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!! :)