More updates

Things here on the home-front are not so good.

First, yes, the stepson is going to be a dad. They've been having sex, oops, I mean "dating" for 8 weeks.....she is 8 weeks pregnant. So, now that I've simmered down a bit (after giving him a solid piece of my mind on the matter) I'm going to sit back and watch. Nothing more I can do.

In other news, hubby's dad was scheduled for neck surgery today. They've known for a month it would be today, so originally, it was no big deal. Routine. That is, until hubby's mom has to be taken to the emergency room the day prior to his surgery. Why? Something called Siatica (thats not how its spelled, but I'm close). Basically, she has a pinched nerve in her hips. This comes from 40 years of being a secretary and not doing much standing, then retiring and standing and going 'hard' all at once for the first year. This pinched nerve decided to have a royal fit, causing her to be in severe, debilitating pain. She couldn't move, and could barely talk from the pain. So off she went to the ER. Her hubs took her, brought her home, took her back again because the pain meds they gave her weren't touching it. So he took her back, got her good and loopy, then brought her home. At that time, her best friend came to spend the night with her. Father in law then picks up his eldest and only daughter and off they go for the 2 hour drive to Springfield. Today, we get a call that she needs to get home because her hubs is having a cow. ALso because nobody will be able to get her son off to daycare (its about 100 yards down the street and her hubs is completely incompitent in these issues). So, since the other sibling are "just too busy" here we are. Me, hubs, and son, all in a hotel in Springfield, IL. Lovely way to spend my vacation and precious time with my son. *sigh*

On top of it all, we actually had to call the youngest sibling who lives 1 1/2 miles away to tell him and his wife "go check on mom" because she didn't take her meds on time and was again in horrible pain. So they go over, and wife and best friend end up taking her back to the ER. I just got a text from my hubs saying things were fine with his dad, but not so with his mom. Thats all I know. I'm 2 hours from home, no car, in a hotel, with no news. Hows that for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year???? I soooo wish his other 2 sibs would just take some sort of responsibility here. What if we weren't here to take the reins??? And they say we're the bad ones? The black sheep? These 2 sibs, 2 younger brothers, the older of the 2 was the first 'born' to his mom and dad, since hubs and older sis were adopted. So he is considered "chosen by god". Then, the youngest, well, of course he is the Baby and will never be made to have responsibility or to be held accountable for his actions. That leaves hubs and his sis. But they'll always make an excuse for the other 2 (mom and dad will, anyway).

So there you have it. My final week of vacation in a nutshell.

Update

An update on the stepson front....

It all was so confusing, until we went to pick him up. Once in the car, we pounded him with questions for 4 hours. Here is what we know:

They've been dating for 2 months.

She had only been on the pill for 2 weeks.

Her parents told him he doesn't have to pay for any prenatal Dr. visits.

She is supposedly going to keep it, and finish school, with her grandmother babysitting.

He 'says' he is joining the military, and yet when I asked "Are you going to send money to her for child support?" He looked away and wouldn't answer.

She has a Dr. appointment on Monday.

Today, he will announce his delima to the family here...yes, all of the bible thumping hypocrits will hear of his fuck up. Merry Fucking Christmas everyone!!

We don't anticipate them staying together much longer. Hubs is giving them 2 months, which means he probably won't see his own baby, and we won't see it, either. Stepson isn't being made to be held accountable for his actions, so its no wonder he doesn't show concern. This is how kids are being raised these days.

So, I'll keep things updated here as I know them.

You're kidding, right????

Thats what I wanted to ask my stepson, who will be 18 in 2 months. Are you fucking kidding me? You got your girlfriend PREGNANT??? Seriously??? I couldn't believe it. And his dad asked him "why didn't you tell me?" His answer was "well, its awkward" No, its not. You simply say "dad, I think I got my girlfriend pregnant" and then he would say "where was the birth control?" and we all have a nice discusssion. You don't lie about taking her to the doctor with the "I have to work" excuse. You just say it, straight up.

Ok, so thats my rant. We find out today that its about a 99% possiblity that she is preggers. How do we know that for sure? Well, here is the lame story he is telling us....

She hasn't had her monthly cycle for 2 months. She took an At Home Test this past Sunday. The test was positive. She's been puking for a month or more. Her mom took her to the doctor because she thought it was Mono. Doctor said "No, but she might be pregnant" . All families have discussed it (minus us, of course, guess we don't count) and have concluded that she will go to the doctor on Tuesday. Stepson will take her for the test. When asked about birth control, he said "I used a condom".....uh huh. "I guess it didn't work"......um, WHAT??? NO, thats not acceptable. *sigh*

Ok ok, I'm not surprised. I guess I'm just more pissed off that he didn't say a single word. I'm also pissed because, should this come to pass, I know that A) he is going to totally fuck this up, B) DH will not get to see his grand-baby, like .....ever, C) his whole future is fucked up, and D) he's more than likely going to be that guy who lives in his mom's basement with his girlfriend and kid. How fucking pathetic. This kid has his problems, no doubt. He's supposedly been diagnosed with ADHD, but I never bought it. His mother has ruined him beyond imagine. He's stayed with me for a month and not one day was he on his medication. He followed my rules, ate my food, and did what he was told when he was told to do it. His mother has fucked him up royal, obviously.

So what am I going to do? Nothing. We go to get him tomorrow evening, and take him back Monday morning, I believe. Its always stressful for me when he comes, has been for 10 years. This time I'm going to try to just stay the hell away...or at least keep my mouth shut. we'll see what happens.

Getting rid of drama

For 30 years (or more) I have put up with more shit than I care to think about from my immediate family. Between my mother setting me up for beatings from my father, to the mental abuse she loved to impart on me, to the backstabbing from both her and my sister. It wasn't until about 5 years ago when I called them out on it, and just the past year or 2 that I decided enough was enough.

At the beginning of 09 I washed my hands of the woman who gave birth to me (aforementioned as 'mother'), and as of today, I have washed my hands of my sister. Many people ask "What about your dad? He kicked your as daily!" Yes, he did. But guess what.....he admits it. He acknowledges it and I know somewhere deep down he regrets it. The other 2? HA!! Not a chance. They will not admit to stealing from my grandmother, or from me. They will not admit to backstabbing me, or lieing to me. If you ask them, they have done nothing wrong and that I'm the psycho liar.

I won't bore you with the details. We've been down that road. Today I washed my hands, my life, of her and her ex husband, and her boyfriend. I am done with them all. I speak on a regular basis with my father, although I don't trust him enough to tell him anything of importance. There are 3 people I trust with my life, and thats it. None of them are related to me by blood. Sad, isn't it?

Point being, the drama from them is over. I feel, as I did with the bitch, that a weight has been lifted. I feel sorry for my niece, but by her attitude when talking to me, I can only imagine the atrocities my sister has told her about me. Its really too bad. However, from now on, I have a father....nobody else except The Handler, the hubs, and my high school girlfriend. Thats it for me.

On a happier note, hope everyone has a great season, and here's one for the New Year!!!

It happened

Yep, we're moving territories. Over the last week or 2, after my initial temper tantrum, I've come to the conclusion that Karma will help me on this one. I've been ytrying to see the good in the move, and that has helped as well.

If you look at a map of the USA, and find I-80 which runs from Chicago, IL to Salt Lake City, Utah. You will also see that I-70 runs from St. Louis, MO to Richmond, UT. Its a big rectangle, and that is our basic new territory. Yes, there will be towns/cities slightly outside of those areas, but thats the general area.

I'm looking forward to new sites, seeing old friends (from Jr. High[8th grade]!), hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, and a variety of other things. I was born in Colorado, and lived there til I was 13. I do look forward to going there again. I've been several times, but only for a day or 3, nothing long term. I miss it. The one thing I'm not looking forward to is the cold and snow. Bleh.

So, when I get home this coming week, I'll spend time going through all of my winter clothes, seeing what still fits, and what I've 'outgrown' . It will also let me play with my new toy!

I need lots of practice, as its not romotely the same as shooting a gun, but I'm having fun working on it!

So, in conclusion, the weasel got us booted out of our plush beach digs. Karma is already coming around, though. It seems that he's received quite a bit of flack from someone (or maybe more than one) because he told us the company will pay for the UHAUL trailer we will need to haul all of our crap home. They are also paying for the hitch we have to buy that needs fitted to the car in order to pull said trailer with the Buick. He also had no problem talking about moving us before, yet now he 'doesn't want to talk about it'. So, how are things going to go at the annual meetings? I'll let you know when it happens. Until then, I'll keep playing with my new toy, buying camo clothing, and working on my plans for the final dream. Explaination of that to follow in another blog.

Change is inevitable

I don't usually mind change. I'm like most folks, as long as its for the better, I'm good with it. And I guess I should have known that, like most "too good to be true" deals, this one wasn't going to last.

I'm speaking of my job location.

Let me tell you the whole story....it gets confusing, so try to stay with me.

