I am a lamb.....Baaaaa

You Are A: Lamb!

Peaceful and gentle, lambs have been used in religious imagery for millennia. Lambs are baby sheep, an animal tended by shephards since the dawn of history. As a lamb, you tend to stay together in a flock and graze on grassy land. Lambs don't mind being led and tend not to go off on their own.

You were almost a: Groundhog or a Duckling
You are least like a: Turtle or a ChipmunkWhat Cute Animal Are You?

EMPLOYER WANTED

Dedicated, creative, computer literate individual would like to work for a company who values a good work ethic; who believes in supporting its employees as the employees do their job to better the company; who doesn't tolerant big-headness or a "that ain't my job" attitude; who expects its employees to work together "for the cause"; who embraces the employees other talents that may not fall in their job description; who believes in their employees and actually asks for their input on how to do something better; who gives freely their encouragement and tries to make the workplace a fun place to work.

Dream on, right?

It's just 'stuff"

I had a conversation today with a lady at work about the victims of Katrina. She is suppose to get a displaced family to come and live with her and her daughter. Although I admire her good-nature and big heart, I told her that I don't think I could do it. I'm not so trusting. I work all day. What would this family do while I was gone? I know, I'm too cynical but I can just imagine my laptop, 34" screen televlsion, stereo, CD collection just walking out the door of my home. I told her this. She said, "It's just stuff. If they need it that bad, then so be it...they can take it."

Yeah, it's just stuff but it's my stuff. And yes, the chances of this family being a good family is greater the chances of them being bad people. I guess I believe that. But you just never know and that's what stops me.

I believe my things are things and that if a hurricane or tornato (I'm in Oklahoma, remember) came through and took them from me but left my husband, dog and me in tact, I would be very grateful. Losing them would not be so bad. But if they left me because of someone else's doing, that would be something different. If that makes me materialistic...well, I am.

I am helping out someone who is a victim of Katrina. My friend, John, has a gentleman staying with him who has been displaced. His name is Jose and although I haven't met him yet, I want to help. I put up a flyer at work asking for donations of clothing. I have some people willing and able (they have clothes that will fit him) to donate. I'm glad for that.

I do feel like I'm doing my part. Yes, I could do more, but something is better than nothing, right?

The holiday is over...

Today I took a nap in the middle of the day! And you know why I took a nap? Because I could!!!! Man, I love days like that. I wasn't overly constructive but we did do some things today that needed to get done. We trimmed the hedges. Did laundry. Cooked some foods to have during the week. Life is good.

We also re-connected with our neighbors across the street. I'm so happy for that opportunity. I feel so isolated from my neighbors and I know it is partly my fault because I don't always put myself out there. I think about it a lot but I am a little shy, I guess. Phil is even worse than me. Of course, once the ice is broken we are good.

I remember when our neighbors next door moved in. Phil and I were like Doug and Carrie on The King of Queens.

We had visions of a nice mid-age couple without kids (or grown kids) from out of town who knew nobody so we could become fast friends...maybe even put a gate in between our fences for easy access to each other's yard. Or maybe get one of those pool ladders to straddle the fence. We'd sit in one of our yards, drink beer, maybe get one of those outdoor fireplace so we could sit out there all year round. Of course we'd go over to each other houses, play dominos, eat pizza, watch football.

When they moved in, I wanted to go over pretty quick as they unpacked...you know, stake our claim "They're our friends, gosh darn it!" Phil was more resistant. He wanted to wait but as I walked over, he followed me...tagging along. We went though the usual stuff, names, where they are from, occupations, etc. It was good but far from my visions. Oh, they are nice people but they have lived here all their lives. They don't need any more friends and they are surrounded by family. So we are just on a first name over the fence bases.

We have never gotten invited over. Yes, I haven't invited them either but that is because my house isn't child proof and what do you do with two little kids while the adults pay dominos. It would be so much easier if they invited us over. It's been two yaars and it hasn't happened. Phil and I are okay with it, just wish it was different.

