Word of the Week

After finding out that you only need to be a 4th grader to read my stuff, I figured it was time to take the initiative (that counts as a 4 syllable word!) to broaden my vocabulary.

So I am starting Word of the Week!

Every Sunday, I will post a word and it's definition here. The challenge is for everyone to try and use the word in their posts sometime within that week. Providing I see you use it or you let me know somehow that you used it (email or trackback), the following Sunday we'll have a little linky orgy of all that have attempted to increase their vocabulary, confuse their readers and use the word of the week. For those of you that have not jumped on the blogwagon yet, I welcome you to leave your example in the comments.

We have a few goals:

1. To see if our readability scores increase.
2. To find the best, most original, or dysfunctional use of the word.
3. To see how many people catch on to the Word of the Week.

(This post will remain at the top of the page this week to make sure everyone gets an opportunity (5 syllables!) to participate)

Word of the Week #1

What My Birthday Means

Found this over at Not Exactly Rocket Science.

Um, yea...the part about money....I stink with money. I have poor concept of balancing a damn checkbook (I'm good with math, just don't manage money well)

GA. Woman Found with Cold Feet

The Georgia woman that went missing just a few days before her wedding has been found.

First of all, I am so very glad she is safe, unharmed and wasn't abducted.

Now that that's out of the way, I am livid that she is not being charged. She ran away to Vegas because she said the pressure of the big wedding was too much and she needed some time to think. She then wound up in Albuquerque broke and called her husband and told him she had been abducted but that all the media had scared her abductors away.

When she was found at a 7-Eleven, she was questioned for hours when finally she said she wasn't abducted, that she had ran away.

She had cut her hair so that no one would notice her, however said that she had no idea of the magnitude of the situation and search for her.

Rewards of $150,000 were put out. Police and volunteers searched for days and nights for this woman. She took our police force away from people that may have actually needed it. She had her family and friends thinking she was dead. She was selfish, inconsiderate and caused emotional trauma and harm to her family and fiance. Her fiance was put under investigation because of the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Now the next time a woman goes missing, this scenario is always going to remain in the back or our minds. It takes away from the seriousness and will jade any future abductions.

I am just sick by this.

Bathroom Floor

I would love to own a bar and paint this floor in the bathroom of the bar!! 

Word of the Week Instructions

After finding out that you only need to be a 4th grader to read my stuff, I figured it was time to take the initiative (that counts as a 4 syllable word!) to broaden my vocabulary.

So I am starting Word of the Week!

Every Sunday, I will post a word and it's definition here. The challenge is for everyone to try and use the word in their posts sometime within that week. Providing I see you use it or you let me know somehow that you used it (email or trackback), the following Sunday we'll have a little linky orgy of all that have attempted to increase their vocabulary, confuse their readers and use the word of the week. For those of you that have not jumped on the blogwagon yet, I welcome you to leave your example in the comments.

We have a few goals:

1. To see if our readability scores increase.
2. To find the best, most original, or dysfunctional use of the word.
3. To see how many people catch on to the Word of the Week.

(This post will remain at the top of the page this week to make sure everyone gets an opportunity (5 syllables!) to participate)

News on the Home Front

Sis #1 (age 16) had her last day of school today. Seems kind of early? That's because for the next month, she gets to do work study at a newspaper in their advertising department. She doesn't have to be to work until 9, no more school (she graduates June 3), and doesn't have to take her finals! She has taken extra classes the past 3 years so she could graduate a year early since they have orders to move this summer (she didn't want to graduate at a whole new school her senior year). She's not college ready yet. She's quite smart, however didn't worry about studying or homework the past 2 years. So, her GPA and her SAT scores are not going to get her into college yet...which I think is a blessing in disguise. My first year of college was hell on me emotionally. It was a mess. I think a community college for her 1st and/or 2nd year will be great.

I can't believe my sister is graduating from high school. I feel like not too long ago, her and I were fighting on who got to sit in the front seat of the car. I'm trying to figure out what to get her for graduation. I'm thinking I'll try and take her on a trip or a cruise. Something where we can go, spend time together and have fun.

I talked to Sis #2 today (age 7). She talks very fast. I often have to ask her to repeat herself as she talks so fast that I miss words. She was telling me that she got a rabbit and named it BooBoo (like an owie) because it was short for Rabbit.

She then told me she lost her 1st tooth. She was very proud that she yanked it out herself. Somehow, I see some persuading on my dad's part. Something like, "toughen up", "you want me to yank it out", etc. She was very excited that she got a bear and a gold coin from the toothfairy. Hmmm...gold coin? I'm thinking that may have came from the box of coins from around the world at last minute ;-) She then said she was looking for another loose tooth to take out. She's got a goldmine in there!

Everytime I talk to her, she sounds more grown up. When I was 16, I used to help take care of her as a baby. People at my high school thought she was mine. I remember turning on some music, holding her to me, and dancing her to sleep. When I came home from school, we'd watch cartoons together. I remember laying on the floor playing with her for hours. She loved to go around the house on my shoulders and if I laid on the floor to watch TV, she would come over and sit on my back and watch with us. She used to watch me conduct the band at concerts would mimic me from her seat with my parents.

Every phone call, she asks me why I can't live with them or in Arizona. How do I answer that? I love to visit my family, but dread it at the same time because when I leave, she cries. Between the gasps for breath, she asks why can't I stay; other girl's sisters live with them. Ouch!

So, 3 daughters, and we've all practically grown up like only children. Sis #1 was born when I was 7 and 3 years later, my parents were divorced. I jumped back and forth between dad and mom's and finally at age 16, permanently stayed at my dad's. My sister doesn't remember a lot from when I was around. My mom shows her pictures sometimes to refresh her memory of our times together...but she doesn't...not many anyway. And since Sis #2 was born when I was 16 and I was out of the house by 18, she has also grown up as an only child.

I need to be a better sister. I need to be closer, I need to talk to them more, I need them to know I will always be here for them.

I Didn't Get That Memo

No one told me I had to have a dick to talk about electronics. I didn't know that was a boys only club.

I am into electronics. I spend tons of money at Best Buy and on eBay on electronics. I understand the lingo, can speak it and enjoy it. I like gadgets. And when I am going to make a purchase, I know what I want.

Today was just a simple purchase. I was looking for a 1 GB mini SD memory card for my new phone to store mp3's and pictures. (yes, my phone is also a mp3 player and a 1.3mp camera)

I have been looking around everywhere for these and many stores don't even carry the mini SD memory cards, let alone a 1 GB card. I looked online, and I can order it, but I want it now! Best Buy's website has them, so I drove over to Best Buy. I looked at their memory cards and the largest mini SD memory card they had was 256. I looked around some more, as I know they cross merchandise and they could be put somewhere else. Nothing larger than a 256!

I finally find someone to help me and tell him I am looking for a mini SD memory card larger than a 256. I would like a 1GB but would settle for a 512. He asked me what it was for. I don't know if he wanted to know why I needed so much memory or if he wondered if I knew what type of card I needed. I told him it was for my phone.

He tells me I don't want a mini SD card, I need a Trans Flash card; those are what phones use. Um, no, I need a mini SD card. Nevermind the fact that I work for the company that sells this phone, but I can read a damn box and I understand the little picture on the back of my phone. After I prove to him that I need a mini SD card, he walks over with me to where I was looking. Although I am annoyed that he is looking in the same place I did, I keep my mouth shut...who knows...I could have overlooked the damn thing after starring at that fixture for 30 minutes.

He finally walks over to two girls that work in the photo department, asking if they have a mini SD card larger than 256 and they tell us that there is no such thing. It took everything I had to not laugh. Yes, there is such thing, they are on your freakin website!! Geez!! They respond that they don't carry them and turn their back to me to continue their conversation!

I have yet to find the card I want. It looks like I'm going to have to order the damn thing and won't have it for my trip next week! Maybe I can save on shipping and order a dick along with that so I can talk electronics or computers without being immediately questioned.

