Totally Unbelievable

Let me preface this with the fact that I am home all day.

On Tuesday there was a slip in our mailbox telling us there is a certified letter that can be picked up at the local post office and needed a signature to do so.
I did not pick up my mail until 6:00 pm so it was too late to call the post office to inquire about it, and also to let them know it could be redelivered the next day. I thought he may have come to the door while I was in the shower, although I can usually hear the doorbell when I'm in there.

On Wednesday I did call. Yes, they had it there and yes, they can redeliver the next day.

So on Thursday, when they said they could redeliver, I changed my routine. I purposely made myself available to sign for the letter. May I add here that our mailbox is across the street and our mail is delivered via a mailtruck.

I waited until 2:00 pm before checking on the mail. Up until then no one had come to my door with any letter. Out the door, across the yard, around the huge maple tree, wait for traffic, cross the street, open the mailbox.

Why that dirty no-good S.O.B.!

What did I find? Another slip telling me I wasn't home and they could not get my signature to deliver the letter. I am ready to spit nickels at this time.

I couldn't wait to get in the house and make my phone call. And believe me, those are my best calls: when I am good and angry. I spoke to the same person and I asked her if I have to live in my mailbox in order to receive my certified letter.

Of course she was apologetic and I explained I was not yelling at her, that it wasn't her fault, blah blah blah... BUT if the carrier does not come to my door for my signature tomorrow there will be hell to pay.

She could not believe that he hasn't made an attempt to get a signature.
What carrier doesn't know that? And to make matters worse, he even circled that part on the card making me look like I'm the retarded one. Excuse me? I can't wait to see this "government worker" with the brain of a
larva.

It's A Mystery

If a company gives an employee two paid bereavement days, why is it so hard to actually get paid for them?

One day was a Friday, the other day was a Monday. This involves two separate checks. And both checks are 8 hours short. WTF?

Do you suppose someone is incapable of doing their job?

Me thinks so!

Oh Mr. SAND-man...

Yep, I had one of those nights again. You know, the kind where you think you're never going to fall asleep? I guess I do sleep off and on but it is such a light sleep that it seems like I've never slept at all. Very, very frustrating.

This is the second time now in the past week that it's happened. Once before Daylight Savings Time and once since, so I can't blame it on that. And then all day I'm yawning (did you just yawn?), I'm very tired and will probably fall asleep during prime time TV, like last time.

This is one of the worst things to have happen. You just cannot "will" yourself to sleep. I try all kinds of tricks and mind games but nothing works.
Damn. The worst part is, when I look at the clock it's later each time, but still no sleep. Ughhh!

Speaking of cats...

Well, I was. Catnaps?

Kally and her four kittens (Junior ~ Looks just like Mama, Blackie ~ solid black, Kitty ~ looks like Hubby's cat "Kitty" when he was oh so young, and
Twin ~ the other twin was hit by a car and we never named them), are all hanging around for now. Two other older kittens from another litter are hanging around too. Rusty and Linus. Of all these cats, the only one that trusts me, so far, is Kally. She sits within 5 feet of me while I am dishing out their food. Oh, one time Daddy Cat came over and sniffed my hand. He is a very slow cat, and I believe he is blind in one eye. Maybe that's why he came to me.

Meanwhile, I will keep feeding them and maybe one day they will not be so afraid of me.

Tales of My Past

There is a cartoon in today's paper that made me chuckle.

Woman #1: "We had a sad ceremony at home this weekend."

Woman #2: "Oh, did one of your pets die?"

Woman #1: "No, it was the annual ritual of placing the ice scraper in the trunk of the car."

I for one am so happy that I don't have to be one of those people anymore. And you know from some of my past posts that this is the truth. When I drove back and forth to work, I always dreaded the winter months. I have had far too many accidents in that nasty stuff (ice, snow, slush, etc.)

I used to own a 4-wheel drive Jeep convertible with a canvas top. When I drove it in bad weather, I occasionally used to get cocky and sometimes being careful just went out the window. It was a fun vehicle and, believe me, I had a lot of fun with it.

I remember one time in particular back in the '80's when it was very icy, and I was getting perturbed by the other cars and trucks that were going so slow and were in my way. I decided I was going to climb the slight hill by driving on the shoulder where there were pebbles that my tires could grip. It worked. When I got to the top where it was level, I continued on my way at the same rate of speed. I thought it was great.

It didn't take long for my Jeep's back end to come around and I was soon going backward in the other lane! My vehicle was now facing the same way as the others but was going a different way. I had skidded over the low median. Eventually my front square stock bumper wiped out the entire side of another car and I ended up facing a huge drop off the highway with the guard rail the only thing stopping me from going over the side.

That Jeep and I used to have some good times back then. And, yes, I would do it all over again.

Cowboy Up! @ Hot'lanta

I could hardly wait to watch Sunday's race. Junior tested at the track a few weeks ago, and his car was super fast. They also figured out the problems they have had at that track in the past. He was very confident.

Friday was practice and he was on the top of the speed charts pacing the field. The car was fast and handling great. So far, so good. Keep those fingers crossed for a good finish on Sunday.

Qualifications found Junior in the 17th spot (he said he messed up at one point). But, like his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., he doesn't qualify well. After qualifications all cars were impounded, not to be touched by anyone until just before the start of the race. I hate impound races. The majority of races next year will be that way.

When they interviewed Junior while sitting in his car waiting for the start of the race, he said he was excited to get going and that Saturday was a very long day for him. Even though his sister gave birth to her second daughter named Kennedy Grace Elledge.

