Economists See Growing Signs of Recession
WHAT???!!!?!?
I'm shocked.
26 February 2008
22 February 2008
Pregnancy 101
MOTHER
Name:: Angie
Date of Birth:: 2-25
Place of Birth:: Las Vegas
Current Location:: Texas
Hair:: Red
Eyes:: Green
Height:: 4'10" and a half
FATHER
Name:: David
Date of Birth:: 12-6
Place of Birth:: Agua Dulce
Current Location:: Texas
Hair:: Black & gray
Eyes:: brown
Height:: 5'7"
THE PREGNANCY
Were you planning to have a baby?: Nope
When did you conceive?: Oct 10
How did you find out you were pregnant?: Kept getting nauseated, tired all the time. Took a test, bam! Two lines
When did you get you first go to the doctor?: Haven't been to a doctor. First midiwfe appointment was Dec. 21
Do you know the gender?: Not yet
What names do you have picked out?: Jayson or Alyson
Does the baby move a lot?: Yep
How is the baby's heartbeat?: Fine - 136 at last appointment
First change you noticed in your body?: Same as always - tired all the time
Have you taken birthing classes yet?: Don't need to. I could TEACH them.
When is the baby due?: July 3
Where are you having the baby?: Gentle Beginnings Birth Center
Are you scared to give birth?: Nope
Are you going to breastfeed or use the bottle?: Boobies, all the way
What's the nursery theme?: Crammed into bed with mom for lack of room - but wouldn't have a "nursery" anyway
Have you had morning sickness?: Until about week 15
Any cravings?: Salty stuff and carbs
How much weight have you gained?: About 8 pounds so far
Do you still feel attractive?: Pregnant women rock, so yeah
How do you feel when people touch your belly?: Depends on who it is. Most people, get the fuck off me.
Do you talk to your tummy?: Only inside my own head. Not out loud.
Do you have any Godparents picked out?: Uh, no.
Is this your first baby?: Not even CLOSE.
Do you think you'll be a good parent?: *I* will be, he sucks as one.
What religion do you want him/her to be?: None. I want them to choose their own
Would you let someone videotape the birth?: Not on your life.
Natural or Medicated birth?: Totally natural
Have you had Braxton Hicks Contractions?: Yep.
Worst thing about being pregnant?: This time it's the acne. I don't usually have an issue with that, though.
Best thing about being pregnant?: My boobies came back. Nice to see ya, girls.
Name:: Angie
Date of Birth:: 2-25
Place of Birth:: Las Vegas
Current Location:: Texas
Hair:: Red
Eyes:: Green
Height:: 4'10" and a half
FATHER
Name:: David
Date of Birth:: 12-6
Place of Birth:: Agua Dulce
Current Location:: Texas
Hair:: Black & gray
Eyes:: brown
Height:: 5'7"
THE PREGNANCY
Were you planning to have a baby?: Nope
When did you conceive?: Oct 10
How did you find out you were pregnant?: Kept getting nauseated, tired all the time. Took a test, bam! Two lines
When did you get you first go to the doctor?: Haven't been to a doctor. First midiwfe appointment was Dec. 21
Do you know the gender?: Not yet
What names do you have picked out?: Jayson or Alyson
Does the baby move a lot?: Yep
How is the baby's heartbeat?: Fine - 136 at last appointment
First change you noticed in your body?: Same as always - tired all the time
Have you taken birthing classes yet?: Don't need to. I could TEACH them.
When is the baby due?: July 3
Where are you having the baby?: Gentle Beginnings Birth Center
Are you scared to give birth?: Nope
Are you going to breastfeed or use the bottle?: Boobies, all the way
What's the nursery theme?: Crammed into bed with mom for lack of room - but wouldn't have a "nursery" anyway
Have you had morning sickness?: Until about week 15
Any cravings?: Salty stuff and carbs
How much weight have you gained?: About 8 pounds so far
Do you still feel attractive?: Pregnant women rock, so yeah
How do you feel when people touch your belly?: Depends on who it is. Most people, get the fuck off me.
Do you talk to your tummy?: Only inside my own head. Not out loud.
Do you have any Godparents picked out?: Uh, no.
Is this your first baby?: Not even CLOSE.
Do you think you'll be a good parent?: *I* will be, he sucks as one.
What religion do you want him/her to be?: None. I want them to choose their own
Would you let someone videotape the birth?: Not on your life.
Natural or Medicated birth?: Totally natural
Have you had Braxton Hicks Contractions?: Yep.
Worst thing about being pregnant?: This time it's the acne. I don't usually have an issue with that, though.
Best thing about being pregnant?: My boobies came back. Nice to see ya, girls.
21 February 2008
Another Year Older
My birthday is Monday. At 34 years, I guess I can officially say I've entered my mid-30s. Doesn't make me feel too old. Being able to say "I have a teenaged daughter..." now THAT makes me feel old. Especially when placed alongside the fact that I'm 5 months pregnant with my 6th child.
I'm starting to just feel tired, now.
Anyway, I don't expect any gifts. I will be surprised if anyone but my 4-year old son (almost 5, he won't let you forget it) even acknowleges it. Which is okay (and my son just wants another excuse to have cake). In any case, if anyone gets a wild hair, and really feels like getting me a darned thing, here's some gift ideas.
I spent the morning on Amazon.com, and have come up with a rather comprehensive list of the things that would certainly make me happy.... or at least give me some really cool conversation pieces...
First, there's this:
JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank
If you're going to get me a personal tank, be sure to include the optional Defense Package... I'd like the swivel-based .50 caliber machine gun and side-mounted surface-to-air missile launchers. A nice infrared radar system would be cool, too.
If that's a little pricey, try:
Elk Carcass
Nothing says "Happy Birthday" like a little carcass. You got to read the reviews on this product - it's beyond hilarious.
Cheaper still:
Radioactive sample of Uranium Ore
My Geiger counter has been acting up lately, and I just don't know what to do about it. Is it the batteries, or is it just old? Maybe time for a new one? Before I throw it out, I'd like to test it... and this is the perfect thing.
In case I get popped for a random drug test, I'll have:
Dr. John’s Famous Pee-Pee
Perfect for those irritating urinalysis tests that always seem to get sprung on you just after that wild weekend crack party you hosted at your place. This stuff is guaranteed to be in every way just like real (but clean) urine. Since they usually watch you pee in the cup, though, how you solve the problem of delivering it at body temperature to the lab tech is up to you.
I know I'm clean, but just for laughs, for that drug test I think I'll use:
100% Wolf Urine
There's nothing like the smell of wild canine piss in the morning. I've always wanted to see if I could lure a slavering, bloodthirsty beast onto my balcony - and this is just the thing. If nothing else, it'll drive the neighbor's dog absolutely nuts.