Lets start with 3 couples, or, better said, 3 sets of Techs. We (DH and I) will be C1, the couple that runs up and down the Mississippi River is C2, and the couple that runs the Rockies is C3. Ok, that said I'll try to explain as best I can.....

C1 starts this job in Jan,09. They are told they will have the Southern Region, which encompasses Florida all the way across to Louisiana. C1 is thrilled because this is what they were hoping for. They do a bit of training with C3 before moving down to their truck in FL. Its during this first couple of weeks in Jan that C1 learns about C3's thoughts of quitting. Wow, too bad, they were a nice team. March comes along and C3 does indeed quit. Main office decides not to hire anyone new, but to expand the territories. Ok, fine. C1 doesn't think much else about it. The Fleet Manager (FM) decides to ask C2 to move territories to the Rockies. This, in turn, expands the territories of other Techs. Still no biggie. However, unknown to C1, the FM made a deal with C2. This deal is "If you move to the Rockies, I'll get you to the Southern territory where C1 is. Now, for a whole year, FM never tells C1 of this deal, even though it involves them!!!

So, you ask, how does C1 find out? Oops! One of the morons in the office spills the beans. Now its on. C1 calls FM and says "WTF? Were you going to tell us?" FM responds "Well, its not set in stone. " ummm, well, when will it be 'set in stone?" He has no idea.

First let me say, I've left a lot of 2 hour conversations out of this blog, as its redundant information. Us pleading our case, clients here who requested us being back, our numerous letters of appreciation and kudos. Add to that the fact that DH's doctor (recall the heart attack in Feb) is here. Seemingly, it has no effect on the FM. He, nor the aformentioned morons in the office care about what the customer wants. Shuffling techs around, no matter the report with the clients. BUT....he still, after 2 weeks, refuses to give us a solid answer. We need to know! We have lots of stuff to get shipped home, wardrobe changes to make (south to the north? c'mon!) Going from the beaches to the Rocky Mountains.

Here is my problem, and its not the location. Its the fact that I feel betrayed. The dirty spineless FM made a deal and didn't bother to tell us, even though we were a key player! He did some shady dealings behind my back, after preaching all year "don't trust the people in the office. I'm the only one who you can trust, I've been in your shoes" WHATEVER. I can no more trust that sorry bastard than I can trust that bitch who gave birth to me. He keeps asking DH "Why doesn't she want to talk to me?" and his response is "Really, you don't want her on the phone, and you don't want to talk to her in person. She's pissed" That is putting in mildly. I have made the personal vow not to speak to him at all, if I can help it, during our anual meetings in January. He is spineless, gutless, nutless, and a fucking weasel. I trust no one in this company, including the techs that might be moving to our region.

We should find out something next week. I hope so, since we have 6 1/2 days (roughly) of work left at the time of this blog. I have lots of shit to ship home should this change occur. And even if we stay in this territory, I will NOT speak to that sorry ass unless its for work purposes, and even then it will probably be the DH doing the talking. Some might say "You're a coward for not speaking to him".....no, I'm saving his life. As the saying goes "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" He betrayed me, and I will kick his sorry ass should he push the matter. This isn't over by any stretch of the imagination. Don't fuck with me.

Run Away!!!!

As the days drag on in seemingly endless monotony, I find myself yearning more and more for my new life to begin. Each day in this appalling society just reinforces my need to get away from all of it. What I wanted to be a slow, learning process may very well end up being the fast track, screw the mistakes.

What I'm referring to is society and government. Before proceeding let me clarify that no politics will be discussed here, nor religion. You all don't have enough time for that.

Society here in the good 'ol USA is going in the shitter. Children of all ages becoming more and more unruly. More rude and demanding. An parents becoming more spineless by the day. "No spanking!" "No telling them they did a bad thing!" "No correction!" "All dicipline is detrimental to their fragile minds!" "Everyone makes the team, No Disappointment!" Its all making me very ill.

How will our children deal with the disappointment of not landing a job? Or getting a low grade in school? Or not being accepted to their favorite college? If we don't help them now, how in the hell will they handle it?

Another issue is dicipline. I've discussed this before, and will continue to rant about it. Children running wild like a pack of rabid dogs in the streets. Children telling the parents what to do....demanding what they want, and getting it. Children being so defiant I'm surprised they haven't been killed. Its unbelievable.

I know, I've ranted about children before. But this is different. I don't understand how people who were raised with dicipline, and guidance feel the need to let their children do as they please. How will they learn? I don't want to know. I am going through each day with my goal of off the grid solitude firmly in the forefront of my brain. I damn sure don't want these little retards taking care of me or my country when I get old. I can take care of me, as for the country, well, nothing I can do about that. Am I putting my head in the sand? No. I am looking out for myself and my family. I can guarantee you that should a crisis come to the Earth, I will know how to survive without my computer, cell phone, and car. I will know where eggs come from, how to cook for myself over a fire, how to build a house and raise livestock. I will know that carrots don't come off a shelf, but out of the ground. I will know the skills to survive. I will outlive these heathin children, these spawn of technological laziness, these poor saps of their spoiled life. In part, I feel sorry for them, because they don't know any better. But again, its not my issue. Let them fight it out, let them tease those of us who know the old skills. Who is going to be begging for help, shelter, food, and guidance when shit hits the fan? They will.....will I assist? If they prove worthy, yes. Bratty? Hell No.

So call me running away, I call it survival.

Friends

Webster's dictionary defines FRIEND as "One attached to another by affection or esteem". This to me seems a bit vague, but then again, its the 'general' definition. It doesn't specify "good" friend, or "best" friend. And truthfully, I'm not sure I know the definition for those. I do, however, know that sometimes I'm a shitty friend. I also know that I have a hard time keeping them, for one reason or another, of which I have yet to figure out.

Here is what I believe :

I believe a true friend will keep in contact with you. Call, write, text, email, etc., once a week or so. Not just whenever they find the time. I believe a true friend will talk to you about anything, and listen to whatever you have to say. They will stand by you, and have your back in any situation.

Friends are not to be treated as an option. They should be treated with respect, and love. Never should you disregard a friend, or believe they are less than you. Respect their ideas, and their life.

Time does many things. It can strengthen a friendship, or tear it apart. Friends from the past can change over time, and if you haven't had the priviledge of growing together, it may seem as a shock. They aren't the person you once knew. Not even close. Sometimes, its for the better, most times, not so. So what to do? What do you do when a reunion fails? Or seems fake? You move on, Be glad this person was/is in your life, enjoy their company when they offer it, but don't ever count on it. Don't count on them. Keep close your true friends. They are the ones that will carry you through.

I have been working hard to improve my friendship skills. Making time to stay in contact, even just to say Hello. Sometimes I fall short, and I apologize to those I have let down, or left hanging. I say to those who have stood by me through those rough times, a heart felt THANK YOU. You are my true friend, my best friend.

this blog is dedicated to The Handler

I am

**I am better than you think

**I am not what most people believe me to be

**I am true to my roots, and more

**I am world wise

**I am more than what most remember

**I am not what some have made me out to be

**I am loud

**I am sometimes silly

**I am a lover of animals

**I am a believer in what is fair

**I am open-minded

**I am short-fused

**I am determined

**I am sometimes lazy

**I am not a whore, or a liar, as some like to think

**I am not stupid

**I am adventurous

**I am a lover of getting dirty, gardening, and reading

**I am sometimes impatient

**I am for fighting for what is right

**I am not for useless violence

**I am a master of the game

**I am a mom

**I am a biker

**I am a strong woman

**I am afraid of snakes

**I am a farmer, a hunter, and a fisher

**I am a cook

**I AM MANY THINGS--------MORE THAN YOU BELIEVE

No regrets

Recently I posted on my FaceBook page that I have no regrets, just disappointments. And that is true. I never regret anything I've done in my life. Its all been a learning experience. Some are good, and some aren't so good. I learned with one of my most recent experiences that although people change, sometimes its not for the better. Or, its not quite what you expected.

I knew that 20 years would change a person. I figured they would grow with their life; mature yet stay with their root personality. I figured there would still be some of the 'same 'ol person' still showing through. But sadly, this was not the case. Instead I found something different all together.

I found a moody, and seemingly selfish and disconnected person. They didn't want to hear any of what I had to say, and would be so obvious about it. Not looking at me, not answering questions, or just flat out walking away in mid-sentence. Yet would proceed to beat a topic into the ground when they were talking. They were right, of course, due to their college education. Nevermind the real world experience I was speaking from. How I stood witness to what I was talking about, meant nothing. And they wouldn't let it go....hours later, they would come to me still driving home their point, or their 'knowledge'. I blew it off. I chose to let it go.

I felt as if they were trying to instigate a heated debate, or argument with me, and I refuse to do this. I've known this person for 25 years. Or so I thought. I actually have only known them for 4 years. The other 21 are a mystery. I'm not sure what happened to that original individual, but they are lost. I think they have chosen to forget that part of their life. And that is fine, but to completely change your personality? *sigh* Its sad.

