I filled both thistle feeders right before leaving but I knew with J's work schedule this month, that he would probably not get a chance to refill them if they were to run out. I didn't fill the suet feeder because I didn't want to deal with Rufus (our acrobatic squirrel). So the next morning after coming home, I looked out and indeed both thistle feeders were empty.
I got out there and filled both of them up and also put the suet feeder back up with new suet in it....I waited all day, and not one bird. I figured it would take them some time to figure out that there was seed again available after what I am sure seems to them as abandonment. Next day, I saw the bluebird pair at their cavity nest and one of the doves, but none of the regular feeder birds.
Well it has been two days now and I am only just starting to get the finches and cardinals back. Nothing like it was before but I have to say the male finches are very vibrant yellow so they must be in mating season now. I guess they are teaching me a lesson about leaving them without food for that week. No sign of Rufus or his friends either, so they must have given up as well.
Hopefully, given a few more days and some nice weather, we'll see a return to the feeders in the numbers like before. If not, that is okay too, at least some of them are returning and less birds means the feeders stay fuller, longer.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
Thursday, April 28, 2005
Made It Home
Well, I am back and not much has changed. Of course it was only 10 days but with all the stuff I was dealing with during the trip, it seemed much longer.
The blooms on the dogwood have given way to leaves, and it is so weird to see shade in my front yard (we moved into the house in late November so there were no leaves left). The construction across the street has moved along. They only had a foundation when I left and now they are framing up the walls. In fact a big ass truck just pulled up with the trusses for the roof on it....I think they are getting a bit ahead of themselves as there is only one wall framed as of right now. The foreman on the job apparently has never been around a big truck before because he thought it was really cool to sit there pulling on the chain horn right across the street from me, which startled the hell out of me before the annoyance settled in.
One of my fish did not survive the trip. We are thinking it was just old age because all the other fish are fine and I tested the water and it is good to go as well. It was sad to see her struggling to breathe when I got home but I was hoping she would recover. When I came back a few hours later, she was still barely alive but was stuck to the pump hose so I decided to put her out of her misery...it was so sad. She is my first loss and she was one of the ones my husband got me for Christmas.
Other than that, J did a pretty good job of keeping things in order, especially considering how much he was working and was not really at our house unless he was sleeping. I can't complain, that is for sure. So now, I am almost through with the humungous pile of laundry that came out of my suitcase and things are getting back to normal. I am almost ready to put the winter clothes away and start wearing the summer stuff. Whooeeee! Soon I am sure I will be bitching about the heat, but not yet.
The blooms on the dogwood have given way to leaves, and it is so weird to see shade in my front yard (we moved into the house in late November so there were no leaves left). The construction across the street has moved along. They only had a foundation when I left and now they are framing up the walls. In fact a big ass truck just pulled up with the trusses for the roof on it....I think they are getting a bit ahead of themselves as there is only one wall framed as of right now. The foreman on the job apparently has never been around a big truck before because he thought it was really cool to sit there pulling on the chain horn right across the street from me, which startled the hell out of me before the annoyance settled in.
One of my fish did not survive the trip. We are thinking it was just old age because all the other fish are fine and I tested the water and it is good to go as well. It was sad to see her struggling to breathe when I got home but I was hoping she would recover. When I came back a few hours later, she was still barely alive but was stuck to the pump hose so I decided to put her out of her misery...it was so sad. She is my first loss and she was one of the ones my husband got me for Christmas.
Other than that, J did a pretty good job of keeping things in order, especially considering how much he was working and was not really at our house unless he was sleeping. I can't complain, that is for sure. So now, I am almost through with the humungous pile of laundry that came out of my suitcase and things are getting back to normal. I am almost ready to put the winter clothes away and start wearing the summer stuff. Whooeeee! Soon I am sure I will be bitching about the heat, but not yet.
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Cell Phone Free Zone
I think they should have these in the airports. Places where people that just want to write or read or think, without some idiot shouting in their ear about the most mundane of things, can go to enjoy peace and quiet.
I don't understand why people feel that they have to call everyone they know right before boarding a plane, or get this even as it is taxi-ing....are they trying to create a record of themselves so if they die in a crash, there will be a voice mail trail? I don't get it.
Why do people on cell phones in airports (and perhaps other places I have not noticed) feel that they have to speak in a louder voice than they would if there were having the conversation face to face? I don't need to hear about how you are just about to get on the plane and how you will call again as soon as it lands.
I am starting to believe that the fact that most airports do not allowed unticketed passengers past security causes come kind of loneliness anxiety is some people. They are alone and bored so they figure they will just call everyone they know while they are waiting. This one woman sat down next to me and called about 15 different people and had to leave messages at all of them because it was the middle of the day and guess what...THEY APPARENTLY HAVE LIVES!!!
My other theory is that they have a ton of minutes to use up and feel that they might as well make use of them since they aren't doing anything else...but I wish they would do anything else. Read a book for everyone's sake...
I think the CPFZs are a great idea. They have zones like this in airports in Asia but it is for the smokers. They have a little glass room with lousy ventilation that all the smokers hang out in, waiting for their flights. They look like little fish in a cloudy aquarium. I think if all the cell phone users had to be in one room, it would be too loud and some law of physics would be broken. So that is why I am suggesting a space for those of us that don't like the phones..want to stay away from the phones and their lonely users. Now I just have to find someone to finance it. Ha!
I don't understand why people feel that they have to call everyone they know right before boarding a plane, or get this even as it is taxi-ing....are they trying to create a record of themselves so if they die in a crash, there will be a voice mail trail? I don't get it.
Why do people on cell phones in airports (and perhaps other places I have not noticed) feel that they have to speak in a louder voice than they would if there were having the conversation face to face? I don't need to hear about how you are just about to get on the plane and how you will call again as soon as it lands.
I am starting to believe that the fact that most airports do not allowed unticketed passengers past security causes come kind of loneliness anxiety is some people. They are alone and bored so they figure they will just call everyone they know while they are waiting. This one woman sat down next to me and called about 15 different people and had to leave messages at all of them because it was the middle of the day and guess what...THEY APPARENTLY HAVE LIVES!!!
My other theory is that they have a ton of minutes to use up and feel that they might as well make use of them since they aren't doing anything else...but I wish they would do anything else. Read a book for everyone's sake...
I think the CPFZs are a great idea. They have zones like this in airports in Asia but it is for the smokers. They have a little glass room with lousy ventilation that all the smokers hang out in, waiting for their flights. They look like little fish in a cloudy aquarium. I think if all the cell phone users had to be in one room, it would be too loud and some law of physics would be broken. So that is why I am suggesting a space for those of us that don't like the phones..want to stay away from the phones and their lonely users. Now I just have to find someone to finance it. Ha!
Monday, April 25, 2005
I Can See the Finish Line
Whew!!! All I have been doing this week is traveling and trying to fit my paper in but now I am almost done. I finished the paper and posted it to my classroom earlier today (not my best work but it will pass) and I fly back home tomorrow morning. I am tired and will be glad to get home and relax.
At least I was able to get all the things I wanted to accomplish on this trip done (and originally the paper was not one of them, it was supposed to be done prior to the trip but other things got in the way). The weather was cooperative for the most part, at least on the days when I had to work outside, and I am sure it will be lovely when I get home as well. Spring is here and now I can start to imagine the time to enjoy it.
I have a final left in this class before complete relief can set it. I start it on Friday and we have a few days to turn it in. After the stressors of the last two weeks, it should be a piece of cake...let's hope at least.
My flight home is with a different airline than before so I will get some food off them and aisle seats the whole way!!! Whoeee!!! So anyhow, my blogging will pick up now that I will be back in computer land...stay tuned.
At least I was able to get all the things I wanted to accomplish on this trip done (and originally the paper was not one of them, it was supposed to be done prior to the trip but other things got in the way). The weather was cooperative for the most part, at least on the days when I had to work outside, and I am sure it will be lovely when I get home as well. Spring is here and now I can start to imagine the time to enjoy it.
I have a final left in this class before complete relief can set it. I start it on Friday and we have a few days to turn it in. After the stressors of the last two weeks, it should be a piece of cake...let's hope at least.
My flight home is with a different airline than before so I will get some food off them and aisle seats the whole way!!! Whoeee!!! So anyhow, my blogging will pick up now that I will be back in computer land...stay tuned.
Monday, April 18, 2005
Bad Idea
Jet lag, two glasses of red zin, and vanilla nutty icecream with butterscotch topping at 11pm is probably not the best decision I have ever made. Hope I am not sorry in the morning.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
Truly Beautiful
Coming over the hill on I-5 northbound to the first view of the Seattle skyline never ceases to inspire me. It is so...bammm, just there and awesome...
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Okay, well at least planes...
Airports and planes afford great people watching opportunities if you can get away with it without getting caught. I sometimes forget when I am watching someone and they catch me...On my first leg today, I board the plane, make my way to my seat, only to have the stewardess (ahem….flight attendant) tell me that there was in an accident in my row and they weren't supposed to be seating anyone back there. I try to feign calmness as I ask her what kind of accident. She says a bodily one…already things are not looking good.
Fortunately, it was not in the exact seat I was going to be using but still, the idea of flying in close quarters to a mystery bodily function was still not appealing. At that exact moment, a gentleman asks to switch with me (I really just wanted to be on the aisle as I am one of those people that needs to get up all the time), and he was on the aisle as well. I asked him he was sure, and he said yes, his friends were right across the aisle from the seat in question. Worked for me….I moved up a few rows to his seat.
Ultimately, the flight was not very full, so people were moving all over the place and once we got settled we were on our way. I started to read some of the newly printed research material for the paper I still have not finished, as doing anything fun was not warranted with this still hanging over my head. I was a diligent good student and made my way through it all highlighting as I went while fighting off the "plane nods" (which is that automatic sleepiness that planes induce in me).
In these days of "no food service" or "pillows" (if you can really call them that), airplane travel has gotten more interesting. Everyone is brown bagging it and it is kind of refreshing although I think it is a shame that we are letting the airlines get away with cutting customer service aspects out of their budgets without so much as a whimper. I have been sitting in the Minneapolis airport now for about an hour, plugged into an available outlet so I don't wear down my batteries (have to save them for the DVD's I plan to watch on the next leg…haha). I have seen at least two people eating apples (and I have one in my bag as well because I'll be damned if I will pay for a snack box on the flight). Perhaps the airlines can say they are helping us to eat better but I am sure that won't work because I am sure just as many people are stuffing themselves on airport food before boarding as well.
We did get pretzels and drinks on the last leg and while they didn't have Diet Coke (the only diet drink I can even hardly handle), they did have Diet Pepsi…I just can't drink Diet Pepsi unless it has liquor in it and even then it is hard. Anyhow, when she said they didn't have Diet Coke, did I want Diet Pepsi, I told her, like I just told you, that I don't like Diet Pepsi (love regular Pepsi though). She then leans over and whispers "I think Diet Pepsi tastes like band-aids"…now that is a correlation I would never had thought of. What would even make a person think of that, and more importantly, how many band-aids had she eaten over the years??? Talk about brown bagging it.
One thing that I did notice on the plane (mind you this was not a new plane by any means) was that there was what looked like a hand rail the entire length along the bottom of the overhead baggage department. I thought that it was pretty smart although we all know we are supposed "to remain in our seats with our seatbelts fastened until the plane comes to a complete and full stop and the pilot has turned off the seatbelt sign". So the use for them is probably limited but I couldn't help but picture the future of plane travel. We'll all be standing holding onto the railing like we are on the subway and we'll be fighting tooth and nail to get a seat, unfortunately the stops will be far and few between (I guess no one will get up to use the bathroom)….you just watch…eventually they will remove knee room altogether, it will be feet room that is in demand.
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One Month Ago on In My Words...Procrastination Has Taken Over
Airports and planes afford great people watching opportunities if you can get away with it without getting caught. I sometimes forget when I am watching someone and they catch me...On my first leg today, I board the plane, make my way to my seat, only to have the stewardess (ahem….flight attendant) tell me that there was in an accident in my row and they weren't supposed to be seating anyone back there. I try to feign calmness as I ask her what kind of accident. She says a bodily one…already things are not looking good.
Fortunately, it was not in the exact seat I was going to be using but still, the idea of flying in close quarters to a mystery bodily function was still not appealing. At that exact moment, a gentleman asks to switch with me (I really just wanted to be on the aisle as I am one of those people that needs to get up all the time), and he was on the aisle as well. I asked him he was sure, and he said yes, his friends were right across the aisle from the seat in question. Worked for me….I moved up a few rows to his seat.
Ultimately, the flight was not very full, so people were moving all over the place and once we got settled we were on our way. I started to read some of the newly printed research material for the paper I still have not finished, as doing anything fun was not warranted with this still hanging over my head. I was a diligent good student and made my way through it all highlighting as I went while fighting off the "plane nods" (which is that automatic sleepiness that planes induce in me).
In these days of "no food service" or "pillows" (if you can really call them that), airplane travel has gotten more interesting. Everyone is brown bagging it and it is kind of refreshing although I think it is a shame that we are letting the airlines get away with cutting customer service aspects out of their budgets without so much as a whimper. I have been sitting in the Minneapolis airport now for about an hour, plugged into an available outlet so I don't wear down my batteries (have to save them for the DVD's I plan to watch on the next leg…haha). I have seen at least two people eating apples (and I have one in my bag as well because I'll be damned if I will pay for a snack box on the flight). Perhaps the airlines can say they are helping us to eat better but I am sure that won't work because I am sure just as many people are stuffing themselves on airport food before boarding as well.
