Thursday, February 28, 2008

The Meeting

I hate meetings. They seem like such a waste of time. I would rather the managers have to go around to each and every one of us one at time and tell us what they think we need to hear. I'd rather they waste their time. (So call me selfish)

This meeting last night was no exception. I knew half of what they were going to tell us, cause the manager who ran the meeting for the most part had already told me. I should have been excused, so I could go home and sleep. As it was I didn't wind down until around 11:30 and that is LATE for my little behind to be getting up at 5:15 like I do most days, just because.....

The meeting took a turn for the worse when they announced to us that the owners would be keeping the store open until 8PM during the week. That wouldn't be so bad except that they expect us to volunteer for the day(s) we are willing to stay until closing. (Not volunteering money wise, volunteering time giving up, wise.) I had just requested a change in my shifts to the earlier ones so I can start going back to school. I only need a few more semesters under my belt to get my associates degree. (I realize that it isn't much, that degree, but I would like to finish what I started so many years ago) They told us that if they didn't get enough volunteers they would just assign people to do the nights they decide we would do. I'm not volunteering, and I am not working the late shift! Period, end of my discussion with them, they can just lay me off. If I were to work the late shift, that would mean, I'd have to volunteer for Friday night, since I would need the rest of the week for classes. Plus, I already work the entire weekend, giving up time to spend with my sisters and dad when they are all off work. So, I'm not a real happy camper at this moment.

On the other hand. Today was boring at work, and I get really goofy when I am bored, so I pretty much entertained my co-workers for the afternoon. I am playing hooky from class tonight, because I am tired. It's my oldest daughter's birthday, so she is going out for the evening and class just wouldn't be the same without her there. I am going to work on another ceramics project while I am home though. I have clay here, and by the time I get back to class on Tuesday, it will probably be ready for the kiln. I may get this one done pretty nicely. At least, I think I can. I'm gonna try!

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

So I'm just sitting here.....

I am at work, one hour after I have clocked out for the day. But there's a meeting tonight and I am just hanging out waiting for the meeting. It's great! I'm kind a bored, which if you were me, you'd understand is a good thing. In fact, I told my daughter last night that I don't care what is goingon next weekend (for me Monday/Tuesday) it had better be boring. I want to fall asleep in my tracks at any given time over my weekend. Please, that's all I ask!
So here I sit waiting for the meeting and I am as happy as a clam. Does anyone know how happy clams get, cause I sure don't. And who would know that anyway??? Why would anyone care, unless of course they are another clam.
That's. Just wanted to let you know what I'm doing (or not doing)

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Almost Ta-Da!

I got the screw out. It cost me another $7.35 to purchase a drill bit that would do it. I got the mother of all drill bits, this one'll drill through almost anything. I'm not messing around anymore, this door called for war, and by golly I am going to win this one!
I have the painted plywood in the frame and now the door is laying out in the sun. (yes, I said SUN! about 60 - 65 degrees out there today!) I'm going to let the caulking set really good and then put the door up. I have another tube of caulking to go on the inside of the door/frame to really ward off any cold seeping through. It's not pretty at all, but we will not be camping anymore this month...which isn't very long now.
My ankle that got scraped is bothering me today. I think I was on it too long yesterday. Is 14 hours of standing too long? I'm contemplating taking a nap in my little blue recliner for an hour or hour and a half. I think I deserve that much. Class tonight, so I'd like to be awake for that.

I promised I'd say more about the boyfriend situation. Young Wonder Boyfriend was getting really comfortable here. Which is good, he was living here after all. But the true person seems to come out when it's no longer a temporary situation. It turns out that he is an avid drinker and I do not tolerate daily bouts of drunkeness. He sneaked around drinking when we were home and when we weren't, which is a lot, he did a lot more damage to himself. I started getting suspicious when I was having to yell at him when I told him something. (Like dig a channel so the rain can drain off the patio, turn the water off, the rain will rinse the gravel off at least three times) At first I thought it was just A.D.D., with a little O.C.D. mixed in. But it just kept getting more and more apparent that what I suspected was true. My daughter was getting frustrated with him at the same time. Not one to beat around the bush, I came out and talked to him about it. He just came back with all kinna excuses, alternate ways to go about drinking where it wouldn't bother me, true alcoholic talk. (I'm well versed at this kind of talk, I spent a few years listening to my ex-man.) I don't have time in my life to mess with people who don't respect me, my kids, and above all themselves. So, I gave him the bottom line. Drink and you go, if you want to truely help yourself then stay. He just said, "No, I'm going to drink all I want, so I will move." Fine then, that's that. He is really a nice guy, funny, helpful, etc., but that is typical of his kind. The only thing he said that really made me mad was that I had put him in a box with all the other alcoholics in my life and that it was wrong. Am I thinking wrong??? It doesn't matter, it's my house, my daughter and I were becoming increasingly uncomfortable and I had to change things. Oh yea, he also said that he was hoping that with all the work he was doing around here I wouldn't notice the drunkeness! Go figure!
Time for a nap.