I didn't want a lecture on things I already knew about. I know what I'm getting into with the events in my life, and just because you choose not to like the same things I like, or have the lifestyle I have, or are choosing to leave all aspects behind, does not mean you should tell me what I can or can't do, what I do or don't like, or that there is no way I could or should do things. I find that very aggravating. Disheartening even. Not what I expected, or wanted. *double sigh*

All I can say is......

Damn.

Drama

I hate it.

Ever notice when you're trying to just go along, live you life, and mind your own business, DRAMA seems to follow you around like an annoying fly? It does to me. Just when I thought "Ok, I've got this pretty cool job that has me away from home, and away from the drama" BAM! Here it is!! DRAMA!!! ggggrrrr

I just wish that people would get the help they need (mentally) and realize their pathalogical lieing does nothing but make them look bad. It hurts their children. Their denial only makes it all worse. If you are told not only by a professional but also by your boss that you need therapy, then I'd say you need therapy. Yet, you insist that nobody knows what they are talking about. You show no remorse for your actions, no concience for those you hurt. You don't care about anyone but you. You SAY you care about your child, but its all a front to make you look like the good person. You'll do anything, and say anything to make yourself look good. And you don't stop there, oh no. You continuously bash those who you can't control, those that you believe have betrayed you, those who have a different opinion or who have the ability to prove your every move and lie to be wrong. Those who throw reality in your face are immediately condemmed to hell, told they are wrong, and then threatened with bodily harm. You then proceed to accuse them of atrocities that do not fit their character at all. And you also bash and spread rumors about anyone they associate with. Anyone who does not believe you, or conform you your lies and your lifestyle.

All of this, you bring on me. You seem to think that I am a complete idiot and naive to your ways. I have known you since the day you were born....32 years to be exact. I have watched you scheme and lie against me. I have watched you plot your ways, plot against people, including me. I've bore witness to your manipulation of your elders. One you have swayed to the point of no return. Another I believe I have made to see your ways, your lies, and your deception. I can only hope.

I have pushed you out, and yet you believe that "all is ok" only because I show concern for your child. You lie to me at every turn. Well, keep lieing. Keep thinking that I am stupid and that I believe your lies. Karma has a way of coming around, and it will find you. Of that I am certain.

So, until that time, I must sit and endure the drama. *Where is that damn private island when I need it?*

A wonderful dream....

So there I am, sitting around, when suddenly the hubs says to me "How would you like to own an island? " ......"WHAT???"

And there he was, reading and researching owning a private island. Some cost more than others, some are bigger than others, and it all depends on what type of climate you want as to where they are.

Now comes the "How would we live?"......completely "off the grid". By that I mean, no electricity, no gas, nothing. We would live a total self sufficient lifestyle. Grow a garden, raise animals for milk, eggs, and meat. If there were other "wild things" on the island, we could hunt/trap as well. We would trap the rain water, and utilize any other natural springs on the island for hydro-power. Cooking over a fire, the whole bit. We would go to the main land about once a week if needed, mainly for mail and to sell any extra veggies; need money for gas for the boat!! LOL We would also sell stuff for other things like the tools for canning/preserving food, and as funny as it sounds, things like toothpaste and other sundries. Beyond that, we would be the only humans on the island. True Crusoe!!!

Will this happen? Oh how I would love it if it did!! IF, and I say again,....IF it happens, it will be a few years down the road. Don't need to rush into it and end up screwed. But can you imagine???

Could you do it????

Handicapped....who is and who isn't?

I travel for a living.....I sit in restaurants, go to malls, and eat breakfast in motels. I see lots of people.

I witness more than most, and one of the biggest things I see are people 'feigning' a handicap. Just yesterday, whilst sitting and eating my breakfast, I watched a man walk down the hall of the motel, cane in hand. He wasn't carrying it like a stick, but pretending to use it. As in, it was moving with him, but he wasn't actually leaning on it. He walked to the table, leaned his cane on the chair, then walked around getting his breakfast....no limping, nothing. Walking perfectly normal. He turned and saw me looking, then limped a bit to his chair. Pitiful.

More than once, I see the car parked in the handicap spot at the store, and yes, they have a sticker or plaquard in the window stating they are handicapped. I watch them jump out of the car and run into the store. Not sure what the handicap there is, but evidently they are in some form or fashion.

I guess it just really bothers me to see legitimately handicapped people having to park 5 miles away, or they can't sit where there is room, they are forced to squeeze in where ever.

Someone please explain why people do this.......lazy maybe? Attention whores? Most likely. I wish they'd get over themselves and get on with life. Sad.

Hours of Operation

So, how many of you still try to open the door at the doctor's office when you KNOW they close at 5? How many of you expect the man at the grocery store to open the door for you at 10min after closing? How many of you ask the clerk at the video store "Can you stay open another 2 hours while I shop around and wait on my family to get here? I don't know when they'll show, but they will eventually." ?

I will answer that for you......NONE. Not one person does that. Nobody says "Ya know, the gas station up town closes at 8, I know its 5 minutes til, and it takes me 15 minutes to get to town, but they'll stay open for me. " Nor does anyone stay after work without pay. So, my question is....why should I stay past my stop time? If my schedule says "Stop at 1pm" then why would I take people at 1:10pm? I lock my doors at 1.....why are you mad at me? Why would you call my office to complain?

This is how it is...people don't think about my hours of operation, they only think about theirs.

Geocaching

If you've never heard of it, you'll stop and say "What?" So I'll explain it with a quote from a t-shirt:

I use multi-million dollar satellites to find tupperware in the woods.

Yep, I use a GPS in the biggest game of Hide-and-Seek in the world. And I do mean WORLD. This thing is global. You go to the website, get signed up (free accounts are ok, but to download coordinates into your GPS, the $20 per year membership is well worth it), then start geocaching! Let me say, that to spend the money on a good GPS is a must for your sanity. I will explain....

Hubs and I decided to do this about a month ago. We decide to go low budget and get a low end GPS from a pawn shop. Not good. The screaming and yelling (on my part) and the tears(again, on my part), and even more yelling (on his part) was appalling. More than once, ok, about a dozen times I swore I wouldn't go out again. Yet time and again I was subjecting myself to torture. Finally I had had enough. It was then that the hubs purchase 2 different GPS units, and even though they were from pawn shops, they actually came with the required software, cords, etc. Suddenly, finding the tupperware in the woods was getting easier. We were getting the big ones, and I was learning to trust my GPS. I was actually finding these things! However, I wasn't completely sold. So I told the hubs...."You know, why don't you do this on your own. That way we can have some alone time"....well, he wasnt completely sold on that idea either. So we discussed it and never came to a real conclusion. It was dropped.

Then we arrive here in Atlanta, GA and all I wanted to do was sit in the motel room in my pajamas and rest. Play on the computer, nap, whatever. Not to be. Hubs comes to me, hands behind his back at the end of the bed, shuffling his feet, looking like a 5 year old that is scared to death....."Honey, I know you said you didn't want to do this anymore, but would you come out with me today?" *sigh* "What have you got?" I ask...."Big ones, just a few....please?" ggggrrrr, fine, I'll go.

So I downloaded the coordinates into the 2 units, and off we went. Within 2 hours we'd found all 4, and made it back to the motel for more. Six more caches later, along with a few scratches from trapsing through the woods, we made it back to the motel by 6pm. We managed to get through this without fighting....not even a small bit of tension. Shocking. I contribute some of that success to the fact that we also printed out driving directions to get us in the general vecinity, then used our GPS to get us on target. Also, 7 out of 10 were large, the other 3 were pill bottles. I admit today was a fun day in all our days of caching.

So there ya have it..... www.geocaching.com

Not much....

Nothing terribly exciting going on these days. There are some things going on, but I can't talk about them just yet. All I can say is if they pan out, in a few years's time I'll be a happy camper!

I keep telling myself I need to blog, but my rants are old, and anything else could be read by the wrong people. *sigh*....so until something awsome happens, I'll sit back and chill.

P.S. My condolences to The Handler and his Alpha upon the loss of their loved one. I am sorry for your loss. xoxo

Long overdue

Many things, like this entry, have been long overdue. However, there was a Royal Reunion that took place last weekend, and I wish it could be repeated every weekend!

You see, 20 years ago I graduated from high school. Yes, that gives away my age of 38 years, but I don't care. Anyway, even then I didn't have the greatest relationship with the folks. Long story short, December of 1989 was the last time I saw my best friend. Yep, we went 20 years without any contact at all.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't for the lack of trying. She worked in the same department as the bitch that gave birth to me, yet, despite her inquiries, the bitch had 'no idea' where I was at. This, my friends, was a complete load of shit. She knew exactly where I was! Of course, neither one of us knew where to look, or if the other was married, etc. So it was impossible to find each other.

However, thanx to FaceBook, and after a long 20 years, we have reunited. On top of that, we both love the TWILIGHT series, and have hence named our selves after 2 characters. I am Princess Alice, and she is Queen Rosalie. Childish? Maybe. But I don't care. I am just happy to be reunited with my best friend. And let me say, I don't plan on letting her slip away again.

