Today, I hit my boredom threshold. I go to the pool and doggy paddle for an hour most mornings. Nothing thrilling, just straight grunt work. So today I decided to start experimenting & see what I remember from swim class that won't threaten these way to expensive contacts. Among other things, I tried treading water. Does OH MY GAWD!!!! mean anything? I thought I was going to croak! I officially have the greatest respect for anyone who treads water in full gear for over 1 second. I was in a simple 1-piece suit & thought I'd croak after 30 seconds!
But I can feel the difference so I am going to add that in to the mix. If nothing else to break up the boredom. I am going to have to get that lasik soon. It will be a huge savings & far less of a hassle to not worry about my contacts any longer. Besides my contacts are $600 for the pair. I can take that money & spend it on lasik and be done with it.
In the short term, I need to find some place that sells those ugly swim caps. My hair is too long & too fine to risk the damage chlorine does to it. I have it soft & silky. I will not ruin that!
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Monday, August 28, 2006
Is It Over Yet?
I'm in a mild form of hell. I'll give the highlights now. In a few days I'll see the funny side of this. Right now, I'm just pissed, tired, ready to fight or cry at the drop of a hat.
Why?
Well, the outer wall of my room is nothing more than paneling over 2x4's basically. Inside & out. No insulation. No sealant in any size, shape, or form. Just cheap wood paneling & unpainted base boards inside & exterior siding outside. Zilch in between & most definitely nothing at the bottom.
How did I discover this? Because we have had some serious rain lately, we are & looking forward to more thanks to this hurricane down in Cuba. Because the outer wall was buried in about 10 inches of dirt, all the excess water ran inside. Under boxes, under books, under journals, under clothes, under furniture - about 1/2 way across the floor.
It now stinks to high heaven, I dried everything out and clean it all enough over the weekend so that today I stripped the room down and rearranged. I spent my day off Friday outside raking out about 10 inches of dirt, clearing between the siding & cement pad. I've tossed 4 large trash bags of papers & books. Have done 7 loads of laundry. Prayed that my furniture doesn't rot. Little things. Satuirday & Sunday I cleaned madly & dried everything I could with either a fan or a hair dryer. That was oodles of fun, believe me. Today, I stripped the room down and rearranged. Tomorrow, I'm going shopping & getting some of that canned foam expanding insulation to put outside. May not do a damn thing, but it will make me feel better.
Other than that, not much else is going on. This morning, I went swimming & thought about someone I have not seen since 1989 - Julie Hemling. My senior year of high school, she was my best friend. Then we went to college, and never saw each other again. No idea why I thouhgt of her, but judging by what my stepmom has dropped, & what did not pop up-on google, my life has been a bit more adventure filled than hers. Either that, or a bit more hate filled.
Am I the only person out there who feels bad for not being more philosophical in their blogging? I read several dozen others, but really do not feel like adding to what is already posted in blog-land. I know that I am shallow and have little to really add when on-line like this, but . . . I feel guilty! I feel like I should be exercising my mind and adding to the commentaries about the Middle East, politics, social debates, and so on & so forth. But I don't and I feel so shallow some times because I would rather read what others say and then go my merry way.
Why?
Well, the outer wall of my room is nothing more than paneling over 2x4's basically. Inside & out. No insulation. No sealant in any size, shape, or form. Just cheap wood paneling & unpainted base boards inside & exterior siding outside. Zilch in between & most definitely nothing at the bottom.
How did I discover this? Because we have had some serious rain lately, we are & looking forward to more thanks to this hurricane down in Cuba. Because the outer wall was buried in about 10 inches of dirt, all the excess water ran inside. Under boxes, under books, under journals, under clothes, under furniture - about 1/2 way across the floor.
It now stinks to high heaven, I dried everything out and clean it all enough over the weekend so that today I stripped the room down and rearranged. I spent my day off Friday outside raking out about 10 inches of dirt, clearing between the siding & cement pad. I've tossed 4 large trash bags of papers & books. Have done 7 loads of laundry. Prayed that my furniture doesn't rot. Little things. Satuirday & Sunday I cleaned madly & dried everything I could with either a fan or a hair dryer. That was oodles of fun, believe me. Today, I stripped the room down and rearranged. Tomorrow, I'm going shopping & getting some of that canned foam expanding insulation to put outside. May not do a damn thing, but it will make me feel better.
Other than that, not much else is going on. This morning, I went swimming & thought about someone I have not seen since 1989 - Julie Hemling. My senior year of high school, she was my best friend. Then we went to college, and never saw each other again. No idea why I thouhgt of her, but judging by what my stepmom has dropped, & what did not pop up-on google, my life has been a bit more adventure filled than hers. Either that, or a bit more hate filled.
Am I the only person out there who feels bad for not being more philosophical in their blogging? I read several dozen others, but really do not feel like adding to what is already posted in blog-land. I know that I am shallow and have little to really add when on-line like this, but . . . I feel guilty! I feel like I should be exercising my mind and adding to the commentaries about the Middle East, politics, social debates, and so on & so forth. But I don't and I feel so shallow some times because I would rather read what others say and then go my merry way.
Friday, August 25, 2006
You Grew Up In The 80's If;
This is for those of us with enough . . . maturity to understand.
oh.... doesnt this just take you back to our child hood ;-)
You Know You Grew Up In The 80's if:
1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.
2. You watched the Pound Puppies.
3. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton
4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.
5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start a club of your own.
6. You owned those lil' Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.
7. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom
8. Two words: Hammer Pants
9. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock"
10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars... and spokey-dokes or playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect
11. You can sing the entire theme song to "Duck Tales" (Woo ooh!)
12. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
14. You saw the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the big screen..and still know the turtles names.
15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
16. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.
17. You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
19. L.A. Gear....need I say more?
20. You wanted to change your name to "JEM" in Kindergarten. (She's Truly Outrageous.)
21. You remember reading Tales of a fourth grade nothing and all The Ramona books.
22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF"
23. You wanted to be a Goonie.
24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us...head-to-toe)
25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
27. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.
28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
29. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.
30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts.
31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.
32. You thought She-ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up.
33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets. 34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.
35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"
36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.
39. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.
41. You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement.
42. You remember Popples.
43. Don't worry, be happy
44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.
45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do..getting yelled at by younger hip members of the family) 46. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
47. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.
48. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!!"
