A Good Day

This was a fun and exhausting day! My co-workers and I went to Tulsa first thing this morning for the agency's annual awards. I was nominated for two awards. One was a Teamwork Award and the other was an Einstien Award. I was automatically entered for these awards due to the fact that I won the division awards back in October.

Me and two other co-workers took the Teamwork award, which totally surprised me. I really didn't expect to win at the agency level. But hey, another hunk of lucite! Waaahooo!

Couple of weeks ago, I went the SPJ awards and received 3rd place for my annual report! That one blew me away, I entered that on a lark and really didn't expect to receive such an honor. Look out world, Dana's gonna get a big head...

Enough for now.

Sleep, I need sleep

Any guesses as to why I need sleep? Yep, Seamus is sleeping over again. That beast of a dog is the size of a full size bed! Winston wasn't going to be inconvenienced that meant even less for me. I swear I spent the entire night curled into a ball just trying to get enough covers to cover my butt!

Why is Seamus sleeping over? Well, mom and dad are going to move my great aunt from Atoka to Yukon, she's decide that she doesn't want to cook or clean anymore and wants to move into an apartment for Seniors only. When I am 96 years-young, I am swearing off cooking and cleaning too!

Enough for now...

I am Sooo Bored

I hate Al Gore! Here I thought with all his "Global Warming" rhetoric that I was living in the New Florida without the beach but noooo. I am having to endure two blizzards in one season!

Even though I have had two days off for this horrible weather, I have done very very little and it's depressing! Even my dog is depressed! [You would be too if you had to poop in snow up to bum.]

Maybe I'll clean something...nah, I'll probably just stay in bed AGAIN and read another book. I've already gone through three in the last two weeks.
Enough for now...

Is It ever wrong to giggle?

Today was the second time this week that I failed to leave work on time and failed to leave for lunch. Just slam the food down the kisser at the desk and keep working. We've started preparing for our awareness day at the capitol so let the chaos ensue. I am also trying to figure out how to professionally produce an American Sign Language video of our agency's handbook with freeware [lmao]. As well as create new webpages for the Commissioners...[rolling in the floor laughing].

I know laughing at this point is a sign of delirium but can't help it. Yesterday, I just receive notice that am one of the winners for the Society of Professional Journalist for either my Annual Report or a Press Release. I don't know for which one and fully expect to spend the entire night mingling with strangers for an Honorable Mention. Don't get me wrong I will be tickled pick with that but this is SPJ and the competition are corporate professionals and such. Limelight, crap I don't do limelight well.

More of that crap [snow] is coming, so that mean I have to go to the store and gas station tomorrow and prepare for another blizzard - thanks Al Gore for educating us on global warming! [lmao again!]

Enough for now...enjoy Winston after the last snow storm.

Does it stay in Vegas if you were a bore?

It seems to be the norm for months to go by between blog entries. This is not my intention, it is more from my lack of inspiration. Work is blah and the last think I want to do in my off hours is the computer. I like the work I do and have some great friends at work but when disillusion sets in at work that not good it bleeds through into everything.

January 2, I got to go to Las Vegas with a friend from work who had to go for a conference. I went to play. I discovered that vacations are meant to be shared. I would go to various Casinos and site-see and gamble but it wasn't as much fun by myself. Friend Theresa didn't get out the conference till 5 or 6ish each night and we would do dinner and some site-seeing but there wasn't much time in the evenings. This trip opened my eyes, I often thought that if there was something I really wanted to see such as Ireland or Italy or Turkey I'd just have to go alone. Nope, while traveling alone isn't a big deal, it's just not fun.

Who out there has holiday hang-over? Man alive, my work celebrates Christmas with homemade cookies, candies and the like arriving daily! If I never eat anything sweet again, that would be okay with me.

Along with trying to survive the holidays, I managed to get a sinus infection that lasted from before the Oklahoma Blizzard to last weekend. I finally feel human again, yippee!

Crap so much to cover!!! Okay the video "District 9" disturb me [flash backs of "Children of Men" without the gorgeous Clive]. Michael Jackson dies, Johnson and Johnson heiress dies and Massachusetts elects a Republican - I am not sure but I think have step though a tear in the universe and landed in alternative reality.

More than enough for now!

E=MC²

I had a rather good day yesterday, I attended our division awards yesterday and won the Einstein Award and the Team Work Award!

I knew my boss had submitted the nomination but I didn't think I would win. The Einstein Award is for the total conversion of our website from old design and inaccessibility to new design and totally accessible. If there is something not accessible on that bugger, I sure don't know about it.