Happy shopping folks! And if nothing else, cash and gift cards are always welcome.
I'm starting to just feel tired, now.
Anyway, I don't expect any gifts. I will be surprised if anyone but my 4-year old son (almost 5, he won't let you forget it) even acknowleges it. Which is okay (and my son just wants another excuse to have cake). In any case, if anyone gets a wild hair, and really feels like getting me a darned thing, here's some gift ideas.
I spent the morning on Amazon.com, and have come up with a rather comprehensive list of the things that would certainly make me happy.... or at least give me some really cool conversation pieces...
First, there's this:
JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank
If you're going to get me a personal tank, be sure to include the optional Defense Package... I'd like the swivel-based .50 caliber machine gun and side-mounted surface-to-air missile launchers. A nice infrared radar system would be cool, too.
If that's a little pricey, try:
Elk Carcass
Nothing says "Happy Birthday" like a little carcass. You got to read the reviews on this product - it's beyond hilarious.
Cheaper still:
Radioactive sample of Uranium Ore
My Geiger counter has been acting up lately, and I just don't know what to do about it. Is it the batteries, or is it just old? Maybe time for a new one? Before I throw it out, I'd like to test it... and this is the perfect thing.
In case I get popped for a random drug test, I'll have:
Dr. John’s Famous Pee-Pee
Perfect for those irritating urinalysis tests that always seem to get sprung on you just after that wild weekend crack party you hosted at your place. This stuff is guaranteed to be in every way just like real (but clean) urine. Since they usually watch you pee in the cup, though, how you solve the problem of delivering it at body temperature to the lab tech is up to you.
I know I'm clean, but just for laughs, for that drug test I think I'll use:
100% Wolf Urine
There's nothing like the smell of wild canine piss in the morning. I've always wanted to see if I could lure a slavering, bloodthirsty beast onto my balcony - and this is just the thing. If nothing else, it'll drive the neighbor's dog absolutely nuts.
Happy shopping folks! And if nothing else, cash and gift cards are always welcome.
08 February 2008
Huh?
I totally did NOT understand this headline when I first read it:
Man in Light Shooting Hands Out Bears
My initial thought was…”what??? WTF does THAT mean??”
I sat there and stared at it until my head hurt. Then I read the story and it made sense. Not very interesting, and I still have a headache, but at least I understood it.
http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/02/07/1285542-man-in-light-shooting-hands-out-bears
It’s the headline that was worth mentioning because I completely did not get it. And I’m pretty smart… but it made me feel like I was thoroughly missing something.
I hate that feeling.
Man in Light Shooting Hands Out Bears
My initial thought was…”what??? WTF does THAT mean??”
I sat there and stared at it until my head hurt. Then I read the story and it made sense. Not very interesting, and I still have a headache, but at least I understood it.
http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/02/07/1285542-man-in-light-shooting-hands-out-bears
It’s the headline that was worth mentioning because I completely did not get it. And I’m pretty smart… but it made me feel like I was thoroughly missing something.
I hate that feeling.
05 February 2008
Things that don't surprise me
Wall Street Stocks Slump Again
Why does this seem to be such huge news? The economy sucks. All the politicians and media-hounds who say otherwise are just in denial, or trying to cover their asses.
Kids With ADHD Are More Likely To Be Bullies
All the bullies I remember in school were the ones with attention problems, back then called "hyperactive" or "problem children." The geeky little bookworms (like me) were the ones GETTING bullied.
Roger Clemens Denies Steroid Use
Like he's gonna admit it. The only celebrity I have ever seen who admits using growth hormones is Stallone. He's even proud of it.
And, my favorite:
Huckabee Wins in West Virginia
It's the only possible place he COULD have won. That's what happens when you let hillbillies vote before making them learn how to read. They're going to pick the candidate with the name that sounds best to them.
Why does this seem to be such huge news? The economy sucks. All the politicians and media-hounds who say otherwise are just in denial, or trying to cover their asses.
Kids With ADHD Are More Likely To Be Bullies
All the bullies I remember in school were the ones with attention problems, back then called "hyperactive" or "problem children." The geeky little bookworms (like me) were the ones GETTING bullied.
Roger Clemens Denies Steroid Use
Like he's gonna admit it. The only celebrity I have ever seen who admits using growth hormones is Stallone. He's even proud of it.
And, my favorite:
Huckabee Wins in West Virginia
It's the only possible place he COULD have won. That's what happens when you let hillbillies vote before making them learn how to read. They're going to pick the candidate with the name that sounds best to them.
25 January 2008
55 words for Friday
Here's my contribution for the Friday 55 - a short story in fifty-five words exactly.
********************************
Sunlight streaming through the window makes a bright patch on the rug, highlighting myriad colors swirling into patterns: some fiber, some fur. Gracefully, fluidly, the repetition of stripes flows upwards, stretching outward, turning clockwise before curling back into the compact form of the drowsy cat, blending like camouflage into the background of her naptime nest.
********************************
********************************
Sunlight streaming through the window makes a bright patch on the rug, highlighting myriad colors swirling into patterns: some fiber, some fur. Gracefully, fluidly, the repetition of stripes flows upwards, stretching outward, turning clockwise before curling back into the compact form of the drowsy cat, blending like camouflage into the background of her naptime nest.
********************************
22 January 2008
Congratulations, Cheneys!
Welcome to the newest addition to the Bloop, Kaia Madeline Cheney!
What a beautiful name for the little one.
Congratulations, you guys! All the best to your family!
What a beautiful name for the little one.
Congratulations, you guys! All the best to your family!
21 January 2008
Mass Frenzy...
...over nothing.
It starts out with a few people seeing some small orange lights in the evening sky. By the time it’s over, there’s a major UFO research group scouring the area and the small town has landed on international news.
I’m speaking, of course, of Stephenville, Texas, January 2008. Or Roswell, circa mid-1940s. Whatever. Different date, same story.
Some folks who were in a helicopter flying over the area at the time (Stephenville time, anyway) saw the mysterious lights from a distance. Being a former military pilot, the guy flying the chopper recognized them for what they were: flares. Military test flights dropping flares off in the distance. Simple, yet nothing the military will talk about because, after all, that type of thing is top-secret to someone, somewhere.
Now, however, there are Area Residents Who Are Telling Their Stories, and from small orange lights in the distance, it's become giant glowing blue lights hovering over town, reports of bouncing, glowing objects picked up by an infrared camera (who has infrared surveillance cameras on a FARM???), and one woman EVEN saw two saucer-shaped objects larger than a football field.
I wonder how everyone else missed that? Personally, I think if there were saucer-shaped plate-things 100 yards long hovering in the sky, THAT would have certainly made the news first - forget about small orange lights in the distance. Everyone seemed to have seen something, yet only that lady witnessed flying saucers. (I imagine her with curlers, in a floral housecoat, missing a few teeth, pale arm flashing into the sky as she gestures towards the distance above her trailer to show the reporter where the visitors hovered.)