By the 17th lap he moved up to the 5th spot when the first caution flag flew. Now that was the Junior we all remember! And at that point, I was happy enough to know that he and the car were "one." And if the race ended there all I needed to know was that, finally, he was back to being competitive. And whatever happened for the remainder of the race, whether it was good or bad, I was a happy camper.

By lap 54 he was leading the race, and he kept that lead for most of the day until lap 190 or so when the car got tight. Toward the end the car then got loose and the grip went away. He led the most laps of any other driver.

He managed to finish 4th and after his horrible season, I'll take it!

On to Texas Motor Speedway.

Ride 'em Cowboy!

My Apologies

Sorry I didn't get a chance to post today. I was kinda busy all day and

a little tied up watching a race. I will post about that tomorrow afternoon.

It was finally a fun day for me in that my driver did really well today.

Tune in tomorrow and I'll tell you all about it.

Aye Caramba

My husband and I did something tonight that we haven't done in a long time. No, not that. We went to see a movie. In a real movie theater. Yes, folks, we really did.

When I saw the first commercials for "The Legend of Zorro" I told him I was NOT waiting for it to come to satellite TV. No siree. Not where Antonio Banderas is concerned. And especially as Zorro. Like I read somewhere, he was born to play Zorro.

I also liked him as El Mariachi in "Desperado" and "Once Upon A Time In Mexico." And of course he was cute as the voice of Puss In Boots in "Shrek 2". He will again be the voice of Puss In Boots in "Shrek 3" and "Puss In Boots" both due out in 2007.

There's just something about that man in a black outfit, silver on those black boots and that long hair. He may be 45 but that bad boy is one good lookin' dude. Must be that boyish charm.

Hey ~ Wake Up!

Helllooo.....
Is anybody out there? (as I knock on your computer screen). Anybody awake? I feel, sometimes, Like I'm writing for nothing. That there's no one "reading" me. I know that's not true because I average 5 hits a day. That makes me feel so unwanted. Can't we at least double that?

I created this blog to get some of my thoughts out there amongst the living, because I feel that I'm not always right or correct in what I think or write about. Therefore, I also was hoping to get comments back on some of my posts.

I welcome all feed back, good or bad, but please do be gentle. I do have feelings.

Granted, I am not the most prolific writer. When I read other blogs there are some that absolutely blow me away with not only what they write about but how they write. I can never measure up to most of them, but meanwhile I will try to do my best. That's all anyone can ask for.

I only hope I never run out of things to write about.

So what d'ya say ~ let me have it. And if I don't always answer you, don't let that stop you. Sometimes I just don't have an answer. Or a comeback. But I do read each and every comment.

Satisfy Me

I tried those "new" french fries ~ what? Oh, excuse me... freedom fries.
The ones you can make in the microwave and they get crunchy instead of soggy? They're called Ore Ida Easy Fries.

I know, they're not part of the South Beach Diet but I got them free via an internet coupon a few weeks ago. I knew they were in my freezer, and as all dieters know "they were bothering me." Not to mention I'd see the box everytime I opened the freezer.

Well, today was the day to put all that to rest.

The package says 2 servings so that means a total of 380 calories for approximately 36 fries. Ouch! When you split 36 in half you get 18 (wow, am I good or what?) and that is considered one serving at 190 calories.
Whoa! If you are one person and you eat both servings they still would not satisfy your craving for fries. And if you do share them with someone else, they'll think you're quite stingy.

So goes today's packaging gurus:

Make the box big, put a small amount inside, put 2 servings on the box at 190 calories per serving...

and

YOU HAVE A WINNER!

Yeah, right. They don't fool me.

Oh and one word of advice if you decide to try these fries: eat fast.
The smaller ones get rock hard very quickly. Maybe that's their plan ~ throw those away, less calories eaten.

Just for spite, I ate the whole box of fries. Naughty me. Actually they weren't that bad.

No Pressure There

It's almost five months since I last worked at a job away from home and it seems like I've simply traded one routine for another. Only one difference: I like my current routine a helluva lot better than the other one. Oh yeah!

I can sleep as long as I want ~ no pressure there.

I change my bunny's pen and feed her twice a day ~ no pressure there.

When I look out the window and see the cats mulling around the feeder I wander out and take care of them ~ no pressure there.

I read the daily paper any time, walk on my treadmill, shower and shampoo all at my leisure ~ no pressure there.

I watch some TV and play on the computer off and on all day ~ no pressure there.

And believe it or not, in between my daily routine I do accomplish some housecleaning, laundry, dishes etc ~ again...no pressure there.

And then...


My husband comes home. Uh Oh ~ pressure there!

Just kidding.

It's Crying Time Again

I was just thinking about a TV show I watched for the first time last Friday evening. It's called "Three Wishes." Be forewarned: I cry at the comics. Doesn't take much for me. Had I known it was that gut-wrenching I don't think I would have watched it.

And let me tell you, I went through a lot of Kleenex.

There was a 21-year-old that had a severe stutter, but with the help of a device he was able to talk normally. That was incredible for me because I didn't know such a device existed.

Another part of the show was about a woman, who at the age of 33, found out she was adopted and wanted to find her birth mother. It was tough to do but they did find her. And when they met, well that's when my floodgates opened. Really opened.

I haven't cried like that in a long time. I've got to stop watching that program ~ for my own good.

One Good Turn Deserves Another

There is a restaurant we have been visiting for a long time now. It's out of our way but the food is good and we like the atmosphere. The owner is Greek and he has three grown sons that all work in some capacity at the diner. The middle son is usually "on the floor" when we're there.

