So…catch ya on the flip side!
Be Well!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Wednesday/Monday...
It feels like Monday today…because I was off Monday and Tuesday! This has been one of THOSE days. It looks like I will be stuck with 99% of the work, beginning Monday. The pit bull keeps promising to come up here and learn what we do so that she can help out whenever necessary…but…she always comes up with an excuse at the last minute, not to. This morning was no different. After leaving a phone message telling us NOT to start our morning reports and routine until she arrived, so that she could do it while we directed her…she came in late…as usual…then said she just didn’t have time to “mess with it” and directed us to do it. What a load of crap.
On the upside…we had a really nice holiday weekend! Especially the 4th! We spent the afternoon in the pool and on the deck visiting, then cooked dinner on the grill. After eating, we spent an hour or so just talking and resting, then played a new card game called Blitz. About 9:15, we headed to Wild West World to watch the Park City fireworks…which were beautiful!
By the time we got to bed (11:15), I was exhausted. I hated to sleep…because I knew sleeping would hasten the morning…which I was not looking forward to. Now…more than ever…I am counting the hours until the weekend.
Be Well!
On the upside…we had a really nice holiday weekend! Especially the 4th! We spent the afternoon in the pool and on the deck visiting, then cooked dinner on the grill. After eating, we spent an hour or so just talking and resting, then played a new card game called Blitz. About 9:15, we headed to Wild West World to watch the Park City fireworks…which were beautiful!
By the time we got to bed (11:15), I was exhausted. I hated to sleep…because I knew sleeping would hasten the morning…which I was not looking forward to. Now…more than ever…I am counting the hours until the weekend.
Be Well!
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