49 You remember watching Rainbow Bright and & My Little Pony Tales
50. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
51. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
52. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB"
53. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.
54. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
55. You just sang those words to yourself.
56. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.
57. Homemade Levi shorts.. (the shorter the better)
58. You remember when mullets were cool!
59. You had a mullet! 60. You still sing "We are the World"
61. You tight rolled your jeans.
62. You owned a bannana clip.
63. You remember "Where's the Beef?"
64. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"
65 You had big hair and you knew how to use it.
66. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!
oh.... doesnt this just take you back to our child hood ;-)
You Know You Grew Up In The 80's if:
1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.
2. You watched the Pound Puppies.
3. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton
4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.
5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start a club of your own.
6. You owned those lil' Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.
7. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom
8. Two words: Hammer Pants
9. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock"
10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars... and spokey-dokes or playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect
11. You can sing the entire theme song to "Duck Tales" (Woo ooh!)
12. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
14. You saw the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the big screen..and still know the turtles names.
15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
16. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.
17. You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
19. L.A. Gear....need I say more?
20. You wanted to change your name to "JEM" in Kindergarten. (She's Truly Outrageous.)
21. You remember reading Tales of a fourth grade nothing and all The Ramona books.
22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF"
23. You wanted to be a Goonie.
24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us...head-to-toe)
25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
27. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.
28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
29. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.
30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts.
31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.
32. You thought She-ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up.
33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets. 34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.
35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"
36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.
39. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.
41. You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement.
42. You remember Popples.
43. Don't worry, be happy
44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.
45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do..getting yelled at by younger hip members of the family) 46. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
47. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.
48. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!!"
49 You remember watching Rainbow Bright and & My Little Pony Tales
50. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
51. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
52. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB"
53. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.
54. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
55. You just sang those words to yourself.
56. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.
57. Homemade Levi shorts.. (the shorter the better)
58. You remember when mullets were cool!
59. You had a mullet! 60. You still sing "We are the World"
61. You tight rolled your jeans.
62. You owned a bannana clip.
63. You remember "Where's the Beef?"
64. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"
65 You had big hair and you knew how to use it.
66. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Bit of Self-Discovery
Lately, a close friend has been inspiring me to think of relationships in a less than negative manner. If it would not freak the poor soul out completely, I'd say thank you. That would mean all sorts of explanations, so if you are reading this, then know how much I appreciate you and try not to get too mad at me if I screw up in this posting, OK?
Anyway, part of my self-analysis has been my personal comfort levels. I read far more than I should, listen to others describe their relationships of whatever type, watch TV, listen to the radio, and recognize that there is a wide spectrum of personal comfort levels. Mine is fairly normal, I think. I mean, I might make it some where around impossible for someone new to enter my life, but once you are in, the boundaries are pretty non-existent. It does not bother me if someone has to use the bathroom but continues the conversation while in there doing whatever, and vice versa. It does not bother me to run around with my hair an absolute mess. I only get fussy when my clothes are still in the closet and I am not related to you some how.
Probably the only weirdness I have is 1 I developed over the years. Many years ago, I trusted everyone & it did not bother me if someone sat close to me, helped me with my jacket, gave me a backrub. Thanks to more than a few negative experiences, the number of people I can stand to even sit beside on a sofa is pretty small. As we have been discovering, it even includes my family. Though I have to admit that I can tolerate longer periods with them than I can most.
1 of the small light bulb moments I have had is how I can name on 1 hand, with 3 fingers left, the number of people I have been able to just fall asleep on, and I mean that literally. I'm talking about the sort of trust where you can sprawl out & sleep hard and not worry about drooling, sweating till you stick to one another, and just sleep. My grandmother & my longest lasting fuck buddy are it. My mom tells horror stories of trying to get me asleep because I would not be lulled to sleep by anyone, but insisted that my grandmother hold me. Not to say she & Dad couldn't get me to sleep, but I have heard many stories of how annoying I was - & still am - about sleep.
There are also many stories of how, once I am asleep, you could have an entire conversation with me & I would never twitch a muscle. Or even better, the Disney after dark stories. I will explain that in detail if anyone is foolhardy enough to actually ask, but for those who know me & my past, yes, it was K.E.G. who's "advances" I slept through, well enough he always smirked. Rather sad when you think about it.
A lot of this is rehashing & I know that. But during our conversations, I have been thinking about my past and how it has put me in a position to help a friend make several difficult choices. Without some of my experiences, I could not have the openmindedness to just listen to what I am hearing. I would probably judge and then who knows how things would progress? I might not be thrilled at the drama of this situation, but at least I can help by supporting decisions & giving my impressions.
Cheesy, Guidepost moments coming -
It has been a comfort of sorts to know that experiences I have had, which ended in a distinctly shitty way, have not been a total waste. I know that I would do everything the same, though there are a few moments I would have reacted faster or a bit differently. Overall, I would probably do everything the same as I did. That has been a relief to realize because I have been second guessing and doubting & generally wondering. Now, while I still find myself pissed off at how things ended, it does not matter. I said goodbye and have gone on. I can now say that I have no real regrets over the past 13 years or so on the relationship side. That is a good feeling.
Now all I have to do is get past the remaining angst over how the jackass did not end things and my general vague feelings of loss off a good friend and life will be perfect. But hey, I have lots of time to do that as I work hard to move inland. ;-)
New thought -
I really can not wait for the next few years to pass. I know that a lot can happen over the next few years. That's what happens when time passes after all. But as a family we have a rough 6 year plan for what we want to occur. At the end of it, we will be living inland in any of the following states - SC, NC, TN, KY, VA, or WV. We want seasons again. None of us want to worry about a hurricane coming through and wiping out not only our home but our jobs and everything else. I know that it will take 2-5 years for this chaos my mom, sister, nephew & I have created to be sorted out and all of us in the position to move away, but it works because none of us is ready to move. We just all know that 6 years we all want to be in that geographical area.
Mom will be retired in 6 years & plans on being some place close to my nephew. My sister intends to finish her business degree here, get a job & 2-4 years experience as an accountant, possibly working towards her CPA, while my nephew gets his elementary years under his belt in 1 school. I will be maturing further & deciding what I want to be when I grow up. In 6 years, no matter what I choose, it will be some place else.