We did get pretzels and drinks on the last leg and while they didn't have Diet Coke (the only diet drink I can even hardly handle), they did have Diet Pepsi…I just can't drink Diet Pepsi unless it has liquor in it and even then it is hard. Anyhow, when she said they didn't have Diet Coke, did I want Diet Pepsi, I told her, like I just told you, that I don't like Diet Pepsi (love regular Pepsi though). She then leans over and whispers "I think Diet Pepsi tastes like band-aids"…now that is a correlation I would never had thought of. What would even make a person think of that, and more importantly, how many band-aids had she eaten over the years??? Talk about brown bagging it.
One thing that I did notice on the plane (mind you this was not a new plane by any means) was that there was what looked like a hand rail the entire length along the bottom of the overhead baggage department. I thought that it was pretty smart although we all know we are supposed "to remain in our seats with our seatbelts fastened until the plane comes to a complete and full stop and the pilot has turned off the seatbelt sign". So the use for them is probably limited but I couldn't help but picture the future of plane travel. We'll all be standing holding onto the railing like we are on the subway and we'll be fighting tooth and nail to get a seat, unfortunately the stops will be far and few between (I guess no one will get up to use the bathroom)….you just watch…eventually they will remove knee room altogether, it will be feet room that is in demand.
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One Month Ago on In My Words...Procrastination Has Taken Over
Friday, April 15, 2005
Trips and All the Chaos...
Welcome to my world this week. I had a group paper due in my online class on Wednesday that took up most of the first part of the week while I tried to get one paper written by 4 people to sound right. I have another (bigger) paper that was originally due on the 19th (and if I turn it in by then, I get extra credit) but was extended to the 25th...unfortunately I am going to be on the road from tomorrow the 16th until the 26th...so basically I am writing a graduate research paper while traveling.....lots of fun and stress.
Now the other issue is that I am the kind of person that has to have the entire house clean and all the odds and ends cleared up before going on a trip. So besides dealing with the paper thing and packing, I had to clean our fish tank, clean our cat's room (litter box, vacuuming...), fill all my bird feeders, water all the outdoor and indoor plants, vacuum all floors, clean both bathrooms, do laundry (most of which I am taking with me), clean the kitchen and drive 30 miles to the grocery store so that J would not starve while I am gone. I know his schedule will be very hectic and unpredictable while I am gone so grocery shopping is out...I ended up cutting a few things out of my day like dropping some stuff off at Goodwill, and having our heat pump serviced...there is only so much I can do in one day and the grocery trip ate all of the morning up.
Needless to say it is 11:41pm my time, J is not due to be here until 1am. I am done with everything except that I need to do a small amount of research in the morning for my paper and water all the outdoor plants one more time (because he won't remember to water them and it might actually get hot here while I am gone).
So now I am off to bed to read one of the books I picked up today for the trip (which I am not supposed to be reading until I get my paper done). It will be nice to sleep soundly tonight knowing that I have very little to do tomorrow before heading out. Hopefully we will get to the airport early for my flight so I can get an aisle seat all the way through. That will allow me to get some work done on my laptop on the flight. The inside seats are just too cramped for my laptop. We'll see, if not, I'll be reading research material, my book and working on a gift for my sister's birthday.
Hasta luego
Now the other issue is that I am the kind of person that has to have the entire house clean and all the odds and ends cleared up before going on a trip. So besides dealing with the paper thing and packing, I had to clean our fish tank, clean our cat's room (litter box, vacuuming...), fill all my bird feeders, water all the outdoor and indoor plants, vacuum all floors, clean both bathrooms, do laundry (most of which I am taking with me), clean the kitchen and drive 30 miles to the grocery store so that J would not starve while I am gone. I know his schedule will be very hectic and unpredictable while I am gone so grocery shopping is out...I ended up cutting a few things out of my day like dropping some stuff off at Goodwill, and having our heat pump serviced...there is only so much I can do in one day and the grocery trip ate all of the morning up.
Needless to say it is 11:41pm my time, J is not due to be here until 1am. I am done with everything except that I need to do a small amount of research in the morning for my paper and water all the outdoor plants one more time (because he won't remember to water them and it might actually get hot here while I am gone).
So now I am off to bed to read one of the books I picked up today for the trip (which I am not supposed to be reading until I get my paper done). It will be nice to sleep soundly tonight knowing that I have very little to do tomorrow before heading out. Hopefully we will get to the airport early for my flight so I can get an aisle seat all the way through. That will allow me to get some work done on my laptop on the flight. The inside seats are just too cramped for my laptop. We'll see, if not, I'll be reading research material, my book and working on a gift for my sister's birthday.
Hasta luego
Thursday, April 14, 2005
Jen's Fault
Okay, Jen made a post in regards to this stupid tampon commercial that all women hate and all men don't understand why on Peevishness and Botheration today and this brought another stupid commercial to mind for me.
We have a fast food burger place out here called Hardee's. It is the same as Carl's Jr on the West Coast, I believe. Anyhow, they have these "thick burgers" that are really quite good but the latest marketing scheme has a commercial that just grosses me out.
There is a woman feeding what looks like an infant (can't see the baby, but the posture is the same). She is feeding it a bottle (only because they couldn't get away with breastfeeding I am sure), and talking in baby talk to it. She makes reference to her "good little boy...".
The baby finishes the bottle and she goes to sit it up to burp it and it is a grown man....then the announcer comes on and says "Still eating like a baby....?" then something about "...thick burgers are for men, not..," wimps or weenies or something like that...
Anyhow, I am always in shock when the guy sits up because it is just too gross...and of course J (who probably has fantasies about breast feeding or being bottle fed that close to a breast) doesn't see the issue I have with it...not surprising.
We have a fast food burger place out here called Hardee's. It is the same as Carl's Jr on the West Coast, I believe. Anyhow, they have these "thick burgers" that are really quite good but the latest marketing scheme has a commercial that just grosses me out.
There is a woman feeding what looks like an infant (can't see the baby, but the posture is the same). She is feeding it a bottle (only because they couldn't get away with breastfeeding I am sure), and talking in baby talk to it. She makes reference to her "good little boy...".
The baby finishes the bottle and she goes to sit it up to burp it and it is a grown man....then the announcer comes on and says "Still eating like a baby....?" then something about "...thick burgers are for men, not..," wimps or weenies or something like that...
Anyhow, I am always in shock when the guy sits up because it is just too gross...and of course J (who probably has fantasies about breast feeding or being bottle fed that close to a breast) doesn't see the issue I have with it...not surprising.
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Nonsense That Fills Space
Borrowed this one from P'nut
1. YOUR PORN STAR NAME (Name of first pet / Street where you live): Ernie Mountain
2. YOUR FASHION DESIGNER NAME (First word you see on your left / Favorite restaurant): Gift Yoshi
3. EXOTIC FOREIGNER ALIAS (Favorite Spice / Last Foreign Vacation Spot): Basil Tokyo
4. ICON ALIAS (Something Sweet Within Sight / Any Liquid in Your Kitchen): Chocolate Curry
5. DETECTIVE ALIAS (Favorite Baby Animal / Where You Went to High School): Bunny Ashland
6. BARFLY ALIAS(Last Snack Food You Ate / Your Favorite Alcoholic Drink) : Ritz White Russian
7. SOAP OPERA ALIAS (Middle Name / Street Where You First Lived): Ricki Compton
8. ROCK STAR ALIAS (Favorite Candy / Last Name Of Favorite Musician): Kiss Zap Mama
I don't think mine work all that well but I am sure some of yours do...
1. YOUR PORN STAR NAME (Name of first pet / Street where you live): Ernie Mountain
2. YOUR FASHION DESIGNER NAME (First word you see on your left / Favorite restaurant): Gift Yoshi
3. EXOTIC FOREIGNER ALIAS (Favorite Spice / Last Foreign Vacation Spot): Basil Tokyo
4. ICON ALIAS (Something Sweet Within Sight / Any Liquid in Your Kitchen): Chocolate Curry
5. DETECTIVE ALIAS (Favorite Baby Animal / Where You Went to High School): Bunny Ashland
6. BARFLY ALIAS(Last Snack Food You Ate / Your Favorite Alcoholic Drink) : Ritz White Russian
7. SOAP OPERA ALIAS (Middle Name / Street Where You First Lived): Ricki Compton
8. ROCK STAR ALIAS (Favorite Candy / Last Name Of Favorite Musician): Kiss Zap Mama
I don't think mine work all that well but I am sure some of yours do...
Floating Straws
I have been trying to get in the habit of using a straw whenever I drink soda or iced tea so it doesn't stain my teeth....unfortunately, straws float in carbonated drinks...so I have to use ice or use a cup with a lid.
Does anyone know why this occurs? I know I could look it up but I am sure one of you out there already has this information stored up in your head waiting for the opportunity to put it to use....here's your opportunity.
Does anyone know why this occurs? I know I could look it up but I am sure one of you out there already has this information stored up in your head waiting for the opportunity to put it to use....here's your opportunity.
Quiznos
Okay, am I the only one that finds the talking baby Quiznos boy a bit scary? I am not sure what the marketing department was thinking on that one, that he would be cute maybe, but he is just a little too much on the "Chucky" side for my taste...although I have to say I love Quiznos.
Editors note: Bob is actually a little girl and the pictures of her without the moving mouth and strange facial features are pretty cute...it is just the animation on the commercial that makes it seem Chucky-like. Perhaps they could rethink that aspect of it.
Editors note: Bob is actually a little girl and the pictures of her without the moving mouth and strange facial features are pretty cute...it is just the animation on the commercial that makes it seem Chucky-like. Perhaps they could rethink that aspect of it.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Privacy and Legislation
Why do I always pick topics for my papers that are hard to find resources for??? You would think that finding text on the Internet that explains the Patriot Act in layman's terms would be a piece of cake....ha, it isn't. I did finally find something that will help explain the gobblety gook but it took me half the day to find it....ugh!!! My hand hurts from being on this computer all day.
Monday, April 11, 2005
The Somewhat Downside
How's that for a title? In all my joy at seeing spring finally peak its head from the cold clutches of winter, there is a small downside.
I love having the windows open when it is nice out, fresh air, some music on the stereo, incense burning in one of my potted plants and I am taken back to my youth instantly....okay, another story for another time. Anyhow, back to the windows being open. Currently we are in the 5-21 day period that the pines in this lovely part of the world shed their pollen....so if there is even a crack of a window open (car or house), everything inside will be covered in a little greenish yellow haze. Makes you realize very quickly how much dust is probably sitting all over things normally that you can't see. If I couldn't see this haze, it wouldn't be that big of a deal as I was lucky enough to be born without allergies....(knock on wood). Unfortunately, I can see it and it is everywhere (and dust drives me nuts if I can see it). This requires serious dusting and not with anything that just spreads it around either. You have to use Pledge wipes or something else with liquidy tendencies to get it all.
So, we had quite a dump of it a few days ago and being new to the area, I thought that was it. I went through, dusted the heck out of every nook and cranny (didn't know I had these, did you?). I was very pleased with myself. It was sort of a forced-upon spring cleaning spree. So this weekend I was back to opening the windows and enjoying the breeze....apparently it was not over. It is all back, only not quite as bad, but it is also in the car because someone else (names shall not be named) left the windows cracked last night.
I finally gave in and searched the web. I only learned a minute ago from a very informational website, the length of this pollen decent upon the world (the 5-21 days I mentioned above) so I guess I will be forced to keep the windows closed for a bit longer....so sad because by the time we can open them up, it might be too muggy and hot to do so.
I love having the windows open when it is nice out, fresh air, some music on the stereo, incense burning in one of my potted plants and I am taken back to my youth instantly....okay, another story for another time. Anyhow, back to the windows being open. Currently we are in the 5-21 day period that the pines in this lovely part of the world shed their pollen....so if there is even a crack of a window open (car or house), everything inside will be covered in a little greenish yellow haze. Makes you realize very quickly how much dust is probably sitting all over things normally that you can't see. If I couldn't see this haze, it wouldn't be that big of a deal as I was lucky enough to be born without allergies....(knock on wood). Unfortunately, I can see it and it is everywhere (and dust drives me nuts if I can see it). This requires serious dusting and not with anything that just spreads it around either. You have to use Pledge wipes or something else with liquidy tendencies to get it all.
So, we had quite a dump of it a few days ago and being new to the area, I thought that was it. I went through, dusted the heck out of every nook and cranny (didn't know I had these, did you?). I was very pleased with myself. It was sort of a forced-upon spring cleaning spree. So this weekend I was back to opening the windows and enjoying the breeze....apparently it was not over. It is all back, only not quite as bad, but it is also in the car because someone else (names shall not be named) left the windows cracked last night.
I finally gave in and searched the web. I only learned a minute ago from a very informational website, the length of this pollen decent upon the world (the 5-21 days I mentioned above) so I guess I will be forced to keep the windows closed for a bit longer....so sad because by the time we can open them up, it might be too muggy and hot to do so.
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Dogwood
Our dogwood is finally blooming...it is of the pinkish orange variety. It is very beautiful and it is not even in complete bloom yet. I hope to get some pictures when it finally gets there.
