Did I Say That Out Loud?

DMV Hell

2009-09-16T14:14:00.003-04:00

This is just ridiculous...

In North Carolina, not only do you have to pay property tax on your vehicle (and this is the only state I've ever lived in that I know does this. I've never heard of such crap in my life)-- but they also have that godforsaken emissions testing.

I am CONVINCED that this is just a means of getting more money out of the consumer:

1. You have to have your emissions test before they'll let you register your car. ($30.00)

2. If you let your emissions test lapse you will be mailed a lovely hate letter telling you to pay up, and if you don't there will be a block preventing you from getting the car tested or registered. (From what I understand that's another $57.00 with the first warning)

3. If you don't pay the property tax on your car you're registration will be blocked (i.e. You HAVE to pay the property tax on your car or you'll be carless).

4. The emissions test also consists of a "safety" test. - You have to have functioning lights, turn signals, brakes and horn. - If these things don't work, you'll fail, and you can't get your car registered (Hmmm.... I'm sure the auto repair shops LOVE this one). --and why is it I still see hunk of crap cars, belching smoke and using 2x4s as bumpers on the road???

Imagine this if you will: Broken horn (which is NOT really a safety thing in my opinion. Most folks panic in an accident and never have time to USE their horn. The ONLY time I've EVER heard a horn go off is when someone is either annoying me while I'm walking down the street, or someone gets caught day dreaming at a green light...) But that's beside the point... Broken Horn--has to go to the repair shop to be fixed. Bad clock spring and horn ring. Check engine light on - need EGR ports cleaned.
Parts total: $270.00
Labor: $140.00
After taxes: $450.50

In a state that DOESNT have this test, we use the "free" solution - Stick your head out the window and yell or flip the bird!
Parts total: 0
Labor total: 0
Satisfaction Level: 100%

So here's more fodder for the government money making machine.

Said car, after the repairs were completed, was driven (now illegally because the registration and testing is overdue) is taken to the local shop for the inspection. The car FAILS the inspection. Why? Because work had been done on the car and the car's computer has been reset.

When asking the lady at the testing station how this is to be remedied the reply was "You have to drive it around for a few days and bring it back."
"How? The car is not legal" is the obvious response.
"I guess you can show the police the paper that says you're TRYING to get it tested...?" she says with a perplexed look on her face (You do WORK here don't you? This can't be an uncommon question).
"How long does the car have to be driven before it resets", again the obvious question
"I don't know... You can look online."

Anyone care to guess what it will take for the car's computer to be reset?
Step 1: Cold Start. In order to be classified as a cold start, the engine coolant temperature must be below 50 c (122 F) and within 6 c (11 f) of the ambient air temperature at startup. Do not leave the key on prior to the cold start or the heated oxygen sensor diagnostic may not run.
Seriously?
Step 2: Idle. The engine must be run for two and a half minutes with the air conditioner on and rear defroster on.
Anyone have a stop watch?
Step 3: Accelerate. Turn off the air conditioner and all other loads and apply half throttle until 88km/hr (55mph) is reached.
What exactly IS half throttle? - Press just a little? A little more? Oopse... too much....
Step 4: Hold Steady Speed. Hold a steady speed of 88km/hr (55mph) for 3 minutes.
Where did that stop watch go?
Step 5: Decelerate. Let off the accelerator pedal. Do not shift, touch the brake or clutch. It is important to let the vehicle coast along gradually slowing down to 32km/hr (20mph).
Step 6: Accelerate. Accelerate at 3/4 throttle until 88-96km/hr (55-60mph).
Step 7: Hold Steady Speed. Hold a steady speed of 88km/hr (55mph) for five minutes.
Step 8: Decelerate. Again, don't press the clutch or brakes or shift gears.

And all of this is supposed to be done in a car that is not legal...
"Hello Mr. Officer, I know I'm driving the car with expired tags and inspection sticker... But the DMV (aka the Devil) made me do it."
"Um hum... here's your ticket"

And get this. If you DO get a ticket, you're required to show up at court and show proof you fixed everything and got everything legalized... (Court fees anyone???)

The Joy of Moving

2009-09-13T14:05:00.000-04:00

Made it to NC and my temporary digs and am slowly moving things back into my old house. Yup that's right. The old house is mine once again. The previous owners were moving out and it seems that, with all the new houses going up in the area, renting wasn't an option. So I'm moving things a bit at a time out of the storage unit and into the house. My goal is to have everything out before the 1st so I don't have to pay another month on the rental unit. So, a truck load a day until it get to the heavy stuff that I'm useless as even a helper, so a few able bodies will be hired to do that. Don't get me wrong. I'm tough and strong, but when you're talking about a couple few hundred pound buffet and hutch, and a heavy as heck dresser. Plus you know, I'm so tried of moving, why not let someone else do the hard work. It's bad enough I've gotten unpack all the stuff!!! :)

So the goal is to be back in the old house by September 30. Wish me luck...

Oh and a word to the wise. If you're going to move, forget the professional moving company thing. Get a Penske for long distance (U-haul is WAY over priced for long distance trips) or a U-haul for local moves (U-haul being better on locals). If you have AAA, make sure you mention it and use it. You'll save a bunch. Then hire some movers to help load and unload (see hireahelper.com) You'll have the move done in half the time and save a bunch by doing the packing yourself (Plus, and you have to trust me when I tell you this, no one packs your things as good as you'll pack them yourself - you're the one that actually CARES if your goodies get busted).

Yes, I've become an expert ;)

Disturbed

2009-07-02T11:46:00.002-04:00

I heard a news story this morning about a baby that was killed by the family albino boa constrictor. It seems along with being suffocated, the poor child was also bitten in the head.

So I ask you... What is the lure of keeping these exotic animals as pets? Please tell me what would cause someone to want to have a snake that can crush you (or your child) while you sleep - or toxic spiders, scorpions, etc. With High Def animal planet and the Science Channel, are we not close enough???

Tropical fish aside, wild animals are meant to be in the wild. Did we learn nothing from the freaked out chimp that ripped that woman's face off?

