My Big Guy

Today, we managed to scare the snot out of Winston between the riding lawn mower and the repair to my desk. But it got better when I carried him out front (he loses his mind out front and runs away so he only gets to be carried).

Invasion America

Okay, I am angry! Angry as can be! I am not against anyone moving to a different country to find prosperity but I am against anyone who comes here illegally and expects to have rights. Those protest a week or so ago made me realize that our country has been invaded and I am rather pissed at our Congress men and women are so impotent to correct the problem. It is very simple - follow the rules below and we might get some relief!

Build a freaking fence - we deserve to be protected against criminals and terrorist who would want to enter under a cloud of secrecy. With a fence, our border patrol won't be in as much danger and overwhelmed.

Fix our immigration policy - allow those who want to come in legally to do so without having to wait 12 to 15 years.

Punish our businesses - hiring illegals needs to be a crime punishable by jail time. They are reaping so much profit by exploiting the illegals that paying a just a fine won't be enough to stop the problem. If there are no jobs illegals will go home and wait till they can come over legally.

How did we end up with so many morons in Washington?

Enough for now.

My Summer of Leisure Begins

I have come to the conclusion that if I don't blog at work, which is probably a bad habit to start - I'll never blog again. Once I am home in my comfy jeans, sitting on the couch, watching tv - I am not going to actually get up walk 15 feet to the computer to blog. It just won't happen. I have become a sloth.

Well, Dad and I finished up the last of my outside make-over this Saturday. We dug a 10 foot trench added a drain to redirect pooling water. Smashed up the last of sidewalk to my backyard and hauled the concrete away. Added ten 40 lb bags of dirt, sod and created a path with flagstones. It would fabulous be if the new sod we added was green but grass isn't green anywhere.

I hope I really enjoy all this since I am flat broke until I can pay off the windows. No more new projects. I am not sure if I will be able to stand a whole year without some type of renovation but that's what it will have to be.

Friend Shana, are you out there? Who's turn is it to email?

enough for now.

My House Gets an Exterior Make Over

Hello blogland - have you wondered where I've been? More than likely not but I'll tell you anyway. If I didn't have my nose in a book, my feet where in the mud. I finally got my rock garden built. It's 12 feet by 21 feet large with red river rock. It's really groovy. I also replace the chain link fence that flanked my house with a 5 foot picket fence which gives it a real cute and homey look.

I ordered my new replacement windows March 17th and 10 weeks from then when they come in you will hear squeal like a sissy girl when they go in - I can't wait!

Enough for now, I'm too tired to blog.

The Boys are Growing Up

Is there one single person out there that's not puny? Everyone I know is sickly with me on the verge. This bizaar weather we are having isn't helping much even though I love the fact that I ditched my coat already and it's only 11:30 a.m.

I had a great weekend at my annual trek to nerds day out. The Friends of Library Book Sale is where I get all my books for the year. The only problem is that I have yet finished reading the books I got at the previous two booksales. I now have more than 60 books to get through before next February rolls around. Winston and my new house cut into my reading time so the average of 20 to 30 books a year has drastically dropped. So why did I buy 28 more books this year? BECAUSE I COULD. Yes, I am a nerd and the book sale is way fun.

My high school nephew who lives in another state, is being looked at by the wrestling coach of the University of Oklahoma City. How cool would it be if he were to go to college right down the street from my work? Everyone keep your fingers crossed.

Army nephew is doing real well, he graduates from NCO school this Friday. I am very proud of all his efforts in the Army and hope he keeps it up. I think/know his new wife wants him to get out and become a wrestling coach/history teacher. Army nephew has never wanted to do or be anything other than a solder and joined up as a junior in high school. I know the corporate and educational world and do not think he would be happy in it. Also, if he leaves the Army due to any other reason than his own and he doesn't like what he ends up doing, he will resent those who influenced him to leave. Everyone keep your fingers crossed for him too.

Enough for now.

Keep Swinging George!

I feel like an icicle! Here ya go Ice Chick, your winter weather has arrived. I am not going to moan about it considering the wonderful weather we've had so far. The funny thing about this weather is watching Winston go out in it - he doesn't like his feet to get wet so he hoops to various places in the yard and when he must stop to investigate something he will hold one paw up until the other gets too cold then alternate.

I do have one complaint - has the world gone mad? I am living proof that tag doesn't kill you. As a little girl in school I loved running around the playground chasing my friends for no good reason. These idiots who believe tag is bad for the children are just stupid in my opinion. That brings me to my next point, the idiot who has filed suit over Curious George is just as stupid. I loved those books as child and still do! Why do idiots think that we should all do as they do? Why don't they just not play tag nor read Curious George and leave the rest of us alone!

enough for now.

I Need Food!

My diet is going well, I have lost enough weight to fit into my "not-as-fat" clothes but still not quite into my "skinny" clothes yet. The problem is that I am bored with this diet, 1,000 calories a day, anyway I want just no more than that. Mentally, I am also bored with this diet, so I think I am about to starve. Whenever your head is not on straight the diet will fail and my head is all crooked right now. This has been the hardest week yet and I am six weeks into this endeavor. I fear that my resolve to be skinny again will faulter - I want MacDonald's, Taco Bell, Sonic, Wendy's and Pizza Hut.

enough for now

Blog Blocked and Need Help

Sometimes this blog haunts me, it whispers in my ear saying "blog darn it, blog" when I don't blog for a few days. I didn't realize how much spare time I had when I rented my little apartment and didn't have a demanding beagle. Winston gets quite put out with me when I enter my office - to him, it's the scarry room. So five minutes after I sit down at the computer he is running in and out of the office jumping on me. I have been trying to blog after he goes to bed (yes, around 8:30 p.m. he gets up and goes to the bedroom and goes to bed) but by then I am tired or not in the mood.

So here I sit at work at 12:28 p.m. and I am blogging - the problem is that I am not inspired. My life has settled down now that all the house projects at my place and my parents are done. Work is incredibly dull and I dread going every day. So what's left to blog about? World Politics? Okay, who knew cartoons could be deadly! Are there really that many crazy muslims in the world that would riot because some idiot drew something offensive? I am a Christian and there is no drawing or cartoon of Jesus that would alter my reverence or awe of him and I know that come judgement day God will be judging the cartoonist not me. So I would just ignore the idiot and his work and go about my day. I just don't get the protesting and violence.

Another topic, how did I get in all those phoney stock brokers who want me to buy stock email databases and how do I get off? How did my name get on E-harmony's database and how do I get them to stop emailing me. I haven't reached the desparation point that I will spend money on a personal ad. When I need a date I'll go to their site - when I need stock I'll go to Ameritrade. SPAMMERS LEAVE ME ALONE!

Enough for now.

Trying to Save Every Penny

Just call me the super saver! I have been on a rampage ever since I received my $143 gas bill - geez, give me a break, I only have a 1,000 square foot house. I have put my decorative sconces on a timer so they come on only when I am at home. My garage light is now on a motion sensor so that I can get to my car without stumbling in the dark or leave that light on all day. And I have replaced my thermostat with one that I can program to lower the heat while I am away and asleep. I think my old thermostat was not working properly since my heater rarely comes on with these beautiful days that we are having. I wish I could just live in the most comfortable way but I have to be careful and $143 is not careful.

I wish I had something insightful to write but I feel yucky. My diet is going well but I am hungry - my sinus' are rebelling and I am battling another infection. Arrrggg. On a good note, I've already file my income taxes and already received my state refund. Gotta love Turbo Tax!

Enough for now.

Reverse Sneezes Suck!

Today started all wrong starting with oversleeping then stupid people started bugging me. Normally, I don't have a hard time with people in my building but today those that do bug me all decided to seek me out. By noon I was about to go postal!

I probably could have dealt with people at work better if I had gotten enough sleep last night but Winston had a very bad night thanks to his allergies. At 2 a.m. we were up with his reverse sneezes that scares both of us to death. It sounds as though he's having an asthma attack. The vet showed me a way to stop them by holding his mouth shut and covering his nose but the last two nights these attacks have be so severe that the trick didn't work. After one of these attacks Winston is so shook up that he won't lay down - he'll only sit at the edge of the bed very upset. I think the drainage that causes these attacks gets worse when he lays down. So last night I ended up sitting up with him and holding him upright until he feel asleep. My poor baby is having to take allergy medicine that makes him groggy and I hate it. Keep your fingers crossed that whatever is causing this problem goes away soon. I need my little man's world to be right again.

Enough for now.

Happy Birthday to ME!

The dozen roses on my kitchen table tells me that it's my birthday (again, whimper). It was a good day for a Monday. Mom instructed Dad to go get me roses and then we all went to my favorite Mexican restaurant. Oh yeah, for the topper I got my car's oil changed - okay, did that while at dinner but a productive evening none the less.

All my birthday presents came as usual at the same time as the Christmas presents. As a child, Jan. 9th was always a special day set aside just for me. Now, it just easier to open my Christmas/Birthday presents at the same time.

Winston and Seamus spent the day together. When I got home and let them in Winston ate and promptly went to bed. He tuckered himself out completely. So little man hasn't been much company tonight. I'll just have to wake him up when I go to bed and get him out of my spot - he'll groan and moan but he'll live.

Enough for now.

