Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Shad Shad the social pooping cat
Exercise: 160 crunches (yep, I've upped the stakes again), 50 leg lifts, and 30 squats.
Any of you out there who are SNL junkies and used to watch the show about 15 years ago might remember a skit called Toonsis The Driving Cat. As the title suggests, it involved a cat who could drive a car although in the end he would wreck and you typically saw a flash to footage of a car tumbling down a cliff. Now our little Grey Guy is gifted - not quite to the degree that Toonsis is (and even if he was, he wouldn't be allowed to have the keys) but he's got some talent. I have come to the conclusion that because of the praise he has received over his talents, he believes his shit "don't stank" and that everyone needs to be present for the blessed event. To put it quite simply, the cat appears to have this need to seek out "his people" before visiting the "sandbox".
Some of you might be saying, "Oh come on, you just happen to be by the box when he needs to go." Obviously there are times when this is true but not always. We have two kitty dump sites at our house - one upstairs, the other down. In the morning after I get ready for work, I go from the master bath to the small bath upstairs to feed the little monsters then go downstairs to put on my shoes and get my lunch ready. Sure as anything if the little grey hairball decides to eat breakfast, he will sprint downstairs to poo in the box in the bathroom down there where I am rather than stopping at the one upstairs as he passes by on his way down. Yep, he's a total social dumper and how the air quality drops once he's made himself known. Forget about Toonsis, this is more along the lines of Something Smells Good In Stinkville...."Oh just hand me the damn cat's ass!"
And now for something completely different.....
As I was coming to work today, I was passed by a semitruck owned by a company whom someone from my past worked for (and may still - it's been years since we last talked). Now the superstitious people out there would say it's a sign. Those who aren't into that stuff probably would just dismiss it and not think anything of it. Then there's the idea that if we see something that we some how can relate to, we are more likely to pick up on it. I suppose that could be considered true but I don't think that played much into this. I don't really consider myself to be superstitious but I do think it's interesting how coincidences do arise when things like this come along. For whatever reason, I had a thought of this person come into my head right before I saw the truck. I've noticed that from time to time I will have dreams involving things which actually come to pass to. Very strange. So back to the truck...if it were to be considered a sign, I wonder what it's a sign of. Hopefully the future will tell because I'm like the cat when it comes to curiosity and yes, I swear it probably will kill me one day.
Ok, that's it for me today.
Til next time....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Tuesday, January 30, 2007
There's a critter in the ceiling dear Liza
Exercise: 120 crunches, 50 leg lifts, 30 push ups, 30 squats (decided to add these to kind of mix it up a little and help out with the skating).
Earlier today I was sitting at my desk minding my own business as I do and all of a sudden I hear this noise that sounds kind of like someone rustling a wrapper. At first I didn't think much of it but then it continued. I sat for a minute just listening and realized that was no wrapper, that was a mouse or some other small animal scurrying around. For the next half hour or so, the poor little thing was just running all over the place and making quite a bit of noise doing it - so much so that it was rather distracting.
And now for something that isn't entirely different because it's still work related....
I get a kick out of the drama that starts over the most simple things. One of the other departments here is being required to take a test on a couple of the MS Windows applications - I believe Excel and Outlook. From what I understand they have to score at least a 70% and do each test in less than a half hour. Now I can see how if you have a slow computer (and trust me, many of the ones we have here are) you could end up not finishing in time especially if you don't know the answers to the questions right off the bat but really. 70% is what I would term generously low especially for someone who is in a position where they should know this shit. Of course when it comes to the people I work with, I'm often amazed by just how little they do know. Oh and I would wager to say that very few in this office even know what Access is let alone how to use it effectively which is a real shame because it could make tons of things so much easier. What really makes me laugh though is when these things come up, there's always someone who'll make some sort of comment about me taking the test for them. Um shyah I don't think so.
Well, that about does it for me today. Lunchtime is almost over anyway. I know - dud post today but what can I say, it's been a fairly slow day so far. Maybe tomorrow will bring something a little more exciting.
Til next time....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Monday, January 29, 2007
Oh the travesty! My beloved wood floor is gone!
Exercise: 2 hours of kick ass skating.
So during my daily morning chat with Mr. PIB the other day, he was telling me about taking his daughter roller skating. Turns out he actually likes to go - an admission that ended up being kind of a "well spank my ass and call me Charlie" moment for me since most people these days will look at you as though you have a third eyeball and say, "Isn't that a 70s thing?" when you even try and utter the words roller and skating together.
