2 days...

Christmas is 2 days away... just two. For some reason, it doesn't really feel like it yet at times.

As soon as I get into the Christmas mood, I listen to Christmas music on 103.3. They start playing nothing but Xmas music from around Thanksgiving until Xmas. I was singing along to "Do You Hear What I Hear" yesterday and I noticed something. Now, I've been listening to this song since I was a kid, singing along since then too. Everyone knows the part "Let us bring him silver and gold." It's the next line after "A child, a child shivers in the cold." Sure, the kid's cold - bring him precious metals, that makes sense.

Dude, bring the kid a blanket!

Anyway, I'm heading down to Glen & Elissa's to do Christmas with them before heading over to Joe & Ellin's to do Christmas with them. I wasn't going to bring Millie because of her back, but I don't think I'm going to be able to get back up here. I don't know, we'll see.

I did manage to get about 80% of my wrapping done last night. My back was *killing* afterwards, but at least the gifts I'm bringing today are wrapped. :)

Ok, enough procrastinating - gotta go. :)

D

opposite of wrapping...

Funny thing happened the other day. I spent some time wrapping presents and got a bit of it done. I arranged them under the tree in a pleasant, eye-appealing way, because that's what you do with Xmas presents.

I forgot, however, that everytime Millie sees a wrapped present, she's allowed to open it. Yes, I wrap the kids toys and let them unwrap them Xmas morning. Yes, it's insane, but quiet enjoyable to watch dogs open their own gifts. Try it, you'll see. :)

Anyway, I came home to find my beautiful display of presents strewn across the room. Unwrapped, courtesy of Millie. :) She looked so pleased and was so happy she went and got one of the unwrapped boxes to show me. How could I be angry at that? I'm sure she was confused when all she got was box after box instead of the normal stuffed animal or bone. Apparently she doesn't much care and I can save a boatload of cash by getting her boxes. ;)

Won't she be surprised when she gets ANOTHER chance to open gifts this year!

I wasn't able to get my normal Xmas cards done (like this) so I plan on taking pictures Xmas morning and sending them out instead. :)

D

when it rains...

I know own a percentage of my vet's office - or at least I should after all the $$ I've dropped there in the last week! Too bad it doesn't actually work that way. :p

Millie: We visited the emergency hospital at Bulger for the first time the day before yesterday. It was 3am, we weren't doing anything, so we went for a drive. Don't I wish. :) Millie woke me up to go outside 3 am Thursday. When she came back in, she jumped up on the bed and laid down. Every time she moved, she cried and whimpered. She sat up but wouldn't put any weight down on her right front leg. After 1/2 hour of trying to feel what was wrong, we went to the emergency room. Millie dislikes going to the vet but I found out she dislikes strange vets even more. With her tail tucked, she avoided Dr. Hernandez every chance she could. I was told to give her some aspirin and follow up with my vet since she was going to fax a report over.

Neither of us slept the rest of the night, though we both tried. She cried every time she moved, which pulled me from whatever state of rest I was in. We both got tired enough and finally slept for 1/2 hr around 6:30am. Every cry and whimper tore my heart out! We saw Dr. Lisa yesterday afternoon, where she said it might be a slipped disk. Millie's on Rimadyl for a couple of weeks in the hopes it'll pop back into place. In the meantime, no treeing squirrels for her! We both slept wonderfully last night. :)

Pacie: I brought Pacie to the vet last week for blood work. Both he and Freddie's water intake have increased to an alarming level since they were sick in September. Pacie's results came back and they weren't all that great. He was very low on some things and very high on others. We went back to the vet yesterday to do a few more blood tests. She switched his food and added a supplement to his diet. I'll find out the results next week.

Freddie: Pacie is certainly far worse when it comes to the water thing, but Freddie is still much higher than he should be. Since they had the same sickness in September and have the same symptoms, we did a kidney panel to see if he had the same results as Pacie. We're holding off on treating him for anything until we see those results.

Knock on wood the cats are fine though! lol

I'd pay it 5 times over but dropping a grand on the kids the week before Xmas is tough! If any of you were thinking of a Xmas present, cash is a good idea. ;)

In other news, Sue's baby is great, I'm feeling pretty good minus the typical joint crap, and my weekend is booked solid. Saturday I'm heading down to Glen & Elissa's to give Eek his presents and then over to Joe & Ellin's to give all of them their presents. Sunday I have my family thing to do in the afternoon, so I really need to get the rest of the presents wrapped by then! Monday I'll be at Chris & Sue's first thing in the AM, then back home to watch my kids open their gifts, then potentially over to Mary's for a little while, then to my Dad's to do the immediate family thing, and finally over to my cousin Tina's to play pokeno. :) That's a lot to do so some of it might not happen - especially since I don't have the day after Xmas off.

But, considering I should've been in work 15 minutes ago and I haven't showered yet, it's time to go. :)

D

p.s. - Paula I got your email - that sounds good and I'll write back later today. :)

wrapping...

I have so much wrapping to do it's pathetic. I'll be in a frenzy with tape pieces stuck to my clothing, disheveled hair, and a bow stuck to my ass by the time it's all done. I was going to do it last night but then I remembered I needed to get the gifts done for my co-workers so I could bring them in on Wed. I think I finished that up around 1:00am. I looked in the mirror this morning and noticed I was *covered* in glitter - and I mean covered! How does one get glitter in one's ear? When you find out, let me know. :)

Otherwise, there's really not too much going on at the moment. My nights are filling up quickly with useless shit, my weekend is already totally booked. I'm going to need a vacation from Xmas day with all the traveling I have to do.

I woke up this morning, late of course, but I was so befuddled I immediately panicked. I had no idea what time or day it was. Gotta love those mornings.

Well, I'm trying to do this while keeping up with some computer processes that I have to do every 5 mins for the next couple of hours and I'm failing miserably. Perhaps I need more coffee. :)

D

holy crap

Christmas is one week away. Where the hell did the time go?

This weekend was a mix of relaxing and busy. Friday night I sat in front of the firepit and got quite toasty. The beer went down too easily and I was so hypnotized by the fire. I was out there for hours and *none* of my wrapping got done.

Saturday I had a hard time shaking off that wobbly feeling you get from drinking more than you should. :) I started wrapping the gifts until it was time to head to my sister's for our pre-christmas get-together. I had talked to *M* for a little bit on Friday night. I really wasn't sure what to do with that whole situation. There were a couple of things I wasn't all that thrilled with and I didn't know what to do. But, he called Saturday morning and saved me from having to make any decision at all! He said he didn't feel the chemistry was there and that we shouldn't see each other anymore. I said yes, I agree, thank you, and goodbye. :)

All those things? Every other sentence ends in "and stuff." "So I went to my car and stuff." "He shouldn't do that and stuff." Petty, huh? If it didn't end in "and stuff" it ended in "it's weird." Oh, and "What the heck" was heard a billion times too. In a sentence, he would repeat the subject three times. I know I'm going to be able to do this one justice so just trust me without an example. He said he understood how busy I was, but then pushed and pushed for us to get together. I got 4 emails in a row asking if I had a chance to look at my schedule, even though I replied with No. "Once you look at your schedule we can make plans, As soon as you pick a day we'll do something, have you looked yet, when are we getting together, how about we do this on this day and this on this day and this on this day." Now the only thing I can picture is the second I sat back from dinner him coming towards me with his tongue hanging out. Can I finish chewing? I say, you're going to0 fast. 15 mins later he does it again. I say, I'm not sure how I feel so stop. 20 mins later, again. I say you are fine right where you are with my hand on his head keeping him away. Finally, another 15 mins later he attempts to come at me with his tongue hanging out again (have I mentioned how unattractive that is?) and I've had it. Clearly I didn't understand what signals I was giving because the more I pushed the more he came at me. I'm just glad that I didn't have to say anything to end it. :)

Sunday I did some more wrapping, finished a blanket I was making for Cameron, and was going to head to our flyball party but something came up and I stayed here instead. I had a CSI marathon tivo'ed and lost myself in that. :)

School is over and I'm pretty happy about that!!! It'll be nice to not worry about assignments for a few weeks. Plus the classes coming up are technical and I enjoy those so much more than workplace communications. Oh, I got a B in that so there goes my 4.0. Ah well. The pressure is off!

Jeez, I have to jet to work! I just noticed the time.

D

still so far behind...

The beginning of the week was all about visiting the baby and finishing my class work. Last night *M* came over. I don't know where that's going... more importantly, I don't know where I want that to go. There are a number of things I'm not that happy about with him. But sometimes they seem so petty... I just don't know.

Anyway, I had no plans for the weekend and now I'm not sure I have enough time to do everything I need to do. I *have* to get everything wrapped - make sure I have everything I'm supposed to have, etc., etc. That's my plan for tonight, after visiting the baby of course.

I have to make bath salts this weekend. I'd like to make cookies and drop them off for the city employees that helped during the flood. My sister is spending the holiday down in Florida with my mother so we're getting together Saturday to exchange gifts with her. I have to head to the supermarket to pick up stuff to make for dinner. She wants me to make chicken parm.

Sunday I have a get-together with the flyball team to celebrate the success of our flyball tournament. I'll have time before and hopefully after to do the cookies - at least that's the plan. :)

Tonight will be quite enjoyable. I like wrapping presents! I'll have the lights on, watch the Grinch and whatever other Xmas shows have Tivo'ed, make some hot chocolate with a splash of caramel liquor, and wrap presents. :) Once the shows are done, I'll put on some TSO and Charlie Brown Christmas CDs and hopefully finish up. :) I'm sure it will depend on how big the splashes are in hot chocolate. :) If I get done early enough, maybe I'll head outside and finish the night in front of the firepit. :)

But first I need a baby fix so I'll head over to Sue's before heading home. :)

Today shouldn't be too bad a day. I have lunch with the guys and a few things to get done before the weekend. My office mate is working from home so I can listen to Xmas music all day and won't even need my headphones. :)

D

Anybody get that license plate?