The Count Down Begins

One more day and counting, if I can make it through tomorrow - I'll be home free. Starting at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, I will walk out of the central office and not think about that place for two weeks. The insanity of where I work is that I get 22 days of vacation a year.

I managed to finish purchasing all my Christmas gifts last Friday and all's I have to do it sit back and wait. After running around for two weeks searching for that perfect gift, I have nothing to do. I am a little antsy - I have been on the run since the middle of November and it's oddly harder than you'd think to relax and be still.

Winston update...he's still pooping and peeing in Mom's new house. The Christmas tree has been the latest victim. Mom caught him once but we're not catching him enough to stop the behavior and spanking him after the fact won't work. I need a Dog Whisperer to tell him to STOP!

Enough for now...me sleepy.

Winston's latest pic

Get back or Tigger gets it...all joking aside Tigger is very important.

My New Kitchen

This is a better view of the new tile counter tops and my new stainless steel sink.

Okay not a great pic but it does show the great new pantry that dad built

Toilet Paper and Tickets - Merry Christmas!

Life is returning to normal - mom and dad are all moved in to their new home and out of boxes - oh wait, it Christmas time and the mad dash to purchase presents is on. Normal will have to wait a bit. Since I last wrote my muscles have recovered and all the bruises have healed. Winston however has lost his mind and is shaming the family at every turn. Every time he goes to mom's he spends the first 15 minutes escaping from us and pees on something. He has got it in his head that he is going to claim every inch of the folk's new house. He even marked mom's fancy Santa that greets everyone at the door. Mom has been great about it but I truly wish the little dummy would knock it off! His other new trick is shredding paper, mom left both Seamus and Winston in my house for a couple of hours and Winston decided to take the last roll of toilet paper and tee pee the entire house. The little monster only does destructive things when he's unsupervised so we can't scold or correct this behavior. I love the stinker but gee whiz....

My other good news is that Dana can't drive and talk on the cell phone at the same time. I do really stupid stuff when I try, for example, I run red lights right in front of cops. A $173 ticket right at Christmas time is not my idea of fun. Mom helped out by demanding to pay half since it was she who called. The funny thing was that when I told her "Oh crap, I just ran a red light." and she gave the "well pay attention" then I interrupted her with "Oh crap, I just got caught." She replies "No, oh baby I'm so sorry." Then she kept apologizing and I kept trying to get off the phone with her - I finally had to say "gotta go bye" and hang up on her. As bad as she felt I think she would have asked to speak to the officer to try to talk him out of giving me the ticket. I really don't resent or feel bad about this ticket because I completely earned that one. Only thing is that I hear that almost all of the IT department saw me get the darn thing! Boy, do I feel blonde!

enough for now.

(whimper) Send Help Now

pain so much pain...moving hurts. toooooo tired to type, too tired to sleep and bruised all over. send messages of hope my way. happy thanksgiving all. (sigh)

enough for now.

Keeps going and going and going

All who read this please note, if I end up in the hospital and the treating physician calls the police on a battered woman in his ER - come quickly and help me explain that the multiple bruises all over my legs are from moving boxes. Between student handbooks (more than 500 boxes of 110 books) and my parents contents from their house all had to be moved. I am almost as purple as Violet from Willy Wonka.

Mom and Dad close on their new home this Thursday and my sister may be able to come down to help. Please, oh please, let her come with her husband (6'3" big man) and son (6' big boy). My parents have way too much stuff! We have a storage unit full to capacity, my garage full to capacity and my spare bedroom full to capacity!

I do have good news in that Friend Shanna got a new job and finally gets to move out of hell! Yippee, I shall live vicarously through her until my life gets back to its normal boring. The renovation of my kitchen and then the mad dash to pack and move the folks has made for some very long nights. My goal is to start looking every day for a new job and be gone for good before its time for commencement production. I am hopeful but won't hold my breath. I choose a sucky profession and I am little confused as to what to apply for since I don't want to do PR anymore. Does anyone know the best way to change careers without going back to school?

Skip the Prozak - Where's the Padded Room

I have a beautiful new kitchen. I am exhausted and don't want to do another home project again! SNAG! Mom and dad just sold their house and made an offer on another - so turn about's fair play. I will be working in their new house over Thanksgiving break (whimper).

Where are my marine ROTC friends from college now that I need them the most? In college, I met some great friends when my roommate mentioned that we needed help moving to one of them - very casually and mostly in jest but marines take things very seriously. On moving day, presto, a hoard of marines-to-be showed up with trucks and moved us in one fail swoop. We all became fast friends. Jay and Burl - if your out there somewhere, thanks for defending democracy for us and there's still a $5 entry fee to the john!

Hurricane Dana Hit My Kitchen

So what's new? I've gutted my kitchen! I am tired and do NOT want to do any more but since the only thing completed is the new pantry, I guess I must force myself to move forward. Here was the plan, first remove the old baby size antique built in oven, strip out the cabinet below and above build a pantry (two days), cut out the cabinet for the new range and rebuild the two cabinet on each side (two days), cut out the cabinet for the dishwasher and install (two days) and tile the counter tops and back splash (four days). Well we're on day seven already and only the pantry is done, the range area is cut but no side cabinets, the dishwasher area is cut out but it's not in or installed. I guess my aspirations where greater than our ability to produce.

On a more serious note, Jeff if your out there, I hope all is okay with your family. These hurricanes really must stop. You and yours are in my prayers.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N!!!

My first vacation in a year where I am healthy! No puny lungs, no whimpy back - I am well and gonna love every minute I spend away from the hell hole in which I work. Unbelivably, I had a great week - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I spent in training out of my office so not only was I learning cool new printing equipment but I was away, away, away!

I decided to take this week off due to the fact that I am baby sitting Seamus since mom and dad went to Vegas to gamble and over to Bishop, California to visit family. I haven't had much sleep the last three nights, do you know how hard it is to sleep with a 70 pound dog at your feet (or better put, across your legs) and a 20 pound dog at your shoulder pushing you toward the other side of the bed? Not a pretty sight!

I will be spending the cool morning hours this week putting boxes in the attic - who's coming over to help? I can make coffee. Then I will prep my kitchen for the next round of renovation, I bought a dishwasher, garbage disposal, new kitchen sink and faucet. Dad will have to rebuild one cabinet to house the dishwasher and run electric under the cabinet for the garbage disposal - unless someone handy out there wants to come over do it this week. Any takers? I can make coffee.

Enough for now.

Great Blues and Thunder Claps

I can't believe it's Thursday already. Do you ever feel like your life is flying by? I have been meaning to blog ever since Sunday and yet, here it is five days later. Saturday I had a fabulous evening at Friends Ellen and Rob's house warming party. It was good to see everyone again and to be out in the real world. Robby's band played outstandingly and it made me miss my Norman days where we went out to hear live bands every weekend.

Friend Ellen is a fantastic hostess but I didn't get to chat with her enough - WE MUST GET TOGETHER FOR A FULL BLOW GOSSIP SESSION, ELLEN! My stupid back began to hurt half way through the party, so I ducked out early but throughly enjoyed myself anyway.

As it turned out it was a good thing I left the party early, since I return home to no power (thank you thunderstorm). The bigger problem was that early in the day I had gone grocery shopping and bought all my microwave dinners (just call me chef). At 11:00 p.m. that night, mom and dad came over and took all the food from my frig to their house. Do I have the greatest parents or what?

Stop the Madness

Pure chaios! That's what my days are like right now. To give you an example, it was 1:10 p.m. before I realized that I had not gone to lunch yet. The days are flying by before I can get all the work I have done.

I had a total melt down on Friday with all the Back to School work I have and Mean Co-Worker doing her thing. I told the Boss all about it. I think the only reason she believed me was because I ended up choking back tears as I told her the whole saga. At first, she asked if I thought that I felt this way because I was so stressed over the monster project I am currently working on. She was rather nice and sympathic to me but I think she thought I was over reacting. Then today, she ask for something that Mean Co-Worker was working on - I told her that I didn't know if it was done but I'd check. When I asked Mean Co-Worker if the job was ready she growled "YES!" Boss later said that the rudeness needed to stop. I just feel better that she now believes me - it won't stop though.

On to another note, I am an Army Aunt. Any day my nephew could be sent to Iraq and yes, I know I work in an organization filled mostly with librals, but do I really have to listen to people bad mouth the war or the military. Twice last week, I have had people bring up how bad the war is and how bad the military is and they are people that I am not comfortable saying my mind. So I have to listen to their rant but I won't agree with them. I think they caught the hint without my saying anything. If I were still dating Solder Boy who was in Baghdad three or so years ago and deploys often all over the world or my nephew was actually in Iraq - I doubt if I could have held my tongue. Look out world, if this month keeps on it current pace, I will be fired by Labor Day for going off on the wrong person at the wrong time.

Send good mojo this way, I need it!

Enough for now.

Weirdness to the Extreme - Mean People and Balls

Everyone who is totally exhausted, please raise your hand. Me! Me! Me! I don't think I've ever been worked so hard. My office has turned into twilight zone where I actually feel as though my only friend is the boss! Co-worker S is so weird - I never know who is coming to work, Mean S or Friendly S. I've quit trying to be nice and get along, I just flat ignore that she's there. After four or five angry responses to my questions, I've quit asking anything. If she plans on being hateful then I am going to let her hang herself.

