Tuesday, February 27, 2007

ran out of time again....

Just finished homework.

6 1/2 hours of meetings today.

I'm going to bed.

Gossip will have to happen tomorrow.

However, I will say he threw out a month/day combo for round two....

D

it was ok...

Ok, my idea of what a military burial was and the actual performance of a military burial are two totally different things. Maybe it was because it was snowing. Maybe he didn't have enough honors. Maybe the funeral home just cheaped out. Or maybe I should stop getting my idea of what happens in life from movies. :p

Anyway, everything went off without a hitch, thankfully. Runaway caskets are funny in the movies, not so much in real life so I'm happy there were no mishaps. :p We met at the funeral home, where Father Tim talked about being reuninted with loved ones in "paladise." This is so rude, but it was literally all we could do to not burst out laughing right in the middle of the service. The funeral home might want to consider hooking up with a priest that has better pronounciation skills. Just an idea. It was very close to being a scene right out of a National Lampoon movie.

Afterwards, we traveled to the cemetery with our little funeral plaquards, lights on, hazard lights flashing. My sister told my brother and I that you can get a ticket for cutting off cars in a funeral. I didn't know that - I just thought it was something that wasn't done out of respect. Who knew. So, she took down the license plate numbers of the cars that cut us off. Some were accidental, some were blatant. I think she's going to call about the blatant ones.

Once there, we waited in our cars until everything was set up properly and representatives from the military arrived. The funeral director said a small speech while thick fluffy flakes of snow fell, then turned on a recording of Taps. The 2 military personnel did the folding of the flag ceremony while that played. I got pretty teary when they presented the flag to my father. It was all very nice.

However, I want to know what happened to the 21 gun salute?! Heck, they didn't even have a recording of it! Had I known, I would've made sure some friends were there to accomplish the honor. And I guess I kind of expected someone with a horn to be there. I wasn't thinking 3-piece orchestra, but I thought one lone bugle'er would've been appropriate. It wasn't the military honors I thought was going to happen. Guns & funerals = good stuff. :)

After the funeral we went out to eat with my uncle and his family. We had a good time catching up - there was a lot of laughing and chatting. I think we even talked about going to Florida together for a family vacation. To give you an idea of just how close that side of the family is, I sat next to my cousin, whom I had never met before. She's 13. Real tight family.

All in all it was a good but long day.

I've run out of time, but check back later for a summary of the first date I had last night..... Sneaky, I know - I didn't even tell you I had one! :p

D

Sunday, February 25, 2007

today

Today was my grandfather's wake. Do I say it went well? I mean, what the hell do you say for that? It was a lot of sitting around, a lot of hand shaking. I was ok the whole time, except for when his VFW friends came and did their ceremony. I lost it then. Which just makes me think tomorrow is going to be pretty hard. Funerals are always sad (they make my sister hungry...?), but when you add the patriotic stuff, that just kills me.

I was able to see people I haven't seen since I was a child. I met a few new people as well. I'd like to be able to keep in touch with this side of my family, now that I have a means to do so. I did think it would bigger though. Apparently those Irish aren't all that much into procreation. ;) But the name is passed on through my nephew so thankfully I'm off the hook!

I'm going to bed, tomorrow is going to suck.

D

Saturday, February 24, 2007

observation

My observation of the day is more of a question about an observation. For you CSI fans out there, have you noticed that the back of the CSI:NY jackets literally say "CSI:NY"? Why don't the just say "CSI" or "Forensics?" Do they not know they are in New York and need the reminder? Are they confused easily? If they come out with a CSI:The Bronx, what will *those* jackets say?

Maybe they did if for the fans.... Maybe they figured they needed to differentiate between the 2 East Coast versions. Clearly the horrific NY accent isn't enough to do it on it's own. :p

I've switched to Pomegranate tea - it was the closest thing to Vitamin Water I had. :)

D

do me a favor...

Everybody go out and buy some of that Activia yogurt stuff. Nobody deserves to walk into a room, ask their parent how they're doing, and receive "I'm feeling bloated; irregular" as a response. Better yet, just vow to never utter those words in the same sentence to anyone. Ever. I think we can all agree that scenario fits into the TMI category.

So! Let's look at all the things I was supposed to, but didn't, get done today, shall we? I'm kidding, there really wasn't much on the To Do list for today. I was gonna go shopping and pick something up for the funeral, but I actually don't need to. Shocking I know. I'm not saying I'll be as stylish as my sister - that will probably never happen (unless she dresses me.) But I won't be as bad as my Dad, who is still seriously considering wearing jeans to the wake and funeral. Gotta love my Dad.

I was supposed to get more tissues. I was also supposed to pick up Vitamin Water. All I have here is beer and hot chocolate - normally not that bad a deal at all.