Because I still feel like I got nailed by a truck. Ok, I'm sure if I was actually hit by a truck I'd feel much, much worse but Wow!

The tourney was great - a *ton* of work, but good. :) Everyone seemed to have a good time, we all got to know the BOD better, Cindy got the RD position, and all is well in flyball land. I really need to question our sanity if we decide to hold a 2-ring tourney again though. :)

My little Neely came into the world on December 11th at 3:46am. :) He's very cute and has huge cheeks! I was there yesterday and am going to stop in on my way to work. But to do that I have to get out of there so this is all you're getting today!

D

tournament

Flyballpalooza, here we are.

Let me just say that I can't wait until it's over. Everyone is stressed and ... well... you know how that makes people. The next time we attempt to put on a flyball tourney that rivals Ringling Brothers, please shoot me.

D

No time, no time

Second day in a row I'm up early!! (Ok, on-time actually.) I have to pack my clothes, I have to pack Freddie's stuff, I think I have all of the stuff needed for flyball in the car but I have to double check that. I remembered to wrap the present for our All Hands holiday meeting today. Now I just have to remember the dog! lol

Speaking of time, I've wondered just who these people are that play with time. Next year daylight savings time is starting earlier and ending later in the US. Western Australia just added daylight savings time. Normally there's a 12 hour difference (for my friend in Perth and I). When it's daylight savings time here, there's a 13 hour difference. When it's daylight savings time there, there's a 14 hour difference. Do these people have the biggest egos or what?! "What do you do for a living?" "I control time." [insert Dr. Evil laugh here] Sheesh.

Ok, my thoughts are all over the place with everything I have to do. I still have to call my brother and refresh his memory on feedings too. And bring the dog food into the house. And shower. Ugh. Gotta go.

D

Up early today...

I actually woke up at 5:30am. I'm sure it's cold in hell or pigs are flying somewhere. :)

Last night I went out to dinner with Sue, Chris, and Aunty Kathy, then came home and did homework. I got feedback on the rough draft - apparently I have a lot of editing to do. I'm hoping Holly won't mind helping me clean it up over the weekend.

Tonight I was supposed to get together with Paula & Kate to fold the catalogs. However our admin is light on work and offered to do them all - even stapling them and inserting the schedules! Woohoo! Thanks Julie!

I have to pack everything up tonight, including a bag for the weekend. I have to remember to bring all of the display stuff I have as well. I also have to remember to bring my dog to work with me tomorrow since I'll be leaving from work to get to Fitchburg. I should really print out directions as well. :)

So much to do, so little time. :) I'm so glad I took Monday off!!

D

Nevermind...

I found a quick and easy solution for the subscription service so I just added it to get'r done.

Those of you who subscribe will get an email tomorrow from Feedblitz as I've switched your account over from Bloglet. I'm closing Boglet so you don't have to worry about doing anything there.

Any questions - just ask.

And now I'm late for work. :)

D

booked solid...

Guess what idiot was up until 1:30am doing homework? Yup, that would be me. Although I'm still a moron for screwing it up, at least I won't have to worry about it while at the tournament - which is when it's due.

My spare time is few and far between for the next 6 days - I am booked solid!

I'm meeting Kate for lunch today so I can give her samples and the calendars to add to the BOD and welcome baskets. I have to remember to bring the 10 BOD catalogs too.

I'm meeting Sue & Aunty Kathy for dinner tonight. Probably the last chance I'll get to see them before Monday. Then I have homework to do.

I've printed out about half of the catalogs and need to print out the rest today. Paula & Kate are coming up tomorrow night to help fold and insert the schedules. I suppose I should clean off the table so we can use that, huh? :)

Friday I have to go into work for an All Hands meeting. Then I'm leaving for Fitchburg right after that to help set up. My brother is staying with the dogs this weekend. Oh crap! I'm gonna have to bring Freddie with me to work....I have to figure out the logistics of that one.

Saturday is the tournament and the dinner. Sunday is the tournament and cleanup.

Monday is a day off. :) I have to get Pacie into the vet, return the Tivo's and Tivo upgrade kit (Oh you missed it when Tivo broke - lucky you), and figure out what's what for Xmas. I'll probably start wrapping too. Meanwhile, I still have school until next Thursday.

In blog related news, the subscriber service isn't working so I have to figure out what to do with that. In the meantime, I'll send emails out lettting everyone know there's been an update. I'll have a solution when I can breathe.

Now though, I have to jet!

D

Brrrr...

Yeah, I'm not used to this cold weather yet. It's 26 degrees out and I want to just hide in bed. But I can't because I have to go take all of the recycling out.

The trash guys are here now so if you hear a ton of barking, that would be my house. How dare anyone take the stuff we want to throw away?? The nerve.

Anyway, guess which moron did next week's homework assignment instead of this week's homework assignment? Yup, that would be me. Stupid. So instead of focusing on my final paper, I have to read 3 chapters tonight and do yet another assignment. The good thing is that next week I won't have to worry about reading or doing any assignments and can just focus on my paper. I'm such an idiot sometimes.

I can't wait for this class to be over though. It's starting to be a bit too much with work, the holidays, and everything else that's going on. I'll have 3 weeks off before the next class - yay!

I had a Dr's appt. yesterday and I was less than pleased by what I was told. I have plantar fasciitis in my left foot - I've had it for quite a while. I have inserts in my sneakers and sleep with a brace on and have been for months. Yesterday I got a bunch of "must nots". I must not wear any other kind of shoe except sneakers. I must not exercise in the form of walking (the dogs are gonna be pissed) or using the NordicTrac. (question - how does one stop exercising yet stay active so one's back does not freeze up?)I must not blow off physical therapy any longer. Blah, blah, blah. And the worst one - I must not compete in flyball. Yeah right! That ain't happenin'. The only "must" I got was that I must have this sound wave, extracorporeal blah blah procedure done in January. Yay. I hate my genetics.

I also found out yesterday that Sue needs to have a C-section, which makes my foot thing seem not all that important so I should really stop bitching. :) Little Neely is too big so they're going to let him finish baking and then pull him out. The when part is unknown right now, but I'm going to be pissed if it's while I'm at the tournament. Next Monday works much better for me. ;) Yeah, Sue thought that was selfishly funny too.

I've been kinda seeing this guy lately - we'll call him *M*. I'm taking my time, trying to figure out what I want. He has a heart of platinum and would spoil me outrageously if I let him. He's a sports nut - and I mean *nut* so I'm just wondering if I can handle constantly hearing about how the basketball, football, softball, etc. game he played went. :) Eventually I'd have to actually show up at one of those things too. The only sport I know about - hockey. The only sport he doesn't play - hockey. Good fit, huh? lol As I said, I'm taking my time. :)

Well, Dawn needs to stop procrastinating and take all the damn recycling outside. Maybe I should just give in... I'm sure *M* wouldn't mind taking the recycling out. :)

D

Ok, ok I'm back

I took some time off from the world. The loss of my little girl kicked my ass and I had to hibernate to save my sanity. Don't worry, you weren't the only ones that were blown off - everyone was.

You know what they say, life goes on.

Far too much has happened in the past 7 weeks for one post so I'll update you on the bigger things and the rest will come out in time.

My cousin Sue is about to pop anyday now. She's due Dec 9th but I'm hoping she goes a bit early. I have a flyball tournament that weekend and will be staying onsite in Fitchburg. Speaking of which, Paula let me know how much I owe you for the room. Anyway, I'm very excited and can't wait to get that phone call. :)

The other big deal is the flyball tournament next weekend. We're hosting this tournament and all the bigwigs at flyball headquarters are coming up to hold their annual dinner/meeting. It's a really big tourney with 47 teams entered - read pandamonium. Oh, we could use a few more bodies to help out so if you aren't doing anything, send me an email. I pay in pizza and beer. :)

The question I received the most was 'what happened' with Skootchie? I'm sorry I didn't get back to any of you on that, it was really just too painful to write about. But, here's what happened. Skootchie threw up on a Saturday and I figured she just ate something out in the yard or had a stomach bug. I tried to feed her on Sunday but she was having none of it. I boiled Chicken and rice for her Monday and she still wouldn't eat so it was off to the vet. Her eyes and skin turned yellow on the drive over there. She was in full blown liver failure and there was nothing anyone could do. I held my baby until the end, telling her I loved her and apologizing for not noticing it before it was too late. My vet tried to assuage my guilt by telling me it's not uncommon for dogs to not show any symptoms. I've gone back and thought of her behavior to see what I missed. Almost 2 months later, I almost believe her.

I miss my girl. Life isn't the same without her. My heart isn't the same without her.

So, in honor of my girl, I went out and got my first tattoo. My friend Pat is an incredible artist and works at Pino Bros. ink in Cambridge. I gave him the plaster of Skootchie's paw print that I have, which he then drew out. I absolutely love it and think it's a fitting memorial for my little girl. That really is her actual paw print....



Moving on, I'm still in school, with 10 days left in this class. It's unfortunate but my perfect gpa will be gone after it. I just didn't care as much as I should've and there was too much going on.

The house is decorated for the holidays and almost all of the shopping is done. I think I need just a couple of gifts but until I compare what I have to my spreadsheet I won't know for sure.

Today is the perfect day to work from home as I sit on the couch surrounded by the dogs, watching tiny little snowflakes fall from the sky. Alas, I can't.

But I'm back.

D

Skootchie

I lost my beloved girl today.

I'm devastated.

I'm heartbroken.

My heart hurts so much I wonder how it still beats.

And I am still sick.

Oh my little girl, how can I go on without you?