Co-worker J is nice but because Co-worker S won't lift a finger to help me with jobs, I haven't had time to get to know Co-worker J. He's does have a quirky (in a very good way) sense of humor and I like that. I just wish he'd quit trying to show me that icky pic of that girl diver wacking her head on the diving board - it's gross.

I wish all my computer skills weren't self taught or I'd look for a new position in our IT department. I've got seven years in the organizations and I am really not in the mood to learn a new system and new people but I am afraid that I really don't have much of a choice. We spend eight hours of our day at work and when it becomes a hostile environment it's time to go. Wish me luck all....(don't worry, I know that I won't find employment else where anytime soon, so those who know me at work I'll still be around torturing you with all my mass emails.)

And by the way, Winston is now off the market. He hasn't killed any birds or frogs this week. He ended up with a staff infection on his tummy, and the vet thinks it's from allergies. He loves his peanut butter laced medicine and is rather snuggly right now so I gues I'll keep him. I am considering turning him into a unic but he's so tiny and it feels like I'd be doing something mean to him. I am really weird I know but it's like he's never grown up and is still a puppy - small dogs are really different than big dogs. It never bothered me to neuter the dalmatians because it was good for them but the idea of neutering Winston scares me to death (whimper).

Beagle for Sale

Adorable beagle, answers to Winston (when he feels like it), for sale. He is in good health and very active. Enjoys chasing June bugs and catching them in mid-flight (then eats them - gag me), also enjoys catching birds, killing them and playing keep away with his owner with the dead Caracas and germs in his mouth. He brings into the house dead frogs as some sort of trophy.

Winston is killing me! I believe there are certain jobs that men should do - squish bugs, take out the trash and pick up dead animals, since I am alone I am reduced to all those jobs AND I DON'T LIKE IT! Last week I thought Winston had killed a frog and knew I had to get it in the trash so he couldn't play with it. So I go get a Wal-Mart bag, put my hand inside the bag and use it as a glove to pick up the frog. The frog is on its back - I place the bag over it and quickly grab it and turn the bag inside out keeping the icky thing inside. Half-way to the trash can the bag jumps, who knew frogs play dead!! I almost died at that moment. It was exactly then (once the shock wore off) that I decided I need a husband if I am going to keep Winston. If there are any men interested in obtaining a wife with a serial killer beagle leave a comment.

85, 85, 80-80-85!

Good gravey, I am old! The Western Heights Class of 85 had their 20 year reunion this past weekend - no I didn't attend but I have been lurking on the side lines of their blog checking out the pics from the event. It looks as though they all had a good time catching up. I just can't beleive it's been 20 years!

Good gravey, I am old!

Amazing how fast they grow, my youngest nephew.

Farewell to the blog

When I started blogging more than a year ago, it was liberating. You see, it distracted me from what I considered an icky existence. I tried not to use the blog to whine and cry about my life but instead I focused in different directions. Now, this blog haunts me - everyday I think that I should blog but the desire to grab a topic and expand on it is gone.

My life is good now. I enjoy being home with my puppy and don't need the internet to occupy my time. The icky existence of the past - is just that, the past. I still look forward to reading everyone's blog as I say farewell to the blog and maybe, down the line, I'll drop a note or two. Right now, I consider my karma whole again - dented is gone.

I Need a Dose of Good Health

For the fourth staight month, I have come down with a resiptory infection. I barely get well and BAM - it comes back. This is the worst yet - I have never known such pain. It hurts to move. Anyway, guess where my income tax is going? Life sucks.

Don't Mess With Me Today

I am sitting here wondering - "Do I still have slabber on me?" No, I didn't go home for lunch and see Winston, I went to Mathis Brothers to check out kitchen tables. Currently, I have no money to buy anything (tile took that) but I just wanted to browse and get ideas. The sales people there won't allow browsing - mom and I got assaulted at every turn. After the 5th or 6th inquirey as to how we were doing, I started getting iratated. I am one who looks at many places for weeks at time prior to making a decision since I will be stuck with that purchase for the next decade or so. I wanted to scream "leave me alone and let me look!"

Today is not going well - people are iratating me at every turn! I'd elaborate but hey that will just continue my anger - Hey Kim, I understand what you mean about people not pulling their weight at work!

It's Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I have to say (really loud) I am loving this 75% weather in the middle of January! Oh, happy, happy day. More tile this weekend but if we can get the tile in the kitchen done then we will be at the end of my money for now. I need the break - Winston needs the break.

Nothing new to report except that I keep missing Amazing Race and Lost, so I am totally out of the loop. My health insurance went up $60 a month and I didn't pay attention to what I was signing up for so I was rather shocked when I got my pay stub. Oh well, gotta have insurance.

My brain hurts today, it's 3:18 and I am ready to go........................................no more work, me wanna go home!

I Have Grout!

Hello fellow bloggers! Yes I know it's been eons since I tapped out a few lines but I've been a little busy lately. Since I last wrote I was pinning away about my vacation, over that two week break - I ripped out my livingroom and hall carpet out then ripped out the fake glued down tile in my office. Then I began working on all the black glue that had to be removed with paint thinner - Winston and I were high for about two days but hey, who needs that many brain cells anyway.

After a week and a half of work, I looked at the floor and knew there was no way I would get all the glue off to stain the concrete. On to plan B...I found a floor tile that I really liked but it was 6X6 tile (for those who don't know tile that is small). I was willing to do the work since the tile was what I wanted and it was actually cheap (.79 cents per square foot). So I went to buy it and lo and behold they had got in one pallet of the same tile in 12 X 12 tiles and where offering it for .59 cents per square foot. I bought it and enough to tile my kitchen!

Last night, Mom, Dad and I grouted the last of the hall and will seal the grout in the livingroom and office tonight. It's been tough but it looks so cool now, that ugly, ugly green carpet is all but gone (it's still in my bedroom and the guest bedroom till I can afford to change it out). Muscle have hurt that I didn't know existed and my fingernails will never recover but the place is finally shaping up.

Poor Winston, he may not recover from the renovation. He doesn't like the big shop vac I've had to use, nor does he like the drill Dad uses to mix the concrete or grout and he especially hates the fact that I am up moving around when he wants to snuggle. It's all been too much for him!

PS - thanks Andy for the advice on the concrete but as you can see I whimped out on that.

Where'd my baby go?

the latest Winston pic...he's getting so big!

I Need Out of Here!

Well, it seems that I now blog once every two weeks. Since I last wrote, I came down with another resipatory infection thanks to allergies. My doctor and I decided to stock my medicine cabinet so I can fight these attacks myself. I have nose spray, sinus medicine and decongestion medicine. My wallet is definately lighter but I don't care, I am tired of being sick and trying to hack out my lungs!

One thing I want to do to possibly help with my allergies is to remove my carpet and stain my concret slab. I am somewhat afraid of the process so if anyone has done it before and can give me tips I would be ever so grateful. Eventually, I want to install real hardwood floors but I don't have the $8,000 to do that yet!

Three days and counting till my much needed vacation. Two weeks away from this place and with my little man, sounds like heaven right now. Usually, by the end of one week vacation I am ready to go back but my Thanksgiving week off didn't do it and all's that I have been doing is dreaming of this vacation.

The Sun Is Shining - I'm happy

Yes I know, it is taking me longer between blog entries but dang it I am have way too much fun with my puppy to do the nightly blog entry. Plus the dog is terrified of my office, since that's where he was locked up when I went to work the first week I had him. Today, he graduated to the backyard! The first part of the morning I was a nervous wreck worried he would find a way out or be emotionally damaged by my putting him out at 7 a.m. Well, I am pleased to announce when mom went to pick him up at 12:30 p.m. he's was in the grass with all four legs in the air rubbing his back. Yeah, I am not a monster after all.

Yesterday, Winston had another doctor’s visit where we discovered he's now 8.3 lbs! Imagine when I got him he was only 3.6 lbs. My baby is growing up. The vet asked me what happened to his noise and I quickly looked at my dog's noise not knowing what he was talking about. Seamus had accidentally, I am sure, scratched off a chunk of Winston's noise. The wee one didn't even act as if anything was wrong, so we followed suit.

Other than that not much...........I am not going to even mention that ass on Amazing Race who yells at his wife every episode, I am in a good mood.

Enough for now.

Driving in the Slow Lane - I like it!

Who knew getting a new puppy would be so exhausting! But I must say I am having a blast. I keep waiting for him to get big like all my other puppies in the past. We had to put two 2X4 boards in my garage so Winston could climb up the step into the house and I have two pillows on the floor by the couch so he can jump off whenever he wants. I pissed him off a few times putting him on the floor when he didn't want to be there. He snuggles good during prime time tv - snoozing in my lap and he's just discovered that the house is an in-door race track.

Yukon is flooded, my plumbing is not wanting to drain and I am hoping that I don't have snake the pipes. I have had no problems till all this rain. Keep you fingers crossed that we have a few dry days and I shower starts draining right (furthermore, do you know how hard it is to potty train in the rain? I need the rain to go away - sorry Sarah, rain bad!).

Work is a lot better now the Graphic Artist is here and doing jobs that once were assigned to me. It's freeing me up for the other stuff I like better. I am not sure what she thinks of us right now, but we gave her a big dose of the insanity we ooze at a department meeting where we all at one point or another got a little caddy. Hopefully, she hasn't started looking for employment elsewhere.