My head feels like it's filled with Styrofoam. I have the sniffles, still. It's so weird, 'cuz I'm not sick! I don't feel badly at all except for not being able to breathe through my nose and the fact that I'm incredibly sluggish. I don't think my plan to drown the evil sniffles virus with hot chocolate is working. It might be time to switch to the 'disinfect the sniffles virus with bourbon' plan. :)

So I've been on the computer, watching TV, napping, reading, and playing solitaire while trying to breathe through my nose.

I'm either going to take another nap, or make another cup of hot chocolate.

Please send Vitamin Water - either the dragonfruit kind (vitamin C is good for the sniffles) or the fruitpunch kind (it's called 'revive'.) Or bourbon, that would work too. :p

D

Thursday, February 22, 2007

a ha!

Thanks Scarlet's Mom!! :)

obituary

Ok, the flowers are set: we (the grandchildren) sent a spray of Fuji Mums and Red Roses with a Blue ribbon that says "Grandpa." There will also be a small American flag attached and is signed with our names. Military = Red, White, & Blue, right? :)

Most of you know me and know what my last name is. However, I wasn't completely comfortable putting it out there for the world to see. I mean, if you're going to stalk me, you should at least have to do a little work for it. :p

Veteran William C. ********, of Quincy passed away at Quincy Medical Center on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at age 80.

Bill was born in Weymouth where he was raised and educated. He lived in Quincy for the past 40 years. (Actually, he wasn't born in Weymouth, he was born in Quincy - I know this because of the family tree Ellin is creating.)

He served in the US Navy for 20 years with service in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. After his retirement from the Navy, Bill worked as a letter carrier for the US Post Office. He then worked as a supervisor in the tint department of the California Paint Company for 40 years.

He was a member of the George F. Bryant VFW Post in Quincy.

Bill was the beloved husband of the late Carolyn H. (Hale) ******** and is the father of Dennis Paul ******** of Melrose and Bruce Alan ******** of Abington. He is also survived by his niece Marilyn D'Angelo of Quincy, his dear friend Grace Dunn of Billerica and 3 grandchildren. (It's acually *4* grandchildren - I've called to have that corrected....)

A funeral service will be held in the Dennis Sweeney Funeral Home 74 Elm St. Quincy Center on Monday, February 26 at 10:00am. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours are on Sunday from 2:00 to 4:00pm.

Burial with military honors will be at Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett.

Donations in Bill's memory may be made to the Old Colony Hospice 1 Credit Union Way, Randolph, MA 02368.

D

eh...

*sniffle*

Usually when I take a certain medication when I start to feel sick, I feel much better the next day. Not today, and I couldn't figure out why until I remembered my Three Stooges re-enactment with the stupid pill packaging. I have to stop and buy tissues on the way to work.

My grandfather's service will be a military burial (what the hell does that mean?), the wake is on Sunday, funeral on Monday. I have to go shopping Friday - what does one wear to a military burial? I really need answers so if you know, don't be shy. Leave a comment, they're anonymous. I have to do the flower thing from us grandchildren today so I don't forget.

It'll be weird meeting family members I had no idea existed. I'll go into that later, right now I have to go de-stink.

D

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

quick rant.



Seriously, this just happened.

I went into the bathroom to take something for my stuffy nose. I pull out the stuff I want, pull out the sheet o' pills, and proceed to bend along the perforated lines in order to take the recommended dosage. I get that little section off and have to peel off the wax paper backing. Ok, no problem. I try to stab my nail through the tinfoil-like backing to no avail. I notice there's one of those "rip here" notches along the top of said section. Ok, I can't stab through it, I have to rip it. Cool.

The next 2 1/2 minutes resemble something out of a Three Stooges show. I can't get the "rip here" section to even rip! Elbows up in the air, straining in the fetal position, tongue hanging out one side of my mouth, the works. I can't get the freakin' thing open! Waaaaaaahhhhh!

People, I'm not feeling good. That's why I'm taking medication. You don't want sharp implements in my hands trying to stab two little pills out of a plastic container the size of a stamp! Let's use some common sense here! I don't have the energy to wrestle with modern packaging materials. I want to take my little pills and go to bed.

This is going to sound heartless, but it's how I feel at this particular moment in time. I don't care about childproof containers! I want my meds to be in an easy-to-get-to package. I'm sick. I don't have the dexterity, wits, strength, or brain function to figure this out. Gimme my damn pills! Let the parents worry about childproof packaging!

Parents: Please lock up your medication and be nice, responsible parents so I don't have to suffer because you're not keeping an eye on your kid. Please?

I finally said screw it and took Nyquil. Look at that, it's childproof AND easy to work when you have the intellect equivalent to a cat turd. :p



*sniff, sniff*

g'night.