People change, its unavoidable. However, it seems as though her and I were never really 'seperated'. To get completely out of my character and mushy....we were always in each other's hearts. We still finish each other's sentences, act the same, think the same, and like all the same things. Its as if we never left. I am happy!!!

I don't get it...

Call me what you want; scream at me; flame me ; whatever. But I am going to say my opinion, regardless of what you say, and here it is.....

For the life of me, I cannot understand why people here in the USA insist on adopting young babies/children from foreign countries. Famous people (Madonna, Brad Pitt, and countless others) as well as not so famous people feel the need to go to China, Japan, India, Ethiopia, Indonesia, etc to get their kids. WHY? There are so many children here in your HOME COUNTRY than need a family. All ages, all backgrounds, all needs. So please tell me why in the hell you would adopt from overseas???

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the foreign children are any less deserving of a home, but what is wrong with American kids? What makes them LESS deserving that the others?

The reason I've brought this up is because I was sitting in a deli and overheard 2 couples (they were well off financially) discussing the adoption one couple was in the process of. It was a nightmare listening to them brag on the "most adorable 2 year old Chinese child" they were adopting. I was sick. They were bragging about how they had to travel to China, and the cost, and how they had to spend over a week there going through all of the protocol. They were also discussing all of the medical screenings the child had to go through, and how they had to get a medical lawyer to do this. They were also talking about "how cute' it was that the child was able to say "mommy" and "daddy" in her native language.....this means the child is still living with her parents!!! ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME??? Nice, ripping this child from her family....of course, the parents are allowing this, but the child has no idea whats happening. How cruel.

My question is....WHY??? Can anyone offer any insight?

Graceland

About a week ago, my travels allowed me to visit the famed Graceland....home of the late, great Elvis Presley. The original KING of Rock and Roll. The virtual inventor of it all. In my eyes, the man will forever be immortal. He is an icon that cannot be rivalled, not even by Michael Jackson. No, he wasn't in my generation, he died when I was 6 (or so they say). That doesn't mean I don't love his music any less that the older generations, or that I can't appreciate him and his music. My father made sure, if nothing else, that I had a well rounded musical library, and Elvis was at the top of the list.

So, it stands to reason I would want to visit Graceland.

I cannot begin to tell you the feeling I got when I walked through the front door. It was awe. It was an overwhelming sense of his aura. It was sadness. It was happiness. It was.....unbelievable. You all can think I am a complete nut job, but when I say I felt his aura, I mean it. This place was so saturated by his presence I was almost brought to tears. I found myself wanting to spend just one night in this house alone, hoping to see him. My only other wish during the tour was that everyone else there would have gone away. I wanted to see every inch of this place all by myself. I wanted to soak up every smell, every touch. The other visitors were in my way....and I'm sure they felt the same about me.

Anyway, enough of my sap....below are but a few of the 186 pictures I took of this wonderful place.

The front The living room

His parents' bedroom The TV room

The Jungle Room

His grave

Live on, King.....Live on

"If you had the opportunity, would you?"

This was a question asked of me by my DH. He was referring to my past job in the USAF as an EDD handler.....Explosive Detector Dog handler. Let me digress and explain.

Way back in 1990 I joined the USAF. I had zero direction in my life, and even fewer skills. I needed structure, and I needed a job. I was 19. So there I went, signing up to be a cop, and hoping to be a dog handler. Back then (not sure about now) you actually had to fill out an application and try out, competing against others who wanted to do the same thing. Lucky for me, I made it.

I finished boot camp, and cop school, then went to Patrol Dog school. Learning the basics of dog care, handling, and bite work. I was in heaven!!!! Growing up I loved animals, and being with such an elite group of cops really was awsome. I was then sent to Hurlburt Fld, FL (in the Panhandle) where a really good Kennel Master taught me how to work a Drug Dog. I did that for 6 months, and she sent me back to Lackland AFB, TX for Explosive school. That was the best 6 weeks! I graduated top of my class, so I was stoked.

ANyway, I spent the rest of my 8 year career running bomb dogs and was loving it. The adrenaline rush, the challenge in training, the risk on a 'real world' situation, etc. Eventually I was stationed at Nellis AFB, NV where I met my male twin, hereby known as "The Handler". We had the same working style, and ideas, same interests in general. For 2 years we couldn't be stopped. Working with Secret Service, and doing many high profile jobs, as well as helping out the LVPD. We were the best. People in high places would need support and request us specificly. We were the shit!!

Anyway, 10 years ago I got out, and went on with my life, I thought. The Handler got out 12 years ago, and we've done a fine job of staying in touch. However it was brought to my attention last night that I talk about EDDs and training.....a lot. Like every day. I had no idea. He asked me:

"If you had the opportunity right now, would you work a dog again?"

I was stunned. Of course, my inner handler was screaming "Hell Yes you moron!!! " LOL but my 'other' self was saying "Now hold on, there is this life you've been living for 10 years you've got to think about"

So I thought, and thought, and thought. Ok, I was really holding in my inner handler who was just freaking out. lol I finally said:

"It would have to be the perfect mix, the "Perfect "Storm" so to speak. There are so many factors in play....I know what I'm worth, I know what is needed, and I know how much work is involved. Its not just a matter of 'get up and go work a dog', there are just to many factors to consider." I guess that wasn't the right answer, or the expected one. When I asked "Why?" I was told:

"You talk about it every day. You talk about setting up a training problem, or working something in 'real world', or how people need to pull their head out and think about the resources they are wasting. You say how 'if only', or "If it were me & [The Handler] we wouldn't do shit that way"....you always talk about it. Its almost like an obsession"

Ok, um, was I offended? No. Was I pissed? No. Did it make me think? Yes. And the screwy thing is, the whole time we were talking about it, I was running training problems in my head. LOL. Bad, I know. More discussion led to "If I had the resources and accesability [The Handler] and I would have our own business training, certifying, and selling dogs. We would even be privately contracted to work events. " But alas, I do not have the money, resources, etc. to take on such an endeaver. I have a better chance of running a Bed & Breakfast with my girlfriend from high school than I do of running an EDD company. Thats just the way it is.

So, until I pull off the lottery and ATF approves me having a bunker full of explosives, I'll be content being the silent consultant to [The Handler].

The Man Store

Today, whilst shopping at Belk's (clothing store) I noticed this particular store had a section totally devoted to men. It wasn't just a part of the store with a few racks of men's clothes, no, this was a whole seperate store. I decided to go in.

It was like nothing like I've ever been in. No music, no screaming kids, no bitchy women. Just men, quietly looking through the racks of clothes, shoes, hats, etc. Strategically placed around the store were leather chairs, looking at flat screen televisions playing any sport that happened to be on. NASCAR, golf, baseball, etc. The thing that was amazing was the men were actually shopping.....I am serious! They were slowly, quietly, looking through racks of clothes. Holding them up, checking prices, checking tags, etc. I was truely amazed! And the biggest shock? They were relaxed and totally at home doing so. I wish I could have videoed the whole experience. There weren't even any women clerks. Guys helping guys. "Can I see this shoe in a size 10?" "No problem, sir" and that was that!

Anyway, had to share that little experience with you all....something other than my usual bitch session :)

How hard is it??? *Another rant about stupid people*

I know, it seems all I do is talk about how stupid people are. I can't help it. I am completely surrounded by them every hour of the day. More examples:

--signs on the doors to the truck "Do not knock, testing in session" and "Report to training room before coming to test"....why oh why do people insist on just opening the door then? "Nobody told me where to go!" (signs also on every door of the building where they work telling them "Report to training room for hearing test paperwork." )

--Me: "Hello, what is your last name?"

Them: "uh, ------"

They then proceed to grab the first form they see on the table, despite the fact that there are many stacks, because they are in alphabetical order according to last name. Evidently, I'm there just to hang out. Evidently, when they go to the doctor, they just walk on in to the back and find any open exam room, have a seat, and wait for the Dr.

Me: "WHOA! That is NOT your paper!"

Them: "What?" as they still are walking off with it.

Me: "Give me that!" Snatching paper from them

Them: "Oh. Uh....." Standing looking confused

Me: "here is YOUR paper, see, your name is here on the FRONT! Now, sit down, answer ALL of the questions (I'm pointing to the ENTIRE page) and once you are finished, wait until my husband comes in to get you."

Them: "Uh, ok"

They finish HALF of the questions, try to hand me the paper "No, hang on to it, have a seat, and we'll get you tested as soon as the group before you is finished"

"Oh, uh, I can't just go in there?"

NO YOU DUMBASS How many years have you been doing this? 20? 30? And how many fucking times do you just 'go in there'? ?????? AAAHHHHH!!! Fucking MORON. And they have the nerve to get pissed at ME???? HA! idiots.

Its 5 minutes after our stop time, we are getting in the car to leave....

