It was [THIS] big !!

Ha. I suppose a fishing update is in order. First of all, as Joey and I have learned, all the real fisherman use a really cool fishing cart. So, of course, after eyeballing the competition for the best fishing cart - we managed to put together this little beauty :

It can hold up to 10 fishing poles and/or nets and quite easily carries our cooler, our bait bucket, our chairs to sit on [when we sit], our tackle box and pretty much anything else we want to bring with us. It has pneumatic tires, which make it roll with ease from the truck to the fishing pier.

Last weekend was our first to roll out the new cart, and we got several admiring stares on our way down the pier and even one or two comments. Of course, Joey and I were just laughing because trust me when I say - the elaborateness of our cart, in no way reflects our fishing abilities - we're just there to have fun.

So, what do we catch, you ask ? Well, I have prepared a little picture-rama for your review.

These are listed in no particular order but I would say we mainly catch the mangrove snapper and the gag grouper. This last weekend, we caught almost all sheepshead, although we were on a new pier. And, Joey caught one random Spanish mackerel one weekend. We never keep anything. We know we have caught some mangrove snappers and sheepshead that were keepers but at this point we have just been tossing everything back.

We did buy a stringer line this last weekend so the next time we go, we are going to try and keep some sheepshead. We hear they are really good to eat so we decided we wanted to check it out. I'll keep you posted.

So, that's it - my fishing update. Come on down to Florida and you can fish with us. We see dolphins almost every weekend and we've even seen a manatee once when fishing. It's fun.

Christmas Tag

I've been tagged ! No one ever tags me. Thank you Season !

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually Thanksgiving weekend, this year we were a little late
4. When do you take the tree down? The weekend after New Year’s
5. Do you like eggnog? Yes, but it’s not really in my menu plan these days
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Canopy bed
7. Hardest person to buy for? Dad
8. Easiest person to buy for? Mason and Morgan
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, but it’s not up this year.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I really can’t think of anything.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? The Year Without a Santa Claus, because I love the Snow Miser and the Heat Miser
    
    
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually not until November, unless I just see something specific before then
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don’t think so, I think if I got something I didn’t like or need, I might have given it to someone but not as if it was from me.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Lemon Bars, but I don’t think those are on my menu this year either.
16. Lights on the tree? Multi-colored all the way
17. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? This year, staying at home. Usually travel to my sister’s.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Nothing this year because our tree is in a place where we can’t fit anything on the top, but I prefer an Angel.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We used to open one present from our grandparents on Christmas Eve, but now it is just everything on Christmas morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Parking lots
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? ABSOLUTELY NO BLUE !!! Blue is not a color of Christmas. Otherwise, I say anything goes.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey/Ham and the fixin’s
25. What do you want for Christmas? A bedazzler [you know it’s true] and a few other little things, nothing big.

Okay - so now I tag : Mandy, Courtney and JoLynn - either update your own blog with these questions and answers or add them to the comments of this post.
And anyone else that wants to answer, please do !!
Merry Christmas !!

Creative Genius

Yay ! I'm back. And, let's get back on track with something fun that my friend Wendy in the UK emailed me yesterday......

The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

Here are this year's winners. Read them carefully. Each is an artificial word with only one letter altered to form a real word. Some are terrifically innovative:

Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating the bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's, like, a serious bummer.

Glibido: All talk and no action.

Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

Ha...more updates tomorrow.

JEFFREY !!

Don't fret.....

....I am still here and I have a Disney camping update coming [trying to get some pics downloaded first], a Thanksgiving update, a fishing update, etc. I'm just busy with after Thanksgiving stuff and work, so stay tuned....more in the next day or two.

Spontaneous Me

You might have noticed a couple of weeks ago I added a little section in the top right of my blog called 'Spontaneous Me'. Basically this is a feed from my Twitter page. What is Twitter, you ask ?? Well, it is kinda like a blog but it was intended for short spontaneous updates from your life as they happen; maybe one or two sentences, at most. You can also text your updates from your phone.

So, the reason I am bringing this up is because I am going camping to Disney World with mom and dad this weekend - we leave on Friday morning. I may or may not take my laptop with me, but regardless I will be able to update my twitter from my cell phone. My blog will resume on Monday, November 24th but from now until then you can still see what I am up to by looking in the upper right corner of my blog under Spontaneous Me.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Disney I go.

Happy Birthday, Morgan !!!

It's hard to believe that my little Morggie is 10 years old today - but she is. I am missing my sister and her family very much while I am living in Florida and it is especially hard to be away for birthdays and other events.

Morgan, I hope you have a perfect day and enjoy all your gifts !!!

Here are some fun pics of Morgan thru the years :

[Morgan - 2 years old / Mason - 4 years old]

[Morgan - 4 years old]

[Morgan - 7 years old]

[Morgan - 9 years old]

BINGO update

So mom and I started playing BINGO pretty much right when I got here, They have a Community Club House where they live and Bingo is every Tuesday night. We've only missed a couple of nights since I've been here and right now we are up :

$ 93.50

Not bad. We pay $10 to play each week [that's for both of us] and we pay that from our winnings. So far, our only out of pocket was the first week and we paid ourselves back from our winnings the next week.

I love Bingo...and when I move back to Texas, I am going to have to find some place to play..and yes, I am sure I will drag some of you along with me.

Woo hoo !

Movie Review : Madagascar 2

So, I haven't done a movie review in awhile, mainly because I haven't gone to any movies. But, I broke that streak last weekend when we all went Sunday afternoon to see Madagascar 2. It was the perfect movie to get me back in movie mode.

The penguins are by far the best characters in the movie, as far as I am concerned. They should have their own movie.

So, Monday, I went to McDonald's at lunch to see what animal they had for happy meals this week - I wanted the penguin of course - it talks. Here is the exchange between me and the the drive-thru girl [my thoughts in blue] :

Me : What toy is in your happy meals this week ?
DTG : Madagascar
Me : [Duh, what ? the whole movie?] Yeah, I meant do you know which character ?
DTG : Um, the giraffe and the lion I think. Were you looking for a particular one ?
Me : Yeah, the penguin.
DTG : I don't think there is a penguin.
Me : [Do you not watch your own commercials.] There is. I saw it on a commercial.
DTG : Oh......do you have kids ?
Me : No, it is for my brother. He loves that character.
DTG : Oh, how old is he ?
Me : [Starting to wonder if the DTG is writing a book about me.] He's 31.
DTG : He has kids ?
Me : Nope, it's for him.
DTG : Did you see the movie ?
Me : [Surely this has already been established as a yes.] Yes.
DTG : Was it good ?
Me : Yeah, it was for kids but there was enough adult humor in it to make it fun.
DTG : I need to go see it.
Me : [Ready to pull forward, get my diet coke and move on.] Yeah, well, have a good day.
DTG : You too.

