So Absurd it's Funny!

For the first time in a while I took the day off today in order to have a little mini vacation this Labor Day weekend. The problem being is that mom has come down with an awful case of Shingles. Oh my gosh, I had no clue how bad those could be. So all week, she has been fending for herself while dad and I were at work.

Since I didn’t work today, I packed up Winston and we went to just lay around and take care of her. About 2 or 3 p.m she got up and was in the kitchen getting ready for to take her pain pill, I asked if she wanted anything to eat since the painkillers make her deathly ill and she said yeah. So I am up making her a cheese sandwich and I reach for the paper towel roll and WHOOAAOO!!! The most agonizing pain shoots through my back and causes me to scream and fall to the floor.

It is now 8:30 p.m and my back still hurts. The only way to explain it is a monster cramp in the back muscle in my rib area. We couldn’t help laughing at the absurdity of the fact that the caretaker needed a caretaker. At one point, after laying on the floor hoping the spasms would stop-they didn’t, I got up and could barely walk around the bed. I began to laugh, which made mom laugh – hey, I guess you could call that the bright spot of our day

Enough for now...

Huh? I am What?

Somehow this week, I managed to get myself elected as the Neighborhood Watch liasion to the police. Really, this just means to cause the neighborhood to meet each other and hold little get togethers.

We had our first meeting last Thursday. At the meeting, we met the police chief and his community liasion. It was a nice get together where I thought I was there to support Maria - one of my neighbor's who scheduled this. At the end of the meeting, the chief asked us to elect a watch liasion and that's when Maria asked me to do it [point blank]. How do you say no?

Come the end of August, we will have a hamburger social to get to know everyone better.

Enough for now...

Burn Baby Burn

The sexiest man alive! The best thing of all about this guy, Michael, on the TV show "Burn Notice" is that he will never disappoint me with stupid stunts. He will never be mean to me. Nor will he expect more than I am willing to give. Why? Because I will never meet him! Here's to fantasy men!

Dazed and Confused

This has not been one of my better weeks. On Wednesday, my blood sugar dropped big time and my head was spinning and the nausea was intense. I quickly ate my apple. When I didn't feel better, I then ate the lunch I had brought and when that didn't work and the dizziness got worse I called Mom to come pick me up.

Six o'clock that night I am still feeling like crap and we all agree that it was not my blood sugar that was the problem. What was it? Don't know and I don't like the fact at when I have that low blood sugar sick feeling I was always able to stop it with a coke or a piece of fruit. Now, I don't know if that will work.

My boss thinks I might have an inner problem and I agree that could be it. The next episode I have like this, I am heading straight to the doctor's, I don't like not knowing what's wrong with me. That was the worse feeling and today, I felt hung over. I wanna feel good!

Enough for now.

Will I ever be free of FROGS?

Saturday night, I was all tucked in bed reading my book and little man kept looking up as if there was an intruder in the house. So I got up to investigate and Winston followed but stopped at the bedroom door. He was smelling something and didn't want to move on, so I turned on the hallway light and low and behold a FROG in my house.

I was not pleased with this late night development but deal with it I must! So I ended up getting a paper cup and a paper plate and placed the cup over the frog. I then slid the paper plate under the cup. In my over sized tee shirt, I go out to my front porch and set that bugger free! Mooning my neighbors at the same time, but do I care? Nopey, that darn frog is out of my house.

Now, the question is how did a frog get in the house and all the way to my bedroom? I believe we can thank Winston for that.

On a side note, have you guys tried the mixed berry green tea? F A B U L O U S! I am addicted to this stuff. Are there any harmful side effects on drinking tons and tons of it, if so I am in trouble.

Enough for now...

Bored with Politics

Well its a lazy Sunday afternoon and I don't really have much to say. I could blog about the mess Howard Dean made of the Democratic Process and how the election will always be tainted by his want to disenfranchise two whole states due to his arrogance. Had they done Florida and Michigan right where would Hillary be today? I am rather tired of the entire political process thanks to the never ending Democratic Debacle and unexciting and poor choice of the RNC.

I am a raging Republican but I am also an independent thinker. If my party make a bad choice as they have with McCain, I do not feel bound to vote for him. Where is Ross Perot? He gets my vote!

Enough for now!

A Real Eye Opener

I am officially on a small vacation. I am taking a vacation day tomorrow and one on Tuesday to make a cool five day break. Only problem I am not sure what to do with this time off. So here the question "What should I do?"

Our house guest is doing well. Seamus doesn't seem too disturbed by his mom and dad's absence but you never know when he will start wigging out. His way of wigging out is to pace the house and drive you absolutely nuts. He has decided that across the entire foot of the bed is where he will sleep, so that means Dana sleeps curled up in a ball all night.

Work is still a little strange since our co-worker is still out but I am getting to do new projects which are spicing things up. Today, we took a tour of the League for the Blind facility, which was rather impressive. It was cool seeing all the shower curtains getting made for the military and the fire hoses. Like I said, impressive.

Enough for now...

New on the Horizon

Things at work have been a little stressful in the fact that a co-worker is out on leave causing things to be unsettled. My job, however, is to edit an on-line information source, which is almost done. Then, I will go out an train people on how to use and market it. After that, my job will have to change or I will go to work and stare at the computer. I am excited about finishing my original task that has taken close to a year and a half and I am excited about new duties that may come my way. I cannot believe I have been at this new place one year, three months! It feels like I just started.

I had lunch with my old boss last Friday, while it was nice to see her and catch up on all the gossip, I have to say that I don't think I would ever want to return to that job. That place is just crazy and it seems to have gotten worse since I left.

Seamus will be spending a few weeks with Winston and me when mom and dad go on vacation this Saturday. He is such a slobbering, loving lunk head - we'll have fun! Okay, I'll have fun, Seamus will miss his parents and Winston will miss his alone time.

Enough for now.

Don't wanna be productive no MORE

For the last three weekends in a row, I laid around the house feeling icky and reading. If I wanted to eat or wear clean clothes this weekend had to be different. So yesterday, I did the pet smart, fashion bug, wal-mart things to the point that I thought my back would give out. The went home and did laundry till midnight.

This morning my mom and I got up and went grocery shopping at 9 a.m. to beat the after church crowd. It's only 3:27 p.m. and I am worned out. I think I like the bum's life.