Monday, February 25, 2008

A little less progress...

O M G !!!
This is ridiculous! My arm is going to fall off. I swear it's true. I got everything all together and ready to assemble. Now just get the bar across the top of the window frame off and wa-la instant notawindow! CAN.NOT.GET.THE.&%#)$&@*.THING.UNSCREWED! So off I go to find my handy dandy drill and drill bits. Find em. None, I mean NONE are strong/sharp/good enough to drill out the 54 year old screws out easily. I did get one, and I am half way through the other. I'm tired and cranky, and I want my daddy to do this, except that if he does it, it will take longer, because then I have to explain all about how my dog thought he was a circus lion and the door was a flaming hoop he had to jump through and how my famous dog...oh forget it, he won't go for that story. I'll have to explain how the girls and I were in peril and the dog jumped through the plate glass sliding door to save us. Well, whatever, I would have to tell him about what happened and then there will be lots of questions and answers, then more questions and the whole time he's helping me he'll be mumbling about why I had to have a gigantic dog in the first place and that's why these things happen. I really love my dad, but I would just as soon not have to go through all that.
It looks like another midnight night. It's really cold in here and I want to get this done, but my arm is screaming stop. The tarp temporary window worked pretty good last night, I guess I will just have to put that back together. That alone took me a half an hour to tape up. Crap, I wish I wasn't so handy at times, I would really rather be a girly girl right now.
As for my dinner with my daughter...She didn't get here until 9PM last night. I was a little ticked off, cause of all the drama that's been going on with the door and all. (Wonder boyfriend is not real popular here anymore either, more on that soon) N E way, she had told me she had to take a friend of hers somewhere and then she would be here. They apparently got lost on the way, found the place and then got re-lost getting back to the freeway they needed to come home on. At least, she kept calling and letting me know what was going on. But 9PM, I'm tired and since we were going out to eat I waited and was absolutely starving! We talked a lot, my oldest daughter came along. So, it was almost like old home week. Minus middle daughter who would have ruined the whole evening, since the two younger ones really don't like each other right now. It was fun, and good, and she did pay for dinner. She only has one day off a week, so I don't get to do this very often. She has a million friends and has to spread the love. I am just glad we are able to have a relationship again. I have a funny feeling my friend from work got to her. I was looking at MySpace and found a comment from my girlfriend to my daughter and vice versa. It was not much, but it meant to me that they had talked outside of MySpace. I am going to have to call my girlfriend. She may or may not admit to stepping in. At any rate, I love her for it if she did.
I am going to go and tackle this thing again. I have to at least attempt to get the tarp back on. This is not a good time of year to camp out, if ya know what I mean.
Middle daughter just came home and helped me put the tarp back up, so I am going to go knit for a little while and warm up in my room. It's still cold in here. I can't wait to get this dang thing finished!!!!!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

A little progress report

Long about 5 hours into my day, I got to work. I told my boss what happened and she just grinned her grin, then asked if my house was ever quiet. No. It's never. What can I say? I'd be asleep more often than I am now. It would all be too boring.
It was really slow at work, so I went upstairs and asked the boss lady if she minded if I went home to fix my door/not a door. Before I even got the question out of my mouth, she just nodded her head, and said go. She is really cool. (We went to high school together, so we get each other)
I came home and mulled over my options. Most are too expensive for me to even consider. (Like the one about moving to Australia, cause it's warmer there right now) I decided my cheapest fix (temporary of course) would be to get a 1/4" sheet of exterior plywood, coat it really good with primer and then exterior paint and slide it into the frame that the glass came out of. It's going to take a little time, but I have more of that than money. So I called around and got prices on plywood, found some I wanted to afford and went and got it, the paint, primer and some silicone caulking. By the time I get done with this it'll take an act of God to get through the door the wrong way again.
I've cut the plywood to size and put a first coat of primer on it. Since it is a little chilly here (actually a balmy 50 degrees) it's going to take a while for the primer to dry. In 77 degree weather it dries to accept a second coat in an hour. Not gonna happen tonight, I am thinking. I just have to figure out what I am going to put in the 4' x 6' gapping hole I have in my front room! I guess I should have picked up some visquene and duck tape. But then too, my middle daughter's place is out that door, so that's not a great idea either. Hmmmm.....
So you wanna know my silver lining here?
I'm going to paint the inside of the plywood so it looks tropical island-y. That way we can pretend we are on vacation!
I think I am going to run down to the grocery store and see if they have some plastic sheeting. I know they have duck tape. I'll just tape it to the frame and put the frame back on the track and start again in the morning.
One more good thing for my evening...my youngest daughter is coming over to get her mail and she wants us to go out to dinner! AND...She's paying for it! Woohoo!