This was a minor occurrence. When I was shopping for my receiver, my camera or any other of the many electronics I have, I was talked to like I knew nothing, and once I showed I knew what I was talking about and probably knew more than the kid sales rep, they tried to lie their way out of it.

Someone once tried to tell me that the difference between 2-way, 3-way and 4-way speakers (for the car) were that you got surround sound with 4-way like you would with a home theater system! WTF???

I worked in consumer electronics for 2 years. I was a product specialist for the electronics department for the PX on base. Even then, I was doubted at first when selling a product until I really showed them what I was talking about.

I would ask if guys have this issue when talking about something that is usually a "girl" topic....but I don't think the guys are going up to the make-up counter talking about the difference in foundations and mascaras...or am I wrong? Guys, do you encounter this at all???

Blog Help

Does anyone know how to get a Permalink link after each post on blogger? Is it a setting or a html code or something?

When linking to a certain post, I have to google search it to get the permalink. It's a pain.

UPDATE:

I'm a complete dumbass!

Thanks to my siblings VW and Contagion for knowning the answer. Of course it would be us in the ghetto knowing or learning how to jimmie the locks or kick starting the furnace...while our mom lives in her lap of luxury. ;-)

*quietly sings to self*

"The sun will come out.....tomorrow...."

Mud Cookies

Ok, the whole idea of me entering the Carnival of Recipes is hilarious in itself. Like anyone that has been reading here would actually try anything I suggested! :-)

BUT!! I can make these! They may put you into sugar convulsions...but I can make them!

Mud Cookies

2 cups of sugar 1/2 cup milk
4 tbsp. cocoa 1/2 stick butter

Boil 2 minute. Remove from heat and add:

2 1/2 cups oatmeal 1/2 cup peanut butter
(quick cooking)

1 tsp vanilla

after boiling add: vanilla then peanut butter then oatmeal

Then lay spoonfuls on wax paper

They're ready to eat in just a few minutes after they harden some.

Get Your Juices Flowing - I Need Help!

Amy of Porchein Amy has kindly and generously offered to help me do some graphics for my site here. Wow, talk about a nice gal! I can only imagine the work it takes to make good graphics. I'd love to know how but I hear the software is quite expensive.

So I need all of my readers help!! I have no idea what to tell her to make or include in a banner or graphics. I really don't have my "thing" yet, ya know?

What do I tell her? What help can I give? Hell, how do I repay her for something so nice!!

It'll be a little while until we have something up. I'm certainly not in any hurry and her talents are in high demand.

Meanwhile, I need suggestions! What should we include, what do you all think of when you hear "Sissy"? I've been blogging now for about 2 1/2 months and am still trying to find my voice. This is tough stuff!!

UPDATE:

There are some great thoughts/ideas in the comments...keep them coming.

Blogmom Bou says my Blog Voice is kind of one that I am searching...living and searching.

I tried to play on that and I started thinking of a lighthouse (I love all things related to the beach and the water)

Caltechgirl said to consider several things, one of them being a favorite saying. My favorite quote is "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take"

So....this is what I have so far. Keep the comments coming! And thank you!

How's Your Taste in Music?

Found this at Beth's Place

Tattoos

Bloggrandpa Harvey liked Blogmom Boudicca's thought "To live in America can be such a wonderful thing" that he thought it would be a great tattoo.

This got me to thinking of my mom's tattoo which comes along with an interesting story.

I had been wanting a tattoo but wasn't sure if I could take the pain nor did I know what to get. Plus, I HATE needles. I will not give blood because of how much I hate needles (but I do other good deeds) and I have to sit down and turn my head when getting shots or blood drawn. I did lots of thinking. I wanted it somewhere that I didn't have to see all the time if I didn't like it in the future, something that was easy to hide, and something that would stand the test of time - no characters, names, etc.

I was dating a guy who had some tattoos that I looked at all the time. I was fascinated by the ink in his skin - these pictures.

While he was out on float, I decided I was ready to get mine on my lower back. My best friend and I were going to go, but I wanted to go to somewhere I trusted. A year prior, I had lived in 29 Palms, CA and gotten a couple of piercings. One in my tragus and one in my rook. (I no longer have these due to having an allergy to anything not gold)

Parts of the Ear - I had the Rook and the Tragus Pierced

I insisted that we drive 3 hours from Yuma, AZ to 29 Palms, CA for us to get our tattoos. We left at about 7pm that night and drove through the desert talking about what we might get.

We got there, did plenty of looking around. I wanted something kind of Celtic. Maybe something that resembled my Irish Claddagh ring that I wore.

The Irish Claddagh

She was debating getting her husbands name (something I was voting against). We watched some Marines getting tattoos and then I decided to just go for it and get mine.

I bargained with the tattoo artist on the price. The tattoo, to get it on the lower back (which tends to be a little more expensive) was going to be $180. I just didn't see paying that much. I gave my sob story of our 3 hour drive out there and our 3 hour drive back. Talked to him about sending him referrals. And we finally got down to $80.

I signed my paperwork and the tattoo artist had me roll down the waist of my pants (I planned ahead and wore sweats) straddle a reclined chair and lean forward on the back of the chair. He cleaned my lower back with alcohol wipes and shaved the area. He "pasted" the outline on my lower back, had me check it in the mirror. Here was my last chance to back out....but I didn't.

I leaned forward and he started the outline. I just kept telling myself to control my breathing. I made tons of jokes as I do when I'm nervous and kept trying to hold a conversation with my friend as she watched.

The outline hurt more that the coloring in. Overall, it actually wasn't that bad. The whole thing took about 40 minutes. When it was done though, I did feel a little weak, hot and felt like I might pass out. I sat down, sipped some water and was fine. Too much adrenaline at once!

My first tattoo

Now it was my friends turn...except, she chickened out!! I wanted to give her a hard time, but then I thought that wasn't something to push someone into, so I shut up. (especially since she was wanting a name!)

We started driving home around 12 that night. I reclined my drivers seat all the way back so it wasn't touching my back, sat up straight, and drove the whole way home!

A couple days later, I went to my moms house, on her birthday and the day my grandfather was buried, and showed her the tattoo. She tried to play it cool but it broke her heart. I felt awful! I don't know why I insisted on showing her then. Very stupid on my part.

My dad found out later and was more mad that I "wasted money" rather than the permanent art on my body.

A couple years later, around my mom's 40th birthday, I get a phone call from sis #1 (16 years old) and she said, "You'll never guess what mom did."

She got her belly button pierced and a tattoo on her lower back. She said it was a heart with the American flag in the middle of it that said "All American Girl". Interesting choice....but it made me feel better about mine :-)

After a while, I wanted another. Same thoughts though...I wanted it where I could hide it, something that I wouldn't hate later, etc. There aren't many places on the body like that. None that appealing anyway. I didn't want one on the ankle like most women get a tattoo. I liked the idea, but thought it wasn't so cute. I wanted it lower. I played around with the idea of getting it on the inside of the ankle, about an inch above the bottom of my foot. It's covered up by regular shoes, but looks cute with sandals.

One day, two girls from work and I were walking around downtown in Wilmington. One of them saw a tattoo parlor and wanted to go check it out. You know I was game! We checked it out and looked at tattoo ideas for at least an hour. I found a couple, but then finally decided on one. This time, I wanted something in color. But I was still playing with the idea of where. I was scared of that place on my ankle as there is a lot of bone there and I didn't know if I could take the pain.

When I told the tattoo guy where I wanted it, he said he would do it, but that I had to be sure I wanted it and wouldn't squirm. He didn't want to do it if I was going to take forever and be a pain. I told him I was a champ and I could do it.

One of the other girls had found a dragonfly she wanted and wanted to get it near her pelvic bone/hip area where her panties just barely covered. It was her first and she did great. Meanwhile, I am pinching, poking and abusing my ankle to see if I could take the pain.