*sigh*

What A Year

2009-07-01T12:40:00.003-04:00

It has been an insane year of working three jobs... One part time job for the court doing some legal secretary work to help put food on the table, another pseudo part time job doing web work, and then my own webdesign business work. Meanwhile I continually received calls from folks in Fayetteville that needed work done and I'm not there to do it.

Florida is great, but it's expensive. If you don't have the money to live here, living here can be quite frustrating. They don't pay what your worth and the housing market is horrible - Paying 1,000 a month in rent for a house that would be going for 700-800 in Fayetteville is insane.

So what's a girl to do? Head back to Fayetteville... I'm putting a bunch of stuff in storage and moving the things that I can't live without and heading to where I can actually survive (and go to School).

I'm not a huge fan of Fayetteville, but sometimes you just have to go where the money is. I'm already planning my next trip back here. (And it includes Disney).

Once again, packing... once again moving... (This time sans "professionals". At this point I'm a pro mover anyway!)

Favorite Videos

2009-07-01T12:32:00.001-04:00

These are HYSTERICAL. I had them listed here on the blog at one point but somehow they disappeared... I'm not sure how, but I've lost various posts from the blog. Weird... But anyway, here they area again, a moment of zen:

Ooh Girl – An Honest RNB Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc8tPTVBRSc&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsirenkimmie%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F&feature=player_embedded

The First Semester of Spanish Spanish Love Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngRq82c8Baw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fsirenkimmie%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F&feature=player_embedded

Feeling the Economic Crunch

2008-08-20T09:43:00.001-04:00

The one good thing about living in a military town was that the military really kept the economy going. You don't seem to feel the crunch as much (Sure your gas prices are still going to be the same as everyone, but the local economy seems to be humming along so long as a good number of soldiers and their families are still in the area).

With this move I've heard more than one time "it's a horrible time to be moving to Florida" and "no one is hiring." Despite my initial comparisons of the economies in both states being equal on paper, when you hit reality - that's another story.

You hear about inflation, high gas prices, foreclosures, etc. Meanwhile employers think it's acceptable to pay in kibble (While they continue to charge the same or more for their services, turning their own nifty little profit) - Don't get me started on the amounts of money executives are raking in at Fortune 500 companies.

Just a bit of venting...

Moving STINKS - This ones long but worth the read.

2008-08-11T14:46:00.001-04:00

We all know that moving stinks. I've done it enough in my life to know and I was NOT looking forward to it. So I figured that hiring a mover was a good idea. They're pros, they know how to pack things so they wont break, they'll pack my furniture so it will be safe from any extreme damage... I mean you'd think with the high price of moving that this was a good idea right?

So I did my research, I checked BBB and I went through a "broker" who found a mover for me at a decent price, and was ensured that all movers held the necessary licenses and such. All of the reviews for this company were glowing so I had no reason to believe that it would be anything but 100% pro.

The movers were scheduled to show up Friday August 1st. in the morning. I was told that they would call me 24/48 hours before they arrived. Being a bit anxious I called closer to the 48 hour mark than 24. I was told they'd be there Friday morning to pack and Saturday they'd load and take all my stuff to Florida. I'd meet them in Florida on Wednesday as planned.

Thursday evening I get a call letting me know that the movers were running behind. they'll be there on Saturday to load AND pack. I figure they know what they're doing so OK...

Saturday morning I'm waiting for the movers to show up (thinking they'll be there by 9 a.m.) At 10:30 I call only to find out that they're in South Carolina unloading. The person they moved before me had 4,000 pounds more than expected so it's taking longer. They'll be to my place by 4 PM. 5:00 comes and I get another call. It's the driver. Would it be okay for them to show up at 8:00 and pack through the night. (See I had planned on leaving Sunday morning to drive down to Florida so they were attempting to work within this schedule). I told them no... I wasn't going to sit up all night with them while I needed to get sleep to make the long drive. So I postponed my own plans and decided to leave Monday. I explained that they needed to be at my house by 6:00 AM Sunday and needed to get out of there as soon as possible.

I woke up at 5:00AM in anticipation that the movers would be there. I called them at 9:30AM and they were at Lowe's getting boxes. Uh huh... They'll be to me in 45 minutes.

I had already packed as much as I could with my own boxes. I also started to just leave things behind because I was just tired and wanted to get out of there. they arrived at around 10:30 a.m. and began packing. They were grateful that I hadn't packed all my sheets and blankets, because this would be great for packing breakable items - It seems Lowe's didn't have the large dish barrels, any wardrobes or larger boxes. So they had small and medium boxes to work with (remember this because it comes into play later). They didn't have any mattress covers, no mirror boxes... you get the idea.

The movers, all three of them, were from Bosnia (all related), and the only reason I bring up birth origin would be that one of them, a young family member (14?) didn't speak a whole lot of English - to include writing things on boxes that left me scratching my head as to what could possibly be inside -- never mind I don't believe was old enough to be on the payroll of the moving company. They began packing and I let them do their job, believing they were experts and would pack things safely and securely.

Now comes the part where the boxes tie in. On my estimate I had a list of what boxes I would need. I read this off to the lady at the moving company and she was to provide this list to the driver/packers. Unfortunately since they came in on Sunday morning and nothing was open early they went to Lowe's and could only get what was available. So there should have been six wardrobe boxes, I believe 7 dish barrels, some mirror boxes, etc. After they finished packing I was informed that they had packed ten more boxes than was estimated. Being that they charge, I believe he said $50.00 per box to pack (and for materials) I was a little freaked out - do the math here folks. Then as I thought about it over night I got on the phone right away with the moving company. Considering my estimate included 6 wardrobe boxes - which would equate to about 3 of the small boxes, that would be about 18 boxes alone. So I informed that I wouldn't be paying ANY overage on the boxes considering it wasn't my fault they didn't have the proper sized boxes. Anyway on to it...

They finished around 8:30PM on Sunday and as they were getting ready to pull out they realized that they had left all of their electronics plugged into the outlets causing the battery to die. Apparently this isn't the first time this happened because the driver indicated they "do this all the time". Once their truck was jumped they were on their way.

