Brain Cannot Function - Please Try Again Later

I need a mental break - I'm getting away!

Friday Kiki & I are going to drive 5 hours to the coast of North Carolina and spend the whole weekend there.

Friday, I am picking up my friend's daughter from school and taking her to the spa to get a massage for her 16th birthday. Yes, I am also getting one myself!

I'm then going to take her shopping and to a movie. Just a girls night out! 16 is a special birthday!

We're staying with that same friend, the one who I mentioned was my personal hero in my interview with Bou. She lives on the water where I can just sit on her screened-in back porch and watch the water and enjoy the breeze. Just good times with people I love with no pressure, stress or commitments. I'm not bringing my computer, I am screening all phone calls, there's no school stuff to worry about, and I am not going to think of work or my future with my work at all!

My friend just got married, so I will be helping her new husband move his stuff into her house. They helped me move, TWICE, so it's the least I can do!

I'm then going to make time to go to the beach and just sit, watching the water in the warm sun! I'm going to have dinner at the Gourmet Cafe that sits on the water, with another very dear friend of mine, before Kiki & I head home.

I am going to come home relaxed, refreshed, healthy and rejuvenated!

You all behave while I'm gone and don't blog anything too exciting until I get back on Sunday! ;-)

The Blower's Daughter

I have mentioned my love of driving before. Nothing has changed. I consider any drive up to 8 hours no big deal. Anything over that is fine too, but I don't find it as recreational.

Today I had to drive a total of 200 miles round trip to pick up my paycheck. Yes, they screwed up my direct deposit AND mailed it to the wrong office. I gave them hell...but honestly, I don't mind. The drive was welcomed and greatly needed!

For those of you that are car audio geeks gurus like me, let me explain part of the reason I love to drive so much.

Two years ago I installed or had installed (depending on how difficult it was) some great car audio into my truck. I have 4 Eclipse 4-way speakers that produce awesome sound! For those that are not familiar with these, Eclipse is one of the top brands of speakers and a 4-way speaker allows you to hear full range of the music you are listening to; from the highest high hat or triangle to the lowest drum or bass. The acoustic guitar sounds awesome on these....it's just so crisp and clear and you actually hear every note - every detail!

I also have an enclosed MTX 10" powered subwoofer. This thing is cool because you can't see it. It's actually enclosed behind the interior walls of the vehicle. Now I don't use this to be obnoxious rolling down the street. I use it as you would use a sub with your surround system for your house....like it should be used. I'm no thug! ;-)

And then for the receiver I have a Pioneer Premier 7400 with XM Satellite Radio and MP3 capability.

The acoustics in my truck are great! I love to listen to music in it...there's no better place!

So whenever I go on a trip, I welcome it because I know I'll have something to enjoy. Since I'm so passionate about music, I'm entertained the whole way! I really can go away to another place while driving and listening to something great.

Today, for my trip back to Columbia, I bought Damien Rice - O. I highly suggest this CD to anyone that likes acoustic guitar and mellow music. Kind of like a newer Irish Folk artist. He actually was first released in Ireland and was so successful, was released in the States. If you've seen the movie Closer or at least seen the commercials for it, he has a song on there called The Blower's Daughter that's very beautiful.

I look forward to my 5 hour drive tomorrow to North Carolina...I'll have plenty to listen to!

My Nose is Telling Me it's Spring!

Okay...leave it to Napster to diagnose me again. As you may know, I've been fighting what I thought was the flu. Well, I went to have lunch with Napster today and she had the exact same symptoms as me! It's a freaking sinus infection! I had no idea. I've never had any issues with sinuses before.

This is why I either have no voice or sound like a man when I do have one, why I have this freaking pressure above my nose and eyes, why I full of snot (I know that's pleasant) and continuously coughing! Who would have thunk! I guess it makes sense kind of considering this is the first spring in many many many years that I haven't either lived on the water or in the desert. Everything is blooming! My white truck is now yellow!!

Let me tell you how much I LOVE Sudafed 24 Hours. You take one and it lasts the full day and dries you right up!! I may still sound like a man, but at least I don't have stuff dripping down my throat!

Screw paying insurance and going to a doctor. So far, Napster, Morrigan or Bou has been able to diagnose or remedy anything I have had.

That Piece of Paper Feels Great!!

Well, today is my last day of school!! Well, the last day until I start to work on my next degree.

As of today, I have my Associates of Arts in General Studies with University of Phoenix - Online. I have loved everything about University of Phoenix...except for the price. We are talking about $1380 a class. I only get $5000 a year from work for school. That's only 4 classes a year with me putting about $500 out of pocket, not including books. But UoP fits me very well.

First of all, I have a very short attention span. Each UoP class is only 5 weeks long! That fits me perfectly. It's fast paced and I'm getting that instant result - the grade in 5 weeks. And I can sign on and work on school work whenever I want - there's no set time or schedule that I have to be in class. It's also very discussion based, which is the best way for me to learn. I like to talk about things and relate it to stuff I already know. Everything we do we can relate and apply it to our work environment. I really feel like I've learned a lot.

UoP doesn't really do tests. We have several papers due throughout the 5 weeks and then usually 1-2 Power Point Presentations. The rest is all discussion based, answering specific discussion questions, reading the text, and then sometimes there may be a couple of "regular" assignments. I definitely learn a lot more by writing a paper about something then by taking a test. If I take a test, I know I will just cram the night before, memorize anything I need, and then if there is no way for me to apply it....I'll forget it and never use it again.

With this being said, I have Momma Bou and her real sister Morrigan pushing me to choose a different path. A path more like a local college or university. They both think I need the "in the classroom experience". Morrigan thinks it'll help me meet people, be more social, and meet cute college boys. She says I need to live my "wild college years" now.

I did live one semi-wild mild college year. Let's go back in history here a little bit.

Throughout high school, I was a great student and very involved in extra curricular activities. I made great grades without having to study. It didn't take a lot of effort for me to make good grades.

I then received multiple local and university scholarships to attend the University of Missouri - Columbia as a Music Education major - 2000 miles away from my family. My school counselor signed me up for 18 units! I have no idea what she was thinking. My first semester schedule consisted of English, Psychology, Music Theory, Sight Singing, Clarinet Instruction, Piano, Marching Band, Intro to Education, and Performance Evaluations.

Guess What??? In college....you might need to study and/or attend classes to maintain good grades. My first semester was really hard on me. I was a big shot before - top musician, top student, etc. In college, I wasn't anything! I had a terrible roommate in the dorm and had to wait several months until I could talk my CA into moving me into a different room with a new roommate. I would find any excuse not to attend classes and I would never study.

After my first semester, I was put on academic probation. When I returned, I had only 16 units but was still overwhelmed. Who was the one that thought of 8am classes?

This is making a very long year of college with tons of stories, very short. I'm sure I have many more posts in the future of my college escapades that year. Although, believe it or not, I was not a huge partier....I just couldn't get into the college routine.

Well, when I returned home to California for the summer, I got a letter in the mail, basically kicking me out of school. Um, imagine living with a Marine 1st Sgt father when that letter came in the mail. Let's just say they weren't good times!

I got two jobs and started going to community college when I could. Although I didn't do as bad in community college, I still had the attendance/studying issues.

So, as you can see, I am very happy that I finally have my Associates - even though it has taken me 6 years.

Now, what to do next?? Do I stay with UoP where I know I am successful and get great grades? Or do I take a chance and go to a ground campus at a university. Next question, what do I major in? (I still have no clue)

I have a little bit of time to decide this. I'd like to start back again this fall, but with me moving and if I get this other position, I'll need to concentrate on those things for a little bit. So I believe, whatever school I choose, I will start in January. Plus, if I decide to go to a local school (if I could even get in), I'd have to wait until January anyway so I could have in-state tuition.