I have also discovered that we have several smaller dogwoods of the white variety in the yard but didn't see until the blooms came out. It is nice to see spring here in full force, even the oak trees are getting their leaves now.
I don't think I mentioned this before but we have several holly bushes in our yard (mostly near the front windows of the house). They are in bloom also, and the flowers are small and greenish so they don't really stand out but they smell terrific. I never knew holly bushes had such a aromatic flower. The bees are just loving it.
Oh, and we have a vine called Kudzu that grows all over the place here and it is in bloom too. It has a purple flower that is really pretty. I need to get some pictures of it because their aren't any good ones on the Internet that show it hanging in bloom.
Anyhow, that is my flower update. I wish I could bottle that holly flower smell, it is truly remarkable.
I have also discovered that we have several smaller dogwoods of the white variety in the yard but didn't see until the blooms came out. It is nice to see spring here in full force, even the oak trees are getting their leaves now.
I don't think I mentioned this before but we have several holly bushes in our yard (mostly near the front windows of the house). They are in bloom also, and the flowers are small and greenish so they don't really stand out but they smell terrific. I never knew holly bushes had such a aromatic flower. The bees are just loving it.
Oh, and we have a vine called Kudzu that grows all over the place here and it is in bloom too. It has a purple flower that is really pretty. I need to get some pictures of it because their aren't any good ones on the Internet that show it hanging in bloom.
Anyhow, that is my flower update. I wish I could bottle that holly flower smell, it is truly remarkable.
One Down, One To Go
I am inching each day closer and closer to the end of the semester and it can't get here fast enough. On Friday, I was able to get my deliverables for our group project (yes my graduate program requires group work) turned in a day early. I wanted to get it off my list of things to do because I have another paper that I need to work on. I am doing an online graduate program and for some reason, our professor assigned the delivery of two papers within a week of each other (one a group project and one an individual project).
Problem is that I am going on a trip for 10 days this next weekend and my second paper is due during that time. I don't want to have to worry about being able to get online and deal with a major project like that while I am traveling (although it is possible and I have done it before). I want to be able to focus on the task at hand and then enjoy the down time I will have to visit with friends and family. Therefore, I am trying to turn this second paper in before I leave this coming weekend...not an easy task but one I think I can manage...as long as I can keep the procrastination at bay.
So, at this point, I am enjoying half the glow of a job well done but will really be living it up after this second paper is done. It will be such a relief. Then all that will be left are the small weekly assignments and the final (open book over 3 days) and I will be done for the summer!!!!!!
I absolutely can't wait!!!
Problem is that I am going on a trip for 10 days this next weekend and my second paper is due during that time. I don't want to have to worry about being able to get online and deal with a major project like that while I am traveling (although it is possible and I have done it before). I want to be able to focus on the task at hand and then enjoy the down time I will have to visit with friends and family. Therefore, I am trying to turn this second paper in before I leave this coming weekend...not an easy task but one I think I can manage...as long as I can keep the procrastination at bay.
So, at this point, I am enjoying half the glow of a job well done but will really be living it up after this second paper is done. It will be such a relief. Then all that will be left are the small weekly assignments and the final (open book over 3 days) and I will be done for the summer!!!!!!
I absolutely can't wait!!!
Friday, April 08, 2005
Me, Myself and I
Over the last few years I have noticed that the verbal use of the word "myself" has evolved into something that is slowly driving me crazy. I do not claim to be an expert in grammar but this one is a peeve I just can't ignore. I have heard this incorrect usage spill from the lips of Americans in all spectrums of society (educators, sports figures, journalists, politicians, movie stars, students....etc). I don't watch enough international television to notice whether it is worldwide or not, so for now I am limiting my peeve to Americans.
I think it stems from the fear of when to use "me" and "I" correctly. This is something that is drilled into all of us at a very early age. Regardless of the trama, substituting "myself" does not correct this or ease this confusion. It is becoming so commonplace that I expect that Webster's will adopt this new use and there will be no going back. Therefore, I am announcing my issues with it, so I can say I made an effort.
Okay, so here it is. You can say "She bought the cake for my wife and me." You can not say "She bought the cake for my wife and myself." It just doesn't work that way, because if you were to take the wife out of the sentence (the true test if something is grammatically correct), it would be "She bought the cake for myself" and that just doesn't make sense. You can also say "Jack and I were married yesterday." You can not say "Jack and myself were married yesterday". I don't tend to hear the use of "myself" substituted for "I" as often as for "me" but it does happen on occasion.
Now that I have mentioned it, all of you will hear it all the time and it will drive you crazy too....so you can thank me later...ha ha. Great, I feel better now, getting that off my chest. Please remember that I am not an expert, and I am sure there are 47 other grammatical errors in this little blurb that someone could point out. I just had to get my particular peeve out in the open (and now that I have, let us hope that I don't ever use "me, myself, and I" incorrectly or I will have hell to pay).
(Just a little side note, MS Word has all my little "myself"s underlined with squiggling green lines...I guess it doesn't like it either....)
I think it stems from the fear of when to use "me" and "I" correctly. This is something that is drilled into all of us at a very early age. Regardless of the trama, substituting "myself" does not correct this or ease this confusion. It is becoming so commonplace that I expect that Webster's will adopt this new use and there will be no going back. Therefore, I am announcing my issues with it, so I can say I made an effort.
Okay, so here it is. You can say "She bought the cake for my wife and me." You can not say "She bought the cake for my wife and myself." It just doesn't work that way, because if you were to take the wife out of the sentence (the true test if something is grammatically correct), it would be "She bought the cake for myself" and that just doesn't make sense. You can also say "Jack and I were married yesterday." You can not say "Jack and myself were married yesterday". I don't tend to hear the use of "myself" substituted for "I" as often as for "me" but it does happen on occasion.
Now that I have mentioned it, all of you will hear it all the time and it will drive you crazy too....so you can thank me later...ha ha. Great, I feel better now, getting that off my chest. Please remember that I am not an expert, and I am sure there are 47 other grammatical errors in this little blurb that someone could point out. I just had to get my particular peeve out in the open (and now that I have, let us hope that I don't ever use "me, myself, and I" incorrectly or I will have hell to pay).
(Just a little side note, MS Word has all my little "myself"s underlined with squiggling green lines...I guess it doesn't like it either....)
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Too Much Aggression?
Yahoo! News - Nice Outfit! Well, Yes, We Are Still Convicts...
While I agree that colors do affect moods differently, it seems that next they will be saying that the bars, fences and guards with guns are decreasing morale as well.
In reality the aggression might just be a factor of being a criminal penned up in a little box with no one but other inmates to commit crimes against.
It seems that the money for uniforms in other colors could be used to improve morale in the system in other ways. Of course, this is just my opinion.
While I agree that colors do affect moods differently, it seems that next they will be saying that the bars, fences and guards with guns are decreasing morale as well.
In reality the aggression might just be a factor of being a criminal penned up in a little box with no one but other inmates to commit crimes against.
It seems that the money for uniforms in other colors could be used to improve morale in the system in other ways. Of course, this is just my opinion.
Spring Has Sprung
At least where I am living it has... I actually broke out a pair of shorts from the "summer clothes" tote and wore them and my sandals all day. It was terrific...I am so glad to see winter out the door. I imagine I am only a day or so away from unpacking all the summer stuff and putting the winter stuff away for good...assuming I get my papers done for school first.
Usually each year, my sister and I decorate Easter Eggs (even though we don't have kids and we don't hide them). It is just something we do for fun, to hold on to the inner child I guess (we also dress up for Hallloween). This year I was not able to get to her part of the country before Easter so we have not done it, but I will be there in a few weeks and we will do it then. Anyhow, I realized yesterday that hardboiled eggs are a taste that reminds me of Spring.
Growing up, I lived in a region of the US that gets all 4 seasons for about 3 months each. As a kid, each season probably seemed too long, but as an adult that has lived all over now, I can't believe how good I had it weather-wise growing up. We had snow in winter, hot dry summers with evening thunderstorms, flowery springs and leave-changing falls. Of course every once in a while we would get some kind of fluke thing, like snow before Tday or after Easter, but it was not usual.
There were days when you could walk out in the morning and just feel that the season had changed. I think that my senses are very sensitive to season change. There are things in daily life that just feel like one season or another. The way the shadow falls at a certain time of day, or the sound of lawnmowers cutting grass, small planes flying overheard (both summer things for me) can trigger that nostalgia for a season. A few weeks ago, I was eating strawberries (don't ask me how we had strawberries in winter, but we did) and I have determined that strawberries are a summer taste for me....
On a side note (speaking of shadows falling) one year my husband and I went to Alaska on vacation in June near the longest day of the year. Well, it doesn't really get dark there during the month of June (in some areas the whole summer) and that really messed with my head. We would be fishing up some small stream and the way the shadows were falling told my inner clock that it was about 4:30pm and we should be looking at getting going so we can work on dinner back at the campsite. I look down at my watch and it was almost 9pm at night!!!! Very strange indeed, I don't know how people that live there get used to that or the terrible opposite in the winter with it being dark all the time....
Anyhow, I just wanted to express my joy at seeing Spring here. We have lots of trees in bloom (although our dogwood has not bloomed yet) and flowers sprouting up all over the place. I am sure in a few months, I will be wishing for the hot muggy summer to be over but for now, I am thrilled to see the sun and have it mean temps over 60 degrees....yeah!!!!
Usually each year, my sister and I decorate Easter Eggs (even though we don't have kids and we don't hide them). It is just something we do for fun, to hold on to the inner child I guess (we also dress up for Hallloween). This year I was not able to get to her part of the country before Easter so we have not done it, but I will be there in a few weeks and we will do it then. Anyhow, I realized yesterday that hardboiled eggs are a taste that reminds me of Spring.
Growing up, I lived in a region of the US that gets all 4 seasons for about 3 months each. As a kid, each season probably seemed too long, but as an adult that has lived all over now, I can't believe how good I had it weather-wise growing up. We had snow in winter, hot dry summers with evening thunderstorms, flowery springs and leave-changing falls. Of course every once in a while we would get some kind of fluke thing, like snow before Tday or after Easter, but it was not usual.
There were days when you could walk out in the morning and just feel that the season had changed. I think that my senses are very sensitive to season change. There are things in daily life that just feel like one season or another. The way the shadow falls at a certain time of day, or the sound of lawnmowers cutting grass, small planes flying overheard (both summer things for me) can trigger that nostalgia for a season. A few weeks ago, I was eating strawberries (don't ask me how we had strawberries in winter, but we did) and I have determined that strawberries are a summer taste for me....
On a side note (speaking of shadows falling) one year my husband and I went to Alaska on vacation in June near the longest day of the year. Well, it doesn't really get dark there during the month of June (in some areas the whole summer) and that really messed with my head. We would be fishing up some small stream and the way the shadows were falling told my inner clock that it was about 4:30pm and we should be looking at getting going so we can work on dinner back at the campsite. I look down at my watch and it was almost 9pm at night!!!! Very strange indeed, I don't know how people that live there get used to that or the terrible opposite in the winter with it being dark all the time....
Anyhow, I just wanted to express my joy at seeing Spring here. We have lots of trees in bloom (although our dogwood has not bloomed yet) and flowers sprouting up all over the place. I am sure in a few months, I will be wishing for the hot muggy summer to be over but for now, I am thrilled to see the sun and have it mean temps over 60 degrees....yeah!!!!
Sunday, March 27, 2005
And The List Continues
Well, it has been another busy bird day in my yard. Not only have I discovered that the pair of bluebirds I have been watching are using my nest box, I have spotted two new types of woodpeckers in the yard.
They are as follows:
Hairy Woodpecker (male only)
Common Flicker (male only, but two of them are hanging around).
(Once again these are not my pics, just loaners that are much better than I could take myself)
They are as follows:
Hairy Woodpecker (male only)
Common Flicker (male only, but two of them are hanging around).
(Once again these are not my pics, just loaners that are much better than I could take myself)
I Love Winnie-the-Pooh
I absolutely love this bear. I have all the old books and even a new coffee table book with the history of Pooh and Disney. I have the Adventures of Pooh on DVD too....prefer the old illustrations to the new but any Pooh will do...
Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!
Take the 100 Acre Personality Quiz!
Bluebirds
I am so excited.
The Eastern Bluebird (male and female) that has been hanging out at my feeder is using the bluebird cavity nest in my yard. I was going to replace the box because it was looking a little rickety, and I thought that perhaps the hole was too big, but I just saw the male come in and out of the nest so I know they are using it. Now I just have to make sure no other animals get in there and steal their eggs after they are laid.
Whoooeeee!!!! This is so cool.
The Eastern Bluebird (male and female) that has been hanging out at my feeder is using the bluebird cavity nest in my yard. I was going to replace the box because it was looking a little rickety, and I thought that perhaps the hole was too big, but I just saw the male come in and out of the nest so I know they are using it. Now I just have to make sure no other animals get in there and steal their eggs after they are laid.
Whoooeeee!!!! This is so cool.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Good News and Bad News
Which do you want first?
Good news is that they do change the port-a-potty pretty frequently.
Bad news is that the crew is a bunch of litter bugs. My husband and I spent part of yesterday morning cleaning up all their litter as it had blown (or been dragged out by animals) all over the area and was creeping towards our house. We put the bag of trash in the port-a-potty so they would see it and so the wind (or wildlife) wouldn't get to it.