The sheer, raging stupidity of the mass of sheep that call themselves modern, evolved and educated human beings utterly boggles my mind at times.
It starts out with a few people seeing some small orange lights in the evening sky. By the time it’s over, there’s a major UFO research group scouring the area and the small town has landed on international news.
I’m speaking, of course, of Stephenville, Texas, January 2008. Or Roswell, circa mid-1940s. Whatever. Different date, same story.
Some folks who were in a helicopter flying over the area at the time (Stephenville time, anyway) saw the mysterious lights from a distance. Being a former military pilot, the guy flying the chopper recognized them for what they were: flares. Military test flights dropping flares off in the distance. Simple, yet nothing the military will talk about because, after all, that type of thing is top-secret to someone, somewhere.
Now, however, there are Area Residents Who Are Telling Their Stories, and from small orange lights in the distance, it's become giant glowing blue lights hovering over town, reports of bouncing, glowing objects picked up by an infrared camera (who has infrared surveillance cameras on a FARM???), and one woman EVEN saw two saucer-shaped objects larger than a football field.
I wonder how everyone else missed that? Personally, I think if there were saucer-shaped plate-things 100 yards long hovering in the sky, THAT would have certainly made the news first - forget about small orange lights in the distance. Everyone seemed to have seen something, yet only that lady witnessed flying saucers. (I imagine her with curlers, in a floral housecoat, missing a few teeth, pale arm flashing into the sky as she gestures towards the distance above her trailer to show the reporter where the visitors hovered.)
The sheer, raging stupidity of the mass of sheep that call themselves modern, evolved and educated human beings utterly boggles my mind at times.
10 January 2008
7 Things About Me!
The creative and inspiring James Goodman tagged lil' old me for this meme. I feel honored. This is how it works:
I’ll think of 7 things that you all don’t know about me. That could be interesting, because as you know, I'm not very secretive about my life! Between surveys and random rants, I've spilled a lot of guts lately...
Now for The Rules:
---Link to the person who tagged you;
---Leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours;
---Post the rules on your blog;
---Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog;
---Tag 7 random people at the end of your post;
---Include links to their blogs;
---Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Seven Things About Me:
1. I cannot wink with my right eye. I can tip the left one shut by itself with no problem, but when the right one closes, so does the left.
2. As a child, I only lost two baby teeth by myself. The rest had to be pulled by a dentist, due to abnormally long roots that didn't dissolve. The last one to come out was yanked by a specialist when I was 18.
3. I haven't been to a barber shop or beauty salon for a professional haircut in over 4 years. A friend trimmed my hair about 18 months ago, but that's been it... it's just been "growing out" all that time.
4. I was ambidextrous as a child, but lost the ability to write legibly with my left hand sometime in high school.
5. I have 4 tattoos, but I have never even dated a guy who was inked. I was 26 when I got my first one (a botched Star Wars symbol that has since been covered by a large Bacardi bat).
6. I do not like sugar. Of any kind. Fruit, candy, soda, cakes, cookies... they all make me sick. My mother thought it was a food allergy when I was a baby, but testing revealed that I am lacking the tastebuds that most folks have that allow them to enjoy the taste of sweetness. Things still taste sweet to me, they just don't taste good.
7. Although I was not raised by my biological parents, I was never formally adopted by the parents that brought me up. They remained my "legal guardians" throughout my childhood. Because of this, I had to go to court as a teenager to legally change my name from what it read on my birth certificate: Betty Mae Murphy.
That wasn't so hard. Now, let's see... who should go next? I think it should be:
Jerm
Sneff
Cory
Wicasta
Guru
Andia
Truvy
Don't forget to comment here to let me know if you've decided to play along!
I’ll think of 7 things that you all don’t know about me. That could be interesting, because as you know, I'm not very secretive about my life! Between surveys and random rants, I've spilled a lot of guts lately...
Now for The Rules:
---Link to the person who tagged you;
---Leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours;
---Post the rules on your blog;
---Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog;
---Tag 7 random people at the end of your post;
---Include links to their blogs;
---Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
Seven Things About Me:
1. I cannot wink with my right eye. I can tip the left one shut by itself with no problem, but when the right one closes, so does the left.
2. As a child, I only lost two baby teeth by myself. The rest had to be pulled by a dentist, due to abnormally long roots that didn't dissolve. The last one to come out was yanked by a specialist when I was 18.
3. I haven't been to a barber shop or beauty salon for a professional haircut in over 4 years. A friend trimmed my hair about 18 months ago, but that's been it... it's just been "growing out" all that time.
4. I was ambidextrous as a child, but lost the ability to write legibly with my left hand sometime in high school.
5. I have 4 tattoos, but I have never even dated a guy who was inked. I was 26 when I got my first one (a botched Star Wars symbol that has since been covered by a large Bacardi bat).
6. I do not like sugar. Of any kind. Fruit, candy, soda, cakes, cookies... they all make me sick. My mother thought it was a food allergy when I was a baby, but testing revealed that I am lacking the tastebuds that most folks have that allow them to enjoy the taste of sweetness. Things still taste sweet to me, they just don't taste good.
7. Although I was not raised by my biological parents, I was never formally adopted by the parents that brought me up. They remained my "legal guardians" throughout my childhood. Because of this, I had to go to court as a teenager to legally change my name from what it read on my birth certificate: Betty Mae Murphy.
That wasn't so hard. Now, let's see... who should go next? I think it should be:
Jerm
Sneff
Cory
Wicasta
Guru
Andia
Truvy
Don't forget to comment here to let me know if you've decided to play along!
08 January 2008
Flowers
So there's this huge bunch of roses on my desk, in a pretty little glass vase. I haven't gotten flowers in a long time, let alone roses, so I set them up proudly on the reception shelf. Now all day everyone who walks by stops and sniffs them, then compliments them and asks me with a big smile if it's my birthday or anniversary.
It's not. I smile politely and say I helped out some folks, so they got me some flowers. Just that, and the next thing you know, the questions start.. "Wow, you must have really helped! So... uh... you know... what did you do??"
It's not that I am not proud of having helped this family out. And I'm grateful for the beautiful flowers. But, it's such a sad story, and it just wipes the smile right off people's faces. Not wanting to lie, though, and feeling like crap anyway (so I just want these well-meaning folks to go away and leave me alone) I end up telling an abridged version of the sad story.
Several years ago, a middle-aged man worked for here, well not HERE, but for American Airlines in general. He was on the ground crew at the airport. Anyway, he hasn't worked here since 2005. Estranged from his family, he kind of lived his own life and did his own thing.