Anyway, after all this talk, I decided to bite the bullet and return after a 3 - 4 year hiatus to the adult night session I used to go to at one of the local rinks. I had been thinking about going for awhile but just couldn't be bothered for one reason or another. For the most part, I'm glad I went and it once again reminded me just how much I like to skate. The downside - the floor has been changed. This place used to have the biggest, most beautiful wood floor in town - it's now plastic tiles that go click click click click when you skate over them. Granted it's not as bad as those coated concrete floors but nothing beats wood. According to one of the guys I talked to, there was a really bad leak in the roof that destroyed the floor beyond repair. The insurance only covered $50000 and to install a brand new wood floor would cost $200000. While I understand the financials pretty much made it impossible for the owner to go with wood, it SUCKS! Even so, I'm sure I will find myself returning on at least a somewhat regular basis although the music they play is still complete and utter shit for the most part (that was one of the reasons I stopped going in the first place - tired of the same old same old and the modern day stuff being nothing but crappy rap).
I think the most interesting thing about returning was discovering that I must have left some sort of impression on people when I used to go regularly. One of the guys who's a regular came up to me and actually remembered me from a few years ago. I think I had maybe talked to him once or twice before but usually nothing more than a passing hello. Then there was another guy who came up and talked to me for a bit. He actually remembered me from the another rink I used to frequent about 15 years ago. I couldn't believe it. As far as I know, we had never spoken to each other before and I sure as hell don't remember him yet he (and a couple of his friends) remembered me. Of course I also have to wonder if he had other motives by talking to me when he first approached. The reason I say this is because he started off by talking about the other rink and stuff then kind of went through a list of things that I might have done since then one of them being getting married (I noticed right before he asked this he had glanced down at my left ring finger). I don't know, there was just something in the way he asked that kind of gave me the impression that the question was brought up to find out information rather than actually being interested as to whether I was married or not.
That's what brings up my next thought....
Why is it that guys get so weird about things when they find out a woman they've been talking to is married? I mean yah, ok it puts kind of a damper on things if the guy has intentions of wanting to date the woman but what is it with guys thinking they've got to drop the coversation right there and then basically act like you no longer exist? Christ, married woman are people too. Just because we can't be close to you in a romantic way doesn't mean we can't or don't want to talk to you. I swear people are so weird when it comes to stuff like that. I guess that's the one thing that I really like about Mr. PIB. He's married, I'm married but we are buds and can hang out without it being "weird".
So back to the skating thing. When the session was over, I was reminded of a bunch of muscles that I have but obviously hadn't been using enough. I swear that had to be the first time I actually felt stiff and sore right after I got done. What's really bad is I got a nasty cramp in the foot as I was driving home - not a good thing especially when you drive a car with a clutch. It was then that I really started dreading the next day because I figured my legs would be even more stiff than they already were. Oddly enough, they weren't. I actually felt pretty damn good. The downside though was that I wasn't able to get in a good stretch and run on Friday evening so getting out of bed on Saturday morning wasn't overly pleasant. Even today I'm still feeling a little tightness but I think after I go to a couple more sessions, the soreness will be a thing of the past.
And now for something completely different....
I would like to address the asshole who keeps parking on the street in front of building number 7 (Yah you with the license plate 915 PIF). Read your newsletter dipshit! Your car either belongs in the driveway or in one of the parking spaces back by buildings 2 & 3. I'm getting really fuckin tired of having to try to navigate around your piece of shit auto especially since there is still ice on the road due to a clean up crew the doesn't know what the hell they are doing.
And speaking of annoying people and their cars. I'd like to give a two bird salute to the fucker who cut me off this morning as I was coming to work. You're lucky you were moving too fast for me to catch your license plate otherwise you better believe I would be posting it. Obviously someone forgot to tell you that when you merge into traffic, you are the one who is supposed to yield. Oh and another thing - you pass on the left, not the right asshole and definitely not 20 feet from where the road and exit lane fork. I did watch you make your way on down the interstate. It seems that you didn't stop with cutting people off after you nearly hit me. From the looks of it, you nearly caused another accident which makes me wonder if you even made it to your destination today after all that wreckless driving. If you did, congrats although I'm sure the accident Gods will get you yet and are planning your crash as I type this. If you didn't, serves you right and maybe you'll learn next time but I doubt it. Yah, that was cold but you know what, when you come close to killing people because of your stupidity, chances are they aren't going to be overly friendly.
