iphone-gate? really?

i know nothing about it, just saw the title & went "yeesh!"

today was pretty crazy-busy & interesting!  spent the morning investigating some stuff.  no resolution, so gotta investigate more next week.  whee!  (well, could be a whee!  could be a grrr!  we'll see how it shakes out!)  lunch at TPC - gorgeous campus & good food.  nice meeting all around, really.  of course, there's always some sort of drama that comes up, but i'm just going to leave that alone.  i was already all ranty about it to some of you!  *laugh* 

i spent the afternoon in a conference room w/ a couple ppl & a laptop, testing stuff for one of my latest projects.  it was fun!!  and i also got to play around w/ windows 2007, so i'm comfortable now setting it up on my computer.  oh, nuts, i was gonna do that before i left tonight!  ah well, monday, then. 

(sidebar: my computer just suddenly decided it wants to sound like an airplane engine...eep!)

as predicted by the weather ppl, about 3 o'clock the skies got dark & storms moved thru the area.  by 5 o'clock, it was a MONSOON.  i, of course, got drenched going to my car.  i even when to the door closest to it.  it took me 15 seconds to scurry (cuz i don't run) from the door to the car.  and i was DRENCHED!  *laugh*  thankfully, by the time i got across the bridge it'd tapered off & i was able to feed chloe some petrol w/o getting re-drenched once i'd started to dry off!  heh.  i'd been planning to do some shopping after work, too, but didn't feel comfortable going into the stores soaked, or even dry-but-rumpled.  ya know?!

i came home & chatted w/ nicki, april & joy (too brief!), read some blogs & watched flashforward & GH.  went out for onion rings about 9.  they were beer battered & YUM-O!  now i think it's time to attempt to finish my book before bed.  turn on the Pandora (if the computer lets me... loud much!  hopefully it's not overheating!  eep!) & relax... : )  have a great night & a wonderful tomorrow!  i have a bridal shower to go to in the afternoon & then i was gonna hang out w/ mom & leyton, but jen decided she wasn't going to do whatever tournament & so leyton's not staying the night now.  (side note - when you've arranged for a sitter, even if that sitter is a grandparent or aunt or uncle, and then your plans change so you won't need that sitter anymore, it is usually considered POLITE to inform them in as timely a manner as possible.  not contacting them w/ the change of plans, and even more not apologizing when they find out thru other means, is just rude.  you don't want to be rude, i know you don't.  so please have some consideration for the ppl who do you FAVORS so you can go out & do whatever, okay?  okay.  glad we had this little talk.) 

goodnight and TTFN!  : ) 

ohhhhh yeah... and in case you've missed them, here are some military music videos that i have been quite enjoying this week!!  love ya!

http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thehumancondition/archive/2010/04/30/lady-gaga-telephone-has-company-the-best-military-music-videos.aspx?gt1=43002

the list

**sandra bullock adopted a baby from new orleans in january.  what what? 

**sandra bullock's adoption of said baby bumped julia roberts from having the whole cover of People's most beautiful issue.  i wonder if she's mad?

**Gus Was A Friendly Ghost and Harry the Dirty Dog came in the mail today!  Leyton was sooooo excited about Harry!  : )  Gus is w/ me, because i wanted to read it first.  heh. 

**had a BLAST at Incredible Pizza Co. w/ mom & leyton tonight.  it's a pretty good buffet, and lots of way fun games!! 

**got to chat w/ april for a bit.  always a good time.  we found out we agree on the Arizona law.  april was shocked that we agreed on a political issue!  LOL 

**watched the good wife and GH before bed.

**phil replaced my doorknob assembly & we all have hawkeye keys for it now!  : )  he didn't close the door all the way when he left, tho, so when i got home from IPC the door was open.  mom waited while i searched the house to make sure no one was lurking.  : )  God protected the house, thank You! 

**i have been a wee bit ditzy alllll day.  idk why, but i think it rubbed off from a lady i had to deal w/ who was TOTALLY ditzy.  *laugh*  hopefully tomorrow i have my mojo back! 

**tomorrow is our team lunch & i am looking forward to it!  good food in beautiful surroundings! 

**that's all i have for today!  i'm sure i forgot some stuff, but i'm TIRED and going to bed.  : )  ttfn!

pandora radio and zoo stuff

i added metallica to my phil collins/yanni station.  added some depth.  i wish i could take my pandora station with me in the car!  i love the concept of this whole site (http://www.pandora.com/ in case you want to create your own station, ya know)!  prior to adding metallica, i had just phil & yanni in there, and they gave me songs by peter cetera, journey, peter gabriel (well, of course they gave me genesis for phil, and peter was the singer before him)... now that i've added metallica, they've also given me nirvana & danzig (so far).  there have been a couple songs that i really didn't like, but i just hit the "dislike" button & this message pops up - "we're so sorry, we'll delete this song and never play it again."  *laugh*  isn't that cute? 

oh, this morning in the car i listened to dwyer & michaels, and they were talking to tom ...?  the director for niabi zoo, who will soon be going to jack hanna's zoo in columbus.  and jack hanna called in!!!  it was cool.  normally i like music for the ride to work, more than talking, even tho i like dave & darin & dwyer & michaels.  but the interview & phone call this morning suckered me in.  dude has done SO MUCH for naibi, taken it from a piddly lil zoo to a nationally recognized attraction!  they're doing construction & i'm not sure when it's opening this year, but i can't wait!!  we have a new baby giraffe, and i've missed the elephants.  did you know it's a dream of mine to pet an elephant trunk?  i imagine that they're kinda rough and leathery and warm, but idk cuz i've never touched one.  yet.  but i will.  i'm not sure how...  i want to pet a giraffe, too, and maybe some day a dolphin at the aquarium.  i imagine they feel like plastic ball, all taut & smooth. 

isn't it funny how you can have a sensory experience just from imagination?  i have no point of reference for my imaginings of how these animals feel, other than sight.  oh, i just hope the zoo opens soon & that we get to go!  : ) 

today i miss it here:  and want to go back...(take 2 - computer froze earlier...)

that last one is my favorite, because the glacier was my favorite field trip during our stay in juneau.  : )  i loved being surrounded by mountains, looking out from our B&B onto water and mountains - my two favorite things! 

this is my baby brother, who is bout 6'4" tall now.  : )  today, he came over & replaced my livingroom lightbulb and mowed my lawn.  he's so awesome, and i loves him!  : ) 

and since i have all these lovely things tonight, i'm going to read for 1/2 an hour & then go to bed.  today was kinda exhausting! 

ttfn!

a poem

this poem does not rhyme, but they don't always have to! 

sometimes when I sit I wonder what it feels like to smile all the time

then I think, I usually do smile all the time

but some days I feel the ennui

what is the ennui? You ask.

well, it's the feeling of unimportance, even tho you know you're important.

it's the feeling of sadness, even tho you feel very blessed.

it's the feeling of anger at things you can't change.

today, it was not as bad as yesterday

but I still felt it, pecking at the back of my brain, like a chicken.