Okay, what does the world think of this who Obama / Clinton fiasco? I don't like Obama what so ever but then again I am a conservative republican but I do feel sorry for him with this Rev. Wright mess. I do think that Wright's actions prove he's not nearly as loyal to Obama as Obama was to him. Wright's an ass that truly thinks of himself more than his flock - not very Christian like. I am kind of glad this Democrat thing is drawing out so that the actual presidential race [the part I need to pay attention to] doesn't start for a while. I dread the debates with McCain and the dems choice!

Enough for now...

For Clyn...

Rhapsody and Ashe do get together but it's a long and arduous journey with her being very stubborn! I hope I didn't ruin it for you! Happy Reading.

For the rest of you see my book blog.

Nan, Nan, Nan Goodbye

Man, was he the biggest idiot of all times? Making fun of Jason for trusting people to keep their word and not voting him out. Didn't he trust his alliance not to vote him out - dumbest mistake in Survivor history?

Buh, Bye! Yeah, I'm a little addicted.

A Good Day to Lay Around

At work, we finally had the big event that was a smashing success, if I do say so myself. Last Wednesday was the event and we've spent the last week wrapping things up. Writing thank yous, tabulating total attendance, creating an aftermath survey. Yesterday, I sent out the email announcing the survey, so today I took the day off to lay around and do nothing.

I do have to tell you about my wonderful adventure last Friday. I was headed to a Social Security Training, it is training I need to be able to write about it but not something I am totally excited about. The training was being held at our training center on the southeast side of the city. As I am driving to the training, I look at the map and discover I have taken the wrong Dallas exit and was rather irritated with my self when I notice in my rear view mirror is a highway trooper with his lights on.

So I pulled over to learn that my license plate 2008 decal has been stolen. Mr. Trooper writes me a warning for the decal but gives me a ticket for the lack of insurance verification. Yeah, I was that stupid to not have my insurance slip in the car.

Okay, crap! That's what I thought and went on to my training, which I was now 20 minutes late for. Then [yes, there's more] I leave training and notice that my back drivers side tire is very low. Crap again, I decide that I had better get this checked out before the weekend and I had better not get on the highway. I decide that the only tire place I know and trust is on Portland and N.W. 23rd and I am on Robinson and S.E. 59th.

Off I go, nervous and a little scared the tire won't hold. Then [yes, another then] a little red light comes on on my dashboard - "check gauges." I am out of gas. In all my traumas I had failed to notice that I was low on gas. The problem is that the part of town I am in only has those scary gas stations that only have one pump and the building looks like its a hairs breath away from condemnation. Now, I am worried that the tire won't hold and I'll run out of gas. Finally, around May and S.W. 29 I find a 7-11 with 8 or 9 pumps with credit cards accepted at the pumps. Whew...now just to make it to the tire shop.

I did. When they get the tire off, however, they discover that the small hole that needs to be patched is too close to the other patch and that I have to have a new tire. At that point the day was just too funny and this news was par for the course!

Enough for now...

Day Light! I am Alive Again

I love daylight savings time! I love it! I love it! I don't even care about the lost hour of sleep. I work till 5:30 or 6:00 at night and it is horrible to go home in the dark. My mood/outlook on life always improves 110 percent at this time of year. Then add warm days and a rally at the State Capitol, ended up being a pretty good day.

I have the weirdest flu/cold/something. I actually don't feel bad at all but I have a dry painful cough and my voice sounds like the bark of a beached seal. I don't quit know how to treat it, so I am aiming at the cough and taking medicine for that. Ironically, I have been a non-smoker for one year four months and I sound like a five pack-a-day 40 year long smoker.

Well, what do you think about this political mess we've got ourselves into? Here's how it breaks down for me, if McCain chooses poorly in his Vice Presidential pick and he goes up against Hillary and someone else but Obama - Hillary gets my vote. If Obama is any where in the race President or Vice - McCain gets my vote. If I have to vote for a Democrat, I will vote for the one most hawkish, i.e. Hillary, John, then Baaaaaraaaaak. What an icky name.

Enough for now...

Do we really need healthy gums?

oooww, ooww, oow, ouch, ouch! Scaling and plaining only the right side today. Next Thursday, the left, I just might run away! I think that dentist and those that work with dentist are sadist! The numbing agent has worn off leaving me with that wonderful dull ache that can make you insane. whimper.

Enough for now...

Mixing Things Up!

As some of you may know I work in a PR office and we had a rather intense media interview in progress today. The reporter asked to interview one of our employees, the employee we chose said yes but she wore a sweatshirt today. The troopers that we are at my work, my boss said no problem, come on up and someone with trade with you. So within 10 minutes I was wearing our employee's sweatshirt and she was wearing my shirt and sweater! Not an ordinary day!

President's Day State Day Off

It's President's Day and here I sit wondering if the there is anyone currently running for President of the callibur of who we honor today...nope! The entire field of wanna be's are crap and all I can say is I hope they choose interesting running mates.

I wish I could report on wildly interesting things but alas I lead a rather boring life and lately I've been sick. I am not sure what my ailment was, I just didn't feel good. I am on week six of my diet - it sucks.....BIG TIME. I just moved from the Atkins diet to counting calories. I am not sure if was the diet that made me icky or something else but the diet stopped working and I wasn't loosing weight. I spent five weeks denying myself fruit and bread and now I am moving the opposite way and only eating fruit, mangos, grapes, I am in heaven.

Enough for now...

My Moment of Calm

Mom and dad bring Seamus to my house every Sunday so that he doesn't have to be alone when they go to church. This arrangement has been going on since I bought the place and it's nice for me to get to love on the big lug but we've added a new arrangement to the mix. When they come to pick up Seamus, they are also going to take Winston to their house so I can do some work.

Winston does not like my office and the only thing we can attribute it to is the fact that I locked him up in here when he was a baby and I had to go to work. Every day mom would come and pick him up and he would have escaped and pee'd or pooped somewhere we didn't want him to. Now, even though that time is long gone, he hates it when I come to the office to do some work. I usually have to type with a beagle standing on my chair pawing my arm as if to say "it's bad in here, come with me."