Otay, I think that about does it for me today. Lunchtime is almost over so I should get this posted.
Til next time....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Monday, January 22, 2007
Who left the freezer door open?
Exercise: Yah right. At 2F with a windchill of -16F and no shoveled walks you can bet your ass I wasn't out running. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind running in the cold but even I do have limits. LOL
To start off today's post....A little ranting
So last Monday was our first commute during a winter storm this season. The good part about it being the first time is that people generally will go slower and be more cautious than they tend to be if they've already delt with slippery roads a couple of times. The bad part is no matter if it's the first time or the last time in the season, people don't seem to know how to clean their fucking cars off. I can't tell you how many I saw going around with a back window completely covered. Then again, now that I think about it, I shouldn't be surprised. It's not like most people look behind them when doing things like changing lanes these days anyway. *RE*
Now what I really can't understand is the road reports given on the news. I mean they pimp those things to sound as though it's going to be trecherous then you get out there and it's not so bad. That's not to say caution shouldn't be taken and the roads are as good as they are when dry, but I've noticed lots of times they make it sound a whole hell of a lot worse than it really is. My traction control light came on a couple of times (once on the way to work and once on the way home) but compared to some of the weather I've driven in, this was nothing.
Then there's the state of the neighborhood streets when it comes to the winter season. I swear the people hired to come and plow them don't know what the hell they are doing and it would seem that each year they neglect the sidewalks more and more. Two days later those fuckers still weren't shoveled. Well, I take that back. It appeared a feeble attempt was made to get the snow off them. Of course what pisses me off most about that is they leave half the shit on there and don't put any ice melt down, it refreezes and rather than just being light fluffy snow, it turns rock hard making it even more dangerous to walk on than before it was shoveled.
I'm really beginning to hate the toilets we have in our house. I swear the drain pipe in them is smaller than your average dump station. It seems like things that would easily go down in most toilets end up clogging ours up. Now there have been times when Chi has flushed wads of hair down (something I tend to get on his case about since that's trouble just looking for a place to happen) but these three little bastards have sort of been this way since we bought the house. I know it's not an actual plumbing problem (which is good) but it's a pain in the ass. Of course after my experience last Sunday, I have to say I would really like to replace these little pansy ass flushers with the high power models (you actually have to try if you want to clog those fuckers up).
So what happened Sunday your wondering? Oh let me tell you. I spent a good hour cleaning the toilet and floor in our master bathroom because one of those piss pots decided to overflow. That has got to be one of THE grossest tasks a homeowner may have to ever do. Luckily there wasn't that much water that came out but even a drop is more than I wanted to have to deal with (luckily it wasn't brown and turd infested). What made matters worse is that it ran along where the carpet meets the bathroom flooring at the door and there was just enough of a crack there so some of it leaked through to the kitchen floor downstairs. I was so pissed when Chi called my attention to it and yep, I once again called our house The Fucking Money Pit. At least the ending turned out happy. There wasn't any lasting damage and I was able to get the toilet sorted out without having to call a plumber because that's one expense I didn't want to have to face. We just got the $10000 put back in the savings which was withdrawn for Chi's car and didn't want to have to start taking it back out again.
On top of all this, there's work. You know most days I don't mind my job and I have to say I'm glad to have one but then there are other days where I just want to choke the living shit out of someone and tell just about everyone else to do to hell. last week was a real doozy for that.
Are annual review assessments were due and I swear I don't know why those of us who are administrators have to even bother. Every year it's the same questions and every year I get the same scores. What's so ridiculous about this is that we've basically been told by our supervisor that she's not allowed to score more than one or two 4s per evaluation (each question is rated on a scale of 1 - 4) so basically a three is all the better you can do. Oh and no one gets a 4 for attendance even if they only take time off which is accrued and advanced notice is given. How ridiculous is that? I swear every time we do these things I feel as though I am wasting my time because I will never get any better than where I'm at now. The sad part about it is, it's not because I don't try harder or do more stuff beyond the call of duty but because the "system" of higher ups won't allow it. Totally pathetic I tell ya. Oh and if that isn't bad enough, I don't like the fact that my supervisor will go and talk with the business managers then rate me based on what they say rather than getting both sides of the story first. There have been a couple of times now where I've been scored lower because a business manager decided to only fill my supervisor in on half the details of the story. What is it with people and not wanting to be accountable?