While going through things in my parents' attic, I found six inlaid ceramic discs with Greek designs on them. They reminded me of a coaster and they were very pretty. But I had no use for them. I immediately thought of "M" (the middle son). So last week we gave them to him. He was very appreciative and thanked us profusely. He wanted to pay us but I said "No, just seeing how much you like them is payment enough."

Last night we went back for dinner. Those discs were the farthest thing from our minds. Imagine our surprise when the waitress told us our bill was picked up by "M."

The funny side to this is that earlier my husband had asked the waitress to warm up his meal, as it was lukewarm when it was brought out. She told us that she informed "M" of this. When we were almost done that's when she told us our bill was being taken care of by the manager. (She probably thought he did that because of the 'complaint.' She's new, so she didn't know us and knew nothing about the discs.)

When we were done, we approached her to ask if she'd get "M" for us (we wanted to thank him but didn't tell her that). The look on her face was priceless. I can only assume she thought we were going to complain about her, when in essence she did nothing wrong.

She was reassured when she heard us thanking "M" with huge smiles on our faces.

Rain Rain Go Away

We're back to rain again. Sheesh! We had eight solid days of rain then some sunny days. Now rain again.

This is one crappy Autumn so far.

Makes me wonder just what kind of Winter is in store for us here in the northeast. I heard lots of snow and colder than usual.

Well, BRING IT ON! ~~ I don't have to drive in it this year! YEE-HA!

Where Did The Time Go?

You're born, you live, you die...

When you're young you think you're never going to get old. But then it creeps up on you and ~ BAM! ~ before you know it, you're old: facing whatever is left of your life and wondering just how long you have left.

I recently experienced something that put some things into perspective for me. My father-in-law passed away three weeks ago. He lived a full life and probably enjoyed every minute of it. I only knew him for about 15 years of his life.

A few years ago he moved to Arkansas to live with one of his sons. Eventually he ended up in a nursing home, had a stroke, was cremated, and now "rests" in an urn in that son's home.

No will, no burial ~ a life over in a matter of an eyeblink. Gone, just like that.

All we have are memories. Rest in peace Pop.

Slamming On The Brakes

After being off of work since June 1st, I have managed to gain 10 pounds. And I'm not too thrilled with that.

Two years ago, around this time, I started on the South Beach Diet. I fell in love with it. It was exactly the diet I had been searching for. Prior to that diet I had tried Atkins and lost 16 pounds but could never lose any more than that. Once I went on South Beach, I lost 25 pounds and was finally where I wanted to be. I felt good, my clothes were "bigger" (which absolutely thrilled me), and I was eating decently for a change.

And then my world went a little crazy. My father passed away in December 2004 and I found out about it when I saw his obituary four days later in the newspaper. He had been in a nursing home and they neglected to inform me of his death. I have two siblings who "thought" the home would tell me so neither one of them passed it on to me.

The following February my Mom died. And then on June 1st I was "separated" from my job after 13 years of loyal service. I then went through four months of turmoil. Being executrix of my parents' estate I had to tie up all the loose ends. The biggest loose end was selling the house and all its contents. I made it through all that as settlement occurred three weeks ago.

So I ask you...

Is it any wonder I gained those ten pounds? It's called emotional eating.

So I made a decision this morning to revisit South Beach. I love it there.

Gypsies Tramps & Thieves

I always liked that song by Cher. Nowadays whenever I hear it, I think of a former employer ~ the company was run by a brother and sister.

We got married 15 years ago and we both worked at the same place then too. While I was in the middle of cleaning out my spare bedroom (no, I still am not done), I came across some notes in an old purse. I didn't remember the "episode" I had written about but as I read it, it all came back to me.

Needless to say, we no longer work there and it has been quite some time since we both left. For Christmas the company used to give every employee a ham and $10.00. Since we were a married couple we each got $5.00 and to make matters worse, our ham was smaller than most. Well that just ticked me off. As if we were being penalized for being married. To me, every employee should have gotten $10.00. Fair is fair. I decided to make a fuss not only about the money but about the small ham too.

Can you believe my surprise when they gave both of us three days off without pay? Eventually I caved in and apologized (I hate when I have to do that), and they allowed me to return to work. My husband opted for the days off instead.

After 11 years for me and 16 years for my husband, the two of us finally left that company for greener pastures. Well, that's debatable too.

That song will always be my reminder. I can laugh at it now but back then it was no laughing matter.

Random Thoughts

Yesterday was a nice day weather-wise, except for the high winds. But beggars can't be choosy. And because it was a nice day we decided to do things we don't normally do on the weekend: gallivant.

We went back to the insurance company to find out why they couldn't find us when he went last week. I am the type of person that has to be shown the why of something; I don't always take people's words just because they say so. Show me and then I will believe. Well, after some investigation they did find all our policies. Tenacity and perseverence paid off once again.

My daughter and her boyfriend stopped by on Sunday. It was a good day for visiting. She and I went through things I have been finding as I clean out my spare room of "stuff" that got piled in there simply because we no longer needed it and I didn't have the heart to throw out. I hate when I am that way. I wish I could just look the other way, walk to the trash can and throw the damn stuff out. So because I didn't/couldn't do it then, I have the task of doing it now.

I received full size bottles of a leading hair shampoo and conditioner in the mail today. I belong to a survey group and every once in awhile they send things to me to do research on and then I get to answer questions about the product. Like how did it perform, did I like it etc. It's a fun thing to do and I never know what they will send me. This one will take four weeks till I finish it.