I've had a few new comers to my blog-land - welcome to the dark side! I don't blog as much as I once did but do occasional tap out a few lines. Winston's not big on me sitting at the computer much and honestly he's too much fun right now - blogging suffers, but I'll try harder in the future.

Hey Kim, what's the deal? Sometimes I like to drive in the left land. The right one gets boring all the time.

More Tears than Fears

I am so excited! Did you hear the news? Tears for Fears is getting back together! Did I just date myself? In college, I thought they were one of the greatest bands. I prefer their first album (yes, darn it, I said album) The Hurting. The college memories came flooding back when I heard the news of their reunion - then like a slap upside the head, reality hit, I am old.

bummer!

Life is Good

Winston and I are having a ball! Well, he could do without the collar but other than that he seems happy. He is learning more and more each day and I don't think he appreciates the word "NO." He did a dance yesterday when I told him no to chewing on my shoes and then ran over and tossed his baby around.

He's not sure about the rain - I couldn't get him passed the garage door on his own this morning. The sky was falling and he wasn't gonna have anything to do with that!

Work is work and really doesn't matter much when you have a new baby waiting for you to come home. We have a new graphic artist in the office, who is really nice. Hopefully, she can start relieving me of the jobs I acquired through necessity but really don't have the technical skills for.

It's bedlam week, I can't wait for the game. Oh by the game, Winston watches football too (I actually think its the crowd noise that gets his attention but it cute none the less).

Winston is doing battle with the big bad stuff moose.

Winston is getting rather annoyed with me and the camera.

This is my new roommate, Winston, the Prime Minister.

Winston Moves In!

Dad and I took a trip to Blanchard on Saturday and came home with a new addition. His name is Winston and he's six weeks old. He is the smallest puppy I've ever had and am afraid I am going to hurt him. He's a Beagle!

His true personality hasn't come out yet. He's just trying to figure out what the hell has happened to him - one minute he's hanging out with his brothers and sisters and the next some crazy people have put him in this big thing for 45 minutes and he hasn't seen anyone he knows since.

I'll keep you posted on all the Winston news as it breaks and will post some pics as soon as I get some. Oh, by the way, Seamus is confused as all get out as to what that wee one is!

Yes I am Lost Too

Okay, I am addicted to Lost - my thoughts are they are no longer on Earth? Who agrees with me? A man that couldn't walk now does - yep, they've been abducted and taken to a different planet for observation.

I am getting a dog! There I've declared my intention now to make up my mind as to what kind. I am toying with the idea of a getting a Jack Russell or Beagle. Since I have a short fence an Irish Setter or Dalmatian is out of the question. I do however have a very large back yard that would be good for either the Jack or Beagle. My sister tells me that Jack Russells aren't good with other dogs, since they want all the attention (I can't have that since I babysit Seamus every time mom and dad go to Vegas). I also hear that Beagles bark all the time and aren't good neighbors - torn, what to do? I will not get a taco bell dog, poodle, shit-zu, lasa apsa, any sissy dog like that. I can't afford or find a French Bull Dog, which are adorable! AAAARRRRGGGG! Any ideas, anyone?

Used lungs for sale, I don't want them anymore

The name Walking pneumonia is an oxy-moron! When you've got it your not walking anywhere! Your laying on the couch, hacking out a lung and wish the slow death you are experiencing would happen already! Needless to say, I am sick and royally pissed about it.

Seamus Moves to Yukon

I've had the little man (Seamus) this week. I am so proud of him! Buying this house has made all the difference - no pee-ing in my car, on my bed or running around the house crying while carrying his baby running from room to room. He loves my backyard and it's next to impossible to get him to come in. Monday was horrible for me because he is quite capable of jumping the fence, I was so stressed out worrying that he'd figure that out. So, I came home at lunch and found him asleep by the gate. I am so glad that he hasn't figured out that he can jump!

On the TV front, yeah Chip and Kim - enough said! Colin, I fear, is the next Scot Peterson.

Work has been nuts but hey, that's the norm. Around 4:15 I filled my coffee cup again, if that tells you anything. If my printer doesn't deliver my business cards soon, I fear there will be a revolt! I rarely go 4 hours without someone calling asking if their cards are in. I realize it has taken a very long time but what I want to know is if they are less of a person without cards? Do business card make you a real person or something? Aaarrggg! It's not my fault 3 printers refused to do the printing before I found someone that would!

Shaken Not Stirred

Okay, let's get it over with....I drove into the frigerator! Done laughing? The poor thing just rocked back and forth and every thing inside was thrown all over the place. Okay, you can stop laughing now.

I got two used books in the mail today - woo hoo! RF Delderfield is my favorite author and I found these two books on Amazon.com used book section, since most of his books are no longer in print. One of these books, I didn't even know existed. I thought I'd found a good list of his books but it didn't include Stop the Winner. It's always like Christmas when I get books in the mail. Hey, Friend Shana, it may be a book for you too - only 298 pages, unlike his normal 1,200 (just teasing).

Work has been an unbelievable week of heavy lifting. Last Wednesday, we moved Co-worker T into our suite of offices and moved the mail room into his former office. Then on Thursday, I received more than 20,000 permanent record folders that I had to count out and organize (students across OKC are cursing my name now). To top things off, 11,000 student parent handbooks were delivered, again I began tossing boxes and counting books. By Friday I will look like Xena Warrior Princess!

On the world scene, I about panicked when I heard that idiot in North Korea blew something up that caused a mushroom cloud - remember my Army Nephew is in South Korea. How do such evil people get in positions of power? It's beyond me....to tired to ponder that anymore. Also, how about that KGB Russian President wanting to take away elected positions in towns and cities and make them appointed positions? Does anyone see a little Stalin in the making? When he reconstructs the gulags or begin purges again - be afraid!

Enough for now.

The Sloth Has To Go Back To Work

(whimper) It's Monday night and the thought of going to work tomorrow is just dreadful! I did absolutely nothing of import this weekend and it felt good! I didn't realize that one could lay on the couch so much but I proved it possible.

I enjoyed the OU - Bowling Green game. It's good that football is back. Our offense looked good but I felt the defense lack a little. I'll reserve judgment for later in the season. Go Sooners.

Okay, knew it would happen...I closed the new garage door on the back of my car, thankfully that protection piece where when it hits something it goes back up protected my paint job. Before you roll out of your chair laughing at me, you need to understand that my itty bitty car barely fits in the garage. I wanted to leave some room near the washer so that I wouldn't have to squeeze. I guess I left a little too much room. Oh well, I warned everyone.

My political news watch was supplanted by Hurricane Frances. Living in tornado alley doesn't seem so bad after all. I do feel for all the Floridians especially now that Hurricane Ivan is headed their way.

As Arnold Says "I am a Republican"

As I sit here listening to Dick Chaney speak and reflecting on the conversation I just had with my Army nephew, I can't understand how anyone can vote for the Flip Flopper aka John Kerry. My nephew is just now able to vote, 19 years old, and is terrified that Kerry will be elected. He said "if he wins, I am so screwed." I tried to dispell his fear by saying that the Republican Congress will negate Kerry's stupidity, but I too worry for him, as a military person.

At 19 years old, I didn't give a rip who was up for election. I didn't vote until the first Bush re-election campaign. Kerry has cause my 19 year old to actively watch a political campaign. Something's wrong there.

This year my vote for Bush is in honor of my late uncle who did fight in the Vietnam War and never betrayed his fellow solders and my young Army Nephew, the future of America's defense.

Did anyone hear Zell's speech? Wow! He really lit into Kerry - good for him! Stand up for your family and Nation! Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

Enough for now!

Where's Dumas When You Need Him!

I think I've hit writer's block. Trying to decide what to blog about is starting to thwart my abilities to be witty. Work today was okay, things are slowing down for the moment so I am able to catch up on this and that, which has a calming effect on me. I gave my Mint, Grapes, and "that funny bush" a trim after work and it was rather relaxing (except for the mosquitoes that were dive bombing me). Dad edged my yard with his weed eater - not the right tool for the job but hey, it worked.

He did a really nice thing for me today and never told me .... but mom did. He went to the garage door store and double checked my order, it's around $700 smackers and it made me nervous ordering it without his mechanical expertise. He approved, whew!

My love of books extends only so far as a good book! I am working on finishing my current book but have been at it for more than a month now. It's not very engaging and I am struggling. I hate that, especially since I don't like to move to another book until I finish my current one. I am frustrated that I have only 50 pages to go to finish the darn thing and I keep putting it off. Aaarrrgg!

Enough for now.

Hurricane Charley Hit Here Too

It's been more than two weeks since I last blogged and every day of those two weeks as I sat on my couch I would think "I need to blog," and every day I promised myself to write an entry tomorrow. So let's called today "tomorrow."

It has been a whirlwind at work. Co-worker T and I rolled out a new website for the District - streamlining our focus to one audience and making it look a whole lot sharper. I gotta give props to T for the fantastic design but it wasn't easy transferring everything over. If T wasn't so good at website design - we'd might have had an easier "Back to School" transistion, thanks T! LOL. Among the mix of trying to redesign our site, I had the mess of trying to get the Student Parent Handbook (in English, Spanish and Vietnamese) to print, pressing the report card committee to work faster in deciding what would and wouldn't be included, getting more than 40 Back to School letters printed and to the mailing house to process and mail (I don't think that company ever wants to hear from me again) and taking my co-worker L to hospital after he tried to 3 hole punch his finger with the monster drill press just to mention the highlights.