I was busy this morning, lots to do, so there was no time to be restless.

but this afternoon, I have done all the things I can think of, and there is 1/2 an hour left to my day.

and I am out of ideas.

oh, but wait!  there is performance management!  hooray! 

I wonder what tomorrow will be like.

waiting, waiting, it's really a horrible thing sometimes!

some some some - something, sometimes, someone…

do you think manic thoughts are better than depressed thoughts?

my doctor wants me to come in for a BP check & all that jazz.

I'm out of refills for my BP medicine.

but I ask you - is she going to wave her fee so I can come in for the checkup?

I'm not sure I have $112 more to pay, when the RX is $112 a month.

and I only have $254 left in my HSA.

if you do the math, that means I have enough in there for may & june.

and then I'm on my own, again, to pay for Rx!

I should get 10 ($48-ish) a pay period.

then I'd have a little stash.

for when the HSA runs out

again.

Is it sad that I need to stash BP meds?

last year, my Rx was a big reason why I was indebted to mom for the last 6 months of the year!

she wasn't happy.

I wasn't happy.

I don't want that to happen this year.

I like being happy.

I like when she's happy.

I like when money isn't the crux of our woes.

*************************************************

yeah, so that's the state of mind i was in today.  fun, huh?  but it's not all doom & gloom, really.  i just wish my prescription wasn't so darn expensive!  it's a monthly expense that i just need to budget in for the last 1/2 of the year & quit whining about.  i'm very fortunate to have resources at my disposal (like an hsa & a steady job that i like!).  : )

uplifting my mood this evening - groceries!!!  does anyone else enjoy grocery shopping as much as i do??  i didn't even get a lot (mint chip ice cream sandwiches, omh, soooo yummy!, TP (finally), tortillas, fruit, sweet potatoes, tea...) but it was nice!  i could just walk around the grocery store for hours, getting lost in new products and old favorites, visiting the meat counter to see what new yummies they've carved up, visiting the deli peeps and the cheese area - oh, don't get me started on the cheese area!!  i totally need to figure out when and where there is a free cheese tasting in the area so i can know what cheeses i like best. 

okay, stepping away from the cheese!

tonight was a Chuck marathon & it was so much fun!!  this show makes me happy!  especially the last episode i watched, happy happy happy! 

okay, seriously, cheese and Chuck, and whining.  aren't you so glad you read this blog tonight?  LOL  so, i'm gonna watch desperate housewives & try to read a little using the kitchen light as the livingroom light blipped out when i got home (gotta get that replaced tomorrow!).  have a great one!  idk if i have payroll tomorrow night or not.  will let ya know!  ; ) 

ttfn!

lost in a good book

i've missed it, tho i didn't realize how much til tonight.  i've always been a reader.  for as long as i can remember, books have been a part of my life.  the stories i remember from when i was little...

yes, that is a worm.  apparently they aren't scary when they wear hats and bow ties.

i remember my dad reading Gus to me, and that he liked toast & jam.  because of course i liked toast & jam, too!  : ) 

as i got older, i enjoyed these:

in 5th grade, our teacher banned SVH books for being "indecent."  i had up to an hour commute to & from school, depending on whose parent was driving, so i always kept a book in my bag for the ride.  one day, someone (jenny harris) decided to snoop thru my bag & turned in the SVH book that was in there to miss burns, who decided i'd broken the rules (!!) and kept it til the end of the year.  i was SO MAD!  i didn't know anything about illegal search & seizure at the time, but i certainly felt it was an injustice that something that my parents were fine w/ me having IN MY BOOKBAG was taken away from me.  pshaw.  *laugh* 

oh, nancy drew & the hardy boys.  i still love them!  did you know there used to be a hardy boys tv series?  it starred these guys:

yeah, dreamy, i know!  LOL  i had a huge crush on parker stevenson (in blue).  idk who the pretty boy is in red.  *laugh* 

ooh, another 5th grade story here - we went to florida, and my dad took me to waldenbooks so i could pick out some books for the trip.  i found what looked like a very interesting book, and it turned out to be the beginning of a wonderful relationship between me and Mr. Christopher Pike.  (btw, THIS is probably the book miss burns should have been concerned about me reading...way more teenage shenanigans in his books than SVH!!)

i've had 7 copies of this book so far - everyone liked to borrow my books (i had a library in my locker in HS) & sometimes they didn't survive so well.  speaking of HS, my friend carol really nurtured my love of reading.  she was a sophmore when i was in 7th grade, and she was allowed to read *gasp* romances.  i know, shocking, right?  that was it for me, tho.  i'd read a couple johanna lindsey's, and loved them, and she had practically every book johanna had ever written.  dad of course had me reading stephen king, and my aunts pointed me in the direct of dean koontz.  this is still one of my all time favorite time travel stories, and is another book that i've had several copies of due to ppl borrowing it.  : )  

 

i can read a story over & over again, never tiring of it.  a good story - like Lightning or Slumber Party or Sherrilyn Kenyon's Born of Night - never gets old.  even if i know the ins & outs enough to tell you the whole story, reading it again means discovering something new, some subtle nuance or a line i missed during the other readings.  curling up with a good story makes me feel all warm & fuzzy inside, and when i find a book that i don't want to put down... it's just an amazing feeling. 