So, Bou and Morrigan have me doing some serious thinking. But until I make a decision, it's time to CELEBRATE! :-) Hopefully it won't be another 6 years for me to get my Bachelors in who knows what.

How do you get rid of the evil flu???

Piss it off by acting like it's not there.

Thank you all for your well wishes in the comments. The 24 hour (or maybe 36-48) flu bug wasn't my real concern....it just pissed me off at it's timing!

I woke up this morning with that sick taste in my mouth. I know you know what I'm talking about. You could kill flowers by breathing on them with it. It's a sure sign of when you are sick.

However, I woke up early this morning in pools of sweat, so I must have broken my fever. That's a good sign!

I went back to sleep until 12 today to try and get plenty of rest. After that, I decided I couldn't just lay around anymore, plus I was feeling a little better. So I went to Curves again today, which I'm absolutely loving! A little more flu medicine (yuck) and I should kick this thing by tomorrow!

And about the other issue...I will not know anything about that until my next appointment when we do some tests. Trust me, I'm sure that day will be worth blogging about!

The World In Only 7 Pictures

I'm Falling Apart!

I'm falling apart!! (watch out, female stuff involved)

Yesterday morning I came into work with a slight sore throat. It didn't hurt to swallow or anything, it was just sore and made me sound like a man. I just thought I was losing my voice...no big deal.

I made a doctors appt. for that day for some other stuff. I hate going to the doctor. I.hate.it! So when I go, I make sure to have a list of things to go for and get checked all at once! I know the doctor probably thinks I'm a hypochondriac...but I'm really not. I usually only get sick about twice a year...it's like clock work. So I normally just wait for things to pile up and when my mom starts the "you need to get that checked out" speech, I call and schedule an appt. I go to the doctor so seldom, I picked the lowest insurance my job had to offer because I was never taking advantage of it before.

So back to yesterdays visit. I was mildly concerned because I hadn't had my visitor since January. The whole blogosphere knows I'm not pregnant so that's not the issue. I've had this issue once before for 6 months almost 2 years ago. The doctor at the time told me it could be Polycystic Ovaries or fibroids, but since I wasn't wanting to have children right now, not to worry about it. She prescribed some "keep away the kids" pills to make everything alright.

Well, here's the issue again. What concerned me more though is that I've been getting headaches for about 6 weeks now and a couple of those have been Migraines. This is very unusual for me! Back in February, I passed out at Publix. It was only for a split second...but enough for me to fall to the ground and get really really embarrassed. And then while in TX walking through the mall, I had a hot flash. Then there's been other little things that I won't go into.

So needless to say, it was time to go back to the doctor. She said she wanted to schedule an ultra sound to see what's going on. She did the normal eyes, nose and throat check and said nothing about my sore throat. So I figured I was just starting to lose my voice...no biggy.

I get up today, very motivated. Throat was a little more sore but not to swallow, the soreness was more toward the top of my throat. Still losing voice...still no biggy! I got tons of stuff done, including my taxes! I went to my orientation at the Ronald McDonald House where I'm going to start volunteering once a week. I started my workout at Curves today and loved it. Went to Target, did a little shopping. Everything was going well!

I come home to finish working on my project for school and my body starts to ache. Not workout ache....but full body misery. My head had been hurting for the past couple hours, but that's been normal for a little while. I started to feel warm although my skin was still cool to the touch. My ears were starting to itch...that's an interesting and aggravating feeling.

So now I'm waiting here, to see if this will pass or if I'm coming down with something. I've got muscle relaxers from my car accident, debating whether to take one. I would really love to just go to bed...but I must get this project done (and I'm waiting for the people on my learning team to hurry up and turn in their parts)

I think more than anything I'm disappointed. I was finally getting out of my funk, getting stuff done and feeling motivated again....and this jumps in my way!

Let's hope it's a 24 hour thing and I’ll be up and running again tomorrow.

Quote

There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.

--George Burton Adams, American educator, historian

And the Winner is....

And the winner of the Margarita Pool.....

I won a great tequila hangover to divert my attention from the torture of my job!

Although everyone did a great job and gave me a lot of credit....I had 7 wonderful margaritas!

Tammi felt my pain and knew the perfect remedy was 10 Margaritas Unfortunately, I was unable to meet Doctors orders.

Then Bruncle Contagion promised 5 gallons of margaritas at the next family reunion. I knew there was a reason he's my favorite Blog Bruncle!

Blog Grandpa Harvey had a higher standard for me at 8 margaritas. I promise to make it next time!

Ogre underestimated me at 6 Margaritas but also knew I was enjoying some great BBQ!!

Thanks to those of you who played in the Margarita Pool. Next time, I hope to be swimming in a REAL Margarita Pool.

"I Never Copped a Feel"

MUST READ for Travel Haters

Right now, at this very moment, I should be on a cramped plane of college students on their way to or from Spring Break! I should have ears popping, yucky peanuts, warm coke, a cricked neck, no elbow room and some dude in front of me with his seat reclined in my lap!

Personality Study

I'm doing a little study in the relationship between personality type and astrological signs (basically to prove a point to someone) and I need everyone's help!

Please visit this site and take this personality test. It is very short!

In the comments, leave your results and your astrological sign.

I will post the results in a separate post and what results I get from the study.

Great Food in Kill Me, TX

The only saving grace in being in Kill Me, TX is the food. I have heard that Kill Me, TX has the largest number of restaurants per capita in the United States and that they are also one of the unhealthiest cities.

Well, this being said, there is some DAMN GOOD food!! I'm talking home grown meat that is so tender, moist and flavorful. They have multiple BBQ places that are just oh so addicting.

We went to this one BBQ place that was a buffet of meat. Turkey, brisket, country fried steak, ribs, sausage, oh sweet goodness! Different type of BBQ Sauces that were the smokey kind...not that damn vinegar stuff. And some strawberry shortcake that was practically orgasmic!

The other sweet goodness is the authentic Mexican food here! Ahhh, Carne Asada...a great meat! Sonora Tacos, pico de gallo, and MARGARITAS!!

The past two days we went to two different BBQ places. Tonight, we are going to a hole in the wall Mexican place that has $1 Margaritas. If you read my post before this....you will understand why there is such a need for margaritas. Actually....let's have a little Margarita pool...no not the type that you swim in (but keep that in mind for the next Family Reunion), but let's guess how many $1 Margaritas Sissy is going to have tonight! I'll give you a little help...

Keep in mind:

• My favorite alcohol is tequila
• I will be at a Mexican restaurant with sweet carne asada
• The Margaritas are only $1
• I'm in Kill Me, Texas and I hate my job!

I will report, hopefully with a tequila hangover, the winner tomorrow. The winner shall receive a great prize!

Shoot Me Now in Kill Me, TX

Torture: Something causing severe pain or anguish.

At this very moment, as you are at work - escaping from the daily grind or at home relaxing in your comfy computer chair

Blogging Withdrawal

Well, it's 2 in the morning and I've decided to pull an all nighter. I have to be at the airport at 5 this morning to fly to Kill Me, Texas today. I didn't even see a point in going to bed. So, I've been doing laundry, cleaning up, packing and watching some great Nick at Nite!

Let me just say how much I am dreading this trip! I use to love my job, even the travel. But since being taken over....let's just say I've considered joining the circus!

And this new company is a bunch of Computer Nazi's, so chances are, I will not have access to blogging for the next week. So not only is this week going to suck, I'm not going to have a way to bitch about it! Please, get me a tequila drip!