Anyway, go see the movie, it is cute and fun for the whole family.

How can a water tester be water-proof ?

LivSure Water Tester



* Measures Contaminates in Water
* One Touch Operation
* Pocket Sized
* Takes Just a Few Drops of Water
* Results in Just a Few Seconds
* Smiley Face for Clean Water
* Frowning Face for Dirty Water
* Shows Number of Contaminates
* Waterproof
* Batteries Included

Fishin' Franks

I remember a story my dad and brother told me several years ago when they first moved to Florida. They had decided to take up fishing and as any good fishermen would do, they had gone to Wal-Mart to buy their supplies. After that they decided to stop by the local fishing shop, Fishin' Franks to get some bait and find out a little about local fishing.

Mistake !

Frank of Fishin' Franks was not pleased to learn that while they bought all of their gear from Wal-Mart they had come in his store for FREE advice. Needless to say, when it was all over they left with some fishing advice from Frank and their tails between their legs along with an oath to never return to Fishin' Franks.

Well, since I have been here, Joey and I have also decided to take up fishing. Of course Joey has all the gear and a little more expertise since the Fishin' Frank incident. However, one morning when we left particularly early to go fishing we started a conversation about where to get bait. We had found a place the weekend before but we weren't sure of the store hours and we were leaving pretty early. So the debate began.....do we take a chance at that place or do we go to Fishin' Franks which we knew was open early enough.

After weighing the pros and cons, and chastising ourselves for being such wusses when it comes to Fishin' Franks, we decided to go there. As we arrived Joey formulated a plan on what to bring in to get the bait and what to say so that he had a chance to sound like he knew what he was doing to avoid a confrontation with Frank. And I removed my 'Offshore Angler' hat in order to remain low on the Frank radar. As we entered the store, I thought of the Seinfeld episode with the Soup Nazi and hoped we would not hear Frank say : "No shrimp for you !!"

Needless to say, Frank was not there.

Can you help me ? There is a frog in my car.

People are so funny.

A few weeks ago, Joey and I were coming home from one of our night-fishing trips and we were stopped at a light in downtown Punta Gorda. On the corner to our right is a auto repair place and there is a woman who has clearly pulled her car into the parking lot of the place and is now out and walking around her car, looking in windows.

A minute later, a car pulls up behind us and to our right, right next to where she is and she walks over to the car and says :

"Can you help me ? There is a frog in my car."

Believe it or not the guy in the car with his girlfriend/wife/sister - pulls into the parking lot to help her as the light turns green and we are on our way.

Jesus for sale ?

Disclaimer : This post is not intended to offend, just go with it.....please.

So, Joey and I were at WalMart a few weeks ago and we decided to run down the CLEARANCE aisle to see if there was anything noteworthy when we found this :


I don't know what is more disconcerting; the fact that Jesus is on sale at WalMart or the fact that the discount is a mere 97 cents.

.

WOW !

No, that is not an exclamation of excitement - it is actually the abbreviation for an on-line game called WORLD OF WARCRAFT - it's been around a while and my sister is addicted, I mean, has been barely interested in it for about 2 years. She came to Florida by herself for a visit in September and while she was here, she bought my brother and I the software and a one month subscription.

We've played on-line a couple of times.....once with her here to guide us and then together with frequent phone calls back and forth.

I think the main thing about it is that it is FOREVER ... there is no end to it, no win. It's basically just an alternate universe where you have a character and you constantly go on quests to accomplish tasks. It seems, although I am new to it, that it is best played with a group. I think as you gain levels and start having more complicated quests, you can't do them on your own anyway.

If I remember correctly, I am a Druid [Night Elf] in the Sentinel realm for those of you that are familiar and may even have a player yourselves.

Anyone ?

Halloween

So, yesterday was Halloween. We actually went camping at a local campground two weekends ago to celebrate the holiday. They have a Halloween weekend where everyone decorates their campsite and people are there with their families. It was a lot of fun and there were TONS of kids, we ran out of candy [300 pieces] before it was over.

My niece and nephew did their trick or treating Thursday night at church....here are pics of them :

Morgan - the construction worker

Mason - the Ninja

And last but not least, here is my friend Courtney in her Tony Romo costume, complete with pinky splint - hee hee :

Happy belated-HALLOWEEN !

Hello....testing.....1, 2, 3....is this thing working ?

Um, yeah....so, I haven't been blogging again. To be honest I have more to blog about here than I ever did in Texas, as far as me doing stuff, but for some reason when I get off of blogging, I really get off of it. Who knows if anyone will even see this at this point....

I'll take my chances.

Believe it or not, I have been making short notes of things I want to blog about, they just never seem to make it from my white board in my room, to my blog.

So, every other day for the next week or so, I have scheduled some posts to kick start my blog back on track.....so check again in 2 days for something new and then 2 days after that, and so on and so on.......

And, if you are out there and still reading, let me know with a quick comment .... please.

Ciao for now.

REMEMBERING RAYMOND YORK

In 2006, 2996 was formed. It was a coalition of bloggers brought together by D.Challener Roe to pay tribute to the lives of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Each year since then, on this day I have remembered forty-five year old Raymond R. York who was a 20-year veteran of the New York Fire Department. He is survived by his wife - Joan and their four children.

Although, the coalition does not have as organized an effort anymore, I have still been thinking about Ray as the date approached and I want to remember him each year. Periodically, I check his Legacy Guest Book when I am notified that new entries have been made by those that also remember him throughout the year.

This entry is for Ray and all of the others that lost their lives that day. My blog will again be silent for one week in honor of his memory.

A Fireman's Prayer

When I am called to duty, God, whenever flames may rage;

Give me strength to save some life, whatever be its age.

Help me embrace a little child before it is too late

Or save an older person from the horror of that fate.

Enable me to be alert and hear the weakest shout,

And quickly and efficiently to put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling and to give the best in me.

To guard my every neighbor and protect his property.

And if, according to my fate, I am to lose my life;

Please bless with your protecting hand, my children and my wife.

Additional Tributes to Raymond R York

http://raymondyork.i8.com/

http://www.legacy.com/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=93194

Hannah, Ike and Josephine......

.....OK ! Enough with the hurricanes already.

Still alive.....