Now the delivery. After rushing around Wednesday morning to get a certified check (because I don't carry that much money on me, and they don't take debit or personal check), to be home by 1PM when they said they'd be there, I get a call... "Do you think we can come later because it's really hot" - Mind you it was cooler in Florida than it was in North Carolina when they loaded the stuff. I said "OK" and they said they'd be there at 5PM - at least this way I wouldn't have to buy them lunch right? Because yes, it's protocol that you buy lunch for your movers. Plus it's just nice to do because they work so hard. This also gave me time to do some other things - so I wasn't too miffed by this.

But, you guessed it. 5:30PM rolls around and I call to find out where they are. "Kim, do you mind of we do this tomorrow morning?" At this point, while frustrated I was actually already expecting this to happen - They expressed their complete joy about coming down to Florida so it was my guess that they had been at the beach all day and were just too tired and/or were looking to party. Okay so 9AM was the newly scheduled delivery, and they promised I wouldn't be charged more because of the extra day. (UH yeah I swear they said that!!!)

9AM rolls around... No go... 10AM rolls around... I call... "Kim I'm sorry we're late. Our truck is over heating and we had to take it to get some antifreeze added" I didn't mention how antifreeze is to avoid FREEZING - not overheating, but I decided not to get into semantics. I wanted my stuff!!! They promised to be there in a half hour. They arrived after noon - and I had already had my lunch and had decided, I'll be damned if I'm buying them anything to eat OR giving a tip. (Because yes it is also customary to give a tip).

They began unloading things right away and then took a break within the hour. Back to work they went and around 1PM the driver asks me if there are any restaurants that deliver, preferably Chinese. I told him, being new to the area that I didn't know of anything. Then he asked if anything was in walking distance. I told him there really wasn't and the best I could do would be to find a pizza place. At first he balked about Pizza (I'm sure they get this often in the business but hey, it's easiest for folks to do in the middle of a move). I explained that I had already eaten at noon - so I gave him the number, he ordered what he wanted and they paid for it themselves.

After they completed bringing everything into the house I had to ask them to put the mirror on the dresser. They didn't put the spare bed together (I had already put my own bed together) and they didn't put the desk back together. They had me sign the sheets that said I received everything and wanted me to sign a sheet that said nothing was damaged. I asked "How do I know if anything is damaged when everything is still packed". "Well you just contact the company" they said. Instead I wrote "No VISABLE damage" and signed my name.

Finally, after they had already left and I began unpacking my stuff I found box after box that was packed half full. Clearly fragile items wrapped in nothing but a pillow case at the bottom of a box. Fragile wine glasses on the very bottom of a box with a pillow over the top of them and then items packed on top of that (heavier than the very fragile wine glasses). So far one hurricane lamp is shattered and one tall glass candle lamp in shards. Not to mention a large 1/4 inch by 4 inch scratch across my priceless hutch (the one thing I told them they needed to be extra mindful of) and they TAPED the doors shut on the pine wardrobe - when the tape was removed, wood came with it... (Pine is very soft people!!!) They put my computer monitor in a box with no padding... same with my printer... but yet left other things un-boxed. (cuz hey lets put the monitor in the box when we get paid a lot per box right??)

Needless to say I've taken pictures of the half filled boxes, the damaged items and I've made a complaint to the broker. They're in the process of seeing about getting me some compensation. Uhhh Yeah.... You better!!!! If I'm not satisfied I'll be naming names here people!!!!

Lesson - Pack your own items. Get your own large U-Haul and hire day laborers to pack your stuff. You'll get better quality because you'll pack your stuff with the tender care it deserves, and you can ask the labor company to send you folks that have experience in moving. You'll end up spending less and a hell of a lot less frustration!!! BIG LESSON LEARNED!!!!

It was Inevitable...

2008-08-10T14:40:00.000-04:00

I'm constantly dropping my phone. Aside from being totally clutzy and letting it fall from my hands, it's fallen out of my purse and out of my pockets on more than one occasion. There have also been two attempts at having it wind up in the toilet as it fell out of my pocket while pulling up my pants...

The day before yesterday it happened. Thankfully the potty was already emptied and the water fresh, but either way - moisture and phones do not mix. I was surprised at first to see that it was still working. I quickly dried the phone off in hopes to avoid any major damage. I then noticed the water seeping in the LCD screen and started to take it apart as much as I could with no tools handy (I am in the middle of a move after all). But it totally died. The sad part is, the phone isn't even a year old. And we all know how expensive phones are when you're not in the bargaining position of being able to renew your contract and get a new phone.

The good news is. I let it sit under a fan all night and by morning it was semi working. I only had to remove the battery and sim card one time to reboot it before it was back to normal. THANK GOODNESS!!!!

Okay stopping now...

2008-07-24T15:58:00.000-04:00

After you watch this of course:

And Then Sometimes It's So Easy

2008-07-17T09:14:00.000-04:00

Why can't it always be like this?? Word of mouth brought me someone that wanted a one-page brochure style website. I met with the potential client, who had no real design suggestions, other than they wanted something simple and affordable. I contracted with them, they give me half up-front, and within two days I have a mock up of a website to propose. They love it. A day later I have it completed and they are totally happy. The next day they send me final payment. Done... Tah Dahhh... Why can't it ALWAYS be this easy???

http://www.commercialsweeping.net

Seriously?

2008-07-07T14:56:00.001-04:00

This is what one teen thought was appropriate attire for her high school prom. Worse, her parents paid to have the "gown" custom made. (The train seems to encompass the majority of the fabric used!!!) Needless to say she was not allowed to enter the event. Apparently she was also taken away in handcuffs. (It seems she got in an serious "argument" with the powers that be and then local police). Essh... I fear for our future...

How to GET PAID. I'm asking!

2008-07-03T16:15:00.002-04:00

Folks out there working the daily grind of 9-5 have fantasies about working for themselves and not having to answer to "Da man". I'm getting to the point where I'm starting to have good feelings about cubicles and supervisors. Mostly because 1) I work more hours for myself than I ever did working for someone else and 2) People seem to think it's okay to pay me on their own schedules. The corporate world folks get their checks handed to them every Friday without fail and don't have to waste hours upon hours of their lives chasing down clients who put you on there "to be paid last" list.