On the home front things are shaping up nicely now that I am finally getting over the evil poison ivy. The backyard is cleared of all the unwanted saplings, honey suckle and poison ivy. I now have doors everywhere there were supposed to be doors (the previous owner removed the backdoor to the garage-don't ask I don't know why). I've ordered my new garage door and opener that will be installed on Wednesday. Pray for my little car, I've never parked in a garage before. For the time being, I think we're going to take a break from starting anymore home improvements - I'm pooped!

The Republic National Convention starts tonight and am I ever excited. Rudy is now speaking. I love Presidential campaigns! That would be my dream job. I love the Swift Boat for Truth ads, especially the one that uses Kerry sorry-ass Senate hearing testimony. How can anyone support a man who turned his back on his fellow solders who were serving in a war and accuse them of such horrible things. I believe in free speech as well as taking responsibility for the things you say. If you want to protest something - go for it! But be ready for me to judge you according to your actions. I judge Kerry unfit for command!

Enough for now.

Perks in the Chaos Called Work

Last Friday, Janie brought me a handmade necklace. Why? I really don't know but it was sweet. Monday, Shirley brought me a ceramic knick-knack for helping her update her forms. Tuesday, Linda brought me two bags of Doritos. Why? Because I jokingly told her she owed me a bag of Doritos in an email because her project was so hard! When I saw those giant bags of chips I died laughing. I am just amazed at how sweet these people have been, they've really made a crazy time better!

The chaos of back to school work is so intense that it's made me a little silly. When people come in and say "I need it now" - I nearly laugh in their face. I do my best but there is simply not enough hours in the day to get it all done. In the middle of my jammed packed day, my calendars where delivered, now I have to figure out how to get 25,000 counted out and delivered among the thousand of other things. Darn that printer for being timely!

Individual parent and staff letters for every school have to go out, student parent handbook has to be finished and printed, webpages have to be created and updated, business cards need to go to bid and print, report cards need to be finished and get bided and printed and other unforeseen tasks - yeah, I'm not gonna make it... c'est la vie!

Potpourri of the Mind

I am so torn. Is marriage a good thing or not? You can read Ice's blogs and it's good but then you turn on the TV and men are offing their pregnant wives? What's with that? Divorce is an acceptable out these days, why kill your spouse? I don't get it.

This week has been wickedly busy and it's only Tuesday. I am so overloaded that I barely can see straight. There are things not getting done and won't be done on time but I can't force a Superior to get on the ball - I love email [documentation that I've done my part].

My back is well again but now I face the "hurt back" hang-over. I had to eat every four hours [yes, I gained] and now I am trying to get my appetite back to eating normally. I swear that I am going to die by 10 a.m. due to the cravings. I'll be glad when I get over that and hopefully get my weight back in control.

My Army Nephew was IM-ing with his mom the other day and got on an anti-Kerry tirade for more than an hour. I am so proud! Another young Republican in the making.

Okay, this blog has been one tangent after another so I'll sign off for now.

I Need Sunshine

Where have I been? Right here, hiding in my new house curled up on the couch. I haven't been in the mood to blog and to avoid posting something lame I took a blogging vacation. Am I back? Don't know yet. Work has been very busy and I am flat exhausted when I get home. The weather has been gray, which also makes my mood gray.

I am thrill to say that I had my very first house guest. Friend Shana came to visit and it was just what I needed. When my back went out so did my temper. She allowed me to forget about the pills, the ache and all the other stuff that goes with it. I hope the flood that hit Dallas missed her area of town.

The DNC has provided me some comic relif but has also terrified me at the same time. Do they really believe all that crap? Okay enough  of that.

I have been attempting my faux happiness lately and haven't been totally succeeding at it. Friend Shana and I discussed my refusal to be depressed but when I am hurt or sick and the weather is icky, my force field to repel that depression monster is not to strong. Oh! not to mention the gross poundage that I gained from having to eat every time I had to take medicine these last three weeks.

Must think happy thoughts! Must think happy thoughts! Must think happy thoughts!

Friend Shana Comes to Town

It's Friday and I have made it! I am almost back to my norm, just a little tinge that let's me know my back is still not happy. It's like when you are sick you fall into a void of nothing-ness and making it hard to blog.

Friend Shana is coming to see my new place on Saturday - I am excited. We have been rather busy this year and haven't been able to connect since she moved from OKC to Big D. Of course we do the e-mail thing but it's not the same as the face to face conversations over deserts (our norm was to retreat to Pioneer Pies for bitch sessions).
 
Work is work and there's nothing exciting to announce. The back to school crunch is in full swing - didn't we just say "yeah, school's out"? Where'd the summer go? Only five weeks left and I am feeling the time slipping away. The Boss was on vacation this week, so it was a good week - especially since I had pain killers to make it all the better.

Back to Blogging

Although I feel like I should have died by now, I still live albeit in great pain but alive none the less. The problem with back pain is that sitting up is just as painful as standing. The only way to reduce the pain is to lay as flat as I can on my tummy. It's kind of hard to blog in that position. Keep your fingers crossed, I will attempt working a full day tomorrow for the first time in two weeks - I will be armed with pain killers, I have high hopes! I am walking better and the pain is manageable now. Thanks to all for your kind words - I expect to be as "normal" as dana gets real soon - these episodes just take time to heal. 

One good thing about my "episode" is that it came at a time when my homeowners insurance called and demanded that all the ivy had to be removed from my house by July 12th. We had most of it off anyway but it just put us on a deadline. I was unable to finish cleaning the flowerbed, so mom and dad did it for me. In the process mom got into some poison ivy or poison oak. She not real happy with me right now. LOL 

Oh My Aching Back

If you can die from a back ache, I am surely going to die. I have a ruptured disk that when pissed really creates a lot of pain. Well, I guess I pissed it off good and proper. Over the 4th of July weekend, I was working in my front planter and that's when my back went out. I have been in horrible pain ever since. There's no amount of pain killers that will deaden the pain. I have to just lay around and hope it gets better soon. The muscle relaxers work on making me stupid but I don't know how much they help my back. This is a condition I have to live with since there is no real fix for it but it's hard.

Today is my first day back at work in a week - I am hoping I will make it all day but pretty much think I will pass out from pain before 4:30 comes. It hurts to sit in one position for long and I can't find a good position at all in this stupid chair of mine.

Wired, Tired and Relieved

My poor parents were probably the first of this fourth of July car wrecks. Thank God they are okay but mom's Cadillac isn't. Some crazy driver came flying up behind them, hit the brakes making them scream for a long time and rammed into the back of a car behind mom and dad causing him to hit my parent's car. Mom's car then hit the car in front of them. The poor driver hit first had to be taken to the hospital and the cause of the wreck was handcuffed and taken to jail (we don't really know why). Oh, of course, he had no insurance. We can send men to moon and yet we can't stop uninsured from driving? Go figure.

One of my absolutely favorite movies is a Street Car Named Desire. Stella! I was sorry to hear Marlon Brando passed today - he was so sexy in his youth.

I have hit that exhausted wall again and really need a good nights sleep. I should be going to bed now but I am little to wired to crawl in bed yet. I have this problem of getting to tired and that makes falling asleep hard - once asleep, I am out it's just getting there that's the problem.

Happy 4th everyone!

Crushes Never Truly End

Tonight I watch the last 5 minutes of Taps, and it shook me to my boots, AGAIN. That was a movie that I absolutely loved when I was about 15 years old. I fell in love with Timothy Hutton and still have a crush on him to this day! I also still haven't forgiven Tom Cruise. For those of you who haven't seen it, gather your inner-child and watch it as a 15 year old! Man, I am old and this movie just brought out all my aches and pains.

I had a wild day at work but at last I was so busy that the day flew by before I had time to notice. I received my first job evaluation since I began working there, six years ago. No dings and Boss said some rather nice things about me. That felt good, so technically, this was a good day.

I have a couple of friends who are going to disown me if I don't email them soon. I don't know why but I have become a lousy e-pal. Why is it that I can blog (albeit inconsistently) but setting down and kicking out an email gets put on the back burner? Is this blog to blame or am I just a lazy friend?

I am bored......someone call me, anyone I don't care (sigh).

Improve Yourself - I am Staying Just As I Am

As I've been reading everyone's blog hearing how they are working so hard to improve their creditials with either a master's degree or a certification and I have to wonder, what's wrong with me? I have no desire to ever get my master's - the bachelor's darn near killed me. Kudos to all of you with new degrees coming and good luck to Ice on her up-coming exam.

Journalism is not area where a master's will help you even if I had the desire, therefore I'd have to chose another career (hmmm, maybe that's not a bad idea).

Friend Shana and Friend Maggie can attest to my hatred of higher education and group projects make me postal! Don't ask me to trust someone else for my grade, it's ridiculous! If it hadn't been for Shana, I would have failed Politics of Russia and if it hadn't been for Maggie, I would have whacked Prof. Morton at some point of the semester!

What's In a Name?