Last week also seemed to be "You're So Stupid" week too. There's an error in one of the financial planning tools we use for one of our manufacturers and the person at the helpdesk we have been talking to about it is, in my opinion, dumber than a rock. Now I've dealt with this woman before and let me tell you every time I've had to talk to her, I've wanted to reach through the phone and slap her. She's one of those people who won't listen to a word you say because of course she's right, you're wrong, and that will never change. Then there's the fact that she won't shut up long enough to listen. You try to say something and she'll just over talk you. Oh and this isn't just my opinion of her. The business manager thinks the same of her. What's truly scary is he told me that he had heard this woman helped develop this POS software. The BM and I had the exact same thought about that....If it's indeed true, it's no wonder the database is so completely fucked up.
Anyway, here's the email exchange I had with this woman (I think I shall refer to her as SHL aka Stupid Helpdesk Lady)...
SHL: Can you please send me the screen shot of the payment tool...all the pages leading up to the error message?
Me: Please see below. (Now keep in mind here the BM had already sent here a copy of the shot showing the error I had sent him a couple days prior and then I sent her a shot of two screens I go through right before the error comes up).
SHL: Thanks....Can you send me the shot with the error message as well please?
Me: I believe the BM already did.
SHL: It will be more helpful to see the full flow...your last screen shot with the error message on top is what I need.
Me: (shaking my fists at the computer screen because of her stupidity). You have all of the shots. The error comes up on top of the one that says [Screen Title] (2nd shot in the message below) as soon as I enter any dollar amount and try to move to another field or validate the claim.
SHL: I just left you a voice message (not sure why she didn't just call my direct line seeing as the number was attached to every email I sent her. Yet one more thing to give her stupid marks for.). I need to have all the documentation come from the same session. The BM's copy was from a different day. Please just try to clear the deduction and when you get the error message, send me the screen shot. The technical group cannot investigate properly without the documentation coming from the same work session.
I was livid by this point but ended up doing what she asked because I know if I hadn't, I would have given her a few choice words which would have gotten me in hot water. The completely stupid part about all this is the only way she knew what I sent her came from two different sessions is because originally I had given the BM a print out of the error not an electronic copy. He then scanned it and sent it to her. Had I sent it to him electronically she would have been none the wiser. I don't know what the hell she thought she was going to see that was SOOO different because what I ended up sent her was the equivalent of cutting out the paper error screen and pasting it on the other shots I sent her. Nothing like dealing with a bullheaded bitch before 10 am let me tell you.
And next on the stupid list....
A buyer that can't pull his head out of his ass for two seconds to see that the information he requested is, in fact, on the spreadsheet that was sent to him. One of the BMs had come to me and asked if I could combine a price list and a spec list for one of our clients since they don't keep all that information in one file anymore. I told him it might take a little while but it should be completely doable. Anyway, I get it done and then send it on to the BM. He, in turn, sends it on to the buyer who requested it. A day or two later, the buyer sends back a message wanting unit weights (something I had left off since that is something most customers don't typically ask for.). The BM asks if I can put the information on there. Again, doable but it will take a little bit of time. So I get the thing all done and send it back to the BM who then forwards it to the buyer. This morning I open my email and there's a message from the BM - according to the buyer the package weight he wants still isn't on the spreadsheet. WTF? I open it up, find the item and look across to the column where the unit weights are. Sure enough there's a value in there. I even called over one of my co-workers to look at it just on the off chance that I had smoked some crack I didn't know about. Turns out she saw it too which means she either smoked some crack too or the information was indeed there all along. Being someone who doesn't do drugs and knows my co-worker doesn't either, I'm going to go with option two here. Obviously the crack smoker is the one on the other end of the email chain. *RE*
Next up....
BMs that seem to think I'm their fuckin secretary and can't shit without having their hands held. I got this message today from one of them that wanted me to get a stock report from one of our customers for a particular client and then give him the buying bracket information. Ok, first of all, what the hell is the point of calling me to request this information when he could have just made that call to the buyer directly? I mean he calls me, I don't know who buys the stuff because I no longer do the customer service part of the line so I have to ask the BM who I need to contact in the first place. Second of all, the buying bracket information is on the price list located on the share drive where he could easily get to it. I swear there was probably a good 5 - 10 minutes wasted by this process. Then again, I really shouldn't be surprised by his actions. This is a man that will get other people to send his faxes and snail mail stuff for him whenever possible.