Yummy Musicians

A while back, we all shared who we thought were our Yummy Celebrities.

Well, you know who does it for me even more??? MUSICIANS

I've been watching Celebrity Poker Showdown and have been staring at the beautiful man that is Dave Navarro.

So, I decided to do my top 5 Yummy Musicians. I mean actual musicians!

And there you have it...my Top 5 Yummy Musicians!

Livin' in the Ghetto Part II

I wrote about being freaked out the other night in this post.

Well, to add to that, I went to bring Kiki to the kennel today, walked outside, and there were 3 cop cars - one parked next to me, one parked in the street blocking a couple of cars in, and one parked across the parking lot in another parking space. I saw the cops across the street, again with guns drawn, knocking on an apartment door.

Now, what I've seen mainly around here is Army guys, college kids and a few families. To be honest, I pay way too much for this dump (try $625 a month for a small 1 bedroom apt), but I thought that paying this would keep me out of the slums! Who could afford to live here if you are a lowlife?

Ummmmmm...wake up dumb ass.....you are probably surrounded by drug dealers!!

So, if one day, I just don't post for, oh, I don't know.....let's say a week. Contact my Blog Mom Bou to send out a missing persons report!

Only 1 year left in my lease....unless I get moved to Hell Hole, Texas this summer!

My New Toy

I'm so excited! My mom bought me the new George Foreman Digital Grill with Removable Grill Plates for getting my Associates. (Although I don't officially get it for another 10 days)

This thing seems dummy proof and perfect for me! It has a timer, temperature control, and most importantly.....removable plates that go in the dishwasher. I didn't use my old George Foreman too much because I hated cleaning it!!

So, hopefully, I will have some successful cooking stories to blog about on here versus my usual cooking experiences.

March

I explained in an earlier post what a bad month March was for my family. Well, more has happened since that post, not all bad, but make March a hectic emotional month.

I believe I mentioned in the earlier post that my Great Grandfather passed away last year in the month of March. My Grandfather passed away March 16th of 2002 and my friend just got married March 16th 2005.

My mom's birthday is March 18th, the day my grandfather was buried and just this past Friday, my mom's birthday, my stepdad's mother passed away.

My friend that got married last week, her daughter's 16th birthday is today. My best friend's birthday, whose husband is in Iraq for the 2nd time, is a week from today.

So to sum it all up, there are a lot of births and deaths in March for me. God I can't wait for this month to be over!! 12 more days!!

Best Date

Tammi's Saturday Question of the Day today was your best date....and I decided it was worthy of it's own post.

I actually have two. Because they were so great??? Nope!! Because they are about the only two great dates I've had!!

Date #1 was actually with Dirt when we first started dating. It was a Sunday afternoon, he came by to pick me up in his hot sports car, dressed all cool and smelling all good! In Southern California, everyday is beautiful, and this day was no different. Clear blue skies - it was fall so the heat was starting to die down, but was just warm enough to have the windows down and enjoy the sun beating down.

He didn't tell me where we were going, all he said was, "Down the Hill". Well, when you live in Twenynine Palms or Yucca Valley, "Down the Hill" means down about 5 miles of curvy, steep, winding road into Palm Springs. It's a beautiful drive.

We ended up in San Bernardino - at an amusement park. He was such a kid at heart and so am I...so this was a great choice for the two of us.

We played games, he tried to show off, won a couple of prizes for me. We played putt putt and he took every opportunity he had to put his arm around me or hold me. And I still kicked his butt.

We rode on a couple of rides that were in my league. He then begged me to ride one of his favorite rides. It was one of those that you sat in a seat that went in circles, that was on these spider legs that went in circles. I'm pretty good at amusement parks....I can go high, upside down, hang, whatever....BUT I CANNOT GO IN CIRCLES. He talked me into it and I got on the ride with him. Afterward, I felt extremely nauseous. He knew it was time to go. He apologized profusely and held me up while getting to the car. I knew I wouldn't puke because I DON'T PUKE, but I still felt miserable. He stopped and got me some cold water, walked me to the car, reclined the passenger seat back, sat me down. He got in the drivers seat, turned the radio real low, turned on the air and pointed it at me, held my hand as we drove home.

Despite not feeling well, it was one of my best dates!

And then for #2. This one was with Butthead. We had been dating for about 6 months. In January, he had orders to deploy to Okinawa, Japan for a year. At the time, I was working two jobs, one at the MCX and the other at a Best Western as a night auditor. Well, I got 1 free room a month for working at Best Western, and I was going to use it for a suite for Butthead's last night in the states with me. I told him ahead of time that we were going to be staying there and would just leave the next morning to the airport.

That night, I made him dinner at my apartment, and we drove over to the hotel. We checked in, walked over to the suite, and opened the door......and there were rose petals on the bed and on the floor. The Jacuzzi tub was running, there were candles lit, and a bottle of wine (although we were both only 20). He had set up with my friend that also worked at the hotel to set all of this up.

The rest of the night wasn't so bad either ;-)

Bacon

There's a little inside joke between Morrigan & her fella and Napster & her cowboy. It has to do with BACON!

Well, Morrigan has been looking for a Bacon Candle! When we were on our shopping trip, we found all sorts of candles...even a candle that was scented like Mashed Potatoes! But we could not find bacon!

Well Morrigan...........LOOK NO MORE!!!

I was surfing through some South Carolina Blogs, and ran into this blog which had a link to this site, which has TONS of BACON stuff.....and yes they do have bacon candles! They actually have 3 candles, BACON, LETTUCE & TOMATO!!

What are friends for!?! :-)

I Just Got Ripped Off

My truck desperately needed washing....it's been awhile! And the interior was looking pretty bad too.

So, today was the day to do it. If I can get through the weekend without it raining, my truck will be in a parking garage at the airport all next week, so maybe the wash will last awhile.

I went to this place that a friend recommended on a part of town I had never been to. It wasn't the best part of town, but who knows, ya know?

I dropped it off and told the dude I wanted the max clean, interior, EVERYTHING! I dropped it off and thought I would go get some lunch and lucky me, there was a Taco Bell next door.

Well, this Taco Bell is still in the dark ages and doesn't take check cards, and I NEVER carry cash on me (I know that's bad), so I walk out and go to the little run down Mexican restaurant next door. Let me tell you, I love some authentic Mexican food, but it's hard to find!

I go in by myself, and there is a table of Mexican dudes sitting in the middle of the place and they all look at me as I walk in. I'm the only white chic in the place! I seat myself, order my food, and watch the Spanish Music channel they have on the TV. I could see out of the corner of my eye, the Mexican dudes kept looking over at me.....talk about an uncomfortable meal.

I finish my meal and walk back over to the car wash place. I go in and pay the $40, come out, and the guy asks how my truck looks. I do a quick glance over - outside looks good. Look at the inside, and see some spots he missed and asked him to get those. While he's wiping those up, I still see hair all over the seats. Now, I know both Kiki and I shed enough hair to make a fur coat, but a vacuum and some tape would get that stuff right off. WHATEVER! Let me just get out of here.

As I'm driving off, I'm still finding stuff, spots around the cup holder, on the console, dust on my odometers, spots on my seats. I take my handy wipes out and start cleaning this stuff off...and I still feel dirty.....

...OH MY GOSH....the front windshield wasn't even clean! There was still bug guts and crap all over it! Why didn't I see that????

This is what bugs me about places that offer these types of services -- learn ATTENTION TO DETAIL!!!!!!!!!

And just an FYI....if you live in or near South Carolina, it'll rain today....cause I washed my car!

Blog Visits

Wow...I think I got through every blog today on my blog roll!! Yeah!