The Mongolians now have to come up with the once forbidden last name. See full article. I can't imagine not having or knowing my last name - it's my father's and my history; therefore, very special to me. But let's say for the past 80 years in America last names have been illegal and suddenly I am forced to chose, what would I choose? Would it be a name of someone famous in the past or something unique about me? That would be hard. I don't think I would take the last name of someone famous, even if I respected him or her, that would feel a little like stealing. Maybe, I'd take one of those names that describes your profession - Dana Lackey, Dana Dump-On? I truly don't know. I am glad, I have my name and don't have to choose to one - I fear I would have an identity crisis.

Cable - My Friend Has Returned

Life is beginning to return to normal - as I blog here and now, the Charmed Ones are on the tube in the background. It is odd how the TV plays a vital role in our lives. I can stand to clean in the kitchen if I have the TV to listen too as I do it. For the last two weeks even though I was busy working on the house, I missed the background noise of the TV.

Here's another odd tidbit, when all's I had was my books and no TV - I didn't want to read. Today, I could have watched the TV but instead I chose to read from 9 to 11:30. I enjoyed so much more knowing I had the option. I fear that I am addicted to my TV.

Christmas in June

I am exhausted and emotionally spent. I've been in my pj's since 6 p.m. trying to put myself together again. I unraveled yesterday and once that's done it's hard to get back raveled again.

I hid in my office most of the day but was forced out by the little boy who came back from a seminar/workshop. Where the man went, I have no idea, but the wee one sitting at his desk talking about the latest version of the Adobe video products was so refreshing, a little like Christmas morning. I jokingly teased him about trying to leave his office twice and getting pulled back in but it was nice to see him so stoked about what we do at work. These moments don't occur often and I am happy when they do.

Alls I need is a Hibachi, an Up-Do and an Apron

I've moved into 1969, complete with children on bicycles, families working in their yard every evening and one little gentleman who walks daily with khaki walking shorts, safari straw hat and white calf high socks who waves hello every time you drive past. I like my neighborhood - it's good for a single girl. Harold and Benny, my immediate neighbors, will watch over the place for me.

My office is now set up in my house, my computer is set up and my books are out. I have the neat things I enjoy surrounding me - I hope to have some time to relax and enjoy them - soon real soon. Imagine 7 shelves 9.5 feet long from floor to ceiling covered with books and smiley faces and you will have a small idea what one side of my office looks like.

This new house has all the sounds of a new strange place and I am easily scared. One night, I got spooked and had to turn the hall light on but in time these things will pass.

There are things about buying a home of your very own when your single that just aren't right. One, it's a lot of work and without my parents I couldn't have done one-quarter of the work. Two, it's reminds you that life didn't turn out the way you wanted and you have to push forward anyway. And three, I have managed for 37 years to never have mowed a yard and I am going to have to learn. I've always said that a man's job was to fix the car and squish the bugs but now I add mow the yard - I think I need a man quickly, I don't want to learn how to mow (sigh).

My cable goes in on Saturday, I am so out of the loop. Can anyone tell how goes the political race? Who's stuck his foot in it this week?

Drizzle and Fizzle-My Life And the Weather

Rain, Rain, go away and don't come again - EVER! I hate the rain, I really and truly hate the rain. When it rains the custodial workers either fix the freaking A/C or crank it down, I swear I would have froze today had it not been for my space heater.

I am back to waiting for work to come in and that just drives me batty! Everyone needs everything now, so I get to them the jobs now and then they sit on the proofs for a week or two. It just pisses me off.

My brain isn't wire on straight right now, so I have very little to say. I feel so out of touch without my fox news channel. Bill, Greta and the rest - I am missing out on my politics and this isn't a good year to miss out on politics. I will get my cable hooked up and I'll be plugged in then. I knew the first month in the house would be busy so I scheduled the install as late as I could - it'd be okay if I could calm down enough to actually sit and read but I am to wired for that.

anyway...enough for now.

I've Blogged Down and I Can't Get Up

Here's the problem with blogging, when you first start out your excited about this then you develop a routine of jotting down all those brilliant thoughts in your head that others must know. Then life happens and you get busy and miss a day here or there, when you do finally sit down to dump a few quips into this cyber world you go blank. How was it possible that I used to blog daily and enjoyed it? Now that I am out of the groove and I feel guilty for not blogging but I am not blogging because I am blank of anything relevant to say. How do you get back that creative spastic one once you've ignored her? I need my spastic mojo back!

Jazz Better Than Any Drug!

I am sitting here in my make-shift office/study, drinking my coke with Nina Simon (the greatest jazz singer ever) belting out "I put a spell on you," and I have to smile. My house, my coke and my jazz - life is good at this moment.

So, here's the thought - who would you put a spell on, if you could? I'd fly straight to Ireland and work that mojo on Gabrielle Burne. The sexiest man alive - that accent, that demeanor, that class that oozes out of him just sends chills down my spine.

I wonder if I'll ever date again? If I do, a quiet classy guy with dark hair and tall (6 foot or more) would be nice. The jazz is getting to me....man, I love her! Enough for now, got music to relish.

Bored Silly, Stiff and Out of My Mind

Today has been a total waste of time! The Spanish translator came down to make the correction to the Spanish version of our handbook, this she has to do because she doesn't have Indesign on her computer. I was bumped off my machine around 8:15 a.m. and she finished at 3 p.m. I am not angry at her it's just one of those things we have to do but man, has this day been long. I cleaned the office, hung out with Waldo, played computer games on L.'s computer when she was away. It's only 3 p.m. and I feel as though I have been here an eternity.

Random question of the day...why do hair and nails continue to grow after we die?

I need a vacation.

Here's a pic of my office space. Hope you can see my desk! 

I'm Working My Butt Off - T's Playing!

I am covered with paint, attacking a bedroom door painting as fast as I can to get two doors painted so they can dry enough to get the final coat of paint on today and all of suddened my cell phone begins ringing. I drop the roller in the tray, grab my nice leather Coach purse (smearing paint on the handle) dig for the phone only to discover another Commencement crisis at work. I talk co-workers through the issue and worry that chaos is happening. At 10 p.m., I get back to my apartment and check Co-worker T/Waldo's blog to see if he was going mad in my absence - low and behold what do I see? BOOB's - I am not going to worry about T anymore!

I wish I could have the same kind of fun at work that T does!

Does Any Body Know How To Proof Any More?

Final proof means just that final. Why is it so hard to proof something for print but so easy to spot the errors after print? I find it amazing too, when I send something to proof and say check my corrections they don't but when something is left off they are quick to grab their copy of the edits and say "we made the corrections on the proof we sent you." Yeah, but there were more than 50 corrections to make and I sent the final proof for them to make sure I'd made all the corrections! If they are going to keep edits to proofs to use against me, why don't they save us all the trouble and money, and use them as comparison on the final proof as they are supposed to do!

I hate graduation time!

Nodding Off In Front of My Monitor

Fair warning fellow bloggers, I got a taste of what weeks ahead of me are going to be like and I fear my blog entries will be sparse. I am trying to keep my all consuming house information separate from my spastic personal blog; however, currently there is very little in my brain but house thoughts and ideas. My body is reeling from one nights work and I fear by Friday, I will be crawling into work. I need sleep. My eyes are burning from the lack of sleep. My arms are aching from removing shower doors, curtain rods, a million and five screws strategically placed in the most bazaar places, etc., etc.

While you might not hear from me nightly, I will be check everyone's for the latest tidbits of news. Why not blog at work, you ask? Mainly, because I really don't feel creative here and don't want to bore you or myself.

Anyway, enough for now.

A Question from Venus to Mars

I never laughed so hard when I saw Andy's blog and the photos he had posted and then thought about the pic of naked men on my blog. We must be on opposite sides of the polar universe. I love to ask the annoying question "Why?" and that photo of many naked men running and flapping in the wind inside a football stadium made me ask why? These men need a hobby or women to control them. This really has to be a guy thing and therefore, I cannot wrap my brain around this. Would some male please explain why men would want to bare all and expose their trinkets?

Things You See On the Internet

Why? Boys are confusing! 

When Good Things Happen - Look For the Bad

Why is it that when really good things are happening to you, some incident comes along and sucker punches you? What's worse is that since I am a girl, I cry and I've cried a lot today. Some days I wish I only knew myself and no one could effect my world and I couldn't effect theirs. I hate interpersonal relationships, I suck at them.

Guilt Trip By Seamus

Things are so crazy right now with trying to pack and buying all the things I will need once I own my home. Everyday at lunch I am either buying something or pricing things. Today I thought "I've had enough, I'll go see mom and Seamus." It was icky misting and I didn't feel like getting out in it. However, when I got home, mom wasn't there and Seamus was standing at the gate very depressed to be out in the cold.

Since I couldn't let him in the house for longer than 20 minutes, I decided to just go say hello through the gate. He pressed his nose through the bars and as I petted his little face and brushed off the dirt around his nose and mouth, he closed his eyes and kept them closed. It was as if he were saying "if I close my eyes she won't go." It was horrible when I went to leave, he just sat there as if I had just killed his best friend.

I don't think I'll ever do that again - made me feel like dirt!

Enough for now.

Blogger Changed, So I Thought ... Why Not?

It doesn't take much to inspire me for change. I embrace change after I get over being pissed that it changed. I was bored with my colorless blog so this gave me a good excuse. I also thought now that we can add pics you all might like to meet Seamus who was the subject of so many entries. He's a sweetie who believes if he's not in your lap the world is about to crash. By the way, he's twice as big as he is in that pic.