1 German Shepherd + 1 Sliding Glass Door =

Total freakin' disaster! My big boy Dante (130 pounds of pure goof ball) Thought the slider was open this morning and came in the house. Problem was...it wasn't open, oh but it is now! This took place at 4 AM. It's is now 6:10 and the boyfriend is getting the last of the glass that had remained in the frame out. He is good that way, taking everything down to the last shard. (Yes, he has boots, gloves and safety glasses on. (See previous post, I am queen, I demanded it)
And of course, we are in for the storm of the month today. Yeah, my dog's timing is a bit off. I asked him why he couldn't have done this in mid October when we have our hottest weather. He just looked at me and sadly wagged his tail. I guess he thought he had done something wrong when I immediately started checking him out for cuts. SCARY! I got cut, well not cut I have some skin scraped off my ankle where the glass just kind of slid down my leg and on my arm, but thank God, nothing major. And the dog is perfectly unscathed. (A bigger thank God) Now I have stories to tell my grandchildren, if I even remember this when they are old enough to listen or care. Now, I gotta figure out how this is going to get fixed, I have no money for it.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

I have Comcast Digital Voice

I don't know if that is just a California thing or if Comcast has taken over the nation, but it's what I have for my TV, internet and house phone now. The cable guy came Tuesday and installed it. I changed over to this because it's about $60 less a month than what I had before. Hopefully, the quality will not reflect the lower cost. I have On Demand. YAY! I can watch a list of movies when ever I want. I just "demand" a movie. What fun! I am queen of my television now. "I demand you to entertain me" Can't you just hear me now?!? I actually watched a movie last night. By myself, all alone, no interuptions. Not that it would have mattered, I can pause the movies on TV for popcorn breaks, pee breaks, news flashes from my kids as they walk in the door. I watched "Widows Peak". Mia Farrow was in it and a few other great actresses, but I have no memory for names, so I don't know who they were. Well, I know, I just don't know their names.

Okay, I got off my point. They didn't get my On Demand hooked up to begin with. So it took about four phone calls to get it right. There was some technical mumbo jumbo passed along to me about how this thing didn't "see" that thing and then there was some digital goofing off in the wires, and satellite misalignments or something like that. They kinda got snooty with me at one point and said that they had left me voice mail. Well hell! They never told me about setting up my new voice mail, or gave me any PIN numbers to get into my voice mail with, so how the heck was I supposed to get my voice mail? I couldn't even get my new email yet! I asked them...they said, "Well, that is sent in the mail." Oookay...how was I supposed to know that? The cable guy never said a thing about snail mail coming with information. Shouldn't he have given that to me onsite?

So, well, I spent my early day off from work messing with cableinternethomephone issues. What fun! After spending the afternoon at work in a too hot office on the computer fixing silly mistakes in my department. That is a whole other blog subject.

Many hours later....
Wonder Boyfriend was online when I came home. He was in some poker tournament and had the computer tied up. Wouldn't be a problem, but I wanted to get online to finish this blog. N E way, I told him he couldn't tie up MY computer with stupid tournaments anymore. I am a little possessive over my computer. He has one, he just needs to get it hooked up and pay for the networking stuff for it to be online whe someone else is on this computer. So now, here it is 9:45 and I am just getting baack on fromthis morning and a tad too tired to really say much else. Except good night. Will blog more tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

It's You, Not Me

That thought just kept running through my head yesterday. I was in a really weird mood. Could've had something to do with the fact that my ex-man called the night before just to see how things are going. (???) Okay, I am wondering what ever gave him the right to know how things are going NOW. He didn't pay attention to anything for years. Oh well except, IF my middle daughter called him and "told on me." I will explain that. If she wanted to do something that cost a lot of money or I deemed it dangerous, or stupid for a girl her age or what ever and said no, she'd call him and tell him that I was singling her out and letting the other two do something but not her. Well, I'd get a call from him wanting to know why I was doing that to her, why am I such a mean person, why do I single her out? My reply to him..."Cause I know it just pisses you off. Why do you call and ask these things when you know she tells you horrible stories so you'll tell me I have to say yes."
He went on and on while "seeing how things are going" telling me his tales of woe. Let me tell you, he has a whole set of encyclopedias on his tales of woe. And you know, not one thing is caused by anything he has ever done in his life. It's always been the government, the city he lives in, the weather, wife (me) and plenty of girlfriends. For years I allowed him to blame me for all the woes of his being. I know now that I had nothing to do with that, but it tooks years to believe it. Now we get a call every once in a while. "How are things with you and the girls? This is what is happening to me."
Oh Well!
He informed me that he is losing his Social Security. He may have something set up with a friend for income and should be okay. He has a small place to live in and that's a good thing. He also said he is going back to the "Program" and is actually heading a meeting. The last thing he said is, "I'm going it alone this time." Well, knock me over with a bolt of lightening! He has always, I mean ALWAYS had a girlfriend who I suppose was there to save him, or give him an excuse for his problems. If he stays with this plan, he may figure out that it has always been him and not other people who caused his problems in the first place. I think I am in for a lot more phone calls.