i love reading all sorts of things, still.  i haven't latched on to any one thing, altho i do tend to be very fond of authors.  there are some who i'll read everything they write and enjoy it, and others who i only enjoy certain stories of.  (that sentence is very un-grammatical!  is that a word?  oh dear...it's late, but you get my meaning, yes??)  stephen king is brilliant, but i don't like all of his books.  sherrilyn, on the other hand, hasn't written a book i've not enjoyed as of yet!  (ooh, okay, i have to take that back.  there is one i haven't been able to get into currently.  and it's a sequel to Born of Night, so it's really quite odd that i don't like it!  i normally adore connected books!!)  and i am very much drawn to romances, it's true.  even my favorite christopher pike books (because i don't like all of his, either) have romantic elements, even tho their main focus is spooky. 

i suppose, actually, if i had a favorite genre, it would be fantasy.  gods & goddesses, other planets, alternate universes that seem so normal but are just a wee bit off... oh yes, they hold a special place in my heart! 

what's your favorite story?  do you remember the books you read when you were little?  do you read those books to the children in your life?  i'm waiting for Gus to come to my mailbox.  i can't wait to read it to leyton, and i hope he enjoys it as i did.  tho, i know, i have to prepare for if he doesn't.  in the world of thomas and Cars, will he have the patience for a lonely ghost who loves toast?  i can't wait to find out!  : )

but for now, i really must sleep.  it's amazing how sometimes the thoughts flow so nicely!  goodnight & ta for now! 

ranty

yes, today was a ranty, out of character day for me.  however, because i can't be ranty here, i will focus on the happy (there was a lot of it today, even if it didn't quite break my mood). 

** pumpkin curry w/ friends.  YUMMY & nice to visit!  i don't get to see anna very much as it is, and now she'll be moving down south to her dream state next month!  happy for her, but will miss the lunches for sure.  it was nice having her back in town for awhile.  : ) 

** celebrity apprentice and army wives.  both excellent episodes tonight!  i know i don't know him, but bret michaels is such an awesome guy on this show.  i really hope he's doing okay & recovering from his medical issues!! 

** chatting w/ april.  notes from summer.  comments from friends.  i am so blessed, and so grateful! 

** pandora radio.  seriously love it!  phil collins, genesis, peter gabriel, U2, peter cetera, journey, yanni... they know what i like & they play a lot of it on my phil collins channel!  : ) 

** photos of alaska.  i entered a landscape photo contest tonight & used a picture of mendenhal glacier.  i look at my pictures from that time and i remember how bittersweet the trip was.  awesome to spend time w/ my cousin & aunts, and remembering daddy & sad that i wouldn't get to share my pictures w/ him.  but happy because i knew he could see them at any time!  and remembering the little things of the trip, like the amazing salmon.  now i'm craving salmon.  ; ) 

thank you, Lord for giving me the good things to remember and cling to, even as i struggle against this depression or whatever it is that tries to drag me down.  just gotta take it one day at a time, right?!

i hope your monday was less angsty!  : ) 

ttfn.

mushrooms

or, the lack thereof.  i made some cheesey tortillas, and they were okay.  they were missing mushrooms & bacon!  so, i guess those will be on my grocery list for this week.  : ) 

i slept for a loooong time today!  i thought i would get up at 9:30, because i had stuff i wanted to do.  however, 9:30 came, i got up, and i went back to sleep.  it was nice!  except i hurt my shoulder being curled up for so long.  whoops!  it's still stiff, but feeling a bit better finally.  kept having dreams as well, strange ones and happy ones.  i finally got up a little before 1 because i was hungry.  did i tell you about my new yummy breakfast?  cottage cheese & 3 tbs of trail mix.  mmmm!  this trail mix has raisins, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, and pine nuts.  and possibly pistacios, but i'm not sure.  it's very good anyway!  and after the story of the guy who kept gaining weight because he ate a cup of nuts at a time... yeah, i'm sticking to the 3 tbs of trail mix.  lol 

i watched Hell-O and The Power of Madonna again today.  Glee is sucha great show!  i put my computer screen on full screen & sat on the couch reading People & Hot on Her Heels while i watched.  : )  later, i read a few blogs & watched some OLTL, GH, Good Eats, & FlashForward (thanks again, April!).  mostly just a relaxing, nice day!  oh, with subway for dinner.  : ) 

i hope you got to relax a little this weekend!  : )  TTFN! 

marathon saturday

oh my heck, right now the wind & the rain are very loud & intense!!  it's like being in the middle of a car wash.  i used to love going to the car wash and watching the water & brushes!  i still like it, it's just a little more nerve wracking for me to have to drive into the stall.  what if i don't make it on the track properly??  ya know!  *laugh* 

i've had a pretty spiffy saturday.  very grateful for a nice day!  not weather-wise, certainly, but the rains stayed at bay til i was home!  had a niiiiiice sleep, some goofy dreams that i don't remember much of now.  read a little before heading to saturn for chloe's checkup.  read while tony was giving her the once-over.  : )  he gave hetrick's an A++ on the repairs, as i was pretty sure he would!  : )  yay! 

after saturn, i was supposed to go to WM, but i forgot & came home instead.  d'oh!  i'll head over there tomrorow.  i was out again later (gas station & wendy's for a frosty float - chatted w/ the neighbor kid who works the window there) but forgot again to go in WM!  apparently i did not really want to go to WM today.  LOL 

i watched 4 episodes of Desperate Housewives & 3 of Lost, so i'm caught up now.  yay!  and i watched something else... oh, Army Wives!  goooood episode there!  really, they were all good.  now i'm going to watch some OLTL & read a bit - this week's People says Prince William & Kate are ready to wed.  haven't read the article yet, but i'm interested to see if they're really engaged or if it's a misdirect.  ya know?  idk why i'm fascinated by royalty, and i'm not always, but today i am again.  *laugh* 

oh!  along with my People, i received this lovely postcard from Russia today:

ttfn!  : ) 

Thursday Craziness, Friday Fun!

