Rag Files Of A Fashion Diva

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Decisions decisions

Miles Run: 0 - typhoon winds outside
Other Exercise: None - was too exhausted

So I went on two interviews today. The first one was at 10am and I figured I would be there about an hour so I had planned to meet Chi for lunch at 11:30 then coming back home for a while before going to my next interview at 3:45. Much to my surprise, I was at my first interview for THREE hours! Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad thing because I got to meet not only with the woman who is leaving but all of the team members she works with (they wanted to try to get an idea of personality fit). Everyone I talked to was really great and they seem to be the kind of people that I would really like working with (know how to get the job done but are laid back enough to know how to have some good fun). In addition, the dress code is completely casual which is a plus to me because I don't feel like I need to dress up to be professional and get the work at hand done.

What was really funny was that right before the woman who's position is up for grabs left the room, she told me that the guy coming in after her was going to the Motley concert and I should give him crap about it - telling him that they suck. I told her I had a confession to make and that I was going too but I would be sure to pass on the message. Shortly after he came in and closed the door, I told him that I was supposed to let him know that The Crue sucked but I really couldn't say much about it since I was going to the concert too. He laughed and told me that he had 13th row tickets. I said, "No way! That's where I'm sitting!" He wasn't sure what seats but I think it would be hysterical if it ended up that he was sitting right by me and my friends. He didn't really have a lot of questions to ask me so we ended up mainly shooting the shit about bands and stuff. Seems he's also somewhat of a Leppard fan. :)

What's even better is that this place is looking to relocate in the next few months and right now they are looking at location that is fairly close to where I already work. They are all the way across town which isn't the most desirable for me when it comes to the commute but knowing that they will be moving out this way is definitely a plus. :)

When I came out of that interview, I had a message on my phone. One of the guys from the company downtown that I interviewed with last week called. They want me to come in and talk to them again. I guess the personality/intelligence test I took for them must have had favorable results since I got called back. I have to admit I was a little worried when I was taking the thing. Usually I do really well with those sorts of things but when I was doing the last part of this one with the "which shape is next section", I was really starting to wonder if I was choosing the right ones. LOL

My second interview today also went well although I felt a little rushed because I didn't even get a chance to ask questions. Of course from what the woman told me, she was basically there to weed out those with the skills they were looking for and then they would be calling back those they were seriously looking at to meet with the "bossman" for a more formal interview. She seemed rather impressed with my skills especially those involving MS office applications and the printed copies of sample forms I had done which I gave her to look at. She also made it sound as though I would be one of the people who would be called back mainly because she had asked about my other "opportunities" and told me to let her know if I accept an offer somewhere else before next week.

The other good news is when I came out of my last interview, I had another message on my phone, this time from the place I had interviewed with earlier in the day. They want me to come back and meet with the HR manager which I can only assume is a good thing. My biggest dilemma now is how I am going to fit all of these second meetings into my schedule especially with the audit I have to prepare for at my current job coming up. In a way I am sort of glad that I am getting the call backs rather than offers at this point because I would really like to see what all three of them can pony up before I make my final decision. Then again, none of them may give me a good enough offer and I will end up just staying where I am at. Based on what my friend and co-worker told me tonight when she called and the conversation I had with my supervisor yesterday, my company may try to "fight" to keep me. I guess the guy that I work most closely with is getting concerned that I am interviewing (at least that is what he told my friend). I swear, if I do get a job somewhere else, the guy is going to cry. Well, if he wants me to stay that badly, then maybe he'll have to come up with a way to get me a raise that more closely matches my skills because that is what it is going to take to keep me from leaving and even then I can't guarantee I won't take off. The corporate BS is just getting to be a little too much for me.

Righty Ro time for me to be on my way.

Til next time.....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Monday, March 28, 2005

BUSTED!!! Well, sorta......

Miles Run: 4 - was crunched for time because we had to run to the store and stuff.
Other Exercise: Nadda :P

Have you ever had a day that you thought might just absolutely suck but because the shit didn't hit the fan by lunchtime, you thought you might actually make it through without the "suck factors" rearing their ugly heads only to have them all hit at once as soon as lunch was over? Yes? No? Maybe? That would describe my day today.

My biggest client had scheduled us for an audit on the 11th of April but because they had only put us down for one day and the sample list we are supposed to be given two weeks in advance hadn't shown up late Friday afternoon or this morning, we thought we would be off the hook. We (the business managers, one of my co-workers who also helps with the line, and me) also had this notion because we had only been audited once before in the entire time our company has had the line and that was only because we had this overbearing regional manager who insisted on it. No such luck this time. The "list" showed up just after I returned from lunch - SHIT! I have no friggin clue how the auditor will make it through all the stuff in one day's time (she was here two days the last time) but at least this one should go much better than last and we should get a higher score. It's just a pain in the ass to have to deal with right now.

If getting the information about the audit wasn't bad enough, I also got the email I dreaded from my supervisor - "Come and see me after lunch". Rut Roe! You see my friend had told me last awhile ago that our supervisor was worried that I might be looking for another job mainly because of the time I had been taking off which I usually don't do in the manner I have been. I had been fearing the day that she would call me into her office to confront me about it. I figured since I asked for tomorrow off, today would be the day. Sure enough, it was. Turns out the HR department found my resume on monster.com (I know my company was advertising a position there so it doesn't really surprise me) - FUCK! It wasn't that big of deal though. She told me that she didn't blame me and it isn't like she or the company can do anything to me. More than anything, she just wanted to reiterate that my job was safe obviously in the hopes I won't leave. She told me that she really didn't want to lose me with what looked like a hint of desperation in her eye but she could also understand why I would be looking. She also said to let her know if I was looking at anything seriously. That kinda made me wonder if possibly my company would be willing to up my pay to keep me. Hmmmmmmmm that may not be such a bad idea. LOL Seriously though, I don't know if that would be enough to keep me there just because there are other things that have made me think about leaving for awhile now which don't concern money. I've got two more interviews tomorrow which I am hoping will go well and the positions will be something I am interested in. I guess I will have to wait and see what happens.