As for this job at the nursery, I am still stunned at how well I am fitting in & enjoying myself. I am debating on just what I want for myself long term because this is not a career field with a great retirement plan. In fact, there really isn't one. Benefits are something you get IF you work for a place like Wal-Mart or Lowe's. For what I am doing, health insurance & retirement are strictly up to the individual. Since I am still completely confused about my future and only know what I need to help accomplish over the next 6 months to 6 years, I am pulling a Scarlett O'Hara - I'll think about it tomorrow.
Anyway, that's' the plan here. Not much else going on beyond working in this ridiculous heat, taking care of the yard, ferrying my nephew to soccer & school functions, my sister to her classes, & running all errands for Mom. Maybe I should look into housekeeping? It can't be any worse than this. In fact, it is probably easier than working in a nursery. It's just that I do not want to deal with other peoples laundry, you know?
Oh well. Decisions are for later.
(My new mantra.)
Anyway, part of my self-analysis has been my personal comfort levels. I read far more than I should, listen to others describe their relationships of whatever type, watch TV, listen to the radio, and recognize that there is a wide spectrum of personal comfort levels. Mine is fairly normal, I think. I mean, I might make it some where around impossible for someone new to enter my life, but once you are in, the boundaries are pretty non-existent. It does not bother me if someone has to use the bathroom but continues the conversation while in there doing whatever, and vice versa. It does not bother me to run around with my hair an absolute mess. I only get fussy when my clothes are still in the closet and I am not related to you some how.
Probably the only weirdness I have is 1 I developed over the years. Many years ago, I trusted everyone & it did not bother me if someone sat close to me, helped me with my jacket, gave me a backrub. Thanks to more than a few negative experiences, the number of people I can stand to even sit beside on a sofa is pretty small. As we have been discovering, it even includes my family. Though I have to admit that I can tolerate longer periods with them than I can most.
1 of the small light bulb moments I have had is how I can name on 1 hand, with 3 fingers left, the number of people I have been able to just fall asleep on, and I mean that literally. I'm talking about the sort of trust where you can sprawl out & sleep hard and not worry about drooling, sweating till you stick to one another, and just sleep. My grandmother & my longest lasting fuck buddy are it. My mom tells horror stories of trying to get me asleep because I would not be lulled to sleep by anyone, but insisted that my grandmother hold me. Not to say she & Dad couldn't get me to sleep, but I have heard many stories of how annoying I was - & still am - about sleep.
There are also many stories of how, once I am asleep, you could have an entire conversation with me & I would never twitch a muscle. Or even better, the Disney after dark stories. I will explain that in detail if anyone is foolhardy enough to actually ask, but for those who know me & my past, yes, it was K.E.G. who's "advances" I slept through, well enough he always smirked. Rather sad when you think about it.
A lot of this is rehashing & I know that. But during our conversations, I have been thinking about my past and how it has put me in a position to help a friend make several difficult choices. Without some of my experiences, I could not have the openmindedness to just listen to what I am hearing. I would probably judge and then who knows how things would progress? I might not be thrilled at the drama of this situation, but at least I can help by supporting decisions & giving my impressions.
Cheesy, Guidepost moments coming -
It has been a comfort of sorts to know that experiences I have had, which ended in a distinctly shitty way, have not been a total waste. I know that I would do everything the same, though there are a few moments I would have reacted faster or a bit differently. Overall, I would probably do everything the same as I did. That has been a relief to realize because I have been second guessing and doubting & generally wondering. Now, while I still find myself pissed off at how things ended, it does not matter. I said goodbye and have gone on. I can now say that I have no real regrets over the past 13 years or so on the relationship side. That is a good feeling.
Now all I have to do is get past the remaining angst over how the jackass did not end things and my general vague feelings of loss off a good friend and life will be perfect. But hey, I have lots of time to do that as I work hard to move inland. ;-)
New thought -
I really can not wait for the next few years to pass. I know that a lot can happen over the next few years. That's what happens when time passes after all. But as a family we have a rough 6 year plan for what we want to occur. At the end of it, we will be living inland in any of the following states - SC, NC, TN, KY, VA, or WV. We want seasons again. None of us want to worry about a hurricane coming through and wiping out not only our home but our jobs and everything else. I know that it will take 2-5 years for this chaos my mom, sister, nephew & I have created to be sorted out and all of us in the position to move away, but it works because none of us is ready to move. We just all know that 6 years we all want to be in that geographical area.
Mom will be retired in 6 years & plans on being some place close to my nephew. My sister intends to finish her business degree here, get a job & 2-4 years experience as an accountant, possibly working towards her CPA, while my nephew gets his elementary years under his belt in 1 school. I will be maturing further & deciding what I want to be when I grow up. In 6 years, no matter what I choose, it will be some place else.
As for this job at the nursery, I am still stunned at how well I am fitting in & enjoying myself. I am debating on just what I want for myself long term because this is not a career field with a great retirement plan. In fact, there really isn't one. Benefits are something you get IF you work for a place like Wal-Mart or Lowe's. For what I am doing, health insurance & retirement are strictly up to the individual. Since I am still completely confused about my future and only know what I need to help accomplish over the next 6 months to 6 years, I am pulling a Scarlett O'Hara - I'll think about it tomorrow.
Anyway, that's' the plan here. Not much else going on beyond working in this ridiculous heat, taking care of the yard, ferrying my nephew to soccer & school functions, my sister to her classes, & running all errands for Mom. Maybe I should look into housekeeping? It can't be any worse than this. In fact, it is probably easier than working in a nursery. It's just that I do not want to deal with other peoples laundry, you know?
Oh well. Decisions are for later.
(My new mantra.)
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
HeHeHe!
THIS IS THE BEST LAWYER STORY OF THE YEAR, DECADE, AND PROBABLY THE CENTURY.
A Charlotte, NC lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against fire, among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having made even his first premium payment on the policy, the lawyer filed claim against the insurance company.
In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion.
The lawyer sued.. and WON!
(Stay with me.)
In delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer "held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptable fire" and was obligated to pay the claim.
Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process,the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyerfor his loss of the rare cigars lost in the "fires".
NOW FOR THE BEST PART...
After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!
With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine.
ONLY IN AMERICA! NO WONDER THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES THINK WE'RE NUTS.
A Charlotte, NC lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against fire, among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having made even his first premium payment on the policy, the lawyer filed claim against the insurance company.
In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion.
The lawyer sued.. and WON!
(Stay with me.)
In delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer "held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptable fire" and was obligated to pay the claim.
Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process,the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyerfor his loss of the rare cigars lost in the "fires".
NOW FOR THE BEST PART...
After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!!
With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine.
ONLY IN AMERICA! NO WONDER THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES THINK WE'RE NUTS.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Almost forgot this!
I started something new on Monday. So far, I can feel a difference though visibly, there are no results. I started swimming at the local Parks And Leisure Services public pool just a few miles down the road. I go swim laps for about an hour, take a shower there too.
Rhapsodizing a moment here, so excuse me. I found the place by sheer serendipity. My sister & went to the main office of P.A.L.S.'s to sign my nephew up for soccer. While she filled out the forms, I wandered about & was impressed. We had been to the local YMCA & all things considered, the Y is a better facility. However, none of us can afford a $100 sign up fee, plus $125/month to use the facility as a family. For just me, it is a $75 sign-up fee + $55/month. The Y is a better facility, can be accessed anywhere if you travel, and their resources are all in 3 major locations, which is a nice feature.
However, all I want is to be able to swim laps because I can not lift weights, jogging is a no go, and I've already been told that anything beyond walking, yoga, tai chi, and swimming is a guarantee to destroy my lower back & knees, not to mention I'll run the risk of destroying my right hip joint entirely. I was even told that if I decided to take up kayaking or canoeing or kayaking or any thing along those lines, I have to approach it the way I do my walking. LIMITED! Too long, too much stress, I'm liable to slip another disc.
Soooo, paying for a bunch of stuff I can not use rubbed my literally poor self raw, so I kept looking. On the day we signed Little Man up for soccer, I found it! P.A.L.S. has several pools! The 1 I go to is just down the road by my nephews future high school. It is $25/person for a month (or $35 for a family), unlimited usage. They also have a really nice soccer field, walking tracks, play grounds, handball courts, small classes for yoga, tai chi, arts & crafts, etc. I'm excited about this because so far I have enjoyed it. We'll see what happens in a month.
I do feel bad about the poor life guards though. So far, I have been the only person there in the morning. That has to be incredibly boring watching me dog paddle back & forth, you know?
Rhapsodizing a moment here, so excuse me. I found the place by sheer serendipity. My sister & went to the main office of P.A.L.S.'s to sign my nephew up for soccer. While she filled out the forms, I wandered about & was impressed. We had been to the local YMCA & all things considered, the Y is a better facility. However, none of us can afford a $100 sign up fee, plus $125/month to use the facility as a family. For just me, it is a $75 sign-up fee + $55/month. The Y is a better facility, can be accessed anywhere if you travel, and their resources are all in 3 major locations, which is a nice feature.
However, all I want is to be able to swim laps because I can not lift weights, jogging is a no go, and I've already been told that anything beyond walking, yoga, tai chi, and swimming is a guarantee to destroy my lower back & knees, not to mention I'll run the risk of destroying my right hip joint entirely. I was even told that if I decided to take up kayaking or canoeing or kayaking or any thing along those lines, I have to approach it the way I do my walking. LIMITED! Too long, too much stress, I'm liable to slip another disc.
Soooo, paying for a bunch of stuff I can not use rubbed my literally poor self raw, so I kept looking. On the day we signed Little Man up for soccer, I found it! P.A.L.S. has several pools! The 1 I go to is just down the road by my nephews future high school. It is $25/person for a month (or $35 for a family), unlimited usage. They also have a really nice soccer field, walking tracks, play grounds, handball courts, small classes for yoga, tai chi, arts & crafts, etc. I'm excited about this because so far I have enjoyed it. We'll see what happens in a month.
I do feel bad about the poor life guards though. So far, I have been the only person there in the morning. That has to be incredibly boring watching me dog paddle back & forth, you know?
Tuesday's Notes
I have discovered another reason why not to have children. They get in trouble & lose some priviledge, then everyone else is also in torment. Here in this household, the 7 yr old has lost all TV priviledges after school. He can watch TV in the morning AFTER he's gotten ready for school & on Saturday. The rest of the time, we are all out of luck.
Not a big deal, right? WRONG! We all suffer because he keeps asking if he can watch a movie, a DVD, a VHS, play his gameboy, whatever. He gets in trouble for throwing a temper tantrum, & gets time out. He then stomps off & wails away with those gloriously false tears that have driven adults insane across time. Instead of having a quiet Sunday, we get to play annoying games all day long. It's torture for someone like me who prefers the quiet.
I'm sure this is making a better person of me, but I'll have to wait a few years and get back to you on how. And then maybe I might, might wax nostalgic over the memories. Now? HA!
Ah well.
And now for a brief endorsement -
For pet owners who have finicky cats with twitchy stomachs, but a limited budget, here's something to consider. Meow Mix has that new Market Fresh plastic tub stuff out now. I'm living with 5 of the meowers & with 1 of those tubs, each morning I can scoop out 1 teaspoon for each of them. They are happy campers & everyone gets the same thing. It's a decent price & the best part of all is the 3 cats with twitchy tummies do not ralph it all back up again for us to walk in. That last is a MAJOR consideration around here because whatever they ralph up tends to multiply in mass on the return trip.
We have also decided to try the cats & the 10 year old Australian Shepherd out on Pedigree's new organic dry food. So far, the cats have been eating their version with great joy, and most importantly, NOT throwing it all back up. In fact, we have noticed a marked decrease in litter box smell & hacked up hair balls. There may not be any relation what so ever, but since that is the only new thing, we are going with the flow. As for the dog, well, we started off with a small bag. She tracked that bag like she does my nephew's beef jerky bags if that says anything.
Not a big deal, right? WRONG! We all suffer because he keeps asking if he can watch a movie, a DVD, a VHS, play his gameboy, whatever. He gets in trouble for throwing a temper tantrum, & gets time out. He then stomps off & wails away with those gloriously false tears that have driven adults insane across time. Instead of having a quiet Sunday, we get to play annoying games all day long. It's torture for someone like me who prefers the quiet.
I'm sure this is making a better person of me, but I'll have to wait a few years and get back to you on how. And then maybe I might, might wax nostalgic over the memories. Now? HA!
Ah well.
