Interview blues

I had a relaxing Sunday, I had already caught up on the laundry and dishes as well as house cleaning and just watched tv, entered my daily contests, and got my clothes ready for tomorrow.

I got a call Friday for a job interview Monday. I wasn't nervous until an hour ago. Then I looked at the note I made while talking to the lady and noticed it says Monday the 2nd at 11am. I distictly remember her saying Monday the second so I am going to show up tomorrow anyway and if I'm a day early I guess that is better than being a day late!

Hope everyone has a great Monday :)

Late night shopping and spaghetti pie

I found a recipe today called spaghetti pie while I was bored and flipping through a "Good Housekeeping" magazine that came as a free sample to get me to subscribe. For some reason it sounded good and I trudge to the store and get all the stuff and throw it together.

It actually came out decent, tomorrow I'm going to try the shepherd's pie recipe I found. I guess I was in a dinner rut of eating the same things over and over.

I had a weak moment last night of internet shopping. I found this digital camera for a pretty good price, plus it takes video. I have been wanting it for a long time and the price finally went way down.



Then I found this gadget a few months ago after researching what to do with an extra flat panel monitor I have sitting around:



It lets you hook any monitor up to receive tv/cable without having to be hooked up to the computer. I had been wanting this when it first came out but it was really high, the price dropped as well.

I hope everyone is having a great week :)

Home sweet home

Out of left field my Dad tells me that he is going to sell his house to move into a house that my Sister and her husband bought next door to their house.

My sister had mentioned it a few months ago, but I didn't think it would go through. I think my Dad is being rash about it, he hasn't even seen the house and is already talking to real estate agents. My ex and my ex company will probably list it.

As I left that day, I had this sick feeling in my stomach that hasn't gone away. I'm not sure if it is from knowing I won't be able to visit the house I grew up in, that my ex will be involved in it, or that I think my Dad is making a mistake. Probably all of the above.

My ex cannot be trusted in my opinion, I have heard him badmouthing my family many times, and my sister works for him and knowing he will be involved in selling the house makes me sick.

I'm torn-I don't want to tell my Dad and sister what he has said for many reasons. My sister works for him, my Dad trusts him, and even if I do say something he will deny it and make it look like I made it all up for bitter reasons.

I will probably say something for better or worse-that way if they keep in contact with him it will be their choice and out of my hands.

I hope everyone has a great week :)

freedom of speech? It sounds more like freedom from speech.

Interesting article

Interesting article by Sean Wilentz about Bush and why he may go down in history as the worst American president.

Job Hunting

I put in a few applications today and have some marked for tomorrow or Wednesday. Tomorrow I plan on calling everyone I know to see if they have heard of anything.

I hate trying to sell myself and job hunting is one of my least favorite things to do. I don't mind the after part, just the application/interview part-I always feel like I'm in grade school taking a test!

Brian likes his new job, but it has been long hours, long long hours. Of the group that he trained with 2 quit during their shift saying they couldn't take it anymore and one wasn't paying attention and broke his wrist. He gets his first paycheck tomorrow so he is really excited-I hope he can hang on with the long hours and only 1 day off.

We are still hot and windy, today got up to 98. I got nervous earlier when I was picking up Brian from work-around the corner from the house it seemed smoky and hazy-with all these fires lately it made me paranoid.

I hope everyone had a great Easter :)

A mishmash day

I had a pretty good day today-saw my dad, saw some friends out tonight and met my new neighbor.

The house next door to me is an odd one, a Frank Lloyd Wright-esque number that sticks out like a sore thumb (a pretty one) in the circa 50's neighborhood. When we first moved in it was a drug den, the owner finally got forclosed on and a real estate agent bought it and renovated it and resold it to a nice couple from Florida who moved here for a hotel job.

They got transferred and it sold to a co-worker of theirs. Drag Queens. They were a fun bunch-we got invited to a few parties and had a hoot. They decided to move and sold it to a co-worker of theirs whom I met tonight. He seems like a nice guy-he is still painting and redoing some things before moving in.

I felt embarrassed earlier that it took so long to figure out why Firefox was flaking out on both my computers. I forgot I had checked the boxes that say auto update in Firefox and not to auto update in my firewall! So when I opened up Firefox it would give me an error message that it couldn't connect because the firewall saw it as new program as well as a threat. That wasted 30 minutes of my day!