I love you more than words can say.

I miss you.

My beloved angel.

busy, busy, sick, sick

So much to write, so little time...sigh.

The flyball tournament was great overall. Saturday was gorgeous, Sunday sucked big time. But that was just the weather - the racing on both days rocked. :) We actually had a lot of close racing and one tie!

Freddie got his next big title, Flyball Master Excellent (FMX). I didn't go into this tourney thinking he would get it, but when it looked like it was a possibility, I lost it. :) As our team captain wrote, it became a bit of an obsession. ;) I kept counting up the points, figuring our how many heats were left, etc., etc. We finally got what we needed in the race before the last one of the day, but I hadn't realized it. So we cheered once we got a heat under 24 seconds in the last race. :)

Saturday night I drove back down for my cousin's surprise 18th birthday party. My mother was up from Florida so I couldn't blow it off - not that I wanted to, it was just the driving back and forth that was killing me. :) But, we had an awesome time - our table was the funniest, loudest, most obnoxious, and, of course, the only table to be at. :) Mary was psyched and surprised. :) We met my brother's new girlfriend at the party. She seems nice. :) She was getting along fine with everyone until she started getting drunk - then she said a few things that made me want to ask her if she could hear what she was saying. I'm chalking it up to nerves, meeting the family for the first time, etc. But, if she says anything stupid like that again, I'll have to say something...nicely of course. :)

Sunday was cold and rainy - all day. We tried setting up the tent with the walls, but that didn't work out that well at all. I spent most of the time in my car with the heat on, reading and hanging out with Freddie. It was way too echo-ey in the barn to spend more than a few minutes in there. I stopped by McDonald's on the way home and got Freddie a cheeseburger - he always gets a cheeseburger when he gets a title. :)

Once I got home, I spent a little time with the kids, then headed over to my sister's house to have dinner with my mother and siblings. I was tired, but we had a good time. :)

Monday I went into work for a few hours to get the latest version of a database out to everyone. Then I came home and did some more work - attended a meeting via phone, updated some web stuff, etc., etc. I spend Monday night with my nose in my mathbook trying to understand what the hell they were talking about. :) I had a few people helping me with some questions, which was greatly appreciated!! I was able to turn in my homework on time. :)

I woke up Tuesday with a cold. :( My head was splitting so bad I could hardly open my eyes. Between that and my body being sore (probably from the tourney), I was in enough pain to be nauseated. Yay. So, once Silvane came in and started doing her thing, I took some cold stuff, went back to bed, and slept for 3 more hours. I was in slow motion the whole day. I jumped on the computer to do a few things and ended up working for the rest of the day, ending around 6:30 or so. I had 2 things I needed to do - finish self service testing and finish my sqrs. Neither of those got done due to being sucked into web world by various people - a few even calling me at home. It wasn't as restful as I would've liked.

But, I'm feeling a little bit better today and plan on heading into the office. Except for the few hours yesterday, I haven't spent a solid day in there since last Thursday! So, it's time to make an appearance - let people know I still work there. :) Maybe I'll even get to finish my testing!

This weekend Nancy and Vince are coming up to spend some time in New Hampshire. I'll spend some time with them hanging out, etc. :) There is also a big symposium on animal rights going on at Mass School of Law on Saturday. I'm bringing Millie to demonstrate how to teach your dog tricks. :) I have to brush up on her tricks and figure out what I'm going to teach. I'll see if Nancy and Vince want to go to it too. I think that's all I have planned for this weekend, but I'm really not sure!

But, it's time to head into the office. I'll be late, but I'll be there. :)

D

lots of driving...

Friday night I had a box-turn seminar up in Swanzey. I was supposed to pick up the portable grill from my brother's house before heading up there but 93 South was a huge parking lot. So, I just headed up to the seminar, a scant 2 hours early. :)

We have a flyball tournament this weekend in Swanzey. There are only 3 of us going up so it should be very interesting as it takes a minimum of 5 people to run a team. :)

Anyway, I was originally planning on staying up there for the weekend, but I have to go to my cousin's surprise birthday party tonight. So I'm driving back tonight after the tourney, going to the party, then driving back up to Swanzey Sunday morning.

I still have a few things to do around here so I gotta jet!

D

figuring it out...

Well, guess who's eyes got all bloodshot and runny yesterday? That would be Pacie. So now he's had all the same symptoms that Freddie had, which definitely makes me think that there's something in the yard they're getting into. With the hawks that are around, the owl that lives in the graveyard, and all the other critters, it could be anything. I'll go and have a look around again to see if there's anything I can find...again.

Yesterday was an ok, though not terribly productive, day. The server was down again in the morning, I forgot my badge and SecurID, a few more things popped onto my plate - like it's not overflowing as it is.....sigh.

I've only got another month of craziness so here's to hoping I can keep it together for that long. Then all the craziness that we've been putting off until after the upgrade will hit. Greaaaat. Can't wait.

I took Sue shopping yesterday to pick up a gift for her husband for their anniversary. It took longer than I had hoped, but we had fun. :) We have Mary's surprise birthday party this weekend, which should be interesting. My mother is coming up for the party. It's just such a pity that I have so much planned for the weekend. ;)

Ok, have to get to work!

D

It's been a while...

Wow. I can't believe it's been that long between posts! Sorry about that. :) I'm not sure I'm going to remember all that I've done over the last week.

Let's see.... I went out to lunch with a group of people from work on Friday. I was supposed to go out to lunch with Kate on Thursday, but I had another production issue and didn't get back to my desk, from the second I walked in the door, until 12:30pm'ish. So that didn't happen.

I got home Friday to the sound of water in the basement. Ever since the flood, that sound will cause me to panic instantaneously. There was water pouring out of the hot water tank from an overflow pipe. I didn't even know I had an overflow pipe. :) I was going to call the heating company but figured I'd call my Dad first. Of course, being the best Dad in the world, he knew exactly what was going on and told me how to shut it off. Apparently I need to get a hose for that thing. :)

The weekend... hmmm... Saturday, I was here doing homework, and then went over to my neighbor's house to celebrate Kim's birthday. After that, Sue came over and we went to see Mary in her first starring role of a play. She did great!! She played Anne Sullivan in the story of Helen Keller. We were so proud of her. :)

On Sunday, I did a ton of homework. Sue & I made plans the day before to visit my grandparents. So we stopped at a few stores first, then headed over there with a cake - my grandmother's birthday was Thursday. We hung out and talked about baby stuff. They're both so excited as this will be the first grandchild they'll actually be able to spend time with.

As far as Sue goes, she's popped! She has this cute little pregnant belly now. :) I'm trying to figure out what I can give her, that would be unique, for the baby shower. I picked up a few crochet books yesterday so I'm hoping I can find a really cool pattern. Of course I'll get something off of the registry too.

On Monday, I worked from home. Pacie has been sick the past couple of days. :( It's basically the same thing that Freddie had, minus the eye thing. I'm supposed to bring him to the box turn seminar this Friday, but if he's still feeling like crap, I'll bring Freddie instead. I can only guess that they're getting into something in the yard. I've walked around and looked for anything that could be the culprit but couldn't find a thing. I'm hoping he gets over it quicker than Freddie did!

Speaking of Freddie, we have a tournament this weekend in Swanzey, NH. I'm not looking forward to the drive. :( I was going to plan on staying up there this weekend, but my cousin's 18th surprise birthday party is Saturday night and I can't not go to it. So I'm hoping we're out of there early. Then I have to head back up to Swanzey Sunday morning - eww. We'll be short 2 people so it should be an interesting, and tiring, weekend. I did take Monday off. :)

I've met a few people over the past couple of weeks that are potential future dates. I soooo don't want another bad date so I'm taking it nice and slow. Although, bad dates are good blog fodder. :) I'm sure there will be some interesting stories to come.

Off to work. :)

D

employee appreciation event

Yesterday we had our employee appreciation event at work. I completely forgot about it until I saw the sign for it when I walked in the door.

I had planned on not bringing home my laptop last night. I wanted to head over to my Dad's house, pick up my book and drop off his water. I was going to take a night for myself and get on board with the class that starts today. Instead, I left work around 7'ish after having a few beers and a surprisingly good steak. I mingled with all my coworkers for a while and then hung out with Jason watching everyone do the electric slide and the marcarena (sp?) After that I came home and played with the dogs for a while. They get their energy back when it's cooler out so they were all raring to go. :) After that we watched a movie and hit the hay.

So today I either have to drive down to Melrose and pick up my book or see if I can talk my brother into coming up to drop it off. I also have to do some work - get some last minute changes done to a new collection I'm working on. I think it's going live next week sometime so we'll see. I like being busy at work, I really do. But it's getting harder and harder to keep up such a killer pace of 12-14 hours a day. I have other things going on in my life that I'm falling behind on and I'm not happy about it. Soon, hopefully soon. :)

Fingers crossed that my brother is feeling really generous tonight. ;)

D

overslept

And I'm running so late it isn't even funny!

I haven't really done a whole bunch - really just been working. I have more than half of my time in for the week and I haven't even started today. I think I'll be leaving early at some point, or taking a day off maybe. I'd probably just work though. :(

Off to work...

D

oh yeah, today sucked

It took me so freakin' long to get to work due to all the stupid Nascar traffic leaving New Hampshire this morning. I get into work and all of our development environments are down. I called 14 electrical companies before I found one that had time for me. And most of the ones I called were beyond rude - like how dare I call them and want someone to come before 3 months time - don't I know they're busy?! Sorry. I forgot to turn on my ESP before calling. Oh, and good customer service by the way, I'll recommend you to everyone I know!