....the hurricane/tropical storm ended up hitting land a little south of us so we mainly got lots of rain and it was very windy all day yesterday. Of course for the next couple of days, we will have residual rain from the storm but really that is nothing new. It rains almost every day here anyway.....at least for 10 - 15 minutes.

Mom, dad and Joey stayed home from work yesterday as their jobs were closed due to the potential hurricane. They were in and out all day as the resulting weather was not that bad. The only thing that was really open was WalMart, of course. Since we never lost power or internet, I worked all day as normal.

No BINGO last night so we stayed in and played cards. I was winning in the beginning but of course, fell to last place by the time the game was over. But, it was fun.

I guess, I officially feel like I live here now. It is nice having people around in the morning and evening to talk to and hang out with, but I am missing everyone in Texas too. I'm starting to have trivia withdrawal...ha ha ! I'm going to try and get out to play, next week.

Later.

Well, this is new.

I am battening down the hatches for a hurricane. Here is a picture [not that great of quality] from the National Hurricane Center website that shows the probable course for the hurricane [now known as Tropical Storm Fay] - on the picture where the PINK star is.....yeah, that's where I live.

Eeek !
More later.

Haircuts and bingo....

So, I haven't done much blogging this week. Just trying to get back in the routine of working, etc. Dad made me an awesome office space here in Florida that makes working super comfortable and pleasant. I think up until now, I still feel like I am on vacation but the fact that I live here is starting to sink in.

The first weekend I got here, I went and had 8 inches cut off my hair....I don't really know why, for some reason it just seemed cumbersome here and supposedly when you make one change in life, you tend to make many, so off with the hair.

Mom and I started our weekly trip to Bingo on Tuesday night....we didn't win anything but it was a nice evening out and we had fun. Soon we will be regulars and I am sure there will be stories to tell.

My uncle Jim is coming into town tomorrow for a week.....it will be a fun visit and I am looking forward to seeing him. Mom took next week off from work so she can spend time with him too.

More from Florida later.....I miss everyone in Texas !

Hiatus Ended !

Happy Monday everyone ! I am going to begin blogging again today so for those of you that drop in there from time to time, you can start checking it again today.

For those of you that do and those of you that don't know, the main reason that I moved to Florida was to lose some weight and get healthy with the love and support of my family down here. I've decided I don't really want to turn my blog into a "diet blog" so I don't plan on posting many weight loss updates here .... instead I have created a little email distribution list to send out monthly email updates. If you want to be on that list, please let me know in comments. If you are already on the list you probably got an email update this morning that looks similar to this blog post.

So, I arrived into town on Tuesday, July 29th and the healthy eating began. We did our first weigh-in on Wednesday morning for our starting weight. We decided that Monday's would be our weigh-in day. My brother and parents have me on 3 meals a day and 3 snacks a day, all healthy......low carb, good grains, no red meat and lots of fruits and veggies.....so we had our first weigh-in this morning after only *5 days* and I had lost.......drum roll.....

.....14 pounds already, in just 5 days !! I know, WOW ! I was even shocked. I guess it is working. We started walking, a very short distance in the mornings, as I build up my stamina, but it is all going well.

Again, all further updates will be send via email at the end of each month, so let me know if you want to be on that list.

That's it for today, more updates this week.

..

BLOG HIATUS UNTIL AUGUST 3, 2008

OK - so obviously I have not been blogging. I have lots going on with new job responsibilities at work and I am in the process of moving so my blog is on a hiatus until August 3rd. I appreciate everyone that reads it and I promise to be back then - just hang in there.

Something new....

So, Courtdog and I decided to check out the new place in town - BUFFALO WILD WINGS - we went for dinner Tuesday night. It was good. Definitely nice to have different menu items to choose from. We played trivia and got some high scores on the board and overall had a good experience. Best of all, we had a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert, something we have been begging for at No Frills Grill for years.

Personally, I thought it was a little LOUD and it was hard to have a conversation. Now, it was FULL and there were lots of wait staff there running around, AND there was an NBA Final game going on which all probably contributed to the loudness but this is definitely something to keep an eye on.

Having said all that.....we're gonna check it out again Friday....so, instead of No Frills Grill this week, we will be meeting at Buffalo Wild Wings.

More life later.

The BIG Announcement

I'm moving to ....

Yikes. I know, CRAZY !!

If you want to know the specifics of WHY, comment on this post and I will email you or tell you next time I talk to you. I can say it is not financial, more personal. Basically, my parents made me an offer I could not refuse. It scares me a little bit. I am 42 years old and I have been on my own for almost 25 years and now I am moving in with my mom and dad. Scary.

Don't get me wrong, and I am not just saying this because they are reading it, my parents are the best. The absolute best, but my whole family, no matter how close we are, is very independent and opinionated so there are bound to be some tenuous times. So, let me say now in case I forget to say it enough while I am there, I am very GRATEFUL to them for this opportunity.

So, the plan was originally to move at the end of August but basically I have decided, why wait and am now planning on moving at the end of July. I will be putting in my vacation days tomorrow and then the planning, organizing and executing the move will begin. Initial steps include; getting a storage place and getting rid of some furniture. Other than that, each weekend until then will be spent going thru things; tossing stuff, packing for storage and packing for Florida.

So, more on all of this as it develops. PLEASE feel free to ask questions in my comments and I will do my best to answer them in future posts.

Isn't photography neat.....

I was looking for a graphic to use with my big announcement tomorrow and although I didn't find anything I wanted to use, I found the following three photos taken by individuals that I thought were just really cool. It is amazing the shots people can get sometimes. Check these out :

Hmmm.....maybe you can use these as clues to my big announcement....actually, most of my regular readers already know what it is....but this could be fun.

More life......

....so, since last time.

Still been kinda busy, went to see IRON MAN again...hee hee...with my cousin and Kurt, it was good, again. More No Frills Grill with the gang. It looks like we may move our Friday night alliance over to Buffalo Wild Wings soon though, because there are all new people at No Frills and it isn't as fun anymore.

Today, Saturday, I am working some overtime and then I am going to see the movie, Sex and the City, this afternoon. I have heard it is really a bit too long, but I want to see it because I want to see how some of the storylines ended up working out.

Lots of planning going on in my brain this weekend....big news on the blog on Monday...so stay tuned.

1. What is your keyring like?

I only have 4 keys on my keyring; my house, my mailbox, my car and my sister's house. I have several little keyring decorations; a Disney decorated letter 'T', a University of Texas loop thing, a glittery 'Tracy', a small nail file and 10, yes 10, of those mini-frequent buyer membership card thingies

2. What is your purse/bag/briefcase like?

I change purses with the seasons, right now I have one that is a canvas like bag with a long shoulder strap. It is while with a lime green and turquoise print.