Then it comes to my turn. He re-drew the tattoo to my liking as I wanted some of the stuff on there gone, sized it to what I wanted and we picked colors. He "pasted" the stencil on there, I stood up, looked in the mirror to see how it looked, and went with it. This one hurt A LOT more than the lower back. Again, the outline is a BITCH! However, he was good and didn't take too long. I kept trying to talk to my friends and make jokes. I started to get light headed and the shakes, but was trying to play it off as I didn't want the tattoo guy to see and wanted to be brave. I hadn't eaten which I'm sure helped in that. Finally my friend saw my face starting to turn white and flush and the tattoo guy told me to reach over and get some water (while he was still doing my tattoo) and he gave me a chewable sugar pill to get my blood sugar back up. After that I was fine!

He did the color inside which was quite interesting to see. The whole thing took about 20-25 minutes. Not too bad.

My second tattoo

Afterward, we walked over to a restaurant, had dinner and some drinks and showed off my tattoo to anyone that walked by that saw my leg propped up on a stool.

I still get the urge to get another one sometimes. I don't know what it is. I won't get one that's completely visible to everyone so I'm running out of places. But I still think about it every now and then.

So I fully support Harvey's choice of tattoo; along with the Bondage Bear and a llama!

Day of Random

Go HERE for the directions.

Thanks Oddybobo.

Amalgamated :-)

What City Should I Live In?

Hmmm....might have to try these out. Never thought a city in Florida would be on this list.

Hat tip to Machelle

My Trip to the Zoo

The Flamingos

The Flamingos Upclose

What a look!

The Elephant took a drink of water right before it put it's ass to us, spread it's legs and took a huge pee! Quite disgusting but I'm sure she was laughing!

How can you see this and not think of Ogre

I had to get a picture with the llama just for the Bad Example Family!

The pretty seahorses. Did you know that the male seahorses are the ones that "give birth". Talk about Mr. Mom!

I just thought the Jellyfish looked cool.

This was Chaka and she was very entertaining.

Chaka is taking a dump in front of us, reaches like she's going to wipe herself, pulls out the turd and throws it on the ground. Eck!

Chaka was tired of us and went to go eat.

This is the park I go to when I need to relax. I love this park and we took Kiki here today. It was cold, but still peaceful and beautiful!  

Exhaustion

I am exhausted! I know I'm supposed to be full of energy, but I feel like I could go into hibernation right now.

Monday - Wednesday I was getting ready for all the trainers to come visit Columbia, setting up hotels, scheduling training for 120 people next week, amongst other things. A little busier than usual. And then I insisted on going to the gym every morning, meaning I had to get up at 6 am (something I never do!) and I would also go for an hour after work. Thursday rolled around, went to the gym and then I met with all the trainers. Lots of personalities being thrown different directions...it was just one of those meetings that just drain you of all your energy. I unfortunately didn't get to go to the gym in the afternoon because I didn't finish until like 7:30pm (and they close at 7:30).

There was a reason for not getting to leave the office until 7:30. Do you think we met until 7:30? Of course not! There was a scheduling goof (on my companies part) with an outside trainer to be here Friday and Saturday. I called her on Thursday to see when she needed me there to let her in, and she was told to be here next week. Luckily, this woman is awesome! She didn't get overworked about it, scheduled a flight, packed her stuff and we saw her on Friday morning like there was nothing ever wrong. However, since she wasn't there on her schedule, we were missing supplies, had to do the room set up, etc. The other trainers helped decorate the room and left, while Ebony and I stayed until 7:30 binding participant guides.

The next morning, I got up at 6 again to go to the gym, and got held up by an elderly lady. She wanted to chat and chat, and I was trying to be nice...but really was on a tight schedule. I rushed home, and I had forgotten to iron the shirt I wanted to wear. So, I brought the shirt in the bathroom, hung it, and turn the shower on as hot as I could take it so it would steam the shirt. Well, that didn't work so I ended up sticking in the dryer. However, it's hard to put make up on in a hurry when you are sweating hot. Plus I was rushed! I ran out the door with my yogurt breakfast and got caught by not one, but two trains! I was trying to get to work by 7:45 to let the outside trainer it to prepare for an 8:30 start. I didn't end up making it until 8am.

However, I was still rushed, so I was still doing the sweating thing while rushing around. I hate that! We had a full day of class and then stayed after with the outside trainer discussing parts of the class to get certified the next day. I don't believe we were out of there until again about 7 or so. So of course, I didn't get to go to the gym (it closes at 7 on Fridays)

Then there is Saturday. I haven't had to work a Saturday since last July. This totally through my schedule off. We were all at work being certified to train a class from 8am-3pm. After 3, everyone went there separate ways except for one of the new trainers. This girl had a rough week being thrown into training without any prep or anything. I felt bad for her. So that night, she didn't want to be by herself. I took her to dinner, we went to the mall and got a manicure and pedicure, went to a couple of bars and I finally dropped her off at midnight. The next day she wanted to do stuff (new town to her, doesn't know where to go) so we went to the zoo (llama pictures coming soon), went to lunch, went to the office to prepare for tomorrow class, went driving around downtown, went to dinner, brought my dog to the park, and I finally dropped her off at 7:30.

I am freaking worn out!! I haven't been to spend any time by myself at home! Then this week, I'm training M-Wed straight and still plan on getting up at 6 so I can go to the gym and go after class. So let's just say I cannot wait until Thursday! It may be a work day but my ass is sleeping in! I will need Thursday-Sunday to prepare for my trip to Kill Me, TX next week, all week!

So they may say the young have energy....but I'm freaking exhausted!

Readability: Me's tries be smarter

mellow-drama found this site to see how readable her blog was.

I typed mine in and found the following results:

So basically the readability of my blog is a little bit harder than the TV Guide, The Bible and Mark Twain but easier than Readers Digest and most popular novels. And you only need four years of education to understand the chaos I put out.

Do I care? No. Do I find this freaking hilarious? Yes!

However, this gave me a great idea for a little fun we can have around the blogosphere. Look for a post later tonight regarding a little weekly fun.

Accepting, Not Giving Up

My posting has been a bit scant in the past few weeks. I honestly have been concentrating on other parts of my life that I needed to dedicate my thoughts to - I didn't feel I could share these thoughts until I understood them myself.

I still can't for the most part. I felt kind of guilty at first for not posting. I didn't want to miss out on all the fun in the blogosphere nor did I want to leave any of my readers disappointed. Then I received some great advice from a very wise person. They told me that what I write and when I write - it's for me.

This took some of the pressure off. I write what's on my mind, no matter how absurd, crazy or boring it is - because I want to write it. If others get something out of it, that's just gravy. But I have to quit censoring myself of material I consider not good enough. Hell, there's several posts that I have posted that aren't good enough ;-)

So, when starting this post, I honestly had/have no direction. I just felt like writing. Nothing in particular - nothing that'll make you cry, laugh or think....I just felt like writing.

I think I've finally come to an acceptance recently. I thought I had come to that point before - I was never really there. An acceptance in what has happened in my work life, an acceptance in my personal life and even an acceptance of myself.

At first, this acceptance felt like surrendering to what I didn't want; like I was giving up. I had lost the battle or I wasn't good enough to win it.

All this energy I have spent fighting to not lose the battle, could have been spent accepting these things and going with them - making the changes I want one step at a time.

You know how kids go through growth spurts? I still go through those except I go through emotional growth spurts or maturity growth spurts. Whatever you want to call them. Every once in a while...not too often, something big will hit me like this. These life changing thoughts that totally take me by surprise. They may offer solutions to current obstacles or they may offer new paths. But when they come, they are such a relief.

This one has hit me big, and on so many levels. I still feel kind of taken aback by this.