Otay kiddies, I'm off to get some of Chi's "famous" curry and to keep him out of the cream puffs he just HAD to buy at Sam's this evening. LOL

Til next time....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Wednesday, March 23, 2005

I think I got it

Miles Run: Tight schedule - no time
Other Exercise: See above

Today was my second interview in my job hunt and I have a pretty good feeling about this one. Unlike the first one at another company, the people who I talked to (there were three) seemed much more personal and I liked the fact that they view everyone as an equal regardless of the duties they perform and all three of them had nice strong handshakes (something you don't find much these days). I would say that we all had similar visions about how a company should operate too. One of my biggest pet peeves about Corporate America is that it loves to talk about what it is going to do or track what is going on rather than getting down and getting stuff done. From what I was told today, this company focuses on getting the job done rather than whether or not someone walks in the door a minute after they are expected to be there. Anyway, I was there for over two hours and based on the fact that they want to spend the money for me to take a pre-employment cognitive test even after I told them how much I was going to cost them a year (to put it in a nutshell - a lot), I would be surprised if I didn't get an offer. Not bad for only two weeks of looking in a slow economy.

Well kiddies, I'm off to have a shower and spend some quality time with the Chi.

Til next time.....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Tuesday, March 22, 2005

An Idol Love Affair?

Miles Run: 0 - The weather is crap and I didn't want to further aggravate my sore throat
Other Exercise: 100 pushups, 500 crunches, & 120 leg lifts - Whoo feel that burn! LOL Actually, that is slacking for me but hey, I'm not feeling 100%.

Is it just me or would it appear that Paula and Simon from American Idol have a little something between the sheets going on? She was just going a little too overboard on the kissing tonight in my opinion for there not being anything going on between them. The guy isn't even all that attractive.

In other news.......

Kudos to the judge who didn't allow Terri Shaivo's feeding tube to be restored. My sympathies go out to the family of this woman but c'mon, it's time to let her go in the physical sense. They are only fooling themselves if they truly believe she will actually get better. It's been fifteen years and you can see by the photos of her over that time she has only deteriorated.

I think the biggest trouble when it comes to something like this is people thinking of her as someone who is capable of rational thought and function like the average human. The closest thing I can liken it to is an adult who thinks a small child is affected by the death of a close relative in the same manner they are and it just isn't so. Doctors have been able to prove that top portion of Mrs. Shaivo's which is responsible for cognitive thinking is gone. Basically all that exists is the lower portion which controls basic bodily function/reflex. Once brain tissue dies, it doesn't come back. Technically the woman is brain dead because she will never return to the person she was - she won't ever return to even a quarter of the person she once was.

I know it's very difficult for her family to let her go and I can understand why they think her husband is being selfish but I can't in good consciousness agree with them. I don't think he can legally divorce her, however, if it were that he just wanted out, I would think that there would be some way that could be gotten around. Some people say that he sticks in there for the insurance money but I just don't think so. I seem to remember hearing someone had offered the guy a million dollars to divorce her and he wouldn't. Ok, so he stands to gain much more if he stays with her until death, however, think of how much money he is spending on lawyer fees. It is that alone that makes me think the guy is on the up and up about his "fight" really being for his wife's wishes and not out of greed. There are some really awful people out there these days but I think that good does still live in many hearts and Michael Shavio's is one of them.

Otay kiddies, Blind Justice is on - time to go drool over that Eldard dude.

Til next time.....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Monday, March 21, 2005

Miles Run: 0 - I feel like crap
Other Exercise: See above

Well, I found out what the "prizes" are if I do win the award I have been nominated for. It looks like the winner of this "noble" award receives the following:

One day off with pay - not too shabby but really, let's see some cash.
A crystal award etched with the company mission statement and logo - oh goody a dust collector. As if they don't cram that crap down our throat every day of the week as it is.
An invite to join the BIG CHEESE in a casual phone call format to share the contributions made and provide feedback on how to "build the company" - You have got to be kidding me! How is this a prize? I can just imagine trying to explain the forms I designed to upper management. Ok, so maybe this guy is smarter than most but even so is this something that I am really supposed to feel excited about?
Ooh last but not least - there is recognition in the quarterly news letter to be had. Oh yah, I can feel the love.

I know, I'm sounding sorta ungrateful but c'mon. I work my butt off and the best thing the company can give me is a day off? How cheap is that? Hell, most of the time I'm so damn bored because my skills are just THAT much higher than my job level, half the time, I feel like I have the day off. Besides, I've been there long enough now, I have a pretty good vay-k plan. Give me something worthwhile and useful for Gods sake - SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!

And now....a funny for the day......

I told this guy at work to reboot his computer and he didn't know what the hell I was talking about. LMFAO!

That's it for me kiddies. I'm outtie

Til next time....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Sunday, March 20, 2005

"Schmorgasboard"

Miles Run: 2 Power Miles
Other exercise: Housework. It can be a good workout.

What? I needed a title and didn't know what else to call this because I have a few different things I want to talk about. You know you love it really and that you wish you would have thought of it first anyway. :P

So anyway, my first thought of the evening has to do with office politics. We all know that no matter where you work, these go on but some places have bigger issues than others. This past Friday showed me just how pathetic some places can get. As I mentioned, our office is facing layoffs in May. Well, Mr. Office Prez called all of us into another meeting half an hour before we were to leave for the day basically to tell us he didn't know anymore than he did last week but would let us know the "drop dead date" and who's in/who's out bit as soon as they could make a decision. If this isn't just stupid to begin with, I don't know what is. I mean my thought is, don't waste our time unless you have something substantial to tell us. Right now you remind me of a news reporter that interrupts a show I really want to watch for breaking news but has no real details about yet feels compelled to repeat what is known over and over for an hour or two so I miss my whole entire show.

This isn't the shittiest part though. Someone asked if there would be an incentive to stay. The answer no but there will be severance (probably not more than a month's worth of pay if that). Ok, so let's see here. The date they are estimating is May 1 (a little more than a month away), the number of people being let go and who they are is not known, and there is no incentive to stay. If you ask me, what's the point of anyone staying? This guy is telling us that it could be another week or more before this information is known and let's face it, a month isn't very long to find another job so that those getting laid off don't have to go without a paycheck. You would think they could at least offer an incentive to stay so that people would be able to make up for any losses they might incur. Of course I think it would be pretty damn funny if everyone found another job and we all left in the next two weeks leaving them high n dry for being such assholes.