3. What is your wallet like?

It is a medium size tri-fold - black glittery pleather.

4. What is your mouse pad like?

Plain blue, and I have drawn hearts on it with a sharpie. I need a new one actually.

5. What are the curtains in your bedroom like?

Plum. They are sheer with an attached valance of the same plum sheer and little plum dangley jewel things.

Odd how that works

It seems the busier I am, the less I blog, which would really seem to be the reverse of how it should work. I guess, basically, what I am saying is that I have been busy. Let's see, since my last rainy day blog......

My brother came into town on Friday, May 30th and the next 5 days were all about him. We went straight from the airport to Abilene and my sister's house. The kids were out of school that day, for the summer. We enjoyed a busy but fun weekend with them. Morgan had a ballet recital which was Joey's main reason for coming over. He took pictures almost all day at the dress rehearsal Saturday [1600 shots in all, I am told] and the recital itself was most of the day Sunday....so the weekend for him was overall short. But, we did eat out a few times, and got to play with the kids, which is always fun.

Morgan's ballet recital was long but fun as usual.....I don't know how she keeps up with so many different dance styles and routines. She had 5 dances this year but for me the first one was the best. First of all, she just looked so beautiful and graceful in it and seemed so in tune with the routine, etc. It really was pretty. Here is a picture :



I'll try to post more pictures of her other dances, once Joey gets all the shots he took sorted.

Joey and I came back to Arlington, late Sunday night, so we could get a good night's sleep. We had a great conversation in the car ride home about a project I have coming up that he, mom and dad will be helping me with. More on that in a couple of weeks.

Monday we went to IKEA and Joey loved it. I think he'll be making a trip to Orlando soon to go to the one closer to him. We both agreed that if we ever win the lotto we want our whole house decorated by IKEA.....I think I'll say, IKEA and Pier 1.

Monday night we went to the No Frills Grill to hang with my friends, a fun time was had by all even though once again, my cousin Tom's boyfriend, Kurt, seems to be an annoyance in trivia and by that I mean, he's too good....and so is Tom. Actually, it just makes me hope they keep coming to our NFG nights, it makes it more fun.

Tuesday Joey and I ran around to the mall and other places, with a yummy lunch at Pappadeaux's and then chilling at the apartment until it was time for him to go to the airport.

Basically, Joey in Texas equals fun. I'm glad he got to come even though the visit was short and busy.

More life tomorrow.

Ugh, I am behind in blogging - I'll do the Friday 5 today and then catch up on life tomorrow.

1. What’s something people do in public that really annoys you, even though it’s probably not a big deal?

Too many to name. I hate it when I park and someone parks right next to me while I am getting out of the car when there are millions of other parking places around me. I hate it when people cut in line. I just genuinely hate it when I see people being inconsiderate toward other people.

2. How readily do you ask strangers to stop their annoying behavior?

Never. I don't think I've really ever actually gone up to someone and asked them to stop doing something. I may give them a look but rarely ever confront them. The only thing I can think of is asking someone to quit kicking my chair in a theatre.

3. What’s something you do in public that probably annoys others?

I like to stand back in the line at the grocery store and wait for the person in front of me to be done before I start moving up in the check out line. I don't like to crowd them. I'm sure that annoys people behind me who want me to start unloading my cart and hurry up.

4. What’s your theory about why it’s so easy to get annoyed when one is behind the wheel of a vehicle?

I think it is easy to get annoyed if you are familiar with your surroundings and have a clear path to your destination.

5. What regular, minor annoyance have you learned to tolerate?

Negativity. I have worked with and actually been friends with enough people that have negative attitudes that I have developed a level of tolerance for it.

Thanks for playing, and may your weekend be completely annoyance-free!

Today ...

....it is raining. I love rain.

Why don't I watch Boston Legal anymore ....

....I was flipping through channels the other night when it was on and it was the Season Finale....I came in when the character Alan Shore, played brilliantly by James Spader was delivering his closing arguments and as usual it was a fantastic bit of writing and an even better delivery of the lines. The friendship between Spader's character and one of the other leads, Denny Crane, also played brilliantly by William Shatner is totally worth watching.

So, that is now on my summer viewing list, all seasons of Boston Legal. I watched at least Season 1 and maybe Season 2, but somewhere I dropped it and have only seen an episode here and there. I want to get up to date on it so it can be a permanent edition to my TV viewing schedule in the fall.

Do you watch it ?

Another movie review....

I'm in some kind of movie frenzy apparently....yesterday I went with Courtney to see :

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Starring : Peter Dinklage, Anna Popplewell, Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes

Synopsis : One year later, the Kings and Queens of Narnia find themselves back in that faraway wondrous realm, only to discover that more than 1,300 years have passed in Narnian time. During their absence, the Golden Age of Narnia has become extinct and Narnia has been conquered by the Telmarines and is now under the control of the evil King Miraz, who rules the land without mercy. The four children will soon meet a curious new character: Narnia's rightful heir to the throne, the young Prince Caspian, who has been forced into hiding, as his uncle Miraz plots to kill him in order to place his own newborn son on the throne. With the help of the kindly dwarf, a courageous talking mouse named Reepicheep, a badger named Trufflehunter and a Black Dwarf, Nikabrik, the Narnians--led by the mighty knights Peter and Caspian--embark on a remarkable journey to find Aslan, rescue Narnia from Miraz's tyrannical hold, and restore magic and glory to the land.

My Review : Well, really, what can you say about movies like this....it was fantastic. I definitely give it 5 out of 5 stars. The story was fantastic and the special effects and cinematography were amazing.

Go see it.

Thanks !

Thanks to everyone who voted for my Woot Shirt...I thought it was cool and had a chance but alas it came in at 246th ! But there were over 1000 entries so I think that is still somewhat decent.

Enjoy your long weekend, if you get one !

1. What were some of the tastes of your childhood?

Homemade ice cream, apple pie, cinnamon sugar donuts with butter, biscuits with syrup butter

2. What did you have as a child that you do not think children today have?

Some freedoms.....I don't think kids get to play and explore the way I did as a kid because we can't let them out of our sight as freely.

3. What elementary grade was your favorite?

Hmmmmm....5th I guess. Mr. Cleveland. He was a great teacher. Plus, we played free-throw basketball after school which I was pretty good at. I sang in a school program, and participated in a mock presidential election that was pretty cool.