D

funny...

Tom likes the movie Sliding Doors. :)

He didn't want anyone to know, but I just had to share it with you. ;)

heh.

D

p.s. I'll post more in the morning, maybe. I think I'm fighting off a cold so I'm going to bed early.

sad news

My grandfather, on my father's side, passed away last night.

I am sad.

I am glad that Ellin is working on my family tree, however the timing is a little spooky...

D

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

I need a break...

...from school. Thankfully that puppy ain't all that far away. :)

On CSI, they're gathering fingerprints from about 100 beer bottles that are spread out on a table. Take away all the crappy green bottles and we've got ourselves a party!! Teehee.

Synopsis of today: blah, work, blah, blah, almost finished loading everything on the new laptop, blah, blah, chattin' with friends and co-workers, blah, blah, lunch plans for tomorrow, blah, blah, blah, work, blah, blah, homework, blah, blah, blah, blog.

There ya go. Fascinating shit, I know.

For some reason I *really* wanted a smoke today. And I mean *REALLY*. But, I was good. Didn't give in and cheat. Just took deep breaths. Drank water. Thought about how great it is to breathe. Breathing is cool. :)

I haven't talked about the not-smoking thing a lot. I can't for the life of me figure out why not now that I think about it. I should be bitchy, right? Should've been? When does that part happen? Or have I just switched to full blast bitch and haven't noticed? Whatever. Anyway, I've been good - haven't cheated in a long time, still wearing my trusty patch, etc. Yay for me.

But, the highlight of the day: I got the best freakin' email today. :) I keep reading it and reading it and reading it and reading it and reading it and reading it...you get the picture. :)

And nope, I'm not sharing. :p

Millie & the boys are all snuggling under the blanket right next to me, Millie's head on my lap (hard to do with the laptop there, let me tell ya.) Every time one of them moves, I get a whiff of corn chips. :)

Well the light went off so it's time for bed.

I love sleep. I love bed. I love sleeping in my bed. (Sing to Knick Knack Paddywhack)

:)

D

Monday, February 19, 2007

quotes, poetry, and movies

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."

I've had that quote stuck in my head since yesterday and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was from or why it was in my head. It reared itself on the way home from Glen & Elissa's last night. I wasn't much in the mood to write publicly, so I wrote in my private journal instead.

I ended up writing a poem as well. I've never written a poem before - I really don't know where it came from. I have no idea if it's good or not, although I would guess it is not. :) Maybe I'm turning into one of those artsy-fartsy type people. :p I say that because I was in such an unexplainable mood when I woke up. Artists usually feel their work, right? lol Don't listen to me, clearly I have no freakin' clue what I'm talking about.

Anyway, so it hit me during the day - Moulin Rouge. *That's* where I know that line from! After setting up as much as I could on the new laptop, that's what I popped in, what I'm watching now. Have you seen it? It's really quite good. :) Of course, it's coming up on the ending so I'll be crying soon....sigh.

Speaking of crying, I've been doing that a lot today. Actually, all afternoon to be more specific. I received a disk today from people I knew a long time ago. The disk had some.....oh man, she just died. Wait a sec, I can't see that well.

Ok, so the disk had footage of Skootchie and Millie on it during different times in their lives. I've never owned a video camera and Skootchie isn't around for me to film today. I didn't even know these films existed. Again with the fucking tears dammit.

But now I do. I have short films of Skootchie, when she was a puppy. I have one of her and Captain, when they were both about 4 or 5 months old, wrestling with each other. I have one of her and Millie, the first night we brought Millie home. There's even a small film of Skootchie doing her infamous hide the toy game with a cow that moo'ed and a dog bed. There's one where she stole a pen and nobody noticed and another of her humping the cat. :)

But I have them. I have something to show people who didn't know her. This was my little girl, this was how special she was! I don't have to be afraid of my memories fading because I can just look at the movies and remember - watch, and remember. I've only watched them about 9 times already. I better make copies of the DVD - I think I'll be wearing it out. If I ever get the time to throw a portion of one up here, I will. Still pictures are beautiful, but they don't capture the essence that was once Skootchie.

As I'm sure you can imagine, my makeup is all down my face, my hair is wet from tears, and I'm a fucking mess. Time to say Good Night Gracie.

Good Night Gracie.

D

not in the mood

I wasn't in the mood to blog this weekend. Saturday was an 'eh' day spent inside doing nothing but little crap things. Sunday was the Monster Truck show.

I got my new work laptop and had intended to move a ton of stuff over Saturday to get it up and running but the connection to work was disgustingly slow so I gave up. That's probably what today will be - getting that up and running.