Then yesterday, Wonder Boyfriend got under my skin. He has been deligently cleaning up the back yard. Wonderful, say I. But he did this thing and I started wondering what the heck he was doing. He piled up a bunch of gravel and was washing the dirt out of it. Okay, I get that, but he piled it up in a way that when it rains the water will just accumulate on the back patio. I told hime that it is supposed to rain this week and to make a couple of channels to let the water drain off while it is raining. He went out and started rinsing off the gravel again, not making the channels I asked for. So, figuring I didn't explain myself right, I went out and said there's no reason to rinse off the gravel, the rain will do that. Just cut the channels and let it go for a while until it stops raining. I went back about my business, but I kept hearing the water running. I went and looked and he was still rinsing gravel!!!!! So I opened my bedroom window and just screamed at him. Turn the damned water off, that's water I have to pay for, dig the channels, and shut the water off, the rain will wash the gravel. GRRRRRR. He finally shut the water off and left. Then I was thinking, oh crap! Now I have gone and done it. I am going to have to go dig the channel myself. Oh whoas my back. He came back later and dug the channels. (I still had to go out this morning and clean it up here and there, but the rain will drain off now.) I think this is why I haven't found my own boyfriend, I don't play well with others!
I'm better this morning, but I still have that, it's not me, it's you running through my head.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Beef recall

I'm just hearing about a beef recall on the TV right now. How do you take back beef that you ate a couple of years ago?!? They are saying that they are recalling 143 million pounds of beef dating back to February 1st, 2006! Oh comon! I think I understand what they are dong...the place where they take the beef, the slaughter house, abused the cows while in their care. The news program showed videos of the abuse. It was GOD AWFUL. I think the punishment should be that all the people who abused the cows should suffer the same abuse. Thay didn't call in vets, when the cows were sick and they shoved them around with forklifts when they couldn't walk. Oh hell! This place had better be shut down and those people taken care of!

I'll step down off my (really upset) soap box now.

My commute is below this, on to calmer things.......

Sunday, February 17, 2008

My commute




This is my first beautiful sight on my way to work. It's Pedro Point Rock. You can click on the picture to make it bigger. If you do, you will see how the rocks are in layers. Most of the mountain that I drive next to is made up of these layers of rock. The layers are also why they call it Devil's Slide. In between the layers of rock is a sand like layer. When the rain comes in droves, the layers get saturated and act like oil, the rock slides and we get road closures. Fun! Every so often a boulder will cut itself loose from the mountain and fall on the road or next to it. At the last road closure some smaller boulders hit a woman's car and broke her headlight. She was shaken, but not hurt.

The second picture is Muir Rock. I'm not sure of it's official name. It had been the home of a colony of birds called Muirs. Because of different issues the birds started disappearing. One of those save a bird, save the world groups stepped in and did some stuff to get the birds to come back. At one point they put some Muir statues on the rock and I think made noises like Muirs and got them to move back in. I remember driving past this place where I stopped to take a picture, and seeing different people sitting in a car. They would sit for hours on end taking pictures and counting birds. Apparently, the amount of birds that have come back is the same as the amount in the original colony, because I don't see the people out there counting anymore.




In the picture below there are some buildings or something. It is an armory of sorts. During WWII, we had a lot of installations along the coast to watch over our part of the country. I don't think this one had guns it it, like others. I think this one just had men stationed up there watching for the enemy. There are stairs going up the side of the hill. They are crumbling and some are missing entirely. People actually still walk up those! Some of my friends have in the past. They are all crazy, considering how dangerous it is and the shear drop just to the right of the stairs. (and no railing!!!!!) You can click on this picture too, to enlarge it, but it just gets fuzzier, you can see the steps a little better.













Below, this cute little town is Montara. It's where I spent my life as a kid. There was nothing there. On and off, we'd have a store, on and off there would be a craft store or some place where a teen could hang out, but there really wasn't much to do. BUT we did have this gorgeous beach to play on. The beach is about a half a mile from my dad's place. All of us kids that hung out together would head on down the the beach and just walk it or climb the cliffs or just sit and watch birds, sunsets, people. We were in great shape back then. A couple of us had horses for a while and we'd ride the horses down there from time to time. We never went in the water though. There was an extremely dangerous undertow and the water is so cold! Now people surf there.


Please excuse my placement of pictures and text. I am so blog illiterate. I have not posted more than two pictures at a time before, so I don't know how to get things to go where I want them!










I guess I kept some guys from stealing stuff from us today at work. I just didn't like the way they were doing their "shopping". One would stand at the end of an aisle while the other two went down it. So I started pestering them. You know, just killing them with kindness. They ended up leaving with nothing but the knowledge that they won't be gettin' any free samples here!