I had a pleasant surprise when I looked out the kitchen window this morning. Kally had her "brood" of four kittens with her. When we started having rain way back on Friday, she took them across the street, through the corn field, and somewhere she thought they would be safe. Like our huge barn/garage wouldn't work. They found a way in there and we don't mind as long as it is a safe haven for them. But Kally seemed to think her kids needed to explore. And eventually one of them got run over. There were originally five. So, I am so glad she has them back here. How long they will stay I don't know.

And that ends my random thoughts for today.

Full Moon

WHERE IS MY BROOM?

IT'S MY NIGHT TO RIDE!

Life

I usually post a verse from the Bible, but I am not going to do that.

Because that sunshine today was the best thing that has happened in the past 7 days. Very good for my soul. It started raining last Friday and rained every day since then until today.

When I woke up today and looked out the window it was a joy to behold. I couldn't wait to get outside. And once I was outside, all I could keep doing was taking deep breaths of all that fresh air.

So we did our normal things today: banking, breakfast, and groceries. And we finally cashed in his lottery tickets, including the rub off ones. We treated the pickup to a washing, had a snack, and back home to watch all the Nascar shows.

Well, that was a waste of my time. Once again Junior blew a tire and was out of the race. And the driver that won the race carries Lowes as his sponsor ~ not to mention the race was held at Lowes Motor Speedway. It seems he's the only one that can win at that track and after awhile it gets a tad sickening. So as soon as he crossed the finish line, I shut the TV off. And all I could think of at the time was "oh well, there's always next week."

Rip-Roaring Mad

I have about had it with people who don't do their job. People who are supposed to do customer service and don't. People who have a job and are there just to take a paycheck home, and nothing else!

My husband went to a local branch of the insurance company where we have life insurance. Actually, he went to find out about his father's policy. His father passed away a few weeks ago, in another state where he moved a couple years back. When my husband gave the insurance company his father's name, they could not find a damn thing on him! His name did not come up in the system.

OK, so now he asks about our policies. There is one where all we have is the policy number and no paperwork on it. Plus each of us has a policy for a couple grand just to cover incidentals when our time has come to leave this earth. They couldn't find them either. What they did find were two policies he had taken out in the 70's that are both worth a whopping $100.00 each!
And if he cashed them in today, they would be worth $38 and $41 respectively. We certainly won't get rich on those babies.

So now I think it is time that the "master" pays a visit to this insurance company. I would like to think I can rip them a new one. I just found out today that a year ago they merged with another insurance company. And that probably explains why they can't find anything. So I ask you, why the hell am I paying a monthly bill on our two policies when no one can find a damn thing on either one?

Dream On Girl

Back in '94 my husband and I drove to North Carolina for the 30th anniversary of the Mustang. We are huge Mustang buffs ('64-1/2-'73).

At one time we owned 20 in all forms (good, bad and ugly). The township got on us (something about running a junkyard) and now we're down to 8, including my '97, and they are all under roof. So no one can complain. You see, we live on the edge of a very small village, but one of those nasty developments arrived bringing with it people from out of state. They are usually the biggest complainers and I say if you don't like it, go back to where you came from. We were here first.

When we visited North Carolina back then I fell in love with the state and the people. The first day was spent at Charlotte Motor Speedway (I refuse to call it Lowes anything) where the get-together was held. I was in total awe as I stood in the infield and looked around.

The next day we drove to North Wilkesboro for the Nascar race being held there. That track is no longer being used, which is a shame. It was a good little track for racing.

Some of my best memories are tied to North Carolina and if I had one wish come true it would be that I could live there. Preferably close to Charlotte.
But I doubt it will ever come to pass, so that's why I say dream on girl...

The Deepest Cut

Have you ever been hurt so badly that you think you'll never get over it? I have. And I don't mean by a loved one or a relative or anyone like that. I'm talking about someone who didn't even know me except for a few brief weeks.

This person spoke very little to me ~ didn't have to; apparently we had nothing in common.

I had never been so deeply hurt when it happened so I lashed out in different ways. Eventually I settled down and made my peace, but even though I did that I still get upset every once in awhile when I think about it.


I'll let y'all try and figure out who I'm talking about.

Wishful Thinking

OK, I am a lit-tle tired of the rain and cool weather. Five days already. Enough is enough. Whatever happened to that huge round yellow thing that used to be in the sky?

Days like these make me crabby. I don't mind Fall IF its warm and sunny. And I absolutely detest Winter. Snow, ice, sleet, slush, crap. Yes, there's nothing nicer than after a snowfall and the sun comes out. Or even if the sun doesn't come out. Silent and beautiful. Serene. Peaceful.

But after one day of that I am ready for Spring. Now that's my favorite time of the year. New beginnings. That's why we married in April and my daughter's birthday is also in April. I love that month. Is it here yet? Please hurry.

Careful Now

I started this blog for many reasons, but the most pronounced one at the time was to be able to dis my former boss, and some co-workers. And I was happily complaining almost every other day. It was my way of venting. I wanted to get the truth out there and I wanted revenge.

So you can imagine my horror when I found out that what I was doing was a no-no.

SAY WHAT? How can this be? I was raised to believe that this is a free country and besides that what the hell ever happened to freedom of speech, freedom of the press etc.?

So I stopped. And I deleted most of those posts. And I felt defeated. And beaten. It made me feel like once again I bowed down and gave in to those that are "above" me.

So much for freedom.

Oh Crappy Day

Yesterday was a day to forget.

I always look forward to Sundays. It's race day. I get so revved up.
But then some inexperienced driver does something stupid and Junior gets involved in a wreck and runs bad all day.