Hopefully they will get the hint.
Good news is that they do change the port-a-potty pretty frequently.
Bad news is that the crew is a bunch of litter bugs. My husband and I spent part of yesterday morning cleaning up all their litter as it had blown (or been dragged out by animals) all over the area and was creeping towards our house. We put the bag of trash in the port-a-potty so they would see it and so the wind (or wildlife) wouldn't get to it.
Hopefully they will get the hint.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Walking Lunges Kick Ass (Literally)
I like to walk outside for at least part of my cardio routine during the week. As I mentioned before, I hate going to the gym and I really hate "leg" days at the gym, so I end up doing lunges during my walks to avoid "leg" days at the gym.
I can't do the lunges that they do on aerobics tapes or in class where you lunge forward and then back. It hurts my soccer knees too much, so I do walking ones. This means that I lunge forward and then stand up, take another step and lunge into it. It looks kind of funny so I try to do it in areas where I won't have too much of an audience. I do 3 sets at least, of 10 each leg during the course of the walk.
The next two days, my ass and hamstrings are very aware of my actions and it feels great to get such a result from a short effort. By the way, if you are a stud muffin, and your own body weight is not enough to get that feeling the next day, you can use hand weights to increase the resistance....
Lunges are supposed to work your entire upper leg, be slimming through the hips (which some leg exercises are not) and help keep your butt up off your calves.
Anyhow, just thought I would share this little miracle with you since my butt is screaming at me from lunges yesterday and it came to mind...
I can't do the lunges that they do on aerobics tapes or in class where you lunge forward and then back. It hurts my soccer knees too much, so I do walking ones. This means that I lunge forward and then stand up, take another step and lunge into it. It looks kind of funny so I try to do it in areas where I won't have too much of an audience. I do 3 sets at least, of 10 each leg during the course of the walk.
The next two days, my ass and hamstrings are very aware of my actions and it feels great to get such a result from a short effort. By the way, if you are a stud muffin, and your own body weight is not enough to get that feeling the next day, you can use hand weights to increase the resistance....
Lunges are supposed to work your entire upper leg, be slimming through the hips (which some leg exercises are not) and help keep your butt up off your calves.
Anyhow, just thought I would share this little miracle with you since my butt is screaming at me from lunges yesterday and it came to mind...
Goofy
 | You scored as Goofy. Your alter ego is Goofy! You are fun and great to be around, and you are always willing to help others. You aren't worried about embarrassing yourself, so you are one who is more willing to try new things.
Which Disney Character is your Alter Ego? created with QuizFarm.com |
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Shuckers
We went out for a celebratory dinner, to mark the end of my husbands semester, at this seafood place we like. On Thursdays, you can get all you can eat shrimp cooked in a variety of ways. The waitpeople are awesome. It was terrific and we stuffed ourselves (had to walk around Lowe's for 1/2 hour afterwards).
The reason I am posting about it though has nothing to do with the food. It has to do with the demographics of the area we live in. It is a retirement area, lots of sun, golf and hospitals...if you know what I mean. If you are ever feeling angst (Joanne) about your age, retirement areas are the place to visit. You'll never feel younger.
Anyhow, the thing that made this hit home for me tonight was that the restaurant has loaner reading glasses in a basket near the door....how is that for customer service????
The reason I am posting about it though has nothing to do with the food. It has to do with the demographics of the area we live in. It is a retirement area, lots of sun, golf and hospitals...if you know what I mean. If you are ever feeling angst (Joanne) about your age, retirement areas are the place to visit. You'll never feel younger.
Anyhow, the thing that made this hit home for me tonight was that the restaurant has loaner reading glasses in a basket near the door....how is that for customer service????
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Enough Already
I have had this song in my head since talking about it in an email to my sister this morning. I love the song but I am tired of humming it all day regardless of what other musical influences I might have had today.
The song is the Over the Rainbow version done by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole and it is on the "Alone in IZ World" album. It played a lot near the end of Dr Green's life on ER and I think it or one like it also played in "Fifty First Dates".
I guess I could have worse songs stuck in there but....I have to bitch about something, right?
The song is the Over the Rainbow version done by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole and it is on the "Alone in IZ World" album. It played a lot near the end of Dr Green's life on ER and I think it or one like it also played in "Fifty First Dates".
I guess I could have worse songs stuck in there but....I have to bitch about something, right?
Procrastination Has Taken Over
I don't know what is going on with me but I am having the hardest time getting motivated these days.
Each night I go to bed with determination that I will get things accomplished in a timely matter the next day and then the day seems to squeak away from me while I am not looking. I seem to be okay with getting things cleaned up and obviously with blogging but the gym and school work are just not getting crossed off the "To Do List" each day.
Now don't get me wrong, I am getting exercise, but I just hate going to the gym. I would prefer to work out at home or outside (which is what I do on most days), but we have a membership so I have that little cash register dinging in my head each day I miss a workout at the gym.
School work, on the other hand, should not be a big deal. I really don't have that much, as I am only taking one class this semester. Unfortunately, the book is super boring and the requirements are lame so I just put it off until crunch time and then throw something together. Thank goodness writing has always been easy for me or I would really be up the creek without a paddle.
I keep hoping not that spring has sprung, I will be more easily motivated because I want to tackle some yard things and won't let myself the treat of it unless I get some of this other crap out of the way...Ugh!!!! Come on sunshine, where are you when I need you???
Each night I go to bed with determination that I will get things accomplished in a timely matter the next day and then the day seems to squeak away from me while I am not looking. I seem to be okay with getting things cleaned up and obviously with blogging but the gym and school work are just not getting crossed off the "To Do List" each day.
Now don't get me wrong, I am getting exercise, but I just hate going to the gym. I would prefer to work out at home or outside (which is what I do on most days), but we have a membership so I have that little cash register dinging in my head each day I miss a workout at the gym.
School work, on the other hand, should not be a big deal. I really don't have that much, as I am only taking one class this semester. Unfortunately, the book is super boring and the requirements are lame so I just put it off until crunch time and then throw something together. Thank goodness writing has always been easy for me or I would really be up the creek without a paddle.
I keep hoping not that spring has sprung, I will be more easily motivated because I want to tackle some yard things and won't let myself the treat of it unless I get some of this other crap out of the way...Ugh!!!! Come on sunshine, where are you when I need you???
Parking Peeve
You know, I have never understood people who either drive all over the parking lot looking for the best spot or just hang out behind someone that is leaving but still has 800 bags of groceries to load into their car before they will be ready.
I have actually parked, walked into the store, made my purchases and have been back at my car before a person waiting for that "perfect spot" has even parked their car. What is the point of that?
I understand if the weather is lousy or you are going to have something very large to load up but then generally you just pull up to the doors to do that. Have you ever noticed too that many times, the ones waiting for that prime "next to the door" spot, could use a good walk from farther out in the parking lot?
I would rather just park and get what I need to get done, done and not bother with the parking lot politics...
I have actually parked, walked into the store, made my purchases and have been back at my car before a person waiting for that "perfect spot" has even parked their car. What is the point of that?
I understand if the weather is lousy or you are going to have something very large to load up but then generally you just pull up to the doors to do that. Have you ever noticed too that many times, the ones waiting for that prime "next to the door" spot, could use a good walk from farther out in the parking lot?
I would rather just park and get what I need to get done, done and not bother with the parking lot politics...
Monday, March 21, 2005
New Sightings
Today I was walking and geocaching in a park near our home and spotted my first Eastern Fox Squirrel. It is pretty big (largest of the tree squirrels) and looks exactly like this picture. I didn't know what it was at first and had to do some searching through my National Audubon Guide when I got home but that is definitely what I saw. They are rarer than they used to be so I feel priviledged to have seen it.
I have also seen two new species of birds, one in my yard, Eastern Towhee, and the other at this same park this morning, White-breasted Nuthatch. It was with its partner, setting up their nest on a tree near the parking lot. There are a lot of these cavity birdhouses set up all over the place around here but this was the first that I have seen used...
(Note: not my photos....much better than mine)
I have also seen two new species of birds, one in my yard, Eastern Towhee, and the other at this same park this morning, White-breasted Nuthatch. It was with its partner, setting up their nest on a tree near the parking lot. There are a lot of these cavity birdhouses set up all over the place around here but this was the first that I have seen used...
(Note: not my photos....much better than mine)
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Thanks to Joanne
My pirate name is:
Dirty Grace Flint
You're the pirate everyone else wants to throw in the ocean -- not to get rid of you, you understand; just to get rid of the smell. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!
Get your own pirate name from fidius.org.
Friday, March 18, 2005
Sad Day
Oil Crazy
I can't believe that the idiots that represent us think that this is some kind of solution to our energy issues. Hitting consumers in the pocketbook with oil prices is supposed to create a desire to research and develop new energy options, not to start digging holes all over the US in hopes that oil might be under there. That is akin to a squirrel trying to find that one last acorn it knows is hid somewhere nearby but just can't remember exactly where, when its energy would be better spent in smarter storing to begin with.
Digging in Alaska's protected wildlife areas is going to do several things (even if it doesn't damage the fragile ecosystem and environment, which we know it will). This now opens up all protected areas to possible oil exploration (sorry, to that Florida congressman who thinks he just saved the Everglades). It is open season on natural wildlife preserves now. It tells all consumers that they don't need to conserve or recycle because we have lots of areas that haven't been utilized for oil, we can just move there next if Alaska doesn't pan out. It tells car manufacturers and other oil dependent industries that they don't have to spend millions on R&D for more fossil fuel economical products or get this, even fossil fuel independent products. It does possibly shorten the lifespan of the habitable environment on this planet for all of us.
What is doesn't do is fix the energy issues we have for the long term. Even if they do find oil, it isn't very much and does nothing to curb the dependency we have on petroleum products. One or two years of product (assuming there is even that much and it doesn't take us many years to process it) is not a solution. We have more oil than that in emergency reserves in underground tanks and you don't see them jumping on the band wagon to open that up to consumers.
What American needs is a few years of gas prices like Europe and Asia experience constantly, so we can all get our heads out of our asses. We need to focus on other options, and conservation. This means developing products across the board (not just the auto industry) that use less energy but still provide us with our desired result. It is possible to do. I have lived in places where their appliances and cars far outweigh our abilities on much less energy. It just takes the drive to do it, and looking for new oil in our own backyard is not the drive we need. We will end up learning this lesson the hard way and it will be too late to fix it by the time we realize it.
I can't believe that the idiots that represent us think that this is some kind of solution to our energy issues. Hitting consumers in the pocketbook with oil prices is supposed to create a desire to research and develop new energy options, not to start digging holes all over the US in hopes that oil might be under there. That is akin to a squirrel trying to find that one last acorn it knows is hid somewhere nearby but just can't remember exactly where, when its energy would be better spent in smarter storing to begin with.
Digging in Alaska's protected wildlife areas is going to do several things (even if it doesn't damage the fragile ecosystem and environment, which we know it will). This now opens up all protected areas to possible oil exploration (sorry, to that Florida congressman who thinks he just saved the Everglades). It is open season on natural wildlife preserves now. It tells all consumers that they don't need to conserve or recycle because we have lots of areas that haven't been utilized for oil, we can just move there next if Alaska doesn't pan out. It tells car manufacturers and other oil dependent industries that they don't have to spend millions on R&D for more fossil fuel economical products or get this, even fossil fuel independent products. It does possibly shorten the lifespan of the habitable environment on this planet for all of us.
What is doesn't do is fix the energy issues we have for the long term. Even if they do find oil, it isn't very much and does nothing to curb the dependency we have on petroleum products. One or two years of product (assuming there is even that much and it doesn't take us many years to process it) is not a solution. We have more oil than that in emergency reserves in underground tanks and you don't see them jumping on the band wagon to open that up to consumers.
What American needs is a few years of gas prices like Europe and Asia experience constantly, so we can all get our heads out of our asses. We need to focus on other options, and conservation. This means developing products across the board (not just the auto industry) that use less energy but still provide us with our desired result. It is possible to do. I have lived in places where their appliances and cars far outweigh our abilities on much less energy. It just takes the drive to do it, and looking for new oil in our own backyard is not the drive we need. We will end up learning this lesson the hard way and it will be too late to fix it by the time we realize it.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Credit Cards
Just recently I have started credit card shopping...we have two major cards total and I want to get rid of one of them (because of a monthly due we pay on it even when we don't use it) but don't want to be left without a back up so I started shopping around to see what the best deal was...
I thought about doing the miles or money back options but they all seem to have a minimum finance charge per month even if you pay it off (which we do) and a huge annual fee (like 4 times the amount of most regular cards). I looked at just getting a regular little fixed rate one and those seem to be on the endangered species list.
It seems in the years that we have been with our two cards, that things in the credit card arena have changed. I figured with the really low interest rates out there that getting a card below 10% fixed APR would be a no brainer...companies would be beating down my door to offer them to me... well I was wrong...most companies don't offer fixed APR cards anymore. I have to figure it is because the interest rates are so low and they don't want to get caught in the long term with those rates if they ever should go back up (which we know they will) so they all offer variable APR which means your interest rate could completely sky rocket if you weren't paying attention. The minimum finance charge seems to be their way of getting around the consumers that pay off their card every month. I use my credit card instead of cash and the benefit would be lost if I had to pay a finance charge on an empty balance every month.