Another Shorty Mc Short Short

Before I go to work, just want to say hey!
I am taking my camera to work with me today. Not for pictures at work, alla y'all know what hardware looks like, that would be nothing new. I keep thinking I would like to share some of the sights along my commute with you. I live along the mid California coast and some of my sights in the morning are absolutely gorgeous. I would have liked to have a prettier day to do this, but it's a tad gray out there. I may get some good ones in anyway. I will share those with you when I get home. (as long as everything comes out alright)
I hope your day is fantastic! I am going to try to make mine a good one. It's my Friday and I want it to go by quickly.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Long Day

Today was my early day at work, and it follows my late night at school, so it makes for a long day. I started off on the wrong foot and needed to switch that out so started kidding around with the customers and made it fun, so it passed by fairly quickly. Except the last hour and a half. I just printed out some inventory sheets for my department and did that for the afternoon. If I stay out of the customers way when things start going downhill for me it's so much better.
So I got home earlier, but I never do anything with that "extra" time. I am usually too damned tired. For the evening I think I will tuck myself away in the bedroom and work on the quilt of the century, maybe. If I am too tired, I will make mistakes and that's not good.
Class was fun last night. There was only about a third of the people that are normally there, so the ones who did come, got extra credit for showing up, and extra attention from the teacher. I can imagine that a teacher would like it much better when people show respect and come to the classes, especially when a grade rides on showing up, as much as passng tests. We learned about the first of the glazes. Now, when the students who missed the class come on Tuesday, she will have to go over those glazes for them again. Next week we can start glazing our first projects. I am finishing up the first of the next projects. It'll will be okay, I think, but the next project I do in leather hard clay is going to get a lot of previous attention and planning before I even start the clay process. Hey! I'm learning! Two of the first three projects came out okay. I will see what happens when they get glazed. My dragonfly lost a leg, so I have to see what happens in the next steps with that. I think I forgot much of what I learned in high school, or they changed a lot of processes since then, I feel lost sometimes! I can't wait til Tuesday when I can glaze. The first three projects are due March 13th, along with a paper on a 20th century artist and a small presentation. Oh yay!
That's it for my tired little brain. More tomorrow, if I can stay on top of my moods all day. It's my late day tomorrow and I hate this day, but it is my Thursday, so that means I am on the down hill slide of my week! YAY!

Monday, February 11, 2008

Tagged, I'm it! And other stuff too

I got up on the right side of the bed this morning. Really! If you are standing at the foot of the bed, and you are looking at the head of the bed, the side I got out of was on the right! Plus, I got up in a good mood.
I got a few things done that I had planned on, stuff that was actually for work, that I couldn't do at work. (No space or time) I washed the dishes, got my laundry done, finished ironing the material I washed last week, folded it and put it in the bin. Then I went in a poured some mineral spirits on the floor where the sticky stuff is. THAT is NOT going to a fun job, nor is it going to be a quick job. CRAP! D'ya know how hard it is for me to get up off the floor? Let me tell you, it takes a bit of doing and grunting. I would like to just sit down there til it is all done, but that ain't gonna happen. I will finish it though, I promise. I am so motivated to get that room done, but I don't want to aggravate the back/hips more either. I'll just work slowly and steady, and see what happens.
It's been beautiful here all week. I was looking forward to my days off and having some sunshine to make me work even better, but no. The fog has come in. I thought it might burn off in the afternoon, but it's 3PM now, and there's no sign of it burning off. Dang! I guess I can't have everything.
On to my being tagged. I was tagged by Kim-D over at Lifeafter. And okay, I forgot how to make a link work. At any rate, here goes:

List five wishes in each of the two catagories, then tag five people. I don't have five people to tag, but I will look and see if I can come up with some one to do this, cause it's actually fun and thought provoking. I thought it would be easy to come up withthe meterial things, but as it turned out the spiritual or meaningful ones came easier.

MATERIAL WISHES:

1.)I wish I had a maid/cook.

2.)I wish I had enough money, so I could have a fun very part time job. Then I would have the time and moneyuto help my friends and family and spend time with them for a change.

3.)I wish for a man, wonderful enough that I would want to share my life with him.

4.)I wish I could eat whatever I want and be the weight I want.

5.)I wish I owned an island. (tropical of course)

SPIRITUAL/MEANINGFUL

1.)I wish for change in some of my personality traits.

2.)I wish our service men and women could serve our country by helping people in our country, by building homes and relationships.

3.)I wish that we all could just look past color, religion, and politics, and just get along.

4.)I wish that families didn't have to be separated by divorce or death.

5.)I wish that companies within our countries borders would hire people within our borders and take care of the citizens of the USA.

And now to finish some "I" statements: (I wasn't tagged to do this, I just wanted to)

I know a little about a lot of stuff, but not a lot about anything.

I believe slow and steady wins the race.

I fought a lot in my head about divorcing with my ex-husband.

I am over weight.

I love my dogs.

I need my sleep.

I take nothing for granted.

I hear what I want to hear sometimes.

I drink tea, by the gallons.

I hate people who pretend to be working.

I use chocolate as a tranquilizer.

I want money, money, money.

I like kayaking on warm sunny days.

I feel like a fool sometimes.

I wear only jeans, t-shirts and tennis shoes. (and the understuff too)

I left my jacket at my ceramics glass Thursday night!

I do cross stitching, crocheting, woodworking, painting, quilting, mosaics.

I hope that I can see all my old friends eventually sometime, even though we are all miles apart.

I dream that someday, soon, I will make a comfortable living.

I drive myself too hard sometimes.

I listen to my friends and family.

I think I jump to conclusions too fast at times.

I wish I made more money right now.