Them: "Are you done for the day?"

(Bill Engval, where are you when I need you?)

Me: "Yes, our stop time was at ......"

Them:"Oh, so I can't test now?"

Me: "No."

Them: "Oh, damn. Um, so what do I do?"

Me: "Talk to your boss."

And I leave, muttering obscenities and insults as I go.

How fucking stupid can you get??? I mean, really? How stupid?

I could write for days on the stupidity that smacks me in the face every day. I'm just glad I work in 4 hour blocks. If I had to do 8 or 10 hours STRAIGHT of these idiots I'd have to be on blood pressure meds and valium....hell, I'd probably start smoking and drinking again.

Fucking idiots.

Humans are gross, and so is Montgomery, AL

As you can tell, I'm here in Montgomery, AL. I am disgusted. I am disheartened. I am hoping it will be a long time before I have to come back here.

Every mall we've been to has things chained down, or taken away. Hell, the largest mall in the city is completely abandoned. Here at the Ramada Inn that we are staying at, the carpets haven't been vacuumed in years...the hall carpet is black. The entry doors have been broken into so many times, they don't even lock them anymore. The toilet in our room won't stop running, and there is but one trash can in the room. The maid (which is 2 dudes) left their one bottle of cleaning solution and a rag in our room. Not sure what they used for everyone elses.

Today, we had to sit in the lobby while waiting on our room to be cleaned (it was well after 3pm) and here is what I witnessed:

---One man, who while talking on the phone, shoved his hand into his pants (and underwear) and proceeded to scratch for an extended period of time. He looked right at me while doing this, then turned to face the wall. At that time, he pulled his hand out of his pants, and promptly smelled his fingers while picking his nose. Whatever the result of that action was, he immediately wiped on the wall, counter and anything else he touched while waiting for the front desk clerk to assist him. He handed her money with the same hand. (barf)

---Another young boy, who was wearing slippers that were way too small for him, was perusing the lobby and the remnants of breakfast. Mind you, this was only the cereal dispenser and coffee. After he had his hands (yes, that was plural) down his pants, he ran them along the food counter, and touched the handles of the cereal dispenser. He noticed me staring at him, so he turned and left.

---This morning, there was a woman who was wearing the same dress as yesterday morning, and boy did she smell! I witness her later walking out of her room into someone else's with an empty bottle of an unknown brand of liquor.

I have also been subjected to other acts of humans, and quite frankly, we are a really disgusting bunch. More examples:

---In a public mall restroom, someone decided not only to shit in the toilet, but not flush. They then unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper onto the floor....none of which hit the mark.

---Other restroom fiascos have been used feminine hygene products dropped onto the floor, nowhere near the trash; poop and pee on the seats, soap despensers have been emptied onto the counter, paper towels dropped onto the floor not near the trash, etc.

Will someone please tell me....do they do this at home? The sad part is...most of these things are in the high end areas!!!

Something else I want to know.....If a particular neighborhood/area goes downhill, people and businesses move elsewhere, do you think the people who caused this to happen realize it was them? Somehow I doubt it. They destroy an area's value, run out the businesses, then when their job is done, they move to another place, and another. They are leaving a path of destruction in their wake.

I've fought for me country, saluted the flag, made the pledge and given my allegiance to the USA....but some days, I really want to leave.

Un-freakin'-believable

It is a sad day here in the USA when you walk into a clothing store, and have to ask permission to see an item you are looking for.....I'll explain.

We are here in Montgomery, AL and decided we would go to Dillard's and do some shopping. Now, Dillard's is a medium-high end clothing store, with good sales, but better merchandise. Anyway, we were looking for the Ed Hardy line of clothes, so we asked an employee.

"excuse me, where is the Ed Hardy line?"

"Oh, that is here behind the counter."

"Um, can I see it?"

"Sure, step on over I'll show you what I've got"

At which point she pulled out a stack of about 15 'sample' shirts for us to look at. Of course, we had to ask:

"why are they behind the counter?"

"because they grow legs"

"what?"

"a group will come in, with the 'getaway car waiting at the door, and swipe the whole rack on the run, and are out the door and gone before we can stop them"

"OMG are you kidding me?"

"nope, we've stopped carrying the pants all together. seems they like $200 pants"

I was appaled. Because of "them"....THEIVES, I cannot have a decent shopping experience. Ok, ok, we think...."Lets go see what else is in this mall"...fine.

Shoe store: walk in, no socks, a few hand bags, and what we think are plenty of shoes. Until I go to try a pair on....WTF? Why is there only ONE shoe in the fuckin box????? How the hell am I supposed to try on a PAIR of shoes, when I have to ASK for the other one? And do you know WHY this is like it is??? Because of the same STUPID FUCKERS that steal from the clothing store!!!!

My blood is BOILING!!!! Keep in mind, I'm not a racist, I don't profile (or try not to), I don't hold religion against anyone. But this particular mall really pushed my tolerance. I will NOT be shopping there...no wait, I will NOT be even be driving by said establishment!!! BAH!!!

How sad....

Today made me realize how truly important literacy is. I guess I didn't really know how many people, I mean working adults, could not read or write. Today, I was given a taste of that. I find it sad that grown folks, people who have held a job for the last 35 years, were completely illiterate.

More than once today I was asked for help. And more than once I witnessed the pre-kindergarten writing provided for a signature. I know that in the area I'm in it shouldn't be surprising. These folks had to leave school in order to support their families. Some of them were not afforded the priviledge of school ever in their life. I really felt sorry for them, because you could see the humiliation in their eyes. And I know they've given up on learning. They've given up because in the beginning it wasn't needed, in the middle it was pride, and now at the end, its just age. They feel they are too old for it to matter.

I fear this is going to be the case again in future generations. As computers take over, more and more children They barely know how to spell, so I'm sure actual writing is soon to be gone, too. How sad.

Nice weekend...

DH and I spent the weekend in Hilton Head, SC. Its a small island, 2 miles X 10 miles, with nice beaches, nice shopping, and nice restaurants. One of those restaurants happens to be called One Hot Mama's.

OHM is a biker/garage themed restaurant and bar. Everything in this place is cool, from the Harley Davidson ceiling fans, to the ghost flames on the door handles. The diamond plate steel on the tables, covered in thick clear coat (no need for a bumpy table posed to spill your drink on). The waiters/waitresses wear the traditional blue stripped mechanics shirt with jeans, each with their name on a patch over the right breast. When you get your eating utensils, you get a hefty set, nothing wimpy here! And the food? HA! I don't know when I've had a better omelet, other than my own (all from organic food I've grown myself). The fruit was so fresh I swear it was just picked, and the other items on the brunch buffet were even better than I imagined. I will definitely have it on my 'places to return' list.

The beach on Hilton Head Island was nice. Not the sugar white sands of the Gulf Coast mind you, but way better than the shit sand on the beaches of NC.

Anyway, after enjoying the sun and sand for a few hours, and getting thoroughly sunburned on my chest (no other part of my body, mainly my legs) seems to want to take sun, we went over to the mini-golf games. Taking the 'challenging' course, we played through a light rain. However, being surrounded by trees through the entire course, we barely felt a drop. It waqs a good time, and of course, I lost! LOL

We also enjoyed some shopping, and I was able to find the Ed Hardy flip flops I've been wanting. Both in white and black.

I was also able to find this awsome skirt

so all I need to do is find some solid color shirts to go with it.

All in all, it was an awsome weekend! I really love hanging at the beach, as long as its a good one! :D

I do want to send my thoughts out to my dear friend Jayne. Sweety, I know this is a hard time, and your nerves are shot, but try to see through! Its always darkest before the light.....things will work out, I just know they will!!!! Love you hun!!!! xoxox

Back to work

Vacation is over, and I couldn't be happier. The intense, and STUPID drama at home was NOT what I anticipated, and it wasn't resolved in the 2 week period. Problem is, kids will suffer. Besides the drama, a very dear family friend passed, so the 1st 3 days of vacation were funeral proceedings. *sigh*

So, needless to say, I'm glad to be back to work. Back to being MANY miles from home, away from all of the bullshit. Its sad when you think about the next time you should be home, and cringe. I don't know what we are going to do as far as Christmas. It will probably be the last time we see the step-son for awhile, depending on what he does when he graduates High School next spring. I know he is a rebel, and once he turns 18 I have a feeling he's gonna graduate and run as fast as he can.

In other news, we are in Georgia for this week, and will be not only here, but in Alabama next week. Hubs has decided we need a vacation from our vacation, and has booked a room on the beach in Hilton Island, South Carolina. I can't wait. I want to just lay out, and RELAX, you know, what I was supposed to do on VACATION!! ugh. I think eventually, like around Oct/Nov time frame, we'll end up in North Carolina. Just a hunch, but I'm hoping so. I have 2 girlfriends from high school I haven't seen for 20 years, and since we found each other on FaceBook, we've been trying to plan a get-together. So, depending on all of our schedules, we'll be having a mini reunion soon. I can't wait for that either!