hi party peeps!  yesterday was all kindsa nutso.  i still can't post the whole thing i wrote up about it, so i guess i'll just highlight it.  lol 

thursday morning i headed to the torture chamber dentist.  the sharp, pointy scraper contraption that seems to be the most modern invention the dental community has to remove the build up of tartar.  which i THOUGHT i was preventing w/ brushing & mouthwash (i don't floss as often as i should, i know, but that's where the super bubbly alcohol free crest rinse is supposed to come in!  *laugh*).  this scraping prepares your teeth for the toothbrush, or polisher, as i believe it's called in professional circles.  LOL  then you get to have someone else floss for you - which feels GREAT when your gums are already swollen from the hook.  oh yes, lovely lovely.  heh.  getting my permenant crown on also was fabulous w/ the swollen gums.  blah.  thankfully that doesn't hurt at all now, tho, just sensative to cold ...anyway, they took xrays & did gum measurements, and found a very naughty tooth which has a very large cavity under a crown.  how does THAT happen??  so i get to go back in may & have that taken care of. 

thursday afternoon, phil called to say someone had run into my shed & pushed it into the house.  WHAT?!  i didn't get home til after dark, so i didn't get to take pictures.  but oh my heck.  at least it's not actually touching the house, it's just very very close & at an angle.  nice!  boomer's gonna fix it (he's park maintenance) which is great, but still has me wondering WHO would do that & WHY wouldn't they let me know, and apologize?!  yeesh.  goes along w/ my rant on ppl not wanting to take responsibility for their actions, huh? 

so kinda a stressy day for sure!  but then i went to mom's & got to hang out w/ her & leyton & it was all better!  : )  they'd been to aunt janie's & she'd given leyton a whole new (to him) playset...

we had a blast playing w/ it!  this old west town has lots of fun things, too.  see that flag?  if you push it down, a secret compartment opens, & the guy standing up there (well, imagine there's a guy) slides down a tunnel & comes out the blue doors!  and that white board on the bottom right?  it flips up.  LOL  there are some other "hidden" things.  super cute!!  the coach in the background?  yeah, it has a hidden cannon in the back!  sooo much fun!!  : ) 

we'd planned to try out the olive tree cafe for dinner, but leyton said he wanted a burger & fries, and then we passed the sign for cracker barrel, so i said we could eat there since we hadn't before!  leyton had fun, but i think that was MOSTLY because of the giftshop.  oh, and root beer.  LOL 

today was atypically slow, and yet busy.  idk how to explain.  i had plenty to keep me busy, but no one wanted to work!  the IM's were flying about everyone wanting to go home!  and we're not normally like that, just hit us all today, i guess.  even ppl who worked other places! 

after work i met mom at the theatre to see The Bounty Hunter.  while i waited, i started one of the books andrea gave me, Hot On Her Heels.  i only got thru a couple chapters before mom got there, but i'm liking the story so far!  what i'm not liking?  our theatre is no longer national amusements (which was a pepsi place).  it's now a rave (which is COKE).  now, there are good coke places, i admit.  chick fil a has awesome dr pepper.  but that's not really a coke product, that's a separate thing. 

carrie's soda world - this might not be entirely accurate, but it's how i group soda.

pepsi - pepsi, mt dew, sierra mist

coke - coke, sprite, mr pibb, mellow yellow

7Up - A&W, Dr Pepper, Sunkist

anyway, so the theatre is now a coke establishment & they've changed their popcorn sizing & stuff.  but the movie was really enjoyable & the popcorn was tastey as usual.  the new cup they're using for large's doesn't fit very nicely into the cupholder, which seems to indicate to me that no one bothered to check that before ordering the new cups!  ppl, please!  *laugh* 

the one thing mom & i couldn't understand - ppl bringing little kids (like, we're talking kdg - 3rd or 4th graders) to this movie.  it's rated PG-13, which to me indicates (even before reading any reviews or anything) that there could be a lot of language, sensuality, the possibility of boobies... do you really want  your 7 year old watching ppl make out or at a strip club?  or shooting ppl?  oh, wait, i forgot that kids can see that on the tv at home at any time.  well, no wonder parents didn't see anything wrong w/ it then.  oye. 

if you're a parent who takes your 7 year old to PG-13 or R rated movies on a regular basis & sees nothing wrong with that, please don't be offended.  they're certainly your children & you have the right to raise them however you want.  it's just my opinion that we, in our society, tend to force kids to grow up too quickly nowdays.  they don't get to just be KIDS before they have to deal with adult issues.  and i'm not just talking movies - there are a lot of double standards that go on w/ our kids these days.  they're raised to think more like adults, and then penalized when they act like adults - or they get other ppl in trouble by acting like adults! 

sorry, old rant.  i'm better now. 

my point is just that there is a happy medium in raising mature kids who are still kids.  and i'm not sure taking them to adult-themed movies is the way to do it.  but hey!  mom & i enjoyed this movie, and it was a nice night!  : )  on my way home, i saw what looked like a really bad car accident, tho.  : (  that wasn't so fun!  i prayed right away that everyone was okay.  eep!  even after seeing that, for some reason i felt like driving around a bit, so i did a wide berth/long way trek to taco bell.  popcorn was good, but i needed FOOD food.  heh. 

and that all concludes my tale of thursday and friday.  i'm sure i'm missing an interesting tidbit or two, but i really must go to sleep.  i'm taking chloe to the dealership tomorrow for her checkup.  i'm sure everything is fine, but it'll be nice to get the clean bill of health from those who "know her best" so to speak!  : )  i hope your night finds you well & that you have a great saturday! 

ttfn!

mellow fellow (girl...no girl name rhymes w/ mellow!)

today was a bettttttter day.  grapefruit for breakfast.  york peppermint pieces for snack.  chili for lunch.  popcorn for snack.  subway for dinner.  yummy day in the food dept!  *laugh*  yes, all about food!  work was kinda slow, but i can be grateful for the slower days because they give me time to work on performance management and documentation and the things that never seem to get DONE done, ya know?  *laugh* 

i got to watch the power of madonna episode of Glee when i got home.  aunt jan called off payroll tonight, but i still didn't get home til 6 cuz i had to go to the bank & PO & then subway before home!  : )  so i watched glee & castle & OLTL.  oh, and a really really good episode of V!  that show is good but oh so creepy. 