Will this week ever end? I am amazed at how slow it has gone. I needed time to move just a little faster...do you know where H.G. hid his machine?

I am craving conversation that doesn't include my house or my work. I need one of those phone calls where the caller calls to chats about all the stuff that is happening in their life. I need all the distractions I can get. I feel as though I have become self absorb and I don't like it. I want to hear about others and their news.

Maybe I'll call that ex-boyfriend who called me a couple of weeks ago just to see how he's doing. lol! I want my little uncomplicated life back.

I need outside interference - hit me with your best shot! I am a webble, I wobble but I won't fall down!

By the way, this new blogger system is okay until you can't find something that was once there and is now moved, however, it is easier to maneuver.

Help me! Help me! I've got nothing creative left to blog about. I've got no spastic energy to move me. Help me! Help me!

Today is Mother's Day and with all the chaos in my life I couldn't do one of my favorite things - make her dinner. My kitchen is packed, my dining room table is broke down, so I did the next best thing I could. I went to the grocery store and bought bread, lunch meat, chips, potato salad and a cheese cake. She laughed and laughed and then thanked me for not coming to house and making dinner, which would have left her with a wreck of kitchen. I love my mom and wanted her to know I wanted to make her dinner to show her I appreciate her.

Enough for now!

This morning was the like something out of the Twilight Zone. Co-Worker T's wee one was a little puny and he called in saying that he would be out. Then the Boss calls in with bad heart burn and says going to stay home and come in after lunch. Then Co-worker T. IM's me stating he's coming in after all.....Are they coming? Are they staying? It was rather funny.

I need more work to come in! I am pinging off the walls waiting for the proofs to come back. I have only three more commencement programs to complete and I will be done with that hell!

Enough for now, me sleepy.

I didn't know that stress could zap all your creative juices but since I began my quest to purchase my own home, my blogs have been rather dull. My apologies to anyone who reads these. I can't tell but am I projecting my stress on to others or is everyone about to go under?

Andy, friend, I fear you are in a losing battle over the land business. They send those letters out after the fact and usually the battle is already over. That's what happened to my parents. I wish you all the luck in the endeavor. It's wrong that you can purchase a place in the country with land and water and the city moves in. Just plain wrong!

Dawn and Kim are causing me to relive the terror of the end of a semester. I feel for you all and wish you well on the tests! You are both bigger than I, once I achieved my bachelors I vowed never to do that again!

Geez, Sarah, I can't identify with rotten oysters, I don't eat seafood EVER! But I am sorry you were feeling icky!

Waldo..............hmmm, I do feel bad for you having to run all over creation on that mission impossible.

Here's to better weeks (raise glass of whatever) we will survive! Oh yeah, must think happy thoughts, must think happy thoughts, must think happy thoughts.

I am so hungry that I am having to fight the urge to chew on the desk. Why is this day dragging so? Why does my brain feel like mush? WHY! WHY! WHY! Would somebody please tell me why?

Okay, I'm better now...had dinner. I got zapped by that stupid worm and had to reformat my computer spent the weekend fixing that then downloading all the stupid patches. Then I had to go to mom and dad's and download the patches to their machine so they don't get the worm. Fun!

I had a nice chat with my nephew tonight and have to say that I really like getting to know the man he's becoming. I missed much of his childhood with him living five hours away but we are connecting now that he's half the world away.

Enough for now.

I feel as though I have been on the go constantly, now I am longing for those bored-out-my-mind evenings that I complain so loudly about. It's been a hard weekend with packing, shopping for the best deals, meeting with the house inspectors, and reformatting my computer.

The house is no big deal in purchasing, I can do it. The question will be whether or not I'll have the finances to get it decorated to my liking. If my dad says no one more time about an idea I have, I will bop him on the head! He's one who always see the glass half empty, so he tells me my idea won't work then he does some measuring and later says it can be done. ARRRGGG. Mom knows how to work him and I will be depending on her to keep his negativity away from me. After the house inspection she let him have it. Then he and I went to this home building supply place and everything he said was "we can do it," "that can be done," and "that's no biggie" even when I didn't ask if something could be done. I love my mom and dad (even his negativity)!

Poll questions got boring....gone! Enough for now!

I have spent the evening leisurely packing here and there, watching TV, playing a computer game, and blog a little.....it's the best night I've had in two weeks! My head is so full of real estate lingo, graduation juggling and helping mom finish decorating her bedroom, what I have dubbed "the bordello" that I have had very little time for myself.

Either I am too efficient or work is dragging in. I spend the morning busy and the afternoon waiting for proofs to come back or a new job to come in. Boss allowed me to take the last week of May off - if she doesn't help me with the print shop, she's gonna be sorry. That will be the week the print shop will be scrambling to finish the printing for all the commencements. It will fall to her to make sure and ride them to get the jobs done on time. Not my problem, I've got a signed okay to take vacation.

Enough for now, I'm sleepy.

Teachers are mean and hateful and hard to work with! It's a bad day.

Sleep. I need sleep. I didn't sleep at all last night over this house business and I am feel every waking moment from it. My normal routine is so off, I haven't had a chance to read my book and it's a bit better than the last one and I want to. Stress does strange things to me - I stop eating and I can't sit still. By May 21st, I may actually fit in my skinny clothes. Who knows?

Waldo has gone awol and it's boring at work. I have work to do but there's no one to chat with when I need a break. Boss is out so we could be silly and relax but nooo...Waldo's gone awol.

1. Elastic: stretchy
2. Intervention: help me
3. Risk: buy a house
4. Junk food: life
5. Arrogance: Not me!
6. Responsibility: a hassle
7. X: Mutant
8. Marshall: John
9. Kill: Bill
10. Brother: Big

Well, it looks like I am buying a house in Yukon. EEK! What have I done? No one will be allowed to visit for two years. When I say the inside is rough it's rough! However, it has much potential. There will be much elbow grease and sweat but that's okay. May 21st will be my closing date should nothing go wrong. Keep your fingers crossed. I will be keeping a journal on this topic called The Green Door.

Well, I saw the inside of the green door house. Horrible green carpet, very bad wall paper in the dining room, all the wood work is dry and needs staining and oiling, the frig is too big for the kitchen, the kitchen cabinets are beyond bad with bazaar scallops and the curtains are hysterical! So what do I do....make an offer on the house and I am actually excited! I like the floor plan therefore the rest can be fixed.

I'll let you know come Sunday, if they accept my offer and what will happen. This is all moving so fast for me that I am now very overwhelmed.

Looking for a house is exhausting! The green door house I saw yesterday is still in the lead. I will be looking at the inside of the house tomorrow. Wouldn't it be awesome if it happens to be the one? I am not really liking driving all over the city to check out each hit my realtor sends me. For me, the inside of the house really doesn't matter - I will remodel, that's my nature. What I am looking for is a brick house in a nice neighborhood that's it. Let's face it, any two or three bedroom house is going to be more than enough for me, after all I am in a one bedroom apartment right now.

Mom suggested that I move the tin carport to my backyard and she was freaking serious. I find those things repugnant and it would not stay anywhere in or on my property! Dad thinks I need it so that my electric blue car won't get hailed on. Not at the expense of sacrificing a cute property!

Anyway....too zapped to be zippy. Enough for now!

I have renamed Co-worker T. "Waldo." For those who have noticed Waldo has gone missing. Every time I go to his office to blow time or rant .... he's gone! I've checked my guest map a couple of times to see if he might check in. No luck. If you know where Waldo is tell him to go home...don't leave dana alone in that office!

My brain is mush, spent the evening filling out mortgage loan application papers. I don't think I understood half of what I signed, but what the hey. I looked at the outside of two houses and didn't like one at all but really liked the other. I can't wait to see the inside of it - it's tiny but cute and has a wonderful green front door. Should I purchase that house I've already decided that the tin car port goes! I told mom that we could take it over to their house and put it in the backyard to create a shaded area for Seamus - she wasn't amused (but dad thought it was a good idea). I am in trouble again.

I am a little overwhelmed (and scared). Enough for now.

It's 1:30 in the afternoon and I call mom to let her know that something I had planned on at work and truly hoped for, fell through. The reason? My boss delayed acting on it. Normally rational and calm mothers can get quit funny about things such as this. By 4:00 p.m. she has an appointment with the bank for tomorrow morning to sign paper work and get a loan for me to pay off that freaking Student Loan and my credit card. She then informs me that I will buy a house now so that I can begin looking for a new job!

I know finding a new job won't be easy but as soon as soon I sign the mortgage papers I will begin looking in earnest. I would like to obtain a federal job for the benefits and security plus I already understand bureaucracies!

Gracious! It's been eons since I have been spastic and silly that I fear I have forgotten how. Maybe it was the paint fumes from trying to paint mom's bedroom cranberry (BAD IDEA - IT TOOK FIVE COATS TO GET TO THE TRUE COLOR EVEN WITH A PRIMER). Maybe it was that Seamus zapped all the silly out of me by trying to play ball all night long when I babysat him. Maybe it was the planets. I don't know but I feel good (insert James Brown's OOOOUUUWWW) and don't have a darn thing to say! Shoot!

Enough for now!

T. and D. are always putting song lyrics in their blog.........so, as I sit blank of anything to write about, I thought why not share one song that has stuck with me for years. It's by the band called "The Call."