I was testing a new app and I found a data issue that affects a ton of employees that needs to be cleaned up by the end of the month. I'm supposed to be done testing the self service apps in integration but the developers haven't moved them *in* to integration yet. Right now we're about 2 weeks behind schedule so I highly doubt we'll be going live in 4 weeks. No stress though.

The electrician came by tonight and looked at the pool pump outlet. Guess what he did. No really, guess. He flipped the switch and it turned on. No shit. The damn thing, that I spent 3 hours on yesterday, just turned on. Arggghhh! Damn thing. But, the guy was really nice and didn't charge me, even though I offered to give him something for coming by after hours and everything. He gave me a fridge magnet with his number so I'll keep it and use him if I can't get in touch with Joe. And I *will* recommend him to people.

There's a commercial for Pirates of the Caribbean on now. Mmmmmm....Johnny Depp. Mmmmmmmm Orlando Bloom. :)

Anyway, I turned the pump on for a while and am hoping that it won't mysteriously not start up again.

Well, those Cosmos that I had are kicking in so I think it's time for bed. Plus, Silvane is coming in the morning and I have to make sure I'm awake for her. And when I get home, the place will be spotless! Woohoo!

D

Need an electrician

My pool pump stopped working yesterday. I tried everything I could think of, cleaned all the filters/baskets, checked the breaker, unplugged it/plugged it back in, and checked all the hoses. Nothing worked. So I called the pool store and they said to return it. Let me tell you how fun it was to take it all apart. Not. I cut my finger and bruised the nail bed in the process. But, I finally got it all apart and brought it back to the store. They didn't have an identical pump, they had one with a little more horsepower....such a shame. I was planning on paying the difference between the two just to get it back up and running. Imagine my surprise when, because of a sale, the better pump was cheaper than my own! I thought I'd have to pay $30 but actually walked out of there with a $21 store credit! I kinda feel bad about it to tell you the truth. I told the guy I dealt with that they didn't have to give me the credit but he said he didn't have a choice, that's how their computer system works. So, I got a deal. :)

The unfortunate part of the whole process is that it wasn't the pump that was the problem. Or at least I don't think it was. I hooked everything back up and it still wouldn't work. Damn. I called my friend Joe the electrician but he was up at the Nascar races and wouldn't be back in my area until 10pm. He works a full-time job and is an hour away so he wouldn't be able to come up for a while. So, I have to find a company that is willing to come out today to take a look at it. I personally think it's the switch, which, if it is, I'll feel stupid because I think I can replace that myself. But, I have a healthy respect for electricity and really don't want to take the chance it's a short and electrocute myself in the process. I'd have really crazy hair for sure then. :)

But, yesterday was another good, productive day. The computer room is kinda trashed right now, but mostly everything has a place to go. :) I did almost everything on my to do list (forgot the damn tree, again) and then started cleaning out some boxes that were in the closets. I went through all the clothes in the closet and in the dressers and got rid of a bunch more. I now have 6 bags of stuff to donate. I went through all the boxes of pictures and consolidated them all. There's a few more boxes I need to go through, but I'm guessing whatever's in there will be Freecycled, thrown out, or put up in the attic.

For the first time in a long time, Freddie went into the pool yesterday. I finally think he's almost himself again! He's still pretty clingy and he needs to gain some weight, but I think we're almost there. :) Millie hasn't had another episode either so all in all I'm feeling better about the kid's health. Of course I almost caused Pacie to go blind when I went to kick a ball and he put his face in the way. I got him right in the eye. Bad Mom! So now I'm watching his left eye to make sure I haven't blinded the poor guy. Let me tell you how bad I felt!! Sigh.

I think this work week will suck again unfortunately. Here's to hoping I don't start drinking when I get home to get away from it - that would be bad. But, no sense in putting it off anymore; it's time to shower and head into work.

D

James Blunt

Back to Bedlam by James Blunt is the latest CD I'm wearing out. I can't pinpoint exactly what I like - don't know if it's the music, the lyrics, his voice, the melodies, etc., but that's all I've listened to the past week. I think it's helped keep me calm during my stressful times. :)

So it's noon on Saturday, it's gorgeous out, and I'm sitting on the couch testing applications. Again. Thankfully this is the final round of testing we'll have to do for authentication. I'm testing the timeouts right now, which means I have to sit here and not touch that particular window for 20 mins. Yep, it takes a really high intellect to do this testing.

I got my grades for the last class I took yesterday. It's now official - I've graduated from Baker College with a Certificate in Web Technology with a 4.0 gpa. Woohoo for me. :) I went out after work and had a few drinks to celebrate with a co-worker who wouldn't let me just brush it off. I'm proud of the accomplishment. I'm glad I went back to school. I appreciate it far more now than I would have at 18. So I think, for me, it's worked out for the best. It fits my life now, even if it does steal a lot of free time. It's worth it.

So, I made myself breakfast this morning, caught up on mail, and hung out for a bit before getting started. So far, I've finished the closet (no, seriously), and have everything in there. I started laundry, changed the dog's bedding, went through a stack of papers that's been sitting in the kitchen for a month, picked up the bedroom, picked up the bathroom, cleaned out one of the file cabinet drawers, filed away a bunch of tax, ins., & manuals that have been on the desk for a year, and have a nice pile of stuff to throw out. Pretty impressive, huh??

I still have to take down the big crate in the bedroom and bring that downstairs, organize all of the Xmas gifts that are scattered all over the place, finish the PC, bring all the stuff on the credenza downstairs, plant the freakin' tree that's probably just going to die now, mow the lawn, do the dishes, and sweep the floors. I'll probably close the pool tomorrow, but it's supposed to be nicer out so maybe I'll use it first and close it next weekend - not sure - we'll see.

I have to hit the pool store and pick up a few things too - I almost forgot about that. I better start writing this stuff down or I'll miss something. Not that that's unusual either.

The flyball demonstration is tomorrow. I figured I'd wait and see how Freddie was doing before making a decision on our attendance. He's doing better, that's for sure. But he's still not 100% so I don't think I'm going to chance it. I really don't want him to do anything that might cause any kind of relapse. His health and safety are number one so we won't be going. Plus, I really want to make sure he has as much time to get better as he needs since we have a tournament at the end of the month. I'd rather him be good for that than for a demonstration.


Back to the grind....sigh.

D

tired of working

Technically I could stay home today since I have more than 40 hours in already. But, I have to head in for a few meetings. I like it better during the summer when the VPs send out an email stating not to schedule meetings on Friday afternoons. :) That little perk will disappear since it's clear summer is waning.

Millie is doing fine. She hasn't had another episode and she's been acting normally. Freddie is doing better as well. Everyday he's perking up and doing some of his normal things. Last night it was barking at Millie from the crate when she was trolling for cookies they might've missed. I can honestly say I don't miss that one!

I'm still debating on whether or not I should bring him to the demonstration we have this weekend. I want to go, like I wanted to go to the last one, but I really don't want to push it with him. He's acting okay, but what if he's not? So I'm still up in the air on that one.

This weekend: I have to find one of those bins that you can drop clothes off at, I have to buy a pump, vacuum the pool and then close it, I have to mow the lawn, I have to buy vacuum bags, bring a ton of stuff down into the basement, put together the shelves for the closet, and finally, finally swap computers so I can give my sister the 'old' one. I needed to upgrade the 'old' one, not because it's old - it's less than a year - but because I needed a more powerful one for school.

Today I'm supposed to go out to lunch with a co-worker. I think he wants to stay on campus - I definitely want to go out and have a drink with lunch. So I may reschedule with him and head out with someone else. It's been too busy, too stressful, and too hard a week to sit in the cafe.

The bulbs I ordered should be here any day now, so I'll have to find some time to get those in the ground before the first frost. With how wacky the weather's been, we've probably already had it. We're still trying to schedule a KRF trip before it closes too. It looks like that might happen in mid-October.

So that's all that's been up with me. I have a week off before school starts again. I'm waiting for my grades from the class that just finished, which should be an A, and which gives me my certificate with a 4.0 gpa. Nice. :) See, I'm smarter than I look. ;) Well, when it comes to book-learning anyway. I've clearly demonstrated that I'm not even close when it comes to men. :)

Speaking of which, I'm still on my hiatus from bad dates. I've had a few offers that I considered briefly but ended up turning down. I just don't want to go through all the crap to get to the good ones - if they still exist. Not right now. Not anytime soon. I really do have enough going on in my life. :)

Work time...

D

quiet night

I started the laundry, did all the dishes, packed up the pots & pans I'm giving away, skimmed the pool, added chemicals, and cooked dinner. I did *not* log into work but I did log into school - kinda don't have a choice there.

I had another health scare with a different dog last night. I think my kids are starting to show their age a bit. :( I was down in the basement doing laundry and Millie was down there with me. She walked up the stairs to outside and then did this weird head tilt. I knew something was wrong but I couldn't see her eyes or anything until she came back down where the light was. I told her to come to me and realized after the first step I shouldn't have done that. She was extremely apprehensive and acted like she didn't know where the first step was; like she couldn't see it. So I walked up there and guided her down the steps. Once we got back down, I could see something was drastically wrong. Her eyes were pointed towards the side of her face (opposite of how they look when they look at your nose) and they were twitching back and forth. She seemed ok, just scared - unsure of why things weren't working right.

I ran up the stairs to grab the phone and she came up right after me. I grabbed the phone, looked at her, and she was fine. Her eyes had gone back to normal. I started testing her vision by seeing if she reacted when I put my finger near her eye. She didn't have the sort of reaction I think she should have had, but I don't know if that's because she couldn't see, or if she just trusts me that much. I don't know. When I did it again this morning, I got the same reaction - she'll close them but I have to be as close as her eyelashes before that happens. Anyway, then I checked her dilation, which was fine in both eyes. She was able to see my hand coming up from the side of her face and she tracked my finger in all directions.