lots of FB activity tonight, too.  chatting w/ baylee.  : )  got to chat w/ april, and even anthony!  also some interesting status conversations.  and a random thought which came up while watching castle & turned into one of my status updates:
isn't it funny how society trains guys? rewarding them for sleeping with women they don't have feelings for just to scratch "an itch," yet teaching them that a woman who does the same is a slut/whore/easy/tease/insert degrading name here? we know it's wrong, so why do we continue to paint guys and girls into these corners???  which, in case anyone wondered, is not to say i think EITHER should be sleeping around. rather, it's time for both men and women to respect themselves and each other. *steps off random soapbox*

there are so many inconsistencies in our society, such illogical behavior!  it drives me nuts.  renae & i were status-chatting about the inconsistancy & whatnot of how we're cutting budgets left & right for teachers, cops, firefighters, etc., yet we send money off to every disaster under the sun and pay our actors & atheletes more than the President of the US.  and we ask what is happening to our society?  why are our children bullying?  and many more questions about the ethics and morals of society.  THAT is what is happening. 

anywhoo, really, no more soapboxing tonight!  *laugh*  i need to get to bed.  gotta go to the dentist tomorrow morning before work!  have a good night & a happpppy thursday!  : ) 

ttfn.

erm... IDK!

today was really frustrating, but let's not talk about that here.  *laugh* 

i am trying to think of some good things.  trying to be my normal pollyanna self. 

so far, i got nada but getting to talk to angie & nicki, and some other friends via IM thru the day and night. 

oh!  and i did get to go grocery shopping after work!  ppl think it's funny, but i truly do LOVE grocery shopping.  : )  i also watched some GH & Miami & CSI.  had some email from uncle gene & aunt nancy w/ some really neat stories & pictures of the Florida Keys.  sent out some postcards to finland, belarus & brazil. 

so, you see, thru my frustration there were some blessings, which i am very grateful for!  now, i really must go to bed.  tomorrow is a new day of blessings, and payroll.  LOL  i hope your day was less frustrating, and that you have a lovely wednesday!  : )  love ya, and TTFN!

p.s.
phil really needs to come mow my lawn soon.  the neighboring lawns are all short & my grass looks like a jungle!  d'oh! 

Trip Photos and a little blurb for today

The trees & bushes were just POPPING out along the interstate.  So pretty!

Also out in FULL force - big bugs who liked to fly straight into the windshield. 

More bug guts, but also the fun things we saw on the road - a play schoolhouse!  It was so cute - I wish I'd taken a photo of the front, it was faux brick.  : )

Road snacks!  Pretty tastey chips, to boot!  : ) 

Speaking of tastey chips, we stopped here for lunch.  There'll be more info & pics on the food blog, but probably not til tomorrow.  It's getting late!  (I was distracted by a kickbutt episode of Celebrity Apprentice.  Lots of drama!  And I didn't start this post as early as I should have!  LOL)

Cleaning off the bug guts cuz they got to be really distracting!!  LOL  and Ewwww!  and LOL again!

After I got Chloe back (Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!) I went to Omahaha to grab a quick dinner with these peeps.  Kathryn gave me a bead necklace like the one she's wearing.  William was doing his best to keep the adults on their toes.  *laugh* 

I'm quite glad I made the trip - I would've really kicked myself if I'd been that close & hadn't hung out!  : )

Today, I am so happy that I had an extra hour to sleep!  Well, "extra" is a relative term I guess.  LOL  Same 7 hours of sleep, just didn't have to make it 6!  It was a pretty busy & hectic day, LOTS of interesting things goin on!  And Phil called to see if I could come over after work, so I had that to look forward to.  Yet another reason to be thankful Chloe's back - goin to play w/ Leyton on short notice!  : )  I picked up the Mandarin (Mongolian beef for Phil, combo fried rice for me, crab ragoon for all, yummy!) for dinner & got there about 6.  Played for an hour, and tho Leyton had a few moments of whininess, it was a fun hour!!!

I finally got to give him the new golf set.  I think this one might actually survive more than a month... LOL  He did a great job of picking up after we played & putting everything back in its proper place!!  : )

I'm not entirely sure what he was thinking, having the hole on the stairs.  I tried to get him to play on the other side of the house where the ground was a little smoother, but we had fun anyway!  *laugh*

Yes, I know his helmet isn't buckled.  He likes to wear it but doesn't want it buckled yet, and he doesn't go that fast.  And we survived just fine w/o helmets.  LOL 

So, there you have it!  My trip in pictures and a couple from today.  I hope you've enjoyed the trip! 

TTFN!

Chloe's Home!!!!

and so am i, and i am sooooo tired!  today was AWESOME, tho.  praise the Lord!!!  : ) 

i'd planned to get up at 9 to get some stuff done before mom picked me up.  of course, because of this, i slept til 9:30 & got nothing done except i think i finished an episode of something but i can't remember what right now.  mom got here at 10:40 & away we went.  oh, stopped at the mailbox to get my People, except there was no magazine!  d'oh!  i did have these, tho...

the bottom one is from finland. 

we stopped at sonic & i finally got a cherry limeade.  yay!!!  then we were on the road.  it was a nice trip, we listened to glee & yanni & chatted & i took some pictures.  i'll do a picture post tomorrow, tooooo tired to upload & whatnot tonight!  i'm heading to bed here in a few short minutes!  

we arrived in atlantic about 2:30 & mom wanted a sit-down meal.  i'd been begging for a cheeseburger since about 1, but she had these ideas... and hey, who am i to discourage her?  she is doing me a solid by bringing me to my car, so ... : )  we went into a tiny hy vee to use the facilities, and then were gonna eat at the chinese restaurant next door.  except they close from 2:30 - 4:30 every day.  huh??  LOL  mom was okay w/ maid rite, but they apparently had been closed for awhile - there was cardboard in the drive thru menu.  yet their sign is still up.  idk what's wrong w/ that picture at all... LOL  finally, we found a mexican restaurant & i'm glad we did.  DELICIOUS food!  rivalled sancho's, and that's saying something!  : )  

we found pat's house & i signed some papers & wrote out a check for the deductible & was on my way to omaha.  chloe looks GREAT!  they did an awesome job.  and i had the a/c on almost all day & there weren't any problems (that was something i'd been warned to check on, because apparently it's a common issue to have a/c problems after a front end collison!).  PTL!  i'm still going to take her to the dealership this week to have them do a once-over, but she drove great & everything seemed happy to me!  

i got to omaha about 5:30 & met joy, her mom, the kids, and bobby & his son at runza.  ahhhh, runza!  we had dinner & hung out for an hour & then i was on the road home.  praying the whole way, tense the whole way, waiting for something to spring out & get me!  :(  that was kinda rough.  and then as it got dark, i needed more rest stops to move around because i was kinda zoning.  as soon as i feel myself zoning, i find a rest stop & get out & move around a big, because that is SCARY i tell you what!!!  

i don't have any voice $$ left on my phone, so i texted marty to let her know she didn't need to pick me up in the morning.  hopefully she got it!!  i also texted dave & i'm going in at 9:30 tomorrow. 

i am sooooo happy to be home, and now, to zzzzzzzzz!  : )  

ttfn! 