Last October, he went camping in Utah. Somehow, some way, he went missing. They found his campsite, apparently, but no sign of him. His family, in Colorado, did what they could to locate him, but it's as if he just disappeared.
Until December 23. Two days before Christmas, another camper in the area stumbled upon a body. Based on the proximity to the original campsite of the missing former-AA employee, as well as other factors (presumable clothing and/or jewelry, I'm not sure of the details), the Sherriff's office was fairly certain this was "Tom," and contacted his family to get some more information. Like dental records.
Tom's family did not have this information, and the medical examiner's office in Utah could not release the body without positive medical confirmation of his identity. Their next option? Fingerprints. Tom was among the people who work closely with aircraft at a major post-9/11 airport, so surely the company would have his fingerprints!
This is where I come in. Not knowing who to call, the late Tom's sister called the director of Employee Services on December 26. That was quite possibly the SLOWEST day of the year for the people in the headquarters building of this company. Well, my direct boss is the director of HR - Finance. My other duty is to backfill for the secretary to the Managing Director of... you got it... HR - Delivery, which includes Employee Services. So I caught the call.
Over the next week, I sent the request to five or six different people, managers and directors and their assistants, because the problems was that when they pulled his records from archiving in the Tulsa warehouse, there were no fingerprints in it. Having been ground crew, he did have them, but the fear was that they were digitally archived, and those files are purged 6 months after the employee leaves the company.
Finally, through some miracle, we found a digital copy of Tom's fingerprints. I was able to get them scanned and sent to the medical examiner's office. They confirmed that the body they had was Tom's, providing closure for his family and a chance to lay him to rest properly.
The family sent me the flowers in appreciation of my work to get the prints to the right people. This was their very last option for identification, short of the drawn-out, expensive and emotionally draining process of DNA testing.
So I have beautiful flowers on my desk that make people smile. The story of how they got there is a little sad and depressing. I'm glad I could help this hurting family, whose holiday season turned unexpectedly bittersweet and wrenching. I think, though, that I'll take the flowers home today. They're pretty here on my desk... but it's just a reminder of the strange and sorrowful paths life can sometimes take.
It's not. I smile politely and say I helped out some folks, so they got me some flowers. Just that, and the next thing you know, the questions start.. "Wow, you must have really helped! So... uh... you know... what did you do??"
It's not that I am not proud of having helped this family out. And I'm grateful for the beautiful flowers. But, it's such a sad story, and it just wipes the smile right off people's faces. Not wanting to lie, though, and feeling like crap anyway (so I just want these well-meaning folks to go away and leave me alone) I end up telling an abridged version of the sad story.
Several years ago, a middle-aged man worked for here, well not HERE, but for American Airlines in general. He was on the ground crew at the airport. Anyway, he hasn't worked here since 2005. Estranged from his family, he kind of lived his own life and did his own thing.
Last October, he went camping in Utah. Somehow, some way, he went missing. They found his campsite, apparently, but no sign of him. His family, in Colorado, did what they could to locate him, but it's as if he just disappeared.
Until December 23. Two days before Christmas, another camper in the area stumbled upon a body. Based on the proximity to the original campsite of the missing former-AA employee, as well as other factors (presumable clothing and/or jewelry, I'm not sure of the details), the Sherriff's office was fairly certain this was "Tom," and contacted his family to get some more information. Like dental records.
Tom's family did not have this information, and the medical examiner's office in Utah could not release the body without positive medical confirmation of his identity. Their next option? Fingerprints. Tom was among the people who work closely with aircraft at a major post-9/11 airport, so surely the company would have his fingerprints!
This is where I come in. Not knowing who to call, the late Tom's sister called the director of Employee Services on December 26. That was quite possibly the SLOWEST day of the year for the people in the headquarters building of this company. Well, my direct boss is the director of HR - Finance. My other duty is to backfill for the secretary to the Managing Director of... you got it... HR - Delivery, which includes Employee Services. So I caught the call.
Over the next week, I sent the request to five or six different people, managers and directors and their assistants, because the problems was that when they pulled his records from archiving in the Tulsa warehouse, there were no fingerprints in it. Having been ground crew, he did have them, but the fear was that they were digitally archived, and those files are purged 6 months after the employee leaves the company.
Finally, through some miracle, we found a digital copy of Tom's fingerprints. I was able to get them scanned and sent to the medical examiner's office. They confirmed that the body they had was Tom's, providing closure for his family and a chance to lay him to rest properly.
The family sent me the flowers in appreciation of my work to get the prints to the right people. This was their very last option for identification, short of the drawn-out, expensive and emotionally draining process of DNA testing.
So I have beautiful flowers on my desk that make people smile. The story of how they got there is a little sad and depressing. I'm glad I could help this hurting family, whose holiday season turned unexpectedly bittersweet and wrenching. I think, though, that I'll take the flowers home today. They're pretty here on my desk... but it's just a reminder of the strange and sorrowful paths life can sometimes take.
04 January 2008
Honesty - The Best Policy
1. Honestly, what color is your underwear?
Dark blue & white stripes with a purple waistband... sounds funky, but they're really quite nice.
2. Honestly, what's on your mind right now?
Many unpleasant things, such as childcare arrangements and how much I'd love to be away from certain people.
3. Honestly, what are you doing right now?
Not working, filling out pointless surveys.
4. Honestly, what did you do today?
Corrected some people's vacation time in the system, requested a pseudo-ID for a contractor, calculated the number of diapers I've changed in my life, typed a few emails... and did surveys.
5. Honestly, do you think you are attractive?
Not so much. It could be worse, though, I could look like my sibling Monica... she makes a freight train take a dirt road.
6. Honestly, have you done something bad today?
Hmmm. I haven't done my walking exercise. That's bad, at least according to the midwife.
7. Honestly, do you watch Disney channel?
No, because I don't have cable.
8. Honestly, are you jealous of someone right now?
No, not really. That's a pointless emotion if there ever was one.
9. Honestly, what makes you happy most of the time?
Being with my children while away from their father.
10. Honestly, do you bite your nails?
No, but I chew on my cuticles.
11. Honestly, what is your mood right now?
Rather gloomy, slightly depressed, lethargic and kind of hopeless.
12. Honestly, have you had an eating disorder?
Nope. Only that I don't eat enough.
13. Honestly, do you want to see someone this very minute?
Yes. Several someones.
14. Honestly, do you have a deep dark secret?
Not really. Everything about me, there's at least ONE person who knows it.
17. Honestly, who/what do you want to hug right now?
My little ones.
18. Honestly, are you loyal?
Obviously. I'm still with the schmuck I married, and no matter how miserable I am, I've never strayed.
19. Honestly, are you in denial?
Not really. Nothing to deny.
20. Honestly, wouldn't you rather be having sex right now?
HONESTLY??? No. That's one of the last things I want to do.