So what's a gal to do? Institute late fees you say? Well what happens when you do exactly that and you STILL don't get paid?

And the way I look at it... If you dont' have the money to hire a web-designer then you simply wait until you do. Why hire someone, have them do the work and then make them chase you around for two or three months!?! It makes NO sense! And you bet your tookus if I owed THEM money they'd have bill collectors buggin' in the first thirty days!!! *sigh*

I'm off to send out SECOND late notices (which follows the two reminder notices I sent to begin with) with SECOND late fee charges. What else can I do???

Because EVERY BIT Helps!

2008-06-27T08:23:00.001-04:00

This is a nifty site for locating cheap gas throughout America. I admit that I suck and go to the station that is on the way to where I'm going. But I'm paying attention now!

When buying gas, make sure you only buy gas at the cheapest stations, which forces higher priced stations to lower their prices to compete! With your help, we can fight high gas prices.

http://www.gasbuddy.com/

And some quick tips:

1	Avoid High Speeds	As your speed increases, your aerodynamic drag increases in an exponential fashion. Driving 62 mph (100 km/h) vs 75 mph (120 km/h) will reduce fuel consumption by about 15%.
2	Do Not Accelerate or Brake Hard	By anticipating the traffic and applying slow steady acceleration and braking, fuel economy may increase by as much as 20%.
3	Keep Tires Properly Inflated	Keep tire air pressure at the level recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. A single tire under inflated by 2 PSI, increases fuel consumption by 1%.
4	Use A/C Sparingly	When the air conditioner is on it puts extra load on the engine forcing more fuel to be used (by about 20%). The defrost position on most vehicles also uses the air conditioner. THOUGH THIS WAS DISPROVED ON MYTHBUSTERS - I actually read that it depends on the car - newer cars it isn't as big a factor. It's suggested that you try it out, run your car with the air on and see what your gas mileage is and then run it without and see...
5	Keep Windows Closed	Windows open, especially at highway speeds, increase drag and result in decreased fuel economy of up to 10%.
6	Service Vehicle Regularly	Proper maintenance avoids poor fuel economy related to dirty air filters, old spark plugs or low fluid levels.
7	Use Cruise Control	Maintaining a constant speed over long distances often saves gas.
8	Avoid Heavy Loads	Remove the sand bags from your trunk in the spring and pack lightly for long trips.
9	Avoid Long Idles	If you anticipate being stopped for more than 1 minute, shut off the car. Restarting the car uses less fuel than letting it idle for this time.
10	Purchase a Fuel Efficient Vehicle	When buying a new vehicle examine the vehicle's rated fuel efficiency. Usually choosing a small vehicle with a manual transmission will provide you with great fuel economy.

A few other suggestions that I had been forwarded to me by my step dad:

Pump Gas early in the morning (before temperatures rise) - The warmer the gas the more it expands.

Pump gas on the slower setting - more air is created when you pump it on the high setting which causes more evaporation and more "air" (or something scientific like that)

Splenda is NOT Natural!

2008-06-23T11:15:00.001-04:00

"Splenda comes from sugar so it taste like sugar." Bull!

First, after having grown up with a diabetic grandmother and having tasted pure saccharine at a young age (Because hey, it's a sugar supplement and being a kid why WOULDN'T you try something sweet.) Sips of Tab and other equally nasty tasting sugar-free soda's available at Grandma's helped to hone my tastebuds and their sensitivity to any kind of sugar substitute. When my mom was going through her "no carbs" phase she continually tried to get me to taste various things that contained Splenda. "Taste this. It doesn't taste fake!" I'd try it, make a face and say "Ack!" Even when attempting to pass something off without telling me I instantly recognized the fake sugar taste - all of which remind me of those saccharine tablets from my youth. Nothing with fake sugar EVER tastes like sugar. Period. I don't care what anyone says.

Finally, Splenda is NOT natural! While it might originally "come from sugar", it's final product is created in a lab and is in the category of "artificial sweetener". Its clinical name is sucralose. Concerns have been raised about the effect of sucralose on the thymus, an organ that is important to the immune system. Chronic consumption may lead to thymus shrinkage or other side-effects. The sucralose molecule is an organochloride (or chlorocarbon). Since some organochlorides are known to cause adverse health effects in extremely small concentrations, critics of sucralose feel the extra-high burden of proof is warranted.

Now am I against Splenda in general? No. If your diabetic or need to lose weight and must use a sugar substitute, this is a wonderful alternative to saccharine. But what bugs me most is their commercial campaign that leads the public to believe Splenda is sugar. Or that it's all natural because part of it is derived from sugar. There were even lawsuits about this across the world. (An undisclosed settlement out of court in America-of course. A French court made Splenda change their marketing tag lines.)

Be aware of what you're putting into your body! Don't trust a company who actually makes a profit off of your purchase!

Yeah I felt like bitching today! Maybe it was just because I woke up to trash all over the front lawn. Animals got into it and fire ants were involved. So there's me running around in my robe trying to pick it all up in time for the trash man. Fabulous! Two ant bites on notwithstanding. Sure it's funny when you're not the one carrying around a tube of Benedryl cream! Sheese....

Oil Change = Boredom

2008-06-18T15:45:00.001-04:00

So I'm sitting (actually standing) here at waiting for the oil to be changed on my car. The last time I had an oil change it was a huge fiasco. It took like 3 hours. (They didn't have the proper size socket to get the filter casing open, then couldn't figure out how to put it all together. Then after it WAS together, it was together wrong causing my check engine light to come on as I pulled away). These folks gauranteed me that it wouldn't take three hours. Here's hoping!!! At least these folks are giving me a discount because I've brought my own filter (Most folks don't have them in stock). The last place should have paid ME for the education I gave them on how to change the oil on a Mini Cooper (since I got online in this same type of fashion and drug them to the computer terminal so they could look at the instructions that I had found online). This time I was wize. I left the instructions already printed on the front seat next to to the oil filter. Um hmmm.