This is one reason my blog entries are few and far between and often short. Since I am taking an on-line course for work and I am having a hard time find time for it at work and I've asked the fokes to watch baby so I can kick out a few lessons each week. I am hopefully to take advantage of this time to blog a little more [guilt free] and enjoy my blog again.

Of late, the only entries I have written about is milestones/stupid moments that I have to get down. I want to get back to writing for writing sake. I want to enjoy it again. I feel somewhat responsible to the three people that actually read this blog to add something new every now and then. I know every morning as I drink my coffee I make the rounds - I check Dawn's - yep, still in Vegas, Kim's - yearning for cute Dylan news, Sarah's jaw dropping revelations and then on to Dooce's who I don't know but love Chuck and Coco [dang if only Winston where that good - mom and dad wouldn't have to babysit just so I could blog]. I love hearing [or would love, hint, hint Dawn] about whatever these interesting people have on their minds - quid pro quo seems only appropriate don't you think? So here's to, at least if not more, weekly blog entries.

You may have noticed I've added ads to the blogs...kind of wondering what'll become of it. I do not expect to quit my job and live off my web. That would stress me out to much and make me feel as if I had to be witty and spry in my writting to keep my readers. Right now, what I want to say pretty much spews free and I like it that way. But if I can earn a couple of pennies that would be so cool. Right now my total is up to .24 cents. So send my blog's link to everyone you know and get them to visit often and click on the adds. Baby doesn't wear shoes but if he did - he'd need new ones!

More than enough for now...

To Vote or Not To Vote....That is the true question.

Well things have been rather busy at work and I think I have been running on adrenaline. Each year we host an awareness day at the State Capitol and it's that time again. It's been fun planning and creating but exhausting at the same time. We are still a couple of months out so the craziness will not end for a while. Hey, at least it's not boring!

What do you guys think of the politics du jour? I am hating it - if you haven't caught it by now, I am a Republican, a very conservative Republican. I am so frustrated over the fact that John McCain can come into the party and steal the nomination away from the conservative. When will we as Republican learn that our primaries and caucuses need to be closed to independents and Libertarians. McCain is a joke and I truly doubt that I will be able to cast a vote for him. Here the thing my vote has always been a vote for who I thought represented my values and who I thought would be good for our country. McCain is not that man. He is a donkey in elephant's clothes. If it's McCain versus Clinton, she may get my vote or maybe no one will.

Look out libertarian party here I come! Enough for now...

Idiot Head!

See this sore on baby's nose...IT'S SELF INDUCED! Idiot head thinks he needs to hide his rawhide bones in the house and this rug burn is from him trying to cover the bones with non-existent dirt. He sweeps his nose across the couch or bed trying to move the "dirt" over the bone cause the skin to rub off!

Yesterday, I came home to blood cover pillowcase. Not real happy with his behavior right now.

It's MY Birthday!

The gang at work joined forces and bought me a gift card to Barnes and Nobel .... YIPPEE. I love books and I love NEW books even more. It's been a good day.





Baby is better still taking his medicine but that's good news to him - laced peanut butter.

My New Years NOT Starting too Well

I woke up this morning because Winston was at the foot of the bed getting sick. By 7:18 a.m., Winston and I are on the way to the vet's. He threw up blood! Thankfully the vet who performed is surgery for his dew claws and neutering was on duty. He's not Winston's regular doctor but Winston likes him all the same. The doc didn't seem to shook up that this silly beagle had vomited blood - evidently that not too uncommon. So baby is now taking pepsid and another pill to heal anything in his throat. This all happen on a morning when I feel as though the flu is going to kill me.

Enough for now, I am going to crawl back to couch and hack out a lung...

Merry Christmas

Well I don't know about everyone else but I am pooped! The holidays crept up on me and it was a mad dash to get all my shopping done. Ironically, I am the girl who usually completes her Christmas shopping prior to Thanksgiving - what went wrong this year? Remodeling the bathroom [bad idea at this time of year]. New job and didn't really know how it worked. No one would tell me what they wanted.

The bathroom remodel is done but not without its problems. One, the mirror didn't work - had to move to an alternative plan. Two, the light fixture was too big and would not center over the sink - had to return and purchase another fixture. Three, the tile for the shower surround took three days to put up [three eight hour or more days]. Four, dad broke a rib falling on the ice and cannot finish working on the bathroom, so I have to pay to have the shower doors installed. I am okay with that since the doors are that clear glass and oversized.

I have a house guest for the next few days, Seamus will stay with me while mom and dad go to my sisters for Christmas. I think he thinks that Santa's given him some coal! He loves me but he doesn't like it when his mom and dad abondon him even if it's only a few days.

Winston posed for our Christmas card, then he learned the bit about being naughty or nice and became very concerned the frog would tell Santa.

Enough for now... Merry Christmas all!

Happy Thanksgiving All

This has been a tough week! I have decided to finally renovate my bathroom, the one that I have been dreading. Everything that needed renovating / remolding has been done except the bath. So mom and I shopped all week for everything I need, this however, was not an easy task. When your bathroom is five feet by seven, it makes everything hard. My bathroom vanity can only be 25 to 27 inches wide - SMALL! The new tub will replace the old jade green horrid piece of crap. It is also 18 inches deep instead of my current 12 - long wonderful soakings here I come.

We did stop long enough to cook Thanksgiving dinner, ham, dressing, yams, potatoe salad, cranberry sauce, rolls, apple pie and ice cream. I am still full. On Friday, we went to Shawnee for some gambling.....I hope that I got my fix in since there won't be anymore of that for some time. I won the last few times but this time I lost my shirt!

Since I began my new job, I haven't be able to take any vacation days. I took this whole week off and it felt wonderful! Back to the old grind stone tomorrow.

No Boom Today

Today was rather exciting, I sat through my very first bomb threat. For two hours our building was evacuated because of a suspicous package or more correctly a strange pvc pipe abandoned at the front door of the building. It turned to be just that pvc pipe no danger. Thankfully for that and a beautiful morning my first bomb threat went rather well.

This week has been kind of tough. On Monday Winston was having troubles with his ears and had to go to the vet. I am now having to put medicine in both ears twice a day. Needless to say, I have to have help. Mom has either come over or I have taken Winston over there. He does not like it at all. Then I learn the lardass has gain more weight and now weighs 33 lbs. He too is now on a diet. He no longer gets doggie biscuits instead its carrots. Little man is not happy!

