Wednesday, November 29, 2006
This Is Not X-Rated
I was looking through a bunch of these funny pictures when I came across this one:
Now, I don't mean to be gross or anything, but I was just wondering how they do that. What types of machinery are involved? And do they use a scrub brush? Ouch. I'm sorry, but my mind is just too fertile right now and all kinds of images are popping into my brain.
The funny thing is, that's my husband's nickname. But I can never bring myself to call him that.
And I often wonder who started calling people that were christened Richard by that name anyway. It just makes no sense. I can understand Rich or Rick, but not Dick. Someone with a sick sense of humor I suppose. And why do people name their kids one thing knowing full well that they will be calling them another?
When my husband worked he had that name on a patch on his shirt and he always got a big kick out of pointing to the name and saying "See? I'm a Dick." See what I mean about his sense of humor?
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
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Monday, November 27, 2006
Something I Will Never Understand
Yes it is that dreadful time once again in the state of Pennsylvania: deer hunting season.
-Photo courtesy of Doug Thompson Blue Ridge MuseHow can anyone on God's green earth take up a shotgun or a rifle and aim it at something this beautiful. Granted, this is a newly-born fawn, but they don't get any uglier as they get old enough to be "hunted" by humans who have no need to shoot them in the first place.
Yes, I grew up in a hunting family. My father was an avid hunter of deer, pheasants, rabbits etc. Add to that my brother, his one son and his son too.
I always hated what my Dad did. You see, I am an animal lover. I will protect an animal before a human. And I will make no excuses for my behavior. (Well, I guess it depends on who the human is.)
Why do people think they can just take up a gun and kill a defenseless animal? Where the hell did they ever get that "right"? To me it is one of the most immoral things anyone can do.
Yes, I have eaten venison, pheasant and rabbit...but when I was young I didn't know any better. And for the most part, sometimes that was all the food there was at that time. There were five of us in our family and we had to be fed somehow or other. But in today's world that no longer needs to be done. Granted, I guess there are a few out there that "need" to feed their families and hunting animals is the only way they know how to accomplish that.
No, that still is no excuse in my book. And I am not letting anyone off the hook. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to have to feed their family that way. Hunting animals, to me, is barbaric. It is something this world no longer needs. Not with a supermarket on every corner.
It's the idiots that do it for "sport" or for the "fun of it" that really tick me off. Great White Hunter my foot. Here's my foot...bend over.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
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Friday, November 24, 2006
The Day After
My Thanksgiving was nice. They usually are. But, for the first time in a long time, I did not have to cook. I wasn't planning on it either. We were going to go out to eat. But my brother-in-law called the day before and invited us. Yippee! I was so glad. We had a good time and of course the food was excellent.
I didn't eat too much either. I'm not one to stuff myself. No, my problem is what I eat, not how much I eat. And since I no longer work and am around food all day it has become quite a huge problem for me. Needless to say, something has to be done and it has to start with me. No one else can do it for me. Nope, I must take this journey alone. Like all the journeys before this one. I have been weight-conscious all my life and, frankly, I am sick and tired ot it. But once again I must find my way and watch what I eat. Well, not watch it exactly...I must be more conscious of what I eat. There, that's better.
So if I seem a little crabby or cranky in my writings, just ignore me. I'll get over it. I usually do.
posted by Cheyenne at 1:08 AM comment(s) made:
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Monday, November 20, 2006
Thoughts About The Weekend
The weekend was fairly quiet. When I worked I lived just for the weekend. I hated Sunday evenings and I literally got sick to my stomach because it meant Monday morning was that much closer. The new manager made it a not so nice place to go anymore. I'm thankful I don't have to. (I will have a post some time in the near future revealing the trucking company we both worked at as all ties to them have been severed.)
My Sunday scripture was not posted because I was not able to access the internet most of the weekend, thanks to a cranky computer and dial-up. I am hoping to have a faster system by the end of the month. It means changing my email address and it will cost a little more, but I am willing to change both if it means less aggravation for me.
The weather has gotten much colder over the past week. That used to bother me but not anymore. If I don't want to go out in it, I don't go. I like those kind of options. On a short jaunt this morning I witnessed something that to me was weird. I'm sure you all know what forsythia bushes are. Sometime around April or maybe earlier, yellow blossoms sprout before the leaves come. They are a harbinger of Spring. At this time of the year, all you should see is the stalks with what look like buds that are in domancy mode. Today I saw a bunch of forsythia bushes blooming. Probably because of all the warm weather we had and it forced them to bloom.