Let it be noted I started blogging this at 3:45. I'll update if it gets ridiculous. For now I'm going to go "watch" through the little window they provide. At least I was the first in line here, so hopefully it actually WILL be a quick dealio. Wish me luck!!!

Goodbyes...Memories...Something Like That.

2008-06-11T22:57:00.001-04:00

This evening my Mom and I went through my Nana's jewelery box. Nana loved jewels. Some of her favorites were worn often and as we pulled each item out of the curio I could picture her wearing them. As we gazed upon the various rings, necklaces, and earrings I envisioned them on her hands, neck and ears. It was a very odd feeling. A reminder that she's gone but something for us to hold on to as a memory of her. Coming "home" and her not being here is equally strange. Living away I could pretend that she (and Gramps) were still here alive and well. But when I'm home and they're not here it's painfully clear that they're gone. I miss them a lot! I know it's all a part of life, but we still try to make ourselves believe that we, along with our parents, grandparents, siblings, have forever on this planet. And we don't. One thing I can say is they knew I loved them. I told them frequently. I'm so thankful for that. And I'm so glad that I was lucky enough that my grandparents all lived long enough for me to know them long into my adult life. But I still miss them!

House Hunting Sucks

2008-06-09T21:09:00.001-04:00

House hunting stinks. What's worse is house hunting when you have a finite time in which to find a suitable home. After a day of stressful traveling... You know how this goes... lay over in Atlanta which forces you to run from one end of the airport to the other so you can get your connection on time - then landing in Tampa only to find that a previous storm that caused planes to delay and/or circle were now taking up all of the gates. To conserve fuel the pilot requested that vents be open and window shades closed while the plane was turned off to conserve fuel. This is akin to hoping that your a/c keeps your car cool for a half hour in the blazing hot summer sun. I was feeling a bit trapped to begin with, shutting the windows only made this worse. And while I usually don't get motion sick, when I'm "warm" while in motion I get quite queasy. Enter the stop and start circular taxiing that felt as if it was being done just for fun. Meanwhile mom was waiting for me as she drove around the airport multiple times - we had planned to look at two houses on the way home from the airport (being that they're on the way and all) and we had folks waiting for us.

The first house was on a lake, which is pretty darn cool, but it was an older home and they were asking way too much for it. The second was in what I would consider a boating community. I don't have, nor do I ever intend on having a boat, but it was still a neat area. The only problem with this home is that the property manager lives right across the street. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not planning on having any big orgies or anything, but I just don't like the idea that I'm being "watched" you know? So two no goes right off the bat.

Today was a wonderful set of events. First mom decided to accidentally take two of her heart pills. We called her doc and they said that she should be okay but that we need to monitor her heart rate to make sure it doesn't go too low. (Meanwhile we're supposed to be meeting a real estate agent to take us to some houses in New Port Richey - Mom calls and says we're "running late because she accidentally took too may pills". We're pretty sure this gave a wonderful first impression!) After ensuring that it was okay for mom to be out and about (and taking her portable blood pressure cuff with us) we head on over.

Now, my initial impression that the housing market being horrible, and the high cost of homes down here in Florida would allow me a lot more rentals to choose from (Folks who can't afford their homes getting into cheaper homes and renting out the ones they can't afford kind of thing - or folks forced to rent out their homes because no one can get a damned loan to buy their homes). Unfortunately the only ones making any money off this horrible market are the jerks that already have too much money than any one person should and are buying up all the homes dirt cheap and banking in a few years, when/if the market improves, they'll be making a huge profit.

Out of the, oh, say 20 houses on my list, there were only 5 that had not already rented. Again, folks are having a hard time getting loans so there are a lot more renters out there. To say that I was frustrated would be an understatement. Add to this the fact that 4 out of the 5 houses were quite Stepford, and at least two of them I felt as if I could stick my hand out the bathroom window and have my neighbor pass me some toilet paper. Another had neighbors in an almost cul-du-sac back yard as if we'd all want to hang out and bar-b-que together. The third was a bit better but that the back yard was right on a main road. Trees attempted to obscure the view but did little to block the sound. Both front and back yards were almost non-existent.

So, wouldn't it figure that the first house I looked at today wound up being the one I like the most. (But that didn't stop us from driving through every neighborhood from New Port Richey to Clearwater to look around). After a tiring day I have chosen my next residence... I'll give a description:

A nice large yard - with a huge patch of trees as neighbors to the rear, a beautiful large grapefruit tree in the center of the backyard and a weird looking wooden jungle gym thing in the right/center that is just BEGGING me to break my but on. The back is all fenced in with chain link fence which i usually don't like but I realized that what I usually don't like about chain link is it's sort of cold industrial feeling and this then tends to be a focal point in a yard. But because of the large number of trees taking most of the focus, the fence is actually pretty nifty. The front yard has two very large oak trees and a medium sized pineapple palm all of which sheds quite a bit of shade on the home (which should greatly assist in the a/c bills). The neighbors are a decent distance away on either side. The place has all new carpet which is cool, but the kitchen has those dark wood cabinets with the lines in them - kind of reminding of paneling with those large black door pulls on them. You know, quiet 70s, so I'm feeling very retro at this point. The kitchen does have wood laminate flooring which is actually very pretty. And what I found really cool? There is a hand mixer hanging on the wall - like some sort of "charging hand mixer thing". Now it's a rare occasion that I USE a hand mixer, but it's still neat! (Again very retro). There are no walk in closets so it's a good thing I got rid of a bunch of clothing, but all of the closets have neat built in shelving. There are three bedrooms (one going to be my office of course) and two bathrooms - both of which have patterns in the tile (one a star and another something I can't quite describe, both very cool looking). The house was built in 1981 so you can get an understanding of what we're dealing with here.

So the morale of the story? I could have chosen a "beautiful" house inside with no yard and became entrenched in the goings on of everyone in the 'hood, or I could get the retro 80's house with the kick butt yard. I chose the yard. And I think my search is done... :)

Cloned Dogs?

2008-05-21T08:16:00.001-04:00

I'm sitting here (uncomfortably since I'm suffering from sciatica and am slowly recovering) watching Good Morning America. It's background noise as I attempt to slog through email, update blogs, pay my bills, balance my check book, and all of the other things that I'm behind on because of this injury. But the reason for this post - which caught my attention was this story about cloning your dog.