21. Honestly, who is your best friend?
Asteroid Jim.
22. Honestly, have you ever consumed alcohol?
I've imbibed it, drank it, swigged it, chugged it, sipped it, slurped it, slammed it, shot it, gulped it, guzzled it, and sucked it through a straw. So, I think the answer to that would be yeah, I have definitely consumed it a time or two.
23. Honestly, do you like someone?
No, I live in a fucking cave and I only speak to the voices in my head. OF COURSE I like someone. LOTS of someones.
24. Honestly, does anyone like you?
Shit, I hope so. They act like they do. They say they do. If I start thinking they're all lying to me, then I start sounding paranoid and psychotic like my husband!
25. Honestly, is it going anywhere with them?
OOOOHHH, you mean LIKE-like!!! Ah-hah. Now I get it. Then I revise the answers to the previous two questions. Yes, I kinda like someone but not in the way that would ever amount to anything other than the occasional daydream. No, I don't think anyone likes me like that. And nothing's going anywhere with the person I like because I won't let it. They don't even know.
26. Honestly, did you answer all these questions honestly?
I guess. Does it matter?
Dark blue & white stripes with a purple waistband... sounds funky, but they're really quite nice.
2. Honestly, what's on your mind right now?
Many unpleasant things, such as childcare arrangements and how much I'd love to be away from certain people.
3. Honestly, what are you doing right now?
Not working, filling out pointless surveys.
4. Honestly, what did you do today?
Corrected some people's vacation time in the system, requested a pseudo-ID for a contractor, calculated the number of diapers I've changed in my life, typed a few emails... and did surveys.
5. Honestly, do you think you are attractive?
Not so much. It could be worse, though, I could look like my sibling Monica... she makes a freight train take a dirt road.
6. Honestly, have you done something bad today?
Hmmm. I haven't done my walking exercise. That's bad, at least according to the midwife.
7. Honestly, do you watch Disney channel?
No, because I don't have cable.
8. Honestly, are you jealous of someone right now?
No, not really. That's a pointless emotion if there ever was one.
9. Honestly, what makes you happy most of the time?
Being with my children while away from their father.
10. Honestly, do you bite your nails?
No, but I chew on my cuticles.
11. Honestly, what is your mood right now?
Rather gloomy, slightly depressed, lethargic and kind of hopeless.
12. Honestly, have you had an eating disorder?
Nope. Only that I don't eat enough.
13. Honestly, do you want to see someone this very minute?
Yes. Several someones.
14. Honestly, do you have a deep dark secret?
Not really. Everything about me, there's at least ONE person who knows it.
17. Honestly, who/what do you want to hug right now?
My little ones.
18. Honestly, are you loyal?
Obviously. I'm still with the schmuck I married, and no matter how miserable I am, I've never strayed.
19. Honestly, are you in denial?
Not really. Nothing to deny.
20. Honestly, wouldn't you rather be having sex right now?
HONESTLY??? No. That's one of the last things I want to do.
21. Honestly, who is your best friend?
Asteroid Jim.
22. Honestly, have you ever consumed alcohol?
I've imbibed it, drank it, swigged it, chugged it, sipped it, slurped it, slammed it, shot it, gulped it, guzzled it, and sucked it through a straw. So, I think the answer to that would be yeah, I have definitely consumed it a time or two.
23. Honestly, do you like someone?
No, I live in a fucking cave and I only speak to the voices in my head. OF COURSE I like someone. LOTS of someones.
24. Honestly, does anyone like you?
Shit, I hope so. They act like they do. They say they do. If I start thinking they're all lying to me, then I start sounding paranoid and psychotic like my husband!
25. Honestly, is it going anywhere with them?
OOOOHHH, you mean LIKE-like!!! Ah-hah. Now I get it. Then I revise the answers to the previous two questions. Yes, I kinda like someone but not in the way that would ever amount to anything other than the occasional daydream. No, I don't think anyone likes me like that. And nothing's going anywhere with the person I like because I won't let it. They don't even know.
26. Honestly, did you answer all these questions honestly?
I guess. Does it matter?
03 January 2008
See what happens?
So, due to various factors (dealing with pregnancy fatigue and morning sickness, the holiday stress, being on the threshhold of hell with regards to my marriage, and general laziness) I haven't posted ANYTHING on, or even been monitoring the Bloop for what seems like eons. Weeks, it's been, actually.
Usually, I keep an eagle-eye on the price of crude oil. I don't know why. Seriously, the price jumped between its all-time trading high of $99.29 and its mid-December niceties in the low-$90 range, and in November even dropped back into the $80s. Yet the actual price at the pump really didn't fluctuate all that much. Two weeks ago, I filled up for $2.71 a gallon, a darn good price if you ask me (trying hard not to think that it was $1.47 in 2000, and I remember $0.99 in the mid-1990s). Two weeks before that, I filled up for $2.72 a gallon. It really wasn't moving, so I started to lose interest.
For the longest time, all the doomsayers went on and on about how it would hit $100 a barrel by the end of the year (2007, that was). I believed it, then I saw all the prices drop, and my little "Pain In The Gas" doo-hickey over there to your right never got its thingie lit up anymore (the thingie that says ***Indicates new record high). So, yawn, I started thinking, like every other American sheep in the fold, eh, it'll never happen. And it didn't.
It waited until the 2nd day of 2008 to hit $100 a barrel. That was yesterday. I missed it.
So now, in trading, it is around $99.50, hovering there steadily, tap-dancing all over the previous trading high, and yesterday it hit $100.09 in trading, touching on $100 again today. What made me check was that I noticed I need gas again this morning (living closer to work now, I fill up every two weeks, give or take, which has been mighty helpful to the ol' checkbook). I smiled quietly to myself and thought of how it only takes $60 to fill up my lovely red truck, blissfully refusing to remember the $75 I dumped for a tank last May when the price at the pump was a staggering $3.04 a gallon. As I drove past RaceTrac, I wondered if I would have the $60 left over after paying the rent, and I glanced up at the sign... and my quiet smile faded. $2.71 was gone! Now it was $2.88! HUH?? Further down the street, at Citgo (where I won't stop anyway) it was $2.94! WTF?
Upon arriving at work, I read the $100 a barrel news, and now I know why. The holidays are over, the oil companies know we have nothing else to spend our money on (you know, rent and food and electricity are such trivial things!) and so they're raising the prices at the pump to reflect the price per barrel. They're blaming some sort of production shortage in Mexico and violence in Venezuela. Of course, if not for that, they'd be blaming the toenail fungus of a major political figure in Uzbekistan. It's always something.
So, I paid my rent today, giving me $104 to make it through the next two weeks. (Only because I saved $150 from my last check to begin with... one whole check isn't enough for the rent.) Now the $60 gas allotment isn't going to give me a full tank. I guess I will have to be satisfied with whatever it DOES give me. The remaining $44 has to go to diapers and maybe some bread, maybe not. Apple juice, possibly... the kids like that stuff. Milk is free... thank goodness for WIC.