Sunday, though, was really fun! Between Glen & I, we got a ton of pics of Zeke and a few of the trucks. :) We were stunned with how small the DCU center was. I always remembered it to be bigger for some reason. Maybe it's a decent size, but it isn't big enough for a Monster Truck show.

Anyway, I really don't feel like chatting today and I'm running super late so I'm off.

D

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Yawn! *stretch*

Did you know 100% maple syrup is a good source of calcium, potassium, and magnesium? Neither did I until 5 minutes ago. The things you learn. Educational TV rocks!

Tonight I'm going to bitch about work for a bit. But first I have to share a comment I overheard today at Dunkin Donuts. Some kids (in their 20's) were walking out behind me and were parked a few cars away. As I was getting into my car, I heard one kid say to the other, "Now that's a red-headed MILF if I've ever seen one." I've never been called a MILF before! lol (Google it if you don't get it.) Well, not that I know of. It's extra special considering I don't have kids! I'll take that as a compliment thank-you-very-much. :)

Two things about work: First, I'm not supposed to blog about it. Apparently I need to carry my professionalism across to my personal blogging - something I found out today. We have this online forum where you can anonymously ask questions and receive answers by the resident expert. Today's topic was personal blogging.

Now, I'm of two minds about this. First, I can *kinda* understand where they're coming from. I mean, I could add all sorts of meta tags into my blog referencing the company so it ranked higher in searching. I could be a disgruntled employee, complaining about how poorly I was treated, and in wanting to get back at them could blog lots of lies. I'm not, but I could be.

Even then, however, I really don't agree with any "policy" squashing my voice. I'm pretty sure there's an amendment out there safeguarding that right. They're not coming right out and saying "you can't", they're instead saying "you can, but always be aware of the corporate image you're portraying."

But I'm not at work. This is MY blog. Not my blog at my company. I shouldn't have to edit anything because I work for a certain company. I'm professional at work - that should be enough. I'm not doing any illegal, I'm voicing my thoughts. Do I need a disclaimer above every posting now?

"The opinions given are Dawn's alone and do not reflect the opinion of blah-blah-blah company."

Fuck that dude.

So, I'll blog about what I want, how I want, without edit. I just won't mention my company's name. I've removed all reference from them on my site as well. That's what you get when you work for *** ***** *********** I suppose. :p

The second thing I'm gonna bitch about is the lack o' shit I'm getting done. I looked at my To Do list and realized there are far less done things then things to do. And people keep throwing all these little shit things at me, like I have the time. "Well it'll only take you 5 minutes and it would take me 3 hours!" Well, then, go take the 3 freakin' hours and do it! Ugh.

In an attempt to help, my boss has designated tomorrow as "little shit" day. No main project work, just all of those little nit picky things that make my To Do list look like Paris Hilton's 'who I've shagged' list.

D

snow

My fascination with long driveways has been cured. Clearly the people planning these things have never had to shovel them before. And it only took me 2 1/2 hours while singing "I've been working on the railroad" in my head. Unfortunately, I only know the first verse. It's tough when you sound like a broken record to yourself. :p

Guess who's going to need a reallllly hot bath tonight. :}

My friend Ellin alwasy gets excited when she hears it's going to snow. She says it looks so pretty. She laughs at me because I groan when she says it - and she says it everytime. I then say to her that I would think the exact same way about snow if I didn't have to leave the house for days on end, didn't have to deal with the traffic it causes for the next few days, didn't have to do all the shoveling by myself! Heck, I'd love it when it snowed if I worked from home *all* the time and could sit in front of my fireplace, gazing at the beautiful snowflakes as they fell. I'd also love it if my husband came home and then cleared the entire driveway, walkway, and my car. I'd love it if I didn't have to leave the house for a week and just not deal with it. :)

I can appreciate the beauty of snow falling while sitting on the couch all nice and warm. Really, I can. I did it yesterday quite nicely! I can appreciate the beauty, my back can't.

So now it's time to jump in the shower and get my shit together for work. Because I'm going in so late, I'll have to work late. *sigh* Them's the breaks.

D

p.s. - We had thundersnow last night, did any of you?

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

All done!

I aced my final exam. I'm done. Done. DONE!

On a side note, I watched an episode of How it's Made and I'm pretty sure I'll be staying away from cheese for a while. Ugh. I really didn't need to see that. :(

I love cheese too.

I won't be able to love it until I forget that show tho'.

It's far past my bedtime and I am dog tired (heh, get it) so I'm off to bed. I think I'll pull out the electric shovel tomorrow to dig myself out.

g'nite.

D

it's *that* day again....

Valentine's Day.

The bane of most men's existence (except for JS who goes over the top and is stupidly insane about it.)