I bathed my dog Taylor yesterday, and he is the only dog that I have ever had that likes it. I was a little upset later on while I was playing with him like I normally do that he got aggressive and snapped at me. Towards my face even. He is the one that was attacked by the pit bull so I'm thinking he was still gun-shy.

It caused drama around here because I spanked him for it and Rick got upset with me for doing so. We disagree heavily on discipling the dogs. I'm of the school where if they do something wrong you spank them-especially if they show aggression-I won't put up with them thinking the are the leader of the pack-I am!

Or if they mess in the house, I won't put up with that at all. I would rather rub all of their noses in the mess and spank them all if I didn't know who did it just to be sure-where Rick is really lenient.

He also is the one who feeds them whereas I'm the one who bathes thems, takes them to the vet, clips their nails and gives them their medicines-who do you think they run to and like the most! I'm the heavy I guess. I can just see if we had kids, it would be the same. Maybe not.

With his kids, he is the heavy and I'm the fun step-parent that keeps secrets, takes them out for fun and sides with them usually when he is mad at them!

The fun final note of my day was balancing the check book, or actually un-balancing it. I had wrote in a deposit twice by accident-a large one. So here I was operating on a lot more money than I actually had-that was a fun discovery!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend :)

5 day weekend

Rick took off a few days, so wednesday felt like friday, thursday like saturday and today like sunday.

He has 8 weeks of vacation every year and his job has a high stress level so I suggested he use some of it to get away for a bit. He was getting stressed out at home over the smallest things-I can already see a difference.

He is talking to a friend of his again that he had a falling out with, so it's nice to see him making an effort.

Brian has been at his job for almost 2 weeks, it's hard work but he likes it-he'll like it even more when he gets his first paycheck with over 90 hours on it.

I won a few more shirts this week from Miller Lite, and some cigars from CAO. Still waiting on my car or trip!

We have had more fires again, I saw one in the distance when I was coming home from my Dad's house earlier.

Our area has lost 1,035,880 acres since January 1. We need some rain.

This is a picture of a small town north of here that was almost destroyed:



I hope everyone has a great weekend :)

Top 10 favorite movies

For no other reason but that I was thinking about this earlier while I was doing dishes. They are in no particular order and constantly change.

6 weird things/habits about yourself

I saw this on my friend Ginger's
blog and thought I would do it just so everyone can see how nuerotic/weird I am!

1: I am a total neat freak-we are talking toothbrush in the crevices, move the appliances/furniture, organize sock drawer freaky.

2: When I get in a reading mood, I read about 4-5 books a week.

3: I am a incurable procastinator.

4: I will watch any game show-anytime, anywhere.

5: I will not cry in front of anyone-but will bawl like a baby in private.

6: I collect duck figurines, ship models, hand figurines, crosses, toy cars, rocks and fossils. I also have a collection of odds and ends that I won't get rid of due to my sentimental nature.

Now it is all out there in the open, sigh, I feel better!

Libra (Sep 24 - Oct 23)

Your Week Ahead Libra - Saturday, 8th April 2006

This week brings a full Moon in your sign. If you are anticipating a quiet, easy time, you had better adjust your expectations. Something big is brewing. Now don't worry, I said big, not bad. It's not necessarily going to be easy but it won't prove hard, either. Just challenging in the nicest possible sense. You are about to put all your energy into something very demanding that's wonderfully worthwhile. If you don't already know where your great opportunity lies, you'll see it soon enough.

If I believed in this stuff I would be worried!

Sunday

I have been neglecting giving my car a bath for the longest time and finally went and washed mine and Ricks car. There is a new carwash around the corner from here with all then new bells and whistles so it was not a big job.

I need to get the tires rotated, oil change and a few other things done but I'm the worst of procastination.



I planned on bathing the dogs as well but ended up watching a few movies and some tv shows. I didn't even make dinner, I got lazy and ended up picking something up.

This week I plan on starting a job search-not looking forward to it. I have a few ideas about what I'd like to do but still undecided.