Enough for now...

Rabbit Food Here I Come

I am back on my diet after a couple months of pure gluttony - McDonalds, Subway, Taco Bell, all have been my best freinds of late. Now, it's lettuce, cucumber, and Lein Cuisinne. On September 1, I officially made it one year without smoking and my weight is proof. I have an extra 20 to 30 lbs that have moved in on me. Early in the summer, I went to the gym walked four miles a day and dieted and got NOTHING! So now I am just dieting and hoping to make it through the weekend. I think my weight gain has also rubbed off on little man. He is so heavy now that carrying him very far isn't as easy as it should be.

Enough for now.

Content, Yet Pissed - Go Figure

As I sit here pondering what in the world do I want to blog about, a little beagle is outside barking his head off and I have absolutely nothing pressing or a pending project and I think life is good. The problem with the good life it can be somewhat boring.

At least we have politics to entertain us. I am somewhat unhappy with our politicians who "know" everything and yet, do nothing. I am unhappy with our President for his spineless stand on illegal immigration and his offensive statements about those of us who oppose his position are uninformed. I know there are too many undocumented people living in our country and a fence will make it harder to enter. I know that if businesses are heavily fined illegals won't be hired. I know our congress will say exactly what I want to hear and yet, vote the other way. Would someone grow a pair and do the right thing?

Enough for now..

Rest in Peace, Flower

I have to admit that I watched Meerkat Manner right up to the time where Shakespear got bit by a snake and I think died. I was so upset that I didn't watch the show any more. Life is cruel and I didn't want to see it. So last night, I started watching it again since nothing else was on AND FLOWER GOT KILLED BY A SNAKE. I can't believe it! I started to cry and doubt I'll ever be a able to watch it ever again. If you can handle it [I don't think I can], Meerkat Manner is a good show.

Enough for now or I'll start to cry again.

A New Leaf

Okay, here is dana attempting to be a better blogger. The problem is that I don't have much to say. Is it Tuesday? I feel a tangent coming on.

Why is Neil Boortz's Fair Tax so abhorant to Washington? Why is that we can't charge foriegn tourist taxes? Drug dealers? Illegal Aliens? Why not charge them for rescue service, hospitalization, or traffic lights? Why is it that only the employed [legally] support our government? Sales tax - if you buy anything then you pay taxes. Hard to find a loop hole in that. Hard to find an arguement but yet the congress does. Why????????????????????

Down with the IRS!

Enough for now...

Ode to Toby

My life is whizzing by and I am unable to seem to stop the train. Work has been crash course of learning one new technology after another. First streaming video, then various ways of capturing video from other websites, and finally video production for the web, I think my brain is mush!

Yesterday, I did a good thing. My boss is the ultimate rescuer of lost or abandoned pets and it is starting to rub off on her staff. When I arrived at work, my other co-worker, R, was following a little beagle around the parking lot. We managed to get a hold of the little guy and took him up to my office where we feed him crackers and some water. He was thoroughly exhausted and once I closed my door he went to sleep. I then made "Beagle Found" signs and co-worker S and I went and hung them up around the neighborhood. Finally, we went to the 7-11 about a mile away and there was a "Lost, our little beagle Toby" flyer in the window. I ran in and took the flyer off the window and called the owners. Toby's mom began to cry when I told her we had him. I am glad we were able to reunite Toby with his family but that little guy got to me in an instant. I miss Toby.

I had lunch with my old boss a week ago and learned how lucky I am that I found this new job of mine. From what I understand, the old place is not in good shape. Yippee, I am out of the weirdness.

Enough for now...me sleepy.

Double Trouble

Here's the latest of Winston and his girlfriend, Riley.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S-_5ZjLHKc. This just makes me laugh! The song is freaking infectous...I have been trying to sing this stupid song for weeks. I love his butt too.

Well I am running on less sleep than usual, I am puppy sitting starting last week and all next week, and boy howdy is Seamus pissed off! He has to share the bed, and my full size bed is a far cry from mom and dad's king size. He only gets to see Winston all day and that's not cutting it! So when I get home at 6 p.m. I have both dogs needing to cuddle up as close as possible. It can be overwhelming.

Work has taken a turn to the fun, I was given the task of learning how to put streaming video on the web and accidently learned how to capture video from the TV stations as well. Capturing video from the web requires a special program and I am liking the demo right now but as I investigated further there are quite a few of these programs out there. At least, I am still getting to learn and improve my skills.

Enough for now.

LMAO

I am in the process of learning what all my new camera can do and my little man, is not pleased.

Things have been rather stressed with all the work on my house, sick baby and dad's surgery - I hit bottom on Monday. The way my emotions reacted was new to me, everything was funny! My co-worker was angry over ... what else... IT and alls I could do was giggle. I keep apologizing for laughing then my boss started to laugh and then the admin. asst. I only wish I always reacted this way.

Life is Good Again...

Little man is better, he is running through the house screaming at anyone who get within 200 feet of the house "Get Out of My Yard!" and he's gobbling down cookies [dog biscuits] as fast as I can get them out of the box. Winston is Winston again...whew, that was scary.

Who is watching Big Brother? The annoying ones on that show this year are beyond annoying! I am amazed that there are people like that [jen, joe, amber]. I am one big bawl baby if I get mad or upset but geeze, I don't cry as easily or as often as Amber does. GET A GRIP GIRL!

I am once again in my reading phase, finished a book about a good guy vampire, and the life of a silk sister who moved to Hong Kong right before WW2. Now, I am reading about nobility in England in 1100's. I usually read in the summer and I forgot how relaxing it is.

Enough for now...

Winston was next

I spent this weekend holding a very sick puppy. With everything so chaotic around the house we didn't fully notice Winston was getting sick. We did notice that he wouldn't eat his cookies. Then Friday night I noticed he had a problem going to the bathroom. So Saturday morning I take him to the vet and he ends up getting an IV for hydration, a shot to stop the vomiting and an antibiotic for whatever it is making him sick.

The vet told me if Winston didn't get well in 24 to 48 hours we would have to hospitalize him for intravenous drugs and observation. Man, oh man, did I pray those antibiotics would work. This morning was 48 hours and he seems better, more active. The tale tell sign will be if he eats today.