What pisses me off even more is that I know for a fact more information is known that what Mr. Prez is telling people at the moment. Take for example the woman who asked about incentive monies. She also asked if there were any clients of ours who weren't going to hub. Mr. Prez told her no but some were taking longer to move that direction but it was difficult to say which ones. Well, I for one know that is a lie since my supervisor told me the ones I work with won't be (at least not at this point) and that my job is safe. When she told me this information, I thought she had called everyone into her office to let them know what was going on but after talking to my friend, I found out that wasn't the case. After this meeting, I have a feeling that the reason I was told the information I was more "damage control" than anything else. By this I mean I've got the highest skill level of all the administrators and they don't want those walking out the door just yet if they can avoid it. Well, Mr. Prez then makes a comment which would imply a client I work with not hubbing at this point meaning anyone who had half a brain could put two and two together and figure out I am probably not going to be one of the ones losing my job at this point. Not good because the woman who was asking these questions I guess already has a "problem" with me and if she wasn't already shooting daggers at my back every time I walked by, she probably is now. In a nutshell, supposedly she whined to my supervisor that I don't socialize with her enough. WTF? I'm here to work lady, not make friends with you.

All I can say is after what went on Friday, I know I am making the right decision looking for another job. I just hope I get a good offer from the interview I went to last Tuesday and/or the one I will be going to this Wednesday. Oh the look on everyone's face where I work know when I turn in a letter of resignation - PRICELESS!

On a lighter note.......

I saw a couple of pretty good movies this weekend. The first one I watched was Win A Date With Tad Hamilton. When I saw the previews for this one at the movie theater some time back, I thought it looked like it would be kinda dumb but in reality it's kinda cute. I also have to admit I do have a rather large soft spot for Topher Grace too. :)

The second movie was Wimbledon. This too was a little different than I expected but good. I loved seeing shot of some of my old London haunts too even though it reminded me just how much I miss it and wish I were still there. Maybe one day. *SIGH* Ok ok so I admit, I also have a soft spot for Paul Bettany too. :)

Otay kiddies, I'm off to have a shower and get my butt to bed.

Til next time.....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Wow! What a week!

As you know if you have been reading this blog, I have been exploring new employment opportunities. In less than a week, I have received at least 10 responses which was rather surprising considering the market being sorta sluggish. Yesterday I had an interview for a position that is basically a personal assistant to two people who deal with top level executive accounts. It sounded interesting and it would be more money, but I don't know if it is something that I would really want to do especially since it doesn't appear that it would involve many of the aspects I enjoy at my current job. I'm not sure about the "fit" with this job either. The guy said that he was an easy going guy and although it sounded like he and I do have similar views when it comes to the way we work, I don't know that he is as personable as I would like someone I work for to be. It won't be until next week until I hear back so we'll see what happens.

I also got a call from a guy yesterday expressing interest in a resume that I sent. He told me that they had received 50 responses and narrowed that down to those who they decided to give a telephone interview to and from those, they would decide who to actually call in. After speaking with the man for about five minutes, he was eager to have me make an appointment to come in and meet with him and the two others he works with. So far I would say that this guy has more of the personality I would look for but I'm not sure the money would be there. Of course a greater income isn't the most important reason for my decision to look so even if I wasn't bringing home anymore, if what I did kept me happy, I wouldn't complain.

The third bit of news from yesterday is that I have been nominated for an award from the biggest manufacturer I work with for a couple of forms I designed for the regional manager. Typical, something like this always seems to come along when I decide to look for another job. The business manager I work with doesn't know what is involved if the award is won (it's a new thing and this will be the first one given) but it would be really nice if there was some money associated with it.

Today was a real whirlwind. IT has been changing us over to the national server and they got a hold of my computer last night - BASTARDS! Ok, I shouldn't say that because the two guys who come to our office to take care of these things are really nice and likeable. It's corporate that I am mostly irritated with. They have decided that everyone needs to have conformity when it comes to their computers so they have basically locked down everything including the option to be able to change your desktop color. How completely idiotic is that? What's more is that they changed Outlook to where all personal folders must sit out on the server rather than residing on your hard drive. What makes me giggle is that they try to sell it as "looking out for the employee" because if something accidently gets deleted, there will be a way to back it up since most people don't keep up with doing their own back ups. Obviously they think we are total morons. Any idiot knows at least part of what is going on is that by doing this, they can screen emails much more easily especially those which aren't work related. I know there are some people out there who do take advantage of using these sorts of things for personal use but in many cases, companies would get more work out of their employees and save money by not being so caught up in watching everyone else.

At least the last part of the day more than made up for the inconveniences I met with this morning. My manager called me into her office not too long after lunchtime. At first when she called me I thought maybe she had found out that I was looking for another job and I was going to get the third degree about it or something since it is rare that I get called in to see her like that. It turns out that she called me in to let me know that my job is safe when it comes to the reorg that is happening in May. Even though that is a load off because I'm not under the pressure to find another job right away, I can't say that I am going to just stop looking or turn down any offers that may be made to me. My job may be safe this time, however, I know that one day probably not too far in the future, even my job will be moved somewhere else. The other bit of good news she gave me is that for the first time, I'm actually going to get a cut of the incentive my company receives for keeping the claims I work with all under 90 days. When she first started telling me about it, I figured it would be a very minimal amount since that is what those things so often end up being because the big wigs like to be greedy but not this time. Turns out what I will be getting will be about 3/4 of a paycheck. YES!!! What's even better is that it will be on the paycheck right before one of the three week checks we get. Maybe all the money that was being tossed at me around Christmas time was an omen. :)

Otay, I'm bushed and need to go have a shower before bed.

Til next time....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Sunday, March 13, 2005

Confessions Of A Twenty Year Lep Fan - Psycho #2

I first started communicating with this one (I'll call her Justine) toward the end of 2002. She had made a post on the OSF about going to the Cedar Rapids, IA concert and wanting to meet up with people. I was planning on going so I figured what the hell. To make a long story short, we planned to meet up but when I woke up in the morning to get ready to go, I felt really ill. I wasn't about to let anything keep me from seeing the concert, however, Ant and I didn't get to the hotel in CR until late afternoon/early evening. Ant was hungry so we had to find him something to eat and by the time we did, there was only enough time left to get ready and make it downstairs to the venue so the meet didn't happen. After I got home, I sent her an email explaining what happened and that I was sorry it didn't work out. She replied and that was pretty much the last I heard from her until the spring of 2003.