Hope everyone has a good Monday :)

A blast from the past or don't blog when you are drunk

I get home from a blurry Friday and find this picture staring back at me from my email



My best friend Ginger had told me about this picture but I couldn't place it. Her scanner was down for awhile and she finally fixed it and emailed it to me.

I vaguely remember this person. This was me when I was somebody else entirely different. I think I was mid 20's and didn't have a clue what was forthcoming in my life as it is now.

I was in Ciudad Juarez, had a ton of money, and pretended to be happy. The next year I looked the same in Paris, London, Berlin, Amsterdam and Brussels. I looked similar in the Caymans, Jamaica, Cancun and Cozumel. This was who I was when money didn't matter.

I went from the low income neighborhood to the 4500 square foot house where I parked my Land Rover, boat, motor home, Excursion, Jeep (just for fun) and had my eye on the BMW that I thought I deserved.

I went from monthly bills of $25,000+ to eeek, will I be able to pay my cable bill this month?

That was who I was then, but who am I now? I vaguely recognize myself in this picture. I don't remember it being taken but I remember the past that goes with it.

I ran into my ex tonight, the one that I built all of my past with-and the one thing that stuck out in my mind was thank God I am not that person any longer.

He was with his new crowd, I was with mine. He points over at me, says something to his friends and they all laugh. It WAS funny, but I was laughing at something completly different than what they were!

A few wins...

I won a free ticket to see Narnia or any Disney Film from the Narnia instant win. This is my second one of those.

I have won 2 T-shirts from the Miller Lite Save the Taste instant win, a 12 pack of Coke from the MIS Race to Win instant win.

While looking back at my winning emails I found one I had missed somehow back in February for a $20 gift card to the NCAA sports store from the Coke A winner every 35 seconds instant win.

That puts my yearly total for 2006 at $1063.03 and an overall total since 2000 at $20,364.52! Not bad for a little side hobby!

Have a great weekend :)

It's official...

More fires on a dry windy day

After the March 22nd fire everyone gets nervous around here when it gets windy-we had 35-45 mph winds with tomorrow an expected 60mph. On that day at least 907,000 acres burned-the largest grassfire in Texas history. 11 people were killed with 22 homes destroyed as well as an estimated 10,000 cattle perished.

Today we had several more fires-This was on our local newspaper website:


Wildfires erupted across the Texas Panhandle Thursday, forcing mandatory evacuation of the Gray County towns of Lefors and Bowers City and at least two northern Potter County neighborhoods, Appaloosa Hills and the Webb Addition at El Rancho Road.

About 550 people evacuated from Lefors and Bowers City, heading to Pampa. At least one structure burned in a fire at Northside Acres, on Willis Knight Street. Fires prompted closure of a number of county roads and highways.



We need some more rain around here and fast!

Rick's son Brad got a new puppy-I wanted to kidnap her when I saw here-she is a miniature pinscher name Loki



Here is one I took of Rick and Randy today-Rick is so attached to that dog. It was love at first sight with those two. My ex wouldn't let me take him when we "divorced" and then a year later his new fling didn't like pets so he dumped him off on me-which I'm glad!

Rick was hesitant at first since we still lived upstairs in my apartment building and had Petey as well. I came back from picking him up and Rick grabbed him and they have been inseparable ever since!



I hope everyone has a great weekend :)

A new look, some pictures, and a new do

I found a new template today at Free Blogger Templates and spent awhile customizing it.

I took some pictures earlier while I was watering the lawn:

This is Randy trying to find a quiet place to recover



This is the puppy tenatively named Sissy AKA Brownie, or Pup



This is a rose of sharon with the new coming out while the old is still on it



Taylor being disturbed from his sun nap



This is me after finally breaking down and coloring the gray in my beard-I think it is too dark but everyone else likes it (or lying to appease me). Not sure if I will do it again-I might try a lighter color



This is the wisteria getting ready to make me want to sit on my patio when the breeze is light



I hope everyone is having a great week :)

Where I Am From

I found this on Donna's blog and thought I would give it a go. If you decide to try it, the template guide is here. Donna did one for her and one for her husband that I enjoyed reading.

My friend Ginger did one as well. If you decide to do one let me know, would love to read it.