4. What summer do you remember the best as a child?

I think all of my summers were pretty fun. We went to Daytona Beach every year and Disney World. Spent them with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins, Tom and Joey. Always fun and always full of stories we could talk about later.

5. What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self, and at what age?

Don't try to grow up so fast. Enjoy it, make friends, don't let anyone hold you back from what you love and what you want to do. Play. Have a dream. And, I'd tell myself this at whatever point I'd actually listen.

So, yeah, this is new for Friday's. And, guess what ? Not ONE single person has left a comment on ANY blog I have written in the month of May. Why don't you try this one ? The questions, by themselves are over in the comments. Click below to get there. Copy them and answer them over in the comments or in your own blog if you have one. Come on, it's fun.

Midnight Movie Night ?

OK, so sometimes when a BIG movie comes out we like to go see the midnight showing the day it is released. We had decided to do that for Indiana Jones so we went last night, or rather really early this morning. I went with Courtney, Mandy and Brian.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Starring : Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, and Shia LaBeouf

Synopsis : Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

My Review : I thought it was really good, even though I am exhausted today. I would definitely give it 4 out of 5 stars. Harrison Ford did a good job and looked fantastic. Of course, most of the big dramatic stunts were done by Shia LaBeouf but Indy's still got it. The story was good, but I wasn't as thrilled with the ending as I wanted to be.....let's just say I watched a documentary earlier in the week about the Crystal Skulls, which are real by the way, and the documentary was NOT on the Discovery channel but rather the SciFi channel. Overall, glad I saw it, but this really probably does need to be the last one. I think the 'National Treasure' series has taken over this genre of movie for me.

Tomorrow : TV Show Season Finales - Part 1

Birthday Weekend Update

So, it has been a few days since my birthday weekend....and wanted to give everyone an update. First of all, it was fantabulous, really, it was a blast. My friend Courtney and I have birthdays one day apart....so we made it a joint birthday weekend since we share a lot of friends.

Friday [May 16th] - No Frills Grill - of course, where else ! We were joined by several friends including for Courtney; work friends, Tim, Tea (I know I spelled that wrong), Letty and girlfriend Dina. For me, Charles, my cousin Tom and boyfriend, Kurt. We played trivia and had a blast. Of course, the highlight for me was having my cousin there who has been out of pocket for awhile, it was great seeing him and it made the day for me.

Saturday [May 17th] - Joe's Crab Shack - My sister, niece and nephew came in this day in the early afternoon and we spent the afternoon running errands. For my birthday they took me to lunch and then gave me a card with $20 in iTunes gift cards....and a framed pic of my favorite piece of artwork from Mason. They bought me some hanging plants for my balcony which are a very pretty addition to my patio. We went to dinner that night at Joe's Crab Shack, where we also met some friends of Courtney's for her 30th birthday dinner. We had a great time.

Sunday [May 18th] - Putt-Putt - I bought breakfast for JoLynn, the kids and I....Burger King, woo hoo ! They had a good playground. We were going to go to the zoo on Sunday, but with all the running around we did on Saturday and the heat - we decided to go play putt-putt and video games instead (I'm 40+2 now so I can't do it all anymore) It was me, Courtney, JoLynn, Mason and Morgan and we had lots of fun. With my birthday luck, I managed to beat them, but it was pretty close all around.

As you can tell, the weekend was full of fun , family and friends, just the way I like it !! No movie last Sunday night, but there will be a MIDNIGHT movie tonight with details tomorrow.

Sunday Movie Night : Made of Honor

So, a little late in getting this posted but Sunday before last was our 2nd Sunday night movie night. I went with Courtney and Mandy....to see :

Made of Honor

Starring : Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd,

Synopsis : Made of Honor revolves around Tom (Patrick Dempsey) and Hannah (Michelle Monaghan), who have been platonic friends for 10 years. He's a serial dater, while she wants marriage but hasn't found Mr. Right. Just as Tom is starting to think that he is relationship material after all, Hannah gets engaged. When she asks Tom to be her "maid" of honor, he reluctantly agrees just so he can attempt to stop the wedding and woo her.

My Review : I liked it, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. There were a lot of funny parts in it and it kept me entertained for the entire time. I did think there were some predictable parts, but aren't there always in romantic comedies ? One thing that was oddly impressive was at the beginning in the scenes of Patrick Dempsey when his character was in college, they made him look soooo young, I mean it really was amazing.

Midnight Movie review this week - check back on Thursday.

VOTE for me !!!

There is a website that sells a different t-shirt every day, called Woot Shirt....each week they have a "derby" with a theme where people can submit entries.....members vote and the top three designs get sold on the site over Friday thru Sunday.

I have submitted my first design ever to the this weeks contest. In order to vote, all you have to do it register for a free account and say, I'd want one ! - this does not obligate you to buy one in any way and these guys do not send out spam mail.

If you are so inclined, please click the link below to view my design, register for a free account and vote for it, so I can have a chance to win this week's derby !!

http://shirt.woot.com/Derby/Entry.aspx?id=16162

Thank you in advance.

EDITED TO ADD : Apparently, you can't VOTE unless you have bought something on WOOT before, so if you have, please vote, if not, thank you for looking anyway !!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME !!

School's Out ... and some other news !

::wipes brow::

Another semester behind me, yay. I'm really fine with the slowly but surely approach to my educational goals; so, each semester is an accomplishment. Looking back, I think this one will conclude with two B's which is just fine by me. Now, moving forward, hmmmm......a year off I think, more on that news to come. Ah, the suspense.

So, my niece and nephew get out of school on May 30th and I know they are looking forward to summer. My niece will be going into the 4th grade next year, I can't believe she will be 10 in the fall, they grow up so fast. My nephew will be starting middle school. He has been in the gifted and talented program in elementary school since the 3rd grade and just found out for middle school that he will be in AP Math, AP Science and AP English - the AP stands for Advanced Placement. I am very proud of him and he is very excited.

Last bit of news, I am super excited that my brother is making the trip to Texas and will arrive here on May 30th...he is mainly coming to see my niece's dance recital but will of course be staying with me a couple days and in Abilene a couple of days. He hasn't been here in awhile so we are all looking forward to having him to ourselves for a few days.

I did have a Sunday Movie night this past weekend and will give you the scoop on that tomorrow. Until then, later.

Sunday Movie Night : Iron Man

So, awhile back I said I was going to start this new tradition of going to the movies on Saturday mornings, it got me up and moving and it was never really crowded. Well, I did that for awhile and then things kept getting in the way; school, trips to Abilene, work, sleep, etc. So, now I have a new plan, Sunday Movie Night.....this is better because I work on Sundays so I am always here and can easily head out to a movie after work.