In the meantime, I had discovered all the Yahoo groups on the net centered around DL and ended up joining one. I mostly lurked and would participate in the online chats every now and then. It was those chats which first made me leery of some of the online fans as they came off as being sorta "cliquey". I'm not the kind of person who buys into that kind of BS so I was pretty much put off by the experience. There were a few I met though who I thought were nice. I met up with four of them at the Madison concert the first part of April and if nothing else, it was certainly an eye opening experience when it came to some of the fans of the band you can find on the internet. The ones I met up with were wonderful people. They had all been friends for awhile and I had only just met them so I felt a little out of place but that didn't last too long. They told me a little about their impression of the owner of the group we had met on and I was a little shocked. They had met up with her at an earlier concert and pretty much said that it was just short of a catastrophe and that the woman was nothing like what you might think talking to her online. I guess online she tends to come off as very sweet and charming but in person, she can turn on you faster than anything. It seems that she is also good at leaking information that she shouldn't whether it be out of ignorance or on purpose I don't know. Even after hearing all of this, I still decided to give her the benefit of the doubt since I know how people tend to bend facts to make things sound worse or better than they are depending on the situation and I had never actually met the chic.

When I returned home, I found out DL was going to be playing at the steamboat Days in Burlington, IA. I didn't know if they were actually going to make it to Des Moines so I bought tickets because I knew I wanted to see them again. Not too long afterward, "Justine" had posted a message at the Yahoo group I was a member of saying she would really like to be able to go because she couldn't attend one elsewhere that she had been thinking about going to. I had an extra ticket so I responded. I figured someone might as well use it so I could make the money back. She emailed me and we worked out the details. She didn't remember talking to me before until I made mention of it which was a little odd and gave me sort of a strange feeling about her but I just chalked it up to just being too busy with other things. We decided to meet up for dinner beforehand just to kind of get to know each other before we roadtripped together. I thought it went well and I was really looking forward to the trip.

Not too long before the concert, I found out about the Raven Drum auction which was going to be held for the Burlington gig (two tickets with VIP passes plus two backstage passes to meet Rick Allen). I thought given the venue being in a relatively small town where people were not overly likely to travel to and it being one of the first auctions, "Justine" and I might actually have a chance at winning. I emailed her and asked if she wanted to go in on it. She did and said that she could put $100 towards it. I knew that I could put in $400 in and given the price didn't seem to be rising very quickly, we would have a better than good chance. I placed the bid right before time ran out and received an email later that day saying we won - ticket price was something like $360 after all the fees. Cool! I knew I was going to be responsible for more than half but I didn't care. I knew I took that chance to begin with and it was going to a good cause.

As the day of the concert drew closer, I received an email from "Angela" (this was before I knew what a snake she was) asking if I was going to hit the Rockford, IL show the day after Burlington. I hadn't planned on it but mentioned it to "Justine" anyway. She said she was up for it so we ended up buying tickets for that one too and booking rooms in Rockford. I caught flack for my choice of hotel because it was an all suites place. "Justine" thought I had this thing for suites for some warped reason that I'm still not sure of. In reality, I have a thing for wanting a decent room for my money suite or not so I went with a chain that I thought would be ok and was in the price range "Justine" had named. Rockford isn't a huge place and it wasn't like there was a big selection of places to stay.

The Burlington event went ok for the most part. The concert was great and we were able to squeeze into the front row right in front of Sav. At one point he was so into playing to the crowd, he wasn't watching his step and nearly fell off the stage. We had some trouble getting back to meet Rick because no one decided to let the security people know there was a meet and greet but with a little persistence and a really nice guy, we got through. Rick was really kind and it was nice to be able to not feel rushed getting autographs and photos. Phil and Vivian came out too so we were able to meet up with them in that same nonrushed atmosphere. We also met up with three others "Justine" knew from her Yahoo group (two of them ended up being the other auction winners) and there was this other woman there that I guess "Justine" had been talking to that ended up finding us. She was pretty strange and from what "Justine" told me, she was supposedly "stalking" her. After all that has happened, I'm not so sure that was the real story particularly because "Justine" kept answering her phone when "the stalker" would call.

The trip to Rockford left me puzzled to say the least. I had never been there before especially not by way of Burlington (I had never even been there before the concert either). "Justine" had printed out Yahoo driving directions and if you know anything about those, they aren't always the most accurate. I guess some of the road signs were different from what Yahoo spit out because we couldn't find the ones listed in the directions and ended up taking a wrong turn and having to back track a little. It was sort of annoying but it didn't end up being that far out of the way, however, this is when I felt the claws come out. "Justine" didn't outright yell but I could detect a change in her attitude. I figured that she was probably just tired because we had stayed up until 4am but there were things that happened later on that left me wondering if that is really what it was.

The Rockford show was alright but not the most fun I have ever had at a concert. We did end up sitting by one of the other Yahoo group owners and talking with her for a little while which was cool. Other than that though, there really wasn't anything too special or particularly unique about the show. "Justine" made sure to make it known that she wasn't happy with her room. There was also something about the way she said it that came off sounding like she was blaming me for it because I was the one that picked the place to stay too which left me with a strange feeling. She complained that the toilet was stopped up and the shower had no water pressure (as in the water was barely trickling out). There was a girls softball team there and they were pretty noisy and made for a legit complaint but I'm not sure about the water issues she was having. Generally if the water pressure is shitty in one room of a hotel, it's going to be like that in all the rooms - mine wasn't. It didn't occur to me at the time but I have to wonder if she only complained because she didn't want to have to pay the full bill for her room.

The next morning after the concert was a lot like the morning before - "Justine" coming off as kind of grouchy. What really was sort of irritating was is how much time she would spend on her phone. Maybe it is just me but usually when you are out somewhere with someone you say is your friend, you don't spend the majority of the time talking on the phone to someone else especially someone you say is stalking you and that you don't like very well - telling that person lies and then bragging about those lies to one of your buddies you call up afterward. This was the next thing that came up that gave me kind of a weird feeling about her. Her telling me about an affair she had early on in her marriage on the way home didn't settle too well with me either. It's not like that sort of thing would keep me from being friends with someone but I couldn't figure out why on Earth she would be telling me about it considering the fact that we hadn't even really known each other that long. What made this trip most bizarre was how her behavior from the first part of the day changed completely when she dropped me off at my house - she was her chummy little self again.