I don't want to predict what this may or may not do or lead me to. I think I'm just going to kind of go with it.

This whole time of not blogging, not wanting to go to work, not wanting to do much of anything...I thought I was just tired of fighting and was on the verge of losing. I thought I had lost my competitive edge - my desire to be the best.

But that's not exactly it. I'm accepting it, I'm going with it, and I'm stretching myself a bit. At this point I kind of have that "what's the worst that can happen" mentality.

So like I said, this had no direction at all, hence why it doesn't have a profound end or conclusion to such a misguided thought. But, it's for me...and right now, I don't need an end.

A Whole New World Time

I ran into something totally bizarre the other morning. Stuff I'd never seen before. The sky was a light blue/pink, the sun barely peeking through. The air was fresh, clean with light dew on the skin. It was a nice cool temperature lacking the humidity instigated sweat. There were birds out, chirping. There was hardly any traffic, no long lines at traffic lights, easy to turn left at a green light. Parking lots weren't crowded, there was this wet stuff on my truck, the grass was wet...it was all so weird to me. I went to the gym and the place was half as busy as it was in the afternoon and they were so much more friendly!

There's this whole new world at...well, I don't know how to say it, but my clock said 6:00 .

Wow! Why didn't I discover this world sooner? How was I supposed to know about this?

I know I have to have 8 hours of sleep. It's a given! Otherwise, my whole routine and moods are off!

So, is this new early morning world worth me missing my 10:00pm shows? Well, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday I have shows I'm addicted to. That's why it's great that I have my DVR. So it looks like my 10:00 shows will have to wait until 6:00pm the next day to see. At least for a little while.

However, I do reserve the right no wake up to the heat of the day on Saturdays and Sundays!

If I Could Be...

Blog Mama Bou of Boudicca's Voice tagged me to complete this meme. So cruel! She took advantage of the fact that I have no idea what I want to do with my life and is forcing me to look at these options ;-)

So here are the rules that Ogre invented, in italics, followed by my 5, followed then by my tag for the next three...

Immediately following there is a list of 24 different occupations. You must select at least 5 of them (feel free to select more). You may add more if you like to your list before you pass it on (after you select 5 of the items as it was passed to you). Each one begins with "If I could be..." Of the 5 you selected, you are to finish each phrase with what you would do as a member of that profession.

For example, if the selected occupation was "pirate" you might take the phrase "If I could be a pirate..." and add to it "I would sail the 7 Seas, dating lasses from around the world.

See how easy that is? Here's the list:

If I could be a scientist...
If I could be a farmer...
If I could be a musician...
If I could be a doctor...
If I could be a painter...
If I could be a gardener...
If I could be a missionary...
If I could be a chef...
If I could be an architect...
If I could be a linguist...
If I could be a psychologist...
If I could be a librarian...
If I could be an athlete...
If I could be a lawyer...
If I could be an innkeeper...
If I could be a professor...
If I could be a writer...
If I could be a llama-rider...
If I could be a bonnie pirate...
If I could be an astronaut...
If I were a dog...
If I were an inventor...
If I were a programmer...
If I were a genius...

If I could be a musician...I would be ultimately happy that I finally achieved my impossible dream. And I would put to shame all the pathetic losers out there that call themselves musicians.

If I were a chef...haha, that's just funny those words coming out of my mouth! So, if I were a chef...I'd be the least requested chef in the country. (I think I could beat out some of the chefs in other countries that cook dog and stuff)

If I were a genius...I don't think this night would have ever happened.

Tag Your It to:

Machelle of Quality Weenie...cause I'd like to see what she would do if she didn't find her ultimate job in the automotive industry.

My Blog Bruncle Contagion of Miasmatic Review....cause he oddly suggested for me to start re-enacting as a hobby. Blah!

My Blog Grandpa Graumagus of Frizzen Sparks because I like the way he thinks sometimes.

Answers will be posted on THEIR blogs and I'll link to them when they're up.

Kiki Blogging

Just thought I would do a little Kiki the Pootie Dog blogging. My little cutie....

Ya can't get any cuter than that!

Other Things To Do

So, now that my job sucks and I've determined that there is now way out (because I signed my life away for the next year thanks to them paying $15,000 of my tuition), I am determined to find other things to put my time and energy into.

First of all, before Morrigan and Bou freak out - YES, I will go back to school this fall at a local school with live people in a real classroom, with tests, homework, and hopefully cute boys.

So right now, one of the things I'm trying to do is really get into working out. Where I've been doing just 30 min, I started 45 min 6 days last week, and this week I'm doing an hour a day. I'm tempted to try to go work out in the morning before work and then as usual, after work. Um, that would require me to wake up before 7am. First, I need to see if my alarm can be set before 7....never tried it.

I thought about getting into scrapbooking, after making a scrapbook for Napster for her memories of us here on the east coast. It was fun....but I don't think I'm that creative, nor do I have any other good reasons to make these books and it looks like it could become an expensive hobby....so I think this one is just left for holidays and special occasions.

I would love to get back into my music. Mainly piano. I've even considered taking piano lessons again. However, I would have to get something to practice on. That's what I'm working with right now. I won't settle for one of those cheap $100 Wal-Mart keyboards. I am looking for a digital piano; something that is touch sensitive, full size, the pedals, etc. So far, I've found one for $500. I think I might keep checking the classifieds, yard sales and eBay! :-)

I've also considered guitar. I know very little about guitar, but would like to learn. I've tried twice before, but it hurt my fingers and I had to cut my nails. But, I may try again.

Hmmm, that's all I can think of at the moment. I never realized how much I loved my job and how much energy I put into it until now. So, as much as I don't like it right now, maybe it'll open the door for me to enjoy other things in life. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll find someone to enjoy other things with ;-)

The Party of the Century

Here it is, the party to end all parties.

Jeff of Oh Dark Thirty is going to be gone for about the next 4 months due to the Army. So he's leaving us the keys to his pad. He has provided us with the following:

- 1, Industrial Strength Foam Rubber Slip and Slide Super Fun Park
- 455 Gallons, Institutional Pudding in Chocolate, Tapioca, and Vanilla
- 675 Cases, Cold Beer including Guinness, Harp, Bass, Czechvar, Beck’s, Pilsener Urquell, and some hometown Penn Dark and Penn Gold
- 145 bottles, assorted Tequilas, Whiskeys, Scotches, Vodkas, and Gins
- 17, Rotating Hotel Lovebird beds, complete with ceiling mirrors
- 15, live Canadian Moose
- 11, Go-Karts (with optional German Spike Helmets from WW1)
- 9 sets of Twister (Naked and original versions)
- Direct hotlines to the local Fire house and Club Erotica, downtown
- Various “supplies” and “equipment” (wink wink, Harv)
- 4,390 pounds, Fresh Fruit - oranges, apples, mangoes, passion fruits….
- 7 Hot Tubs full of flavored brandies
- The Swedish Bikini Team

And he's also provided us with a challenge:

- 1000 Comments
This may be a lofty goal, but hell, let’s set ‘em high….
- 50 Different Commenters
- 75 Trackbacks from Different blogs
- 2 Gnome Sightings
- 4 Celebrities (Minor or Major) leaving a comment

If we can achieve this, he's promised us a surprise!!

So get on over there, no cover, just bring a friend!

Family Gun Lessons

Bou wrote about her and TGOO going shopping for a gun and all the lessons along with such a big responsibility.

Well, my dad the retired Marine, has always made sure his girls knew how to handle guns responsibly. This past Christmas Eve, we packed up the Excursion with guns, the slingshot, bow and arrows and a picnic lunch of ring bologna and chips, and drove up into the mountains to go shooting.

But before hand, he insisted on giving us the lesson on each gun. What each one was, what it was used for, the history behind it, how to hold it, what each piece does, etc. We did this with EACH GUN. Each of us girls had to hold each one and show dad that we had understood what he just explained to us. Being the oldest, this was only like the 5th time I had listened to this lesson :-)

The following pictures are from that lesson and the day in the mountains.