Last night, was the first newly agreed upon movie night. So, I went with Courtney, Mandy, Brian, Zachary, and Mandy's parents....to see :

Iron Man

Starring : Robert Downey, Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeff Bridges

Synopsis : Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is the CEO of Stark Industries which produces advance weapon systems for the U.S. military. Tony's father started the company after WWII, and after his death Tony inherited the company, worth billions. Tony lives the life as a hard drinking, rich playboy ladies man, but he is also a genius who has invented many high-tech items for the company. Tony flies to Afghanistan to demonstrate a new weapons test to the United States Air Force. On his way back to his plane, his convoy is attacked by terrorists, and Tony is wounded by a Stark Industries missile. Tony is captured and held hostage in a cave with Yinsen, a doctor who saves his life.

Needless to say, he is not impressed with how his weapons are being used and the story continues, don't want to give any more away.

My Review : I thought it was awesome, definitely, 5 out of 5 stars. Robert Downey Jr. did a fantastic job and the special effects were drool-worthy. If you are into live action comic book hero transformation, go see it....maybe twice. And, a small tip, stay all the way to the very end of the credits and you will get a little bonus scene, definitely worth the wait.

Another Sunday Night Movie review next week.

Tag !

I was talking to my friend, Charles, on the phone last night and we were discussing upcoming movies for the rest of the summer. I was looking up release dates on imdb for Dark Knight, which is the new Batman movie coming out in July, when I saw something funny.

On the page it gives all kinds of info on the movie, release date, director, writers, etc. It also lists "tags" for the movie, which basically are keywords that categorize the movie. So, for the new we have LOTS of tags but these are the first 5 that show on the main page :

Violence - Heavy Rubber - Gangster - Gadget Car - Gangster Boss

Then I went to the last movie, Batman Begins, because we were comparing actors/characters from both movies and I noticed the first 5 tags for it :

Haunted By Past - Monorail - Cave - Nipples Visible Through Clothing - Taser

How hilarious is that ? You should check out some of your favorite movies, some of the tags are hilarious.

Do you Woot ?

So, several months ago my brother introduced me to this website called Woot....basically, they sell something new on the site everyday. The item is posted at midnight, and they sell it until they run out. Some things are really good awesome deals, some things are OK and some are just things you probably wouldn't buy on-line.

In addition, they have something called the shirt woot....basically this is a daily t-shirt design. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday the shirts are 1st, 2nd and 3rd place, respectively, from a themed contest they ran the previous week. The shirts are also sold until they run out, I think they do 1000 a day. They are $10 with free standard shipping + tax. I started ordering shirts for my nephew once I determined he can wear a men's small. I'm going to try one for my niece in the smallest women's size once I see a good design for her.

Anyway, both sites are really kinda neat, you should check them out. Now that I've explained it on my blog, you'll probably see me blog when I buy something.

Here are the links :

http://www.woot.com/

http://shirt.woot.com/

Oh, and I bought today's woot, a DVD recorder for only $59.99 - great deal.

By the way.....

.....in regards to the cat. I know my birthday is coming up and everything, but please, no one get me a cat as a present. If I decide to get one, I have to be ready, pet deposits, etc. and I also think pets are kinda personal and you have to pick one out yourself, not get one as a gift. So, please no LIVE presents for my birthday.

Should I get a cat ?

I go back and forth. I am not going to get a dog because personally I don't think it is fair to have a dog in an apartment and I think it would be too noisy with me working at home.

But, a cat, is fairly low maintenance.

Give me some pros and cons. Here are mine :

Tracy, You are not ______. I love you !

Why does that make me feel all warm and fuzzy when I answer the phone and one of the sales reps immediately says that to me ?? I don't know. It just does.

Sorry, ______.

OK - this was fun

There is this website that basically is a slogan generator. You can put in your name or maybe you have a catch word or nickname you use. Here are a few of the slogans it generated for me that I loved :

• Because Tracy is Complicated Enough.
• All Tracy, All The Time.
• Got Tracy?
• I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Tracy.
• When You've Got Tracy, Flaunt It.
• All You Need is a Tracy and a Dream.
• Got a Tracy? You're in Luck.
• Tracy: The Other White Meat. [lol]
• I'm Cuckoo For Tracy.

and the best one....

Lipsmackin' Thirstquenchin' Acetastin' Motivatin' Goodbuzzin' Cooltalkin' Highwalkin' Fastlivin' Evergivin' Coolfizzin' Tracy.

Go generate your own slogans......[warning some may be a little R-rated with your name in them]

The Advertising Slogan Generator

Have fun !

Quit your bitching and moaning......

...it's a credit card machine.

"Can you make the font bigger?"

"Can you put another space between the state and zipcode?"

"Can you stretch the letters out so they are easier to read?"

"Can you make the tip line longer?"

"Can you add our webpage address?"

"Can you make the total bigger and add more space for the signature?"

Just run the DAMN credit card, get an approval, have the customer sign it and wait for your money - it doesn't have to look beautiful. You and the customer are going to look at it for a lump total of about 60 seconds.....sheesh.

Have a nice day.

Headline of the Day and more

No, this is not going to become a daily feature of my blog. Sometimes when I am working there is a lull between calls so I check on the internet for today's happenings. I saw this headline today on Yahoo! News and just had to post it.

Research: Vitamins may increase risk of death

I don't know why, it just made me laugh. Do a search in your favorite news engine and check out the articles on this new research.

So, last night was a new episode of my show Criminal Minds....love that show. It was awesome. I'm not going to do a recap here this week but I can't say it enough. If you have never seen this show - go rent Seasons 1 and 2 this summer and 3 when it comes out and start watching it next year. It is a great show.

Every week, after the show, there is an amazing fansite that does an on-line chat. They arrange to have the WRITER for that night's episode in the chat and we can ask them questions, it is really fun and interesting. Well, last night, we got a surprise....there were TWO writer's in the chat and TWO of the MAIN cast members. The chat was joined by Matthew Gray Gubler who plays Dr. Spencer Reid and also Kirsten Vangsness who plays Penelope Garcia. It was a wonderful added extra and they actually were filming and took a break to talk to us. Very nice.

No real details to give you on what was said, but they answered lots of questions and MGG stayed with us for a little over an hour before he got called back to the set. Oh. I will say this, the funniest thing MGG said when asked about future projects was that he was working on a sequel that sounds like [and I am doing this from memory] - Palvin Pand Pa Phimpmunks - hee hee.