We talked online a couple of times after that but that was about it until it got closer to the Vegas show. I thought it would be nice to attend this show but I hadn't made any plans to go so I really didn't give it much more thought that is until I heard from "Justine" again. I was sort of leery of her intentions after the Burlington/Rockford trip but figured I would give her a second chance. We made plans to go on a shopping trip the day after my birthday to look for Vegas clothes. It was on this trip that I grew even more suspicious of "Justine". A couple of months earlier, she was talking about having a party for the 30th birthday but it never happened and she didn't even say happy birthday to me. I thought it was really strange for someone to do that to anyone they considered a friend. What was worse was that after the non-refundable/non-transferable tickets were purchased and paid for, I found out what I believe to be the real reason she asked me to go with her. First, "Justine" told her husband that it was my idea to go to Vegas not hers so that he would be more likely to let her go (this I was sorta perturbed about). Second, I have good reason to think that she wanted me along not only because I had been there before and knew my way around but because she was meeting up with someone else she met on the net and didn't want to be alone if the woman turned out to be a total psycho. I also think me not drinking may have played some part in it too because she knew that she could get sloppy drunk and there would be someone there to play babysitter. I really couldn't find any part of it that said I was being asked to go because I was a friend and she wanted me there because of that fact. What happened later after we arrived only solidified my thoughts. Oh if only she would have opened her big mouth sooner. I could have saved myself a TON of grief.

"Justine" and I arrived at the airport after a three hour delay the day before the show. Obviously she was bitchy because she smokes and hadn't had her fix in over six hours, but the attitude she gave me after we got our baggage and headed out to get a shuttle to the hotel was just totally uncalled for. I told her that we needed to call the hotel and let them know that we needed a ride then where to wait but she didn't want to listen to me even though I had been there before on business and knew what the routine was. Instead, she goes and asks woman sitting at a bus stop about getting a bus and then acts as though I didn't know what the hell I was talking about leaving me to feel like a complete fool.

The night before the concert, we had been out until something like 5am and then got up in time to get in line at the doors by 8am. I waited all day in the 90 degree sun with her, Steph, and some other people in order to get a front row spot. When they started letting people in, the security guard at the front of the line made sure that we got to go in before the VIP crowd because we had waited so long. "Justine" and Steph got down to the front before I did and they were standing center stage. The crowd was coming in quick behind me so when I got down there where they were, I said something about letting me squeeze in. That's when "Justine" said, "Go stand over there by the others." This was off to the left side of the stage in front of Vivan with people I hardly even knew. What irked me was that "Justine's" little friend that she was meeting up with out there was actually behind me and when she got down to the front along with a couple of others in our group, "Justine" was more than willing to make space to let them in. That no doubt told me exactly where I ranked with her. Oddly enough, one of the people she "let in" turned out to be one of the ones that she purposely tried to ditch after the show because she didn't like her for some superficial reason or another. There were actually at least a couple of people there that she had problems with because of things like bucked teeth or being a little more excited about being there than she thought they should be. It was shortly after that when we saw the owner of the group where we had first met along with her "gang" that, according to the email she had sent me, "Justine" was so sure to rip up one side and down the other with some "inside info" but she never did. Of course I think "Justine" is more talk than anything and I'm not even sure she had any info to begin with.

Later in the evening (or I guess I should say morning as it was after midnight) when a bunch of us went back to the hotel, I found out one of the people I considered a friend (one of the ones I met in Madison and was really looking forward to seeing again) was staying on my same floor. We got off the elevator together and she said there was talk about meeting up for breakfast. I told her I was up for it and to just let me know when and where. That morning came and went and no one ever did contact me about breakfast leaving me to think that no one got together which was a shame because I was really looking forward to talking with a couple of my Madison friends again. I later found out from Steph that they did get together. She wasn't even staying in the same hotel and she knew the details. Steph didn't go but from what she told me, it would seem that "Justine" never had any intention of letting me know what was going on and it wouldn't surprise me if she told the others that I had said I wasn't coming so they wouldn't question where I was or try to contact me. It was at that point I wanted nothing more than to just come back home but I couldn't because there was only one flight out on the airline we used and it had already left. The rest of the day, "Justine", her little buddy, a woman I was standing by at the concert, and I walked down the Strip but not even halfway, "Justine" and her friend decided to stop there and told the two of us to go on. Personally, I think "Justine" just wanted to get rid of us. Little does "Justine" know but the night before we left when she, and another fan, and I had come back from an evening of gambling, I could hear the two of them cackling and talking about me when the elevator doors closed after I got off. I still felt like I was getting the snub until we were on the way back to my house. That's when "Justine" turned all chummy again. Once I got out of the car and made my way to my front door, I had made my final decision that I would NEVER have anything to do with her again. I was willing to chalk one time of treatment like that up to the "having a bad day" excuse, but not twice. Friends just don't do shit like that to friends. It also became obvious to me that I must have pissed her off in some way although I'm doubfounded as to how because she never spoke to me again and when I did make a couple of posts on one of the message boards, she came back with what I would call a snotty reply.

It was only a couple of months later when I was talking with Steph, that I found out the kind of lies "Justine" had been telling about me. I guess she had told her that I made a point of telling "Justine" that I didn't want her smoking in the car when we went on that first roadtrip and that I bitched about taking cabs in Vegas because of the expense. I couldn't believe what a pack of crap she was trying to sell. I don't smoke (never have, never will) but I'm not going to tell someone they can't do it in their own car - that's their business. Hell the woman actually did smoke in the car on the way back from Rockford but I never said a word about it. Steph of course knew this wasn't true. She smokes too. When we get together, she usually drives so she can have her fix and I don't say a word. Actually, I have quite a few friends that smoke but it's not like I have a problem with them doing it in their own domain and I'm certainly not going to break up a good friendship over it. I also never said I didn't want to take a cab in Vegas because of the expense. Money wasn't an issue. I stated that if she (meaning "Justine") wanted to really see the strip, the best way to do it is to walk and take the available trams between the casinos. The one that really had me rolling on the floor was "Justine" saying that she thinks that I'm not really married because she had never seen my husband or a picture of him. I thought WTF? So I don't carry a photo of my husband around with me and stuff. I don't carry photos with me period. Big deal. After hearing all of the comments she was making about people's appearance and stuff in Vegas, I'm glad I never showed her anything that had to do with Ant because I know she would have shot her mouth off to someone about him and it wouldn't have been in a good way. Supposedly she also didn't believe he was British either assuming he did actually exist. It's one thing if you are going to say something about me but don't bring my family into it. That's just wrong!