I am thinking right now that my current "most used" card company would love for us to close our account because they don't offer fixed APR at all anymore and every card they have has a minimum monthly finance charge (the one we have doesn't and we only have an 18 dollar annual fee and a decent interest rate). We pay them off every month so they really only make the annual fee off us and the 3% off the retailers.
So I had to go on a serious hunt and finally did find a card at my own credit union that offers a fixed APR with a low or nonexistent annual fee...perhaps when the interest rates go back up, there will be more out there to have but for now....happy hunting to anyone looking for it and make sure you read that fine print...that is where the variable APR resides.
I thought about doing the miles or money back options but they all seem to have a minimum finance charge per month even if you pay it off (which we do) and a huge annual fee (like 4 times the amount of most regular cards). I looked at just getting a regular little fixed rate one and those seem to be on the endangered species list.
It seems in the years that we have been with our two cards, that things in the credit card arena have changed. I figured with the really low interest rates out there that getting a card below 10% fixed APR would be a no brainer...companies would be beating down my door to offer them to me... well I was wrong...most companies don't offer fixed APR cards anymore. I have to figure it is because the interest rates are so low and they don't want to get caught in the long term with those rates if they ever should go back up (which we know they will) so they all offer variable APR which means your interest rate could completely sky rocket if you weren't paying attention. The minimum finance charge seems to be their way of getting around the consumers that pay off their card every month. I use my credit card instead of cash and the benefit would be lost if I had to pay a finance charge on an empty balance every month.
I am thinking right now that my current "most used" card company would love for us to close our account because they don't offer fixed APR at all anymore and every card they have has a minimum monthly finance charge (the one we have doesn't and we only have an 18 dollar annual fee and a decent interest rate). We pay them off every month so they really only make the annual fee off us and the 3% off the retailers.
So I had to go on a serious hunt and finally did find a card at my own credit union that offers a fixed APR with a low or nonexistent annual fee...perhaps when the interest rates go back up, there will be more out there to have but for now....happy hunting to anyone looking for it and make sure you read that fine print...that is where the variable APR resides.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Customer Service Miracle
In the fall, we bought a four piece living room set (couch, loveseat, chair, and ottoman). We had to back order 3 of the items from a company that will remain unnamed. The loveseat was delivered right away and we were told 30 days for the rest....to make a long story short, we did not get the rest of the items until 2 1/2 months had gone by.
Normally this would not have been a huge deal but because we had just moved, we had actually gotten rid of all our living room furniture so we were sitting on the loveseat only for those 2 1/2 months. I should also mention that the unnamed company charged our credit card for the full amount the day we made the order and I paid it off that same month so we had no furniture but everyone else already had their money. We didn't want to cancel the rest of the order because we already had the loveseat which we couldn't return.
After about 1 1/2 months, I did email the corporate office and of course received no word back....after 2 months, I called the corporate office and had to leave a voice mail that was not returned. I had serious issues with the peon customer service person who told me that they could not be held responsible for what the salesman told me......hmmmm, sounds illegal if you ask me.
So I decided to wait until all our stuff was finally delivered, and I filed two complaint reports. One was with an online source and another was with the local BBB. I didn't expect to see any compensation from either of them but was hoping to keep another innocent from falling into their promise trap.
A couple of days ago, I got a refund of the amount I had asked for in compensation along with the apology letter I had requested from the local store I had made my purchases at. I was truly surprised and extremely happy (although this doesn't mean that the corporate office has learned anything about how to treat customers). I now need to make sure I give them another try (the only way to show them that good customer service works) but I think I will stay away from back orders for a while...
Normally this would not have been a huge deal but because we had just moved, we had actually gotten rid of all our living room furniture so we were sitting on the loveseat only for those 2 1/2 months. I should also mention that the unnamed company charged our credit card for the full amount the day we made the order and I paid it off that same month so we had no furniture but everyone else already had their money. We didn't want to cancel the rest of the order because we already had the loveseat which we couldn't return.
After about 1 1/2 months, I did email the corporate office and of course received no word back....after 2 months, I called the corporate office and had to leave a voice mail that was not returned. I had serious issues with the peon customer service person who told me that they could not be held responsible for what the salesman told me......hmmmm, sounds illegal if you ask me.
So I decided to wait until all our stuff was finally delivered, and I filed two complaint reports. One was with an online source and another was with the local BBB. I didn't expect to see any compensation from either of them but was hoping to keep another innocent from falling into their promise trap.
A couple of days ago, I got a refund of the amount I had asked for in compensation along with the apology letter I had requested from the local store I had made my purchases at. I was truly surprised and extremely happy (although this doesn't mean that the corporate office has learned anything about how to treat customers). I now need to make sure I give them another try (the only way to show them that good customer service works) but I think I will stay away from back orders for a while...
Friday, March 11, 2005
Robins
Until today, I had seen a few robins around town but none in my yard. I am pretty sure they are strickly a insect/bug eating bird . My feeders are just thistle and suet at this point so I didn't really expect to see them there.
This morning, I did see my first robins in my yard (they weren't eating at the birdfeeders) so I am officially adding them to the list of feathered friends even though they were not using the feeders.
American Robin (male only I think)
Not my picture either.
This morning, I did see my first robins in my yard (they weren't eating at the birdfeeders) so I am officially adding them to the list of feathered friends even though they were not using the feeders.
American Robin (male only I think)
Not my picture either.
And the Blogger Problems Continue
Well this morning, comments are not working. Might explain why on most of the blogs I read, comments are lower than normal.
I sent an email to support but I don't know if that will be much help and I also checked the blogger status page but it has not been updated since mid-February.
When I click on "post comment" it takes me to a page that states the blog can't be found and has a button to return to the dashboard...not what I was expecting but it is doing it on all the blogs I have been too this morning....that means all of you...ha ha.
Anyhow, just thought I would mention it since I can't comment anywhere but my own blog at this point....
I sent an email to support but I don't know if that will be much help and I also checked the blogger status page but it has not been updated since mid-February.
When I click on "post comment" it takes me to a page that states the blog can't be found and has a button to return to the dashboard...not what I was expecting but it is doing it on all the blogs I have been too this morning....that means all of you...ha ha.
Anyhow, just thought I would mention it since I can't comment anywhere but my own blog at this point....
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Port-a-potty
Oh my, they just delivered the bright green port-a-potty that will be living across the street from my house until the construction is over....lovely, just what I need, a hot steamy plastic box with shit in it up wind from my house....hope they change it often for all of our sake's.
Sloooooow Blogger
Okay, am I the only one that is having Blogger.com problems today???? I have been trying to read, comment, post and edit all day today and the site is giving me nothing but grief. I'll be lucky to get this published in the first three tries...I even went to the status site (that is supposed to be hosted on a completely different set of servers) and it took a while to load and then didn't have anything new (since late February). The main page doesn't have anything either.
Does anyone know what is going on?
Does anyone know what is going on?
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
It Is Over
Whoooeeeee!!! I finished my midterm last night in the nick of time and am feeling a breath of fresh air today. I should start reading the chapter for this week (along with the ones from the last 3 weeks) but I am taking the day off and doing something completely not school related...nothing. Ha!!
I don't know why I get so relieved each time a deliverable is delivered but I do and I love the feeling. I should do school forever just so I can have this feeling everytime something is required of me. How nice would that be?
I don't know why I get so relieved each time a deliverable is delivered but I do and I love the feeling. I should do school forever just so I can have this feeling everytime something is required of me. How nice would that be?
The Trees Are Gone
Well they started today...at least I wasn't here for most of it. When I saw them this morning, I wanted to cry...Now there is just a barren spot across from my house where this morning a beautiful pine and oak wood stood.
They are building a new house across from my house and have cleared most of the lot of vegetation. They did leave several of the bigger pine trees but it is not the same and now I get to wake up each morning to the sounds of construction (at least for 6 months).
I feel sorry for the wild life that had gotten accustomed to the woods being there for the last 30 years at least (the age of my house). I am sure they had a rude awakening this morning.
There is a question in my mind of how much they are really supposed to be clearing as the company doing the construction actually owns one of the lots and it looks like they are clearing two of them...hmmm. Might have to head to the city planners to check it out. Would be nice to save what we can, right?
They are building a new house across from my house and have cleared most of the lot of vegetation. They did leave several of the bigger pine trees but it is not the same and now I get to wake up each morning to the sounds of construction (at least for 6 months).
I feel sorry for the wild life that had gotten accustomed to the woods being there for the last 30 years at least (the age of my house). I am sure they had a rude awakening this morning.
There is a question in my mind of how much they are really supposed to be clearing as the company doing the construction actually owns one of the lots and it looks like they are clearing two of them...hmmm. Might have to head to the city planners to check it out. Would be nice to save what we can, right?
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Drunk Drivers
I am so disappointed to see today that at least three of the bloggers I read regularly, succumb to driving while intoxicated (buzzed, tipsy, trashed...call it what you want). I thought people had wised up about this? Was I wrong? Is it just as prevalent as it was for my parent's generation (baby boomers) and I just don't realize it? I just don't think it is the smart thing to do and these days there really is no legitimate excuse for it. I almost commented to one about it but then decided that I am not their mother, so I would just mention my distaste for people who drive drunk on my own blog....so here it is...my distaste.
Saturday, March 05, 2005
More Birds
Today I discovered three more species of birds in our backyard feeding at our feeders...I was excited to see the diversity so here they are...
Ringed Turtle Dove (Male I think)
Dark Eyed Junco (Male only)
Carolina Chickadee (Male only)
I'll keep watching and we'll see if we get any other newcomers...I just hung my humming bird feeder yesterday but no takers so far...I'll keep my fingers crossed as I know they take a while to establish sometimes...
Note that once again, the pics that are linked are not mine but much better versions I found on the Net.
Ringed Turtle Dove (Male I think)
Dark Eyed Junco (Male only)
Carolina Chickadee (Male only)
I'll keep watching and we'll see if we get any other newcomers...I just hung my humming bird feeder yesterday but no takers so far...I'll keep my fingers crossed as I know they take a while to establish sometimes...
Note that once again, the pics that are linked are not mine but much better versions I found on the Net.
Starbucks E Rumor
Starbucks doesn't support the war in Iraq-Fiction!
Here is a perfect of example of Internet efiction, which of course because it is controversial, will make the rounds via email. It is sad that most people do not take the second it takes to check these things out before sending it on to their entire address book.
I have had people forward me virus hoaxes (which asked you to delete needed files from your system) and all sorts of "boycot this or that" emails because they got it from someone they trust and assume it must be correct...I got this one this morning, that is why I am bitching about it. I happen to like Starbucks (have a bit of stock in them as well), and was disappointed to see this email. Fortunately for me, one Google search later and it was all cleared up...yeah!!!!
Starbucks is actually a huge supporter of the troops. One of my friends was stationed in Iraq recently, and Starbucks sent so much free coffee to them, that they had more than they could use and gave it away to other units.
Here is a perfect of example of Internet efiction, which of course because it is controversial, will make the rounds via email. It is sad that most people do not take the second it takes to check these things out before sending it on to their entire address book.
I have had people forward me virus hoaxes (which asked you to delete needed files from your system) and all sorts of "boycot this or that" emails because they got it from someone they trust and assume it must be correct...I got this one this morning, that is why I am bitching about it. I happen to like Starbucks (have a bit of stock in them as well), and was disappointed to see this email. Fortunately for me, one Google search later and it was all cleared up...yeah!!!!
Starbucks is actually a huge supporter of the troops. One of my friends was stationed in Iraq recently, and Starbucks sent so much free coffee to them, that they had more than they could use and gave it away to other units.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Fortune Cookie Confusion
J got a fortune last night from our Chinese take out and this is what it read:
"A gambler not only will lose what he has, but also will lose what he doesn't have.
Lucky Numbers 8,17,37,38,41,44"
Seems as they are warning you away from something, they are also encouraging it...hmmm!!! Have to wonder about the fortune teller on this one.
"A gambler not only will lose what he has, but also will lose what he doesn't have.
Lucky Numbers 8,17,37,38,41,44"
Seems as they are warning you away from something, they are also encouraging it...hmmm!!! Have to wonder about the fortune teller on this one.
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Fresh Ink
I just love these cards. They are from Hallmark and I guess you can buy them from Hallmark in the online store or in the brick and mortar store. Last time I was at my local Hallmark I cleaned them out pretty much. I like to stock up on them, then I can use them as I go and not have to worry about whether I already sent one or the other to several people or not.Some of them have terrific pictures that remind me of when I was a kid (70s-80s), and those ones I love to share with other 30 somethings I know. The cards must bring back memories to them as well.
Anyhow, I was just sending out a couple to some friends of mine for their birthdays and I thought I would share. Check them out sometime if you haven't already gotten hooked.
Update: These cards seem to be unavailable by Hallmark anymore...so sad, they were my favorites of store bought cards...
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Birds
Today I have had a ton of birds at my feeders and was able to get some pics and identify a few, with the help of binos and my books...two of them that are pretty good. One is the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds (Eastern Region) ( I have the older version of this one) and the other is called Nat Geo Field Guide to the Birds of North America. I have the third edition of this one. The first one has photographs but sometimes only the males and the second one has drawings that include juveniles and females so between the two I am pretty covered.