I am not a happy person right now!

Enough for now...

What's next?

It's 5 a.m., there an awful pop somewhere in my house. I bolt straight up, Winston starts barking his warning mean bark. I get up to investigate, there nothing amiss except for that horrible burning smell in my office. To my horror, my computer's power supply burned up and made my morning just fabulous. I spent my lunch hour and $80 purchasing a new power supply eventhough my computer is still on warranty. If you've ever bought any thing from Best Buy their wonderful warranty policy is to send things off for three to four weeks or give you the option to buy the part they have on hand and they won't even charge you for the ten minutes it to do the install. Mighty big of them don't you think?

My co-worker said that I havn't been living right or something because the last two weeks have been horrible. My AC went out and needed to be replaced, okay fine new A/C. In order to get new A/C have to have $1,200 in electrical work done. Then found out my duct work was substandard and only meant for heating another $800 bucks! Then to top it off-dad's belly button exploded and he has to have hernia surgery tomorrow to fix it! crap...........whimper, sniff, sniff.

More than enough for now.

How things change!

I got news from my old job that everyone is quitting or getting fired. I have to say that I am thrilled to be gone from there or I'd be stressed to the max. I got the impression that the new director wasn't real bright and didn't get that he took a demanding job.

Anyway, my new job is causing me to learn a lot. I am teaching myself CSS and have a long way to go but I am doing a little and it's rather exciting to validate my code and learn that its all good. The accessibility thing is something that I never even considered - leaving a large chunk of the population out of the mix with my old job's website.

Whoops, better go....Winston is standing on my chair trying to get my attention.

High Desert Take Me Away

It's been a while since I last blogged mainly because I haven't been in town. One week ago, co-worker R and I flew out to Salt Lake City via Denver. Then we had an hour and a half shuttle ride to get to Logan, Utah for web accessibility training. BTW, this blog is not accessible - sorry JAWS users I will try to correct that with future entries. I learned a great deal and feel like I can do my job a little better now.

It was really nice in Logan - they are in a drought right now and are praying for rain. The sunshine, mountains and dry wind was soooo refreshing that I really didn't want to come home.

When I began packing I realized that I had not left Oklahoma since I bought my house, three years ago. So you can imagine that the funky airport security 3-1-1 rules were really odd to me. However, I was proud that I didn't get singled out for a private screening, which was nice.

Winston didn't miss me - he just kicked Seamus off mom and dad's bed and slept in his place. I don't know if I should be glad that he wasn't shook up or offended that he didn't notice?

No Lift, No Air, No Mas!

Well, today was a Monday if there ever was one. I get to work and the elevators aren't wanting to work right and I office on the fifth floor. NO...I do not opt for the stairs, I wait and wait and wait and the elevator finally comes. Then we lose the air conditioning and it got rather warm. Then a problem I have been researching for two weeks, I get the answer - it's not a real problem at all and I'm just not supposed to save my ASP file anywhere but the root web. An odd work around if I ever saw one. It was just a weird day!

We finished the recreation of my bookcase in the office and it looks fantastic! I also decided to remove all the book jackets on my books and made all the difference in the world. It really makes my office look like a private library. We are about to finish replacing the baseboards with my new really wide baseboards and all the home improvement projects will be complete with the exception of the bathroom which will require a lot of mula and a weeks vacation. I am a little scared about not having a hobby anymore.

We found baby's OU tee shirt which he loves to wear. The minute I had his jersy in hand Winston was standing on me saying "that's mine, give it to me." My little Boomer.

Enough for now...

Pain, So Much Pain

Well here I sit, ready for work and I realize it's 6:37 a.m. ! I don't have to leave for work till 8:00 a.m. I think I got up at 6 not 7 thanks to day three of a stupid sinus headache. This does not bode well for today's prospects. Should I just strip off, go back to bed and call in sick? That probably would be the best idea.

Okay we started a new project -- I know, I know, but we can't just sit around and do nothing. We were pinging off the walls, so we decided to convert my office shelves for my books to look like a built-in and a piece of furniture. We have the painting done and we're waiting on dad to do the build. It's going to be great.

Work is going well but I am in ASP hell [yet, again]. Does anyone know how to change a web-bot in front page? I need to change that stupid web-bot to read [carat symblol]! - -include# virtual= instead of [carat symbol]!--include# file I can actually see the offender grayed out but cannot get to the original file to change it. It's maddening! I am currently dreaming about databases and ASP and servers and that may be why I got out of bed way too early.

Enough for now...

There's only one of me!

Winston thinks he owns the bed! He will dig in the covers till he gets them in a pile to his liking.


This was kind of cool! I am the only American with my name.

HowManyOfMe.com

There is 1 person with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Winston Speaks...

Today, it's my turn to talk. Mom, has been crazy with all this banging about my house. I am not sure what they are doing but Grandpa's the worst. Everything he has make awlful noises and scares me. I have been locked out the house for I don't know how many days but today has been like old times, just mom and me sitting on the couch.

The house is put back with everything back in its place. I am happy again. I also found that brown hoppy thing that makes mom scream at me. I like my brown hoppy thing.

Arff for now...

Frog Proof - Finally!

Things have been very hectic this weekend but we got a lot of work done on the house. Check out my "Green Door" blog to see other pics.

I have whined and whaled about Winston's obsession with frogs and now I can show the world what a pain my little man can be.

What's Up?

" Hey Sarah, watcha doing?" This isn't a new photo but I just love it because this is what Winston does. He gets right in your face and wrinkles his little forehead as if he's trying to figure you out.

The rain is going away and I am sitting here shivering as though I am in Alaska. Hurry, sunshine, hurry.

Mind, Body and Soul Much Better Now

I am better! Just thought I'd announce that. The icky weather and the icky allergies are not as bad as they were last week - so I can cope a lot better. My head no longer fells as though its revolting against the body.

Work is better since I finally got to order the proper Adobe software to do my job. I have recently been trying to work with Word and anyone who has worked with Word knows that is for letter writing nothing else. I can't wait till next week when it arrives. I have truly been frustrated in ways I didn't think possible, mostly when it came to footers and subdocuments. My books has it's own page numbering system and Word would keep changing it - I have given up and now I am just waiting for my Indesign and Acrobat.