And now for a brief endorsement -
For pet owners who have finicky cats with twitchy stomachs, but a limited budget, here's something to consider. Meow Mix has that new Market Fresh plastic tub stuff out now. I'm living with 5 of the meowers & with 1 of those tubs, each morning I can scoop out 1 teaspoon for each of them. They are happy campers & everyone gets the same thing. It's a decent price & the best part of all is the 3 cats with twitchy tummies do not ralph it all back up again for us to walk in. That last is a MAJOR consideration around here because whatever they ralph up tends to multiply in mass on the return trip.
We have also decided to try the cats & the 10 year old Australian Shepherd out on Pedigree's new organic dry food. So far, the cats have been eating their version with great joy, and most importantly, NOT throwing it all back up. In fact, we have noticed a marked decrease in litter box smell & hacked up hair balls. There may not be any relation what so ever, but since that is the only new thing, we are going with the flow. As for the dog, well, we started off with a small bag. She tracked that bag like she does my nephew's beef jerky bags if that says anything.
Monday, August 14, 2006
People Are Strange
I am listening to Montel right now. I appreciate his gossip show over the rest because the majority of the people he features are good, steady, middle class people who got screwed & are either on a crusade to help others avoid their mistakes or are in such desperate need for help, that they are willing to be a negative example. It is not Jerry Springer - esque, notr is it an Oprah sob fest complete with bits on how you too can look like Nicole Kidman for the low cost of only $1,000! Whoo-Hooo!
Any way, he has people on who really got screwed by the opposite sex. I should not be watching this show because I am already cynical about interpersonal relationships. But anyway, these are people who fell for the ultimate scammers. These are people who married multiple times without bothering to divorce anyone. Scum who floated from house to house, living off all of these people, telling huge lies to explain all the little details away.
I do not get that sort of mentality. How can you willing go from 1 person to another, sleeping with all of them, being what each of them wants/needs to the point that they do not question the extended absences, and generally making it work? I can get the extended absences because they are a fact of life if 1 or both are military, police, firemen, whatever. And I understand the high divorce rates because it is hard to cope with watching someone you love go off in their uniform that you bitch about washing & ironing, knowing that there is a fairly strong chance the next time you see them, they could have a bullet hole, glass shards, bone(s) broken, whatever. But what if that is not the reason given? What if it is all a lie? And you find out about it? I know I would be pissed and make some rather drastic changes, the least of which would changing the locks & making sure all utilities & credit cards are in my name ONLY. Moving would be next & so would be a visit to the lawyers & cops, but that is just me.
But the relational aspects throw me completely. I have a hard enough time being everything my family wants me to be, let alone my deliberately small circle of friends. Fortunately, all of us have lives that mean I can disappear from theirs & not be missed or worried about. The internet (& this blog) have helped a lot there, but it is still true. We do talk, we do visit, but it is hard enough to be calm, patient, & understanding where anyone is concerned. So how do these shit heads pull it off for so many different people?
I am awed in a rather repulsed kind of way. I want to know how they can be so charming and emotionally "there" that there are people willing to give to them & buy the lines they sell.
I do not mean to imply that I am innocent of any of these same things, no one is. But then again, I do not have 15 husbands in a 3 state area, all of them paying for a house, my credit cards, and legal fees, each of them willing to stay with me to the day I die either. I have not lied to 10 others, each of them believing I was a member of the military when in reality I was a convicted deserter & had a bounty on my head. Little different things like that, you know?
Any way, he has people on who really got screwed by the opposite sex. I should not be watching this show because I am already cynical about interpersonal relationships. But anyway, these are people who fell for the ultimate scammers. These are people who married multiple times without bothering to divorce anyone. Scum who floated from house to house, living off all of these people, telling huge lies to explain all the little details away.
I do not get that sort of mentality. How can you willing go from 1 person to another, sleeping with all of them, being what each of them wants/needs to the point that they do not question the extended absences, and generally making it work? I can get the extended absences because they are a fact of life if 1 or both are military, police, firemen, whatever. And I understand the high divorce rates because it is hard to cope with watching someone you love go off in their uniform that you bitch about washing & ironing, knowing that there is a fairly strong chance the next time you see them, they could have a bullet hole, glass shards, bone(s) broken, whatever. But what if that is not the reason given? What if it is all a lie? And you find out about it? I know I would be pissed and make some rather drastic changes, the least of which would changing the locks & making sure all utilities & credit cards are in my name ONLY. Moving would be next & so would be a visit to the lawyers & cops, but that is just me.
But the relational aspects throw me completely. I have a hard enough time being everything my family wants me to be, let alone my deliberately small circle of friends. Fortunately, all of us have lives that mean I can disappear from theirs & not be missed or worried about. The internet (& this blog) have helped a lot there, but it is still true. We do talk, we do visit, but it is hard enough to be calm, patient, & understanding where anyone is concerned. So how do these shit heads pull it off for so many different people?
I am awed in a rather repulsed kind of way. I want to know how they can be so charming and emotionally "there" that there are people willing to give to them & buy the lines they sell.
I do not mean to imply that I am innocent of any of these same things, no one is. But then again, I do not have 15 husbands in a 3 state area, all of them paying for a house, my credit cards, and legal fees, each of them willing to stay with me to the day I die either. I have not lied to 10 others, each of them believing I was a member of the military when in reality I was a convicted deserter & had a bounty on my head. Little different things like that, you know?
Friday, August 11, 2006
Waaah!
I am so horribly confused. I enjoy this job. I like this job. I like the people I work with & for. The hours are perfect given the demands of my personal life. I enjoy the actual work of my job. Unfortunately, there are several big, looming BUTS that detract from my pleasure and I am not sure if I should wait & see or follow the "damn the torpedo" philosophy.
To explain - I am working at a garden nursery for $8/hour, 15-30 hours a week, no benefits, and only perk is a 30% discount on everything & an incredibly nice work environment. Oh, & a HUGE weight loss program because you sweat so much you lose at least 5 lbs. a day. It helps that this job is less than a mile away from home so I walk to work, saving gas & losing weight.
However, the downside is that the landlord is not going to renew in a year so the entire business will be moving, probably closer to Hilton Head, which is nothing I really like to think about. I will never work more than part time, and while there will be pay raises, they are incremental and after my 6 month raise, I won't see another for a year. Which is standard & perfectly OK. If I want to make this a career choice, then I am going to have to go back to school and start learning about plants, their growth cycles, pests, diseases, etc. Do-able, but I am so bloody tired still from my last foray into higher education and my last job as a librarian. I am not sure I will be able to face going back to school for a LOOOONG time.