I guess there were a lot of other little lies "Justine" tried to feed Steph about me too so who knows what she has told many of you (yes, lots of you probably know her). It doesn't matter though. If she needs to spread lies like that to make herself feel better, look better, etc., then let her. Anyone who really knows me will understand that she is full of crap. For those who choose to believe what she says, it's too bad they do but it's their decision to make and their loss.

Well, that brings us up to present day. After Vegas, I decided to pretty much just stay away from the online community. I've made a few "appearances" on the OSF since but that is about it because I was just tired of the bad experiences. After reading some of the blogs out there with a group of fans picking on others, I know I made the right decision by "getting out". I have enough stress in my life and don't want anymore caused by people who have nothing better to do than talk trash about each other. Steph is basically the only person I have met and actually stayed in touch with and I am thankful I have her friendship. We've had some great roadtrips together (one I have already written about - NYC) and some great memories together. When I get a chance, I will write about the Lep adventure to Sioux City, IA I had with her. Oh that was a great time! Just what I needed after the ordeal with the bitch named "Angel".

Whew....I think I have "typer's cramp". LOL Time for me to be scurrying my little butt along kiddies.

Til next time.....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Wednesday, March 09, 2005

One black toenail coming up!

Miles Run: Count 'em folks - a whopping 8
They are predicting high winds again for tomorrow so I figured I better step it up to counter maybe not getting out there Thursday night. Then again, I probably would have done that many anyway. Not only should I be at that level anyway but the farther I went, the more energized I felt. The downside is, I fear that I may be getting a black toenail again. Oh the casualties of long distance running. LOL

Other Exercise: None - not enough time. My guess is that I won't be doing much of this at least not until the weather gets warmer and the days longer. That's ok though. As long as I can get it in at least once every couple of weeks, I'm good.

I once again don't have a lot of time to write tonight (I've got more job hunting to do) but I wanted to put down a few words about something they have been reporting about on the news the last couple of nights. I guess someone in the Des Moines area decided to wander through one of the most diverse communities in town and drop National Alliance literature in people's yards. These people just make me ill! It boggles my mind to think that there are people out there who actually believe that the way someone looks and the culture they come from destroys a society. Nothing good EVER has come out of segregation and nothing EVER will. Can we say hints of Hitler? That's how I view them and I have a feeling that if they were ever able to dominate like they would like to, there would be even more war and hatred in this world than there already is. Just the thought gives me the chills.

Righty Ro Pets, I's be on my way now.

Til next time.....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Sowwy Charlie

Miles Run: 2 - Short on time today
Other Exercise: None - Short of time

Well kiddies, I don't have much time to blabber tonight so I'm sad to say the Lep adventures are going to once again be put off.

Yesterday we received some pretty crappy news at work - more layoffs in May. They don't know how many people will be let go but since we only have six people in the office that it can effect, it's not a good deal. Every time we have gone through these times before I have been very confident that I would keep my job but this time I'm feeling 50/50. My skills are top notch so I know if I were one of the "chosen" ones it wouldn't be because of poor performance. I don't know, depending on how they look at things, I can see being excellent at what I do harming or helping. Either way I have decided to look at this from the positive side - that being that it has given me that kick in the butt to go look for a new and better job. For the last few years now, I just haven't felt as though my full potential has been sourced where I am at. I always take any opportunities that come along to do something new and different but they don't seem to come along that often and there comes a point where the same old same old bores you to death so much that even working with some of the best bunch of people you could ask for isn't enough to keep you interested.

In a completely unrelated morsel of news......

I would like to kill my husband's co-worker named Jerry. This guy records The Jerry Springer Show (Yes, I did "say" Jerry Springer of White Trash Whores Galore fame) everyday. If that isn't bad enough, he has now become an influence on Ant enough that he is now doing it. And the British are thought to be so civilized. I guess the fact that they "booed" Jerry Springer the stage show says nothing about expats who find it on tv. LOL BAD JERRY! BAD! BAD! LMAO

Otay kiddies......I've got a resume to finish and Blind Justice is on (Ron Eldard - YUM! Drool drool slurp slurp).

Til next time.....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Sunday, March 06, 2005

CATS! GRRRRRR!!!!!

Miles Run: 0 - Today is a day of rest.

Other Exercise: None - too busy cleaning.

I have come to realize one of the biggest reasons I like dogs 100 times better than cats (other than the fact that dogs don't jump on kitchen counters). Even though the two little furry monsters we have wandering around here usually aren't pals, it has become apparent they do work together when it comes to mischief. The one has the skills to open closet doors and the other loves to eat stuff especially plastic bags. Well today I just about made both of them pack their little hobo bags and head for the fields after Ant made a little discovery when cleaning the litter box. He called up to me and asked if I had any red tasslily things. I couldn't think of anything right off and I even went into one of our walk in closets that I know they get into to see if anything was amiss. I didn't see anything right off but did find a few pieces of red "string" much like what Ant found in the poops which were in the litter box. At first, I thought maybe it was this cord that Ant had gotten for his sunglasses but it just didn't look right. It was at that moment that something clicked in my mind and I went back to have another look in the closet. The little bastards had gotten a hold of my college graduation tassel from Iowa State and ate it!!! I was SO PISSED!!! They didn't touch the high school one hanging right next to it - only the one from college. Now I really didn't want them eating either one but if it had to happen, I would have rather it been the one from high school. The college one had a lot more sentimental value attached to it because I was the only child from my family to graduate from college. I know dogs can do this sort of thing too, however, the kind of dogs I had at one time wouldn't have. First of all, unlike cats, they were trainable and second, they were much too small to jump up to where these cats had to in order to get my tassel. At least when Ant was cleaning the computer room today he found my college class ring.