I was amazed at the activity at the feeders today, it was like a beehive. You would think I was the only one feeding birds for miles around, which is not the case. I have two thistle feeders. One is a finch upside down feeder and the other is a regular perch feeder. I had to remove the bottom tray on that one to keep the squirrels out of it. I also have a suet feeder which seems to attract the larger birds. I plan to hang my humming bird feeder soon but haven't yet. I can see the main feeder hanger from our kitchen window so I keep a pair of binos there so I can identify quickly if possible.
Today I discoverd that we have a pair of blue birds (which I guess are becoming quite rare, they get forced out by the swallows I believe). So I am excited to see them, and hope they are making more of themselves this spring.
Here is a list of what I have identified so far. I have seen more species but by the time I look closely enough at them and then try to look them up, sometimes they are gone. The easiest way for me to identify them so far is to try to get a digital photo and use that on the computer.
Downey Woodpecker (Male and Female)
Redheaded Woodpecker (Male only so far)
Blue Jay (Male only so far)
Red Cardinal (Male and Female)
Eastern Bluebird (Male and Female)
American Goldfinch (Male and Female)
Redbellied Woodpecker (Male only so far)
Carolina Wren (Male only I think)
Please note that the links are not my photos but much clearer ones I found on the Internet...
I was amazed at the activity at the feeders today, it was like a beehive. You would think I was the only one feeding birds for miles around, which is not the case. I have two thistle feeders. One is a finch upside down feeder and the other is a regular perch feeder. I had to remove the bottom tray on that one to keep the squirrels out of it. I also have a suet feeder which seems to attract the larger birds. I plan to hang my humming bird feeder soon but haven't yet. I can see the main feeder hanger from our kitchen window so I keep a pair of binos there so I can identify quickly if possible.
Today I discoverd that we have a pair of blue birds (which I guess are becoming quite rare, they get forced out by the swallows I believe). So I am excited to see them, and hope they are making more of themselves this spring.
Here is a list of what I have identified so far. I have seen more species but by the time I look closely enough at them and then try to look them up, sometimes they are gone. The easiest way for me to identify them so far is to try to get a digital photo and use that on the computer.
Downey Woodpecker (Male and Female)
Redheaded Woodpecker (Male only so far)
Blue Jay (Male only so far)
Red Cardinal (Male and Female)
Eastern Bluebird (Male and Female)
American Goldfinch (Male and Female)
Redbellied Woodpecker (Male only so far)
Carolina Wren (Male only I think)
Please note that the links are not my photos but much clearer ones I found on the Internet...
Friday, February 25, 2005
Art Dilemma
Well as life would have it, we might have our first visitor that is not paid (handy person, FedEx, heat pump repair person, postal worker....) to be here, this weekend. A friend of ours is visiting the area and is considering coming over on Saturday. This of course is fabulous but also sends me into frantic "finish the house" mode. Being that we just moved into this house there are a few things that have not been "put away" yet. More than likely, he will not care what the house looks like as long as we have clean sheets, and towels and a working laundry facility.
This does nothing to quell my fears....I must get my art hung or else....Nice thing about this visit is that it will cause me to get it done, no matter what, and after the visit, I will be able to move onto other procrastinated items (going to the gym, golfing, doing my own art, learning guitar, writing my papers, and reading my textbook...just to name a few).
This leads to my dilemma, how to do it in a fashionable way and still incorporate all that we have in way of art???? Our current art collection runs the gambit, we have a lot of tapestries and pieces from our travels, plenty of family-made art (quite good, I might add), and then some pieces that would fall into traditional American art (Wyeth and such) which can be very large. Lately, my SOP has been to just take my time, hang something here, see if I like it, move it if I don't and so on...this doesn't work when you have a day and 1/2 to work with and I have more to do besides art hanging (like school work I have procrastinated my week away at).
So I am left with the task of figuring out how to mix and match without creating spaces with "themes". I used to do themes, I am really over themes these days. If that means my house is a hodge podge of what my current interests are, then so be it....I just can't do themes anymore...
Now obviously, some things will be hung based on size because I have some pieces that are very large and will only fit is some places...that is easier to deal with. It is all the smaller stuff that has me pulling my hair out. I should mention too, that this is the first time in my life that I have actually had more wall space than art to hang on it. Usually we have a bunch of stuff that never gets put up or is rotated out with others....not the case these days. I have whole rooms with nothing on them right now....what to do, what to do. One other thing is that I just recently moved from a very small space so I am still adjusting to all the space on the walls that comes with upgrading to larger living...hee hee.
Reality, of course, is that it doesn't really matter, I can change it all around tomorrow if I want, but I do like to get things done and feel like I accomplished a task....must be the anal perfectionist in me that loves to check off those boxes on the To Do List.
This does nothing to quell my fears....I must get my art hung or else....Nice thing about this visit is that it will cause me to get it done, no matter what, and after the visit, I will be able to move onto other procrastinated items (going to the gym, golfing, doing my own art, learning guitar, writing my papers, and reading my textbook...just to name a few).
This leads to my dilemma, how to do it in a fashionable way and still incorporate all that we have in way of art???? Our current art collection runs the gambit, we have a lot of tapestries and pieces from our travels, plenty of family-made art (quite good, I might add), and then some pieces that would fall into traditional American art (Wyeth and such) which can be very large. Lately, my SOP has been to just take my time, hang something here, see if I like it, move it if I don't and so on...this doesn't work when you have a day and 1/2 to work with and I have more to do besides art hanging (like school work I have procrastinated my week away at).
So I am left with the task of figuring out how to mix and match without creating spaces with "themes". I used to do themes, I am really over themes these days. If that means my house is a hodge podge of what my current interests are, then so be it....I just can't do themes anymore...
Now obviously, some things will be hung based on size because I have some pieces that are very large and will only fit is some places...that is easier to deal with. It is all the smaller stuff that has me pulling my hair out. I should mention too, that this is the first time in my life that I have actually had more wall space than art to hang on it. Usually we have a bunch of stuff that never gets put up or is rotated out with others....not the case these days. I have whole rooms with nothing on them right now....what to do, what to do. One other thing is that I just recently moved from a very small space so I am still adjusting to all the space on the walls that comes with upgrading to larger living...hee hee.
Reality, of course, is that it doesn't really matter, I can change it all around tomorrow if I want, but I do like to get things done and feel like I accomplished a task....must be the anal perfectionist in me that loves to check off those boxes on the To Do List.
Monday, February 21, 2005
It All Works Out in the End
Wouldn't you know it, I got up this morning at some terribly early hour to get some errands out of the way that I have been putting off for a few days. I ate breakfast, and was ready to go but when I went back to my room to get something, all of a sudden, I got very sleepy....
Back story:
Weekends are hell for me because my natural clock believes in going to bed at 2am and getting up around 10am.....I am what some call a night owl. During the week, I can reign this natural tendency in because I have to get up early.....but during the weekends, it gets messed up so Mondays are always a hard day for me but I am usually strong and will power my way through them.
The place I shop for groceries at is a 45 minute drive from where I live. I like to get an early start so that I can get there, do what I have to do and get back without wasting my entire day. They have the best prices so I make the drive every two weeks or so to stock up. Now that we have our upright freezer hooked up, I planned to get a big frozen load, which would reduce how often I have to make the drive....
So back to the timeline:
Where were we? Oh yeah....very sleepy... it is Monday and my will power is draining quickly while I eye my comfortable warm bed....I think to myself, I'll just lay down for a minute...won't be longer than that because I have things to do and my head will keep me from sleeping too long....I wake up 2 1/2 hours later.
So, as I am getting ready to leave, and cursing at myself under my breath for being so spineless, I check my email before leaving and realize that it is a National Holiday today. My grocery store closes on National Holidays, and if I had not fallen to sleep, I would have been there hours ago to find out that I had made the trip for no reason.....yeah for my spinelessness...now I can do something else with my day.
Back story:
Weekends are hell for me because my natural clock believes in going to bed at 2am and getting up around 10am.....I am what some call a night owl. During the week, I can reign this natural tendency in because I have to get up early.....but during the weekends, it gets messed up so Mondays are always a hard day for me but I am usually strong and will power my way through them.
The place I shop for groceries at is a 45 minute drive from where I live. I like to get an early start so that I can get there, do what I have to do and get back without wasting my entire day. They have the best prices so I make the drive every two weeks or so to stock up. Now that we have our upright freezer hooked up, I planned to get a big frozen load, which would reduce how often I have to make the drive....
So back to the timeline:
Where were we? Oh yeah....very sleepy... it is Monday and my will power is draining quickly while I eye my comfortable warm bed....I think to myself, I'll just lay down for a minute...won't be longer than that because I have things to do and my head will keep me from sleeping too long....I wake up 2 1/2 hours later.
So, as I am getting ready to leave, and cursing at myself under my breath for being so spineless, I check my email before leaving and realize that it is a National Holiday today. My grocery store closes on National Holidays, and if I had not fallen to sleep, I would have been there hours ago to find out that I had made the trip for no reason.....yeah for my spinelessness...now I can do something else with my day.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Squirrels, Squirrels, Squirrels!!!!!
I thought our problems with the critters were over but not the case. Apparently they are quite a nuisance in this part of the world. I just got off the phone with animal control to see what the policies are in this area regarding catching and getting rid of them....
The only plus to this whole thing is that we think we know how they are getting in....so the trick is to get them out and then screen up the hole that they are using....
As you know, I heard them a while back and we had to go up in the attic on a cold wintery day to get them out. J was able to scare them and they left and we didn't hear from them for quite sometime. I would hear them on the roof once in a while but that is to be expected, I think....
Anyhow, lately, when on the computer, I have started hearing them again, only not as loud (which is probably why I thought they were gone). So for three days now, I have been making trips up into the attic and of course they are making noise at the farthest point from the attic entry. So I have to make my way across the entire attic on the two by fours with a flashlight to see if I can scare them out....turns out, they aren't just in the attic, they are in the wall.
This morning I was up there around 6am right after J left for work and I put a radio up there to scare them. I didn't hear them anymore and I figured I got it out of the house, but while I was up there, I could hear it running for its life. This made me suspicious of the walls. So later this morning, I hear them again while I am on the computer. The radio is not very loud so I think they must have knocked it over or something. I go up there, this time with a stick, gloves and a flashlight. I get over to the end and I start banging around and I can hear scurrying....I decide to lift up the insulation in one spot and I see a little nose looking out at me....I start yelling at it, and banging the stick all over trying to get it out. This does not work.
So I start looking a bit closer and it seems that they got down between the brick wall and the two by fours that frame the interior of the house. They chewed a hole in the plywood that is a barrier between the brick and the insulation in the walls....they have nice little nest in there I am sure.
So I came back down, and called animal control...so you are caught up...
The guy told me that you can catch them and release them without any problems here. You can also kill them but I don't know if I can do that.....the recommended way is to dump the live trap in a garbage can filled with water....yuck...anyhow, I am all for releasing them (this has it downsides as well according to the web). In my research they say that they will not make friends in the new location but I am okay with that. Their social life is not my worry and I don't want to kill them if I don't have to.
I think they are getting in around this ventalation fan that we have in the roof that only runs when it gets hot up there. Otherwise it is a perfect open door. I plan to hit the Lowes here in a few minutes to get a trap (live one) and some chickenwire so I can screen that vent off after we are sure they are all out. The guy said on the phone that he deals with it constantly because they eat holes in his house everytime he fixes it and he relocates them as well. It is apparently only a winter problem so if worse comes to worse, we can cover the vent when it gets warmer, but I would like them out of there, now. They are causing damage and they can be a fire hazard because they chew on wires...not to mention a dead squirrel in the wall can't smell too good right????
Such is my life, if it is not one thing, it is another....
The only plus to this whole thing is that we think we know how they are getting in....so the trick is to get them out and then screen up the hole that they are using....
As you know, I heard them a while back and we had to go up in the attic on a cold wintery day to get them out. J was able to scare them and they left and we didn't hear from them for quite sometime. I would hear them on the roof once in a while but that is to be expected, I think....
Anyhow, lately, when on the computer, I have started hearing them again, only not as loud (which is probably why I thought they were gone). So for three days now, I have been making trips up into the attic and of course they are making noise at the farthest point from the attic entry. So I have to make my way across the entire attic on the two by fours with a flashlight to see if I can scare them out....turns out, they aren't just in the attic, they are in the wall.
This morning I was up there around 6am right after J left for work and I put a radio up there to scare them. I didn't hear them anymore and I figured I got it out of the house, but while I was up there, I could hear it running for its life. This made me suspicious of the walls. So later this morning, I hear them again while I am on the computer. The radio is not very loud so I think they must have knocked it over or something. I go up there, this time with a stick, gloves and a flashlight. I get over to the end and I start banging around and I can hear scurrying....I decide to lift up the insulation in one spot and I see a little nose looking out at me....I start yelling at it, and banging the stick all over trying to get it out. This does not work.
So I start looking a bit closer and it seems that they got down between the brick wall and the two by fours that frame the interior of the house. They chewed a hole in the plywood that is a barrier between the brick and the insulation in the walls....they have nice little nest in there I am sure.
So I came back down, and called animal control...so you are caught up...