I wish I could elaborate on this whole issue, but too many people who are connected to the family and people involved read this. I'll leave it at that.

Lets just say, its great getting back to work!

Where is home?

I was thinking about this question yesterday. Many people, like my husband, are raised where they were born. For 40 years he has lived and worked basically in the same area. My son, who is 10, has lived in the same area for 9 years. My BIL only moved 2 miles from where he grew up. You get the idea.

I however, did not have that option. I was born in Colorado, and lived there until I was 13. At that point, my father moved us to North Carolina. Not the happiest time in my life, to say the least.

Anyway, I managed to eek out 4 years of high school before hauling ass back to Colorado, where I joined the USAF. After that, I was moving on average about every 2 years. Don't get me wrong, I love traveling. But I got to wondering.....where is home? Can you actually define "home"? If so, what is it? I know the old cliche, "Home is where the heart is." or "home is where you hang your hat"....whatever. I guess my question is....is it where you've spent the most time? Where you are the most comfortable? Where you have the best memories? I mean, I've listened to songs on the radio that make me automatically think of this house, or smelled a smell that makes me go back to my old place in Colorado, even going back to where I used to run around in Florida makes me smile. But which is home???? I love all of these places. Hell, in Lincoln, Nebraska I had some nice times, LOL.

So, in all the places I've been, and all the times I've been asked, "where is home?" I just answer with my current residence. "I own a home in Illinois." LOL

Stupid people....

We've all encountered our share. People that do or say things that make you stand in complete bewilderment, wondering ....WTF? I run into those everyday with my job. Here are but a few examples:

**Sign on door to trailer says "PLEASE DO NOT KNOCK, TESTING IN PROGRESS"....sign is posted right near the door handle. Every day, someone will....you guessed it...KNOCK. Usually right on the sign!!!! Or, they rattle the door handle!!! WHY?????

**Signs all over the inside of each booth and the trailer "TURN OFF CELL PHONES"....I even tell them "Make sure your phone, pager, or walkie-talkie is OFF" and Iget the "Why?" or "What if I get a call?" ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I can't even go into this without getting my blood pressure up.

**Picture on the wall where the headset hangs, showing the red earphone on the right side, the blue one on the left. Inveribly I get "Which one goes on what ear?" or "Does it matter how I put these on?" This usually comes right in the middle of my instructional speech. I reply, without even a pause to acknowledge the oh-so-rude interruption "The red one goes on your nose, the blue one on the back of your head, just like the PICTURE shows. " And I continue on as if their complete ignorance and rudeness never phased me.

**There is a small window in each door. I love it when we are testing and someone's face is mashed against one of them, and they are waving their paperwork wanting to come in....WHILE WE ARE TESTING!!!!

** I love this one "Can I switch headphones? Put the red one on the left ear? I can't hear out of my right ear, so this way I can pass this test." OMFG, SERIOUSLY??????

So you see, stupid people abound in not only your job, but mine. *sigh* Anymore, I just laugh and shake my head. I could post so many more comments/actions of stupid people I run into several times a day, but you get the point. I'm sure you have your share, too, so feel free to add to my list!! :)

Going home....

Currently I'm in Bainbridge, GA. Today is the last day of work before vacation for 2 weeks, and as you can imagine, I'm more than ready! So much to do today, yet here I sit, blogging. Ah well, it will come together.

We are working til 10pm, then in the morning dropping the rig off for service/storage near Atlanta, GA. Then its hard cruising to Columbus, OH to pick up my son, AJ. That will occur on Sunday morning, followed by an 8 hour drive t

o home in IL. whew! We'll be there for 2 weeks, but I have a distinct feeling its going to be a whirlwind. Between DH's ex being a complete psycho bitch from hell, DH"s mother losing her brain over it all (she called this morning at 0530) plus all of the 'family functions' my in-laws feel compelled to have, I don't know that we'll get any rest. But, it will be good to sleep in my own bed for a few days, LOL.

Anyway, here are a few random pictures to keep you entertained:

Opp, Alabama

Do not ever go there....ever. This is but one of many armpits of the USA I have been to. However, this is the first one I will strongly advise any reader to please not stop in this town for anything, no matter what. Here is my story......

This town is small, and rundown. Not the first one like it that we have been in. We are staying in the Best Western, which is new (thank the gods). However, the young boy at the front desk was lonely (its all I can figure). I asked a simple "yes" or "no" question, and the boy launches into a 10 minute retort. *sigh* He then proceeded to nervously tell us about our room, and wished us the best. We were to let him know if we needed anything. He then (as we were walking away) pulls out a map that someone had made on the computer showing the restaurants and gas stations around. Hhhmmmm....He starts asking what we like to eat, showing us various places, recommending the Mexican Restaurant. Ok, we drove by there and it was closed. This map also showed a WalMart just up the road......IT WAS 12 MILES UP THE ROAD IN THE NEXT TOWN!! Are you kidding me? But let me digress a bit....

We drive several miles, not seeing said WalMart, decide it doesn't exist, turn around and go to the Subway in town. I should have turned around and left as soon as I crossed the threshold. All I will say (so I don't get arrested for being a complete racist) is that the people running it were mising the red dot on their forehead. I stepped up to the counter, and the girl mumbles "one minute" because she is busy putting raw bacon into a container next to the tomatos. Again, I should have left because she proceeded to not just set it aside, but slowly put the entire 5 layers from the cookie sheet into this container. DH asked me "Are you ready to order?" (really loud) and she finally finished her ohsoimportant project to help us. I had to tell her "Foot long, on white bread, ham and cheese" THREE TIMES......she then got out the bread and slapped it onto the counter, looked at DH with a questioning look, and waited. He had to tell her TWICE "Foot long bmt on wheat"......after she cut open the bread, she just grabbed whatever cheese was handy and was literally THROWING it on the sandwich. DH piped up and said "pepperjack for me" and she proceeded to do the same. She then placed 6, count 'em...6 pieced of ham on my sandwich. Ham sliced so thin I could see through it. She then took the pre-measured amount of meat for DH's sandwich and just slapped it on. I had to tell her to place my cheese properly on the bread. I then told her I wanted tomatos.....mistake. They were almost green, and the stems were still on the slices. I immediately told her to take them off, because they looked awful. I received another blank stare, and again I repeated "take them OFF, they are GROSS"....she then grabbed them into a handful and threw them back into the container from whence they came. I said "ok, lettuce" pfffttt.....that was strewn all over, then I asked for lite mayo, which was squirted on as if she was having a seizure. Same with the chipotle sauce. ugh. DH had to go through the same bullshit treatment.....we should have walked out.....shouldn't have even ordered. Instead we expressed our disappointment as we left, although I don't believe she cared. \

We proceeded to the motel, thinking we would ask the front desk boy where the WalMart actually was. What did we find? A relative of the Subway worker.....gggrrrr....she was talking on her cell phone, and didn't get off even after DH stood right up at the counter. It wasn't until he started to ask her the question did she set the phone down....not hang up mind you....just set it down. She then informed him that WalMart was 12 miles away. Ok, where is the next town? 12 miles away....GO FUCKING FIGURE. We made it to WalMart, grabbed a couple of subs and a cheese tray, hit the 'self check-out' and were outta there. Stepping into the motel, we threw the Subway subs into the trash.

I am hereby boycotting Subway. There quality has gone to shit, ingredients and service are shit, and I am now done with them. I highly suggest you do the same. And for goodness sakes stay out of Opp, Alabama!!

Finally outta there

Yep, finally out of New Orleans, and the whole state of Louisiana. I wasn't very happy there, and more so disappointed. In my humble opinion, the only real gem in all that filth is the Garden District. Gorgeous houses, quiet, tree-lined streets, and enough foliage to refill the rain forest. So quiet, and tranquill! Unlike the French Quarter, which, despite the nice shops (albeit way over priced) it smell of vomit, piss, and rotting trash. Not to mention the wafts of alcohol coming out of the bars, and the panhandlers trying anything to make a buck. Its all very stressful, despite the street bands/dancers, and small parks scattered about. Over all I just felt dirty there, and as I said, highly disappointed. The thing is, its not Katrina that did it, it was like that before the hurricane.

Anyway, today is Montgomery, AL, tomorrow is Opp, AL, and then on back to Jacksonville, FL, rounding out next week in Macon, GA. This weekend we are getting a motel room at the beach, and hoping the gods smile on us, having a nice relaxing weekend. I'd like to get good and burnt before going to IL for our 2 week break, LOL. On the 28th we are picking up my son in OH and rolling on to the house. Sis in law will have the A/C on, so we should be good to go. I can't wait to spend a week or 2 of getting up whenever I damn well feel like it. AJ is old enough to fend for himself on breakfast, and then we can do whatever we want with our day. It should be nice! I'll try to blog then, but may not have time (ha ha) or feel like it.....we'll see.

I'm sure I'll write again this week!

It happens everywhere.....