I also do not want to spend the rest of my life in this area. I really want to move to the Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia area. I like the areas, I'd be closer to the majority of my friends, my family would be closer. That is once my mom retired & moved in 6 years. My sister is already studying the job market in Tennessee & intends to move once her son is in about 5th grade.
I would like to regain my independence again and have a real bathroom I can take a real bath in without arguing for a week before & after. I'd like to have a real pay check so that I can go to various locations & visit them, playing tourist on occasion. And let's not talk about benefits & their attraction!
But I genuinely like this current job & I do not know what to do & which way to jump any more. I have my parents nagging me, my anti-social tendencies getting harder & harder to surpress, and I am confused!
To explain - I am working at a garden nursery for $8/hour, 15-30 hours a week, no benefits, and only perk is a 30% discount on everything & an incredibly nice work environment. Oh, & a HUGE weight loss program because you sweat so much you lose at least 5 lbs. a day. It helps that this job is less than a mile away from home so I walk to work, saving gas & losing weight.
However, the downside is that the landlord is not going to renew in a year so the entire business will be moving, probably closer to Hilton Head, which is nothing I really like to think about. I will never work more than part time, and while there will be pay raises, they are incremental and after my 6 month raise, I won't see another for a year. Which is standard & perfectly OK. If I want to make this a career choice, then I am going to have to go back to school and start learning about plants, their growth cycles, pests, diseases, etc. Do-able, but I am so bloody tired still from my last foray into higher education and my last job as a librarian. I am not sure I will be able to face going back to school for a LOOOONG time.
I also do not want to spend the rest of my life in this area. I really want to move to the Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia area. I like the areas, I'd be closer to the majority of my friends, my family would be closer. That is once my mom retired & moved in 6 years. My sister is already studying the job market in Tennessee & intends to move once her son is in about 5th grade.
I would like to regain my independence again and have a real bathroom I can take a real bath in without arguing for a week before & after. I'd like to have a real pay check so that I can go to various locations & visit them, playing tourist on occasion. And let's not talk about benefits & their attraction!
But I genuinely like this current job & I do not know what to do & which way to jump any more. I have my parents nagging me, my anti-social tendencies getting harder & harder to surpress, and I am confused!
Thursday, August 10, 2006
I'm A Wuss
Not too many years ago, I was able to function on 5-6 hours of sleep a night, boosted by some liquid form of caffeine. Now? If I don't get 7-9 hours of sleep, then I am trashed till I catch up. This getting old crap sucks!
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Random Thoughts
Thought 1 - Sunday nights, we tend to watch ABC's Extreme Home Makeover. We enjoy the show because it does tend to be rather positive and not nearly as grim & depressing as some of the other TV options out there. That & its a brainless show so we can knit, work on puzzles, paperwork, whatever while it's on.
The problem which we all have, and 1 I have heard expressed by others (right, exmi?) is that the house's built are usually way over the top & beyond the means of the person they are helping. Sure, who wouldn't love a brand new house with a pool, water features, massive rooms, new appliances, weight room, and whatever else you can fit in. But who is paying the taxes on the new house? And let's not forget the utility bills because you know those are going to leap upwards. Throw in the fact that most of these families are extremely stressed out and running around madly trying to accomplish more than most every day. S how are they going to take care of all those little, every day things like mowing their new landscaped yard and trimming the hedges and making sure the walks are edged and so on & so forth?
Thought 2 is about something I saw on the local news last night. They did a piece on this gentleman who was a wee bit unhappy with his power company. Every month for the past 4 years he would open his power bill up & write the check & be done with it till next month. Not this month. He opened it and choked on the $2400.00 bill he got. It seems that for the past 4 years his meter was running slow & finally died. When it died, the power company discovered the problem and then estimated how much the man would owe and billed him.
Naturally, he was upset and while he offered to make payments, the company is demanding everything NOW! Since he is on a fixed income, there are a few issues there, so he called the news & the Better Business Bureau. They stepped forward, talked with other power co.'s who agreed that since this is such a rare event and it's not as if the guy did this deliberately, they would just eat the cost. It's not as if it was noticed over the past 4 years after all so they would be at fault, not the customer. I mean really, can you read your own meter? And would you know if it was running slow or not? I wouldn't! Here's the link with more details if anyone's interested.
Thought 3 - I have got to find a good "gardeners soap." The dirt and general plant life that gets ground into my skin at work is really astonishing. In fact, if no one has any suggestions beyond running my nails along a soap bar to keep the dirt out from there, I am open to them all. Including how to get stains out of a white shirt. Ground in leaf is an absolute bitch to get out.
Thought 4 - Unless some major upheaval comes along, I am publicly declaring my intention of renting a motel room some day in 2007 and taking a long, hot bath. I am starting to fantasize about hot tubs and drool over bubble bath supplies at Wal-Mart. I had not realized how addicted I was until I moved in here and discovered that I can not take a long, HOT bubble bath here. It does not help that I recognize the reasons, I WANT A HOT BUBBLE BATH! Just because the tub will not hold heat for more than 10 minutes, the idea of privacy in the bathroom is a joke, I could not have an scented candles, soft misic playing, or a glass of wine because of the cramped nature of the bathroom mixed with the fact that the only time I could commandeer the bathroom is when my nephew is in bed and it's just a lost cause. So I am going to rent a cheap room & TAKE A BUBBLE BATH!
Thought 4 - In 2007, a cousin will be getting married. On many levels, I am absolutely thrilled for her & I wish her the absolute best. I think the wedding she has planned will be a spectacular event and will be a memorable event she will cherish. However, I am trying hard not to be repulsed by it all.
Why? Because she is having a full wedding mass in a Catholic church, in Washington D.C., at 7 pm, with a dinner reception afterwards. Because they have been living together for the past 6 years in a place they bought together, after dating since their freshman years in college. Because they are registered at Macy's along with Crate & Barrel, the wish list of wedding gifts are all along the lines of items I know they already have, but they want someone else to get them the newer, better model that they either did not want to pay for or are not ready to get to replace their old one. That & most of what they are registered for is well over the $150 mark, which just offends me. Mix into this a certain level of resentment because if I go, it will be just for the wedding & I will not be able to go sight seeing - AGAIN! I hate going some place with several locations I want to see - like the Zoo & Smithsonian - but be on a time & budget limit & unable to go.