The Team Work Award was for Co-Worker Brett, Shirley and myself in our work to create a clipping report each month for the entire agency. In the past only a select few would get the clipping report because, it would come in hard copy form that we couldn't really make accessible. Once our clipping company went electronic, we were able to make the clipping report accessible and everyone in the agency gets a copy.

It was pretty neat!

Enough for now...

Broke, Ever So Freaking Broke

Two weeks ago, my sister came to town and a shopping we went. First Hobby Lobby in Edmond-did okay $4oish spent. Then came Gordman's - not as okay $150ish spent. By then we needed lunch to geer up for the second part, once refueled off to Burlington. !!! $450ish spent - I went bonkers but got two new coats (one rain and one car). Then day two was spent at Kohl's - I lost track of $ but the sweaters are sure cute!

I got some really amazing clothes but I do think my favorite buy was the hooker shoes! They are sooo cute on!

UnFREAKING Believable

Bronchial infection so severe that I am on my second round of antibiotics! Am I falling apart or what? I went to the doctor's again today to receive more drugs - NOT HAPPY. He said if this doesn't do it we will use dynamite next time. If dynamite will make me stop coughing and not feel sooo horribly bad - give me dynamite. This just sucks!

Enough for now.

Pain, so much Pain

Geez, where do I start? I guess I will start with the six-day migraine spree. That was fun. I thought I grew out of migraines a while back. In high school and college, I took medicine daily to ward off those evil things. So when I got the first migraine, I didn't think much about it but on day five I went to the doctor. Who knew you could make it worse by taking a lot of advil day after day - rebound headaches! I didn't know. I now have a new med and it really doesn't work real well but I am not shut in a dark room screaming "don't talk to me, don't look at me" then running to the bath to throw up.

The next weird thing is that my voice is going out. No, it is not a sore throat. The doctor thinks it may be cause by allergies. I now take allegra every night but my voice is still cutting in and out. LOVELY!

My thyroid has decided to act up again. So I am back to going to the doctor's every three months to visit the vampires to try to regulate my meds. It sucks getting old!

Enough for now [don't think I could take any more!].

Evil Eye

Yesterday was a humdinger for me. It was only 6:30 a.m. and I was in my morning routine, brush the teeth, shower, put in contacts.... AAAWWW, pain take out contact. The problem came when only half the contact came out. I then spent the next 30 minutes digging in my eye trying to find that other half.

While I could feel [painfully feel] that other half, I could not find it. So I had to call mom and ask for a ride to the eye doctors when they opened at 8 a.m.

You gotta know my doctor, dead-pan older man to know that I really did not want to go to him and tell him that I lost my contact inside my eye! But the pain drove me on. He takes me back to exam room and I put my chin on the eyeball examining machine. He looks and looks and looks - doesn't say anything just looks. I am starting to panic now, since he's put eye numbing drops in my eye and I no longer can feel the sucker to tell him where it is. He then pushes the machine away, tells me to close my eye and act like I am looking down. He rubs my eye in a downward motion all along the surface. Then I open my eye and put my chin back in that thingy and voila! he finds the other half. Shows it to me and says "no charge" and sends me out.

Today, I wore my glasses. Enough for now.

Blink takes two

I don't know how I manage to snap the photo the exact time the dogs blink - first it was Seamus and now Winston.

Today was Co-Worker S.' birthday and Sunday is the Boss' so my pocket book got tagged this week.

You know, I'm too tire to blog. Enough for now....

Any topic suggestions for my next entry? I'm not really inspired to blog right now. Help.

The Day the Music Died

I have to say that I am so disappointed and ashamed of my government. I have made to bones about being a raging Republican but never did I think that I would see the day when I would see a government asking the public to turn in their neighbors for speaking their minds. I thought the country elected Barack Obama but I am starting to think Adolf Hitler was elected. Parents be careful what you say around your children. This is very frightening.

A Whirlwind of Busy

For someone who has been sooo busy that blogging is impossible, I should have found the cure for cancer or something more. I have to confess, I am just lazy once I get home.

Anyway, I have been a busy girl. I was a major organizer of an awareness day at the state capitol that brought in more than 700 - success! I have gone to the WebAIM Training in Utah [pretty country!] and learned a whole lot of accessible tips and tricks for the web. I have worked like a fend on the landscaping and exterior of my house AND still manged to let my cedar tree get apple rust!