QCCS/TCH

what's in a name?  i graduated from Temple Christian High School.  TCA/TCH was started the year i was born, i believe.  might have been a year before or a year after, i don't remember!  but it had been around for at least 17 years when i graduated in 1995.  less than 10 years later, the church that had supported the school for that long, after being taken over by a new pastorship, decided it couldn't afford to support the high school anymore.  they gave up, they cut them off, they ... well, i don't think they handled the situation very well. 

but that is neither here nor there, my opinion on that!  because what matters is God's opinion, and it seems that He still had a purpose for TCH, for Mr. O., for the teachers at the HS.  mr. o, the teachers, parents and alumni banded together to create a new HS.  i attended the first meeting discussing everything, heard the new pastor of the church speak his reasons for closing the HS.  i remember thinking he sounded so condescending, so ... rude.  like he was saying the things he thought he should as a christian and as a pastor, but he didn't really believe them.  he was on board for closing the HS because he didn't want to deal with the challenges it presented.  and if my perceptions are correct, that's okay.  it's okay that he didn't want to deal.  but he should've been honest about his reasons - IF my perceptions are correct.  oh dear, but there i go again!  i apologize. 

my point is just that i have a very clear picture and memory of that first meeting.  and during that first meeting, a parent spoke up, and offered a building in his charge to keep the school going for another year.  this father was new to TCH, his child (or children, that i don't remember!) had only attended for one year.  but the Lord touched his heart, and moved him to offer this alternative housing for the school, because he believed in the mission not only of a christian HS, but of THIS HS, headed up by THIS principal, and THIS staff.  and he wasn't the only one.  my friend juli's parents, along with other parents, felt just as strongly. 

the new school was created, and it has struggled, financially.  but it has flourished academically and spiritually, and God continues to bless the staff and the students.  they were able to move into a new building, a beautiful campus, but they haven't really been able to grow the way the Lord has called them to grow.  they need more support, our support as alumni and as a community.  i've felt the call on my heart for awhile, and any time i can i send a donation their way.  but i really believe i'm being called to do more, to donate more, and so i made a pledge. 

i went into this dinner tonight knowing it was a fundraising dinner, and knowing - now, w/ the car accident & needing to pay the deductible & needing to pay mom back for the rental car - that i don't really have any more money to give.  still, the more i thought about it as i listened to the speakers - juli's dad (the president of the school board now), mr o., the superintendant of aurora christian schools, and the public relations rep for the school - i felt called to pledge a steady monthly amount.  i need to be tithing, and i'm not involved with a specific church at this time, and i do believe in this school and in their mission.  so i am pledging to tithe on a consistent monthly basis to this school. 

and i'm not a fundraiser, but i thought i would share the link to QCCS, in case the Lord has put a calling on your heart to help.  http://www.qcchristianschool.com/  i'm also including the link to TCA, because even tho they are still being supported by the church, they can always use prayer support as well.  http://www.templechristian.us/page/page/1652922.htm 

tho these schools are now separate entities, their mission is the same - to teach children in the ways of the Lord as well as the ways of math, english, science and history! 

so, the night was a success, there was a really good turn out.  the speakers did great, and dinner itself was quite tastey!  we sat at a table in the front, w/ juli's mom & dad, and two friends - who also happened to be very good friends of my dad.  : )  i got to chat w/ some teachers i hadn't seen in years!  and... the part that i really liked about that... i mean, i was happy to see them, and i of course remember them!  but the part that made me feel warm & fuzzy?  was that they remembered ME!  not just the english teacher who had me in her class for 6 years (7-12), but the science teacher who only had me in class for 2 years, and the computer teacher who only had me in her class for 1 (maybe 2 - i think she was on maternity leave for part of one year, tho)!  it's just nice to be remembered well, you know? 

the trip home was rather interesting - part of kimberly was closed due to what appeared to be a downed power line.  it was DARK!  john thought maybe we could get to a detour road so he went thru the barricades, but to no avail.  we had to turn around & take a different route!!  it was pretty funny, tho, because he gunned it thru the barricades going out, and it reminded me of something my dad would do!  : )

ahhhh... now i must finish this episode of GH & get to bed.  mom's picking me up about 10:30 & we're going to pick up chloe.  YAYAYAYAYAY!!!!  : )  then, i am planning to go a little further into omaha & meet joy for dinner at runza!  mushroom & swiss runza & crinkle fries, here i come!!!!  : )  i think i'll be able to do it & make it home by 10, but it depends on what time mom gets here & we get everything taken care of w/ the car.  so...we'll see!  Lord willing i'll be able to do it, tho! 

happy saturday, everyone!  *HUGS*  take care & ttfn!!

Good News, Bloggies!

it looks like i might get chloe back this weekend after all!  : )  of course mom had to make this good news seem like an annoyance, and instead of being happy for me had to get all huffy because she "knew we should have gone ahead & went out there today."  really?   you did?  cuz you didn't mention that possibility to me.  cuz if you HAD, i would've been all for it. 