I rant about Valentine's Day every year, it's normal, and this year isn't any different. :p Now, I know that I probably bitch about it because I don't have a Valentine. There's a little honesty for you. However, even when I'm in a relationship, it's not that big a deal.

Don't get me wrong, I think taking one day out of the year to tell your partner that you love them, appreciate them, and that you're glad they're in your life is a wonderful idea! Life happens too fast these days for those tender moments to be acknowledged at any other time. In a perfect world, Valentine's Day wouldn't be necessary.

I guess I just don't like the commercialism surrounding it. Guys are jerks if they don't come home with cards, flowers, candy, and jewelry. That's just bullshit! It's not what they buy that counts, it's what they do, day in and day out to love, support, honor, and care for you over the years. Not what they buy that day.

And for you guys, think about how you feel about your partner - then tell them. Just say the words as best as you know how. If they really understand you, they'll know what you're trying to say without worrying about whether the perfect words were used. Be sincere!

It's the lack of patience, the greed, and the expectations that are attached to Valentine's Day that I really dislike. That and the fact that most girls I know are under the misconception that Valentine's Day is supposed to be perfect and life isn't supposed to happen, kinda pisses me off too.

So there's my Valentine's Day rant. I know you were just waiting with baited breath for that one.

In other news, I worked from home today. There wasn't that much snow on the ground but I was up until 3am finishing my final project soooooo.... :) I think I did ok on it, we'll see. Tonight I have my final exam and the rest of the exercises from the book. Then I'm D-O-N-E with this hellish class. I have two 3-week classes after this and then I I'll take 6 weeks off. There's a conference I want to go to at the end of March and the only way we could afford it was if I sacrificed a class. It's 2 fun-filled days on web standards, usability, design, and code. If I were you it would sound boring to me as well, but I can't wait. :) The only bad things about it are A) I have to travel into Boston for 2 days, and B) the timing of it. I have Photoshop World the following week I think. 3 days of traveling to Boston. Ugh. But, all fun stuff!!

Is it wrong to want to nap at 5:30pm? :p

D

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

lots o' white stuff

I heard it was going to snow. I thought that it was going to happen tonight so I put the news on this morning so I could see what's going on. I think I'm in the 8" - 18" area, which pretty much means I'll be working from home tomorrow.

Now before y'all think I'm a big wimp or something, let me give you my thought process. No matter how much snow we get, my morning commute is going to suck. That's a fact - no way around that. So, it'll take me between 1 hr and 1 1/2 hr to drive to work. That's after the 1/2 hr - 1 hr it'll take me to shovel the driveway. Best case, it'll take me an additional hr in the morning. Then, I'll have to deal with the evening commute. In the past I've sucked it up and gone into work on those kinds of days. However, the evening commute *sucks*. Big time. Go search through this blog, you're bound to find me bitching about a few 2 -3 hr evening commute home.

Again, using the best case scenario, we're talking 3 1/2 hrs to get to, and from, work. Why would I do that, put myself through all of that when I can spend those 3 1/2 hrs working from home? Then I only have to worry about working my 8 hours instead of my day turning into a 12 hour day because of driving? My time is worth more than that. :)

So, I'll be working from home tomorrow - most likely.

Cool! They just said taking naps are good for your heart. I'll need to print that out and show my QWL director. :)

'k, gotta go.

D

Monday, February 12, 2007

quick pics


This is a picture of Mag showing all of us what the type and color of her bags were. Remember when they lost them? Yup, we waited in line with the rest of the passengers from TWO flights so she could do this.


This is of Mag & Freddie at the flyball tournament I tortured her with on her visit. She said she had a good time but who knows whether she was telling the truth or not. She probably thought, 'Heck, I won't have to do this for another 5 years... Let me just shut her up for now.' :p



And finally, here she is telling me what she *really* thinks of me. :) Actually I think it was more directed at the camera. She was about done with it by the end of the trip. Oh wait, this was in the middle....nevermind. That was probably for me. :)

So I worked for a very long time today. I was a good girl and got straight into homework when I got home. I'll be saying a big hallelujah when this class is over. My poor pups, they've been so neglected the past couple of days.

I'm not planning on taking the whole day off like I said I would. I think I'll only take half a day - go in late (dr's appt) and leave early. I did get quite a bit done so I'm ok with that.

I think I was still a little hung-over today too. A co-worker commented on my hands shaking and asked if I had a good weekend. :) So I guess it was kind of obvious that I had! Funny shit.

The light just went off - apparently it's time for bed.

Observation for the day: There are far too many sticks up people's asses these days. Makes me just want to kick the stick so it goes further north and busts an artery or something. Do we not all shit? And does it not all stink?

D

p.s. My dog's feet smell like corn chips and I like it. So there.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

fun weekend...