It happened on the 15th lap or so. How the heck did Brandon Ash even make the race? He's not familiar with Cup racing. And Junior was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Needless to say I got bored with the race very quickly.

My husband wasn't feeling well (he must've eaten something bad at the steak house ~ he had fish ~ Saturday evening). So he did nothing all day but sleep on and off.

And I slept during the race. Gee, I wonder why. BOR-RING! Plus I had a slight headache, which is something I rarely get these days.

So other than reading some of the newspaper and watching prime time TV, that is how our Sunday was spent.

Today's Thought

If God brings you to it
He will bring you through it

Rainy Daze

Heavens where is all this rain coming from? Ya think? OK, heaven it is.

Got a soaking today while waiting to get into the truck after leaving the pet store. There already was a pond in the parking lot, and whenever a vehicle drove through it would make a huge wave. Well, my husband told me to hurry because he saw what was coming, and because he didn't tell me why I should hurry, I didn't. Sure enough, that huge wave hit me dead on and went up over my ankles leaving me with two very wet feet!

We are expecting rain through the night and there has been an alert for flooding at the Lehigh River and also other low-lying spots. On the way back from the grocery store we saw plenty flooded spots and they are only going to get worse. Guess we have to go "flood spotting" tonight. Our 4X4 sits high enough to keep us out of trouble.

So for now all I can do is dream about places that aren't getting any rain.
Like Hawaii perhaps?

Rain On My Parade

I had such great plans for today, but when I awoke and looked outside it was quite dreary. Rain was on its way. By 10:00 AM it did indeed begin raining.
Buckets of it. And now at 1:50 PM it is still raining. My Weatherbug alert tells me we are in for some severe weather, like flooding at certain places. The alert lasts until Saturday evening.

So, there goes all my plans for today and tomorrow: right out the window and into the rain. Lord knows we need the rain around here, but it could have at least arrived earlier in the week when my plans kept me inside.

We were going to make a drop at Salvation Army tomorrow. I have recently been going through things we no longer need or use. Like one whole room full of things. The room has been my "attic" and I have stored stuff in there for the last 15 years or so. Maybe longer. You know how time flies. Anyway, the time has arrived for me to start chucking things out.

I guess I should just consider myself lucky to be here and to enjoy the rain and quit my whining about it. Sunny days are just around the corner. Like Monday, when I don't need them.

Freedom From Smut

I took Peruby's advice (My World And Welcome To It) and finally was able to download software to stop SPAM. I used Microsoft's SpamFighter Wizard. And it's free. There's one of my favorite words.

The nice thing is, it puts the nasty and unwanted stuff into a separate folder, where it is my decision as to whether I want to see it or not. So I don't lose any possible good mail that may go there in error.

At least it's NOT IN MY FACE while waiting for all my e-mails to load.

Ahhhhh.......free spam fighter. It doesn't get any better than that.

Daily Smut

When I sit down at my computer and open my e-mail, the last thing I want to see is filth in any form. Yesterday there were eight pornographic e-mails according to the subject line. Those words alone are embarrassing to me.

And they won't go away. I opened one a long time ago but that was only so I could forward it to a place I thought could help me to stop them. There is no stopping these filthy bastards.

I also figured that if I never opened any that they would stop coming to me. Not! They breed.

I am not a prude, but dadgummit they piss me off. I mean I can swear like a drunken sailor at times, but I do not want to be subjected to something I have no control over at any time!

So I ask how does one rid themselves of these dirty pests and filthy pigs?

Where's The Beef?

Friday night after settlement was over and behind us, I suggested we get a steak sandwich at a place my brother had been raving about, The Brass Rail.
I don't recall ever having one of their steaks in my entire life, so I decided now was as good a time as any. So off we went.

When we arrived there was a wait time of 15 minutes. I don't especially care for places that have wait times but it was short enough for me to want to stay.

After being seated our order was taken and the steaks were brought to us shortly thereafter. The service was excellent; however, I was a bit dismayed with the food. The fries were lukewarm and the steaks were quite small. We both made a decision not to go back again. My curiosity was satisfied.

After all these years of passing by and saying to myself "Some day I'll try one," I can now say that I will stick with what I know and like. Vince's Steaks are the best!

Talladega

Yesterday's race was anticipated with great expectation and excitement. Restrictor plate racing usually brings nasty accidents and yesterday was no exception. I had been looking forward to this particular race for quite some time. It is one place where the name Earnhardt is king. Dale Earnhardt Sr "owned" this track. Dale Earnhardt Jr is following in his footsteps. And he was going for his 5th win.

But, for the second time this year, Jimmie Johnson prevented that from happeneing. Some 20 laps into the race, Johnson got into the back of Elliott Sadler, turned him and all hell broke loose. And Dale Jr was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Johnson blamed Junior who was right behind him and said that he was pushed into Sadler by Junior.

EXCUSE ME?

They immediately showed an overhead view and clearly Johnson took Sadler out before Junior even touched Jimmie. Yeah, he's always ready to blame the other guy. Typical Hendricks driver. Whiners all.

In that one instance of Johnson's "idiotic" stupidity ~ AGAIN ~ Junior was denied not only his 5th victory there, but also was not able to finish the race.
Johnson caused a wreck in the spring race at Talladega and he messed up Junior's day ~ and Junior said he was an idiot. Boy, do I agree.

I don't know about you folks, but it is time for Jimmie Johnson to go to driving school. Or at the very least, bar him from restrictor plate racing. And we all know that's never going to happen.

Go Dale JR!

Settlement Day!