And I feel awful for resenting all of her wedding arrangements, especially since this is HER day. I do not begrudge her the wedding & the extravagance, but I guess in some ways I am bewildered and contemptuous of the hoopla she is creating. I know, as I sit here typing this, that a lot of my negative emotional response is because every wedding I have been to that was "an event" has turned out to be a vile marriage, while every simple wedding I have been to has turned out to be a marriage worth emulating. I know that a lot of it is a resentment over the sheer fretting everyone is going to generating, which is going to tick me off. And I am going to have to smile and congratulate everyone, knowing that whatever I find to wear will not be appropriate because my life style does not have a thing in common with theirs.
Hmmmm, you know, that might be the biggest part of my desire not to go. I know I will not fit in. I do not go out & drop $600 on a latte machine, let alone a pair of shoes. Yet these people do. I'd rather be outside playing in the dirt, sweating like a pig, yet these people barely recognize a gardens existence.
The problem which we all have, and 1 I have heard expressed by others (right, exmi?) is that the house's built are usually way over the top & beyond the means of the person they are helping. Sure, who wouldn't love a brand new house with a pool, water features, massive rooms, new appliances, weight room, and whatever else you can fit in. But who is paying the taxes on the new house? And let's not forget the utility bills because you know those are going to leap upwards. Throw in the fact that most of these families are extremely stressed out and running around madly trying to accomplish more than most every day. S how are they going to take care of all those little, every day things like mowing their new landscaped yard and trimming the hedges and making sure the walks are edged and so on & so forth?
Thought 2 is about something I saw on the local news last night. They did a piece on this gentleman who was a wee bit unhappy with his power company. Every month for the past 4 years he would open his power bill up & write the check & be done with it till next month. Not this month. He opened it and choked on the $2400.00 bill he got. It seems that for the past 4 years his meter was running slow & finally died. When it died, the power company discovered the problem and then estimated how much the man would owe and billed him.
Naturally, he was upset and while he offered to make payments, the company is demanding everything NOW! Since he is on a fixed income, there are a few issues there, so he called the news & the Better Business Bureau. They stepped forward, talked with other power co.'s who agreed that since this is such a rare event and it's not as if the guy did this deliberately, they would just eat the cost. It's not as if it was noticed over the past 4 years after all so they would be at fault, not the customer. I mean really, can you read your own meter? And would you know if it was running slow or not? I wouldn't! Here's the link with more details if anyone's interested.
Thought 3 - I have got to find a good "gardeners soap." The dirt and general plant life that gets ground into my skin at work is really astonishing. In fact, if no one has any suggestions beyond running my nails along a soap bar to keep the dirt out from there, I am open to them all. Including how to get stains out of a white shirt. Ground in leaf is an absolute bitch to get out.
Thought 4 - Unless some major upheaval comes along, I am publicly declaring my intention of renting a motel room some day in 2007 and taking a long, hot bath. I am starting to fantasize about hot tubs and drool over bubble bath supplies at Wal-Mart. I had not realized how addicted I was until I moved in here and discovered that I can not take a long, HOT bubble bath here. It does not help that I recognize the reasons, I WANT A HOT BUBBLE BATH! Just because the tub will not hold heat for more than 10 minutes, the idea of privacy in the bathroom is a joke, I could not have an scented candles, soft misic playing, or a glass of wine because of the cramped nature of the bathroom mixed with the fact that the only time I could commandeer the bathroom is when my nephew is in bed and it's just a lost cause. So I am going to rent a cheap room & TAKE A BUBBLE BATH!
Thought 4 - In 2007, a cousin will be getting married. On many levels, I am absolutely thrilled for her & I wish her the absolute best. I think the wedding she has planned will be a spectacular event and will be a memorable event she will cherish. However, I am trying hard not to be repulsed by it all.
Why? Because she is having a full wedding mass in a Catholic church, in Washington D.C., at 7 pm, with a dinner reception afterwards. Because they have been living together for the past 6 years in a place they bought together, after dating since their freshman years in college. Because they are registered at Macy's along with Crate & Barrel, the wish list of wedding gifts are all along the lines of items I know they already have, but they want someone else to get them the newer, better model that they either did not want to pay for or are not ready to get to replace their old one. That & most of what they are registered for is well over the $150 mark, which just offends me. Mix into this a certain level of resentment because if I go, it will be just for the wedding & I will not be able to go sight seeing - AGAIN! I hate going some place with several locations I want to see - like the Zoo & Smithsonian - but be on a time & budget limit & unable to go.
And I feel awful for resenting all of her wedding arrangements, especially since this is HER day. I do not begrudge her the wedding & the extravagance, but I guess in some ways I am bewildered and contemptuous of the hoopla she is creating. I know, as I sit here typing this, that a lot of my negative emotional response is because every wedding I have been to that was "an event" has turned out to be a vile marriage, while every simple wedding I have been to has turned out to be a marriage worth emulating. I know that a lot of it is a resentment over the sheer fretting everyone is going to generating, which is going to tick me off. And I am going to have to smile and congratulate everyone, knowing that whatever I find to wear will not be appropriate because my life style does not have a thing in common with theirs.
Hmmmm, you know, that might be the biggest part of my desire not to go. I know I will not fit in. I do not go out & drop $600 on a latte machine, let alone a pair of shoes. Yet these people do. I'd rather be outside playing in the dirt, sweating like a pig, yet these people barely recognize a gardens existence.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Party Time!
YIPPIE! I have DSL again! Life is so cool! Yippie!
I can start visiting blogs with lots of pics like Must Be Tuesdays and check out web sites with lots of cute pictures and watch trailers for movies and other cute wave files. I can download music! This is so cool!
My mother was extremely hesitant to get DSL, but Embarq/Sprint is currently running a really good deal & its actually cheaper now than it was under her old dial-up plan. So who am I to complain? If all goes well, I might be able to justify satellite under her name with me paying the bill. We shall see what happens but this is so nice. No hoping that I do not get kicked off the net. No more reading 2 or more chapters in a book while waiting for my email to load. Nirvana!
Today at work, I came to a startling conclusion. It's hot. Amazing, isn't it?
I'm about to be a commercial, but that Propel by Gatorade has been the best choice out of everything I have taken to keep hydrated at work. Regular Gatorade tastes way to salty, which makes me even thirstier. Water gets blah pretty damn quick. Tea sends me to the port-a-potty & then back for more to drink, repeating frequently. But this Propel, it has flavor but doesn't leave me craving more because my mouth feels like the Sahara just moved in, nor so sugary that I end up with a headache in this heat.