I have to say it really felt good last weekend to be outside and not be sick. Then to be planting pretty flowers to boot - it was a really good weekend. Even better is that the flowers haven't died yet, keep your fingers crossed for me, I have a tendancy to kill plants. If you haven't seen them check out on my "Green Door" blog and see all my pretties.

I am hoping to finish the refrigerator nook this weekend - Dad started mudding the drywall last night and that usually means the begining of the end on these kinds of projects. My house is a complete disaster since I refuse to clean during renovations. Its a complete exercise in futility to do so or you must clean daily and that just pisses Dad off since he can't find his tools the next day.

Enough for now - Winston says Arrf to everyone.

More Icky-ness

I am sitting here praying the weather will improve. I cannot stress enough how badly I need a sunny day. My work has settled down tremendously but I still have some getting used to in the personalities department and if I felt good it would be easier. Plus, all this rain has my allergies mad as all get out and they are pounding behind my right eye making being at work hard.

Last night was spent on the couch listening to dad work on my kitchen. That is not a good feeling, its your house and you are supposed be in the mix of the repairs. Mom sat with me and kept me company - I need to feel well both in mind and body.

Enough for now - the coffee has not kicked in.

I Need Sunshine

I don't know about you, but I am about to lose my mind. These gray and depressing days are really bugging me. It is totally awesome to have floor to ceiling windows in your office until you have days like this. I am freezing and it feels like it's 8 o'clock at night! I am NOT liking this.

Dad and I've begun another home improvement project. Building a nook for my refigerator so that the doors are in the kitchen but the body of the frig is in the garage. I barely have room to build the walls around the frig, so the project requires a lot of thinking it out. Which really means I stand around and listen to Dad talk it out. It's one of the main projects I've wanted to do since I bought the place. The kitchen is way too small to have a big bulky frig taking up half the floor.

Mom called me at work today to tell me that she had my dog and that he had decided to crawl under the covers. She thought he was just going to play a little but instead he promptly turned a circle and laid down and went to sleep. That is Winston's way of sleeping - I created a little monster by letting him sleep under the covers once and he was hooked. After a few minutes, she couldn't stand it and pulled him out. She was afraid he couldn't breath well enough under the blankets - bet he's royally pissed right about now.

Enough for now...

Exhausted and Aware

Some of you may have wondered where I have been. Well, work has been just crazy. Last Wednesday, our office hosted an awareness day at the state capitol. Its the biggest thing our office does all year. So needless to say we were crazy busy and to make matters worse one in our office has been out sick for at least a month. I am not mad or irrated at her no one can help things like that it just made it a little harder. Any way the event is done and went well - we managed to feed more than 375 people, visit legislators and have more than 30 exhibitors. It was a good day.

I started to get sick on Monday and just flat ignored the cough and sore throat. By Thursday I felt totally crappy so my new boss gave me comp time for Friday to cover all the over time I have worked for the event. Winston and I stayed on the couch covered up all day - he's very good at snuggling especially when I'm sick.

Well think that's enough for now, Seamus is pacing the house wanting to go out.

Herding Frogs

Winston lives in a constant state of homical hunt. Today, Dad came over to mow the yard and in doing so released four to five frogs into the open - Winston was in heaven. I spent about three minutes trying to capture my dog and point out the frogs so that Dad wouldn't mow over them. In the end, I think he had to pick them up and move them into a gravel area because they would keep hopping into the area Dad was mowing.

After that, both Winston and Seamus, got baths today in a special effort to speed up the shedding process. You should see the bathroom, it is covered in doggie hair but I've learned the key to cleaning up after doggie baths. Let everything dry and you can simply sweep it up. Winston won't go near the bathroom right now, he's a little irked.

Enough for now...

Forget Calgon Give Me No Dose

I still like my new job but I am exhausted all the time. I don't know if it's the 6 a.m. work outs, the stress of not knowing much about the subjects I am writting about, working at mom and dad's after work stripping wallpaper and painting or if I am coming down with something. But geeze Louise I am tired.

I had a little scare with little man about a week ago, when Winston came in from outside with a bloody eye lid. I don't know if Seamus got too rough, or the dead robin in the back yard fought for his life or one of the bushes Winston runs to for cover from Seamus scratched him. The whole ordeal required a vet visit - no scratched cornea, whew.....oh crap, I didn't even think about that, am I a bad mom? We got antibotic cream to spread on his eye, yeppers, I had one pissed off beagle for seven days.

Enough for now...

So This Is the Real World

Well I am three weeks into my new job and I am loving every minute of it. I have a great office, great co-workers and an overall happy attitude. I didn't realize how, the district was depressing me until I left -- so this is what it's like to be happy! I just wish I knew what I am supposed to be doing. Disabilities are vast and complicated, so my learning curve will be two or three years.

Currently, I am going to the gym every morning before work (6 am to 7 am). I am up to walking 4 miles per day and hope to get to 4.5 by the end of March. I am dieting like a big dog and now walking - if this doesn't get the weight off I don't know what will.

News from my old job comes in the form of a funny phone call on Tuesday. My old boss calls and asks if I am sitting down. I say yes, as that is my habit at my desk where she called. She then tells me that the woman who made our lives so miserable that we all began looking for new jobs has given her notice to quit. Ironic, that she ran us all off and in turns around and runs away with the communications department a total mess!

Hey, I am new to this blogger system what's the labels for and why should I do it?

Enough for now...

I GOT A NEW JOB

This morning at 9:30 am, I received the call offering me a job with the State. When she told me the salary she could pay, my mouth dropped and I said when would you like me to start! My first day will be February 5th and my last day at my current employer is February 2nd. Nothing like closing the chapter of one part of my life and opening a new one all at once. I am okay with it - actually I am very excited about it and wish I could start tomorrow.

Enough for now.

Thanksgiving Down, Christmas to Go

I am almost done with the holidays - I got through the Turkey Day meal without totally destroying it. I had to throw out the first attempt at the sweet potatoes and send dad to the store for more yams. I am the cooker of the dressing and sweet potatoes - even though I hate both of those dishes. We are still learning mom's new house and how things work. Her stove top has a dual burner and we learned that makes things a little too hot. I burned the yams.

I have all my Christmas shopping done with the exception of my co-workers. I hate to shop during the holiday season so I always try to get it done before thanksgiving. I managed to almost finish so I feel good about that.