And last but not least on the stupid list....
The BM in one of our other offices who, rather than asking me about something directly, will go through one of the BMs in my office. Ok dipshit, why not stop wasting everyone's time and just ask me? I don't know, there's just something about that sort of thing that just rubs me the wrong way. Of course most people here think the guy is a total ass munch so I guess it doesn't really surprise me he does the things he does. The most laughable part about all of it is that it appears that he likes to have this very organized and proper way about him but obviously the guy doesn't even know how to use spell check when he sends emails. I've seen third graders compose better stuff than this guy at times.
And now for something completely different....
I was watching tv the other day and a commercial came on for the Iowa Stars hockey team. I had seen this ad before but never really paid attention to the music they were playing in the background. For some reason, this particular time, my ear picked up on it. I'll be damned if it wasn't Ride Into The Sun by Def Leppard (one of my favs of theirs). I was impressed. I mean it's one thing to pick one of their top ten singles but this one was definitely more obscure and something that I would say only a fan would know to choose seeing as it was originally released as a B side a long time ago and then actually on their Retroactive album from the 90s.
Otay...that about does it from here. I've been working on this piece of crap for about a week so I think I should finally get it posted. Hopefully one of these days I will make it back to daily posting so this shit isn't so long to read. LOL
Til next time....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Thursday, January 11, 2007
Dubya and the neverending Deja Vu
Exercise: No time - had to go grocery shopping.
I've said it before and I will say it again....I'm ashamed to live in a country run by the dolt who goes by the name of Dubya. His latest little rambling only further enforces this feeling. His decision to increase the number of troops in Iraq also further shows me that the man is only capable of listening to those he agrees with and doesn't give a shit about what the people of this country (you know, the ones he is supposedly working for) have to say. I couldn't even bring myself to watch his blah blah last night because the sight of him just makes me want to throw up these days. Instead I opted for Mythbusters and how ironic that their show was about a myth concerning the Hindenburg's demise.
I did, however, read the transcript today. My initial thought - *RE* Same Shit/Different Day. It truly amazes me there are people out there (while decreasing in number everday it would seem), who still buy into the crazy shit this loon pours out everytime he flaps his lips. I always knew the man was delusional but I think his speech last night hit new heights when it comes to such.
It's when I read the following quote that I couldn't help but say, "DUH Dipshit! Anyone with half a brain could see that one coming. Oh wait, I forgot, you lack enough grey matter to even qualify for having half a brain when it comes to these things.
"When I addressed you just over a year ago, nearly 12 million Iraqis had cast their ballots for a unified and democratic nation. The elections of 2005 were a stunning achievement. We thought that these elections would bring the Iraqis together - and that as we trained Iraqi security forces, we could accomplish our mission with fewer American troops.
But in 2006, the opposite happened. The violence in Iraq - particularly in Baghdad - overwhelmed the political gains the Iraqis had made. Al Qaeda terrorists and Sunni insurgents recognized the mortal danger that Iraq's elections posed for their cause. And they responded with outrageous acts of murder aimed at innocent Iraqis."
I mean come on. I should think that even an idiot would find this to be common sense.
Oh and why do I get the feeling that him bringing Iran into the mix is a foreshadowing of this asshat trying to convince America to invade that country next? This man is truly on a power trip and quite frankly it scares the hell out of me.
Personally, I believe by staying in Iraq we are making things worse with each passing day rather than better and only sealing a fate of never being able to completely leave the place. I view trying to get rid of terrorism like racism. No matter how hard you try to snuff it out, there will always be a few who will keep it alive and convince others to do the same. Hell, look how long it's taken to change people's view in this country about those who have a different color of skin and the problem still exists. I mean do we honestly think that every last terrorist is going to be killed off and the Middle East will just wake up and place nice one day particularly with those it views as traitors? Get real. A snowball in hell would have a better chance. Now if the US was smart, we would have used our knowledge to solve the problem rather than our force and by doing so, we could have likely ended up a stronger nation because of it. People too often feel that if you don't physically fight that you're a coward and a wimp but when it comes to this sort of thing, the cowards are the ones who won't use their brains over their braun.
And now for something completely different....