I should lose weight.

I regret some of the decisions I made when I was younger.

I care deeply for my children.

I said too much.

I wonder if there really is a guy out there for me.

I changed my underwear this morning.

I cry at some of the stupidest things. (and some of the most appropriate things)

I lose track of time when I am really into a project.

I leave work at different times on different days.

I am done.


Sunday, February 10, 2008

And out of the blue...

I get a phone call tonight.

Me: Hello?
Her: Hello...then nothing.
Me: Hello?
Her: Hi, Mom?
Me: Yes, is this Binks?
Her: Yeah!
Me: I didn't recognize your voice.
Her: Are you going to be home tonight?
Me: Yep, all night.
Her: Okay, I'm gonna come get my mail then, bye.

My first thought? I guess I'd better go take my tranquilizer. I didn't even ask when she was coming, but oh well.

So she came and was talkative. And friendly! She was a tad tentative at first, but still talking. Not all "butt hurt" like before. We had a pretty damned good conversation. We talked about funny things that have happened around here, and funny things that have happened with her and it was nice, really nice. She stayed about 45 minutes. I showed her the back yard and her old room, and told her what I was doing with it. Then she said they had to go. She was with the girlfriend whose house she is staying at. And they had borrowed the girlfriend's mom's car. Before they left her girlfriend gave me a hug and kiss,
then...
then...
Binks came over and gave me a hug and kiss, and said, "I love you."

OMG! This has been the best day in a long time!

Friday, February 08, 2008

I Hate Safeway!

I also hate grocery shopping, but that is because of Safeway! I went tonight at 8PM for "just a few things". Forty five minutes later I was finally getting out of there. I did find a few other things I needed, but most of my wait was in line listening to the clerk flirt with the woman who was in front of me, the clerk next to him, the courtesy clerk............
Beside the fact that I was standing in line, and the lady who ended up in front of me was just looking at magazines. The cashier came up to his area, turned on the light and said to her, I can take you here miss. He didn't even ask who is next (ME!) or probably didn't give a hoot anyway. But it pissed me off, so I stood there and brooded over it. I was tired, getting hungry and had bought my dinner there, so the longer I waited the worse my mood got. Then the courtesy clerk asked the lady in front of me if she wanted help out. Now this was a lady in her late twenties, early thirties. She didn't need help out. Cripes. Instead of looking at the situation; two clerks in regular registers and two clerks in express, and at least five people in EACH line: she took the help out. Now there are two courtesy clerks to bag up all those groceries and this lady takes out one of them! I understand that situation is not the stores fault, but anyway...
So when it came my turn, I usually buck it up smile and pretend I love being there. This time I couldn't. The clerk asked me how I was doing. I said, I realize that not all of this is your fault, but this place sucks. He started giving me excuses. I told him stop, I work in customer service, I used to manage customer service and I was quite successful at it, so I know what is really going on. All I wanted to do was get out of that flippin' store. When he got finished ringing me up, the courtesy clerk was back and asked if I wanted help out to my car. I said no thanks, hon, stay inside and help bag up all these groceries, every one else wants to go home too. I got $10 in change and went to McDonald's. There is no way I would have made it home and cooked something before I passed out.
Safeway and Von's grocery store chains have really messed with their employee compensations. They used to be the dream job. Good pay, great benefits, wonderful atmosphere. They have bought out all the older employee contracts and brought in part-timers who don't give a crap, because they are not being properly compensated for what they do. They went around the state, country, I don't know, but they renovated all their stores to have this romantic ambiance(sp?)
They spent a fortune on that, but can they take care of their employees? NO. Now they have raised prices so that I thinkI am shopping in Nordstrom or Macy, Neiman Marcus...All I want is groceries and there shouldn't be any romantic atmosphere around to get them!

I'll step down off my soap box now.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Earthquake!

LOL! We had an earthquake this morning! I am so excited...yes, you are saying, she HAS lost her mind! It was the cutest little bump in the morning I have ever felt. I do get excited about earthquakes. They aren't all that bad. Well, the big mothers of all earthquakes can be bad. Like mother bears, they can do some major damage, MAJOR damage! 90% of our earthquakes are little, like "Hey, yeah, I'm still here" kind of quakes. Nothing to write home about. When we do get earthquakes, the news people go a little crazy finding out where they are, how big they are, people call in from their homes and tell about the "One they just felt". It's hilarious. Then there is the debate about how big it actually was. We get the initial size listed and then for hours after, the geological society adjusts the size to what their instruments say. This one was just a mile north of where I live. I felt it. I heard it first, (it sounded like a glass windchime getting shaken)just west of my house, then a bump. 3.0 is what they are saying what it was. The epicenter was out in the ocean. I was just getting up off the toilet. Goes to show you, ya never know where you are going to be!
My biggest fear of earthquakes is that I will be in the shower, soap in hand, when the "big one" hits. I do not want to be rescued in my nakedness! Conditioner in hair, all soaped up and on the floor, cause the earth shook! I can't imagine the look on rescuers faces when they finally find me. I think the first thing I'd say is, do you have any water so I can rinse off? Oh, and a towel, please?
I'll tell you what. I know you all are out there saying that you are glad that you don't live in earthquake country. I on the other hand, would prefer to live here, where they are few and far between, as opposed to the spring tornado season, or hurricane season. Those you can count on. Here, the earthquakes are like living in a lottery system. You get a few hits here and there, but it's not as likely that you will get the big one.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Yesterday