He's Gone Too Far

Cowboy's obsession with bacon has been confirmed.

The remnants of 2 pounds of bacon - a cup and a half of bacon grease!

So why is Cowboy saving a cup and a half of bacon???

Lubricant?

Moisturizer?

Tanning Lotion?

Hair Gel?

Cologne?

Toothpaste?

Butter for his biscuits?

Icing for his cake?

Coffee in the morning?

Are ya rollin' it up and smoking it?

A cup and a half of bacon fat! What on earth are you doing to do with all that?

Drinking Lessons Learned

Warning - Weak stomachs do not continue.

Yesterday was a gorgeous day, so I decided to take advantage of the cool temperatures and sunny skies and lay out in the sun for a little bit. I was only planning on staying out for an hour - 30 minutes on each side. Toward the end of my hour, my best friend called and I figured I'd just stay out there until we finished talking. Well, that was 45 minutes.

So needless to say, I got a little sun. My face is red, my legs are red and my arms are just dark. It's cool though, not very painful.

So I return home to get ready to drive to Charleston for Napster's and Cowboy's final get together before they move to Kill Me, TX. I had Taco Bell for lunch, but figured I would hold off on dinner until I got to Charleston since we were going to a crab shack.

When I get to their house a tad before 7, they start me off with a margarita. Sweet nectar! We go to the crab shack and I start off with just having a couple of Smirnoff Ices. Others are starting to arrive...mainly people I used to work with and their spouses and friends of Cowboy. The bar runs out of smirnoff ices so I move to my next drink of choice, red bull and vodka. Then, Cowboy's friend J, the professional drinker, starts getting me to do shots. Now, usually I stick to vodka or tequila, I don't mess with much else. But J has me try something different...no biggy. Then, we do my traditional tequila shot. J then suggests a new drink for me, something with raspberry smirnoff, southern comfort and some other stuff....it was yummy. So yummy, I have no idea how many I had. I finished one of Napster's shots that she didn't want, and maybe possibly had a couple more, I don't know. All I know is, it was too much!

Now let's pause here for a second and let me explain my tolerance. Usually, I have a pretty high tolerance when drinking. I know when to stop to avoid being ill and I know when enough is enough....usually! I have never thrown up from drinking before. Hell, the last time I threw up from anything was when I was 6. I do.not.throw up. I will lay there miserable until it goes away....but I will not throw up.

For some reason, last night I had no limits. Now let me recap: I had been out in the sun for 2 hours, my last meal was Taco Bell at about 11:30 and I had foolishly mixed my alcohol. I begin to feel sick, go to the bathroom to sit down by myself and get away, and throw up my drinks on the floor. The next time, I aim for the toilet, shocked that I actually had stuff actually coming up. I remember sitting down on the toilet and trying to wipe up my mistake.

I stumble out of the bathroom, back to my table, unaware of what I may look like to everyone else. Napster orders me some chicken strips to get something in my stomach, I eat 2 and run back to the bathroom. I come back to the table and just sit there with my head in my hands and pass out. I was told they sent someone to go get the car and they took me outside to take me back to their place. Cowboy's friends were holding me up, Napster putting ice down my top and placing it on my neck and all of them are trying to get me to open my eyes. I remember at one point trying to open my eyes, seeing Napster in front of me, and then closing them again and almost falling on top of their friend.

That's all I know. I don't remember getting in the car, don't remember getting in the house, don't remember them laying me on the couch....nothing, nada!

I woke up this morning, look at my white shirt splotched with remembrance of last night, and couldn't believe what I had done. I was so embarrassed. I go with Napster to get breakfast at McDonalds and she catches me up on the events of last night. We get back to the house, I look at my biscuit, and I just can't seem to open my mouth wide enough to take a bite of it. So I have my hashbrown and drink tons and tons of water and try to figure out if I can gather myself enough to drive 120 miles home.

That was the longest freaking drive ever! All I wanted was a greasy cheeseburger and a coke to coat my alcohol abused stomach and to go lay in my bed.

So, many lessons learned! At least Napster and Cowboy will remember their farewell! Sorry guys! :-) Thanks for taking care of me!

Dressing Impaired

Last December, I was training a class full of managers. We were in a small conference room, very relaxed atmosphere. I have a class full of guys....no females...none. I was wearing my typical black pants and a red, black, tan, and white striped sweater.

I'm in front of the class, walking around the table, training who knows what, and I pause, and peripherally see my seem on my shoulder sticking out.

Oh no, I'm seeing stuff. So I attempt to keep talking while trying to figure out how I was dressed and if anyone noticed. I had them work on something silently, grabbed my half-full water bottle and made an excuse to go get more water. I went to the restroom, looked in the mirror, and had put my sweater on inside out! I don't know if they noticed, I hope they didn't notice. But for all I know, it's a joke going around amongst the managers.

Another winter morning, I was getting ready for work. I got up, brushed my teeth, did my hair, put on make up. I get the shirt I'm going to wear for the day, grab my purse, slip on my huge shoes (I like to look tall). I walk outside to my truck and feel this chill across my legs. Yes, I forgot to put on pants!! I was still wearing my PJ shorts that should not be seen in public!

Now, let's fast forward to today. Everyday when I go to Curves, I change in their dressing room into my gym clothes. My gym clothes consists of black meshy capris pants with 2 white stripes down each side, some sort of USMC or Mizzou t-shirt, and my sneakers. I changed like I always do and get to working out. I'm on my 2nd rotation and am on the machine that you have to stick your legs into these things and spread your legs and then bring them back in (working your thighs, abs and butt) - and I see the seem of my pants going down the inside of my legs. I look at the side of my legs, and I'm missing my 2 white strips and it's replace with another seem. I get up, feel my lower back, and there are my tags sticking out! I continue to work out, making shirt my t-shirt covers as much as it can. I finish my 2nd rotation and hope no one has noticed so I can push myself to do a 3rd.

When I go to the tanning room, I am sure to put my pants on CORRECTLY when I'm done.

I'm 23 years old, almost 24, and I need help dressing myself! Very sad!

I'm # 1!! I'm # 1!!

Out of all things to be Googled on, I was Googled on my lack of cooking abilities while drunk.

"spatula melted" remove

Blog Mom should be proud.

UPDATE: I updated the screenshot to relieve any doubts of my greatness! :-)

It's Not That Difficult

I went to work out at Curves yesterday. Although it is more comfortable than the typical gym because it is all women, there is still a sense of tension in the room. There are women that look like they've just stepped out of a magazine and there are women that you wonder how they walked inside. There are college students, business women, mothers and retired women.

When in the circle, you are often facing other people. Each person thinking their own thing - what should I make for dinner, I still have to stop by..., gotta pick up the kids, this sucks, ouch, am I ever going to lose this weight, I shouldn't have had that brownie earlier, am I doing this machine right, I can't wait to fit into that dress.

But you wonder what other people think of you. You look up, accidentally make eye contact, do the half-closed mouth smile thing and quickly look down. You don't want anyone to think you were starring. Exercising can be such a vulnerable thing. We are all self conscious about something.

Yesterday, everything was the same. Each person on their station , waiting 30 seconds to switch to the next station. Some women can be intimidating doing extra things in odd positions that you just don't know how to do. Should I know that? Should I be doing that? Other women do their station with ease - as if it were second nature.

I start on my usual machine and gradually speed up to get my heart rate up. At about my 4th machine, I see this shorter woman, fairly large, come in a black gym pants, a melon colored shirt and wearing a matching black workout jacket. I'm already dripping sweat in my capri pants and t-shirt - she's going to die in that!