My mom called me last night to ask if I could come and look after Sadie dog when they go away for a few days. While I was on the phone with her, she told me that my oldest nephew had another epileptic siezure. Now granted he's been pretty lucky as it's been a year or two since the last one, however, everytime this happens, he isn't allowed to drive for six months and I know that really bothers him.
According to my mom, he had gone out shopping last week and at some point he called her to say that he wasn't feeling right and thought she and my dad should come and get him. They did and on the way home was when it happened. My dad was driving the kiddo's car. J was with him and my mom followed behind. My mom said that not too long after they started the trip back, my dad pulled over on a side street. She thought maybe there was something wrong with the car but my dad motioned her over and that's when she saw J shaking uncontrolably. She said he looked ashen as though he was dead and it really scared her. She ended up calling my sister to ask if they needed to take him to the ER but my sis said, "No, he should be ok in a minute or two." Sure enough, as quickly as it started, it stopped and he went to sleep. By the time they got home he was fine but of course had no memory of what happened. My mom said when she told J what went on his face just fell because he knew it meant no driving for at least six months (something that really screws things up when you're a college student that commutes). The real upside to the whole thing, however, is the fact that he knew beforehand something wasn't right and called my parents so he wasn't behind the wheel of the car when all this was happening.
Well, that's it for me.
Til next time....
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Tis the season to be jorry fra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra ra....
Exercise: 2 mile run
Yah, it once again has been awhile since I last posted here - SUCK IT! I've been busy this time with spreading holiday cheer. Ok maybe I should change that to holiday sarcasm but it was all in good fun. When you have a mother who looks like (and sometimes acts like) Maxine from the greeting cards, how can you honestly think some of that won't rub off. LOL Oh and for those of you that might think I'm being mean by saying such about my mother, I'm not. I've told her this stuff to her face and it was all in good fun. Actually in a way I think she prides herself on it. LOL
So yah, the Christmas/New Year holiday. Shopping for shippable gifts really bites. With all the "rules" now when it comes to posting stuff overseas it makes sending presents a pain in the ass and requires a lot of creativity when filling out customs forms so that the surprise isn't totally given away. I am thankful, however, that I was able to find some stuff that wasn't overly large or weighty so the shipping bill came in under $50 this year. Of course I wasn't too pleased at the fact that the postman that I spoke with said that the package would get there before Christmas with a couple days to spare and then after speaking with my mummy in law, I found out that as of Christmas Day, it hadn't arrived. I have a feeling though that the problem lies with the Royal Postal Service not the USPS. I guess they have been having troubles over there with the mail for quite some time now so more than likely it got hung up after it made it across the pond.
After it was all said and done, I ended up celebrating Christmas three times. Once on the 16th - that's when we all got together with my brother and his family. That was one hell of a long day too. I got up at 5:30 so I could make it to Iowa City in time for TBB's graduation. I don't care much for getting up really early but when it comes to one of my best buds' graduation ceremony, "I'm there dude!". Fortunately it was over early enough that we were able to shoot down to the Olive Garden for lunch before I had to leave. I needed to be back on the road by 1:30/2 so I could be at my parents' house by 4 and I just wouldn't have felt right about attending the gig and then having to leave right away. I had called my mom the night before to tell her there was a possibility I could be late but I wanted to try and make it on time. I ended up only being 5 minutes late which isn't bad considering I was coming from 120 miles away. Of course true to form my sister and brother both showed up late. My my sister in law even went so far as to say she was told an hour later than my sister and I were. Now I know my mother can be a little "flakey" from time to time and she definitely has been known to show some "blonde tendancies" but I'm confident that she told her the same time as she told my sister and I.
The second celebration was on Christmas Eve at my parents' house which is when we exchanged gifts with my parents' and two oldest nephews. On this evening we also played UNO Attack. It's not a bad little game and when it's my family playing, you can bet it's a great time. As my mother likes to say, "We put the fun in dysFUNctional!". LOL Not that I would say that word is overly descriptive of my family. I mean we have our moments but, for the most part, we're pretty happy people who get along really well.
The third celebration was the one at home with Chi and the furballs on Christmas Day. That's when he and I exchanged gifts and open the goodies sent over to us from England.
All in all, I have to say I feel as though I made out like a bandit since I received nearly everything I had given as suggestions plus a little bit more. Here's a rundown of all my goodies.