Oh yeah, I spent a week babysitting a little birdy who fell out of the nest. This humane crap ain't easy! First make Winston stop picking up the little thing only to drop it because it moved in his mouth. Then I had to make a nest in a spare dog bowl because of said idiot's activities previously mentioned and put it on the patio table. Where moma bird would come to feed it.

Little birdy is now gone hopefully to some tree somewhere happy.

I attached a new pic of Winston is his svelte new body - now 29.5 lbs, was 38 lbs. Yes, he still hates the camera!

Enough for now.

Poision Control Representives Are My Friends

Let me send out my heart felt thank you to the very nice person at Poison Control who told me that the two idiot heads that live here won't die. Seamus and Winston thought it would be a good idea to eat my body butter! Gross me out! When I found the empty container I panicked and quickly called my vet's office and was told to call Poison Control and they would be able to determine if I needed to bring the idiot heads in.

Who knew that Poison Control would respond to you even if you were calling for two stupid dogs! She was very nice and informative. She told me that they would be fine but to go ahead feed them something to so it wouldn't upset their stomachs and to be wary of a bad case of the runs since there is so much petroleum in the body butter - LOVELY!
This all took place Friday night and I am still peeved at them.

Enough for now.

Ewwww, I Don't Feel Good

Between the snot running down the back of my throat causing it to hurt greater than life and that sucky cough that comes with it...I am sick! I don't want to be sick! I can't be sick! At work we are only one month away from our largest event of the year, where we go to the state capitol and meet witht the legislators and I still have much to do.

Enough for now, I gonna crawl back to the couch.

Fly!

When you know your gonna get wet - spread your arms and scream!

This week I have felt like the cat - out of control and flying.

Utterly Witless I am!

If I should blog everyday or two, do I have to be witty? Today I am completely witless! Currently, I have more work due than I can complete and I am getting quite spastic at work. This week my boss and I keep getting the giggles when we met probably because we both are running on fumes.

Between the annual report, the free ad that had to be designed without any notice, to the videos I need to pull of the web, I am slipping into delirium quickly....I think I like delirium.

Enough for now - need sleep!

I don't like Thomas Hardy

I watched Tess of the d’Urbervilles on PBS tonight and bawled! I don't think I would be able to read Thomas Hardy. I know, I know, always read the book first then watch the movie. But the way this one ends, well lets just say that Thomas Hardy is no Jane Austen. Mr. Darcy came through for Lizzy. Mr. Ferras once released from obligation ran back to the woman he loved, Miss Elinor Dashwood. Jane makes you cry because it all comes out right.......Hardy makes you cry because it does not!!!

Enough now...

This Was a Good Day

I got to work with way too much to do and what happens? The power goes out. After speaking with the power company the director sent us home since it would be hours before power was restored.

So off to get my haircut early - maybe Matthew can get me in early - nopey! Matthew wasn't there, so I waited 20 minutes for him to arrive and clean up my look. This time I had wild Texas socialite big hair going on - short natural curly hair can get out of hand in a matter of days! Anyway, I look good now.

Then I darted to Wal-Mart to buy birthday presents for a couple of co-workers who's birthdays are tomorrow, just like ME! We have a little Jan 9 club going on. Then home.

Here I sit blogging at 5:51 p.m. when I normally would be driving home. This was a good day!

Tuesday? Not that bad of a day either. Try not to laugh, mom discovered a cash ticket from our Saturday trip to casino on Tuesday morning. It was a $100.10 ticket. So dad and I had to drive to Shawnee Tuesday night to cash it before it expired. Mom was sick and couldn't go. So we got to the casino and cash the ticket. Then Dad gave me a $20 and he took a $20 - off to the land of slots. By 7 pm we where headed home with $120 in dad's pocket. Mom is still irritated that she did that, Dad and I had fun for about an hour!

Enough for now...

Thank You Weatherman!

Weren't we supposed to have 60 degree weather today? That's why I didn't wear a jacket to work nor did I wear a bulky sweater - 60 DEGREES does not warrant heavy clothes. I dressed accordingly and was cold all freaking day long! What is the deal with this weather anyway?

In truth, I got what I deserved today. It is January 2nd in Oklahoma and I should have known better than to believe that kind of weather report!

Enough for now...

2009 what will it hold?

I am amazed at how fast the year flies. This last year work was good. I received a promotion and have been given new duties that are challenging and fun. I finally settled in where I no longer am a nervous wreck just driving to work and that feels good.