I cannot believe I finally made it to and through this day. It is finally over ~ all except for the monies being divided amongst my two siblings and I. And everybody else that gets a piece of the pie. And what we do get will be taxed to death. It would be so nice if we could just sell property and take what's rightfully ours by way of an inheritance, and no one else would have their greedy little hands out. But, there is the realtor, the lawyer, the government, and various other little odds and ends that have to be paid: the electricians, the plumber, and the carpenter. Just like a vacuum cleaner ~ they will just suck it all up.

By 3:30 PM today that stressful part of my life was finally over. And this morning we had finally finished everything that needed to be done. Like sanding the cellar way that my husband patched just yesterday, cleaning the remainder of the junk in the basement (wasn't much), removing the chair and sofa for the Salvation Army, and removing the mattress and boxspring for another Goodwill type organization. And, to make it even better, the plumber was there this morning and finally did the job we have been asking him to do for weeks.

The nice part of today is that once we left the realtor's office and settlement was behind us, and I no longer "owned" the home, I also no longer was responsible for calling the township code supervisor or the electrical inspectors who both have to return and make sure everything was done correctly. That is now the new owner's job. But we are still responsible for any more repairs that have to be made. And that sucks too. But what else is new?

After all of this, all I can say is PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE BISCUITS!

Damn Stinkin' Bugs

In this part of the country we are again being invaded with what are actually called stink bugs. They are seeking warmth from the impending cooler weather. Therefore, they will come into a house wherever they can find access.

In our case, it was by a window air conditioner just installed a few months ago. When I first discovered them, I must have killed about 25 of the little buggers. I sprayed inside all around the air conditioner and outside. I must have looked like a madwoman. I certainly felt like one. I held the spray steadily on one and it just kept crawling away. You must squash them and when you do they emit a very sickly sweetish odor. And it sticks to your nostril hairs so that you "smell" it for a long while afterward.

Since the spray didn't deter them, I decided the next best thing was to plug up any spots where I saw daylight that they would be coming into the house via the air conditioner. Apparently I missed some spots because they were still getting in somewhere. So, over the next two days I just kept plugging away. And I decided I had better do the other air conditioners just in case.

I do not like bugs of any kind. They give me the creeps. It's always been that way with me, and if these "mothers" don't stop invading my home I will go insane! They should just stay outside and mind their own business.

As I type this today, and look around this room, it seems like I have stopped the invasion. Till I find another one and start ranting and raving all over again.

More Memories Up In Smoke

Last Saturday I spent the entire day at my parents' house. It was a sort of get-together with my brother and sister for one last day at the old homestead. Everything came out of the attic and was put on the back porch to be sorted through later. It was another back-breaking day for me. I hauled the stuff out of the attic by myself down 2 flights of steps. At one point, I overtread my ankle (outside on the lawn) and it cracked like the sound of a twig breaking. It hurts, it's swollen, and hopefully that's all it is ~ I thought I broke it. It's very possible that there is a small bone broken.

This house is located in what we like to call "the country" even though the area is being built up with scads of developments and townhouses etc. But, they are still allowed to burn garbage as long as it is contained. Well, I pushed burning garbage to the limits Saturday. So much thick, black smoke poured out of the firepit. I think the local fire company even paid a visit. I heard the truck, the siren, and saw some vehicles stopping on the road in front of the house, but the house hid the firetruck. So they must have stopped and eventually drove away when they saw the fire I had going.
I was making all kinds of excuses up in my mind in case they questioned why the smoke was nasty black. Hey, I don't live there; I don't know the rules.

My sister took a lot of stuff to Goodwill, a junk man picked up all the metal stuff, the couch and chair will go out in front of our house with a "FREE" sign on it, and whatever is left will go to the local recycle center if they'll have it.

We're getting there...just not fast enough to suit me (or my poor tired body).

A Second Perspective

My local paper ran an article over the weekend titled "Singin' Sunday Night Blues." I've written here about this before.

Yessssss! I am not alone. There are others out there that feel the way I did the last few years. I'm lucky now in that I no longer work. And believe me it is a great relief not to feel that way anymore! I thought I was alone so I never talked about it.

"It" used to start late Sunday afternoon when the Nascar race was over, oh, somewhere around 6:00 or so. It's a horrible feeling and for those of you who've never experienced it, you'll never understand.

Experts say it happens to workers who are unhappy in their jobs. That is a direct quote from the newspaper. I liked my job. No, I loved my job. I think my problem was having to get up at 5:45 and travel 35 minutes battling school buses etc. Before that particular company moved to a new location, I only had a 5 minute drive and got up a lot later as my hours were different then.

I may have been able to alleviate some of my stress by taking Mondays off every couple of weeks (I had 15 vacation days plus 2 sick days), but Monday was payroll day and I did payroll. So I took Fridays off instead. But that didn't work either. Nothing did.

So here I am: enjoying an early retirement and no more Sunday night blues!
WHAT A PEACEFUL FEELING!!!!!!

What The Heck...

Today I saw this vanity plate:

MIVOST

Anyone care to decipher it?
I couldn't. I don't know, maybe I'm just dense.
I went with the M as one thousand and the IV as four and still couldn't come up with it. Then the MI as my, but what's a "vost?"

My husband couldn't "read" it either. I asked a stranger, and they thought I was loony. But neither could they read it.

I finally gave up. And I decided that even though they thought they were being very clever, again what good does it do if no one can figure it out.

Saying Goodbye Piece By Piece

This morning I decided to go down to the house. I really hope these trips become a little less as settlement nears. My purpose today was to burn a lot of trash and other things. Things my parents' must have held dear to them at one time or another. But I burned them like they never existed. It's not an easy thing to do but it has to be done.