I called the vet office, who was still open due to it being their late day, and talked to Dr. Lisa. I gave her the symptoms and was given 2 possibilities: seizures or peripheral vestibular syndrome - she thinks it was a seizure tho'. I was instructed to keep an eye on her and report back in a few days. She also told me to keep a video camera out so that if it happened again, I could tape it.

I looked up the symptoms for both options and think they were identical to PVS. I have some doubt though because from what I read online the symptoms usually last from 3 days to 3 weeks and she was fine within a minute. It could've been a seizure but didn't have any of the characteristic symptoms of it - eyes rolling up & back, flopping around, etc. I think seizures are one of those things that give different symptoms depending on the dog and the severity of it. So it could've been a seizure - not sure I'll ever know. Great.

I'm going to go through the yard with a fine toothed comb this weekend to make sure there isn't a dead squirrel or something around that they could've gotten into. Makes sense to rule out as many outside factors as possible.

So after that lovely scare I was too hyped to sit around. I guess there was a good aspect of it since I got a bunch done. I'm sure Millie was confused as to why I had her in a down stay with me while I was washing dishes and cooking. :) I just wanted to keep an eye on her.

She was very lovey and kissy before bed. When it's cool she likes to sleep under the covers with me. Our routine on a cool night is for her to jump up and kiss me while her tail goes a million miles a minute in a circle. Then she tucks her head against me and I scratch her neck, under her collar. She gives me a few more kisses and rolls over for a belly rub. Then she nudges the sheets so I can lift them up for her. That's the normal routine. Last night you can times the kissing parts by 10. Then add a crying session where I told her she couldn't get sick and leave me because I love her too much, which just brought on more kissing. :) Then she went under the covers and curled up into a ball near my stomach.

So I'm about done with weird maladies hitting my dogs but I still have 2 left that haven't had anything weird happen to them lately. I'd really like to keep it that way because I'm not sure I can handle the stress associated with something wrong with my kids. I'm sure I popped about 30 grey hairs between Freddie and Millie since the weekend. The unfortunate part is that they didn't all come in the same place so I could have one of those cool 'bride of frankenstein' stripes. :)

I have to head to the supermarket tonight to pick up a few things I forgot and also grab my Dad's Fruit2O. I'm going to make eggplant parmesan for dinner - haven't had that in a while. Then I'll do some laundry and probably cuddle with the pups while watching a movie.

I'm debating on whether or not I should head into work today. I think I only have a staff meeting, which I could attend over the phone. I probably have nothing to worry about with Millie, but it's better to be safe than sorry. However, I *really* need to be in work to finish up a few things. Maybe I'll go in for half a day. I don't know. Either way, I have to shower.

D

just stuff...

Update: 2:32pm - I don't know why this didn't post up earlier. Fingers crossed it will this time...

So we went to the vet yesterday. They did a full blood work up and a lyme test. Blood came back fine, lyme came back negative. Good news, but it doesn't explain his bizarre behavior. The vet said there's a lot of swelling in his eye so we're continuing with the antibiotic ointment in it. She also gave me an anti-inflammatory/steroidal pill to help with the pain and reduce any swelling.

At this point, I don't know if we'll ever find out exactly what was going on with him. I'm gonna guess and say he had some sort of dog flu/cold. I took him to work with me yesterday so I could leave right from work and head to the vet. He was in his crate in the back of the van. It was cool out, and I parked right under a tree, so he was fine. It got me to thinking that most people would be horrified to learn he was crated in the car without me being around. I guess it seems odd unless you're used to competing with your dog in some sport. It was all I could do to not keep the back open like I do at flyball tourneys!

Some signs that he's getting better: he played with the ball yesterday a couple of times, he barked and growled at Pacie for coming within 10 feet of him, he licked my legs after my shower, he humped the cat for the first time in a week, he was a little shit when I was trying to put his eye ointment in and wouldn't keep still, and he laid next to me last night and kept nudging my hand to pat him - all very typical Freddie things. :)

So we're doing much better, which so helps with my level of stress! Couple that with my final group project turned in, my web portfolio turned in, and this class ending tomorrow and it's like I have nothing to worry about! Of course my next class starts Thursday, and it's a math course, so I'll have a whole new set of worries soon enough. :)

I logged in after the vet appt. and worked for hours to make up the time, while watching Ultra Violet & The Princess Bride. I also had to do round two of testing for the authentication model that's being put in place. Round 3 will be this weekend.

I have a drs appt this afternoon, a sink full of dishes to do, laundry to do, and need to head by my Dad's house today. I also need to ge that damn tree in the ground this weekend before it's frozen solid. I don't think I have any plans on Saturday (this was the weekend I was supposed to be in New Jersey) and it's supposed to be nice out so here's to hoping I can get 'er done.

I had to turn the heat on this morning and I was *not* happy about it. I guess I'll close my pool this weekend too since it seems like I'll never get to use it again this year. Then I won't have to worry about picking all the leaves out of it too. Good idea.

Ok, now I'm really late for work and I still have to shower.

D

scared witless...

I wrote a quick post on Friday and somehow the day went to hell. Since Weds., Freddie had been winking at me. Normally that wouldn't be so bad, except it doesn't mean the same thing in the dog world. :) Anyway, I figured he just went barrel assed into the back yard and ran into a weed or something. But, since Weds., he'd been progressively more lethargic and by Friday, after I wrote that post, he was nothing like himself.

I was supposed to go into the office for a few hours before my hair appt. but decided to work from home in the morning so I could call the vet and get him in there. They had an appt., then called to reschedule it to the afternoon. So I worked from home and then brought Freddie to my hair appt. Everyone was so impressed with how well behaved he was since he didn't do much but sit in my lap the whole time. It was extremely clear to me that something was wrong because calmly sitting in my lap isn't usually in the same sentence with "Freddie".

So after my hair appt. Freddie and I went to the vet. We were there for a little over 2 hours but they couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. They did a bunch of tests on his winky eye since that was the most consistent symptom he had. He doesn't have ulcers or cataracts and his pressure is fine. They gave me an antibiotic ointment to stick in his eye.

The rest of the day on Friday and on Saturday, he wasn't doing well at all. He wouldn't follow me when I got up (always happens), he wouldn't lick my legs when I got out of the shower (always happens), he didn't want to play with his ball (never happens), he looked sick and miserable, he didn't want to do anything at all but lay next to me. He was barely wagging his tail. He wasn't growling at Pacie (!!!). He didn't want to jump up on the couch - or down. He didn't want to go down the 5 stairs leading to the backyard. His back is hunched and he makes groaning sounds when you try to feel his stomach. He won't jump up to say hello like all annoying small dogs do.

He was not himself *at all*.

Saturday I had plans to go to Mary's BBQ. I went, but worried about him the whole time. I did drive back in the middle of it to see how he was doing (she lives 5 mins. away). He was about the same, no better, no worse. I went back to the BBQ for a little while, but didn't end up staying that much longer after that.

Last night I burst into tears because he looked so sick and helpless. This is probably the first really big scare I've had with any of them and I didn't know what to do. I realized this morning that he looked so badly last night because it was 2am. Duh. Apparently when you worry your ass off, you lose the ability to think logically.

We were supposed to go to PetRock today to do flyball demonstrations but we didn't. I sent an email to my team yesterday letting them know that we probably wouldn't be going because Freddie was sick. Without knowing exactly what's wrong with him, I don't want him to be near other dogs for his safety, and for the other dog's safety. He'd probably still go up and down the lanes because he's insane and addicted to flyball, but I don't want him to do anything physical until we know more.

In a way, it was a good thing as I spent all day on the computer finishing up my group e-commerce site as well as my web portfolio. Psyche!

I'm taking him back to the vet tomorrow, although they don't know it yet. :) I'm going to get a full panel done and a lyme titer. I want them to focus on his stomach/intestines and his spine. My friend Donna said it looks like he needs to be adjusted by a chiropractor. I'll be bringing him to the chiro lady as soon as she'll see me, just in case that's what it is.

Keep your fingers crossed and nothing but good thoughts for Freddie. Let's hope I can get some sort of answer on what's going on with him....

D

Overwhelmed

A quickie since I, again, don't have time to write all that I'd like to.

I haven't been to bed before midnight this week - doing work or homework. The last 2 day sit's been 2am. Let me tell you how tired I am of that, both figuratively and literally.

I babysat for Zeke last night and worked after he went to bed. I was up testing web apps the night before. I can't even remember what I did before that. I know it was all work related tho'. I love 3 day weekends, but I hate paying for it by having no time for anything the rest of the week.

I'm getting my hair done this afternoon. Then I have to concentrate on school since this is the last week and everyone's dropped the ball on our group project. I just remembered this morning to pay bills. Ooops.

I have a party to go to Saturday afternoon, so the morning will be spent doing school stuff, probably the night too. Sunday I have to head to PetRock for a flyball demo - you should come by, there's a ton of stuff there.

And then it's back to Monday where my group project is due, I need to build a website to show off my portfolio and have that in by Wed - haven't even thought about it. Then another sucky work week.

I'm so tired.

D

maybe today..

I'll get a chance to login and type. Highly doubtful tho'.

Yep, been that busy....

D

no time

I'm running beyond ridiculously late.

I'll log in later.

D

yeah, didn't happen..

No shocker here, but I didn't finish the closet. I really have no excuse why to tell you the truth. I did do the kitty litter box, laundry, and I took a bath. But then I got sucked into the new Terry Goodkind book and that was the end of me. Although, I did play with the dogs outside when it stopped raining.

I Tivo'ed a Discovery special last night - Inside the Twin Towers. It was an interesting show, one that I'll watch again. In one week's time it will be 5 years since the attacks. Remembering that day, it still seems so surreal.

Do you remember where you were, what you were doing that morning?