After noticing it's warm, she removes her jacket, folds it neatly and places it in her cubby. She starts walking in place at one of the recovery stations across from me, she looks at me, smiles, and says "hey, your pants look like my pants except mine only have one stripe and yours has two". I agree and respond that they are popular. Now, realizing she has a mental handicap. She then continues to tell me about her matching jacket and how she got them. The whole time, she's smiling through her workout - giving it all she has - really working hard at each station.

She is then across from another woman, one of the women that looks like she just walked out of a magazine. The woman that I didn't want to make eye contact with - like I wasn't worthy of her acknowledgement.

She talks to the model about her pants too, how they both have similar pants. I was just waiting for the model to be rude - just waiting. The model smiles and says she loves the girl's pants and that yes, they are similar.

Everyone goes back to their own worlds, listening to the sped up pop music, switching stations every 30 seconds. And the girl is smiling the whole time - like she's at an amusement park.

Each time we cross paths, she makes eye contact and smiles. She doesn't turn away. She was having a blast being around other women, getting to work out and listen to music. She was having so much fun. She made it look so simple.

And that's when I figured it out. We make things way too difficult, with our worries, excuses, complaints, opinions and our own self doubt. We take something this girl probably looks forward to going to everyday, and we make it difficult.

I ended up doing an extra round yesterday - just because I could. It really just wasn't that difficult.

Beautiful Places

A few days ago, Sally of Whimsy Capricious was watching Blog Sis VW's Place, and asked us what was the most beautiful or exciting place we had been.

I called mom up for some pictures of some of the cool places we've been stationed or visited. Well, obviously, from the pictures shown, my parents didn't believe in taking pictures without me or my sister in it. So ignore the dorky little kid in the pictures and enjoy the scenery.

Sunset in 29 Palms, California - 1981

Joshua Tree National Park in 29 Palms, California - 1983

North Carolina Beaches - 1983

Grand Canyon - 1985

Sunset in Yuma, AZ - 1985

Elephant Rock - Missouri - 1986

Okinawa, Japan - 1986

Dad & Sissy on the beach in Okinawa, Japan - 1986-88

Ok, so I'll end here for now. I've gotta look up more pictures that *I* have taken to share. Pictures of when I went to Europe, desert pictures, beach pictures, and who knows what else.

Happy Anniversary!!!

I struggled trying to think of something to say about the kind of love Harvey and TNT have. Nothing funny, emotional, poetic or dysfunctional that I came up with seemed enough or right. The one thing that did keep coming to mind though was my favorite love song. Now I know TNT has already chosen Harvey, but I see this kind of passion in their love for each other. So here is what I couldn't figure out how to say...

To Make You Feel My Love
Bob Dylan (Garth Brooks singing in the link)

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
And I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
There's no doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on a rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothin' like me yet

There is nothin' that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
Make you happy make your dreams come true
To make you feel my love

I hope you two have a wonderful anniversary today and many more years filled with unconditional love, passion and devotion.

(This post will stay on top throughout the day)

I Hate It When...

I can't remember what it was that I wanted to blog about earlier.

I don't write down ideas I have to blog about later.

I've recorded a show on DVR, go to play it back, and forget I can fast forward through the commericals.

I get home from picking up fast food, sit down and get comfortable, find something good on TV, open the bag, and they got your order wrong. (Especially if you don't eat comdiments like me)

I just want a little bit of shaving cream to shave my legs and end up with enough to shave a bear.

I finally get to sleep in and the guys with the leafblowers are right outside my window.

I put down meat to defrost and forget about it and have to throw it away.

male dogs get excited and you can see their wee-wee (so gross!)

I get a manicure and dent the paint while getting into the car.

I get a manicure, get home, and have to pee.

cats are in my lap, get scared, and release their claws into my skin.

I fill the dishwaher, not wanting to run until it's full, and forget that the dishes in there - it tends to get stinky.

I forget I have clothes in the washer and don't throw them in the dryer in a timely manner.

I shrink a new shirt.

I'm getting a massage, lying on my stomach, and my nose starts draining. (damn allergies)

I can't get those stray pieces of hair off my hands while in the shower.

I'm in the shower and realize I'm out of shampoo or conditioner.

I go to the bathroom and realize that I ran out of toilet paper and all there are are wet ones.

I'm lazy and leave left overs in the tupperware in the fridge for weeks.

I'm scared of what's in the tupperware and just throw away the whole container.

I dial a number on the phone and when they pick up, I forget who I was calling.

Blogger takes a vacation without letting anyone know.

These things aren't funny until a few hours/days after they happen! Then they can make great little stories!

FYI

For all of you out there living in the ghetto (i.e. use Blogger):

Clear your cookies and delete temporary internet files.

You should be able to post then.

Notice, they took away the "recover post" option they just featured. The recover post option saved what you were typing as a cookie, so if you lost your post, you could recover it by clicking this link and it would appear again.

I personally believe this is what was screwing everyone up yesterday, as the "recover post" option has been removed.

However, I found it funny, their post on this new feature ~

Can I recover a lost post?

Sometimes, due to circumstances beyond your control (i.e. Blogger Sucks), your post may seem to vanish into thin air. The Internet is a dangerous place: browsers can crash, network connections can go down just when you click "Publish," or you may just accidentally move on to a new page without realizing you had an unfinished post left behind you (or Blogger is just overloaded and we can't get our shit together).

Luckily, we've got a nifty little feature that can save you from a lot of these cases. Periodically, as you write a post, the text of your post will get saved to a cookie on your browser. That way, even if something crashes, you may still be able to get your text back. Just go back to the posting form and look for the "Recover post" link.

Click that link, and anything that was saved in the browser's cookie will be filled into the posting form. You're saved! (don't do us any favors!)

Notes:
This feature is not guaranteed to work every time you lose a post (because we suck), but it's always worth a shot.
You'll need to be logged in to the same blog that lost the post, and on the same browser, in order for this to work.
Don't type anything new in the posting form before trying to recover or that new text may overwrite your old cookie.

Judge Sentences Spammer to Nine Years

All I can say is, WOW!

By MATTHEW BARAKAT, Associated Press Writer

LEESBURG, Va. - A Virginia judge sentenced a spammer to nine years in prison Friday in the nation's first felony prosecution for sending junk e-mail, though the sentence was postponed while the case is appealed.

Loudoun County Circuit Judge Thomas Horne said that because the law targeting bulk e-mail distribution is new and raises constitutional questions, it was appropriate to defer the prison time until appeals courts rule.

A jury had recommended the nine-year prison term after convicting Jeremy Jaynes of pumping out at least 10 million e-mails a day with the help of 16 high-speed lines, the kind of Internet capacity a 1,000-employee company would need.

Jaynes, of Raleigh, N.C., told the judge that regardless of how the appeal turns out, "I can guarantee the court I will not be involved in the e-mail marketing business again."

The prosecutor, Lisa Hicks-Thomas, said she was pleased with the sentence and confident that the law would be upheld on appeal.

"We're satisfied that the court upheld what 12 citizens of Virginia determined was an appropriate sentence — nine years in prison," Hicks-Thomas said.

Defense attorney David Oblon argued in court that nine years was far too long given that Jaynes was charged as an out-of-state resident with violating a Virginia law that had taken effect just two weeks before.

"We have no doubt that we will win on appeal," Oblon said outside court. "Therefore any sentence is somewhat moot. Still, the sentence is not what we recommended and we're disappointed."

Jaynes declined to talk to reporters. He remains under $1 million bond.

Though Oblon has never disputed that his client was a bulk e-mail distributor, he argued during the trial that the law was poorly crafted and that prosecutors never proved the e-mail was unsolicited. He also has said the law is an unconstitutional infringement of free speech.

Under Virginia law, sending unsolicited bulk e-mail itself is not a crime unless the sender masks his identity. Prosecutors brought the case in Virginia because it is home to America Online Inc., the leading Internet service provider.