That's right, you can take some DNA from the family dog and have them cloned so that you'll be sure to have an exact duplicate once your current dog passes due to disease, injury or old age. I'm going to hold my opinion for a moment and give you a few facts from the story along with a link to the website (http://www.bestfriendsagain.com).

1: In 1998 the multi-million dollar project began - an attempt to clone "Missy" an "exceptional pet".
2: Due to an alleged "overwhelming response" to the project by folks who also wanted their "exceptional pets cloned" the Missyplicity Project founded Genetic Savings & Clone (GSC) in February 2000.
3: Missy, at age 15, died in 2002 but not before her DNA had been harvested.
4: By 2006 GSC had been unsuccessful in cloning Missy and, based on the high cost of research, shut down operation. However the quest to clone Missy continued.
5: In 2006, Dr. Hwang (related to GSC only through professional acquaintance) lead a team of research scientists at Seoul National University in a major dog cloning effort. His team (Sooam) successfully cloned the world’s first dog in 2007. They readily agreed to clone Missy (Enter BioArts). Thus 10 years later we have three Missy clones.
6: BioArts and Sooam decided to partner to offer a limited number of cloning spots to the public through the Best Friends Again program. Sooam will be contributing production services. BioArts will be providing customer service and the worldwide exclusive legal rights to clone dogs, as well as certain technology that increase the efficiency and safety of cloning.
7: The virtues of how much the clones are like the original Missy, how great Missy was and how wonderful and healthy the puppies are fill the pages of the website.
8: The website claims that the standards for their work are stricter than what the FDA requires for cattle because they're dealing with "Mans Best Friend" but it doesn't say what these stricter requirements are.
9: They are having a contest where five families will be able to clone their beloved dog.

Social Benefits (aside from what they claim is the "joy it brings a few families"):

1: "Adds to the body of scientific knowledge about canine and feline reproductive physiology." This will "accelerate the development of low-cost, non-surgical, drug-based contraceptive and sterilization methods to reduce cat and dog overpopulation."

2: "Cloning is the last line of defense for severely endangered species, after habitat preservation, poaching control, and captive breeding." "BioArts is developing non-profit partnerships to provide technical know-how on canine reproduction"..."to repopulate endangered canids, including varieties of wolves, foxes, and wild dogs."

3: "Replicate Superior Working Dogs:Genetically exceptional, highly trained dogs perform valuable services..." "Only certain individual dogs within specific breeds have the right mix of sensitivity, intelligence, temperament, and other qualities to perform these jobs." "Fewer than half the dogs entering assistance or other working dog training programs end up being placed with clients" "Cloning the best working dogs can potentially improve the efficiency of working dog breeding programs."

4: "Support Human Health: Although scientific progress resulting from canine cloning research will primarily benefit the dog, there are enough similarities between mammals that improving our understanding of ova maturation, nuclear reprogramming, estrus cycling, and other key aspects of canine cloning should also provide new insights into human physiology and diseases."

Now for the arguments:

1. While the intelligence learned by these scientist while working on this project is certainly valuable, since we're claiming that we are wanting to assist in the endangered species issue AND to help support human health, can the same not be achieved by focusing on species that are endangerd, not over-run.

2. I'm not sure where they get their numbers about animal training programs for working dogs. I know that there are prison dog programs that I've heard are quite successful. I have never heard that the world doesn't have enough dogs to fill the working dog need. Maybe I'm wrong, but again, it's not my job to show the stats. If you're claiming this is a benefit of the work you're doing, give me some data to back that up!

3. Do we not have enough dogs that need good homes living in shelters all over the world - why add to the overpopulation problem?
Their answer: They're only offering five slots - so they're only adding five dogs to the already over abundant dog population (They also claim that they encourage pet owners to adopt from shelters).
My response: Sure, until you have refined your process and then find a way to package it so you can make gobs of money!!! I do feel that this was initially in the interest of science -at least partly, but I'm not so naive to believe if these folks can make billions of dollars, they're going to say "Why no, we can't do this, it would be unethical!" Yeah right.... You realize that this has the potential of turning into a puppy factory! And number of these puppies will wind up abused and abandoned too... Our shelters are crowded enough! Even the five new puppies that will be added with this little contest are five puppies too many! Breeders and shelters have plenty of dogs out there, we do not need any more!!!!

4. Isn't this exploiting grieving pet owners who have lost their dogs and just want their babies back?
Their answer: "Although we're sensitive to the grief felt by people whose pets have died, most of our clients seek our services while their pets are still alive." "We decline business from people who want us to bring specific pets back to life. Nobody can do that. Our goal is to produce new pets possessing the same genes as previous pets."
My response: Are you kidding me? If you're a dog owner, when you take one of these wonderful creatures into your life you are also aware that you will most likely outlive them. I don't know a single dog owner who hasn't thought about how bad it's going to suck when their dog passes. So to say that people are coming to you while their pets are still alive is in no way exploiting their grief is just ridiculous. You're exploiting their future grief. Further, to say that you decline business from people who want to bring specific pets back to life... Come on... you KNOW that's what these people all want. They want an exact duplicate of their dog because they want their dog to live forever. They want a dog just like the one they have now. So they can look into those same eyes and nuggle up to the same type of fur and in their own minds feel as if their baby never left them. And why, in the documentation on your website do you instruct that DNA can be extracted for up to five days after the dog's passing? Oh, and let's not forget the name of the organization is "Best Friends Again" not new best friend!

5. While no one has thought to bring up the following argument I'll state it here: I am not a psychologist, but common sense will dictate that replacing a deceased pet with an almost exact duplicate is completely circumventing the grieving process. Let me give you an example: When I lost my Kelsey last year I was of course devastated. A few months later I was looking at a Shih Tzu rescue website because I was feeling so lonely for a fur baby in my life. I realized very quickly that my tendency toward any of the babies that looked exactly like my Kelsey was a sure sign that I had not finished grieving. Would it be healthy for me to "replace" my girl with a duplicate? No. Of course it sucks to lose a beloved pet. But when they leave this world, it's something we have to deal with, not throw ourselves into denial by replacing them with a look-alike!!! And I wont even get into the creep factor! It gives me the heebie jeebies... Pet Cemetery anyone?