My back hurt most of the weekend. I've been to the chiropractor three times. They said I was OK after the second visit but I requesterd one more visit just to be sure. I don't feel OK. My hip is back in place but the muscles burn from the manipulation. I had my last adjustment this morning. Until the next time it happens. It's nice that my neighbor is the chiropractor. He gives us breaks. Like free visits.
Yesterday I introduced the kittens to most of the house other than their sanctuary in the laundry/linen room. Why is it they always find the places and things they're not supposed to, and when you take them away from whatever it is, they go right back to it again? We are going to partition off the living room as that is the one place they can get in the most trouble. Other than that they were absolutely good little kittens.
I saved the best (or worst) for last: NASCAR. It's over and I hated to see it end but I hated the way it ended even more. I can't wait until next February when everyone starts with a clean slate. It should be real interesting too, what with all the guys that played musical rides and will be in different cars for different owners, not to mention Toyota adding to the mix. Also the Car of Tomorrow (CoT), something I'm not too happy with now. I suppose I will accept it as the season passes.
I was not happy to see that Johnson fella win the championship. As you know, I am NOT a Hendrick fan (Or Roush for that matter), and I am getting a tad sick and tired of hearing about how they lost so many people in that plane crash or how Hendrick had cancer. Geez, let it rest already. Dwell on the good things. There are so many of them. I have had JJ, Chad Knaus, Rick Hendrick, and all their cohorts shoved down my throat all racing season that I am afraid my Thanksgiving turkey will not fit. Perhaps I haven't barfed enough.
And last, but not least, I just want to tell you all how proud I am of Dale Earnhardt Jr and his phenomenal season. Maybe he didn't win the championship, maybe he only won one race all season, but he really stepped up to the plate and did his part as best he could. I heard him say once that he didn't want to be the reason for the whole team faltering. He wanted everyone to know that he did his best and then some. And I think he did. One can only hope that next season they will be better than they were this season. No matter what he does, he is a winner in my book and no one can ever take that away from me.
posted by Cheyenne at 3:08 PM comment(s) made:
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I'm OK...
All is well in my part of the world. Just a few little bumps in the road; mainly a very uncooperative computer.
Most of the kinks are ironed out and should be back to normal by this afternoon.
posted by Cheyenne at 9:29 AM comment(s) made:
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Friday, November 17, 2006
Saying Goodbye to the '06 NASCAR Season
Before I give my few thoughts on the final chapter of the NASCAR season, here is a photo of my two babies putting their heads together trying to figure out what kind of trouble they can get into. This is one of the first photos I took of them. I haven't gotten around to downloading the second set yet.
When I post this it will be Friday. Qualifying day. I have always looked forward to qualifications. I always hoped Junior would do well. Not until the latter part of the season has he done well. Prior to that he just frustrated the hell out of me.
When the Chase first got underway and Jimmie Johnson was in the dumper I was a happy camper. I thought, no way is he going to dig out of that hole. Yeah, right. Look where he is now. And if nothing huge happens to him, it looks like he will be the 2006 Champion. Gag.
I really thought it would be Junior's year. If he's lucky he will stay in the fifth position and maybe he'll even surprise me by moving up in the points. He has done really well these last few races; however so has everyone else. You can't get ahead of someone who's doing just a bit better than you are. There's that frustration again.
Last year Jack Roush had five of his drivers in the Chase. This year only two made it (Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth.) One is doing very well, the other one has fallen and can't get up. When Jack Roush had his little episode with his plane where he almost drowned, I uttered a prayer. When five of his drivers made the Chase, I had second thoughts. This year I was worried all his drivers would be in it again. I worried for nothing. But don't think I won't worry again next year.
The first four drivers all have a chance at winning the title. So they say. I don't believe them. As much as I don't want that Johnson fella to win it, he probably will. No longer the bridesmaid. All I can say is he is one lucky dude to come from so far behind and finish first (if he does). I hope I am wrong; you never know what can happen and stranger things have happened. All we can do is wait and see.
And when that checkered flag falls, the season will be over. I will watch the banquet on TV (which, by the way, gets worse every year) and then I will immediately start counting the days till the 2007 season starts. Just like all the other years. I hate the off season more than anything. I truly wish they would race year round. And I know Junior would agree with me.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
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Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Oh My Aching Back
It was a week ago today when I could barely muster the strength to get out of bed, and once I was I soon found out that I could not stand upright. I had to stoop over or throw my hips forward, clench my buttocks and walk like a duck. Not a pretty sight. And the pain was intolerable. A few days later, as the pain worsened, I started using a cane. In public, no less.