One good bit of news - I took Jerm's advice. The man who breathes the air and eats the food at home still hasn't gotten a job... so I shut off his internet. Booya.
Usually, I keep an eagle-eye on the price of crude oil. I don't know why. Seriously, the price jumped between its all-time trading high of $99.29 and its mid-December niceties in the low-$90 range, and in November even dropped back into the $80s. Yet the actual price at the pump really didn't fluctuate all that much. Two weeks ago, I filled up for $2.71 a gallon, a darn good price if you ask me (trying hard not to think that it was $1.47 in 2000, and I remember $0.99 in the mid-1990s). Two weeks before that, I filled up for $2.72 a gallon. It really wasn't moving, so I started to lose interest.
For the longest time, all the doomsayers went on and on about how it would hit $100 a barrel by the end of the year (2007, that was). I believed it, then I saw all the prices drop, and my little "Pain In The Gas" doo-hickey over there to your right never got its thingie lit up anymore (the thingie that says ***Indicates new record high). So, yawn, I started thinking, like every other American sheep in the fold, eh, it'll never happen. And it didn't.
It waited until the 2nd day of 2008 to hit $100 a barrel. That was yesterday. I missed it.
So now, in trading, it is around $99.50, hovering there steadily, tap-dancing all over the previous trading high, and yesterday it hit $100.09 in trading, touching on $100 again today. What made me check was that I noticed I need gas again this morning (living closer to work now, I fill up every two weeks, give or take, which has been mighty helpful to the ol' checkbook). I smiled quietly to myself and thought of how it only takes $60 to fill up my lovely red truck, blissfully refusing to remember the $75 I dumped for a tank last May when the price at the pump was a staggering $3.04 a gallon. As I drove past RaceTrac, I wondered if I would have the $60 left over after paying the rent, and I glanced up at the sign... and my quiet smile faded. $2.71 was gone! Now it was $2.88! HUH?? Further down the street, at Citgo (where I won't stop anyway) it was $2.94! WTF?
Upon arriving at work, I read the $100 a barrel news, and now I know why. The holidays are over, the oil companies know we have nothing else to spend our money on (you know, rent and food and electricity are such trivial things!) and so they're raising the prices at the pump to reflect the price per barrel. They're blaming some sort of production shortage in Mexico and violence in Venezuela. Of course, if not for that, they'd be blaming the toenail fungus of a major political figure in Uzbekistan. It's always something.
So, I paid my rent today, giving me $104 to make it through the next two weeks. (Only because I saved $150 from my last check to begin with... one whole check isn't enough for the rent.) Now the $60 gas allotment isn't going to give me a full tank. I guess I will have to be satisfied with whatever it DOES give me. The remaining $44 has to go to diapers and maybe some bread, maybe not. Apple juice, possibly... the kids like that stuff. Milk is free... thank goodness for WIC.
One good bit of news - I took Jerm's advice. The man who breathes the air and eats the food at home still hasn't gotten a job... so I shut off his internet. Booya.
21 December 2007
Happy... to ya!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS...
MERRY CHRISTMAS...
HAPPY SOLSTICE...
JOYFUL JESUS DAY...
Whatever you celebrate... make it a good one.
14 December 2007
Stop me if I'm wrong...
Would this piss you off?
I'm at work. My husband calls, like he does at least four times every day when he's not mad at me. I pick up the phone. He asks if I'm busy. Well, I kinda am, but I tell him no. So he makes a request...
...he asks me if I will go online, because he's sent me an email to my Gmail account. Can I get the file he sent, which is a Christmas card in Russian, then convert it to HTML and send it back to him so he can post it to the comments section of the Russian Playboy Playmate on his MySpace friends list?
WTF???
I'm at work, first of all, and although I use my lunch break (and Friday afternoons, and days when it's slow, etc.) to make blog posts and occasionally pop onto MySpace to see if my old military friend has left me a message, I don't usually take requests. And I don't always have time to just jump online. (Obviously I do now, but this really pissed me off.)
Now, you must take into account the fact that I am really upset and bitter at this man every single day of my life, primarily because I have to drag my morning-sick, first-trimester-tired butt to work every morning while he snoozes away under warm covers, happy as a lark. Even more ingratiating is that he won't even LOOK for, let alone actually GET, a job, any type of gainful employment whatsoever, even though we are falling desperately behind in such key areas like power bills and gasoline and diapers. Oh, and food, let's not forget that one.
We are in terrible need of a second income. So he reminds me that I did say I was going to get a second job, whatever happened to that? We found out I was pregnant again, that's what!!! But hey, don't complain if I'm not willing to work those extra hours.
The fatigue I have with this, the sixth pregnancy, is worse than any I have experienced before. Probably because this is my SIXTH baby!! (Just guessing, here.) The morning sickness is low-grade nausea and food aversion that lasts from approximately three minutes after I wake up in the morning to three minutes after I fall asleep at night. That's just the physical aggravation...
Factor in that Christmas for my 4-year and 2-year was effectively canceled. Not one single gift under the tree. I am not exaggerating. I finally broke down and registered with a charity group, and luckily I got the kids adopted by a lady in the area, who went out and purchased Christmas gifts for them both. Still, I have to take half of my check this coming Friday and pay the midwife the downpayment for her services, which was unexpected (just lucky it's there) and will probably result in the heat and lights getting turned off. The entire next check has to go for rent. The half left over this next week will have to be saved towards rent (one whole check won't do it - I only get $600 every two weeks) and somehow in there I have to find money for food, gasoline and diapers.
It's not going to happen. It's just not there.
Meanwhile, he spends 6-8 hours a DAY online, mostly on MySpace. The rest of the time is looking for "sexy" pictures to put on his MySpace. And adult sites, let's not forget those. He spends more time on MySpace than the average lonely 17-year old. My computer has more porn-site viruses, adware and trojans on it than I ever thought possible.
While this is happening, there's his excuse for not working: the children. They are crammed into a 720-square foot one-bedroom apartment all day. Never get outside to play. PBS is on the television at least 12 hours straight. Their toys are locked in the closet (because HE doesn't want to pick them up). They read their books, sometimes color, run back and forth between the living room and the bedroom and cry a lot. They get 2, sometimes 3, peanut butter (no jelly) sandwiches a day (because it's quick, and he can get back online in a matter of moments) and endless cups of juice (to the point of giving them diarrhea). No milk, no hot meals, no playful interaction... that's it.
And he wants me to get a second job so he can continue this pattern. What happens when I give birth? Well, I don't know, if I don't get that second job, how are we supposed to save money for the four weeks I can't work? (Six weeks at my main job, but I won't be able to afford to take that long off altogether.) He's gotta be able to take care of all three kids, after all, and I'll have to bring home money for that to happen.