I also took all the draperies and curtains down. They should be washed but who has time for that. It's funny, but on Monday when the people were there to take things for the auction, they didn't care whether some of the things were clean or not, they just took them. Do people really buy dirty things at these auctions?

I have had so much time in these past few weeks to really say goodbye to my parents. My Dad passed away last December and my Mother followed him this past February. I never really got to say goodbye in person. But by going through all their things and remembering them, in a way I am able to deal with the final goodbye. It's not as painful as I thought. I have finally come to terms with everything. It wasn't easy. But, like they say, life goes on.

Pack Rats Unlimited

Funny what we save/hang onto over the years. I've been going through a lot of paperwork these past few weeks, and I honestly don't know why I kept most of it. I'm talking about stuff from the '80's. Sheesh! What was I thinking? No wonder I kept running out of space in my file cabinets and had to buy more.

To make matters worse, I hardly ever referred to most of the stuff I saved so out it goes. And once I get a good grip on all this I will be able to keep at it so it doesn't pile up again. And that's just the paperwork. I have been a fanatical collector of various things: Cherished Teddies (although I have stopped collecting them), plates (all but two are in the basement in boxes), Beanie Baby bears (up till June of this year I bought every bear available.) And for awhile I was buying every international bear on eBay. A lot of bucks have gone into that collection.

My largest collection consists of porcelain dolls, and not the cheap ones found in stores around Chirstmas time. These are "designer" dolls by artists that make a living sculpting them. I won't divulge just how many there are but all but about 25 are still in their boxes piled to the ceiling against the wall taking up about one quarter of the room. I have since lost interest in them. They need to be sold, and I will never recoup the money I put into them.

Then there is my Nascar collection. That I will never get rid of and I don't regret buying any of it either. It consists mainly of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Dale Earnhardt Sr, and Bill Elliott and a few other drivers sprinkled in.

But getting back to the title of this blog today, it is the other stuff that is saved for absolutely no reason at all, other than one cannot just throw things out. I think it's a disease. And I must take the bull by the horns, look the other way, and start throwing these things out. Without even thinking about it. Starting tomorrow. Oh yes, I am great at procrastinating!

Dale Jr Rides Again

Even though I wasn't able to watch the race on TV yesterday, I still listened to it. Because we are coming closer to settlement, my weekends are spent at the house. My whole weekend was shot to hell.

Nevertheless, I was very well pleased with Junior's finish. A solid 5th place after qualifying 3rd. He has moved up two spots from 17th to 15th, inching toward that 11th spot which will make him a million dollars richer than he already is, but more importantly it guarantees him a spot on the stage in New York City this fall at the Nascar banquet.

It was sooooo good to have him back together with his cousin as his crew chief. They work so well together, too. What a remarkable job they both did.

All is well in my world once again! Junior's back in business!

The Inspector From Hell

When a house is sold in the township my parents' house is in, an inspector must come to check for "safety" items before a Certificate of Occupancy can be issued. I had the privilege of seeing this live and up front a week ago. Let me remind you that my parents' house was built in 1925. It is a good solid house. They moved there in 1950. With 3 small children. And none of us was ever harmed by these so-called "safety" things he found wrong.

Today, it is a natural thing to figure out that the wiring is a tad old and maybe some of the plumbing too. I have no problem with that. But this particular inspector found everything wrong with the wiring etc, some of the plumbing, and the craziest things having to do with handrails for anything having more than 4 steps. Well, excuse me, but none of us ever fell off any of those steps. This man was un-freaking-believable.

Then he handed me his "findings." What a joke. I wanted to puke. All over him. And then I saw what little profit my siblings and I would receive literally dissolve before my eyes. At one point I managed to say "I don't like you very much." Like that really bothered him. Without batting an eyelash, he said "I'm not here to make friends and I hear that all the time." I'll just bet he does.

This man came straight from hell and when he left he probably went back there, so I couldn't even have the satisfaction of telling him to go to hell!

Dale Jr & Tony Jr ~ Cousins Together Again!

What a wonderful day! After being separated for the first 26 races this season, they are back together for the remaining 10.

Some Junior fans didn't want to see them on the same team again. I never wanted them split up in the first place.

I know for certain that Dale Sr. would never have left it happen at all. Never! He'd have sat them both down, given them a good talking to, and things would've been OK. Instead, they were left go, and their arguing and bickering got out of hand. Thus the switch was made. They, and we as fans, thought it might help. It didn't. It became a horrendous affair. Last year Junior won 6 races; this year he has managed to win only one race. We are used to having him win more than just one. Each year should get a bit better than the one prior. I, for one, would like to forget this year.

So, with a great sigh of relief, and many tears of joy, this is one very happy fan.

Junior: All I can say is have fun and Git-R-Done!

This Old House (Built in 1925)

This venture of selling my parents' estate has been quite an ad-venture! It was put on the market in July and once we had a potential buyer the fun began. All on my shoulders. We had to have a township code inspector come and check everything out. This cannot be done until there is a signed contract to sell/buy. Well, it turns out that I didn't like the inspector and I told him so. He found too many things wrong and now they have to be fixed. This means an electrician, plumber and carpenter. Happy day. But wait...the buyer had her own inspector. I have yet to find out what he discovered. And he took 3 times longer for his inspection.

Then, there is the "getting rid of the contents" phase. We left almost everything in the house at the suggestion of my realtor. He said it would sell quicker. Had I known what I am up against now, I would have gotten rid of the contents early on. Big mistake but it's too late. So now it is crunch time. The electrician is scheduled to come out next week; the plumber had a head start last week; and the carpenter is my husband.