The guy told me that you can catch them and release them without any problems here. You can also kill them but I don't know if I can do that.....the recommended way is to dump the live trap in a garbage can filled with water....yuck...anyhow, I am all for releasing them (this has it downsides as well according to the web). In my research they say that they will not make friends in the new location but I am okay with that. Their social life is not my worry and I don't want to kill them if I don't have to.
I think they are getting in around this ventalation fan that we have in the roof that only runs when it gets hot up there. Otherwise it is a perfect open door. I plan to hit the Lowes here in a few minutes to get a trap (live one) and some chickenwire so I can screen that vent off after we are sure they are all out. The guy said on the phone that he deals with it constantly because they eat holes in his house everytime he fixes it and he relocates them as well. It is apparently only a winter problem so if worse comes to worse, we can cover the vent when it gets warmer, but I would like them out of there, now. They are causing damage and they can be a fire hazard because they chew on wires...not to mention a dead squirrel in the wall can't smell too good right????
Such is my life, if it is not one thing, it is another....
Tolerance is a 9 Letter Word
CNN.com - Christians issue gay warning on SpongeBob video - Jan 21, 2005
This is the most ridiculous thing "conservative Christian groups" have come up with yet....so I am to believe that promoting tolerance is not a good thing....hmmmm? Let me think about that. Wasn't that the Bible that these people profess to believe in???? Are they saying that Jesus or God (or what ever "force" that may live in the skies above us...) actually condones ill treatment of people that are not like them?
Regardless of a person's views on sexual orientation, (which from my understanding is not an issue with the video), these people are saying that they don't want children to learn tolerance????? The makers of the video are not saying that being homosexual is right or wrong, they are just saying that treating people badly for any reason is not nice....oooohweee steer clear of that one...wouldn't want to teach kids to be nice to each other or anyone else.
I hate to see what people would think if they watched "Free to Be You and Me" these days. Probably would call it feel good communist crap....since it says don't be afraid to be yourself and that your feelings are okay. Wouldn't want to promote that kind of shit, would we?
Unfortunately, this kind of extremism is exactly what keeps me and others like me as far away from religion as we can possibly get....
This is the most ridiculous thing "conservative Christian groups" have come up with yet....so I am to believe that promoting tolerance is not a good thing....hmmmm? Let me think about that. Wasn't that the Bible that these people profess to believe in???? Are they saying that Jesus or God (or what ever "force" that may live in the skies above us...) actually condones ill treatment of people that are not like them?
Regardless of a person's views on sexual orientation, (which from my understanding is not an issue with the video), these people are saying that they don't want children to learn tolerance????? The makers of the video are not saying that being homosexual is right or wrong, they are just saying that treating people badly for any reason is not nice....oooohweee steer clear of that one...wouldn't want to teach kids to be nice to each other or anyone else.
I hate to see what people would think if they watched "Free to Be You and Me" these days. Probably would call it feel good communist crap....since it says don't be afraid to be yourself and that your feelings are okay. Wouldn't want to promote that kind of shit, would we?
Unfortunately, this kind of extremism is exactly what keeps me and others like me as far away from religion as we can possibly get....
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Monday, February 07, 2005
Comments, comments, comments...
Well, the comment section has changed recently so everything I had previously posted here is not relevant any longer. I still have my blog open to anonymous comments but now it looks like you can post as "other" as well, if you want to leave your name but are not a member of blogger.com (which is free...I know I keep saying that). Anyhow, for now, I will remain open to all comments, and we'll see how the new system works...I like the fact that the intimidating log on screen is not the first thing you see when you try to comment. Things continue to improve...
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Pictures For Posting
Posting some of my macros up here so I can use them for posting on my profile later....
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Bathroom Kitty
Well, the fun around here never stops....
Last night, J and I were going through some stuff and one item is this fish tank that I got from my friend D that we have never had fish in but would like finally set up. So I suggested that J take it to the bathtub and put some water in it to make sure it was still water tight as it has been moved a lot over the years and has not been tested....
I should mention that he chose to carry it to the closest bathroom to the family room, which is the hall/guest bathroom....this is the bathroom that we have practically dimantled because we are going to paint it. There is a very large mirror that goes above sink that we have been moving around a lot to keep it from being broken during the delivery of our furniture. At the time, it was in the bathroom leaning on the vanity.
So back to the timeline, J checks out the tank in the tub, seems to be okay. He cleans it up some, lets it drain and brings it back to the family room. He doesn't close the bathroom door because his hands are full of tank.
Unfortunately, I have already learned the hard way that you can not leave doors open to rooms that you don't want our cat in, because there is some kind of "unexplored" magnet that attracts her only to those spaces. This bathrooom is one of those spaces....
Needless to say, a few minutes later, while we are waiting for the next commercial in our program on TV so we could get back to work, we hear this loud crashing sound from the other room. I look at J and say "What was that?". He says, "I think it was the mirror". Now fortunately the crashing sound was not accompanied by a glass breaking sound but we did hear some thumping so after a thorough search of the house, we concluded that the thumping must be the cat.
We were correct. Unfortunately, when the mirror fell, it lodged against the door in such a way, that we could not open it to rescue her or the mirror....it would not even open enough for us to stick a screwdriver in the gap....
I started to talk to the idiot cat on the other side of the door to assure myself that she was not dead or pinned underneath a 25 pound mirror, and determined that she was not. J could not control the fits of laughter at our predicament. We both considered leaving her in there for the night to teach her a lesson but realized that we would end up with the "shitty" end of the stick if we did that...
To make a rather long uneventful solution short, we ended up having to use a pry bar to remove some of the door casing so we could slide a spatula in to lift the mirror enough to get our hands in there and support it. Fortunately the mirror didn't damage the door much ( a few small dings that we can paint)...unfortunately, our removal of the casing did damage the door as it was a prehung door and the casing is pretty much permanently attached. I am not sure how we are planning to fix it so it looks nice again, but I guess with this level of excitement around the house, we don't have to worry about not having enough to do.....
Painting that room and getting it set up like it is supposed to be is now higher on the priority list than before (right behind, killing the cat)....perhaps I will have it done sometime in the next few months....ha ha. No, it really is right behind unpacking, getting my livingroom furniture, and doing Christmas.....so it should be anytime now...
It is twenty degrees out this morning (clear and cold) so I am making sure to double check the doorknobs, I would be a popsicle in a few minutes if I got locked out today...
Last night, J and I were going through some stuff and one item is this fish tank that I got from my friend D that we have never had fish in but would like finally set up. So I suggested that J take it to the bathtub and put some water in it to make sure it was still water tight as it has been moved a lot over the years and has not been tested....
I should mention that he chose to carry it to the closest bathroom to the family room, which is the hall/guest bathroom....this is the bathroom that we have practically dimantled because we are going to paint it. There is a very large mirror that goes above sink that we have been moving around a lot to keep it from being broken during the delivery of our furniture. At the time, it was in the bathroom leaning on the vanity.
So back to the timeline, J checks out the tank in the tub, seems to be okay. He cleans it up some, lets it drain and brings it back to the family room. He doesn't close the bathroom door because his hands are full of tank.
Unfortunately, I have already learned the hard way that you can not leave doors open to rooms that you don't want our cat in, because there is some kind of "unexplored" magnet that attracts her only to those spaces. This bathrooom is one of those spaces....
Needless to say, a few minutes later, while we are waiting for the next commercial in our program on TV so we could get back to work, we hear this loud crashing sound from the other room. I look at J and say "What was that?". He says, "I think it was the mirror". Now fortunately the crashing sound was not accompanied by a glass breaking sound but we did hear some thumping so after a thorough search of the house, we concluded that the thumping must be the cat.
We were correct. Unfortunately, when the mirror fell, it lodged against the door in such a way, that we could not open it to rescue her or the mirror....it would not even open enough for us to stick a screwdriver in the gap....
I started to talk to the idiot cat on the other side of the door to assure myself that she was not dead or pinned underneath a 25 pound mirror, and determined that she was not. J could not control the fits of laughter at our predicament. We both considered leaving her in there for the night to teach her a lesson but realized that we would end up with the "shitty" end of the stick if we did that...
To make a rather long uneventful solution short, we ended up having to use a pry bar to remove some of the door casing so we could slide a spatula in to lift the mirror enough to get our hands in there and support it. Fortunately the mirror didn't damage the door much ( a few small dings that we can paint)...unfortunately, our removal of the casing did damage the door as it was a prehung door and the casing is pretty much permanently attached. I am not sure how we are planning to fix it so it looks nice again, but I guess with this level of excitement around the house, we don't have to worry about not having enough to do.....
Painting that room and getting it set up like it is supposed to be is now higher on the priority list than before (right behind, killing the cat)....perhaps I will have it done sometime in the next few months....ha ha. No, it really is right behind unpacking, getting my livingroom furniture, and doing Christmas.....so it should be anytime now...
It is twenty degrees out this morning (clear and cold) so I am making sure to double check the doorknobs, I would be a popsicle in a few minutes if I got locked out today...
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Locked Out
One of the things about our house that I have not gotten used to yet is the fact that the doors to the outside are like hotel doors. They feel unlocked from the inside but might be locked from the outside. We had just talked about this the other day, when the next morning, in my quest to move my empty trash can back from the curb, I locked myself out of my house....
Since we had just talked about it and the possibility of leaving a key outside, I was ready to shoot myself for not having already done so...
Now, fortunately, I was fully dressed and even had a fleece on because it was a bit chilly in the house as well. Unfortunately I was only in slippers since we don't wear shoes in the house....
I went around the entire house which we had locked up like a bug in a rug....no getting in anywhere, but all was not lost because J had worked during the night and I was expecting him home any minute. So I really just needed to find something to do for a while so I would not count the seconds to his arrival and continue looking suspicious on my porch.....
So I decided to work my way around the yard, removing long pine needles from our bushes to make them look nicer and in preparation for possible Christmas light application. Did I mention that almost every bush in our yard is a holly bush???? Needless to say, by the time I finished, I had scratches and pokes all over my hands and upper body from reaching for the pieces in the middle.
Now you might be saying, hmmm....why doesn't she 1. call a locksmith, 2. call J, or 3. at least hang out at a neighbors for the time being???? All good questions but I have answers for all. Firstly, I thought J was going to be home at any minute so I figured if I called a locksmith, they would show up just as J did....next, I didn't call J or the locksmith because I didn't have a phone handy and I was in slippers, which leaves us with option 3, which is negated by the first two reasons I didn't do options 1 and 2. I couldn't possibly introduce myself to my only neighbor (that is right, we only have one neighbor on our circle street of only 5 houses or so) in my slippers, admitting that I locked myself out of the house. How stupid would that look???
So I continued on my pine needle extraction project in hopes that not watching the road would make J come home faster....it didn't. He didn't get home for almost 3 hours....I finally finished in the yard, could not think of anything else I could do that wouldn't be weirder looking than doing yard work in my slippers, so climbed into the back of our truck (we have a canopy) and laid down on some of the flattened cardboard ready for a trip to the recycle center, and tried to nap. By this time I was getting very hungry and was just thankful that I didn't have a teapot on the stove.
After being in the truck for a little bit, J drove up. I climbed out without him noticing and could have kept the entire torrid story to myself, but figured he needed a laugh and I needed a way to explain the lovely bushes up front when I was supposed to be deligently unpacking.....
Since we had just talked about it and the possibility of leaving a key outside, I was ready to shoot myself for not having already done so...
Now, fortunately, I was fully dressed and even had a fleece on because it was a bit chilly in the house as well. Unfortunately I was only in slippers since we don't wear shoes in the house....
I went around the entire house which we had locked up like a bug in a rug....no getting in anywhere, but all was not lost because J had worked during the night and I was expecting him home any minute. So I really just needed to find something to do for a while so I would not count the seconds to his arrival and continue looking suspicious on my porch.....
So I decided to work my way around the yard, removing long pine needles from our bushes to make them look nicer and in preparation for possible Christmas light application. Did I mention that almost every bush in our yard is a holly bush???? Needless to say, by the time I finished, I had scratches and pokes all over my hands and upper body from reaching for the pieces in the middle.
Now you might be saying, hmmm....why doesn't she 1. call a locksmith, 2. call J, or 3. at least hang out at a neighbors for the time being???? All good questions but I have answers for all. Firstly, I thought J was going to be home at any minute so I figured if I called a locksmith, they would show up just as J did....next, I didn't call J or the locksmith because I didn't have a phone handy and I was in slippers, which leaves us with option 3, which is negated by the first two reasons I didn't do options 1 and 2. I couldn't possibly introduce myself to my only neighbor (that is right, we only have one neighbor on our circle street of only 5 houses or so) in my slippers, admitting that I locked myself out of the house. How stupid would that look???
So I continued on my pine needle extraction project in hopes that not watching the road would make J come home faster....it didn't. He didn't get home for almost 3 hours....I finally finished in the yard, could not think of anything else I could do that wouldn't be weirder looking than doing yard work in my slippers, so climbed into the back of our truck (we have a canopy) and laid down on some of the flattened cardboard ready for a trip to the recycle center, and tried to nap. By this time I was getting very hungry and was just thankful that I didn't have a teapot on the stove.
After being in the truck for a little bit, J drove up. I climbed out without him noticing and could have kept the entire torrid story to myself, but figured he needed a laugh and I needed a way to explain the lovely bushes up front when I was supposed to be deligently unpacking.....