From J-Lo
A cool lamp
From Chi
Two really nice warm sporty but structured jackets
Another CD flight case. I just love those things and think I may just have to get one for my laptop.
From Two Oldest Nephews
A $50 gift card for Bed, Bath, & Beyond
From My Parents
KT Tunstall CD
The Who CD
An 80's Box Set CD
Madonna CD
Foreigner CD
Victoria's Secret So In Love Parfume & Lotion
From My In Laws
A Man U Football Shirt
Scissor Sisters CD
The Who CD
KT Tunstall CD
Calvin Klein's Euphoria Parfume & Lotion
A Small Little Stuffed Bunny
From TBB
An Assortment Of Goodies From Bath & Body Works
A Candle
A New Air Freshener For My Car
Yep, I did alright and I love everything that was given to me. :)
I was also happy to see that my waistline didn't grow any during the week and a half I had off over over the holidays. My mother always makes some of my favorite cookies at Christmas time (Snickerdoodles & Ginger Cremes) along with some killer fudge so you can bet I was doing some serious chowing down. :) I guess I must have subconsciously trained myself to only take in the amount of food I need or something because I was slacking a little bit in the exercise department so I would have thought with all the tasty crap I consumed, I would have gained "a little more me" somewhere in there. LOL
As for New Year's, it was fairly low key but that's ok since I knew that Tuesday meant going back to work.
And now for something completely different....
I have to say that I am utterly sickened by the people who were celebrating Saddam Hussein's death. Yes, the guy was mainly viewed as a nut and did some pretty awful things along with the good that he brought his country, however, for those in the US to find pleasure in his demise only leaves me to think that they have sunk to his level and maybe below.
So far the news has been reporting that there hasn't been any great backlash over it which was feared but that kind has me wondering if it could be due to a plot to catch us off guard as the terrorists did with 9/11. In a way, it seems that terrorists stratagize like cats meaning that they will sit close by their prey observing what is going on but not directly look at it so the prey builds a false sense of security that things are ok. As soon as the prey is fairly comfortable - BAM! - the cat attacks. Take the WTC towers for example. Terrorists bombed them in the early 90s and did a fair amount of damage but nothing like 9/11. In the nearly 10 years that passed, a lot of people once again got "comfortable" and thought something like that would never happen again all the while the terrorists were "watching" and just waiting for the right moment to pull off a smiliar attack on a much more grand scale.
On last week's Suze Orman show, she was showing clips from past shows (some of which I never saw) and I could do nothing but shake my head at some of the people who called in. Now some of the time the people who call in do know what they are doing with money but they just want some advice on how to further better their methods. Other times there are people who call in and just leave me saying, "You really had to ask that?" For example, there's a segment on the show called Can I Afford It. This is where people will call in with a high ticket item they want to buy, give Suze their financials, and she will tell them if they can afford to get it. This one chic called in wanting to buy a $5000 pair of diamond stud earrings. According to the financials she gave, her outgoings were more than her income plus she had a pretty big student loan debt, substantial credit card debt if I remember correctly, and no savings. I was floored (and I'm sure my mouth was just hanging agape) that she would even need to ask about buying such a thing. "Um, like HELL NO!" Of course I think the thing I love about Suze the most is that when people pull an idiot move like this woman did, Suze is sure to call them on it. A word to everyone reading this - if you aren't, at the very least, putting 10% of each paycheck away in a svaings account, you're screwing yourself. There's no excuse for not doing this and it will be a great benefit to you should you ever find yourself in a position where you need emergency cash.
Over the holiday and this past weekend, I had another couple episodes of sleep paralysis. I swear it's the oddest feeling. During the first one, Chi was next to me and I swear I willed myself to say something in order to get his attention so I could see if someone touching me would be enough to "wake" my body up. What was so strange was that I thought he had heard me and turned to touch my hand but based on what he said, none of that took place and he said he didn't hear me say anything. During this last one, I swear I had opened my eyes and was able to look around because the view that I had was exactly what it was when I did finally open my eyes. The thing is, I'm not sure if I really did or not because of what I obviously imagined concerning Chi the time before. It's odd because no matter how many times I have one of these experiences and try to keep myself calm, panic usually always sets in because it feels like you can't breathe and you're unable to move anything no matter how much you tell your brain to do it.
I know there was something else I wanted to mention here but I'll be damned if I remember what it was so I'm just going to leave it here.
Til next time......
Knocked Off By The Fashion Diva
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