I called one auction house and set things up for them to come get what they thought would sell. That is their words, not mine. I would like to have everything go at once with one auctioneer. Of course, an on-site auction would have been perfect ~ no parking, so that was ruled out. The "auction people" are only taking the bigger items consisting of wood etc. They suggested, as did my lawyer, that I donate the remainder. Whoa! Why don't I just start handing it out as the cars go by? Or throwing it at them if they won't take anything?

We have since contacted another auctioneer who may possibly take the remainder (after all the relatives take what they want, which is now an ongoing process). When everything is removed, what is left is called "debris." They have people that do that ~ take it away. Probably for a small fee as is everything else in the good old USA. I think I will ask them to take me with them.

The Devil Made Me Do It

Once upon a time I used to work at a place that I can only term now as a "Festival of Idiots." Now, don't get me wrong...I very easily could have been one of them but, rest assured, I wasn't.

And I can only say now that "there but for the grace of God go I." (That's as close as I can get to that saying so I hope I haven't offended anyone if I mangled it.)

A former workplace is not the only area to find the aforementioned so-called people. They are every where and that is so scary!

Disclaimer:
Now I know it's not "healthy" to talk badly about a workplace or fellow employee(s), but I have not pinpointed any one particular place or person(s).

Vanity Plates

I would like to dwell on this subject a little more than it just being one of the things that tick me off in an earlier post of mine.

Why do people have vanity plates you cannot "read" or decipher or make any sense out of them? There is nothing more exasperating to me than that. If only the owner of the plate knows what it's supposed to say or mean, then what the hell's the point?

Mine says "GT PONY" on my GT Mustang. It's decipherable, and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to read it or figure it out. Short, sweet and to the point. So why can't others do the same?

I'll bet half of them think they're being really clever too. Not so clever if the reader doesn't know what the damn thing says!

Toilet Paper

Which way do you prefer it? Over or under?

Under absolutely drives me crazy!

Wherever I have worked in the past and the employees had the liberty of putting the roll on the spindle, if it was under I always changed it to over.

Who in their right mind would want it under anyway? You can never find where it begins/ends. And sometimes that can be a huge problem.

I think it takes a certain kind of people that put it on wrong (under). Us "over" people must be the only sane ones around.

Ya think?

BOO HOO ~ Not!

OK all you Dale Jr fans, his season is NOT over. We can still all stand behind him and cheer him on to wins (as his true fans) in the last eleven races. He's still our #1 driver and always will be ~ win, lose or spin.

I don't much care who wins the championship ~ it's drivers that win races that I care about and why I watch them week after week. Of course, I am always hoping that it's my driver that will win.

Dale Jr can relax now and have fun driving and winning. And.....

We'll "Git-R-Done" next year!!!

Some of My Favorite T-Shirts

Be Kind To Your Children...(They Pick Your Nursing Home)

I Live In My Own Little World, But It's Ok ...They Know Me Here

I'M Not Bossy...I Just Have Better Ideas

I Know I Came Into This Room For A Reason...

Would The Ocean Be As Deep If There Weren't Any Sponges?

And Your Cry-Baby Whiny-Butt Opinion Would Be?

Make Like A Plumber and Get The Crap Outta Here

Golfer's Prayer...Bury My Balls Next To The Old Bag

My Wild Oats Have Turned Into All Bran

This Is The Worst Day Of My Life...Again

I'M Out Of My Mind But Feel Free To Leave A Message

I'M Retired But I Work Part-Time As A Pain In The Butt

I'd Invite You To A Dog Show But I'm Afraid You Might Win

I Try To Take One Day At A Time But Sometimes Several Days Attack Me At Once

Fair Time

We visited the Allentown Fair Saturday afternoon into the evening. After eating our usual Vince's steak and Yocco's hot dog, we walked around and enjoyed the sights. At one point we sat in front of the Ritz and watched the "freak show" ~ locals parading their stuff. To tell the truth, they weren't too bad this year compared to other years.

We visited all the animals, bunnies first. I wanted to adopt all of them and bring them home with me. Off to see the goats, sheep, cows, and pigs. It was bed time for the pigs but they still managed to put on a "show." Wink Wink

We walked through Ag Hall where we got some free peaches and bumped into my nephew and his wife.

Hubby finally found a motorcycle jacket that he liked so he bought it.

Tim McGraw was on stage but we didn't see him. Tickets for his show sold out in the first hour back in the beginning of the year. But we could hear him loud and clear. I visualized as best as I could. Not too hard to do.

Finally it was time to go when I could walk no farther without pain. We had fun -- just the two of us.

Things That Tick Me Off

That Dale Jr probably won't make "the Chase"

Liars

Whiners

Backstabbers

Manipulators

People who use others to advance themselves

People who don't use turn signals

People who play "games"

Janelle on Big Brother 6

The Shoebox card ad on TV where women laugh:
Side Splitter, Snake, Goose

The Old Navy ad on TV where they're picking
corduroys out of a field

And last, but not least...

VANITY PLATES YOU CAN'T DECIPHER!

My Mustang

It's a 1997 Deep Violet Clearcoat beauty. And it still has that "new car" smell. There are only 2350 miles on it. A V-8 GT. My baby.

I had it out for a spin twice this week. That's a record. When I am driving that car, nothing else matters. I am free as a bird. And, yes, I do speed and put it through its paces. And it handles like a champ.

It's fast, and quick. Thanks to the optional ratio axle I added when it was built to my specs in late '96.

And it's mine, mine, mine!