I don't get to some of the blogs that aren't on the family blog roll as often as I would like. I even had enough time to leave comments today!

(Note: If you didn't get a comment, it's probably because you are on blogger and I couldn't get into your comments.....)

What's cool about getting around to everyone's blogs is it gave me tons of ideas for some of my own posts.

I'm going to go get some lunch, get my truck washed...and then I think I'll make today a blogging day! :-)

The juices are flowing...I'm not Brain Dead anymore.

P.S. I think it's funny how Blogger's spellcheck trys to kick out the words "Blogger", "Blog", "Blogging", "Blogosphere" or any variation of Blog.

Livin' in the Ghetto

One day I was laying around the house and thought I heard a knock on the door. I open the door, peek my head out and there are two cops with bullet proof vests with their guns pulled banging on the door next door. Ok....kind of scary!

Then to tonight....

I was driving on the freeway, returning home from dinner, when 3 police cars sped past me.

I eventually get to my exit and arrive at the stop light before my house, right next to McDonalds....and there are 7 police cars there! They have one blocking each entrance into the McDonalds, one next to the drive thru window, one near each door and the rest around the parking lot. I saw one guy pulling some stuff out of the trunk of the police car and saw 2 other guys with their guns pulled!

This place is within walking distance of my apartment complex. Kinda freaky!

Then all of a sudden, at midnight, I hear my alarm go off. Now, my electricity went out yesterday, and I reset my clock, but didn't reset my alarm. BUT, I would have had to of flipped the alarm ON for it to go off at midnight....and I didn't do that. But it went off. So Kiki and I go in the bedroom, Kiki's barking at the alarm and I turn it off.

I get spooked when Kiki barks at something that I can't see or hear. And she does this a lot! She must have super ears!

Well, after I turned the alarm off, I stood there thinking about why my alarm went out. I slowly looked around...the paranoid person I am, and Kiki is barking at my bed!!

Ok, so I'm now officially freaked out for the night!!

Help a Man Out!

Blog Grandpa Harvey's computer got mad at him and crashed. So he isn't going to be able to update his site as frequently unfortunately.

Luckily, his spawn is ready to step up to the plate! Go here to help dear Harvey out. We'll pick up the slack while he takes a blogger break.

The Alcohol Knowledge Test

Bourbon Congratulations! You're 104 proof, with specific scores in beer (80) , wine (66), and liquor (60).

Screw all that namby-pamby chick stuff, you're going straight for the bottle and a shot glass! It'll take more than a few shots of Wild Turkey or 99 Bananas before you start seeing pink elephants. You know how to handle your alcohol, and yourself at parties.

I figured my Bad Example Family would be proud!

Thank you to Blog Bro Contagion for for teaching me so well.

What's Under There?

Sucks to be these guys...

Oohrahriffic Pictures

I could watch these guys all day

Hehehehe

Brain Dead

Moms always say...

If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

Does that go for blogging too???

My Interview

Blog Mom Bou has posted the answers to my interview.

I've come to the conclusion that I'm about as dull as dishwater! Next time I'm going to give permission to my interviewer to exploit my answers and turn them into something worthy of going into a tabloid!

Playing with Pictures

I'm playing around with my new digital camera, seeing if these pictures look any good online.

My Little Fox!!

Update: Can anyone suggest any good Photo Editing Software??

ERRRRRRR

I wrote this long post about this big decision I had to make....it took me 2 hours off and on to write this, and Blogger devoured it again. To see how I really feel, revert back to this post!

Harvey, don't yell at me, I've installed Note Pad Light and will start using it from now on.

I now have two papers I need to write for school that are due tonight that will probably keep me from re-typing that post. Damn You Blogger!!

Pregnancy Scare

I got an odd, panicky call tonight from a good friend of mine.

She got married almost a year ago and is quite naive to anything that has to deal with sex.

Well, she called me, panicking, because she was very "late" and had been throwing up. You would think this is the first sign of pregnancy....but not for this girl. She is allergic to everything, constantly nauseous....I don't think she's ever had a clean bill of normal health.

So, she was flipping out and was scared to take a pregnancy test. She actually asked if I would fly to visit her and and be there when she took the test because she didn't know what she was doing. As much as I would love to take a couple of days off of work to make fun of my friend peeing on a stick, I find that unrealistic and hella expensive!

She talked me into doing this over the phone. No, I'm not talking just talking her through it on the phone, I mean step by step doing it with her. After her negative response to my question of her sobriety, I agreed to do this with her. I figured it'd be great laughs, something to tell her kids in the future, and even blog about.

So, on the phone, we both drive to an Eckerds (had to be the same drug store) and go down the the feminine mile. She asks me which test to choose. The hell if I know!! I start reading the packages to see which ones you can use soonest and at any time, and we ended up choosing e.p.t Digital. I told her to buy the dual pack as I knew she would find a way to screw this up!

Still on the phone, we go to the cashier and purchase our experiment.

We get to our homes, I open the box and read the instructions as she is asking all these stupid questions. I ignore her questions and continue my reading until I hear, "I have to stick this inside me????"

Holy shit! No wonder she wanted someone to do this with her!

So I am walking her through my version of Pregnancy Tests for Dummies and she keeps repeating that she doesn't think she can do this. Meanwhile, I am freaking amazed by how advance these things have gotten, as this particular test looks like a digital themometer!

I will spare you the next 5 minutes of commentary.

All of a sudden, I hear a scream...."NOT PREGNANT!! I'M NOT PREGNANT!! IS THIS FOR REAL? IT SAYS I'M NOT PREGNANT! ARE WE SURE? SHOULD I DO THE NEXT ONE?"

Haha, I knew my chance to get her real good....

I remain silent. "S, are you there? Should I do it again?"

I do my best imitation of shock and tears (a scaled down version of shock and awe) "Fucking A! Oh no oh no oh no! Nooooooo! I.can't.be.pregnant!"

She starts to flip out with me and gets into the "I'll be there for you, we'll get through this, you'll be a great mom!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't keep it in any longer!

"Girl, I'm not pregnant....I couldn't get nailed in a hammer factory right now!"

And that is how you take care of a friend that is freaked out about being pregnant!

Change in Psycho Alert

So I have been asked for an update on Mr. Stalker Genuine. I have seen no other stalker tendencies and the psycho alert has been lowered from high to medium.

We have a good time. He's fun to just hang out with. We have a little obstacle in our way as he leaves in about a month for Tennesse. He's only in school here for a short amount of time. We've only mentioned this a couple of times in passing and haven't really discussed it in depth.

But in the meantime, he's fun to hang out with and to have someone go out on the town with me. He even introduced me to his friends/classmates. He's kind of funny...there's a bar I like to go to that has a guitar player every Friday night. He knows I like this and we usually end up going there, and as I'm into the music, he watches the sports scores on the TV.

I will update if the psycho alert changes.

Health Kick

I think I have realized I need to get back on my health kick. I was feeling great and energized until about 6 weeks ago when I let it all go!

I'm known as the water-nazi and I haven't even been consuming my water!! I know, what the hell??? And I have done nothing but go out to eat and order crap!

I think it has caught up with me (pronounced cot) I have been sleeping ridiculous hours, have had no energy and have been taking naps. I am freaking 23 years old, I do not need to be taking naps!!! I came home today from work, layed down on the couch and fell asleep for an hour and a half! And I feel like I could go back to sleep right now!

So the Health Kick '05 preshow is mailing out everyones Girl Scout Cookies that they ordered from my sister. I'm tired of them watching me as I skip them for yogurt in my fridge. MK is on my list because she tried to get out of hers :-) so she gets an extra box (my last one)....consider it interest! Although I have a feeling they will be distributed by the cowboy at work! :-)

Let's see if I can get back into my game!