Sometimes I feel like a big dork for spending time in TV show fandoms....and sometimes I feel really lucky. Smile.

Love you ! [Gotcha Dad !]

So, I realized yesterday that I haven't really posted much this semester about school. I don't know why really. I guess I don't have any dynamic teachers this semester that are interesting enough to talk about and God knows pre-calculus doesn't lend itself to much interesting conversation. Classes are going well, I am expecting 2 As this semester - woo hoo ! I plan to take the summer off, as I usually do, because it is just too hard to take classes in the summer because they are EVERY day. It's just too much.

I'm going to Abilene this weekend to see my sister and family. The kids have all kinds of things going on so I will take all of that in..I am going to do everything in my power to remember to take some pics while I am there because this blog is long overdue for pics.

Other than that, nothing going on .... I need to get over my writer's block, that's for sure. More on that some other time. Later.

Birthdays and 2 litre bottles....

So, Monday was my nephew's birthday, he is now ELEVEN - I cannot even believe it. I remember feeding him his bottle when he was just a baby, when he used to sing/hum himself to sleep. I think his best gift was a book my sister bought him that had 1500, yes 1500, FLOOR PLANS in it. He is a budding architect I am sure and he LOVES to draw floor plans. My sister even gave him some house plan software for his computer a couple of months ago and he calls it his house "game". I love that kid. I told her a few weeks ago, not that I needed to, to never hold him back, never keep him from doing something, because I think someday he is going to do something extraordinary and I can't wait.

OK - who buys 2 litre bottles of soda ? I mean, for home. I used to buy them when we had an office party and I flaked out and signed up for drinks, but do people really buy them for every day use ?

Going to the No Frills Grill of course on Friday and then to the horse races Saturday at Lone Star Park...should be a fun filled weekend. Maybe I will take my camera to the races.

Oh, and I saw this on someones blog today and thought it was freaking hilarious :

Anatidaephobia - the fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is watching you.

Later.

Vacation

So, a recap of the vacation. I had a fantastic time. How could I not, the whole family was there with the exception of my brother-in-law, who was missed. I think the best part of the family vacation beyond just being together, is the calmness of it. I mean, we really didn't DO anything.

Each day was waking up and sitting around the campsite just visiting. The kids went swimming most days. We went to the beach a couple of times. We ate out a couple of times and did some shopping but it was mainly, do what you want.

Amazingly we didn't play any cards. Some highlights :

• Visited the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola - been many times but every time is awesome.
• Morgan ate a raw oyster - for $30
• Took the Gap picture at the beach for Joey
• Shrimp Boil - awesomely yummy
• Played ladders
• Spent one night doing 8 loads of laundry together
• Only opened the laptop a few times
• Mason says I don't snore

Can't wait for the next get together.

My shows are back and I wanna have a party......

YEP - the writer's strike is over. I am so glad that my shows are back and my NUMBER 2 show was back tonight. CRIMINAL MINDS. I don't blog much anymore 'cause I don't think there is any exciting stuff going on in my life.....so I decided maybe I just need to blog about the things that are important to me, even if they don't really matter to everyone that reads this. So, I am starting with that theory now. So, whether you watch CM or not, here is my review of the new episode that aired last night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you Ed Bernero and team.....definitely one of my top 5 episodes ever.

I have wanted to see Hotch take more of a guardian/mentor role with Reid and I loved their scenes together in this episode. Hotch is definitely at his melting point with all he keeps bottled up inside and behind that 'in-control' exterior.

I think he would have prevailed in a throw down with the serial killer guy but I was more than glad when Reid jumped in - in his moment of terror - to diffuse the situation. I love it when he spews facts like he did and love it even more when in the end he admits that it was probably half made up.

While I think Hotch still has a lot to deal with, I was also glad to see him open up a little with Reid in the car and tell him about the divorce papers. They have a good dynamic and I think Reid was pleased with the interaction too.

I felt bad for Hotch at the end, but I am not a fan of Haley.

I felt the Rossi part of the story was good, it allowed us to see a conclusion to the baggage he brought with him while at the same time served as a lesson to him about being a part of a team.

Best lines

Rossi : Why do you care ?
Prentiss : Because you do.

Welcome to the team, Rossi.

I actually thought the ending of that storyline was a little anti-climactic but in this case I don't think the story was as much about the crime or solving it as it was about the team. So I am OK with it but as someone else said I prefer the episodes to have some level of urgency to them and hope future episodes get back to that.

Overall....fantastic episode. I'm so glad the show is back.

P.S. Joe Mantegna doing the opening quote....not so much.

Do you watch ?

Ready.

I am ready for vacation - past ready. I need to shut my brain down for 7 days. So, only 4 more days of work counting today and then I am off for a week. I cannot wait.

This may be evident in the fact that I was an HOUR late for work yesterday. I know, me, the person who is never late, never calls in sick, etc. I forgot to set my clock forward Saturday night and I was an hour late to work yesterday. I felt like a complete idiot.

So, mentally, I am ready for this break. However, this week there are still lots of tasks to complete in order to be ready to leave on vacation - so that is what I have on the agenda. Laundry, packing, a little cleaning and then I'm out.

Here's where I'll be : Navarre Beach Campground

Maybe one more blog before I leave.

Amended profile

I amended my profile yesterday to add a third favorite TV show to my list : Torchwood

It is a British SciFi show....airs on Saturday nights on the BBC - America channel on cable.

Love it.

Sleepy, but for good reasons

Not much happening on the Tracy front these days....I am soooo sleepy today. Did too much this weekend, or maybe need to do more things every day.

I drove to Abilene Friday, had to be there by 3:00p to pick up the kids from school and pulled into the parking lot at 2:55p - cutting it kinda close but made it. Enjoyed babysitting them for 24 hours....we didn't do much, except stay at the house and play on the computers and watch a little TV, but it is always fun to hang out with them. Somehow, I managed to stay up Friday night until 4:00a though and was feeling it when the kids got me up at 7:30a the next morning.

Got home Saturday night around 7p - tired....managed to make myself go to bed at midnight. Worked yesterday for 8 hours, and was tired.

Last night, I met my aunt and uncle, Jim and Joan for dinner - we ate at The Cheesecake Factory, it was yummy and I now have 4 TO GO containers in my fridge with dinner leftovers and 3 kinds of cheesecake....yum. We went back to their hotel and chatted until about 11:00p and I was tired. Came home and manged to stay up until 2:30a - for some unknown reason and then tossed and turned.