Some things you think only happen in a certain state, city, town, or store. Some you think only happen in a certain country. But as I've found out this weekend, some of the same things happen on both sides of the world. I find it funny how my dear friend Jayne had a horrible experience at a pristene resort, and here I sit, in a 'high end' hotel, getting ready to throw down the gauntlet on the bitch wagon. Seems Jayne and I run in parallel worlds, despite the distance.

The story...

After a horrible work week last week, complete disorganization not only on the part of our bosses, but on the part of our contacts at each site, and adding to that the lack of power at each location, topping it off with our generator in the trailer deciding it needed service so it stopped working in the middle of a 95 degree day. This was on Friday at 10am when it decided to have its temper tantrum. Calling the office, our fleet manager was able to locate a place that works on this type of generator, therefore he scheduled an appointment for us for Monday. No problem, you would think. I mean, Monday is a 'comp. day' for us, which means 3 day weekend, which means we were really trying to plan something. HA. Those plans squashed, we then decide that after such a long week, we'd rather make the 1 1/2 hour drive on Monday, and not on Friday. Ok, no problem, if we had been scheduled to work that day, we would have to get up anyway. However the place servicing the evil generator wants us there as early as possible......they open at 730am. *sigh*

Ok, we think....lets use our Rewards Points and book a really nice room at a really nice hotel. Done. The place we book is new (only a few months old) and in an upscale region of Baton Rouge. We drive to this 'luxury hotel' on Saturday morning, with the promise of an upgraded room and breakfast buffet. We arrive and received the upgrade, and at first were treated like royalty. We were given our room key and proceeded to 'ooohhhh' and 'aaahhh' over the upgrade. Living room with seperated bedroom, awsome bathroom, towels that smell fresh, comfy bed and enough pillows for a sheik. Little did we know what was coming.

We were told "we hardly have any children at all here, so the quiet you are looking for will be no problem". I recalled those words as children ran screaming through the lobby. Ok, I took a deep breath and kept telling myself I was on the 5th floor, and all would be fine. And it was, until Sunday morning, when we opted not to sleep in but instead got up at 800 to run down for the long anticipated breakfast buffet. And what to our wondering eyes did appear????

NOTHING. ZIP. NADA. ZERO!!

There were coffee dispensers, a few small boxes of cereal, and a pitcher of juice. We stood in the lobby in shock, like deer looking at the headlights of an oncoming truck. WTF? Where was the food? Were we early? Late? So we asked the girl behind the bar, who quietly replied "No buffet this morning." WHY????? "not enough people in the hotel, chef's decission". UMMMMM.....WRONG ANSWER. So we promptly went to the front desk, where the girl gave us the same answer. Are you kidding me??? "Yes, but you can order off the menu" we were told. It was then that I noticed that vacant look Jayne had described in her blog about her hotel clerks!! The really sad part was, out of 70 rooms in the hotel, 39 were filled. Thats over half full!! So how could they justify not enough people? Whilst trying to find the answer, we went ahead and ordered off the menu, as we were famished. In that time, we noticed at least a half a dozen people come down only to attain the same look we had...dazed and confused.

Finally, the front clerk came over, after chatting with the chef, and told us he would be right out to talk to us. Great. So after a heated discussion between DH and the chef, and nothing solved, (except some free sausage) we were obviously not happy. However, the front clerk told us to charge it to the room and she would remove the charge. Ok, $20 off....woohoo. We then quietly plodded up to our room. DH was on the phone in no time, calling the complaint department not for this hotel, but for the franchise known as "CHOICE HOTELS" whom we gain our points through. They could have cared less. We got nothing out of that phone call, except..."call back if it gets worse" BAH....whatever.

Moving on....I went yesterday and had my nails done. Nothing new there, every 2 weeks I get the acrylic filled and new polish. This time around, I needed the old ones removed and a new set. I also needed a pedicure. So they set me in the chair, nails soaking and feet getting the workover. After 2 people worked on my feet (so many people were coming in to the salon, they were bouncing around trying to accomodate everyone at one time), and an hour later, I was moved to a manicure station. The nails had not budged, so another person added their take on things. By the time it was all said and done, 4 people had worked on my fingers, and they were sore. I paid and left. When I woke up this morning, after everything had time to 'set up', I noticed that the acrylic was pink, which I specifically said that I DID NOT want. And there were more air bubbles in the polish than I could count. Which puts us back at Sunday....

.....after the breakfast fiasco, we came to our room, got cleaned up, and proceeded to head out for what we thought was a short errand. We were only supposed to drop off our laundry and get my nails fixed. This adventure started at 10am. We didn't get home (hotel) until 5pm!!!! It took another 2 hours to fix my nails (they had to be taken off and redone), not to mention the time spent just trying to find a good salon that waqs open! So much for my weekend of relaxation.....today (Sunday) my plan had been to lounge around in the posh hotel room and be lazy...even get in some time poolside. It never happened, and now I feel this room has gone to waste, and my much needed weekend of relaxing is gone as well. I think I'm just as stressed/pissed now as when I started this adventure. So you see, it happens everywhere.

I can only hope this next week goes better than the last.

Getting older and being a "late bloomer"

Yes, it happens to all of us, we get old. And it seems that maybe this job has aged me a bit more than I'd like. All I really know is that I MUST wear makeup every day. No choice. I've also come to accept the fact that I will have this 'gut' forever. Unless I pull off the Powerball Lottery, and get the "Mommy Makeover", I'm stuck with it. Now I know there could be worse things in life, but at the moment, this is enough for me thanks.

I'm also what they call a 'late bloomer'. Nobody taught me how to put on makeup, when I wore it I just slapped it on how I thought it should look and went on my way. However, since being on this job I've had opportunities I've never had. One of them being a makeup make-over. I went to a store called Sephora (I highly recommend any makeup they sell, especially the Urban Decay line as well as the Two Faced line) and told them to teach me how to wear it. So they stripped off my old WalMart shit, and proceeded to make me presentable. It was unbelievable. I promptly spent $200 on the basics. This wasn't hard, as they aren't cheap. But as I've blogged in the past, you get what you pay for. Cheap make up does just that....makes you look cheap and trashy. So upon freshly turning 38, I've finally learned how to wear my face. I've also invested in a straightening iron for my hair, combining it with the Sephora hair straightening serum, I officially take an hour to get ready in the morning. Quite a change since it would usually take about 20 minutes at the most in the past. And that, is what you call 'high maintenance'.

Now if I can just get my hair to grow faster...HA!

I want to extend my sympathy to my dear friend Jayne (link to her blog via mine) after her horrific stay at what should have been a seriously high class resort. You poor dear, going with the full intentions of friendship and relaxation, only to be reduced to Pizza Hut and shitty service, not to mention people fucking with her Harley......good thing she didn't catch them, they wouldn't have lived to sit on another, thats for sure!!! So Jayne, my heart goes out to you darlin', and I hope your next adventure makes up for this last one! Love you!! xoxox

I could....

I know I haven't written in awhile. I've been meaning to, really I have, but I feel like I'd just be whinning.

I could....

....bitch and rant about how my illusion of New Orleans have been sadly dashed, and I realize there are 2 decent areas to this city, one being the Garden District.

......bitch and rant about how so many people down here just don't give a damn about themselves or the city.

.....bitch and rant about how I will never understand why people do the things they do....vandalism, fires, looting, etc.

......tell you how after my 38th birthday 2 days ago I am realizing as each day passes that I want to live on the fringes of civilization, away from all of the completely lazy, irresponsible, non-caring idiots in the world more and more.

......bitch about people who stay in motels with no regard for anyone else.

......rant about maid service at motels.

.......bitch about people who have not enough common fucking courtesy to return a simple phone call, or even make one to pass along news that just MIGHT be helpful to others.

*sigh*

Yes, I could go on and on and on, but I won't. Seems alot of my blogs are of me bitching and ranting about shit. So I'll end with this bit of nicety...

DH took me out to a nice restaurant on my birthday. We had an excellent meal, and topped it off with a spoiling of banana cheesecake drizzled with caramel. Thank you love, you made my day. :) xoxo

A forgotten town, and my mixed thoughts....

As most of you know, I've spent a considerable amount of time in Louisiana, mostly around New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Recently I spent time in a small unknown town called Venice. Venice is as far south as you can get, down at the very tip of Louisiana. The main 'commerce' here is the gas plant. Natural gas is harvested so-to-speak, from the Gulf, then processed and sold. Other businesses there include commercial fishing. I was told that some of the best fishing around was in Venice. However, the once prosper town seemed to be almost abandoned.

All along the side of the only road leading in to Venice were concrete pad where houses once stood. Near those pads ( a few, anyway) were FEMA trailers, and some even had single-wide mobile homes. Scattered throughout were remnants of buildings. Some were houses, some businesses. Boats scattered around dry land, and debris from trees and mud. Let me explain....