Of course you do. Everyone does. How can you not.

I was at work. One of the computer guys was there working on my officemate's computer and he said a plane had just hit a building in New York. I went to Boston.com and saw a picture of the tower with a massive amount of black smoke coming from it. I then went to CNN.com and watched the live feed. I remember my boss coming in and telling us that we could leave and work from home if we wanted after the 2nd plane hit. I think it was known by then that it was caused by terrorists. The threat level was at FPCON Charlie when I left. I remember talking to my Dad the whole way home on my cellphone. I don't remember what we said though. I learned afterwards that they had a mandatory evacuation shortly after I left and later went to FPCON Delta and lockdown. The people that were still inside were not allowed to leave. Work was closed for 2 days.

I guess I should explain that I work for a government contractor and we follow what Hanscom Air Force base has for levels. We don't have a choice - I guess it's part of managing FFRDC's.

Once I got home, I had CNN on and tried to do some work. I wasn't very successful. The more I heard and saw, the less I wanted to hear and see. I couldn't figure out how anyone could hate people that much. I really couldn't grasp what was happening. I remember crying. I remember feeling numb. I remember feeling overwhelmed for the people inside. I remember being devastated for the families that were watching the same thing, desperately trying to get in touch with their loved ones, not knowing whether or not they got out. I remember the emotional storm that hit me when the towers fell. I remember being horrified when the Pentagon was hit, praying that there wasn't another plane and it wasn't headed for our other location. Then there was another plane. And more people died. And I cried. (Melissa Ethridge wrote a great song about a passenger on that plane.)

Then the flags came out. Everywhere you turned there was an American Flag. I refused to buy into that. While I thought the sentiment was right, I couldn't ignore the fact that it was just for companies to make money. It was a fad. I didn't want my patriotism to be a fad. Have you seen as many flags since? Neither have I.

I don't have friends in New York, or that work in the Pentagon. I found out later that a guy I graduated from high school with was in the towers and perished. I wasn't particularly close with him, just enough to say hello and have idle conversations with. Nobody deserves to die that way.

I imagine that there will be a lot more in the media remembering 9/11 as the day gets closer. I wonder if we'll be complacent again. I don't think it's over.

D

the plan for the day

1. go for breakfast
2. take a bath with bath salts
3. laundry
4. finish the closet
5. put together the shelf thing for the closet
6. put my linens on the shelves in the newly cleared closet
7. find somewhere to put all the things I took out of the closet
8. do homework
9. do work work
10. change the kitty litter

Apparently one of my favorite childhood movies, Xanadu, is #83 in E's top 101 Guiltiest Pleasures. I really don't know how I get sucked into this crap.

Anyway, I got a lot done yesterday. I visited Sue in the hospital, hit a few stores, got some Xmas shopping done, got some regular shopping done, got some work on the computer done, played with the pups, and paid some bills.

Probably the best thing is that I did some xmas catalog shopping and am now down to 9 people left to buy for. The hardest part is buying for the kids. Finding an age appropriate gift for a 6 month old is not nearly as easy as finding one for a 3 year old. Even then it's not that easy for me, not having kids. So hopefully I won't tank with the choices I made.

Ok, time for breakfast!

D

loong weekend

So I remembered on Thursday that it's a holiday weekend and we have Monday off. While I could really use the extra day, I'm probably going to be working at some point this weekend, which will kind of negate the day off. Oh well.

Yesterday *sucked*. Big time. I was so freakin' busy I didn't eat lunch until after work when I went out for a drink with a co-worker. Every time I attempted to get something done, the system would go down, or I wouldn't have all of the info available, or something else would break and take me away. I'm afraid I'll be having many more of those types of days over the next 2 months. :(

This morning I've done some homework and I got the lawn mowed. It's supposed to start raining some time this afternoon so I'm glad I got that over with. Now it's time to go visit Sue and do some errands. That way I can spend the rest of the day working on the closet and doing a few other things I want to finish up. And I can have a nice relaxing night, cuddling under a blanket with the dogs, and watching a flick before my time is no longer my own. :)

I'll be able to sleep in tomorrow since I don't have flyball practice so I'll probably head down to the diner and get some breakfast. then I have no idea what I'll do. Maybe I'll feel productive and do some stuff around here, although there really isn't much since Silvane is so thorough. I'll probably finish up this week's assignments for school and then do a bunch of work.

Monday I'm heading over to Ellin's to spend the day there. It'll be the last time I'll be able to visit for at least a month so the day off is a good thing. :)

But, I have to go take an allergy pill so the grass that touched me while cutting it and using the trimmer won't make me itch for the rest of the day.

D

I was hiding...

Last night I hid. I hid in my house with the dogs, didn't answer either phone, didn't talk to anyone, just hid.

Chris called me around 9:30am and told me Sue was in the hospital. She's about 6 months pregnant now and any kind of bleeding is a bad thing. So I left work and went to sit in the hospital with her for most of the day. I ended up leaving around 1'ish so I get back to work for my 2 afternoon meetings. Because I was out of work, I had to work last night. So I hid. I didn't want to talk to anyone, I didn't want to explain what was going on with Sue to anybody, I just hid. And it was nice!

I also shut off the ringer on the phones and went to bed early. I wanted a little me time that had nothing to do with work. The dogs pigpiled around me on the bed while I read until it was time for sleep. Then they went into their crates and I passed out. Not what I thought my night would be, but it worked.

It's supposed to rain all weekend, or so the weather forecasters think. I guess I should try to get out and mow the lawn again before that. I need to hit the mall at some point too, which is a good thing to do on a rainy day. I'll probably spend most of the weekend either working or doing homework. Today I feel like I have a very boring life. :)

D

two more days...

And it's the weekend. :) This will be my last weekend without something to do until October. I think I'd like to finish working on the closet and get that done. I'd also like to finish the computer swapping so I can get this one the hell out of here and get back some of my desk.

I did go food shopping last night. I also cooked dinner last night. Then it was time to work on homework for a bit. After that, I made myself one of those desserts where the women in the elevator are getting excited because of the dinging sound. Tasty is a good word for them. I actually think there's enough for two desserts, but I figured I'd be a trooper and finish it. ;) After that it was on the couch with the dogs to watch the season finale of Rescue Me. Hot damn it was good. I'm actually a little pissed that I have to wait until next season to see what happens. So I guess that means they did their job. :)

Yesterday I saw the sun for a while. I'll admit they didn't lie about the weather again. Weather forecasting is one of the only jobs that you can be wrong 90% of the time and still keep your job. Well, that and the president. I'm still not ready for the end of summer tho'.

I'm not sure what I've got going on for tonight. I'll probably do some homework, do a little bit of work on the closet, etc. Unless Sue calls and we decide to go out shopping or something. :)

I heard back from another sponsor yesterday. They're not giving us a ton of cash, but something is better than nothing. They're also giving us magazines (it's a dog sport mag) for the welcome baskets. I have a few more companies to list since some have said no.

D

they lied

It didn't get nicer out yesterday. It stayed the same the whole day - cool, cloudy, and sprinkling off and on. This morning looks about the same so they probably lied about that too. We'll see.

I did not go shopping yesterday. I went to my drs appt in the afternoon, came home, and worked until 8pm when they brought the server down to apply patches to it. What a fun night, huh? I have only a couple of things to pass in for school tonight. That'll take me about 10 mins so I'm thinking shopping tonight is more feasible.

I did read a funny story on Boston.com this morning about a woman who was teaching her dog to drive and got into an accident. What a surprise. I'm all about teaching dogs tons of different things - driving happens to be one of those on the "no way in hell" list. What was she thinking.

That's about it kids. Other than shopping and heading out to lunch with Kevin, that's my day in a nutshell. :)

D

brrr...

I'm soooo not ready for the end of summer. I'm hoping for a heat wave when Indian Summer (why do we call it that?) kicks in. I'd like to use my pool a few more times before closing it up for the year.

School started for the kids in my surrounding cities today so I left the house earlier than normal to deal with the increase in traffic. My commute is so nice during those summer months and it completely sucks the rest of the time.

I realized today that I have been a home owner for 2 years - I missed my purchasing anniversary on Aug. 14th. Yay for me. :)

Today isn't much of a work day as I have lunch with Sue planned, a meeting after that, and am then leaving early to go to the foot dr. Unfortunately I'll be online after that and probably well into the night to make up for it.

I completed my homework assignment last night and turned it in. I have to admit, I did a kick ass job on it too. :) What I'm puzzled by though, is how this instructor is grading our assignments. I did *such* a shit job on last week's assignment that I was expecting a 10. Instead, I got a 48 out of 50. Trust me, I'm not going to complain, but I strongly feel that I didn't deserve that grade at all. However, I'm not stupid enough to bring that to my instructor's attention. ;)

Supposedly it's going to get nicer as the day goes on. And it's supposed to be fairly nice tomorrow. It will be good to see the sun again!

I think I'll make a stir fry for dinner tonight. I haven't cooked in a while and I miss it eating home cooked meals. First I'll have to go shopping tho'. Of course I'll visit my neighborhood Market Basket where the prices can't be beat and the customer service is reminiscent of old times. :)

September is apparently a busy month. I think most, if not all, of my weekends are already booked up. Actually, I think I'm free this weekend, but the rest are full or nearly full. So nobody plan anything else. :)

Ok, back to work....sigh.

D

dreary...and cold!

If there's one thing I dislike immensely, it's being cold. I like my bedroom to be cold because then I can burrow down beneath my down comforter and be nice and warm. And the air doesn't get stuffy, which is the main reason. Other than that, I'm not a big fan of the cold.

It's a gray day - dreary and cold. I think it's supposed to get up to 70 or so, which isn't too bad, but far colder than I prefer. Someday I need to move to a state that is 80-90 most of the time. Someday.