It was a busy weekend, but fun. :)

I spent all of Saturday day doing homework and catching up on schoolwork. Saturday night I went to Mario & Cathy's for Mario's birthday party. I left here around 7pm and got home around 5am. There are a few pictures.

The kids got me up around 9:30am. I was *very* hungover and became a drooling blob on the couch for an hour plus. Then I had to get ready for the Poker tournament. I was easy prey, let me tell you! So I lost 20 bucks but had a good time. :) I brought my camera but didn't have enough mental capacity to remember to *take* pictures. Ah well. :)

I'll have to take a day off, probably Tuesday, to finish my final project. I'm so thankful that this class ends on Wednesday. :)

I'm really tired and still trying to get my brain to work so I'm off to bed. Do you think I'm getting too old for this shit? :p

Nah... ;)

D

Thursday, February 8, 2007

It is what it is

'It is what it is' - a saying I'm very fond of.

What does it mean? I imagine it means different things to different people. For me, it's just a way to accept "it" for what "it" is. For most things, I think you should put up or shut up. Don't bitch about it if you're not going to do something about it. Unless you're just venting, then that's OK. IMO venting is just a way to acknowledge your feelings to something before moving on. Totally different. :) (I say that because I am also known for venting...)

Anyway, so if it's not worth putting up and you want to shut up, just accept it. 'It is what it is.' It really works wonders, you should try it. :) It's especially effective with people. There's no way in hell you're going to change your boss and his chauvinistic opinions. Deep down you know that. It is what it is.

The cable guy is late and you *still* can't watch your favorite soap opera. Yes it sucks. Is your life so severely affected by it that you can't function? No? It is what it is.

Now I'm not saying just accept every situation - that's ridiculous and if you knew me you'd know I don't do that (right Paula? lol) One of the most important lessons in life is to pick your battles. Sometimes it's worth fighting, sometimes not. When it's not, that's right kiddies! Say it along with me - It is what it is.

That's my lesson for the day.

Go now and rule the world. Then pay me for the lesson. That's called passive income and is a lesson for another day. :)

D

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Hump Day

It's not like I can even complain about the week. I had Monday off and I worked from home Tuesday. But today is hump day and there's only a few days left until the weekend.

As I said, I worked from home yesterday - actually got quite a bit done as well! Last night was homework time. I have my final project due next week (not sure when) and I'm thinking I should really start working on that. :)

I think I have things to do this weekend though so I'm not sure when I'll actually get to it. Mario's party Saturday, practice & Poker tournament on Sunday. Fingers crossed that I come home with the big cash prize. :)

I think I'm grabbing a beer after work to celebrate Jason's b-day. Then I think Lisa is coming over to watch the latest CSI with me. Then I need to finish homework that was due last week and this week. Piece of cake.

Ugh.

D

Monday, February 5, 2007

.....sigh......

Mag is gone.

She's in New York visiting a mutual friend of ours and will head back to Colorado to meet up with her husband. It's a pity George couldn't come up as well but I can definitely see how shooting .50 cals is a bit more exciting than visiting Boston. ;) That's probably the choice I'd a made as well!

I had a Dr's. appt. at 7:45am so Mag slept in while I went to that. I will no longer refer to my foot Dr as a nazi because she let me take the boot off. I'm not supposed to over-use it or do anything stupid for another 3-4 months. That includes wearing shoes instead of sneakers, which we all know ain't gonna happen. But, I'll at least try to minimize it, which is probably what she wants anyway. :) So I like her again. :)

I didn't want the dogs to wake Mag so I grabbed a paper and had breakfast down the street. There's really only *so* much time one can waste however, so I was back here around 8:30 or so. She was already up, making tea, and hanging with the pups.

We hung out for a bit, did some window shopping, and then had lunch at the 9's. We didn't have much time to spend since she had to be at the airport shortly thereafter. But we had a good lunch, talked about the business some more, made a list of things to add to our to do list - for when she's here and I'm there. :)

I dropped her off at the airport, gave her a big hug, and an until next time. :) I haven't done much since - caught up on a bit of Tivo, started homework, and cuddled with the kids under a blanket.

I'm *really* tired right now. It's only 7:30pm and ........Hahahaha!!! the cat just fell off the couch! :) ....I think I'll be in bed in just a little bit. I'm probably good for one more CSI and then nighty night.

Today is Jason's birthday, Friday is Mario's. I think I'll be going out for drinks after work a couple of times this week. :) Friday is also my Dad's birthday so we'll probably do something over the weekend for that. Although Saturday is Mario's party so... dunno - we'll see what happens.

D

Sunday, February 4, 2007

relaxing Sunday...

We woke up at 10:30am. I haven't done that in years and years!! But we were both tired enough apparently.