I think about the reports you hear on the news where one neighbor is slain in their house and the other neighbor says to the news camera, "Oh, they just kept to themselves. It's a real shame," as they nod their head in disbelief. I don't want to be like that. I really want a sense of a community. I guess I will have to work on this.

Angel over Philip

Hey all. I think this photo is amazing. The picture behind us is really a jigsaw puzzle our friend Tim put together and then had mounted and framed. Tell me you don't see the angel over Philip's head? I swear, I did not doctor this photo up.

Commercial

Have you seen that commercial where the lady is in a row boat with her boyfriend or gentleman caller and suddenly her eyes light up and the announcers start singing..."Gotta go, gotta go..gotta go right now." She has a condition where her bladder needs to be emptied often. I have to wonder, does she not know she has this? Is this the first time this has happened to her? The announcer comes on and lets us all know, she has a reoccuring condition. So my question is why they hell does she get in a row boat in the first place? Did she think the seat lifted up and a toilet appeared? What's up with that?

First Night of school

Well, it had to happen. The summer had to end and school had to start again. Generally I like the end of summer because that means the beginning of fall which is my favorite season...cooler weather, football, the sun isn't so friggin bright on my peepers...but I'm not excited about school this time. I'm taking a 2000 level class on Magazine editing. It's not doing anything for me. Fortunately it's once a week, albeit for three hours every Tuesday from 7:30-10:30.

I had the instructor before for Feature Writing. I snagged an A there although, I have to say, I really deserved it. I managed to get three features published in Oklahoma Women . This was last May, July and September. That was good exposer.

Anyway, maybe there will be kids (yeah right, let's go with that) my age in class. At least I know the instructor is older than me, but not by much. I am what they call a "non-traditional" student. This basically means, I could have given birth to most of the kids in my classes. Okay, not all of them but that would be a good story.

Time for class.

Eddie's Bastard

I just finished this book by William Kowalski. It was so good. He's a great storyteller. The books takes place in Mannville, NY, a fictious town on Lake Erie. The cool part, for me, is that although the town doesn't exist the surrounding towns do. It mentions Angola, NY which is where I grew up, for real! The loved the reference to Buffalo, NY. It made the book that much more fun to read. This is the first book Kowalski wrote that was set in Mannville. I also read his second, The Adventures of Flash Jackson. That was good too but sometimes he got hung up on unneccessary details. I liked them both.

Okay....now I have to do some of my own writing.

Got a confession to make...

Phil went home yesterday..for 11 days! I feel so bad because as I sit here at work I think, "I'm home alone!" and I feel...glee! Pure unadulterated GLEE!!!! I feel guilty about this, but I can't help but feel happy about not having to be subject to baseball on the television or on the Internet; not having to eat at certain scheduled times; not having to plan my getting-ready-for-work activities around anyone elses schedule. I can have Cherios for dinner if I want! I can read in the livingroom because I can keep the television--a novel idea--OFF! I can get a pizza for dinner and it will last me 5 meals! How bad am I?

I might get really deviant too and get a coconut cream pie and eat the whole friggin thing myself right from the TIN...no using a plate (not in one sitting, I'm not THAT bad).

For 11 days I can work on my writing; clean the house; organize my "stuff"; read all the books I have out of the library ...4 right now! Be free!!! Be free!!!! How bad am I?

Check out the Biker Chicks...

I just had to post this here.

Senseless Rules

I have just been informed that i can not listen to the radio after work hours. Even though only a handful of people are here, I can not put on the radio. Okay...whatever. I will do what I need to do to stay employed no matter how totally illogical and petty it might be! It's their rules. If they say I can't wear purple to work, then, by golly, I guess I won't be wearing purple. Never mind the fact there are more important things to dwell on. I'm a reasonable person...especially when faced with the realization I have no other choice.

I am so bad..

Phil is mad at me. I gave away our guest bed. It's a queen and I would love to keep it but I really want to use that room for more than the once a year guest we get and a place to store all fifty zillion TV Guides Phil has collected since Bill Clinton was President.