I have had ongoing back pain most of my life but it was just a pinch, not like the gynormous pain I had. I have also had numerous car accidents and as recent as four years ago, I had a slip and fall accident outside a public building where, once I tripped, I was propelled forward into a door that didn't move. I suffered a broken nose and probably aggravated my back situation further. There was a lawsuit and we settled out of court.Fast forward to the past week, and as the days went by my situation just got worse. My husband suggested a visit to the chiropractor. Ours lives in the house next to us and his practice is two doors away on the opposite side of our house. We're considered country or rural where we are, and it is quite unusual to find a chiropractor in an area like ours, but he is doing a thriving business and lucky for us he's so close. I have been visiting a chiropractor on and off for over 15 years, but for some dumb reason I never thought to visit one now.
We were lucky to get in Monday. Where we go they utilize three steps: muscle simulation via machine, hand manipulation, and deep muscle massage. All three steps are done by different people, each trained for his or her specific job.
When I was finished, I could walk upright (my hip was out of whack by over an inch which is what caused my problem). However, now I was more sore in the lower back region than before.
That afternoon when I showered I left the hot water beat on my back, then I relaxed in the recliner with an ice pack. After a good night's rest I woke up to find very little pain and I was back to almost normal (for me). I thought to myself "This won't last, it's too good to be true." But I was wrong. It is lasting. I have another visit to the chiropractor tomorrow.
I just wish I had thought about it sooner instead of trying to walk around for a whole week with horrific pain. Some of us just never learn.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
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Monday, November 13, 2006
Good To The Last 'Dig'
If all Star*ucks stores have employees like the one at a nearby franchise then please, God, don't let them operate.
The woman I am talking about is exactly what she accused my husband of being: rude and ignorant. I, for one, would love to give her an attitude adjustment. But my husband won't let me. He doesn't want me to stoop to her level. Shoot, he takes all my fun away.
I honestly don't know what is wrong with the younger generation today. Some of them need to lighten up. They have no sense of humor and they act like they don't even know what it is.
And by the way, she isn't the only one he's encountered. I witnessed another one up close and personal. It happened at a restaurant recently where the cashier/hostess was a very young female. My husband made a humorous remark and she acted like he called her a vile name. I said "It looks like your sense of humor has been tested and it failed." There was another older female employee nearby who heard everything and she shook her head and said "Kids these days." I guess she was embarrassed for us.
So what is their problem and why do they think they are so damn superior?
Don't they realize that a good sense of humor will get them farther in this world than being so high and mighty?
(I am hoping this will be my last complaint about Star*ucks. Honest.)
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
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Friday, November 10, 2006
So Happy To Be Here
That's me, Dakota Sioux, on the left alongside my big brother, Junior. Guess you don't have to think too hard where he got his name from, do you?
After three months, we finally found a set of parents we could adopt. Up until now we were in a foster home of a very nice lady. She showed us how to have good manners and to be very sociable.
Our new parents were looking for a girl kitten. We were brought to the shelter (from our foster house) to meet them late Monday afternoon. My brother was brought along because our foster mom hoped that we'd be adopted together.
To make a long story short, they fell in love with both of us and we went to our new home that same night. And guess what...I wasn't even the kitten they were interested in.
We are two of the happiest kittens you'll ever see. Here are a few pictures of us enjoying our new life in the laundry and linen room where we will stay until we are introduced to the rest of the house. We've been extra good in here, but we cannot guarantee our behavior when we explore all the nooks and crannies just waiting for us. They don't call us curious for nothing.
Here I am pausing from a drink of water.
And here's my brother enjoying the view.
Thank you for letting us introduce ourselves; I know for a fact that our new mom will be snapping pictures left and right and we will be appearing here quite often. We just hope that you don't get too tired of seeing us.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
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Wednesday, November 08, 2006
A Day In The Country
Smack dab in the middle of almost nowhere is a huge group of all kinds of stores with street lights and sidewalks and, yes, actual streets that the cars drive on. I have never seen a place like it.
L L Bean is one of my favorite stores but I was a little disappointed when I walked in noticing that it is geared toward biking, kayaking, and fishing. Very few clothes. But, hey, at least it's here now in Pennsylvania and that's something.Ahhhhh...another one of my favorite stores: Barnes & Noble. I'm an avid reader and will read most anything just for the sake of reading. I've always been that way and will never change, unless I go blind. Perish the thought.
This is the town square. It wasn't quite finished yet. I am hoping it is by the time we go back probably sometime next week. I want to visit when it's dark because they have little white lights in all the trees lining the streets.
This is a view looking toward the mountain that this little town of shops is nestled against. There are many side streets like this one. At the end of the "town" is a huge movie theater complex that was still being worked on when we were there. 
Of course our first order of business was coffee. We parked near this place but we will never, ever step foot in a Starbucks. Yes, it was one of their employees that had no sense of humor and said my husband was rude and ignorant when she called Starbucks' corporate headquarters and cost my husband his job.