Movie Sunday

Okay, Dodgeball was freaking hilarious! "Thank YOU Chuck Norris!"

In honor of a great movie pick from the poll, I request that you visit this link so you too can share in my laughter!

Spring Cleaning

I have been a huge, lazy ass lately and I need to get out of this funk!! I don't know what my problem is.

I usually go to bed around 12 or 12:30 and get up around 7:30. But NOOOO, I've been sleeping in until 9ish AND taking naps! I have loads of laundry to do, stuff cluttered everywhere, a filthy truck that needs cleaned, homework that needs to be done, organizing/filing to do, and a couple of house projects to complete...not to mention it wouldn't hurt for me to get up and get outside or go to the damn gym.

Have I done anything really cool in place of all of this??? Nope! My fat ass has been rotating positions on the couch, flipping through all the crap on TV and occasionally surfing a little internet.

I have been wasting my weekends away! And then during the week, I get all pissed at myself for not getting anything done on my list over the weekend. And whine that I don't have time to have a life because there is just oh so much to do.

So today, I have opened all the doors and windows because it is absolutely GORGEOUS outside!! Let's get some sunlight and fresh air flowing through this joint.

I have the washer and dryer running....I need clothes to wear this week!

I have the dishwasher going...gotta have something to eat off of.

I have to clean the melted spatula from the oven.

Have the carpet cleaner out to clean up Kiki's mess from this past week (I forgot to blog about her oral and anal mishaps after her stupid mother fed her little 8lb self pepperoni).

Counters need to be wiped down and clear of clutter (so I have places to throw stuff this week).

Still have a couple of boxes that could be unpacked (hmmmm....I think I'll hold off on that until I know where the hell I'm going to be in the next couple of months).

Have the music blaring? Check

Hair up in bandana? Old T-Shirt & Jeans? Check (and boy let me tell you how cute I look!!! :-P )

Have used up all my excuses and methods of procrastination? Hmmm....semi-check. This post should cover it.

Movie Saturdays

It's a lazy Saturday! I have homework I could be doing, along with a paper due. I have tons of cleaning and organizing that could be done.

But no, I have been lying on the couch all day with Kiki watching movies. You know there is never anything on TV on Saturdays. So today was the day to take advantage of the movie channels. Thank God for Movies On Demand. I'm still in my PJ's so it's not like I would ever get up and go to the video store to rent anything.

So of course, the movies I had to watch had me all misty eyed! The first one I watched, just because Bou and I have been talking about Pat Conroy, was Prince of Tides. This movie is a disgrace compared to the book! Maybe it's just Barbara Streisand, I don't know, but it's tough to watch...but I spent the 2 hours comparing the two as I have done many times before. No matter what though, it still gets you at the end.

I then watched The Notebook. I've heard so many people talking about this, but I wanted to read the book first. I've read one Nicholas Sparks book (as he lives in New Bern, NC where I used to live) and enjoyed it, so I wanted to read this one first.

But, I went ahead and watched the movie. It was excellent as everyone had said...definitely a chic flick! I really want to read the book now because I'm sure it's better! It reminded me of the song Where've You Been by Kathy Mattea.

Talk about a Saturday of tears!! So tomorrows movies need to be un-sappy. But these damn PPV Movies can get expensive and I'm cheap. So, I'm going to let you vote as to what I watch Sunday. This way, if it blows, I can blame it on you all. :-P

The Case of the Missing Bottle

So it's no secret that I took to a little recreational drinking last night.:*)

Well, now we are investigating The Case of the Missing Bottle.

I bought a 6 pack last night. I placed the 6 pack on my end table next to my couch. I would pull a drink out, drink it, and put the empty bottle back in the case while placing the bottle cap next to the case.

It didn't take me long to consume the 6 pack. The time on the receipt of when I purchased the drinks was 9:19. I figure, it took me 10 min to get home, so I was drinking myself to happiness around 9:30. And my post about the burnt pizza was at 11:17 last night. I burnt my pizza after I finished off the beverages.

Well, I woke up this morning, and there's my 6 pack, but with only 5 bottles, with 6 bottle caps. I cannot find that 6th bottle!

I could not find it
here or there.
I could not find it
anywhere.
Did I put it
in the trash can?
I did not put it
in the trash can.

Not on the TV.
Don't know where it could be.
Not in the house.
Won't get that last ounce.
I cannot find it here or there.
I cannot find it anywhere.
I need to find it, find it soon.
I did not find it in any room.

But seriously, it's not in the fridge or freezer. It's not in the kitchen or any cabinets. It's not between the cushions of the couch or on my entertainment center. It's not on my mantle, it's not on the floor. It's not in the bathroom or the bathtub. It's not in my bedroom or my closet.

Hell, I only live in a small 1 bedroom apartment, there's not many places it could be!!

That's just plain scary! Tell me, where could it be???

I think I'm going to go look for it at the Waffle House

Drunk Blogging

I do a lot of things better when I'm drunk. I bowl better when I'm drunk, I golf better when I'm drunk (I love midnight golf!), I play pool better when I'm drunk, I play softball better when I'm drunk, HELL, I might even blog better when I'm drunk....let's find out!!!

However, there is ONE thing I do not do better when I'm drunk! And that's cook!!

Well, after a couple several drinks, I decided I was starving! So, I threw in a Tostinos pizza in the oven!! After my timer went off, I went to get the pizza, and decided to use a spatula to dig the pizza out of the oven! IT WAS A PLASTIC SPATULA. Well, my coordination isn't too great right now, and my spatula MELTED in the oven!!

And I burnt my pizza!! :-(

I'm very dissapointed...but you know what, I'll make it work!

I wonder if the pizza guy can deliver pizza AND a 6 pack??

March is a Bad Month in my Family

November a couple years back, when I was dating Dirt, I got a call that my grandfather was not going to make it much longer. He had lung cancer and previously had skin cancer and wasn't going to make it. I was bad at getting to Missouri to see them, but I knew I had to now before my grandfather passed away. Dirt and I drove to Missouri to see him. My grandparents were very poor. I lived with them for a couple of months during some rough times, but this is how I knew they loved me.

If I had a field trip, my grandma would tell my grandpa to drive me over to Kroger to get a .25 cent soda and a hostess cake to take with me for lunch. Grandma and I would sit at the table and play cards for hours and hours. We would play rummy or spades...and she beat me every time! She would even play Mario Brothers with me on Nintendo. She could get through the whole game with out losing one turn!

Anyway, we drove to Missouri, spent some time with my grandpa and grandma for a few days. It was rough to see grandpa in the shape he was. He tried so hard to smile and be okay in front of me, but he was in so much pain. They had moved from a trailer that was not suitable to live in anymore, to a small studio apartment. It was very sad.

On our drive back from Missouri, I got a call from my mom that my grandma had passed away. I'm not good at showing emotion, but I lost it! I was so confused, grandpa was the one that was so sick. Grandma had past health issues....a lot of them, but she was stubborn as hell.

I couldn't talk to anyone about it, especially my mom. Not really for me, but I didn't know how to comfort my mom.

Well, in March, while a friend and I were driving to CA to get tattoos, I got a call from my mom that grandpa had finally passed. I didn't really lose it on this one. I knew it was going to happen and was kind of relieved. He was in so much pain. I would never want to live in that kind of pain. I actually told my mom that if I was ever in that much pain, to just let me go.