To be truthful, I had "donation remorse" too. A girl at work said her friend, a single woman, mother of four, was in need of a bed. I've been wanting to get rid of the bed for a while and buy a daybed for the guest room for some time now. I caustionly put my plan into motion when I saw a daybed for sale at an area antiques shop on Broadway. Phil turned a deaf ear to my plan but for some reason I was compelled to move forward with it. Part of me didn't want to "give" it away but then I thought it was against the law to sell mattresses and the next thing I knew I was making a sign for the billetin board in the lunch room. I didn't even put the sign up. Three girls in my department all spoke up for it. They verbally duked it out and decided to give it the person who needed it the most. The winner being the single mom of four. Phil was none to happy when I told him the news.

This morning I went to the antique store to buy the bed...yeah! My luck..it was gone. So the guest bed is now in the pickup bed of Regina's husband's truck on route to a worthy destination, no doubt and my plan has staled.

My new mission is to find a cheap day bed somewhere. Oh, and try to get Phil out of his begruntly charitible funk.

Just an observation...

If there is one thing I am sure of, without a doubt, it is my sexual orientation. That being said, I wish to relay a observation.

Yesterday one of the ladies I work with got a visit from her daughter and her grandkids. The daughter has three kids, one is 3 years old, the other is not two yet and the youngest is 4 weeks. The mother (not the one I work with but the daughter) is a woman of substantial substance. She was wearing a low cut shirt over her ample bossom. Now I have no particular attraction to anyone's bossem but I couldn't help but look...like an accident scene. These things were huge! I'm sure lactating has helped this endevour but I can't even understand how she can stand erect. I didn't get a clear look, not that I wanted one, but I could only imagine they would be like soggy pumperknickle bread loaves with nipples on them. They hung down to her waist. The girl is no more than 25 years old but gravity is not being kind to her even now. I just couldn't believe they could be so big!

No More Books for Me

Yesterday I finished a novel I've been reading for a few days. I was on the stationary bike at the Y with only 27 pages left to read. I ended up staying on the bike longer than my 20 minutes because I just had to finish the darn thing.

"The End!" I proclaimed to no one in particular. The lady one bike down from me didn't even flitch...her headset affixed to her like it belonged there.

I was thinking I should stop at the library and get another book or maybe I could wait until today It made me a little anxious to know I didn't have a book to read. Could I possibly wait until Sunday to go? Not that I don't have enough blog reading to do. I waited...watched a movie, read some blogs, played my Pop Drop game on myway.com.

I worked today. Yes, burned that Sunday oil. Afterward, I went to the library. I combed the isles looking for the book...that one that would grab me, throw me against the wall and scream "read me! read me!" Nothing suited me. Then I got to thinking...reading other people's books is a procrastinating tool my psychy or something inside me uses to get me to not write one myself. So often, when I start reading a book it brings up thoughts of what I could say. I even wrote this blog in my head on the way home...one the way home bookless. The book stops here, people. No more procrasting. I have to seriously write something. This is starting to piss me off because I know I can. I just got to do it.

Gotta clean my house.

I need drugs

At the office, here, we have this medicine chest. It's up on the wall in one of the coffee areas. It is filled with aspirin, non-aspirin, cold capsules, sinus pills, allergy pills, etc. Each one come in little wrappers, two pills per wrapper. It's a wonderful perk for the company to think of supplying us with the medicines we need to keep our heads up high enough to do our jobs. The problem is...there is NEVER any Valium or Darvoset in there. I really think that's not right! It doesn't matter what time of the day I go into it, it is always out! I spoke to management about this and they are going to look into it. My thinking is, the person who replenishes the supply is hording the Valium and they should be punished. We'll have to see how that goes.

I'm in Charge!