What's new? I bought a recliner for my livingroom and have been using it a lot lately - what I love about it is that Winston thinks he has to sit on my lap when I am in the recliner. It doesn't matter that there's an empty couch in the room, he has to sit with moma!

Enough for now.

Happy Tuesday

Good Tuesday morning all. Why am I so chipper - don't know, don't care! Maybe its the Gregorian Chants in the background, maybe its the fact that I am over that icky cold/sickness, maybe I just want to spastic and silly.

I am once again back into my reading habit - it's amazing to me how one bad book can knock you out of your reading groove. Since I finished the bad uninteresting book - I have read the Dreaming Water by Gail Tsukiyama and I will finish the Hobbit by JRR Tolkien tonight. Less than one week I have finish two books and it took more than 2.5 to 3 months to finish the bad one. I have a policy as to not start reading another book till I finish the book I am currently reading, if I do I'll never finish the bad books and they will yell at me from the bookself. It really bugs me not to finish a book. I highly recommend both Tolkien and Tsukiyama. I learned about Tsukiyama by accident with the Friends of Library books (no book jacket - just a leap of faith) with her book the Samurai's Garden it's turned out to be on of my all time favorites.

Down With Chavez, Up With Rangle?

Personal experiment - Day Seven - don't feel great and a little cranky, 42 Days to go.

I really have nothing to share today. My personal world is okay, Winston got out from mom today but she was able to catch him rather quickly so it wasn't a major trauma. His stitches weren't ready to come out so we go back on Sunday to get them out. I faultered on my diet Wednesday [Taco Bueno] and Thrusday [McDonald's] gained a pound so right back on my diet I go.

What do you - out there in cyberland - think of Hugo Chavez calling our President the devil? I was offended and outraged but mostly stunned because it caused Congressman Charlie Rangle to come out and denounce him. Rangle hates all things Bush but he did the right thing when he said not in my country, my district about my President. Who knew he had it in him! Boycott, Citgo - Chavez's gas company.

Enough for now.

We're on Road to Getting Better

I have begun a personal experiment - Day Two - in about one month I'll let you know if it worked. Alls I can say is that it will be a long hard road - so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Winston gets his stitches out on Tuesday and boy howdy is he driving me nuts! The incission is healing and he is trying to scratch. You can't let him out of your sight for five minutes or he'll be at them. I've started calling him Whirlpool, since these recent vet bills have cost me my new frigerator but that's okay - the frig will come eventually.

Since I gained all the weight I lost at the first of the year - I am back on my diet. I swear I have lost the same five pounds 100 times or more. I am doing okay on the diet - 5.5 lbs in 10 days - 10 to 15 more to go, but what I would do for a quarter pounder with cheese, large fries and coke! I got my head on right for this but the slightest set back can do me in. Please send me all your weight loss vibes - I'll need the help.

Ice asked if I have done in more house projects lately and the answer is nope! As far as major projects, I am down to the bathroom renovation and that will be close to a grand and I'll have to have my brother-in-law's help for that. I will probably do that next fall. I also plan to cedar line all my closets and I am going to ask everyone to give me Lowe's gift cards for my birthday and Christmas so that I can get that done. I didn't realize how much financing the windows would cut into the remaining projects.

Enough for now.

Lump Free and Happy

I have baby home safe and sound without that ugly bump on his chest and a more ugly three inch incission in it's place but I now know that nothing potentially dangerous is growing in there. Man was it hard dropping him off at the vet this morning -he looked at me like "where you going momma" broke my heart. When I picked him up he was as spastic as ever, what a relief. It was a very long day but worth it.

Enough for now.

Peace and Calm for the Moment

It a gray rainy day, I have my windows open and I am soaking in the pitter patter of the rain. It feels good. Seamus is sprawled out on the floor with me here in the office. Winston is hiding in the bedroom - he's afraid of the rain and the office. My Sooners won yesterday - it may have been ugly but a win is a win. Today, life is good.

Tomorrow is a totally different story - I return to work and it's in turmoil right now. Winston goes in for surgery on his lump that didn't go away with two weeks of antibiotics. I don't want tomorrow to come - I want to live today forever.

Enough for now.

I Vote to Evict Will!

I basically have no news to report. So I am strangely going to talk about how much I am enjoying this beautiful weather. The severe heat that we had this summer absolutely wiped me out. I lost any enthusiaism for any home improvement projects, any creative anything. I hate to admit how lazy I have been - no energy for life. It's like I've been in a heat warp and I am just now coming out of it.

I took a few days off on each side of the labor day weekend and boy howdy did I not want to go to work today. When I take vacations, it's usually 10 days at a time and 5 days wasn't enough! Right now, work is last place I want to be - I need a real vacation.

Winston is all better from his neutering but now the little stink pot has a strange lump on his chest. The vet put him on antibiotics for two weeks before he decides to cut it off. It could be a number of things but the only one I can remember him saying is tumor (must think happy thoughts, must think happy thoughts). He will have his recheck on Tuesday and really hope that the stupid thing goes away by then but it doesn't look like it's changed in the week he's been on the pills. Keep your fingers crossed for baby.

Anyone watching Big Brother this season? If so, did you do the happy dance when Will, aka Dr. Evil, got evicted? I squealed like a sissy girl when it happened.

Enough for now -

Winston's a Unic Now

If I am going to blog this week / month, I'd better do it now while I am at work. I am unable to do anything at home except sit on the couch and watch tv/Winston. Last Thursday, I had Winston neutered and his back dew claws removed. If they would have told me how horrible it would be to do that I would have only had him neutered. The dog is a noodle and can wiggle around the satellite dish hat he is sporting this week and lick the wounds on his back legs. Mom has stayed with him all week trying to keep him away from the incision but he still got to them. I had to take little man back to the vet last night to have him restitched and the stitches wrapped. They also gave him a larger satellite dish. He really looks like a dork now. I am worn out and ready to get my dog back.

Enough for now.

I Believe

I am clueless as to how to help or console my friend so all I can do is ask for prayer from many. My friend Suzie found the love of her life 6 or 7 years ago, married him in Hawaii in a truly fantasy wedding and later had two beautiful boys. Last week, Mark, her husband, was diagnosed with a brain cancer. It's the worst kind of brain cancer to get. Suzie and Mark need all the help in the world to weather this situation. Pray for them. It doesn't matter if you know them or not, you know someone who is in loving marriage, raising children and needs a lifetime to be a part of those gifts and you know the need for a father and husband.