When Hurricane Katrina made landfall, Venice is the first place it hit. The storm-surge broke through the levees, and all of the back-pressure poored it into this town. As one man described it, it was like being on the bottom end of a waterfall. "It looked like someone took their hand and just wiped everything inland" ......I asked what Venice was like before the storm....booming town was the description I received. However, after Katrina, it looks like a ghost town. The few buildings that survived are boarded up or just completely abandoned. It was a truly sad scene.

But did any of us hear about Venice? No. All we heard about was New Orleans, and all of the people who chose to stay behind, living in the Super Dome.

This is where my mixed thoughts come into play......

You choose to live in an area that is basically below sea level; a bowl. You know the hurricane is coming, and you choose not to leave. The storm arrives and you are trapped either in your home, or in a shelter with thousands of other people who made the same decision as you did. Then you beg, plead, and play the sympathy card, making the whole world believe that you are genuinely stricken with a huge problem. "Katrina took out everything!" as you stand in front of the shell of your house. The government gives you housing, money, and the rest of the US comes to your aid. You still beg and plead, saying nobody helped you. Habitat for Humanity comes in and builds you new housing, and you still say you were shorted.

Not one time did you hear the people of Venice complain, beg, or scream. They evacuated as they were told to do. The storm wiped them out...COMPLETELY. Their houses weren't just flooded, they were torn from the foundation and pounded to pieces. Nothing was left for them but the cement foundation. NOTHING. Again I ask, did we hear about these people? No. The few that came back, the ones who still had work to do with the gas plant, put their families in the few trailers that FEMA was able to spare, and went right back to work. They have been busting their ass trying to get their town back. Some of them live several hours away, working 7 days on, then 7 days off. But they are working, and not begging from the government or crying 'poor me' to the rest of the country demanding a hand out.

Don't get me wrong....I loved visiting the French Quarter, and will be back in New Orleans in a week or so. I will be playing tourist again, going to the beautiful cemeteries, and other museums and places of interest. I guess now I look at it in a different light. I say to everyone out there, there was more to the devistation of Katrina than just New Orleans. Get out your map and look south....way south. Look past New Orleans, and all of the drama it produced. Look at the small towns and ask yourself "Did I hear about these places in the media?"

As for me, I don't feel sorry for the people of New Orleans. And the people of Venice don't want me to feel sorry for them, either. They just want to get on with their lives and put the storm behind them.

Pictures to follow....sometime

So, before I'm off to dreamland, I thought I'd drop a note about my fun Memorial Day weekend.  

DH had the awsome forethought to book a cabin out in the country for Saturday through Monday.  It was soooo relaxing, being out in the 'semi-quiet' (more in a bit on that) area, with a dog or 2, a nice porch to sit on, a grill, and just nature.  Almost.

See, at this place there are 3 cabins and a loft (above the main house).  We stayed in the loft, which at first we thought was a not-so-good thing that ended up being a great thing.  Anyway, in the Treehouse (pic later) were some school teachers....4 women...who were letting off steam from the just ended school year.  Boy, did they have a lot of steam!  They stayed drunk for a majority of the time, singing, yelling about things (hard to decypher), and screaming at the resident dog.  Red, the dog, stayed wet most of the time because she loved swimming in the 2 ponds on the property.  Red is also very friendly, and the teachers evidently were NOT dog lovers.  No matter, her and I were buds the whole weekend (go figure).  

As I was saying, the cabins....well, they were nothing special on  the inside.  A couple of bunk beds, an outhouse style bathroom (although they did have showers, some inside, some outside), and pretty much no room to even change your mind in.  The loft, however, was much different.  It was like a studio apartment.  Full kitchen, living room, nice bathroom, and a seperate bedroom.  So we were pleasantly surprised once we realized what we had.  

Beyond that, there were 2 ponds, and plenty of ground to walk.  We also found a place to go tubing.  For those of you that aren't real sure what I am talking about, I'll explain.  Basically, we paid our money at one spot, and the owner loaded us up (with our cooler) in a van and drove us 5 miles up river.  He then handed us off to another guy who handed us 2 vinyl tubes, along with a square float to place our cooler in.  We tied the 3 together, hopped on, and floated the 5 miles back to where we started.  It was great!  We stopped a few times at some nice beaches to have a sandwich and bottle of water, then moved on.  There were a few spots were we had to really work to  keep out of the protruding trees, as well as a few times where we got hung up and had to really work to get out of it....but it was so fun!  Of course, today there are muscles that hurt that I'd forgotten I had, but it waws so worth it!  By the time we were 100 yards from the start point, it had begun to rain.  Our timing couldn't have been better, once we got into the car to leave it began pouring!  It didn't let up for about 3 hours, long enough for us to grill some chicken.  It started soon after supper and rained all night, and most of the day today.  In between showers we managed to get the car packed up and then headed here, La Place, Louisiana.  No, its not as its spelled.  The 'a' in Place is said like the 'o' in 'dog'.  

I've been told on more than one ocassion  "Nothing in Louisiana is as it appears".....I'm starting to realize that.  

Anyway, that was my weekend!  Tomorrow and Wednesday will be hectic...0430-0830, 1000-1600; Wed is 0830-1200, 1330-1930.  Long days for me!  Hopefully things will go smoothly.  So until I get through this week, the pics will probably have to wait. :p

Its a good thing....

Its a good thing I chose to wait on typing hate mail to my ex-husband.  Its a good thing I waited for him to call me and both of us figure out the miscommunication concerning our son, before I blew up.  Whew.  Evidently, words got mixed up in translation, assumptions were made on both sides, and everyone was pissed all the way around.  Note to self:  Don't trust a 10 year old to pass on a message.  

In other news, I finally broke down and told DH that we needed another laptop out here on the road.  In the evenings, if one of us is on this one, the other is hovering around, or impatiently waiting for their turn.  Or, if one is on, the other is saying "hey, look this up for me"...ggrrr, so aggravating.  So today we purchased a 'netbook' through our cellphone company, Verizon.  Oh the relief!  I'm keeping the 'big' laptop, as it has all of my stuff on it, to include music which he never uses, as well as my phone info for music, pictures, etc.  Currently, he is busy setting it up, and getting all of his settings arranged.  Peaceful bliss has arrived, LOL.  

I've also decided to actually WRITE (blog) about things here in Louisiana, instead of copping out with pictures alone.  So, here goes.....

We are currently residing in Hammond, LA.  Its about an hour from New Orleans, as well as an hour from Baton Rouge.  The road in between offers a glimpse of what it was like after Katrina.  The trees in some of the swamps, or mainly around Lake Ponchitrain, are dead.  New growth has started, but it looks like a bunch of sticks stuck in the mud.  As for the businesses, the ones in the French Quarter are pretty well back to normal, but the ones around the lake that got hit hard, well, its hard to describe.  Some have re-opened, some have opened as other things, some have just called it quits.  So you have strip malls with 1 or 2 shops, car dealerships that don't exist, and it all depends on the location as to whether the street leading there is open or not.  

As for housing, some houses in the subdivisions are boarded up, some are being gutted, some are being lived in (which is scary), and others that are just being demolished.  After 4 years, many of the houses still have blue tarps over their roofs.  If you look down the streets of these housing areas, you see many roll-away trash dumpsters, most of them full.  So it seems there is still a ton of work to be done here.  I want to tour the 9th Ward, but at the same time, I don't want to make these people feel like they are some kind of freak show attraction.  So, I'll take what pictures I can, without being too invasive, and post them here.  But the best is going to be my description.  

I can tell you that the area around the Super Dome, where everyone evacuated to, still shows many signs of the damage.  You can still see the water line on many buildings, and even more are still boarded up and completely abandoned.  It amazes me that the French Quarter is so active, and really shows no signs of a hurricane even coming close.  Geographic location helps, as its on the way south side of the lake, and with all of the buildings between that and the lake, it was fairly well protected.  Many of the people are gone, too.  DH was telling me that 'pre-Katrina', the main thoroughfare out of New Orleans (not the interstate ) was packed with people all the time.  When he would have to drive his rig down through town, men would climb onto the truck and offer to guide him to his destination, and if he accepted, they would ride on the steps of the rig, holding onto the mirror, giving directions......I had to laugh!  This all would occur, of course, for a fee...$5.  I think that's pretty ingenious, LOL.  Hell, there was a guy down on Bourbon St that saw us taking pictures, he was holding a sign that said "Big Ass Beer To Go", advertising for the business he was sitting in front of.  So, this gentleman runs over to us, "You 2 hold my sign, I'll take YOUR picture!"  At first I thought, "ok, what can it hurt?" then I looked at him and said "You better not run off with my camera, I'll chase you down."....he laughed and said "I can't take your camera, I would lose my job!"  He then proceeded to say "I'll take 2 pictures of you holding the sign, for $5." to which I replied "$5?  Its my damn camera!"  and he replied "Your holding MY damn sign!"  Of course, I laughed, as he had a point...so for the hell of it, we paid the man and went on our way, lol.  I'll find that pic and post later.....

Beyond all of this, I'd say Louisiana is recovering well.  Slowly, but doing ok.