Prosecutors have described Jaynes as among the top 10 spammers in the world at the time of his arrest, using the name "Gaven Stubberfield" and other aliases to peddle junk products and pornography. Prosecutors say he grossed up to $750,000 per month.

The jury also convicted Jaynes's sister, Jessica DeGroot of Raleigh, but recommended only a $7,500 fine. Her conviction was later dismissed by the judge. A third defendant, Richard Rutkowski of Cary, N.C., was acquitted of all charges.

We're obviously in the wrong damn business ;-)

Signs

I often wonder if there are signs for us to do certain things or make certain decisions. Tammi talked a little bit about things falling into place and I'm glad I'm not the only one that looks for that type of stuff.

I tend to be a bit of a logical thinker when it comes to big decisions. I can't rely on a superior being or fate to take care of things for me. I have total control of what happens to me. With that being said...I need help sometimes! I have friends and family that give advice, what they would do and their points of view. If I ask 5 people, I usually get 5 different answers. Don't get me wrong, I love and appreciate these answers, but I ultimately still have to make the decision.

That's why it helps when there's a little "sign" to choose one thing over another. Like when I was deciding whether to get Lasik Surgery, after calling to set up an appointment, an extremely difficult situation just started to fall into place. Or when I rescued Kiki from the animal shelter, she was in cage #17 (my birthday). Or when I was trying to decide to take the training position being offered, and a few months after I took it, the store I managed was closed.

Little things like that comfort me. Are they the ultimate decider? No. They just help with the warm fuzzy feeling when needed.

Well, I am wondering if I got a sign today.

I did not get the Area Sales Manager Position I put in for. I found out today that they chose someone with Multi-store management experience...and he had a lot. and I don't blame them for choosing this guy. But, the way this was all handled was unprofessional and left me up in the air for a long time.

So now I have to start looking at my options. And I am luck enough to have a few:

Move to Columbia, MO and stay in my current training position

Stay in Columbia, SC and stay in my current training position (if this position opens up which it very well may)

Move to Wilmington, NC and manage a store like I did before (same size).

Stay here in Columbia and manage a store here when a spot opens up.

To continue to look for a job outside of the company here in Columbia.

Move to Atlanta and possibly have a position there.

Move to Phoenix and work for Honeywell (thanks to my dad)

Each option has it's pros and cons.

First of all, I've already griped about my current job. Not working for someone that is familiar with training, not being developed and not being able to train often. Not a well ran department. However, I make good pay, and it looks like they are making an effort to make things better...we'll see.

I particularly do not want to move to Columbia, MO. But, if it's my only choice to have a paycheck...I may just have to.

I do not want to move back to Wilmington. I just moved from there last November. Although I loved it, the store I would run is the same size store that I left. I don't care for some of the people that work there and I really don't want to work for the person I would be working for.

If I took a manager position locally, I would go back to working odd hours (no more Monday through Friday 9-5), my base pay would be cut but I would be earning commission. But I feel like I would be stuck here for a few years before they would do anything with me. Oh, and I'd be back to working with the public again....blech!

I am currently looking for other jobs here in Columbia, but haven't found much yet. Plus, it'd be hard for me to find something making this much considering my age and only an AA degree.

The thought of moving to a city is exciting to me. I've always thought about doing it. But it's also intimidating...especially financially! (And I would be moving again and would have to pay to get out of my lease and move!)

Again...moving again, and paying to get out of my lease and move. Plus, I'm not sure I'd want to work for the same company as my dad. Just too close I think. And again, making decent pay due to my age, experience and education.

I'm kind of wondering if I should take this whole getting turned down thing as a sign to get out of retail. Really, how far can I get in retail? Maybe I need to stay in training and get into more of the corporate world.

I just really don't know. I have a lot of thinking to do. Luckily, I have a little bit of time...basically until around June-ish. Well, I need to have an idea before then what I want.

But I am lucky...at least I do have options.

Daddy's Girl

I just received my Easter package from my stepmom, dad and sister. Yea, I know it's a little late, but it's just really great to get packages or any type of mail for that matter.

I open up the package and there are two cards, one for Easter and one that said Way to Go for getting my AA. My stepmom is very crafty - she does scrap books, crafts around the house, and makes her own cards. Serious cards. Like, pasting objects on them, sewing stuff on there, stickers and stamps. For 12 days before Christmas, she made little gift bags with these same attributes on them with a small something in each of them and left them outside the door each morning. She's a regular Martha MacGyver!

I knew what was going to be in the box. The usual chocolates and Mary Kay products. Which I love...I never have to buy chocolate or make up! I go to open the cards, expecting the usual quick note from my stepmom - We miss you, we love you, visit soon, Love, Dad, B, and Sis #2. Sometimes there'll be a little something from my lil sis in there too.

Not this time! My dad wrote both of the notes in each of the cards! Wha?? I haven't gotten something written by him since I was little and he would be overseas.

The Easter Card:

S,

We hope you have a wonderful Easter. We wish you were here but hope all is well with work. Visit when you can and remember we love you.

Happy Easter,

Dad, B, & Sis #2

The Congrats Card:

S,

Congratulations on your associates degree! All that hard work is paying off! We're very proud of you. Keep working hard and you'll go far.

Hopefully you can use these personalized pen, pencil and business card holder in your new role. Remember we love you and keep working away at school.

Again, Congratulations!

Love,

Dad, B & Sis #2.

Yes, there was a lovely personalized-engraved pen/pencil set and business card holder! Very cool and creative gift. I love them.

But what I love even more is the personalized cards from my dad! It reminded me of when I was young and he would send letters and tapes from overseas. I remember how much he missed me and said he couldn't wait to come home. I used to have to get my mom to help me read the letters, not because I was bad at reading, but because my dad has TERRIBLE handwriting. And still does. I even struggled a little bit today.

My big bad Marine dad took the time out to personally write EACH card to send to me. He's such a big scary teddy bear :-) and I love him so much! Not a phone call goes by where he doesn't ask me to move near them and still tells me how much he misses me.

Yes, my dad is strict, holds high standards and expectations, doesn't take excuses and tells me when I've screwed up. But there's no other man in the world that will ever love me as much as him. In fact, on my 18th birthday during our "going out into the world" talk, he said "There are only two good guys in this world - me and one other guy out there for you"

Yea, he's a pretty geeky cool guy! I'm such a Daddy's Girl!

Oh, The Simple Things That Amuse Me

I found the coolest thing at work today while I was bored out of my mind. At Google Maps you can get your usual maps and driving instructions, but then you can also get Satellite Images! Oh, this was so cool and took up the majority of my afternoon!!

So I started pulling up images of places I used to live, streets I used to drive and places I like to go.

Check these out...

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

The Washington Monument

The Gamecock Stadium - holds like 83,000 people

Simple things amuse me!

Congratulations

There are a couple of great things happening with my friends in the real world!

Napster and her schmoopie Cowboy are engaged!! Cowboy did a great job...he picked out a great gal and a great ring! They are giving me the excuse now to return to Vegas...now at a legal age! Congratulations Napster and Cowboy!! I'm so happy for the both of you. You know I'm bummed that you all will be 2000 miles away...but at least I'll have something to look forward to when I visit Kill Me, TX!

Bou's sister Morrigan started a new job today! You know she won them all over with her charming personality and....well, see her sister's description of her if you must know more. But she's brilliant and I'm sure has the higher-ups worried about the security of their own jobs now!! Good Luck Morrigan, hope it went well!!

Ummm....that's it....means that nothing else exciting is going on...or I need more friends!

My Plan B

I've written about Dirt before. Basically, he could have been the one. If he wouldn't have been such a lying jerk, he could have been the one. Duh, I know! But, let me explain. I have never been any happier with anyone than him.