And yes, we have a port-a-potty. Where I work, there is no real plumbing. What there is, is an excellent irrigation system with water facets strategically raised for staff convenience and a port-a-potty in the back. It has been an education in etiquette using the monstrosity, especially since all we have is fans through out the property. There is no a/c anywhere on the property. It gets hot. Since I am blessed with the ability to sweat like mad in any temperature, I routinely come home literally dripping wet. I wring my clothes out at the end of a day at work, and in this heat, I go in back & wring my shirt out at least once. Since I am also covered in dirt and plant leaves, it is really disgusting.
What is truly astonishing is home much I love this job. On many levels I should not. I work hard, my hands and feet are anything but smooth & delicate. I have freckles forming all over. I sweat like a pig. I stink. Yet I can't wait to go back to work and am wondering about getting a degree in horticulture. I know that I would have to specialize because I have no desire to be a grower, or irrigation expert, or involved in hardscape land scaping (concrete, fountains, etc.). That leaves nurseries and landscaping, with all the specialization in those areas. I have a tenative plan to work at this job until next year. Then I will ask about working with the landscape crews and see what happens there. Which ever I discover I enjoy more, then that is what I will start focusing on as a full time career. I will go for the necessary accreditation, and see what happens from there.
Either that or end up dead from heat exhaustion.
Serious note, but these gas prices are getting out of hand. I disagree with a lot of what is happening in our government now, but this is really annoying. It does not help when I read & hear the so-called experts rambling on about how these higher gas prices are not going to affect the average American family. I'd like to know just what these experts consider an average American family because I meet people from a wide spectrum of socio-economic backgrounds, yet EVERYONE is currently hurting & these gas prices are not helping.
I can start visiting blogs with lots of pics like Must Be Tuesdays and check out web sites with lots of cute pictures and watch trailers for movies and other cute wave files. I can download music! This is so cool!
My mother was extremely hesitant to get DSL, but Embarq/Sprint is currently running a really good deal & its actually cheaper now than it was under her old dial-up plan. So who am I to complain? If all goes well, I might be able to justify satellite under her name with me paying the bill. We shall see what happens but this is so nice. No hoping that I do not get kicked off the net. No more reading 2 or more chapters in a book while waiting for my email to load. Nirvana!
Today at work, I came to a startling conclusion. It's hot. Amazing, isn't it?
I'm about to be a commercial, but that Propel by Gatorade has been the best choice out of everything I have taken to keep hydrated at work. Regular Gatorade tastes way to salty, which makes me even thirstier. Water gets blah pretty damn quick. Tea sends me to the port-a-potty & then back for more to drink, repeating frequently. But this Propel, it has flavor but doesn't leave me craving more because my mouth feels like the Sahara just moved in, nor so sugary that I end up with a headache in this heat.
And yes, we have a port-a-potty. Where I work, there is no real plumbing. What there is, is an excellent irrigation system with water facets strategically raised for staff convenience and a port-a-potty in the back. It has been an education in etiquette using the monstrosity, especially since all we have is fans through out the property. There is no a/c anywhere on the property. It gets hot. Since I am blessed with the ability to sweat like mad in any temperature, I routinely come home literally dripping wet. I wring my clothes out at the end of a day at work, and in this heat, I go in back & wring my shirt out at least once. Since I am also covered in dirt and plant leaves, it is really disgusting.
What is truly astonishing is home much I love this job. On many levels I should not. I work hard, my hands and feet are anything but smooth & delicate. I have freckles forming all over. I sweat like a pig. I stink. Yet I can't wait to go back to work and am wondering about getting a degree in horticulture. I know that I would have to specialize because I have no desire to be a grower, or irrigation expert, or involved in hardscape land scaping (concrete, fountains, etc.). That leaves nurseries and landscaping, with all the specialization in those areas. I have a tenative plan to work at this job until next year. Then I will ask about working with the landscape crews and see what happens there. Which ever I discover I enjoy more, then that is what I will start focusing on as a full time career. I will go for the necessary accreditation, and see what happens from there.
Either that or end up dead from heat exhaustion.
Serious note, but these gas prices are getting out of hand. I disagree with a lot of what is happening in our government now, but this is really annoying. It does not help when I read & hear the so-called experts rambling on about how these higher gas prices are not going to affect the average American family. I'd like to know just what these experts consider an average American family because I meet people from a wide spectrum of socio-economic backgrounds, yet EVERYONE is currently hurting & these gas prices are not helping.
Something a friend emailed me.
WARNING!
This is not PC by any stretch! It tickled my sense of humor, but you might not enjoy it, my few readers!
Flight Attendant
My flight was being served by an obviously gay flight attendant, who seemed to put everyone in a good mood as he served us food and drinks. As the plane prepared to descend, he came swishing down the aisle and told us that "Captain Marvey has asked me to announce that he'll be landing the big scary plane shortly, so lovely people, if you could just put your trays up, that would be super."
On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed this well-dressed and rather exotic looking woman hadn't moved a muscle. "Perhaps you didn't hear me over those big brute engines but I asked you to raise your trazy-poo, so the main man can pitty-pat us on the ground."
She calmly turned her head and said, "In my country, I am called a Princess and I take orders from no one."
To which (I swear) the flight attendant replied, without missing a beat, "Well, sweet-cheeks, in my country I'm called a Queen, so, I outrank you. Tray-up, Bitch."
This is not PC by any stretch! It tickled my sense of humor, but you might not enjoy it, my few readers!
Flight Attendant
My flight was being served by an obviously gay flight attendant, who seemed to put everyone in a good mood as he served us food and drinks. As the plane prepared to descend, he came swishing down the aisle and told us that "Captain Marvey has asked me to announce that he'll be landing the big scary plane shortly, so lovely people, if you could just put your trays up, that would be super."
On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed this well-dressed and rather exotic looking woman hadn't moved a muscle. "Perhaps you didn't hear me over those big brute engines but I asked you to raise your trazy-poo, so the main man can pitty-pat us on the ground."
She calmly turned her head and said, "In my country, I am called a Princess and I take orders from no one."
To which (I swear) the flight attendant replied, without missing a beat, "Well, sweet-cheeks, in my country I'm called a Queen, so, I outrank you. Tray-up, Bitch."
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