I did exactly what I said I was going to do last night and it was wonderful. :) I got a lot of my Xmas shopping planned out. I'll need to go shopping eventually but first I have to think about to get the tough people, like my Dad - they guy who buys everything he wants when he wants it. I'll find something.

I also ordered some bulbs last night. I had a list of nice-to-haves and when I got a catalog with a $25 off your order coupon, I couldn't resist. I haven't done a whole hell of a lot with my front garden since the flood. So it's about time I got back into the swing of things with it. So I ordered Ice Stick tulips, a variety of Parrot tulips, hardy Gladiolus, Eye of the Tiger Irises, Colour Magic tulips, and some Daffodils. Now I just have to find a place to plant them. I plan on splitting my current Irises in the next couple of weeks. Once I get the other Iris bulbs in, I'll split the bearded ones and alternate the kinds along the back. I'm thinking I'll split the creeping phlox I have in the front as well so I can plant some tulips there. I have a lot of work to do in the garden within the next couple of weeks.

Tonight I'll be concentrating on homework. I have an assignment due tonight, and then I need to work on my XML document for our project. I probably won't get that done tonight - more likely it'll get done tomorrow - but surely by the end of the week.

But, it's time to go make a living. :)

D

relaxing...

So I got everything done except for the book packing up part and getting the tree planted. I got the lawn mowed, even the 3ft weeds that were growing where the ditch used to be. I ended up buying a new machine since I *still* haven't received my machine back from the repair shop. I got my homework assignment turned in on time. I started cleaning out the closet and decided I was going to put up a few shelves to store my towels and sheets.

Today I had flyball practice and it went ok. I forgot (yet again) to take the harness off of Pacie when I put him in the crate after training. When I remembered, I checked his crate and I couldn't find it. So I took his bed and blanket out and found little scraps of harness that was still connected to the plastic clips. That was it. The little bastard ate it. I gave him some bread soaked in mineral oil, so hopefully everything will come out nice and easy. I really can't afford a $5k vet bill.

Dad came by after flyball and helped me swap out the patio umbrella. I cut his hair and Betsy's bangs. He made my screen door more secure so the cats can't open it anymore. The only problem is, I can barely open it now too! I'm sure it will loosen up over time, or at least I hope so.

I went to the Xmas tree shop this afternoon to pick up a few things for our flyball tournament's raffle. I also found a couple of small things for gifts so I have to update my gift spreadsheet again.

So it's 6pm and I'm done with everything I had to do for the most part. I'm going to look through a few catalogs and plan out some more Xmas shopping while watching The 4400 and Mythbusters. Add a Cosmo and it sounds like a damn fine night to me. ;)

D

ahhhhhh...the weekend :)

Last night was really low key and I liked it! I did some reading for school, watched some Tivo (I so love Tivo), folded all of my laundry, put it away, and hung out with the kids for the night.

So my to do list for the weekend is really short. I was thinking about cleaning out the spare room's closet so I can store linens there. I'd like to get the front lawn mowed. I have to turn in an assignment. I need to get my trees in the ground some time this weekend. I'm thinking I'll wait until tomorrow when my Dad comes over. I plan on ordering some spring bulbs and getting all of the Xmas gifts I've already purchased added to my gift spreadsheet. Then going through my spreadsheet and deciding what everyone else is getting. That's about it! The girls were supposed to come over tonight but one of them one won tickets to a game and had to bail.

I know it's early to start thinking about Xmas shopping. I've found that I'm much less stressed if I pick stuff up throughout the year and put it away for the holidays. That way, I don't have to run around like a chicken with my head cut off getting *anything* to give. I have time to get things that make me think of them; things that they'd like. Probably insane, but it works for me.

I plan on taking a ride to Barnes & Noble at some point today to pick up a few books. I'd like to go through my bookcase and pack up the books I haven't read or won't re-read. I'm running out of desperately needed space.

So that's my plan for today. Tomorrow Dad's coming for a visit after flyball practice. I have to give him his 4 cases of Fruit2O and cut his hair.

Hopefully I'll be able to post a list of things done when I log on tomorrow. :)

D

And in funnier news...

I just read this on boston.com and *had* to share...

And God sayeth unto man: I've had it!

By Rev. John F. Hudson | August 23, 2006

MAKING HIS first public remarks in more than 1,000 years, God appeared in the heavens yesterday and ordered all world religions founded in His/Her name to ``immediately take a well-deserved and long overdue time-out." At the crowded press conference, hastily called by the angel Gabriel with a trumpet blast, God's tone switched between anger and sadness as He/She described being frustrated with the boundless cruelty and violence committed in His/Her name.

``It's not like I haven't been patient," said God, who is also known as Lord, Yahweh, Allah, Creator, and the Unnamed One. ``I make and give to humans this beautiful gift called Creation. I give them the ability to think and love and imagine. I send them messengers who teach. I provide food for all, sunsets, cute babies, music, even the Internet! But the minute I turn my back, they all start fighting. Holy War this, Crusade that, and Jihad, blah, blah, blah," He/She said.

Citing the recent war in Lebanon as the final straw, God declared that, until further notice, each of the world's major religions would be punished. God then sent the religious leaders, with their faiths, to their rooms so they could ``sit and think about all the ways they've been bad. They can take their sacred books with them to read," continued God, ``but that's it. No TV, no cellphone, and no iPod."

God was quick to assure the world that the good works of religion, including peacemaking, disaster relief, healthcare, education, and aiding the poor and downtrodden, would not be affected by the time-out order. ``It's not that everything they do on my behalf is bad," noted God. ``They do a lot of good. But just when you think humanity gets it and has learned how to live with one another, they start bombing each other. They stamp their feet and say, `My faith is better than your faith, my country matters more than your country.' They act like each owns me and knows my mind. But not anymore. I'm back in town and taking charge!"

Responding to questions, God offered various opinions about life on earth, including reality TV (``No comment: Ask the Devil"), global warming (``I didn't turn up the thermostat"), and the recent Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees series (``I had to turn it off. It was too painful to watch").

Asked when religious leaders and their faiths might be allowed down to the dinner table, God responded, ``When they learn how to share and get along." Leaving the press conference through a hole in the clouds, God failed to respond to questions about when He/She might return. The clerics, struck speechless, went to their rooms.

Around the world, wars ceased, poverty plummeted, and millions of people used the time they had scheduled for criticizing others -- in God's name -- instead to clean up the earth, get involved in their communities, and wipe out disease.

And, truly, it was good.

The Rev. John F. Hudson is the senior pastor at the West Concord Union Church (United Church of Christ) in Concord .

© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.

seriously...?

I'm not sure if I can even talk about this without feeling like Jay Leno when he gives his opening lines - all intended to be funny observations about things going on in the world. Pluto's been demoted. Yup. You can no longer call Pluto a planet.

I'm not even sure where to start with that one. Part of me thinks it's completely absurd. Another part really does feel like Jay Leno when trying to discuss it. Part of me think it's kinda sad that these people have been working their whole lives on this.

So what will happen now? Well, I think scientists have felt a taste of power. I don't think Pluto will be the only one and more likely, there will be tons of new discoveries now that there's a set of "guidelines" to define it.

I wonder if Disney will start a petition to reinstate Pluto. :)

Will anyone think to create a grandfather clause on planets? :)

I also wonder if anyone in that community has thought about the financial impact that one sentence is going to have on the school systems around the world. What about the publishers of school books? Every single science book in every single language now needs to be updated. Hmmm, I guess they should be psyched.

I think of jokes "When I was a little girl, I had to walk to school in 2 feet of snow AND Pluto was a planet!"

When it comes right down to it though, all it really means is that a group of men & women sat around trying to define things they don't understand.

For it to be a classified as a planet it needs to be "a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit" according to an article on CNN.

The reason for the demotion? Pluto has an oblong orbit that overlaps with Neptune's orbit. That's it.

I'll tell you though, if I was a mass of rock and ice and I had 3 moons revolving around me, I'd be pissed. ;)

D

guilty pleasure

A lot of people don't like to admit what their guilty pleasures are. I don't have that problem. :)

I've been having a hell of a time finding one of my favorite, feel-good movies. I'm talking a couple of years. While on eBay searching for dragonfly items, it popped in my head and I found it. Including shipping I spent less than $10. When I got home from work, there was a small package in my mailbox. It finally arrived!

I am now the proud owner of one of my favorite guilty pleasures - the movie Sweet Home Alabama.

Yes, it's a chick flick. Yes, I know it was never nominated for any awards. Yes, it's surprising that I thoroughly enjoy the movie. Whatever - I own it now! And I watched it tonight while working on a few pages for work and posting for school.

Gotta love those guilty pleasures. :)

D

refreshed

Sue, Aunty Kathy, and I went to Coyles last night for dinner. My cousin is starting to show the signs of having "prego brain". Towards the end of the night, Sue went to run next door to hit the ATM. She got up, walked outside, saw my car, and got excited thinking "OMG Dawn's here!". This would be right after she left the table where I was sitting across from her. Yep, prego brain to the max.

After I got home, I played with the pups for a bit and then jumped on the computer. I didn't have any heavy duty homework due so I just fulfilled my participation requirements and did what I was supposed to do in my role as spokesperson for the group.

Then I watched Sunday's Dead Zone & I think one other show before hitting the hay. Having Tivo saves me tons of time when I actually do get some to watch TV. I wouldn't be able to live without forwarding through commercials.

I went to bed early last night (earlier than I had been) and I was up before the alarm this morning. I don't think I have any meetings today which is a huge bonus since last week I was consumed by them. But I do have plans for lunch with Kevin at Flatbreads or what's now known as our usual place, which will be good.