Deja Vu

At 10:30 this morning, Mom calls me and her voice is shaking and she asks if I am having a good day. What's wrong? I ask. She tells me that she let Seamus and Winston out this morning as she always does and went and got a soda. A few minutes later, Seamus comes back in the house and she looks outside for Winston. He doesn't answer her when she calls, so she walks around the side of her house and sees the back gate wide open. She runs back in the house and to the front and sees Winston running down the street. Quickly, she runs to her bedroom grabs a robe (since all she had on was her night gown). Puts Seamus on his leash and goes running after Winston.

Winston saw them and came running to her but wouldn't let her grab him. It's a game with him. So for another 10 minutes of playing catch with an insane beagle, Mom finally grabs him when he stops to mark the neighbor's bush.

Two days in a row.................Little Man is going to get expelled from doggie day-care if he's not careful - oh and by the way, Dad is in the dog house now for leaving the back gate open. I don't envy him!

Winston's Big Adventure

Yesterday, I took Winston to mom's house before work as I always do. He runs to her room and snuggles in to bed with her and Seamus. Around 10 a.m. she took both boys backs to my house to hang out in the backyard (mine has more room to romp and play). Then she went to her part time job. After noon, she decided to leave them at my house while she cleaned her floors. At 3:00 p.m. she decided to go get them - as she drove up my street she saw Winston walking across the street back into my front yard. Paniced she stopped the car (in the middle of the road) jumped out and called Winston to her. He immediately came running to her and got in the car - then to her surprise Seamus also came running.

With both dogs safely in the car, mom pulls into my drive way, still shaken she gets out to investigate how they got out. There was no sign of an escape point. She then called me still upset that they got out - I left work to check out my backyard and go calm mom down.

It turns out that mom didn't realize that the new fence latch was hanging up and that just shutting the gate wasn't totally securing it (there is now a lock on the gate). My neighbor, Harold, tried to get the dogs back into the backyard but Seamus growled at him, so rightfully he backed off. He saw them at noon, so they were out terrorizing the neighborhood for three hours. Seamus would lay on the porch watching Winston and when he could no longer see him - Seamus would get up and go to where ever Winston was then walk back to my house with Winston in tow. Seamus was the hero yesterday - if Winston had been alone I would probably still be looking for him.

Today, I have to go get Winston a tag for his collar - somehow the other one came off and is lost. Had someone pick up Winston there would have been no way for them to know where he belonged.

Enough for now - I am just happy to have my baby home and safe.

I Work More Away From Work

This has been an exhausting weekend! Aren't we supposed to relax and unwind on the weekends? The work on my front porch post is complete - FINALLY! Before I state that I want to refinish another piece of woodwork, someone please remind me how hard this was. I sanded off at least four to five layers of white paint on that darn thing. The project lasted three weeks because dana was solo on the sanding project and my back didn't like it. I had to take it slow but I did it none the less. Last week, Dad brought over his monster air compressor - Black Max (yes, that's the brand name) and sprayed painted the post a super high gloss. It looks really good and now with all those layers of paint gone the wood grain really comes through. So I needed to finish up the front for the project to be complete. Today, I re-hung this wrought iron bell on the post - it's not my style but I keep it for kicks. Then I noticed that with this heat wave, I couldn't keep one of my planters watered enough for the Lamb's Ear plants to survive. So off to Lowe's I go for mulch. I spread two biggie size bags in soaring heat and viola! the front projects are complete and I feel good.

Project two, this weekend was to prune out some tree limbs in my backyard. Some of my mature trees are not doing well since too many young trees are crowding out the sun. I have to remove approximate nine skinny but substantial trees to let the sun shine in. I was able to remove the top portion of five of those trees until Dad can come in with chain saw for the main trunks. So I had a lot of foliage to bag and get ready for trash day. I didn't make it - what's left will be Monday's job.

Today has been a hard day for my little man, Winston. He's had two pretty hard episodes with his reverse sneezes, so his allergies must be acting up. He's learned that when these happen, he runs to me so that I can perform the tick the vet taught me to stop them. It really takes a lot out of him - poor guy. We are planning on vegging out the remainder of the evening and go to bed early.

Enough for now.

Tonight I Ramble

I guess I should actually blog every now and then versus just posting pictures of my adorable beagle. I've almost survived the commencement print productions nightmare I face every year - just two more programs to get printed. I thought I was going to make it this year without a major reprint and I just might but one school's was printed, sat in my office for a few days prior to the school picking them up and today at 4:24 the sponsor called to tell me that text had strange spaces. Their commencement is tomorrow at 8 p.m. I don't know how we can reprint, let dry enough to fold. I checked the printed programs as they came in but then it got busy and I didn't check their's - LOVELY!

I am walking around with a wonderful ear ache that is setting me on edge. The pain is running down my neck and I think I will die soon. I suspect I have this thanks to the sanding that I am doing on my porch colum that I want to repaint or stain. I am kicking around the idea of staining the colum "pickled oak" - kind of bleached wood look. I am not sure yet. I swear there has to be 15 layers of paint on this thing, which is wrecking havoc with my sinuses.

I gave up cheating on my diet for lent but I am afraid I am going to have to give up food altogether for GAS. While OKC hasn't hit $3 per gallon yet, it's still outrageous! When I moved into my house 2 years ago, I budgeted only $40 per month for gas. I now spend close to $90 per month. It hurts and I am thinking of asking Dawn if I can borrow her bike to get to work - only problem is I would be a Ford (Found On Road Dead) after the first half mile.

Everyone, give Friend Shana a hand for landing a new job in Big D, where she really likes everyone. Good luck girlie.

I posted a few new pics on my Green Door Blog of my new windows - they are beautiful.

Enough for now.

Winston Standing on Grandma

My new fence and rock garden

The tupip vine is causing that giant shadow that denied the grass much need sun causing the area to be a giant mudd pit.

Itty Bitty Butt Head and Biggy Biggy Butt Head

You try to get two dogs to stand still - Seamus wants to go out and Winston is standing on Dad's lap.

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.