After showering, we went out for breakfast at the little place down the street. I really had a hankering for the multi-grain pancakes at iHop, but the wait was far too long. The breakfast was really good though so no complaints. :)

Afterwards, we did a bit of shopping - got some clothing from the Gap for her niece and nephews. There isn't a Gap in Perth but they are aware of the brand name so it's a cool thing for them to get. We hit a few other stores, including the supermarket. We went down the international food aisle so she could explain what the various spices and sauces, commonly used in Asian cooking, were (She lives in Australia but is of Malaysian descent.) I bought a few things that I'll experiment with in my next stir fry. While there, we picked up a few dessert goodies for the Superbowl party tonight - a cheesecake sampler and a peanut butter ice cream pie. I can't wait for dessert! :)

Mag wanted a lot of relaxing time on this trip and she reminded me that we hadn't done enough of it while we were leaving Best Buy. ;) So we've been on the couch, idly checking mail and surfing the web while watching V for Vendetta. She hasn't seen it before and I absolutely adore the movie. If you haven't seen it, I *highly* recommend it.

The movie is almost over and we'll be heading over to Mary's afterwards in just a bit. We'll have a great time watching the game, talking shit, making fun of each other, and eating lots of delicious food with even more delicious beer. :)

This trip, we've been talking about starting a business together. Perth is not so up to speed in some things as the US is. We're talking about how to capture that and start something that can grow over the years as they catch up. It's an opportunity that I'm very excited about and can't wait to start! Hopefully we'll be able to get all of the details figured out within the next couple of months. We both have some research to do with regards to starting an international company. We don't know if it has to be international since it will be based in Perth, but where I'll be part owner, it might. We'll see.

I'm sad that we only have tomorrow left. I wish her vacation was longer, or I could spend some time with her in Colorado, her next destination. But, it is what it is, and it probably allows me to value our time together and our friendship that much more. We've spoken about meeting up in Ireland or the UK and having a vacation together. I told her we need to get our business profitable first so that we can do that and have it be a business expense. ;)

My life seems to be heading in unforeseen directions lately.

It will be the year of the boar soon. An auspicious time for a person born in the year of the boar.

I was born in the year of the Boar.

D

sooooo freakin' tired

Mag & I were up early this am for the flyball tournament. Our teams tanked, but Mag had a good time! She shagged balls for us and enjoyed watching all the different styles of teams. :)

I can't wait to hear her explain the day to her husband George since the word shagging for them has the English connotation, not the American. Think Austin Powers. ;)

After that, we came back here, let the dogs out, checked mail, etc. before heading out to dinner at Bison County. We had a great meal, great conversation, etc., etc. It's not like we fight when we get together. :)

After dinner, we came back, let the dogs out, made cups of tea & hot chocolate, and parked it on the couch. She checked mail, did some updates, etc. - I did homework.

My eyes are trying to shut as I type so it's time to go.

D

Friday, February 2, 2007

got a lot done...

We had a busy day today, Mag & I. (After looking at the list, it doesn't look like much, but damn we were on the go the entire time!)

Here's a brief summary 'cuz I'm too damn tired for much else.

But first, Mag is looking for a few things while she's here that she can't find in Australia - a chestnutter (just look it up, I had to), some electronic stuff, and gifts for her nieces and nephews.

- We had chinese & sushi buffet for lunch,

- We visited my aunt's so I could do my cousin's hair,

- We spent hours at the Rockingham Mall (too many stores),

- We hit Babies 'R Us,

- We hit Target,

- We went to Fuddruckers for dinner,

- We talked about a few businesses we're thinking of starting in Perth.

Flyball tourney in the AM - Mag's first. She'll be taking times and shagging balls. :)

G'night.

D

US Airways has great internal communication skills..

The bags did not arrive at 4am like they said they would. Real surprise there.

8am - we call the local number on the ticket - no answer. Ever. We call the 800 number on the ticket and we connect with someone after multiple Press 1 for options. The lady tells Mag the bags came in on the 11pm flight and will be delivered before noon. Ok, we'll laze about until then. That's no stretch!

At 10:30am we figure out that we could've gone down to Logan, picked up the bags, and could be back by then. So we call again. This time I speak with them because Mag thinks that people sometimes have a hard time understanding her. I get a not-so-thrilled-with-my-job-today man who, in a very bored voice, tells me that they have one bag, but the other is still missing in action. Wait, didn't the lady we spoke to earlier say both bags were in? Are they there? He doesn't know. he doesn't know where the other bag is or if they're on the delivery truck or if they're sitting right in front of him.