When we lose a pet, for many of us the loss is akin to losing a human child. Would it be healthy to have little Jimmy or Jane's DNA in a bank in the off chance something horrible happens to them so you can "replace them"?

Finally - let me reiterate... this was a multi-million dollar project. Money well spent? Think of what that money could do for AIDS and Cancer research... or hell, how many starving people that could have fed! Or, here's a thought... donated to the endangered species organizations that you're claiming you are helping or to no kill shelters whom you claim to encourage clients to investigate that are starving for funds and having to turn perfectly healthy animals away because they simply don't have the money to handle the demand!

Okay I'm done...

Happy May Day!

2008-05-01T15:32:00.002-04:00

With my laptop currently burning my thighs, the wind chimes tinkle in the yard at the behest of a warm breeze that finds its way through the windows, papers (including bills, invoices for those that actually owe ME money and business related documents) are strewn at my feet, a plate from my morning toast stacked upon another plate which held my lunch - reheated pizza - adorn the coffee table next to an empty iced tea glass, General Hospital as background noise because it doesn't distract me while it mixes with the sounds of the clothes dryer -- an honest attempt at catching up on the laundry on my day off of school-- it dawns on me... It's May Day!!! Happy May Day everyone!!!

Honey Update

2008-05-01T15:03:00.003-04:00

A few days after my last post regarding Honey the adorable girl mutt that found her way on to my front porch and decided to stay, I was woken up at what felt like 3a.m. but was more like 1a.m. It seems Honey (whom I had noticed was taking to territorial growlings and barks at strangers) had been outside barking incessantly. I didn't hear this because my bedroom air cleaner seems to drown out all outside noises. It took the door bell ringing and a uniformed officer to bring this to my attention.

"Do you own a blond dog?"
"Uhhh it's not my dog - she showed up here a few days ago and I gave her some food and water and she hasn't left".
"Well then she's your dog".
"Well, I had planned on taking her to The Haven (which is a local no kill shelter) this weekend..."
"She's been barking and we've had a few complaints"
(I'm told this is what they always say and more than likely it was my immediate neighbors. --Never mind their children are current screaming and yelling in the back yard and interrupting my work for the better part of the day.)
"Does she come in the house?" he asked.
"No I have bad allergies." (Not to mention she's probably in need of a flea bath, but more importantly, if I brought her into my home I'd probably keep her forever).
He paused and I said "What should I do?"
"Take her to The Haven tomorrow".
Mind you him being there was causing her to bark even more so I'm sure the neighbors were even more thrilled. And her barking was causing every other dog in the hood to yap. So I put her in the garage and kept her shut in. I figured the worse thing is I have a mess to clean up in the morning. Then I slept on the sofa so I could hear if she started barking or wimpering.

The next day I took her to The Haven. Unfortunately they are not accepting large dogs right now because they don't have the room and they're expensive to feed. When I heard this I literally fought off tears. I haven't had a good past twelve months in the world of animals so this was hitting a nerve. The good news is, she was wanded and she has a chip!!! We find out that she belongs to the Fayetteville ASPCA. The nice lady at The Haven called and the Fayetteville ASPCA has no record of the dog. It's their chip but they have no idea. The chip company has on record that the chip belonged to FASPCA but that it was signed out to someone else and then brought back to FASPCA. The Haven thinks that maybe Honey was fostered out. But they asked if I could bring Honey in and of course I said yes. I wanted nothing more than Honey to be reunited with her owner and/or found a nice home. Cuz she's a great dog!

When I get to the Fayetteville ASPCA the woman I spoke to initially had no idea what I was talking about but after explanation something seemed to register. I had to fill out a bunch of forms... "What's her name?" I dunno but I've been calling her Honey bun... ??? "What type of dog?" Again I have no idea. "How old is she?" Uhhh not my dog I don't know... It was kind of done at a hurried pace as they were closing in ten minutes and of course I'm feeling like I have no choice but to bring Honey here since a) she belongs to them and b) I can't have the cops coming back to my door. So as I'm filling out the paperwork I see that I am signing away my right to adopt a dog in the future from the Fayetteville ASPCA because I'm surrendering "my dog". I ask about this of course, because she's not MY dog... but apparently by law, after a certain period of time of taking care of an animal they become yours... Interesting. Oh and Fayetteville ASPCA doesn't take "strays". Okay.... So I sign this and after the fact become really annoyed. THEY lost track of this dog. It showed up on my door step. I took care of her. I did all the right things. But you make it look like I am the loser failing this animal. WTF???

I tried to call and get an update on her - I get an answering machine and no one returns my calls. How nice.

Am I St. Francis?

2008-03-20T11:33:00.000-04:00

Last Friday - One week after losing Smokey, a mysterious dog shows up. She looks vaguely familiar and I think she's the one that attempted to eat Smokey's food last fall and Smokey gave her a bloody nose for his trouble. While Smokey was here most animals stayed out of the yard. He was a pretty good watch cat -- Rarely getting in fights but often giving warnings to would be trespasser animals.

Now, you might ask if it's possible that this dog was the reason for Smokey's untimely death. While anything is possible, I have to say with complete certainty that she's not. First of all she has no marks on her other than an old scar on her nose (Which is what led me to believe she's the one that Smokey gave the bloody nose to those many months ago.). She's very docile. She doesn't seem to have an interest in cats other than to perk her ears when they fight nearby. The attention she gives to other dogs is mostly an incessant butt sniffing. She's only shown her teeth once to a dog that was a bit jumpy during one of these greetings. And Gerry even picked her up off the ground. If she was going to bitch at anything, it should have been that. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

So this yellow lab/sheppard mix dog shows up last Friday. She's very sweet, I give her a piece of ham and say hello. Then I sit at my kitchen counter with the laptop to do work. She spends the rest of the day looking in at me through the kitchen window while camped out on the front porch. I go out to get the mail and I say hello and pet her. She grants me with some prancing and a wagging tail, followed by a little whimper as I sit back down at the counter and she resumes her vigil. Gerry came home from work around 9:30 p.m. and she greeted him with caution before wagging her tail and giving love. Figuring she must be hungry we give her a slice of pizza and some water. I worry that she's not going to go home and I put a blanket on the front porch because it's a chilly night. Gerry's mom named her Bowser because we thought she was a boy. After further inspection (Privacy be damned.) we find that she's in fact a girl.