So, needless to say, today I am exhausted.....luckily, so far we have been moderately quiet at work and I have no plans tonight, so I am going to MAKE MYSELF go to bed early.

Ha. We'll see.

My last $20.....

....so, there is this website I go to sometimes and they have this feature called 'Writer's Block' - basically it gives you a question or topic you can write about in your blog when you can't come up with anything. So, here is today's question/topic :

List three things you'd buy with your last $20. One practical, one frivolous and one of your choosing.

OK, I guess I have to make some assumptions here in order to answer this....so I guess I am going to say, this is my last $20 and I homeless, in other words, I don't have all my other stuff.

Hmmm, one practical, probably some kind of container, something I can eat out of, maybe drink out of and carry stuff in. Frivolous, hair clips or rubber bands, I guess...and my choosing, a deck of cards.

What would you buy, assuming the same thing....you are homeless and this is your last $20.

Chinese food, good.

Didn't go to eat Chinese the other night because my friend Charles had to work late. So we went last night, it was yummy. I don't go eat Chinese that often and it is kind of mine and Charles's one thing we still do together I guess. I forgot to bring my fortune home but it was something about working as a team this week.

I started thinking today about what clothes I am going to bring for vacation. I checked the weather.com website for average temp in Navarre, FL for that time of year, and it looks like it could get cool in the evenings. Here are the averages for the timeframe we are there [graphic didn't turn out very good - sorry] :

So this looks perfect to me as long as it is sunny. I think capris and shorts are definitely the casual wear required and possibly a couple pair of pants. Crocs, flip flops and one pair of tennis shoes and I am golden. More planning to come.

Contracts

OK people....I wasn't going to have a topic to blog about today but my customers have given me one, well, one customer in particular.

When you sign a contract with someone, READ IT.

Now, I am not necessarily saying read EVERY word, not many of us do...thus the jokes about the fine print but for goodness sake, read SOME OF IT, like the part that says TERM and the part that says FEES and the part about CANCELLING/RENEWING.

I had a customer call today saying her bank account was overdrawn by $800. Why? Well, I am looking at two contracts she signed with us. One for a retail store and one is for her internet business. Each of them are 3 years contracts, with a monthly minimum fee of $25 and a statement fee of $7. So even if they do not have a single sale, they are billed at least $32 a month. They've been open since 10/2007.

She says she has called in before and cannot understand this and that when she signed the contracts she wasn't really opening her business yet, just getting things in order and never put ANY money in her business bank accounts. So we have been billing her $32 for each location each month for 4 months - we charge non-sufficient funds fees every month, her bank charges non-sufficient funds fees every month and now she is $800 overdrawn from all the fees and she hasn't sold a thing at her business yet.

People, read contracts. Once you sign one, make sure you have money in the bank in case there are fees, which you should know if you read the contract. And, lastly, don't wait 4 months to call and figure it out.

That is all.

About me

I decided it was time to do an update on the "about me" section at the top right of my blog so I revamped it a bit yesterday. I updated the number of years my parents have been married and added a little more about me and what I enjoy and do in my offtime. Any questions ? Ask them here and I will blog you an answer.

Had a fun night at No Frills Grill last night, when Barry [Corbin] got there for dinner there were no booths available [which he prefers] so I waved him over to sit with us until there was one. He did and sat with us for about 30 minutes. He was super nice and chatted with us quite a bit.

It's a rainy cold mess here today - no big plans all day except to hang out inside and then I am meeting Charles later for dinner - Chinese ! - Yum !

Cactus Farmer

So, I am trying to grow cactuses [I guess that is the plural of cactus] - anyway, I bought this little cactus greenhouse. You've seen 'em at WalMart or around. It is like this little plastic container and it has 6 little pots, 6 little soil pellets and seeds. I planted them like 2 weeks ago and so far nothing, not one little bit of life poking through yet and I thought I would see something by now.

My grandfather used to have cactuses in his office, so I thought I would continue the tradition in my home office but perhaps I do not have the cactus green thumb .... we'll see. More cactus updates to come.

Yay, Ouch and Ugh

Yay ! - the writer's strike is over. I'm sure the deal isn't EXACTLY what they wanted but I am proud of them for holding out for something they can live with as fair. PLUS I will now get a few new episodes of my favorite shows before summer.

Ouch ! - somehow, and I have no idea how, I pulled a muscle in my side while I was in the shower Sunday, and now it is like a charlie horse. You know, the pain is gone 90% of the time, but if I move just so, it wants to hurt again. I think I need to start taking a multi-vitamin.

Ugh ! - it's official, I am old. Yesterday, Sony BMG and Michael Jackson released a new album THRILLER 25 which is a special 25 year anniversary edition of the original album which I feel certain was just released a couple of years ago......apparently not.

Here I am....

.....so here I am. Alive and well. Apparently, I have been so busy doing nothing it has kept me away from the blog. So, I am going to school and working.

Recent news :

I'm getting excited about vacation - one week in sunny Florida in March with the whole family [sans brother-in-law] at a campground with mom and dad's trailer and a cabin. Can't wait for a week of rest and relaxation. I plan to visit, play games, hang out, write and generally chillax. I need to add a countdown clock to the blog.

Part one of job changes, I am getting a new schedule effective IMMEDIATELY - I am now working 8a - 5p CST Sunday thru Thursday [off Friday/Saturday] - this still fits with my school schedule and puts me back on days, which I am actually happy about....other than I have to adjust my sleeping and quit staying up until 2am....more on this later.

There was a coupon in the paper this weekend for M & Ms, for Valentine's Day, they are selling bags of ALL GREEN M & Ms....ha ha !

That's all I got right now.

I love THE DAVE

What is THE DAVE you may be asking. Here it is :

There is this store called IKEA which is a home furnishings store - kinda, I don't know, Swedish style I guess, they name stuff weird names and this is my new laptop desk - called THE DAVE. I bought it yesterday and I may never leave my apartment again. I love it.

OK - so, what else. Last week I spent getting my major switched over to Math and now I am registered for Spanish I and Pre-Calculus for this semester. Once I get thru pre-calc, I can sign up for all kinds of math classes to get the show on the road.

I'm trying to figure out a unique and creative way to get in on the textbook buying selling thing, because surely when you sell me a book for $108.00 and then you buy it back for $18.00 there is money to be made, right ? UGH.

Classes start this week - I'll post a schedule some time this week. All of my favorite shows are winding down on new episodes, only one or two weeks to go - very depressing. I hope the writer's strike is resolved soon.

Check ya later, calculators.