The Morning

I am standing at the edge of my mind
If I look in, I might fall in - I sense danger
I'm divided, but I've decided it's my nature
But if I look back I might fall back to yesterday
He was weeping as the morning has just broken
He says, "I'm a young man. I got nothing to say.
I got reasons for my feeling so disheartened
I am shocking to myself everyday".
I am standing at the edge of my mind
I wanna run, I wanna shout, I wanna make thunder
Wanna know what kind of spell I've fallen under
Show me, show me
I wanna live, I wanna breath, I wanna love hard
Wanna give my life to you
Lose me in you
He was standing I this dark, dark corner
He says, "I'm a poor man. I got nothing to show."
He said, "Please, please remember me when you leave here,
Or I just might follow you home."
I am standing at the edge of my mind

from Reconciled
written by Michael Been
published by Neeb / Tarka Music

I feel as though I've been standing at the edge of my mind and it scares me!

Enough for now. I got nothing else!

I hate to complain but darn it comes so easily! I am exhausted and needed to get my life back. Six or seven days to go (I've lost count) and I get to return to normal. Living between two homes is strange....I want a coke and have none here at my apartment but there is some at mom and dad's. Every day, I go home after work and slam some food down my throat, grab the mail and a change of clothes and head off to play with Seamus. He's a good baby and just as confused as me but I guess we'll hang in there.

I also hate blogging this early after work - I haven't had time to process the crap out of my system so I end up blogging about the place. That's not what I want to write about - I want to be relaxed and spastic - you know, true to my nature. Instead lately, this blog has been rather snarky....hince the absence of an entry yesterday.

I am getting worried, I haven't heard from Friend Shana and worry about that. I hope she's just busy. For that matter, I haven't heard from Friend Suzie or Friend Maggie either - Girls what's going on?

Anyway, enough for now.

My parents live on a half acre piece of land with their house sitting at the back making a very large front yard. We have been teaching Seamus to stay in the front yard but allow him to run free like the big dog he thinks he is. That was the best thing we have ever done! Yesterday, I get over there and go to let him out of the back to run a little as I get the mail. He's barking his mean bark and I just think that he didn't recognize me or my car at first and hasn't settled. So I am talking to him, "Don't you recognize me?" and I open the gate. He tears off toward the far side of the yard in a dead run. All of a sudden three big black dogs run out from under a pecan tree. Terrified, I began screaming at him, knowing that the pack is going to turn and fight. Fearless Seamus chases them and telling them off in his most fierce voice. The pack goes out the yard and Seamus stops right at the edge of the yard right where we taught him. Shaking, I get his attention and he comes running back to me - happy and spastic as if to say "Did you see what I did? I am the big dog!" Had those dogs turned to fight, I can say without a doubt, he'd be dead today. When I got him in the house - I about cried. Why is that when all is okay, you break down?!

Well were do I start? Work was unbelievably busy. I am amazed that the faculty advisors for graduation programs are responding well and I am ahead of schedule (SHOCK). I am afraid that I may have to eat some of my gripey words. That's okay, I will gladly do it. Other than that - pretty bland day.

It's too early to blog as that I normally have the night to ponder what I am going to write about but since I begin Seamus duty tonight I must blog now or forget it. It is impossible to type around him. He finds the sound of the keyboard funny and thinks you are playing so he attacks your hands. I make enough errors on my own - don't need his help!

I'd better go...so, enough for now!

Well if it had to rain thank goodness I didn't have to leave the house today. Another day to burn my vacation days and try to make that magic number of 44. There is something so wrong with the place that I work when so many talented people are hating every morning that I they have to get up and report to work. I am included in that bunch and had to put plans to look for work elsewhere on hold until I could purchase a house. (Who wants to risk lending someone money who's only been on the job for two weeks.) Therefore, I have no hope for reprieve from the madness I call "my job" for at least six months! (whimper)

Is it the system or the managers creating the problem? Partially both. Where I work there seems to be a system wide right to be rude! People who I don't know and have never work with directly will e-mail hateful letters or call me and talk down to me so much so that I have grown to hate answering my phone. At least I can delete an email - if I hung up on someone, I'd get written up! The managers.............dare I go there - what's the point those who know mine know the point but let me just say this they are part of the problem. Enough work - tonight I refuse to allow it infect my evening.

Today I had to sit by the phone and couldn't go on-line to even check my messages. I contacted my mortgage broker and we chatted. She took my information and went to work to see how much house I could get for the payment I wanted - six hours later she called. I qualify for a 103 percent loan, which is good since I don't have any money for a down payment or closing cost. Then she tells me how much house I could get and I about swallowed my tongue - it's modest for most but it was 15 to 20 thousand over what I thought I could get. YIPPEE - some good news at last. Now the work begins, before I can do this at all I have to pay off that pesky credit card and that means campbell's soup for the next six months and no going out - nada every spare penny goes to that card. My realtor is ready and she seems pretty good and has a handle on what I want - SAFETY! She's checking into Yukon and Mustang - I think I want to go back to that small town with big city close.

I go on Seamus duty tomorrow as mom and dad have to go back to California for L memorial. Dad will be an honorary pallbearer since L choose cremation. I never tell mom and dad how hard it is to live in two places and Seamus is a sweet baby that I feel guilty over dreading doing these babysitting jobs. It will be easier when I have a house and backyard then he will come live with me.

Enough for now....oh yeah, mini poll changes Sunday - send questions as to what should be polled next and/or summit your vote.

Gray and ugly day! It was such a long day (sigh). I think I am officially an "Anti-Upgrade" computer software girl! Adobe upgraded its Acrobat program and muck it all up! 6.0 is a piece of crap! I want my 5.0 back! I fought for two hours to reset or clear a form I had created and tested on my machine. Once my test gibberish filled all the fields that darn thing wouldn't clear. I had to create a special button to tell the form to clear itself! I was so frustrated that I was rather short with L who works in my office and had to apologize. Bless her heart, she walked in my office at the height of my frustration!

It's official I am in Graduation Hell! Two senior sponsor who torture me more than others, both sent their information in at that same time. I had to talk and explain and talk and explain to both of them and I know that I will still have a mess with them in the days to come. (Must think happy thoughts, must think happy thoughts, must think happy thoughts)

Enough for now.

Don't look for this post to happy or chipper; today, my heart hurts. We lost Friend L. this morning. He died at home as he wanted. Dad was able to visit with him a couple of weeks ago and they got to say all they needed to. Although, we were preparing ourselves for this eventual end - you're never truly prepared. Friend L. was good for and to my dad. He was always kind to me complete with rib splitting hugs and constantly chuckling. Earth lost a little of its luster today.

Seamus has shredded his millionth baby and I spent a good 5 minutes picking up stuffing and prying it out of his mouth. To remedied the situation I emptied his baby of all its stuffing! Now Seamus runs around the house carrying the carcass of his baby - it's sad really.

I didn't realize how exhausting shopping for curtains with mom could be. We hit two stores and plotted and planned, counting measurements and finally checked out. Then armed with the curtains and proper color palette, we went paint shopping only to discover that mom hadn't thought everything through - first we had buy wall paper solution to stripped the border from the walls, then check out wall paper books for her bathroom. After picking a couple of styles for her to bring dad back to say yea or nay to, we headed over to the paint counter. There we discovered that putting burgundy paint on the walls really requires a coat of primer as well as the paint. By the time I left to go home a quick jaunt to the store to buy curtains turned into an all day affair.

A walk down memory lane....the medieval fair is this weekend in Norman. I lived there for ten years and haven't felt at home since I left. In 1985 I moved there to go to college and vowed I'd never leave. Had the town stayed the same, I don't think I would be in Oklahoma City now. It tried to become a mini-Edmond and destroyed all its traditions and uniqueness.

There were many wonderful landmarks that spoke of the bohemian 1970s. Town Tavern, a dive of a restaurant, complete with duct tape on the booths stayed open all night with unlimited bad coffee - perfect for drunken philosophical conversation became a video arcade. Pinks and Denco's, home of the Denco Darling (a very gross dinner with beans, something else and fried egg on top), became trendy restaurants that had no aura of collegians from the past. New cookie-cutter houses started popping up all complete with the modern look that no matter how beautiful they are, where not of the old style that complimented the city perfectly. Then Old Navy moved in - I moved out!

I miss the old Norman, where I walked my Irish Setter (Chauncey - rest his sweet soul) all over the duck pond to play with the other puppies in town or the campus, where I walked my Dalmatian (Henri - rest his sweet soul) who I couldn't take to the duck pond because the ducks scared him(?). I miss sitting outside at the Mont chatting for hours over beer and queso. I miss the peace I felt in the town versus the chaos here. Alas, that peace and friendship is now gone replaced by yuppie styles and attitudes. I thought that yuppie crap had died but noooo it alive and strong in Norman!

I doubt that many college freshmen today would learn that elmer's glue doesn't hurt your hair that much and jello is great style setter. Man, I had fun being punk, slam dancing and generally scaring the izod off those preppies! I had fun being a hard core to all the guys who would ask me to dance and when I politely said no, they would ask "Why Not?" My favorite line in reply was "Do you really want me to insult you?" GUYS NEVER ASK WHY - YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW!

So I leave you with one question: is progress truly progress?

Enough for now.