GRRRRR.

anywhoo!  so we are planning to go tomorrow.  woot!  idk what time yet.  i'm hoping we'll leave early enough that i can still make it to omaha to meet joy for lunch or dinner or somethin!  : ) 

PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

: ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : )

heeehee! 

today i slept til idk when.  10?  11?  one of those.  then i read last week's People - justin beiber seems like a good kid.  i hope hollywood doesn't destroy him.  i'm sure they'll turn on him just like they did on lindsey, brittney, miley... *sigh*  altho i guess it doesn't really look as unkindly on men as women.  i mean, think about it - sure, right now they are saying jesse james is a dog & how dare he hurt sandra & all that, but last month they were doing all that to tiger woods.  and now?  now they are covering his "comeback" and are all happy & look at him!  bah.  media/public opinion is just so fickle, and inconsistent. 

while i read, i finished season 2 of JAG, then watched the latest FlashForward & Bones.  bones was GREAT!  robert englund (the original freddy krueger) guest starred as a janitor.  : )  i *heart* robert englund!!!  it's funny that i watched this ep today, tho, because it was about a class reunion, and that's what i'll be going to tonight.  not exactly a reunion - it's a fund raising/informational dinner for QCCS, which is what my high school turned into when it closed.  *laugh*  does that make sense?  the church that ran my HS closed it, but kept the elementary school open.  so the principal of the HS, along with parents & community volunteers, started a new HS.  which is pretty neat.  (there are aspects about it that are NOT pretty neat, as some of my friends involved in that whole scene well know, but i'm focusing on the positive here, so let's keep that going, shall we?  LOL) 

and now i must get dressed & ready to go.  juli (and john & the kids?  idk if we're all going to this thing or what!  i imagine the kids are coming anyway!) will be here in 1/2 an hour.  : )  i'll let ya know how it goes! 

ttfn!
****************

take 2

oh what a bittersweet day, today!  started off kinda rocky, but it was BUSY again which was an answer to prayer.  it was so busy, in fact, that i didn't even get to my vacations!  that is some crazy busy-ness, i tell you what!  but it was a good cruise director day.  food day for birthdays, and there was lots of yummy food!  do you think i remembered to take pictures?  um, no.  and i'm very disappointed by that, because there were some super cute cupcakes, among other things! 

for lunch, there were burgers, which i had been craving!  i was sitting w/ everyone, having a fun time talking about stuff & things, when suddenly my phone rang.  oh, yes, i brought my purse to lunch.  i normally do not do that.  i'll grab my checkbook or change purse, but usually not my whole purse.  but i did today, on a whim.  so, my phone rang, but i didn't recognize the number.  a few minutes later, it beeped again - voicemail.  i listened - it was my friend sherry, who i had scheduled lunch with for today!  whoops!  she was running late.  i was so surprised that i'd completely forgotten - when i had it on my calendar even! - that i jumped up & told trish i'd explain later & off i went.  just in time, too, as sherry was right outside!! 

we went to governor's & i had some yummy clam chowder.  i'd actually been hoping they would have a dessert option, but no such luck!  *laugh*  we had a nice visit, tho, and i'm glad she called.  : ) 

about 3:30, i called the auto shop to check on chloe.  and found out that she'll NOT be done tomorrow.  *cry*  i was so disappointed, because even tho i told myself not to i had gotten my hopes up.  i was really excited to get her back tomorrow & to see joy again, to boot!  but alas, it is not to be quite yet.  *sigh*  apparently the guy got the part, but didn't get back in time for them to work on it today, and they're only open a couple hours tomorrow.  so now idk if she'll be done monday, and if she is done monday, what i'm going to do or when i'm going to go get her!!  too many unknowns at the moment to make a coherent decision, i think. 

so when i got home i was going kinda stir crazy.  i didn't want to be stranded at home!!  i called jan to see if she wanted to go to dinner.  she said she'd call me back in fifteen minutes if the answer was yes.  no call.  so i texed mom to see if she wanted to do a movie when she got off work.  she said sure, but then when she did get off, since she would have to come get me before the movie, none were playing at the right time.  !!! 

therefore, STUCK AT HOME!!

i watched a couple episodes of flash forward, and the latest human target.  dude!  i really really like that show!  and now i really really need to sleep! 

oh!  but first - since i'll still be in town tomorrow, i get to go to the QCCS banquet.  juli's picking me up at 5.  : )  hopefully it'll be fun!  i'll certainly get to see some ppl i haven't in awhile! 

i hope your weekend is awesome!  ttfn! 

happy birthday party to leyton (and a little kate gosselin observation)

today was very long, as most thursdays are for me because unless i'm super busy, i just want it to be the end of the day so i can go play w/ leyton!  *laugh*  and, unfortunately, today was sloooooow!  all week, i've been burning the candles at both ends, busy busy days, and then today it was like a complete 180!  *laugh*  we did have our 13 weeks luncheon & that was fun!  of course, i forgot the apples & PB.  hopefully i won't forget tomorrow!!! 

marty took me to mom's after work, and mom, leyton & i went to the bank & then sancho's for dinner.  they have the BEST tacos in the QC, imo.  and linzie was working, so got to say hi to her.  : )  leyton enjoyed himself & made a new bff, our waitress.  he takes after his daddy for sure - the big flirt!!  *laugh*  we got back in time for most of survivor, but mom was taping & she didn't want to know what happened since we missed the first 20 minutes, so i guess i'll watch it tomorrow night!  : )  we played for awhile & then leyton opened his presents & we had ice cream cake from DQ. 

phil brought me home & i watched criminal minds & i might watch an ep of GH but i am TIRED so must go to bed soon! 

oh!  got a call from the auto shop on the way to mom's - they did what they thought was going to be the final diagnostic before a clean bill of health, and discovered some plugs that were broken.  d'oh!!!  they found used ones that will hopefully work, but aren't sure if they'll be able to install them & whatnot tomorrow.  so, now idk if i get to pick up chloe on saturday or not!  : (  God's timing & all that, so i'll be patient if i can't pick her up.  but i tell you what, i miss my car!!!  i miss being able to stop wherever whenever! 

the other day at hy vee, i picked up Us Weekly because i miss it & it had kate on the cover.  i have been defending jon forever, it seems.  i am soooo not on team kate, but i've defended her, too.  ppl were giving her crap for doing DWTS when she has kids at home.  okay, ppl, a LOT of the DWTS stars and pro dancers have kids.  some have even been single parents.  so, that is not something to bitch at her about.  however, this story i'm reading in Us just reiterates that there ARE things she needs to be bitched at about!!  the woman has absolutely NO sense of right & wrong, or putting her children first, or even putting anyone other than herself first!  (she reminds me of someone i know in that regard...)  if the stories are true - and really, there are just too many of them not to be - i think jon is gonna have a really good case for custody of the kids.  and i think that's gonna be best for them.  Oye! 