So I actually kind of pushed this out of my mind. I came back from CA, and stopped by my moms house with my friend, and as much as I knew I shouldn't show her - I showed her the tattoo on my lower back. Why?? I don't know. I have absolutely no clue. She was still devastated by the news, and I handle it by pissing her off. We didn't talk much after that, at least about grandpa, cause again, I didn't know how to comfort her. Grandpa was buried on my moms birthday. I still don't know how to comfort her to this day.

Well, my great-grandfather passed away a year ago this month. My mom will talk about it sometimes, and I still don't know what to do or say. I usually end up changing the subject.

My stepdad's father passed away a few years ago after being very sick. I had only met him like twice, so it didn't hit me very hard, although I was sad for him, my stepdad, and his family. Tonight, my mom called and said my stepdad's mother is going to pass probably in the next couple of days. I say I'm sorry...and what do I do???? I change the subject.

To this day, I have never been to a funeral. I wouldn't know what to do, how to act, or how I would react. To this day, I don't know how to comfort anyone that has had someone that has passed.

My thought is that I would always try to see the person before they passed. Spend some last happy moments with them.

I don't know if I just have some maturing to do in that department. I don't know if I will ever be able to go to a funeral. I don't know if I will ever be able to handle this stuff differently.

!@#$%^&*

I FUCKING HATE BLOGGER!!!

I'm going to go get some alcohol. I'll be back and see if I can remember everything I just wrote, that BLOGGER JUST ERASED, after a few drinks!!!

McDonald's

Yesterday, while being lazy, I decided to watch the documentary Super Size me...hey, it was free on Showtime On Demand.

I was more troubled by the employees they showed on the movie then the actual point they were trying to get across! I mean, these people were about as bright as a 2 watt light bulb!!

Well, I saw on the news today that McDondald's has a solution.

It seems that McDonald's is outsourcing their order takers. Orders would be taken over VoIP from the call center and then sent to the people making the shit bi-product food.

Why not use the money for this freaking call center to hire better employees, or better training, or better freaking food?!

I just don't get it!

The Ecosystem is Back!!

Yeah!! The Ecosystem is back. But damn, when it left I swear I was a Flappy Bird! That was a lot of work and now I'm a Slithering Reptile. I'm depressed *tear*.

What do I have to do, flash the blogosphere??? ;-) I'll have to comeback with a good post. Hmmmm....what to write?

Meanwhile, I'm going to put some "linky"stuff in here (to coin Harvey's phrase).

First of all, my Blog Aunt Tammi is celebrating her 1 Year Blogaversery! Let me tell you how much I'm digging this chic! She is one of my favorite people to read and has me cracking up daily. She just seems really down to earth (despite her mentioned height) and a fun person...those people that you can have fun doing anything with...those people that make raking the leaves fun! So, Tammi, let's cheers our virtual margaritas (as we know we have tequila in common) and here's to another year! Now, yes, I really like Tammi, but not enough to auction on her shirt over at Lee Ann's View. I'll leave that to the guys to fight over! ;-)

And Tammi has given birth to ArmyWifeToddlerMom. (Tammi is having a big month) I have recently been introduced to Army Wife by Blog Mom Bou and am really enjoying this one. As I have been through many military separations - dad's, stepdad's, and boyfriend's - and seen many of my dear friends go through the same, I can at least partially relate to what she's going through. And you can just see the joy seeping through the screen from her blog! Makes me smile that someone is that happy right now! I have found a new daily read in her blog.

We still have a little more time at the Comment Party over at Oh-Dark_Thirty. We just finally got rid of the tank, now it's time for some real fun!!

And finally, my wonderful, superwoman of a Blog Mom (wanting raise in allowance) has moved to a safer, less ghetto neighborhood. I think secretly she just wanted to be closer to her daddy! But, the place looks great thanks to her brilliant decorator Pam. But dear ole' Mom has left VW, Contagion (although he has a vacation house he visits) and I in the projects! We can barely get into our homes sometimes!! And when we can get in our homes, we usually can't have visitors...or it just takes forever for them to get in the door!!

I think we should have a contest, like my favorite show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. A lot of us here in the ghetto could use some makin' over!

Why Do I Live Here?

_Jon asked why we live where we live and I thought this was a pretty interesting meme to answer.

You can just skim this next section...it's just to give you an idea of the professional moving experience I have had.

1981 - 29 Palms, CA
1982 - Camp Lejeune, NC (Jacksonville)
1984 - Yuma, AZ
1986 - Okinawa, Japan
1988 - Ft. Gordon, GA (Augusta)
1990 - Rolla, MO
1991 - Camp Lejeune, NC (Jacksonville)
1992 - Rolla, MO
1993 - Camp Lejeune, NC (Jacksonville)
1994 - Henderson Hall, VA (Sterling)
1995 - Camp Lejeune, NC (Jacksonville)
1998 - 29 Palms, CA
1999 - Columba, Missouri (College)
2000 - 29 Palms, CA
2002 - Yuma, AZ
2003 - New Bern, NC
2004 - Wilmington, NC
2004 - Columbia, SC

So how did I get here?

When I lived in Yuma, I was the Asst. Manager of a *insert name of company here* store. These stores are owned by different companies in different regions. I was bored, ready for something different and exciting. I wanted to be near the water and trees! So...I faxed my resume' to every *name of company* store on the east coast. Well, one of these stores needed a manager, I did a phone interview, and was offered a position. I sold the little furniture I had, loaded everything I owned into my Explorer, and Kiki and I drove across country to North Carolina in about 2 1/2 days.

People started to get more polite and friendly the further east I got. I remember stopping for gas in Louisiana and they had the old fashioned pumps with the turning numbers. I went inside to give them my credit card to "prepay" and the lady looked at me like I was an alien. Well, I guess in the south, they trust you and you don't have to prepay.

I left Arizona June 1st and started work at the new store on June 5th. 13 months later, I received a promotion and they moved me 90 miles to Wilmington, NC. 3 months later, they decided they wanted me somewhere different and moved me 220 miles south to Columbia, SC.

And that is how I arrived here!

Next on my list is looking like Albuquerque, NM or El Paso, TX. We'll see this summer!

Was I the demented driver???

TNT at Smiling Dynamite told us about her recent example of people who shouldn't be on the road, and asked for our demented driver stories.

Well, I guess I was the demented driver in this situation, although I still say that the ass infront of me was part of the cause of the situation. But none the less, the two of us were the cause of my first (and hopefully last) real car accident.

I was about to take a position as a trainer with my company and found out they were going to MAKE me drive a PT Cruiser. Wha?!? I tried to get out of it, offering to drive my vehicle, and they wouldn't have it. So I had to drive across 3 states in this Cruiser wrapped in our company's logo.

Two weeks after I started my current position, I was driving the Ass Mobile to one of my locations, from the hotel I was staying at. The distance between the hotel and the office was probably about 3-4 miles, all interstate!

I was driving about 40-45 mph as traffic was a little congested, but not packed. And all of a sudden, there was this large wall of dump truck motionless infront of me! All within a few seconds, I put on my brake and look to the right to see if I can get over to avoid hitting this guy, and I can't! I brace myself and slam into the right back tire of the dump truck with the left front corner of my car. I don't remember the actual impact. My last thought was, "Oh shit, this isn't my car!" And the next thing I remember is both of the air bags deployed, this smell of radiator fluid and singed hair and a burning sensation on my arm.

I get out of the car, have a burn on my left forearm from the air bag and a cut on my right wrist. It could have been A LOT worse. I was flipping out, couldn't find my cell phone to call anyone as it had flew somewhere in the car. I couldn't take the keys out of the ignition as it had locked up. There was smoke coming from the car, and some liquid pouring from the front of the car, and I was scared to look for my phone as I didn't know if the thing would blow up. Someone finally stopped (mind you, not the dump truck driver) to see if I was okay and to dial 911. After a few minutes, we decided it was ok to go in the car to find my phone. My Metallica CD had broke in half, I had things that were in the trunk of the Cruiser in the front floor board. It was scary!