Here it goes:

I am from a rebellious shy Catholic girl who married at 15 for so many reasons and Southern Baptist farm kid who came home from graduation to find his bags on the porch.

I am from parents who met on a double date at a carnival and ditched their dates because they fell in love at first sight.

I am from Hamburger Helper, Betty Crocker, Hungry Man TV dinners, Tupperware and generic brands.

I am from a bad backed, gnarled fingered Dad who got that way working 3 jobs so my Mom could stay home and raise kids. I am from the suburbia that slowly went from middle to lower income just as the 30 year mortgage paid off.

I am from the identical plots of Bermuda grass lawns filled with dandelions, the snarly Elm trees and the snow of Cottonwood trees.

I am from Saturday cartoons, Sunday breakfasts of bacon, eggs and biscuits & gravy and eating dinner in front of the TV, from Mayo's and Thompson's, Bradstreet's and Dunn's.

I am from the weekend alcoholics who owned liquor stores and men who came home smelling like death from the beef packing plants while the dogs licked their shoes on the porch. I am from people who were in local papers for catching the biggest fish.

I am From Tornado tales of cars being picked up and gently sat down miles away, stories of how bad the great depression was and why I should clean my plate.

I am from not learning about religion until it was my choice, and finding out about sex from HBO and Reader's Digest.

I'm from the Texas panhandle where I would miss the dry wind and thunderstorms if I moved, where I get nervous when tornado sirens go off, from chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, hush puppies and fried catfish.

I am from a Grandfather who taunted me with his missing finger up the nose trick, from the Aunt who went to work one day and was never seen again. I am from snuggling up in a warm quilt that the hands of grandmother's I never met made.

I am from drawers full of black and white photographs and 8mm film spools full of people I am from but who died before I was born. I am from coin collections, collectible liquor bottles and Elvis memorabilia.

I am from people who did the best they could with what they had who I am finally beginning to appreciate.

Immigration bill....

This angers me on so many levels.

Aren't we all from immigrants? It is just an issue of how many generations it has been since our families have benefited from the same thing that may be taken away from others soon.

Where would our country be if it was decided from the beginning to build a wall and keep people out?

Yes I think there should be a system to document people coming into our country as well as a checks and balance system.

This all reeks of fearmongering and one of the most unAmerican things I have seen on the whole issue is that the immigrants are hurting our economy. If there wasn't an economic niche for them to fill they wouldn't want to come here.

Has anyone seen this movie:

Monday

This is a picture I took awhile back in Colorado and stumbled upon it today. I had forgotten how much I liked it.

Randy got his bad teeth pulled and the few good ones left cleaned. He is still groggy and just wanting to lay there. He had an infection in his nasal cavity that will take awhile to heal.

He has a little pep in him and seems to be taking it all well.



Taylor is doing well and should get his stitches out soon. Here is a picture I took last winter with their matching sweaters (no I don't make them wear sweaters, I just put these on for a photo op and then put them back in storage!)



Petey is running around trying to figure out why everyone else is getting all of his attention.



I hope everyone had a great monday :)

Gorgeous Sunday

It was a gorgeous day today-one that makes you want to work in the yard. My mower is on the fritz so I have to wait til it is out of the shop. All my trees are in bloom and some bulbs are coming up.

Taylor is doing a lot better, he is starting to play with the other dogs and is wanting to stay outside longer. He still wants to be right by my side when he comes in but stopped wanting to sleep on the bed with me. His stitches will probably come out tuesday.

Randy hurt his leg today and is limping. Not sure what happened, he probably jumped off the couch wrong. Tomorrow I have an appointment for him to get his teeth cleaned and some pulled anyway so I'll tell them about it.

Petey is still his ornery self!

Brian got a job and starts tomorrow. He had trouble for awhile finding something due to his probation, but this job didn't seem to mind. He is off probation in a couple of months anyway so he is excited about that as well as getting lots of overtime at the new job.

My Dad told me the other day that he had a lady friend over for dinner last friday. At first I did a double take but after a few minutes I was glad that he is dating rather than moping around. It must be serious, she is going to stay the weekend with him this coming friday! Not sure if he has told my sister and how she will take it.

Hope everyone has a great Monday :)

Ever wonder what to do with those Peeps?