anywhoo... to end this blog on a VERY HAPPY NOTE... : )

i'm going to attempt to post some pictures from tonight, but FB wouldn't let me upload them, so idk if it was a FB problem or my computer doesn't want to do pictures tonight.  guess i'm gonna find out!  : )  i hope everyone had a great thursday & that friday goes fast, busy, happy for all of us!  Love ya!  TTFN! 

but seriously, doesn't he look like he could hop on a motorcycle??  and that bumblebee shirt is adorable, too!  : ) 

yes, i gave him another turtle.  he said it was a puppy, tho.  LOL

it's a fanspritzer!!!  like the ones they have at the amusement park! 

and these pictures highlight why tonight was awesome!  : ) 

instinct

my natural instinct is to help.  kids selling candy bars.  old school needing donations.  friend from college needing a place to stay.  cousin needing a place to stay...

i want to say yes, but i just can not afford it.  financially, emotionally, i can't do it.  i've experienced it.  i've witnessed it.  and i just can't put myself out there again.  i know this, and yet when i saw those lines, "anyone need a roommate?" and "need a place to stay," my fingers were almost typing "i have room" before i could stop them!  i deleted those words, i did not comment at all.  but again tonight i had to hold myself back from offering things i'm not equipped to give. 

*sigh* 

so, i'm keeping it to myself.  i'm keeping my guest room a guest room.  i'm sorry!  i really really am!  but it's what i need to do. 

in other news about my instinct to help - when someone asks me something but doesn't want to tell me why, it frustrates me.  for some things!  i mean, if you need a quarter, i don't need to know why you need it.  but when you leave a cryptic comment... well, i just don't know why you would say anything if you can't say everything, ya know?  or, preface it w/ something - "i don't want to talk about it, i just need your help w/ _____."  because when you give "teasers" it makes me feel like you're trying to pull something over on me, or be mean, or whatever, even tho i don't think you're being deliberate about it.  at least, i hope you're not, because that WOULD be mean...

(and, in case you are wondering, no.  that paragraph is not referencing a particular situation or person.  just several similar instances that have happened thru my life!)

no payroll tonight, so i got to watch Glee, V, and OLTL!  : )  was Lost on last night, too?  hmmm.  will have to check that out.  *laugh*  and of course my husband's show.  ; ) 

today was yet another day of insanity at work.  again, nothing bad, mostly really fun, actually.  A LOT of problem solving, which can be frustrating, but i love the detective work.  it's just that detective work is HARD WORK!  mentally exhausting, too.  *laugh*  by the end of the day, i just felt draaaaained and very grateful that i had the night off from payroll.  heh. 

i learned today that chloe should definitely be done by friday, so i can pick her up on saturday!  hooray!!!!  i really hope that they fixed her up right & that i don't have any ... follow up.  ya know?  i am going to call tony at the dealership monday, tho, & take her in for them to check out.  and give a clean bill of health, Lord willing!!  : ) 

tomorrow is thursday, yay yay yay!  our 13 weeks group is doing a pot luck for lunch.  i wanted to make a fruit salsa, but forgot to pick up the fruit at hy vee.  i did get some apples, so i'm just going to cut those up & have apples & PB.  it'll be yummy!  of course, since those were actually for the team's food day on friday, i now have to figure out what to make for that.  maybe the same thing, since it's a different group of ppl, tho.  *laugh*  after work, marty's taking me to mom's, and then i need mom to take me to the bank & i really, really, really want a cherry limeade or grape vanilla slush!!!!!  i didn't realize how much i missed them til this week!  *laugh* 

i want popcorn.

ttnf!  : )

falooza

ahhhhh, so nice to be home!  today was a bear!  but it went really fast, and it wasn't BAD, just terribly busy.  LOL  i felt like i didn't have time to breathe most of the day.  heh.  i did get a nice break, tho - trish & i went to el pavito for lunch & i had enchilladas w/ goat cheese.  YUMMY!  and the nice waiter/owner gave me some green salsa, too.  idk what it is about the green salsa, but it's my favorite, and i haven't found it anywhere else.  i thought i'd found it in the store, but when i poured what i bought on my chips... it was baaaaad.  *laugh* 

my original plan for the rest of this week was to have marty drop me at enterprise to rent a car for wednesday, thursday & friday.  however, when i tried to figure out the logistics of getting to the bank for a money order to pay for the car, it was not working out!  so now i'm just going to car pool w/ marty the rest of the week.  she'll drop me at jan's tomorrow & then jan can bring me home.  unless jan decides that she doesn't want to deal w/ bringing me home, in which case i just won't do payroll tomorrow.  i'm not sure which i'm hoping for... *laugh*  i enjoy doing payroll, but part of the point of my doing it is so she doesn't have to be home & whatnot - or, rather, to help her out, you see what i'm saying? 

anyway, thursday marty will drop me off at mom's & then i think we're having another lil bday party for leyton, since his bday is friday.  : )  and i still don't have a present for him!  altho i did give him presents for Easter.  but still - i just do not like not being able to go where and when i need to!  i am really going to appreciate chloe when she gets back!  i'm hoping for an outing for dinner, but w/ the "party" we'll probably just get pizza. 

friday i don't really have any plans, so i guess being stuck at home won't be too hard.  lol  and hopefully saturday i'll be on my way to pick chloe up!  : ) 

what else?  oh, as the weather gets warmer, the neighbors are out more.  tonight a little girl was skipping down the road when i got home, and she came over & said her brother was selling candy bars & would i like one?  heh.  i said sure, why not & gave her a couple bucks.  didn't know if she would actually be back w/ any candy, but she did come back w/ 2 candy bars. 

marty & i went to hy vee after work for the 2 freeeeee items - a litre of lipton flavored teas & lemonades (yummy) and a hostess cake (i got orange cupcakes, mmmm).  i also picked up more blackberries, w/ the intention of having them on ice cream.  however, it helps in those situations when you actually PICK UP the ice cream!  LOL 

watched some JAG, castle & OLTL tonight.  tomorrow i get to watch GLEEEEEEE!!!!  only a little excited!  watched the sue sylvester vogue video tonight, tho.  so funny!!! 

i hope you all will have a great night & i'll chat at ya laterz!  ; )

love ya!

and...

ttfn!