On a more happy unrelated note, we hit a high temp in the lower 70s today and we now have some really cool lightning going on. Ant also said the National Weather Service has just issued a severe thunderstorm warning for us. WHOOHOO!!! The first storm of the year. YAY!!! I love T Storms even if they are short lived like this one probably will be.

Otay kiddies, I've got laundry to fold so I've got to be going now.

Til next time.....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Thursday, March 03, 2005

Confessions Of A Twenty Year Lep Fan - Psycho #1

Miles Run: 0 - Tonight was my night off
(have to rest those muscles)
Push Ups: 50
Crunches: 200+ (You didn't expect me to
completely take the day off did you? LOL)

If I remember correctly, my first face to face interaction with a Def Leppard fan I met online all started sometime between April and June of 2003. There were two women on the OS forum who were planning a big get together for fans. I was one of the many who was interested and I was asked to be on a committee. I figured why not? Well, at some point, one of the women dropped out of site never to be heard from again. It was then that one woman left (I'll call her Angela) asked me if I would take over as co-planner. Against my better judgment, I agreed. For awhile, things were going well and we thought we might be able to pull things off despite all the negative comments suggesting we weren't doing this and that right made by a certain organizer of an event called LepCon which I understand was a total flop. About a month or so before our party was to take place, we booked the venue - a "niceish" hotel along the river in Sioux City, IA. The hotel would only allow us to secure the room with a credit card and because I was the only one of the two of us which had available credit, I was elected for that - lucky me. I was hesitant and I felt a little suspicious of her but it was only going to be $300 so it wasn't like it would be a hardship if I was out the money and "Angela" said she would pay me back when she got the money together so I ponied up the card.

During the time all this was going on, there was a concert date scheduled for mid June in Des Moines. I had come up with the idea that those of us planning to attend should get together before the show to go to dinner and get to know each other. There was a good response and about 13 who committed to being there so I went about putting it all together and making a reservation.

Like a lot of events, these two turned out nothing like what they were supposed to. "Angela" flew in a day early for the Des Moines concert and because I had a half day off from work, we decided to get together. I got off work at noon on Friday and drove downtown to the hotel where she was staying. It was one of the nicer places in town so she thought the band might stay there. I told her it was possible but not very likely because it was farther from the venue and most of the acts that perform in Des Moines stay at another hotel that was closer. When I arrived at the hotel, I went up to her room and waited for her to finish getting ready. When she was done, we drove a few blocks or so to a parking ramp that was connected to the skywalk. We walked all around including up to the venue and around the hotel where I told her I thought the band would be staying. Sure enough, the buses were there and the minute she saw them, she started going ape shit and wanting to hang around the place. Oh great. Here I am stuck with one of those psychotic over zealous fans. We went down to the bar for a little while and walked around the building outside but didn't see anyone - thank God! The last thing I wanted was to be with her should one of the band members show up. When I dropped her off at the hotel, she said to me, "We (meaning her and this other woman she was going to be sharing a room with) might be a little late to dinner, but we WILL be there." It was at that moment I was 99% sure that they wouldn't be there at all. I don't know why I felt that way exactly. I think it was just the way she emphasized the word "will" and the fact that I have a very low bullshit tolerance.

Concert day came and it seemed to be going as planned. My friend from Knoxville met me at my house so we could drive downtown together because she wasn't that familiar with the city and didn't handle night driving very well. Shortly after she arrived, we left to go to the restaurant. When we arrived, we were seated and the hostess confirmed how many would be in the group. Not too long after we sat down, a friend of mine from the southside of Des Moines showed up. We sat around and talked for a little while before ordering to give the others time to show up. 20 minutes came and went but no one else arrived. I thought that was odd especially since no one called to say they weren't coming. Later on, when the three of us (Ant went to dinner but not the concert) got to the venue, we were standing in the lobby waiting for a couple of other people to show up. After standing there for awhile, "Angela" and her friend that she was rooming with approached me. She tries to make a little small talk and attempts to blame not showing up for dinner on her friend leaving late because of a sick dog. I just said something like "oh well" and left it at that because I knew if I didn't, I might end up giving her a piece of my mind. She handed me the money to reimburse me for the charge that was going to be put on my credit card for the party venue (at least she kept her word about that), walked off, and that was pretty much the last I saw of her. It wasn't until the days following the concert that I found out just what a couple of bitches "Angela" and her friend really were. Steph had been emailing with one of the people who was supposed to be there and got the dirt from her. In her email, she stated that they had a legitimate reason for not being there which I do believe, however, they would have been had it not be for getting some misinformation. I guess "Angela" and her friend decided to tell everyone that I had called them and told them that the dinner was cancelled. The email also stated that "Angela's" friend who supposedly didn't show up until a half hour before showtime according to "Angela" was really there the night before and they both hung out with Vivian at that time. Reading all this just made my blood boil! I had taken the time and made the effort to organize this meet and these two assholes decide to sabotage it. Lord knows what the hell I did to have them do that. I had decided the night of the concert that I would be cutting ties with "Angela" when it came to that party and after I got the information from Steph, I knew I had made the correct choice.

When I emailed "Angela" the day after the concert to tell her I was out as far as the party was concerned, I asked her for her mailing address so I could send her money back to her. She shoots me an email back making it sound like she was shocked about what happened with the dinner thing - yah right whatever. What really pissed me off is that she takes a total of a week to get back to me with her address and then has the unmitigated gall to ask me to overnight it to her because she wants it for her next Lep trek that she will be leaving for in a couple of days. To top it off, for the next three days she keeps emailing me pestering me about the money. Jesus Christ, give a person some time to answer. I was on summer hours that week which meant I had to put in an extra hour everyday so I could have Friday afternoon off and I'm not allowed to check my email at work. I told her I wasn't able to overnight it and sent it out regular mail. The hell if I am going to waste $10 to overnight something to someone when it would probably arrive in two days by normal mail. Besides, why the hell should I pull a favor for someone who stabbed me in the back?

After that, I never heard from "Angela" again. In fact, I don't think anyone did. Like the second woman who had first started the party, she completely disappeared. Go figure!

The fun doesn't stop here kiddies. The real "irritator" is yet to come. Stay tuned!

Time to go. Ant just woke up from his nap and realized he missed the chow wagon so I'm going to go fix him something to eat.