Saturday, June 19, 2004
R.I.P. Madison
She was a gift to us from a familiy friend when I was still in high school. She was so little when we got her. When we would let her out to use the bathroom, she would lose track of where we were and start meowing. When my parents moved to a new house while I was college, she learned the art of being a pet slut....that is what I called it because she would do anything for a pet. We had a part of the yard that was at waist height for pedestrians walking past our house and she would lay there and get pets from strangers all day long.At Christmas, she always broke into the doggie treats under the tree instead of her own treats. She would sit for hours in the kitchen watching under the stove in the dark, and on a few occasions, we would catch her running around the corner of the house with nothing but a mouse tail sticking out of her mouth. She always was a talker...meowed all the time to fill us in on her day, or if she wanted something, even just if she had something she needed to add to the conversation. She also liked to butt her head up against the coffee table or your leg if she wasn't getting enough pets. Sometimes she would hit it so hard on the coffee table that you could hear it in another room. In the days before animals were banned from being on the futurniture, she loved to be the lump in the bed....she would climb up under the covers and you would see nothing but a little circle-shaped lump.
After my husband and I got married she came to live with us in our apt and had to be turned into an indoor cat. She didn't like this much at first, so we would let her on our third floor balcony once in a while. She eventually came to love being an indoor cat and didn't like to even try for the outdoors, but still liked a warm spot in the sun through a window if she could find it. She didn't appreciate it when we adopted Chase a few years later, but after a bit of time, she did learn to tolerate her.
She moved across the US and back, with us even though she was never fond of being in the car. She also moved to Japan with us. She was our first traveling kitty (Chase became the second). She became deaf when we were in Japan...didn't stop her from talking though. I would have to stomp on the floor if I wanted to get her attention. She always came to you when you called her (a trait she taught Chase, thankfully). I always said I tolerated our two cats because they acted more like dogs than cats...LOL.
When she was 19, I noticed that she wasn't eating much, and took her in to the vet. They weren't sure what was going on with her. She was on prescription food for years because she was allergic to the fillers in regular cat food so we knew it wasn't the food. I started making plain chicken for her and she bucked up and ate again. But this only lasted for a few days and then she stopped even eating that. She wasn't drinking much water and developed a UTI. I took her back in. They kept her all day, took some scans of her and ran some blood work. Results were that her liver was very tiny (not sure if it had been like that forever or had shrunk during aging). Her liver wasn't functioning right. Our options were bleak, involved surgery and a feeding tube. We didn't want that kind of life for her. She was 19 years old and had been a great companion to our us and deserved to not suffer. Putting her to sleep was the hardest thing I had ever done. J and I both were completely torn up but we toughed it out to do the right thing for her. I miss her terribly...she was always such a joy to us. We feels like our family has shrunk.
_________________________________
Five Years Ago on In My Words...Many Times
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Mike's Last Day
Today is the last day of my life.
It seems that I have always had problems with keeping life in perspective. It is like a faucet that only has on and off, no middle ground. There have been times when things were good and under control but it seems like it never lasted for long, either the faucet was on or off.
I am sure there are issues from my childhood that play into this but I have to wonder if most of it is not just a personality trait. I mean, I have siblings that have lives, which are by no means perfect, but are a far cry better than what I am currently experiencing. I have never been one to blame my problems on other people and I can't say that there is something specific that my parents or other family members did to me that would cause my life to turn out so drastically different than my brother or sister's did. So I would have to say I have always had an "addictive" personality and that plays a huge part in how I make my decisions and ultimately how my life turns out.
Enough of the self-analysis. I had things good for a while, at several different times in my life. There was my first marriage when I had my kids and it looked like I was going to have a normal life. I really did love my wife, and my kids, and all that we had but once again, for me, it is all or nothing and I guess I felt like something was missing and so I had to fix it. Of course, if you talk to anyone else, looking from the outside, they would tell you that I had it all and just didn't know it. So would be the story of my life. Eventually my wife and I divorced but we stayed on good terms and I was able to play a role in the upbringing of my kids. I am not sure if this will be a blessing for them or not. Anyhow, being single again led me to develop new friends and new activities. I started partying more and experimented with some recreational drugs. In hindsight this was probably not a good decision on my part. I found before long that I was enjoying the recreation more than regular life.
At some point in the middle of all of this, I got injured on the job in a big way. This injury led me to more potent drugs for the pain, to which I found myself dependent. For some time I was not able to work, and I think that this changed my way of thinking in many ways. I was not in control of my life anymore, I felt like someone had taken that control from me. I only felt good when I was high and that made me feel even more out of control. I began the long process of trying to sue my employer for my accident, I guess I felt I had to do something to improve my situation. I am sure that my current lifestyle helped justify my new "thinking". I often wonder if I hadn't been injured, if things would have turned out differently or not. I could blame all my future problems on this but I have to take some accountability for the choices I have made in life.
Eventually, I was back on my feet, but still dependent on drugs and the lifestyle that came with it. I was dealing drugs on the side to make some money, while I was waiting for my settlement. My attorney was constantly telling me that it would be big and it would be soon but it seemed like nothing ever happened. Even with the things that were going on externally, I did feel happy during this time in my life. I was actively involved with my kids and on speaking terms with my ex-wife. I had my own home and pretty much did as I wanted each day. I reconnected with a love interest from the past while at a bar and we were dating pretty steadily. She was a wonderful woman who added much to my life at that point.
After a period of years, we decided to get married. We were really in love. We had a beautiful wedding and moved into our own place at last. It was fabulous. I mean of course there were issues but it really felt like my life was going okay again. This woman turned out to be the love of my life and I know now how much hell I put her through during our relationship. Not long after we got married, it became evident to everyone I knew that I had a problem and needed some help. I wanted to get control of my drug and alcohol issues so I could lead a more fulfilling life. My wife helped me get treatment and I came out of rehab feeling rejuvenated and a completely new man. She joined me in my sobriety and together we tackled daily life with an addiction and in most cases we won. I was still not working and still waiting on my settlement. She worked pretty regularly and that kept us out of debt. This time, which spans over 8+ years, has to be the best time of my life. If I had an addiction during this time, it was an addiction to her. She was everything to me and everything I did was for her or for us.
I still to this day, I do not know what happened to that time in my life, how I managed to let it out of my grasp. It was never perfect, no one's life is but it was good for the most part. I guess there was a time when I started to divert, from my addiction to my life with my wife, to an addiction to gambling. That is one thing that has been constant in my life for many years, addiction. In one form or another, and I am not sure if the addiction to her and my life with her could necessarily be considered a good thing. Perhaps it only hid the symptoms of a larger problem that surfaced when I began to gamble. The gambling and the deceit and betrayal that came with it eventually was the end of our life together. We broke up several times and got back together several times but she didn't trust me anymore and finally decided that she couldn't live that way any longer. We stayed friends, I know she still loved me, she just needed more and I was in no shape to give it to her. After we broke up, I used up my other friends and family to the point that no one trusted me or wanted much to do with me. I know this.
I started to drink again. It was the only relief that I could find to the life I had made for myself. Without a job and the motivation to get one, I was soon on the street and living on the charity of others. I made several missions my home until I got booted from them by breaking the rules. Once again, things were out of control and I seemed either willing to go with it or just didn't care enough anymore. It is during this time that I made a couple of close friends, friends that I have to this day. It is kind of interesting when you make friends when you are this low. You know that they are not your friends for anything you have, they are there because they want to be. Anyhow, these friends and I have always had a deal. When one of us comes into some money, we rent a hotel room, get some food and some alcohol. The plan is to celebrate our fortune and life, and whatever else we can think of celebrating, and sleep in a warm comfortable bed for a night. It is a nice break from the streets.
I guess that brings us up to date. Today is one of those good days. We are celebrating in a warm hotel room with plenty of food and drink. I am happy. It is all relative, and I am happy considering the circumstances of my life right now. I don't know if I have it figured out, what happened to my life, to bring me where I am now, but I know that I made some choices, not all of them good and they have all contributed to who I am and where I am these days. Maybe tomorrow I will choose to change my life, maybe I won't. Living in the present seems to be what I do best.
It seems that I have always had problems with keeping life in perspective. It is like a faucet that only has on and off, no middle ground. There have been times when things were good and under control but it seems like it never lasted for long, either the faucet was on or off.
I am sure there are issues from my childhood that play into this but I have to wonder if most of it is not just a personality trait. I mean, I have siblings that have lives, which are by no means perfect, but are a far cry better than what I am currently experiencing. I have never been one to blame my problems on other people and I can't say that there is something specific that my parents or other family members did to me that would cause my life to turn out so drastically different than my brother or sister's did. So I would have to say I have always had an "addictive" personality and that plays a huge part in how I make my decisions and ultimately how my life turns out.
Enough of the self-analysis. I had things good for a while, at several different times in my life. There was my first marriage when I had my kids and it looked like I was going to have a normal life. I really did love my wife, and my kids, and all that we had but once again, for me, it is all or nothing and I guess I felt like something was missing and so I had to fix it. Of course, if you talk to anyone else, looking from the outside, they would tell you that I had it all and just didn't know it. So would be the story of my life. Eventually my wife and I divorced but we stayed on good terms and I was able to play a role in the upbringing of my kids. I am not sure if this will be a blessing for them or not. Anyhow, being single again led me to develop new friends and new activities. I started partying more and experimented with some recreational drugs. In hindsight this was probably not a good decision on my part. I found before long that I was enjoying the recreation more than regular life.
At some point in the middle of all of this, I got injured on the job in a big way. This injury led me to more potent drugs for the pain, to which I found myself dependent. For some time I was not able to work, and I think that this changed my way of thinking in many ways. I was not in control of my life anymore, I felt like someone had taken that control from me. I only felt good when I was high and that made me feel even more out of control. I began the long process of trying to sue my employer for my accident, I guess I felt I had to do something to improve my situation. I am sure that my current lifestyle helped justify my new "thinking". I often wonder if I hadn't been injured, if things would have turned out differently or not. I could blame all my future problems on this but I have to take some accountability for the choices I have made in life.
Eventually, I was back on my feet, but still dependent on drugs and the lifestyle that came with it. I was dealing drugs on the side to make some money, while I was waiting for my settlement. My attorney was constantly telling me that it would be big and it would be soon but it seemed like nothing ever happened. Even with the things that were going on externally, I did feel happy during this time in my life. I was actively involved with my kids and on speaking terms with my ex-wife. I had my own home and pretty much did as I wanted each day. I reconnected with a love interest from the past while at a bar and we were dating pretty steadily. She was a wonderful woman who added much to my life at that point.
After a period of years, we decided to get married. We were really in love. We had a beautiful wedding and moved into our own place at last. It was fabulous. I mean of course there were issues but it really felt like my life was going okay again. This woman turned out to be the love of my life and I know now how much hell I put her through during our relationship. Not long after we got married, it became evident to everyone I knew that I had a problem and needed some help. I wanted to get control of my drug and alcohol issues so I could lead a more fulfilling life. My wife helped me get treatment and I came out of rehab feeling rejuvenated and a completely new man. She joined me in my sobriety and together we tackled daily life with an addiction and in most cases we won. I was still not working and still waiting on my settlement. She worked pretty regularly and that kept us out of debt. This time, which spans over 8+ years, has to be the best time of my life. If I had an addiction during this time, it was an addiction to her. She was everything to me and everything I did was for her or for us.
I still to this day, I do not know what happened to that time in my life, how I managed to let it out of my grasp. It was never perfect, no one's life is but it was good for the most part. I guess there was a time when I started to divert, from my addiction to my life with my wife, to an addiction to gambling. That is one thing that has been constant in my life for many years, addiction. In one form or another, and I am not sure if the addiction to her and my life with her could necessarily be considered a good thing. Perhaps it only hid the symptoms of a larger problem that surfaced when I began to gamble. The gambling and the deceit and betrayal that came with it eventually was the end of our life together. We broke up several times and got back together several times but she didn't trust me anymore and finally decided that she couldn't live that way any longer. We stayed friends, I know she still loved me, she just needed more and I was in no shape to give it to her. After we broke up, I used up my other friends and family to the point that no one trusted me or wanted much to do with me. I know this.
I started to drink again. It was the only relief that I could find to the life I had made for myself. Without a job and the motivation to get one, I was soon on the street and living on the charity of others. I made several missions my home until I got booted from them by breaking the rules. Once again, things were out of control and I seemed either willing to go with it or just didn't care enough anymore. It is during this time that I made a couple of close friends, friends that I have to this day. It is kind of interesting when you make friends when you are this low. You know that they are not your friends for anything you have, they are there because they want to be. Anyhow, these friends and I have always had a deal. When one of us comes into some money, we rent a hotel room, get some food and some alcohol. The plan is to celebrate our fortune and life, and whatever else we can think of celebrating, and sleep in a warm comfortable bed for a night. It is a nice break from the streets.
I guess that brings us up to date. Today is one of those good days. We are celebrating in a warm hotel room with plenty of food and drink. I am happy. It is all relative, and I am happy considering the circumstances of my life right now. I don't know if I have it figured out, what happened to my life, to bring me where I am now, but I know that I made some choices, not all of them good and they have all contributed to who I am and where I am these days. Maybe tomorrow I will choose to change my life, maybe I won't. Living in the present seems to be what I do best.
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