I lucked out! The cop said that I was lucky I wasn't hurt more. I ended up with huge bruises on my knees where they had hit the dashboard, my stomach and chest from the seatbelt, and on my arms from the air bag. All of that, and some pretty good drugs! ;-)

So, here is the final picture after the car was towed.

It has been a running joke that I wanted out of that car that bad. I luckily have been able to drive my truck since!

So, this is a little different than TNT's story....more like my scariest story ever!

Book it!

My Blogmother Bou tagged me with this Book Meme. I feel like a heel! I feel like I never have time to read and then she has this social book life along with being super woman. However, I can't wait to read some of the books on her list since it seems we have similar taste.

You’re stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be? Fahrenheit 451 was one of the books I was supposed to read in high school and never did...but I remember the premise. I have a book of quotes that I really like. You can look up any topic and it has a quote for it.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? Hehe, The Hardy Boys

The last book you bought is: Looking Out, Looking In....a stupid book that I didn't end up reading for my Interpersonal Communications class.

The last book you read: Emotional Intelligence...another book for school. Except I actually read this one and enjoyed it.

What are you currently reading? Better question, what book am I supposed to be reading. Psychology of Personality...again for school.

Five books you would take to a deserted island:
The Great Santini by Pat Conroy
Beach Music by Pat Conroy
Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (are you noticing a trend here??? We went to the same high school)
The Odyssey by Homer (I love Greek Mythology)
How to Stay Alive in the Woods : A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter, and Self-Preservation That Makes Starvation in the Wilderness Next to Impossible by Bradford Angier (self explanatory)

Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?

Tammi at Road Warrior Survival We seem to have a lot in common so far and she may give me some great books to put on my reading list after I finish all this school reading.

_Jon at We Swear just because he has been lapse on his posting and hasn't posted anything in 4 days, so I thought he may need a little push! :-)

TNT at Smiling Dynamite - I just think she'll come up with some really cool books!

Wish List

Blog Grandpa Graumagus is asking us the top 5 toys we would buy if money wasn't a problem.

What's funny about this is, the day he posted this, I was considering trading in my Explorer for a Mustang Convertible. I've always been a truck girl, but for some reason lately, I have had this itch in my pants for something new and a little more fun. It wouldn't be the most responsible thing to do, but I REALLY REALLY want it. So, I'm trying to keep myself from going to the dealership during daylight hours to see if this desire subsides. But if it doesn't, you may see a post of me in a new mustang soon.

As for my top 5 toys, this is hard because I'm not very creative!! And really, I'll probably just depress myself on thinking about stuff I will never own. (unless I soon find that suga daddy with one foot in the grave I've been looking for)

So, I am going to abstain from this meme to save on my therapy bills. But if you all want to list your top 5 things you would buy for me yourself, leave them in the *NEW* Haloscan comments (if you can see the link)!

Comments

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

I'm still playing with the format of these comments. Let me know what you think. I have a widescreen monitor so I never know how things might look on regular monitors.

This may be too small, but I can't figure out how to lessen the margins on the side of the posts.

Any help would be greatly appreciated from you veteran bloggers! :-)

Blogosphere Offers Free Contraceptives

Okay, okay, okay! So I haven't blogged since Saturday night and I feel as guilty as Michael Jackson.

So what shabby excuse do I have for not making an effort to post something with some type of value? Let's see, I have had school work coming out of my ears, real work coming out of my ass, and have been amusing myself with Mr. Genuine Guy. Or because of all the procreation going on, I have spent all my time updating my blogroll.

Don't like those excuses?? Well, give me some better ones then!!

Believe it or not, I have been lurking in the shadows reading everyone else's blogs.

I have a new Blog Bruncle!

"Bruncle (brun-cle) - n.: The brother of one's mother or father and the son of one's mother or father" see Contagion at Miasmatic Review

Tammi has a new puppy, Cody, a potential suitor for Kiki.

I have a Blog Aunt (no fork here that I could find), Pam at Camp HappyBadFun!, and is as tired of hearing about Martha Stewart as much as I am.

I also have a Blog Cousin (I think, where's the family tree when you need it), Sarah the Penguin at Because We Have Thumbs who has already had me contemplating the wonders of thumbs.

This has been a freaking busy week for birthing! What the hell was going on 9 months ago??? I'm going to set up a Blogosphere Contraceptive Vending Machine.

And it seems EVERYONE is bitching about Blogger's comments. I signed up and put in Haloscan, but then noticed it deleted all my old comments. And since your comments are better than my posts...I feared my readership snowballing (hehe), I chickened out and replaced it with Blogger's. I still want to make the jump, but I might need a couple of drinks first!

Quizilla Says Who I Am

Nothing like these quizzes to tell everyone the inner workings of your personality.

I've seen the Care Bears quiz and the Alcoholic Beverage quiz at other blogs and figured I'd get them done in one post! I added the Greek God one for fun...

ATHENA
You are like the Greek God Athena, of Education. You're seen as sophisticated, smart, and a really down to earth person. Easy to get along with, easy to understand - and with great prospects. You do well in what you enjoy, and and often excel in most things academic.
?? Which Of The Greek Gods Are You ??

"You are fun, and often the life of the party. Interesting, with a good sense of humor and definitely exciting. You're young at heart, and often you give people the escape they need - and make an excellent friend..."

?? Which Alcoholic Drink Are You ??

Which Dysfunctional Care Bear Are You?

Hmmm....which one is Sissy???

I'm going to make these into business cards!!! ;-)

Locks of Love

A few weeks ago, I was out shopping with the girls and was complaining that I didn't know what I wanted to do with my hair. It was at the awkward stage where I needed to decide to cut it or let it grow out. I have been sporting this shoulder length hair for a couple of years now. However, I had long long hair that went down to my tush until I went to college and let some girls talk me into cutting it (for good reasons!)

Morrigan then suggested that I grow it out and donate it to Locks of Love. I figured, why the hell not.

I told my mom about what I was going to do and she emailed these pictures to remind me of when I did have hair long enough to donate.

Both of these were taken in Okinawa, Japan so I was probably around 6.

So, we are going to see if I can grow my hair out 10+ inches. Well, probably like 8, I'd be willing to go 2 inches shorter than I am now.

My mom and my sis #1 both still have hair longer than in these pictures. I'm trying to get them to donate also. I haven't gotten a yes yet, but I haven't gotten a no either!!

Image Shack Trick

Some of you may already know this, so if you do....just leave me alone cause I feel smart :-P

For those that don't....this may help you out with uploading pictures into Image Shack.

To get rid of that little black bar on the bottom of your pictures, go ahead and upload any random picture. When you get to the page that gives you the link to post to your blog.

On the left side of the page, it says "Don't like the black bar on your thumbnail? Remove it from now on." And you will click on the link "Remove it from now on"

I have included an image of the link, but you may have to click on the picture to see what I'm talking about.

I hope this helps!!

Life on Mars

I am in absolutely no rush to get married or have children. I'm not saying that I won't want that one day, but I love my independence. There is so much still I want to do before I "settle down" and focus on a family.

With that being said, my relationship situation is not in any means any desperation for a companion...but rather trying to get a general understanding for the opposite sex.

In high school, my first real relationship actually lasted 2 years. The guy was the valedictorian, 2 years older than me, and was a geek. But I was totally infatuated and thought I was cool dating this guy 2 years older than me. The summer before my junior year, I visited Europe for 3 weeks and figured out I needed to be a little more independent. So, while he was at the Naval Academy, I told him that we needed to end our relationship.