On the home front, my house has been completely renovated and there are no more projects to do. I really don't know how I feel about that - I like remodeling. I have threatened to sell the house and buy another just to have projects again.

Baby is good. I put him on a diet and he has managed to lose from 38lb chunky monkey to a trim 34.4 not so chunky. He should be about 30lbs so he has some more to lose. A couple of weeks ago, Winston had a seizure which absolutely scared me to death. It wasn't a grand mal like my Dalmatian, Henri, would have but just a little one. Right now the plan of action is to just monitor him. I hope that is the last seizure he has.

My news resolution is to blog a little more regularly. I have got out of the habit of writing my thoughts mainly because I am so wiped out from my computer duties at work and the last thing I have wanted was to log on once home. But this year hopefully will be different. For the two or three people who may read this blog you will [hopefully] be treated to my mental ramblings more often.

Enough for now...the couch calls!

Bob and Mack....'Nuff Said!

Laughter is Infectious

I am not one for a whole lot of comedy but this was so funny. I laughed till my sides hurt!

Much to Report

Well a lot has happen since I last posted. The nation elected the most liberal in the senate to the Office of the Presidency! O crap! The Republicans had better get their act together. What was this crap with McCain being the nominee - he's not a Republican! More like Republican-lite but not a conservative. I did feel a little hope when he named Palin but lets face it, he was a bad choice. I truly believe we have the second term of Jimmy Carter on its way - stock up on gas now. O crap!

Once again, I cut my hair super short. If I was at my ideal weight I would love it but my face is rounder than I am used to so the short do isn't as swell as it could be. I am hoping that will help motivate me to get on the diet and get the weight gain under control.

I have a new job now. My co-worker that was missing a lot finally decided that she needed to tenure her resignation. So I applied for her job and I got it! Yeah, I know how much of a raise I am going to get but what I don't know is what that will really mean in terms of actual take home. I can't wait for this check to come - it'll feel like Christmas early.

Winston's on a doctor supervised diet now, I tried to put him on one and the stinker ended up gaining. So the doc gave him special diet doggy food, which he absolutely loves! I couldn't take him off that if I wanted to. In two months, he has lost from a 38 lb Chunky Monkey to a 35 lb not-so chunky. Five more pounds for him to be at his optimal weight.

Enough for now...

Spent, Totally and Completely Spent

Where does the time go? I am amazed at how the months are flying by between posts. One of the main reasons I have not been posting much is that work has been pretty intense with our department being short handed and more duties have come my way. When I get home the last thing I want to do is more computer work.

Even though work is intense, I am thoroughly enjoying getting to create publications again as well as expanding my web work. I was hired to do mostly an on-line magazine of sorts and it was rather one focus. Now I get to do many things and it is good.

Mom has finally recovered the newly renamed [by me] Nasty, Evil Sore Like Pain formerly known as Shingles. Why do they not name things appropriately? Even Adult Chicken Pox would be a little more approriately. Shingles just does say P A I N! Life is now returning to normal. We went to lunch this afternoon to celebrate her birthday and spent the whole time talking about politics...yep, we're back to normal.

It was also a good day because mom and I went to Garden Ridge after lunch where I spent entirely too much money. I got new decorative pillows for my couch. I got new comforter for my bed as well as decorative pillows for the bed and bay window and then I got a couple of nick-nack items. New stuff is way too much fun. I hope I enjoy it since I won't get any other new stuff for some time. Dana is broke!

Enough for now...

Oink! Oink! Oink!

Today, I ate whatever I could get my hands on and boy, do I ache! Since I began the new diet I allow myself a monster cheat day once a month. I had a McDonald's Quarter Pounder Large Fries and a Coke. Then mom wanted a cheesecake so I had a slice of that. THEN I wanted Taco Beuno Combination Platter. Right now, I am drinking another coke. I am such a bad girl but as of this morning 15lbs lighter and hopefully this will hold me till October 1.

Enough for now...

Give Me a Break!

What's next? Yesterday, baby went outside to go poo and something said follow him. I noticed that he had diarrhea and blood in it. Scared to death, I grab Winston and we go to the vet's. Evidently, his steroid pill that is battling his grass allergy is causing the problem. Winston now gets a special canned dog food and antibiotics plus we are gonna wean him off the steroids sooner than before.

Did I really need this now? Geeze, I need some boring right about now. By the way, did you know that grapes can cause renal failure for dogs? I didn't. Hince, do not let your dogs eat grapes no matter what.

Enough for now.

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.