Instead we got our coffee at the Red Robin.
This way of shopping is a new concept for our area. It's as if they took a whole town and just dropped it in the middle of Podunk USA. Just this one tiny little town sitting all by itself minding its own business. Almost like the days of old when you walked down Main Street in the larger cities and window shopped. But this place is so much more upscale.
Of course we will be going back. I can't wait as a matter of fact. But one store I also won't be shopping and that is Lucky Brand Jeans. We ambled on in suspecting absolutely nothing. My husband was looking at the jeans. I was looking at the price tags. $128 for a pair of jeans, what are you, nuts? We quietly left. Who the hell in their right mind pays $128 or more for a pair of jeans that look like they came from granny's ragbag?
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
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Monday, November 06, 2006
Busy Busy Busy
Before my husband stopped working, I pretty much had the day to myself to do whatever I wanted. There was no one looking over my shoulder telling me what to do. I did what I wanted when I wanted and that meant I spent a lot of time on this computer.
I had a routine: I would walk on my treadmill when The Price Is Right was on. After that show was over was when I took my shower and shampooed my hair. And then I was ready to worship my 19" computer screen. Most of the time I would then be back on again around 11 pm every night.
Well, since D is home now it is a much different situation. I don't have the time to do what I used to. We don't stay home much or we are outside working in the yard. And our lives are about to be much more fuller because we are going to be a adopting a kitten. We have an appointment to look at one later today. All I have seen is a picture of her. She is three months old. Oh, and she has a brother. The lady that has them in her foster home would like if both were adopted together. I have to think long and hard on that one.
After having rabbits in the house for so long we felt it is time for a change. I have been gathering things for quite some time so that once we have the kitten here we don't have to rush out and buy anything for it, except toys and other things to spoil her/them with.
Why a kitten? All year we have had strays outside that have come and gone. We fed them and made sure they had fresh water. There were a couple of new litters and we watched them grow from tiny things to little dynamos on four legs. I took many photos of all of them. But there was one thing missing: we couldn't hold them and pet them and listen to them purr. And after we lost our last rabbit, once my grieving was a distant memory, I decided that I would eventually adopt a kitten. That time is now and I am very excited.
Whether we take just the female, or whether we take her brother too, once we have made up our mind you can bet there will be a lot of photos here with writings about their antics. She will stay in the house and she will be loved beyond belief. Maybe her brother too. We'll see...
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
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Friday, November 03, 2006
Another One Bit The Dust
Well, well, well...
Another person from our former workplace is gone. One of the salesmen was fired on Monday after giving more than 13 years to the company.
Why? We don't know for sure because they never say why. All they ever say is they're gone, and you learn not to ask any questions.
My husband and I are thinking maybe it was because he told the manager lies about customers saying nasty things about D and his deliveries etc. We know he lodged false complaints to the manager about D only to make himself look good.
Maybe by D enlightening some of his customers recently about the truth made one or more call the trucking company's corporate headquarters. I do know that some of them were quite irate hearing some of the lies the salesman told the terminal manager.
...and out of the darkness came the light.
Bingo! No more salesman!
He was one of those that talked oh so nice to your face but would wreak havoc when you walked away. We thought he was our friend. But little by little the facade peeled away only to reveal what he really was: two-faced.
I have also heard that he failed to meet certain quotas and that was part of his demise. Maybe D had nothing to do with his being fired. Maybe. We'll never know for sure. But we'd like to think that he helped.
So chalk another one up for us: three down, four to go.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
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Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Boyertown Bears
Remember the day we took our truck in for service and we also had them redo the leather interior and the exterior with a special coating? Well, after we left the dealership with our trusty Enterprise Rental car (minivan), we decided to drive quite some distance to a TSC store for a spare wheel and tire for our trailer.
To get from point A to point B we had to drive through Boyertown. All along their main street they have these bears in front of various businesses. They are painted to match the businesses which I thought was kind of neat. I don't remember what the businesses were and I know I should have written them down so that I could match them up with the photos. But nobody's perfect you know.
I got a kick out of the fourth one. Abe Lincoln. The building it was in front of was a former elementary school and above the doors it reads Lincoln School so that was the tie-in there.
There were many more than these and I had already asked my husband to turn around at one point so I could photograph them, so I didn't push my luck to get all of them.
Before they got to where they are today, they were delivered to a large building by my husband when he worked for that trucking company. He only delivered a portion of them and someone else delivered the remainder. They don't weigh much and they all started out plain white.
They won't stay where they are forever and we don't know what will happen to them when it is time for them to leave. Rest assured they will not be destroyed. There is a buyer for everything these days.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
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