My freshman year in college, I dated a guy that my friends refer to as the "Neon Sign". He was a high school drop out, had multiple piercings (beneficial piercings), tattoos, but was a hell of a lot of fun!! Wow could he sing, and that's what I fell for!

I returned to California a year later and met a Marine (named Dirt by my friends) that I dated for a few months that said he had to go take care of a sick grandfather and for me to wait for him. (He actually ended up going to Okinawa I later found out)

I dated another Marine (named Butthead by my friends) for another few months, brought him home to meet the family, and then he had to go to Okinawa and once he got there, he couldn't handle the long distance relationship.

I then ran into Dirt again and started seeing him. Things got serious, he moved in and I was very much in love. I could have been happy living in a cardboard box with him (which we practically were). He went to Missouri with me and met all my family and seemed to be the real deal. Well, one day he upped and left and ended up being a real jerk (said mean things, left me with some bills, etc). Hence the name Jerk. I find out way later in life, that he was married the whole time he was with me and ended up leaving abruptly because his wife found out and threatened to go to his command.

I later moved to Yuma, AZ and you can probably guess who I met....another Marine. No one has come up for a name for this guy yet. He was a harrier mechanic, into fast cars, tattoos, and drinking. We had a blast! It was a party every weekend! My best friend and his best friend (a married couple) invited us to share their 3 bedroom house. This lasted about 6 months until he went overseas and couldn't do the long distance thing either.

So I move to North Carolina. To shorten the story, I meet two other guys, both Marines, that end up being married!

So, to sum it all up, I have MMM - Married Marine Mojo!

I am now in South Carolina have dated here and there. So let's get to my current dilemma. I met an Army Officer and went out to dinner with him Saturday night. I usually end up dating guys older than me, but this one happens to be younger. I thought that might present a maturity issue, but we actually had a decent time. We had plans to do something Monday night, but I canceled on him due to me leaving this week and having too much to get done. Since then he calls me or sends me a text message a couple times a day. I don't answer all of them, usually only about one a day. At first, this seemed stalkerish. But each time I do talk to him, he asks me how my day was, trys to have a real conversation and seems really genuine.

So, there were a couple of points to all of this:

#1 - I need to move away from a military base! :-)
#2 - My luck/judgment hasn't been the best
#3 - I can't see the difference between genuine interest and stalker

So, the next couple of days/weeks should be interesting. Have I met a genuine fun guy or a psycho obsessed stalker?

Grumpy Sissy

I would love to write a long post tonight about all the craziness and chaos going on, but I have a paper to write for school! However, after reading THIS post, you may have an idea of some of the irritations in my classes. Well, I went to view what assignments I had due tonight and the post was titled "Calander". I am glad my instructor, who is in her doctorate program cannot spell calendar.

There are two reasons this aggravates me. One is that UoP insists that we use spell check for EVERYTHING - and rightfully so. But we hear this all the time! So obviously, her spell check isn't on. Secondly, the first book we are given when we start with UoP is about basic writing. And in the midst of different classes, we have different writing/grammar lessons. Well, one of the big ones is commonly misspelled words, such as calendar.

So, am I being a little picky? You have no idea! I've been a negative little nelly today. The rath of Sissy has hit just about everyone, including my UoP instructor. Exhaustion, emotions, and just plain stress turns me into a biatch!

The cure?? Margaritas!!! :-)

Flights

How long ago did we learn that we had to take our shoes off into security??? Um, about 4 years ago maybe? So why were 4 women bitching about having to take their shoes off going through security? And they were trying to play it off, "Do I have to take my shoes off?"

No stupid...it's obvious you are so dense that you could not bring down a plane, so we won't make you take your pretty lil' shoes off!

I'm thinking we might have to start having passengers take tests before going through security. These women could not get their shit together. They insisted on fitting everything they own into ONE container. There is a stack of containers taller than me, and there are only 10 of us in line...feel free to use a couple. Hell, put use 1 container for each item. I don't care. Just get your crap through the x-ray machine and go get your precious shoes! It's not exactly rocket science!

And why would anyone in their right mind book the LAST flight into a city is beyond me! (And I did not book my flight, my work did!)

I am sitting in the Columbia Airport right now....I am supposed to be sitting in a cramped plan with my butt stuck between two metal bars and my knees up to my chest! But NOOOOO! The plane is delayed. And you know what, not biggy, it happens. But it's going to make me miss my connection into Shoot Me, Texas. Again, no biggy, except that it's going to make me SPEND.THE.NIGHT in Hell Hole, Texas now until the next morning to get on the first flight to Shoot Me Texas, which will make me 1/2 day late for my meeting. Why book the last flippin' flight of the night!

I don't get it!!!

Stay Away! I'm Infected!!

*sniffle sniffle* *tear*

My computer has 5 infected files by trojan horses (and not the trojans I prefer!)

I want to blame the dicks at Dell since this is my 3rd hard drive and when they send you a new one, it's naked!

So my hard drive has been all over the internet, exposed without protection. Yes, I should have just gone out and bought it protection, but I was being cheap and didn't think anything could get to me! But did you know, they pass that stuff out free at the little clinics all over the internet??

So, I put the files in the vault (if that makes sense to any of you computer people, I don't understand it at all!) And then went in and took some antibiotics and deleted those little suckers.

Will this take care of my problem? Any suggestions from you computer geeks handsome geniuses??

Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit

RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT

I remember a long time ago, being told that on the first of the month, the first thing you say in the morning should be "Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit" and you will have good luck for the rest of the month. Supposedly you get bonus luck if it's your birth month.

I'm not a very superstitious person, but I could use all the help I can right now. Anything to keep me from moving me to Shoot Me, TX or Kill Me, MO.

Did you forget to say RABBIT RABBIT RABBIT this morning?

It's okay, as you drift off to sleep tonight, just say TIBBAR TIBBAR TIBBAR.

That should take care of everything ;-)

Driving Nowhere

Do you ever feel like you just really need to get away?

Well, I tend to act on those feelings and just get up, throw on a jacket, get in my truck and go for a drive.

When I lived in NC, I used to just drive to the beach, sit out near the water and listen and watch the water. No matter what time of night, no matter what was going on the next day, no matter how scary the beach can be in the middle of the night....you could find me there.

When in the desert of California, I would drive into Joshua Tree National Park. Drive on trails through cacti, large rocks, Joshua and Yucca Trees, and coyotes.

When I lived in Arizona, I would drive to the dunes. Nothing but clear skies and large piles of sand.

When I lived in Missouri, I found a lake in a large, rich housing development that I would drive around many times. Or I would find unpaved trails through wooded areas and just drive.

Well, now that I've moved here, I have been unable to find a place like these. So what do I do? I just drive....anywhere....I often have no clue where I'm going. Sometimes I have to pull out my atlas to get home...it's almost like a game.

Well, tonight (or this morning), I got this bug again. I was laying in bed and could not turn off my brain! So, I got up, threw on a jacket over my oh so attractive pj's, slipped on my slippers and left. Where did I go? I have no earthly clue!!! I know I went west thanks to the little compass in the truck. I know I drove about 150 miles. But I honestly couldn't tell you the name of one town I drove through or near!

What I usually do on these spontaneous adventures is play some really good music, usually some type of instrumental music, roll the windows down, and just drive.

I do some of my best thinking during these times. It's a great way for me to clear out all the questions I have running through my head throughout the day that I keep putting off answering.

And after almost 3 hours of driving, my mind is cleared, or at least satisfied, and I am ready to return to bed.