Til next time.....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Wednesday, March 02, 2005

A cold run and some thoughts about The Notebook

Miles Run: A whopping 4 goose poo dodging miles. 8min/mi average.
Other Exercise: Had to skip it because of insufficient time.
Weight Loss: Probably more than usual after the
Ripley's episode I saw earlier tonight.

I gotta say sweating from the waist up at the same time you are numb from the waist down because of the cold is a very strange sensation. I will be sooooo glad when the weather finally warms it ass up. This cold is bullshit. At least the air wasn't as dry as last night so running was a LOT easier on my lungs.

Oh I suppose you are wondering what my weight loss comment was all about. I tuned into Ripley's Believe It Or Not earlier and the first thing they talked about has got to be one of THE grossest things I have ever heard about in this life. They were interviewing a man who eats not only raw meat but raw meat that has been rotting for months to years! We are talking shit that is so foul that it has turned black with mold and stinks so bad that getting within five feet of it would be enough to make just about anyone hurl. I guess the guy hooked up with some Eskimos who taught him this way of eating to cure his ailments. Personally, I think I would rather just drop dead. Just looking at that nasty shit was enough to make me gag. YUCK!!!

I know I had promised the next installment of my Lep adventures this evening but I decided to put that off for at least another day. I just didn't feel inspired to write about it at this point. Instead I thought I would discuss a book that I have started reading. It's one that I'm sure many of you have heard of - The Notebook. When the movie first came out, I thought about seeing it but never did. I thought about it again when it came out on DVD but once again, I didn't do it and didn't really think much more about it.

The other day one of my coworkers came over to my desk with the book and asked me if I wanted to read it. I told her that I thought about watching the movie but wasn't really a fan of books unless they are technical manuals (weird I know). I'm the type of person with a mathematical mind first and foremost. I don't mind sitting down for a couple of hours to watch a movie but I tend to have difficulties sitting down and spending a number of hours over several days to read something that doesn't produce any concrete knowledge. She didn't give up easily though. She told me to at least give it a shot and read the first 30 pages before turning it down. I decided what the hell. It's not like I have anything to lose by reading it during my lunch hour which I consider my downtime anyway.

I'm nearly 100 pages in and although it's not a book that I just can't put down, it's a decent story. Actually, it got me thinking once again about a guy I knew who is the closest comparison to Noah (one of the main characters) I have ever come across. He is one of the sweetest guys I have ever been fortunate enough to meet and share life with for a year and a half. Like Noah and Allie, we were in love and just came alive around each other. Also like the characters in the book, there was parental interference (my mom) in the relationship which eventually pulled us apart. Rather than standing up for my heart, I allowed myself to be pulled away from him and rather than taking a risk later to go back to him, I ended up with someone else. Although I do love my husband, there are times when I think about this other man and wonder what might have been. There is just something about a first true love that no matter what you do, you can never forget. On a final note....should this person be reading this (you know who you are), I want you to know that even after all this time and everything that has happened, I do still have love in my heart for you.

Otayters.....I'm outta here so I can get some chow now that I think I have recovered from seeing that disgusting meat.

Til next time.....

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Confessions Of A Twenty Year Lep Fan - The Lep Brigade

Miles Run: A very quick and cold loogey hocking 2
Other Exercise: Shaa right my lungs were shot after that run

I came home after work and got online to get my free credit report. Wouldn't you know the minute I opened the page, some ass fuck who lives near by decided they needed to get on their cordless phone. One of our computers (the one I happened to be using at the time) uses a wireless network which means when someone switches on their cordless phone, the connection get scrambled. My guess is that whoever it is hasn't lived here long or they just got the phone because it only just started doing this recently. Anyhoo, I went in the other room to use another computer and not long after I got started, I had to get up again to get something from the other room. When I did, I noticed that there was a spot on my ankle that really itched. I looked down and discovered I was bleeding but I couldn't figure out what the hell I did to cause it. I got what I needed and went back to my chair and continued with getting my credit rating. When I got up to get the pages I printed, I checked my chair again (I had checked it once before I sat down the second time). The first time I looked, I couldn't find anything but the second time I ran my hand across the seat and I'll be damned if there wasn't a piece of glass lodged in the cloth. Well, that explains how I managed to cut my ankle and make it bleed profusely and wouldn't you know the only way I found it was by running my hand across the chair and catching my finger on the glass and cutting it. BASTARD!!!

At least the news I got about my credit was good which I knew it would be anyway but having it confirmed just gave me extra peace of mind. I ended up paying the $5 to get my actual score too just because I was curious to know. 769 out of 830. According to Experian, that is higher than 82% of the consumers out there and enough to put me in the excellent range. Can't really complain about that.

Ok, enough of my ramblings about stuff I doubt you care about. Time to move on to what I know you are all just dying to read, the second installment of my Lep adventures.....

It wasn't until the release of X that I discovered the online side of the Def Leppard fan world and later the ugliness of it. I had been on the internet for a fair amount of time before this but I guess since it had been awhile since anything had been put out by the band, it just didn't click with me to look. That and my musical interests had changed to some extent so I just wasn't as into their music as I once was. I still liked the band and knew that I could purchase their albums without being disappointed but I wasn't what I would call a "fanatic" meaning I wasn't actively seeking things with the Def Leppard name on them to snag up in a heartbeat like I did when I was a teen.

My first online interaction with other fans was through the official Def Leppard forum. People seemed to be generally nice and accepting, however, this is typically how things will play out in a more "formal" sort of setting with discussion ground rules and so on. Through this forum I found out about other fan groups on Yahoo & MSN which were a little more informal so I decided to join a few of them. For the first few months, I enjoyed being in these group and there were a few people who I met through them who I really liked talking to, but I did think some of them (two in particular) were sort of "cliquey" especially when it came to chats that were held for the group. Because of that I decided to start my own Yahoo group called the Lep Brigade. About 30 people joined. Not a lot but a nice size for an all ages group. At this point, I wasn't aware of all the bickering that was going back and forth but looking back on a couple of incidents that happened at the time (an email that I received and one person who joined only to turn around and unsub shortly after and emailing me an excuse which I think was probably a cover), I have a feeling they were because of it. That was turned out to only be the tip of the iceberg though.....

Tomorrow night - my first encounter with online fans in the flesh.

Righty rosey roo. Whose Line is on and I can't resist Wayne Brady. He just cracks me up like no one else.

Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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