We lived in this small studio apartment. We had a 19" TV on top of an old console TV that didn't work. There was a twin bed, an old dresser and a chair. We put both of our computers (couldn't afford furniture, but had computers) on an old trunk. The "kitchen" had a small fridge, sink and card table. The kitchen was literally the size of a walk in closet. It didn't even have cabinets. I had to stack my dishes on the card table. The bathroom was small and old with only a stand up 1/2 shower. No closets. I would say this was about 300 square feet if that...no joke!

It didn't matter. Dirt and I were happy anywhere. We'd stay up and lay in bed playing cards, watching movies, goofing off on the computer, or just talking. He'd surprise me with flowers, cooking or little thoughtful gifts here and there. We went through a lot together...and he was always there for me. He was the one that always treated me the best. Until....

He up and left. One day I came home with a note on the ironing board that said he had to leave and that he was no good for me and for me to move on. Me, being 20 years old, freaked out! I didn't understand. I went from being depressed and upset to mad. He left me with bills for the apartment and other things. I'd call to see what the deal was, why he left. He finally called and left me 4 phone messages telling me how awful a person I was, how he couldn't believe he spent that time with me, and so forth. Really bad messages....really bad!

I moved on...never full understanding what happened. We talked in the future after I had moved to Arizona. I found out, at the time, he was married. His wife had cheated on him and gave him permission to cheat on her. Well, I was his choice. He said he screwed up though because he fell in love with me. And when he left that note, his wife found out what was going on and threatened to tell his command. You know the Marine Corps doesn't like that adultery stuff.

So, no pity here...this was just to catch you up to date. A couple of times since then, Dirt and I tried a relationship again, but I couldn't do it. He needed to fix some stuff in his personal life and learn to feel good about himself before he could be with me. He didn't like that answer...and as much as I wanted back what we had, I stuck with that answer.

Well, it's been nice knowing in the back of my head that I always had him there. If I couldn't find anyone else that made me that happy....he was still there. He said he would be. And that he would spend the rest of his life making it up to me. He was my plan B. I know that sounds awful, but in the back of my head, when I thought that I just wouldn't find anyone, I always had that extra thought that I could always make it with him.

Well, we all have former boyfriends/girlfriends that move on. My first boyfriend of 2 years ended up marrying someone the same name as me that is a music teacher (what I was going to be). My last real relationship, the one that went overseas and I never heard from, married another girl with my same name and had a kid. (And my name isn't that common!)

But it's cool, I don't regret anything. It's all just a little funny. But Dirt was my last "Plan B".

He moved out to North Carolina from California to try to make it work one more time with me...and I still couldn't do it. We would talk every once in a while and he finally found a girlfriend. A few weeks ago, he came down to South Carolina to see me. Even though I thought about it for a moment, trying to get back what we had, I knew it wasn't right....it wasn't healthy. We left it at that.

Well, I found out today that he is marrying his girlfriend, she's having his baby, and they moved to the town I moved to when I moved out to North Carolina from Arizona.

Whoa, what a blow! Now I know I was never going to go back to him. I KNEW it wasn't right. But he's officially gone...no more plan B...no more maybe's...no more what if's...it's done.

Being an Adult Sucks Sometimes

I’ve been on an emotional ride ever since this merger was announced last November. For a while, I didn’t think I would have a job. I didn’t find out for sure that I would have a job until late January…and the job was going to move me to either New Mexico, Texas, Missouri or the Washington/Oregon area. So then I had to decide if I was ready to move again or not. I have since decided I do not want to move right now. Not for this training position I have currently.

So I put in for an Area Sales Manager position that would be perfect for me! I had my hopes up about this job for a long time…basically since mid-February. I have heard both positive and negative things from others on my chances of getting this job. My big competition is others with multi-store management experience.

My interview has been rescheduled 4 times due to travel issues, delays and schedules. I finally interviewed over the phone with the hiring manager today. This is the guy that interviewed me over the phone when I lived in Arizona and hired me over the phone….the one that I moved cross country to work for!

The interview went great. I usually don’t have a big issue with interviews. I basically told him that I was the best person for that job, despite not having mutli-store management experience and told him what I would do in the position, my management philosophy (which he already knows) and answered all of his questions and received positive responses to all my answers.

I asked him some questions to see if I could get a feel for what he was thinking. I finally asked him if there was anything that would keep me from getting the position and if there was anything else I could do or answer for him and his supervisor to clear up any reasons why I wouldn’t get the position. He said no. He knows I’m a great manager, he knows my style, he knows my success stories…he was there to see them. He said I’m in the top 4 for the position….the top of the top 4. And that the only thing is that I have competitors that have multi-store experience out there.

He should have a decision by the end of the week….which means next week sometime!

If I get this job, I’ll most likely end up moving to Charleston, SC. No problem, I’ll be near the water again, it’ll be close to my family when they move down here from Chicago, and it’s a hell of a lot better than moving to the other places mentioned above!

If I don’t get this job, I’m in a little bit of a predicament. I had a discussion with my manager last week on my career path with the company and where I wanted to go if I didn’t get his Sales Manager position. She was very supportive as to what I wanted and understood why I wanted to stay where I am. So at this point, my choices would be to move to one of those far out places other than Texas or New Mexico (that position has been filled) and stick with the training department (that I haven’t been happy with thus far), possibly stay in Columbia as a trainer if that position comes open (which there is a good chance it will) or to go back to a retail store (don’t know where) and be a manager again. I don’t want to do that…it’s like taking a step down….I’ve done it – challenge me!

So that’s where I’m at right now. I’ve done a little job surfing online around my area, not finding too much! I wish I could afford to just go back to school full time! But we know that’s not going to happen!

It’s tough….I don’t like looking for a job. It’s scary. The thought that you might have to do something you don’t like, take a cut in pay, or have to work 2 jobs again just to make ends meet…..it’s just plain scary! Not having anyone to fall back on, like the second income of a spouse or a sugar daddy ;-), it’s just a very scary feeling! I don’t want to be a grown-up anymore!

Another Microwave Mishap

Damn...I can't even cook in the microwave...

There goes my work-free weekend! Thank God for Clorox Wipes!

Pig Personality Test

Since the Bad Example Family is so fond of bacon, let's find out who you really are thanks to the origin of bacon!

Go here to take a very quick personality test that I give in some of my training classes as an icebreaker.

Leave your "results" in the comments. Hmmmm....I wonder how great your love life is....

(Found this site at this place.

Oh How I Miss Them...

...the yummy Marines!

I grew up on Marine Corps bases. And when I graduated high school and moved, I was still near Marine Corps bases...all until 8 months ago. So, it was nice to visit Jacksonville, NC - home of Camp Lejeune, Camp Geiger, Camp Johnson and the New River Air Station - all Marine Corps bases.

In a small town like Jacksonville, with 4 Marine Corps bases supporting it, the Marines swarm "out-in-town" like ants to a BBQ! You cannot drive down the main drag without being surrounded by young Marines in their hot cars with the bumping systems that take up the majority of their paychecks, a van with a Marine, his wife, and 2-5 kiddies, or a taxi cab filled with 15 Marines - watching them file out like clowns out of a clown car at the circus!

Forget going to the only Walmart in town, the mall or any restaurant on the 1st or the 15th! There's no point! You won't find parking and you won't get in!

You see groups of young Marines walking the main drag with their bags from Best Buy, Walmart or shops from the mall - miles away from the main gate.

This was vacation enough for me....a weekend full of sweet eye candy! Sadly though...no souvenirs!

Passing All Snowbirds

Congratulations Florida and all states bordering Mexico!! The snowbirds have packed up their Milwaukee's Best, golf carts, and bingo dobbers into their RV's and officially took up all north bound roads...especially I95! Your population should drop about 50% by the end of April - end of May at the latest!

That's the big announcement from my little weekend trip to North Carolina. Oh, and I think I saw Ogre celebrating his birthday with his llamas while I was driving through the boonies Hwy 24. I was going to stop, but I thought Kiki didn't have a chance of surviving between an Ogre and llamas! Happy Birthday Ogre!!