I didn't even realize it but I didn't blog about anything yesterday. And today wasn't looking very bloggable either. Well, it probably still isn't very bloggable, but I can't shut up sometimes, so here goes.
I got out of the house yesterday to run some errands. I tend to want to stay within the confines of my house, but I was actually getting cabin fever. While this would be great, if I was in an actual cabin, but doing that in my house is not as much fun. I had to go pick up a refill for some meds and I figured out a few other excuses to be out and about as well. Plus, in finding other things to do while out makes me a tad greener of a person. (don't tell, but I would have just driven the ten miles out and back to pick up the meds.) I went and looked at these little do-hickeys that you can transfer files, of any sort, I think onto, so that you don't have a catastrophy like mine the other day when I decided to clean house on the computer. They supposedly hold quite a bit of information on them, music, pictures, etc. So I went to check them out. Apparently, they are quite the do-hickey to have, because the two stores I went to, to have a look see were out of them and they weren't on sale! Either that or every one else in town cleaned house on their computers and did the same thing I did and were a little faster at getting the quick fix thing. I don't know. I will forget about it in the next few days and then something will remind me and I will go look for it again.
I went to Joann's and picked up some cording I needed to finish a project. While I was there I picked up some smaller knitting needles and some cotton yarn to try my hand at making a dish cloth. It seemed simple, will help me learn this new trick I have better, and I will have something to show for it in the end. I also went out and got a sin burger at Burger King. Didn't need it, but I figured what the hay, I want some cholesterol.
I came back home put everything away and got out the new needles and put about 7 rows on my dish cloth before I headed for my ceramics class. I put the dish cloth project in my room, on my bed and closed the door behind me. Then closed the hallway door.
Went to class had some fun, learned new things again, and came home. When I went in my room, apparently one of the dogs named Ginger who shall remain nameless, snuck in my room and decided to help me with my dishcloth. I was pissed! This is my middle daughter's dog. The dog I told her she did not need and to take it back the day she brought it home. The ONLY dog on this green earth that I could NOT fall in love with no matter what. This dog has repeatedly gotten stuff from where ever and chewed it up, taken it outside, dropped it in the water bowl, what ever she could do to get the most wrong kind of attention she could possibly get. I told my daughter right then and there, GET RID OF THAT DOG! It poops and pees where ever it wants, usually not outside. I have to hound (excuse the pun) my daughter to clean up after it. I am sick and tired of the dog. I threatened her with...well, I cannot repeat what I said, but she got the message. When I got up this morning, the dog was gone! I think she took her to the SPCA. The dog is better off there. She will go to a family who wants her, thinks she is cute and will take care of her and love her and play with her, hopefully not get her and then leave her with a mom who doesn't want a third dog! I sort of feel bad, but the dog should have not been here in the first place. I told my daughter if she got another dog, she could plan on living with it in her car, cause I want NO MORE DOGS here, mine are quite fine without any others around thank you very much. Now I just need to find homes for a cat that my youngest daughter left behind and a hairless rat that she left. The rat isn't as bad, but it's one more chore I don't need.
So, today was my actual order day at work. I went back to work by the way. I had one order waiting for me to come back and receive, then put away. A lot of the stuff in this order is new stuff that my girlfriend ordered for her little sewing department. She is on disablility after going through breast cancer and is waiting for breast augmentation before she comes back. So I am going to find the space for her sewing stuff and put it away for her. I think she would like to come in and do it, but it requires quite a bit of up and down on ladders and reaching with a little weight in hand. I really don't think she ought to be doing that, so I am going to do it. She can do all the fun stuff like ordering the newer things and spending our bosses' money.
That is all. How's that for not having anything to write about?!?

Monday, February 04, 2008

Commercials

Of the commercials from yesterday's game, that I got to see online, the following were the ones that made me laugh out loud...in no particular order:
Doritos - Mouse Trap
Bud Light - Will Ferrell
E*Trade - Trading Baby
FedEX - Pigeon Carriers