My boss is out today as was my co-worker. This means I'm in charge! I'm in charge of myself. I think I might be taking this a little too seriously. I've been really cracking the whip...really pushing myself around a lot. I even sexually harrassed myself! Yeah! I kept slapping myself on the butt saying, "Good job, honey, good job!" I suppose I should go downstairs and report myself to management. I really shouldn't be allowed to do this. I mean there are laws you have to follow when you're in charge. This is gross misconduct on my part. Somebody needs to sit me down and really give me a good talking to. I'll let you know how it works out.

Playground and Toy Boxes ...Yeah Right

Okay, here's a photo of two businesses near my house. Oklahoma Playgrounds is a company that makes playsets for kids. And so appropiately...if there's a playgound, why not a 'toy box?' There's Christie's Toy Box right next door. Hello? They don't sell jacks and balls there, okay maybe they do sell balls....ones that come with an AC adaptor. How funny is that?

If you got it....

This woman is totally naked. Her clothes, or what you see on her have been painted on her. Well, except for the high heels...they're real. How funny is that?

Hello!

I was recently reminded of a situation where my hands ended up getting thrown in the air and my eyeballs hit the ceiling. On July 2nd I was vacationing in WNY and I went to my brother's house for a pre-July 4th party. My mother, who everyone was expecting at Ed's house, decided she wasn't up to going so it was just me and my dad. We walk into the back yard together and head out to the tent where everyone is sitting, standing, drinking, what have you. This women who I do not remember looks at me and says, "Mary!" Mary is my mom and yes we look like mother and daughter but to be accused of being her seems to me to be a stretch.

"Um....she's 70!!!" I find myself saying out loud. "Hello!" This does not set well with me all night.

****

Yesterday my husband and I went to Target to get a few things. This is one of those Target Supersavers so you can buy all kinds of stuff. Phil goes to the grocery section while I check out the sports bras (started to jump rope at the Y...yeah...need a little support there.) I meet up with Phil in the frozen foods. We go to the check out. I start to read the magazines but I remember the bra and I know Phil is embarrassed to be buying it without a woman with him. I head to the other end, next to where you sign your name on the credit machine thingy. I'm watching the checker lady. Phil had placed the bra on the check out belt. Had I been in line, I wouldn't have even set it down but I know Phil is too embarrassed to do that. The bra is the last thing to go get scanned. Checkout lady puts it in the same sack as the bananas! I'm like "Hello!"
"Did you not show up for 'purchase packing' class?" I step up and remove the bra from the bananas and ask for another bag. "She's 70!" rings through my head.

Stop the world, I want to get off

There is so much bad stuff in the world today I just feel like ignoring it and burying my head in the sand and hoping it just goes away. I know I should be more socially conscience but I just don't want to be. Ignorance is not only bliss, it's what gets me up each day. I feel if I turn a deaf ear or a blind eye to what I have no control over, I'll do better for me. Now, this is not to say that if something were happening right outside my door, I would act the same but events thousands of miles away..I just feel it's okay to be ignorant. Does anyone agree with me? It's okay if you don't because I can pretty much turn a deaf ear/blind eye to that too. I feel bad for all the turmoil terrorists are doing but what really can I do?

I was at the Y today and there was a couple in their, I imagine, 70s doing some exercises on little blue mats right off the indoor track. I found myself so drawn to them. I really wanted to ask them if they needed anything; if they could use a little instruction...anything. I wanted to talk to them. Now, here is something I know I can help out - I can make a difference (albeit on a much smaller scale). I love working with seniors and I really should find a place where I do that. Or more of it. They were laying down and when they got up, I so much wanted to race to their sides to help them steady themselves. I didn't feel comfortable but I did watch them to see if they were at all wobbly...fortunately they were not. (Had they been, I would have gone over to them in a heartbeat.) I did finally ask the woman when she came over to the machine I had finished with if she needed any help. She said, "No, it's all programmed into the machine, but thanks for asking." So she knew more than I thought she would know. I wanted to congratulate her for her dedication to exercise. It's over 100 degrees here and it's uncomfortable to be out in it even to run from AC to AC.

Anyway, I guess what I am trying to say is that I need to be in some control. I certainly don't have any on world issues so I need to just concentrate on the local.