Dammit, now I've made HIM angry. I told him I wasn't wasting my lunch hour converting files so he could message the whores on MySpace that he's all hot and bothered over. He could figure out how to do it himself. So he got snippy and said "Sorry I bothered you." I hung up on him.
So tell me.... would it have pissed YOU off?
I'm at work. My husband calls, like he does at least four times every day when he's not mad at me. I pick up the phone. He asks if I'm busy. Well, I kinda am, but I tell him no. So he makes a request...
...he asks me if I will go online, because he's sent me an email to my Gmail account. Can I get the file he sent, which is a Christmas card in Russian, then convert it to HTML and send it back to him so he can post it to the comments section of the Russian Playboy Playmate on his MySpace friends list?
WTF???
I'm at work, first of all, and although I use my lunch break (and Friday afternoons, and days when it's slow, etc.) to make blog posts and occasionally pop onto MySpace to see if my old military friend has left me a message, I don't usually take requests. And I don't always have time to just jump online. (Obviously I do now, but this really pissed me off.)
Now, you must take into account the fact that I am really upset and bitter at this man every single day of my life, primarily because I have to drag my morning-sick, first-trimester-tired butt to work every morning while he snoozes away under warm covers, happy as a lark. Even more ingratiating is that he won't even LOOK for, let alone actually GET, a job, any type of gainful employment whatsoever, even though we are falling desperately behind in such key areas like power bills and gasoline and diapers. Oh, and food, let's not forget that one.
We are in terrible need of a second income. So he reminds me that I did say I was going to get a second job, whatever happened to that? We found out I was pregnant again, that's what!!! But hey, don't complain if I'm not willing to work those extra hours.
The fatigue I have with this, the sixth pregnancy, is worse than any I have experienced before. Probably because this is my SIXTH baby!! (Just guessing, here.) The morning sickness is low-grade nausea and food aversion that lasts from approximately three minutes after I wake up in the morning to three minutes after I fall asleep at night. That's just the physical aggravation...
Factor in that Christmas for my 4-year and 2-year was effectively canceled. Not one single gift under the tree. I am not exaggerating. I finally broke down and registered with a charity group, and luckily I got the kids adopted by a lady in the area, who went out and purchased Christmas gifts for them both. Still, I have to take half of my check this coming Friday and pay the midwife the downpayment for her services, which was unexpected (just lucky it's there) and will probably result in the heat and lights getting turned off. The entire next check has to go for rent. The half left over this next week will have to be saved towards rent (one whole check won't do it - I only get $600 every two weeks) and somehow in there I have to find money for food, gasoline and diapers.
It's not going to happen. It's just not there.
Meanwhile, he spends 6-8 hours a DAY online, mostly on MySpace. The rest of the time is looking for "sexy" pictures to put on his MySpace. And adult sites, let's not forget those. He spends more time on MySpace than the average lonely 17-year old. My computer has more porn-site viruses, adware and trojans on it than I ever thought possible.
While this is happening, there's his excuse for not working: the children. They are crammed into a 720-square foot one-bedroom apartment all day. Never get outside to play. PBS is on the television at least 12 hours straight. Their toys are locked in the closet (because HE doesn't want to pick them up). They read their books, sometimes color, run back and forth between the living room and the bedroom and cry a lot. They get 2, sometimes 3, peanut butter (no jelly) sandwiches a day (because it's quick, and he can get back online in a matter of moments) and endless cups of juice (to the point of giving them diarrhea). No milk, no hot meals, no playful interaction... that's it.
And he wants me to get a second job so he can continue this pattern. What happens when I give birth? Well, I don't know, if I don't get that second job, how are we supposed to save money for the four weeks I can't work? (Six weeks at my main job, but I won't be able to afford to take that long off altogether.) He's gotta be able to take care of all three kids, after all, and I'll have to bring home money for that to happen.
Dammit, now I've made HIM angry. I told him I wasn't wasting my lunch hour converting files so he could message the whores on MySpace that he's all hot and bothered over. He could figure out how to do it himself. So he got snippy and said "Sorry I bothered you." I hung up on him.
So tell me.... would it have pissed YOU off?
06 December 2007
I got this bridge in Arizona...
Some people will buy absolutely anything.
****
A man was sentenced to more than four years in prison for bilking friends and family out of more than $800,000 by convincing them that his wife was a government agent who could arrange to have their medical problems diagnosed by satellite imaging.
Brent Eric Finley, 38, of Rayville, was sentenced in federal court in Monroe to serve 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. His wife, Stacey Finley, was sentenced in August to spend 63 months in prison and both are ordered to jointly pay restitution in the amount of $873,786.94.
The Finleys pleaded guilty in August to wire fraud, according to court records.
U.S. Attorney Donald W. Washington said in a news release following Monday's sentencing of Brent Finley that the couple convinced numerous people that Stacey Finley was a CIA agent and with her contacts she could schedule a medical scan of the victims' bodies by satellite imaging that would detect any hidden medical problems.
The Finleys convinced their victims that, if any medical problems were found, secret agents would administer medicine to them as they slept in exchange for payment, according to a bill of information filed when the Finleys were charged in May.
"These audacious criminals should remind all of us that scam artists will go to great lengths to take our life's savings," Washington said.
****
I'm not so sure I would call them audacious. They just happened to know some very stupid people. Stupid people who apparently had money to spare.
Wow. I wish I knew some stupid, wealthy people. I have some ocean-front property in Central Nevada, very nice view, lots of trees, cool breezes... and I could sign the deed over to ya for dirt-cheap, I swear I'll make you an unbelievable deal...
****
A man was sentenced to more than four years in prison for bilking friends and family out of more than $800,000 by convincing them that his wife was a government agent who could arrange to have their medical problems diagnosed by satellite imaging.
Brent Eric Finley, 38, of Rayville, was sentenced in federal court in Monroe to serve 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. His wife, Stacey Finley, was sentenced in August to spend 63 months in prison and both are ordered to jointly pay restitution in the amount of $873,786.94.
The Finleys pleaded guilty in August to wire fraud, according to court records.
U.S. Attorney Donald W. Washington said in a news release following Monday's sentencing of Brent Finley that the couple convinced numerous people that Stacey Finley was a CIA agent and with her contacts she could schedule a medical scan of the victims' bodies by satellite imaging that would detect any hidden medical problems.
The Finleys convinced their victims that, if any medical problems were found, secret agents would administer medicine to them as they slept in exchange for payment, according to a bill of information filed when the Finleys were charged in May.
"These audacious criminals should remind all of us that scam artists will go to great lengths to take our life's savings," Washington said.