Actually I think the E*Trading Baby was the best.
Just saying

A Finish...Sorta

I did a finish yesterday! YAY! for me! I can't show it to you yet, because it is for a friend who reads my blog, but as soon as it is a finished finish, I will put a picture of it up. I still have to do the finished product, right now it is just a finished stitch.
I sort of cleaned off my desk, but as predicted, I started organizing and got side tracked. But that's okay, cause it just is. I pulled out this big ol' pink tote that houses my material from years of collecting. It smelled as though it's been stored for years. So, I decided to wash it all again. I can see what I have. It also leads to hours of ironing. Which could be a good thing, it is a little relaxing, that constant repetitive motion. And since it's cold, the heat from the iron itself is kind of nice. I found though, that it didn't feel all that great on my back, so I didn't do an awful lot of it. I'm going to try for a little more ironing today and tomorrow and see if I can't put a dent in the stash. I did find that I have plenty of material that would do well as curtains for the new crafting room. That made me happy. Since I am such a hoarder, I know I have curtain rods out there somewhere to hang them on. My daughter hates that I save everything and/or bring stuff home from work that we don't necessarily need at the moment, but you know it all comes in handy in time!
I just went out to top off the garbage can (since they are picking up today). It is freakin' cold out there. I came back in a ran warm water over my hands to get them back to normal temp. I know they said no more rain for a while, but I didn't pay attention to what they said about temperatures.
I'm back to work the day after tomorrow. That'll be a nice change. I love being home doing stuff around here, just puttering. But I am getting cabin fever, since I'm limited to what I can do. I walk by my little room and feel helpless, cause I can't do anything with it at this time. Hopefully, in a few weeks I can get back into it.
That's all for now. I have gone on long enough about nothing much. Hope your days are going well for you.

Friday, February 01, 2008

Knitting and Random Thoughts.


I taught myself that. So far I have only done one stitch successfully. When I tried the "Purl" Stitch, I screwed it up and had rip it all out and start over. (about 17 times) Knitting is fun. It's going to be bad when I have to choose one project over another. I have so many started already. When I think about working on one of the already started projects, my other personality says to me...oh you can't do that now! The room isn't finished! Why do I have to wait til the room is finished? I started them before the room was even a possibility! Tomorrow, since I CAN sit, I will go into my room, put on some catchy tunes, and sort out the mess on my desk where my crafts live. Maybe while I am off work, I can finish a project or two. Hmmm what a concept! I know the room project is on hold until the inflammation goes away in my hips and back.
The problem with me sorting out messes, is that I'll get half way through and get distracted by something. Oh well, I'll deal.
I'm one of those people that has to do everything I can think of. The whole thing is, that in trying to do everything, I accomplish nothing. Well, eventually some stuff gets through in a finished state, but I wish I could finish more and start less. I have this cute little cross stitch project I did. I designed it off of a picture my son sent of my grandson. It is just the shadows of his face. All you can see are his eyes and mouth. I copied that onto a cross stitch program and made it into a pattern. I want to finish that into a pillow for them. All I have to do is find some fabric that will work with it and sew it! (I probably have the fabric here too!) Then put it over a pillow form. Do you think I can get that done?!? Uh, NO. I can't. But maybe in the next few days. I should list what can be turned into a finished product and what I need to do and then mark them off as I do them. Wouldn't that be a great idea???
Okay, meds are taking over. I need to go finish up making my cup of tea and go lay down. More tomorrow, since I can now!

Okay, but not so okay

I fixed the derned computer...yep I fixed her alright. Ya know how ya work with something and then work on it some more and then do two to three more hours of working on it, and then hand it over to someone else to work on it cause you have a life or have to go to the store or bathroom or something, maybe even leave to go to work? And then come back and put another day or so into the something? Well, that is what I have been doing. Getting no where...I mean NO WHERE! Ya know how you get so frustrated with that something that you feel like throwing it into the street, just as a bus passes by, so that the bus doesn't miss that something? Well, that is me. You know how when you are down to your last straw of patience, that you do something foolish? Me again!!!
I tried operating on this damned thing very patiently, like a surgeon would. Hours on end. Only looking toward the end result and the life that I could bring back to it. I focus on all the happy little smiling faces that it would bring and how those happy little smiling faces would look at me adoringly, because I had fixed the problem and restored life to our otherwise lifeless home.
Yea, I fixed it alright. BUT, and that is a big but...as soon as I got done with the patient portion of my operation and went quickly to the dark side, and hit the button that said "Yes, go ahead and wipe out everything I have ever put on this computer that I really wanted to keep forever and ever", I realized that oh C.R.A.P.! All my pictures are on there! Well, not anymore! Ya see? I fixed the computer. I'm done, no more pictures, but I'm done! Period, and oh well, can't cry over spilt milk now, it's just a tad too late.
So I am back YAY!!! Hey everyone! I missed you! Really I did!
And I am off work til the 6th. My arthritis kicked it up a notch and when I went to work yesterday it wouldn't allow me to stand comfortably. Then when I put weight on my right leg, ZING! A nice shot of sharp pain went right up my leg and into my lower back. The swelling from the arthritis was pinching my sciatic nerve. (The nerve of that arthritis) So doc gave me some good drugs and sent me home with a note for my boss. I can't afford it, but I am going to make the best of it.
I taught myself to knit. I kind of had the basics down, but would never do it right, and couldn't figure from pictures and words that I had in front of me, what I was doing worng. I bought this quick study guide from work that I had brought in to see how good it was and it helped. I can now knit!
So depressing as it is to have lost all those pictures, I have learned a valuable lesson and I can now be back online. So, see ya soon. I am about to go over to your blogs to see what I've missed.