Other than starting to read the chapters required for this week, I really don't have much going on. :) I have nothing I *need* to do tonight. The house is clean from Silvane so I don't have to worry about that. I have some stuff in my car that I could bring inside. I have some laundry I could do - all no big deal stuff. :)

The girls are supposed to come over and get silly Saturday night at some point. We'll cook on the grill, go floating if it's nice out, and sit in front of the firepit laughing it up. Dad's coming up on Sunday after flyball practice to hang out. Nothing stressful so I think I'll enjoy this weekend much more than I did last weekend. :)

And I may even get into work on time today! lol

D

in homework world

Between work and school, I've been swamped. I've been up far later than I'm used to, which has me up far later in the morning which equals no time to blog.

Lots have happened in the past couple of days too. But I'll be damned if I can remember any of it.

I had a long talk with Cindy one of these past nights and pretty much settled everything. So that was good.

I got my homework turned in on time and got my grades back from my last two assignments. I was right on with most of it and only got 20 points off between the both of them so that was awesome.

I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon, or so I thought anyway. When I got there the office was closed so I guess I must've added the entry to the wrong day. I'll have to call them tomorrow and figure out when I was supposed to be there.

Since I was in Middleton I hopped on over to say hello to my grandparents and pick up a few catalogs from my aunt. My grandmother was sleeping so I didn't stay for very long.

It was warm out yesterday so after stopping by a few stores on the way home to pick up a gift for a work bridal shower party today, I jumped into the pool and vacuumed it. It's sparkling clean right now and the chemicals are perfect. I'm hoping for another heat wave before I have to close it.

Sue just called and asked if I wanted to go out to dinner, so I'm now on my way out. :)

Hopefully I'll get to bed early tonight and be up on time. :)

D

the weekend...

We had a flyball tournament this weekend in Goffstown, NH. It seemed to be a nice little town - I liked the little General Store I passed on the way to the tourney site.

The tourney site was.... interesting. We are soooooo spoiled in this region. Usually tournaments are held indoors in some sort of dog training facility or an indoor sports arena. This was held at a riding center in a horse barn. And I do mean horse barn. A good thing about it was that they used recycled tires as the flooring - recycling is always good. The bad part about it was that they used recycled tires as the flooring, right on top of the dirt. Tons of little pieces of rubber that really look like rabbit food, or turd, so the place was *filthy*. Freddie was not allowed to jump on me because as Holly pointed out to Rob, horses pee on it.

I wasn't looking forward to this tourney because of how I feel about what's going on with the planning of our tourney, but it wasn't as bad as I thought. Still uncomfortable at times, but not the completely silent weekend it could've been. Thankfully we got out early both days so that was a nice bonus. :)

In other news, we've been assigned to groups in school. The purpose is to have a fully functional ecommerce site as our final project. Each student had to submit a proposal and a marketing plan earlier in the class an assignment. Then each group had to read all of proposals that were submitted by the students in that group and pick one to complete as the final project. My proposal was on my friend Nancy's website that she has for selling custom made dog beds, belly bands, crate covers, etc. The group chose that as the final project so it looks like Nancy will be getting a brand new, fully functional ecommerce site for nothing. :) I'm really looking forward to working with my group on this.

I have homework due tonight that I was hoping I'd get done over the weekend, but that didn't happen. (surprise) So tonight will be nothing but me typing away at a loooong report. Silvan is coming tomorrow to clean (yay!) but I don't think it will be as daunting for her this time. I really need to pick up an English-Spanish dictionary though so we can communicate better.

D

plans change

Check this out:

To Do list 8/17/2006

change litter box - done
scan case studies for Amy - done
send Dell battery recall info to Pam - done
laundry - done
dishes - done (yup! all of them)

No lie. I did everything I had on my to do list yesterday. Freakin' amazing. AND I watched the latest Rescue me. AND Sue and I spent a few hours at the mall!

Yeah, my plans for not doing anything at all changed. Sue called me in the afternoon all giddy and happy because she talked her husband into not being up her ass all the time and going out with his friends for 2 nights in a row! Since she got pregnant he's been overly clingy. So, we both did what we needed to after work and then headed over to the Rockingham mall. I picked up this cute purple leather purse from Macy's for $8.49 - the deal of the century. (Yes, I really did say purple leather.)

We made plans tonight to head over to my grandmother's, picking up dinner along the way, and stopping at Tuesday Morning on the way home. I haven't been there in ages so I'm thrilled. :)

This weekend I have a flyball tournament in Goffstown, NH. For the first time in a really long time I'm *not* looking forward to it. I think it'll be ok but I'm sure there will be some tension due to how unhappy everyone is about this tournament. I'm bringing homework to take my mind off of everything and help keep my mouth shut. :) We'll see if I succeed!

Goffstown is one of the only places up here that's had a case of EEE so I'll be covered in deet the whole weekend. Thanks, but I'd rather take my chances with a low percentage of deet then get hit with a deadly disease. I wonder if I can put it on Freddie...hmmm. This interspecies stuff is killing us and I'm wondering if something like this is what killed off the dinosaurs. Surely mosquitos were around back then. The little bastards. They're now up on my list with bees - kill them all.

I woke up a few times last night, which is pretty unusual for me. It's getting close to that time where the AC doesn't kick on because of the temperature outside. I'll have to start paying attention to the nighttime temps and put a fan in the open window instead to keep it cool. I can *not* sleep if the room is warm. It's a bitch to get out of bed in the wintertime with the window cracked, but worth the solid 8 hours of sleep I get. :)

Ok, off to shower. :)

D

customer service and an owed apology

Customer service doesn't mean the same thing these days as it did years back. Years ago, when you got gas, there was an attendant, who was nice, said hello, washed your window, etc., etc. The definition of customer service has changed.

Once in a great while it comes back and it throws you (me) for a loop when that happens. I had one of those experiences yesterday. Since my Dad had heart trouble, he drinks a specific flavor of Fruit 2 O flavored water - watermelon kiwi to be exact. He's been having a hard time finding it lately and I've been able to find it off and on at my local Market Basket supermarket. My father asked his local supermarket if they could special order it for him and he was told no. I asked Market Basket and they said yes. So they ordered a couple of cases for me and called me to let me know they were in and I could come pick them up.

Yesterday after PT I stopped by to grab them. This is where the customer service aspect of the story comes in. I spoke to someone at the service desk, who paged the manager for me. The manager came over and talked to me about what kind of regular ordering schedule I'd like to have. He was extremely friendly and polite. He agreed to ordering one case a week for me and went back to get the 2 cases for me. He put them at an empty register and had one of the girls ring it up for me so I didn't have to wait in line. He then went and got a carriage, loaded them into the cart. After I had checked out, he grabbed one of the grocery boys and had him push the cart out to my car and load it up. All of which was unnecessary as I'm perfectly capable of picking up a case of water. But wow was it a pleasant surprise! I haven't seen customer service like that in a real long time and I have to admit I liked it. :)

I was shocked to see on cnn.com this morning that someone had admitted to the JonBenet Ramsey murder. For years and years there was a ton of speculation focused on the parents. The loss of their daughter was really traumatic enough without being the main suspects in the murder of their own child. I think they deserve an extremely humble public apology from the media. The mother has died without knowing they caught the person responsible. The husband's life is and was ruined by all of this. So much for innocent until proven guilty.

They deserve an apology.

D

urgh

Market Plan worth 15% of grade: done

dishes: not done

No surprise there I'm sure. I got most of the market plan outlined yesterday. I did actually get to concentrate on homework for the night. Millie helped by leaning on me and giving me kisses occasionally. Kisses always help. :)

I got a phone call from my mother interrupting my special homework time. It was definitely one of those phone calls where you hear the first sentence and sigh. I could tell alcohol had been involved in the night at some point. Then she started ranting on how guys are idiots, which I thoroughly agreed to after having just told a guy to have a nice life. However, as open-minded as I am, I really don't want to hear about my mother's dating problems. Seriously.

Moving on, work was good yesterday. My car was doing this wicked funky thing on the highway on my way to work so I left a little early so I could bring it to the dealership. Thankfully it was just an EGR something-or-other and it was covered under my warranty. I brought my laptop with me and sat on the comfy couch in the waiting room making web changes while I waited. My battery only lasted 2 1/2 hrs. though and then I was done working. I have to bring it back once they get a couple of parts in - probably next week.

I got up to use the ladies room and when I came back there was a guy paying for his car repairs. I was really not into the staring he was doing and promptly ignored him. That whole wolf/sheep stare is unnerving. He left but came back in 5 minutes later to ask me if I had a boyfriend. I lied and said yes. I totally give him credit for approaching a stranger and I might've even been a little friendlier had I not felt his eyes burn through the back of my head (and a few other places) a few minutes before. Flattered, but no thanks.

Today was the day 'o meetings. I had one respite when Kevin and I went to lunch. Other than the 1 1/2 hrs I spent at my desk in the morning, I was in meetings. Ugh. My last meeting of the day went over by 10 mins., which in turn made me leave 10 mins. late, which in turn made me 10 mins. late for PT. Apparently this was the day of running late as my PT chick didn't even come to get me until 5:35. We were both in no mood at that point so I did a few things on the machines and said I'd do the rest at home, to which she heartily agreed.

Since I've been home (minus the time I said hello to the kids and played with them), I've been on the computer doing homework. I think I did a pretty good job on the market plan but we'll see when I get my grade.

Tomorrow I have *nothing* to do and it's going to stay that way. If I do anything at all, it will be a load of laundry and some of the dishes. Nope, not even doing all of them. I haven't looked at Tivo in what feels like forever and I'm sure I need to get caught up on those zany Mythbusters and my beloved Rescue Me. Otherwise I just might die.

Now I just have to get to sleep and then make it through tomorrow. :) I think I only have one meeting so there's a very good chance I might even get something accomplished!

D