****
I'm not so sure I would call them audacious. They just happened to know some very stupid people. Stupid people who apparently had money to spare.
Wow. I wish I knew some stupid, wealthy people. I have some ocean-front property in Central Nevada, very nice view, lots of trees, cool breezes... and I could sign the deed over to ya for dirt-cheap, I swear I'll make you an unbelievable deal...
27 November 2007
So many warning signs...
The story had all the makings of a modern-day fairy tale romance. The instant attraction, the forbidden passion, the Romeo & Juliet style running-away to rendezvous, the devotion that defied ethnic barriers, continental divides and age-of-consent laws. Ah, young love.
But, it's over now. The light finally shone true for the love-stricken lass, and she was forced to decide...
Okay, enough of that. First of all, the romance started on MySpace. Let me tell you something, I have a MySpace account and I assure you, 90% of the people on there lie. Not just in the way of glossing things over, but flat-out lying their asses off. I know because I've seen my stepson's page, and my sister's page, and even my husband's page, and so there you have it. You can't believe a damn thing on there. Even people who DON'T use MySpace know it's full of liars... who hasn't heard the recent drama regarding the little girl who killed herself over a failed MySpace romance, and it turned out the "boy" involved was made up by the mom of a classmate who lived down the street?
Okay, so warning sign #1 - the thing started on MySpace. What's #2? He's Palestinian, she's American. This in and of itself is not a big deal, but the fact that at age 16 she ran away from home and was caught in a Palestinian airport on her way to see him... well, this does not bode well. Cross-ethnic relationships are one thing, but it's probably best to actually reside in the same, or at least friendly, neighboring countries, before you try the romance thing.
It is also imperative, when mixing cultures, to understand that things are just... well... different in other countries. Especially for women, especially in Middle Eastern countries. For instance:
"(Katherine) Lester told (Abdullah) Jinzawi he was possessive and swore at her. Under questioning by host Phil McGraw, Jinzawi denied being verbally abusive but said he called her names."
Possessive? Verbally abusive? Naaaah. Guys in the Mid East are nothing BUT respectful and loving to their women!!
Oh, and the whole "host Phil McGraw" thing? Well, keeping to the spirit of initiating the romance online and conducting the affair primarily over the internet, she broke up with him on television.
L'amour. Who said romance is dead??
But, it's over now. The light finally shone true for the love-stricken lass, and she was forced to decide...
Okay, enough of that. First of all, the romance started on MySpace. Let me tell you something, I have a MySpace account and I assure you, 90% of the people on there lie. Not just in the way of glossing things over, but flat-out lying their asses off. I know because I've seen my stepson's page, and my sister's page, and even my husband's page, and so there you have it. You can't believe a damn thing on there. Even people who DON'T use MySpace know it's full of liars... who hasn't heard the recent drama regarding the little girl who killed herself over a failed MySpace romance, and it turned out the "boy" involved was made up by the mom of a classmate who lived down the street?
Okay, so warning sign #1 - the thing started on MySpace. What's #2? He's Palestinian, she's American. This in and of itself is not a big deal, but the fact that at age 16 she ran away from home and was caught in a Palestinian airport on her way to see him... well, this does not bode well. Cross-ethnic relationships are one thing, but it's probably best to actually reside in the same, or at least friendly, neighboring countries, before you try the romance thing.
It is also imperative, when mixing cultures, to understand that things are just... well... different in other countries. Especially for women, especially in Middle Eastern countries. For instance:
"(Katherine) Lester told (Abdullah) Jinzawi he was possessive and swore at her. Under questioning by host Phil McGraw, Jinzawi denied being verbally abusive but said he called her names."
Possessive? Verbally abusive? Naaaah. Guys in the Mid East are nothing BUT respectful and loving to their women!!
Oh, and the whole "host Phil McGraw" thing? Well, keeping to the spirit of initiating the romance online and conducting the affair primarily over the internet, she broke up with him on television.
L'amour. Who said romance is dead??
20 November 2007
15 November 2007
Sorry, Jerm...
I think Jerm was a bit uncomfortable with the negative personal information revealed in the last post. Sorry bout that, buddy. I was just venting.
So, here: Something new to discuss.
My opinion - she ain't even pretty. Never was. Just drawing out those fifteen lil' minutes of fame into something shameful and pathetic. Playboy can make anyone look pretty with some computer-assisted retouching and creative lighting.
Just changing the subject, heh.
So, here: Something new to discuss.
My opinion - she ain't even pretty. Never was. Just drawing out those fifteen lil' minutes of fame into something shameful and pathetic. Playboy can make anyone look pretty with some computer-assisted retouching and creative lighting.
Just changing the subject, heh.
Oh, the weather outside is frightful
Does this look like November to you?
Actually, according to one news station, that temperature on Sunday is supposed to be 80, and on Monday 82.
The "good" news is that the high on Wednesday is maybe going to happen around noon, and then temps will be steadily falling after that. They were saying that on Thanksgiving Day, the highs will only be in the 40s, and it will be rainy and windy.
Now THAT is what I call "Fall Weather." The above forecast would have been rockin', say, the last week of September. Of course, I complain now, but come March I will be dreaming of the warm days of spring... and then it will be cold and miserable. Maybe. I thought this last spring was great, personally. It rained almost every day for something like four months. I haven't been back to the desert in many years, but I grew up there, the first almost-19 years of my life, and so rain is still a novelty for me.
It's just hard to get in a holiday-type mood when it's 84 degrees outside. And when you have no money. But that's another story.
The Other Story
The spousal unit still doesn't have a job. Could it be because he's not looking? Methinks that has something to do with it. Of course, in his mind, it's really my fault because I haven't dropped off the application he picked up and filled out last week. He dropped one off, but it's up to me to get the other to the potential employer. I am more of the opinion that if he was truly serious, he'd fax it to them, mail it to them, or do whatever else it took. Possibly even... hmm... look in other places. It is the holiday season, and many places are hiring workers, and after the holiday season work will be much harder to find. Not that this makes any difference to him, because he really doesn't WANT to work.
He apparently doesn't want to have a place to live or food to eat, either.
But I can't make him get a job. The more I nag, the less he does (not that he's doing anything now). The slowly-encroaching panic I feel also seems to contribute to his total lack of motivation. The more I show that this whole situation upsets me, the more inclined he is to spend his entire day posting suggestive pictures on his MySpace, listening to music on the computer and/or watching movies while not-supervising my children.
Oh boy. This man needs to go away. Far away. Like maybe to his sister's house. That's three hours away. That would be good for a start. He could stay there for like six or eight... years? Eons? That would be even better. If he's not going to be a man and help take care of his family, he needs to move along. I've tried leaving, and I won't put my babies through that again. If he leaves, though, we could get on with things. I know my poor little boy would be happier, that's for damn sure.
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