Ok, well, how does she get compensated for this? We can go online and print out a form. The URL is listed on the receipt, and I'm already there. I don't see a form. I don't see a "Delayed Bags" option. Can you repeat the URL? Ok, that's right. I don't see what you're telling me I should see. he says, I give out that same URL and nobody else has a problem finding it. Well, I know sometimes I can be quite ditzy, but I'm looking, as we're speaking, and I'm not seeing a link for a form. He says, well, it's there. I say, Sir, do you think I'm deliberately lying to you? No, he doesn't think that. Well, then can you tell me where the form is please? On hold for a minute while he looks it up himself. Ok, so you go to www.usairways.com/baggage and then you click on the link at the top or left that says "Baggage". Ok, so I have to go to the baggage policies page and then backtrack to the baggage home page. Is that right? Silence. That is correct, yes? Yes, Ma'am. Ok, (and now I'm just busting his balls) so if I go to www. usairways.com/baggage I have to click on the baggage link at the top to get to the delayed bags portion where the form is located, right? Just wanted to be sure that I wasn't able to see it by just going to the URL that nobody else has a problem with.

Fine, we'll shower and get moving. Maybe the bags will be here when we get back. I jump in the shower, then Mag. As Mag is just about to jump in the shower, the delivery van shows up. With two bags. Yay!!!

I wonder if US Airways is still looking for the "missing" bag.

D

Thursday, February 1, 2007

anyone see Mag's luggage?

No? Neither has US Airways.

Mag is here! Woohoo!!

We're sitting on the couch, both of us typing away on our laptops after a... frustrating night. Her flight was delayed for 35 mins, but that wasn't that big a deal, I brought a book and she had one from sitting in Philly for a few hours.

We waited in the baggage area for an hour before they started sending some of the bags out. Notice I said *some* of the bags. Then we waited in a really long line with the rest of flight 804. 1/2 hour later, we learned that the bags just didn't make it on the plane.

Really. No shit sherlock. We kinda figured that out when they weren't there to grab off of the conveyor belt.

However, they'll probably be on the next plane, the nice lady behind the counter says, it'll be in at 9pm. Ok, that's not too bad. We were going to stop by my Dad's on the way home so he could say Hello to Mag. Dad only lives 20 mins from the airport - no big deal, we'll just visit a little longer and then head back to the airport.

Yeah, no such luck. Two flights came in from Philly at 9pm - neither of them had her bags on them. But, the nice guy behind the counter says, we have two more flights coming in tonight from Philly - the next one is scheduled to arrive in 20 minutes. Do we want to wait? Well, not really, but Mag would like her luggage and I would like to make sure Mag gets her luggage so ok, we'll wait.

We sit down for about 2 minutes and decide that we don't quite trust the US Airways people anymore, let's see when the flight is really coming in. Thank dog we did as it was an hour and 25 minutes until it arrived, not 25 minutes. 'k, we're not waiting.

We file a claim, give them my address and phone number. We have a choice, we can get them within a couple of hours of the last flight arrival, or we can wait until morning. Sooner is better than later, send them asap. We're on our way up the escalator when we hear Mag's name being called. Uhhh. ok. One sec, we need to spin around. We go back into the we-lost-your-luggage office and find out that the 2nd 9pm flight is actually just unloading now. Do we want to wait and see if the bags made it on that flight?

Yes. Yes we do thank-you-very-much. Most people leave the airport with their luggage. We'd like to be those people. Call us crazy.

We watch the luggage go round and round, round and round, round and round. Nope. Not Mag's bag. Neither of them. Ok, we're done playing. Time to go home.

So, if y'all see some luggage hanging around, give me a call.

D

on the go...

So I was up until 2:30am doing homework. I could think of a number of things I would rather have done - homework isn't on that list.

Sue called and woke me up around 8 this morning. Since I had the morning off (I was only supposed to do homework - didn't get done), we decided to head out for breakfast and then go shopping. I soooo scored at Rockingham today!!! Macy's has the best freakin' sales. I got a $100 coat for $22. I mean, how can you go wrong?

I'm not sure what happened to the time. One minute we were finishing up breakfast at Shaw's (not the supermarket) at 9am and the next thing I know it's 1:30pm! In between all of that I stopped to let Mary's dogs out.

We hit a few stores at the mall (got a really cute pair of camos), used up a couple of Xmas/Birthday gift cards, and headed to the car heavily laden with bags. Gotta friggin' love it - tons o' cute shit with no cash outlay. Deal!

I jumped online to get Mag's flight info so I knew where to pick her up and I guess it's changed! She just called to say she's at the Philly airport and the flight info has changed. She's so good about flights. :) Oh, did I neglect to mention that she tried booking this flight 3 times before she got it right? lol

I'm gonna go play with the pups for a bit (and vacuum the furniture) before it's time to go.

Not sure when I'll be around... but I have my camera!

D