Upon awaking the next morning she's still here. We start to call her "Blondie" before I decide that's too superficial sounding and Blondie then becomes "Honey". Honey chases the car as we go to get something to eat on Saturday. It had been raining and we left the garage open with some blankets. We came home around 8pm and Honey wasn't here. At this point we figure she's gone. I close the garage door when heading off to bed. Gerry discovered her on the front porch and opened the garage for her around 1 a.m.

By now we've assumed that she HAS to be a stray. But who would abandon such a beautiful dog. Sunday morning she's still on the front porch. She again chase the car as far as she can before heading back to the driveway. She continues this behavior anytime we both leave. If one of us remains behind she'll stay on the front porch. She knows the meaning of the commands "Sit" and "No", so she's at least had some sort of training. She's friendly and loving. Though she's cautious and a bit skittish over loud unexpected sounds. I could jump to all kinds of conclusions over that trait. Was she abused? She doesn't seem to have any evidence other than being skinny because she'd been abandoned. I ask neighbors and no one seems to know where she came from. So did someone dump her off. Did someone move and leave her behind?

It's now been four days. Honey is still camping out on the front porch with lots of blankets (I gave her the option of the garage but she seems to prefer the front door (Probably because that's the door we use the most). We've continued to feed and give her water and at this point I believe she's officially my responsibility and I plan to make a valiant attempt at finding her a new home and if not, take her to the no-kill shelter. Unfortunately I cannot keep her - aside from just not being ready for another animal in my life after the loses of the past year, there are other extenuating circumstances.

Know anyone looking for a really great dog -- before I become any more attached than I already am???

A Memorial to Smokey

2008-03-19T11:12:00.001-04:00

I have a soft spot for animals. This is no secret. Certainly, when Outdoor Kitty aka Smokey or Smokey Smoke, found his way into my life last year it wasn’t long before he also wormed his way into my heart. I was never a cat person. Mostly because I am highly allergic to them and I knew that I couldn’t have them in my home. Of course Id’ make a bee line for my friends’ cats, giving them pets and love. And I wasn’t above giving food, water and affection to the strays or other outdoor cats that wandered into my yard. In general, I don’t believe in having outdoor pets, so I went against my better judgment when Smokey came along. His options were the no-kill shelter, where he would certainly be miserable, or here on this large plot of land away from any major roads. The garage was his initial home with plans of putting him in the upstairs bonus room on really cold nights.

I’m not exactly sure when it happened that Smokey came to be more of an indoor cat than an outdoor cat. I do know that I couldn’t seem to let him spend the colder winter days outside – Regardless of the fact that the garage stayed pretty warm. My initial thought was, have him in the hardwood area of the house, keep him off of the sofa where I sit, and remember to take my Allegra and Flonase daily! He never seemed to spend his nights upstairs though, since the door didn’t fully latch and he’d push it open before wandering into my bed. I didn’t seem to mind waking up with him next to my pillow or having him sit next to me on the couch, despite my eyes watering and the inability to breathe through my nose. I could almost hear my doctor shouting in my ear “This is not good for your lungs! There will be long term repercussions!” but I didn’t have the heart to shoosh him away.

Upon waking in the mornings he’d want outside to “make his rounds” and then he’d scratch on the door to come back in for food. Not long after he’d scratch on the door to go outside and do his business. In between inside and outside he’d sit near me “perking” and was more like a dog than any cat I’d ever seen. In fact he even growled at strangers or people I didn’t like. I grew to love the way he’d set his paw on my knee or arm when looking for a treat and how he’d sit on the side of the tub looking for water while taking a bath. (A large jar lid would be used to offer him warm water from the tap which he loved). If I was outside washing the car or doing yard work he’d hang out by my side. Seldom did he ever leave the property and on those rare occasions he didn’t go far. He’d venture to the edge of the field across our road and into our woods in the back yard. But usually he’d come when we call, or at the very least when we shook his treat bag.

Sadly Smokey-Smoke left us the Friday before last. He went out for his rounds early in the morning and didn’t come home. He was found later in the woods having died by some mysterious means (Though evidence points to a fight with another cat). He was buried in the woods with a blanket, treats and his toy mouse.

Out of the Loop

2008-03-18T09:14:00.003-04:00

I know I've been out of the loop for the past month and a half. A lot of crappy stuff has been going on. First of all my Nana passed away the day before Christmas. A week and a half ago Outdoor Kitty, aka Smokey was found dead in the back yard woods. He died two weeks to the day before the anniversary of Kelsey's death (My beloved Shih Tzu puppy of 15 years). In between all of this I got slammed with work (Some of which I have yet to be paid for dang it! -Nothing like feeling like you're working for free!). Couple that with classes and house work and another stray dog having found it's way into my life and I've been busy, depressed, stressed and confused. Though busy tends to out weigh everything and keep me from thoughts of jumping from the nearest high place! More posts will follow - I've actually been writing a couple of things -Catharsis is good um hummm.

2008-03-17T09:06:00.000-04:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone !
A GUIDE FOR YOU FOR ST PATRICK'S DAY

IRISH BEER TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
SYMPTOM	CAUSE	CORRECTIVE ACTION
Feet cold and wet	Glass Being held at incorrect angle.	Rotate glass so that open end points toward ceiling
Feet warm and wet	Improper Bladder Control	Stand next to nearest dog, complain about lack of house training
Beer unusually pale and tasteless	a. Glass empty. b. You're holding a Coors Lite	Get someone to buy you another beer
Opposite wall covered with fluorescent lights	You have fallen over backward.	Have yourself lashed to the bar
Mouth contains cigarette butts, back of head covered with ashes	You have fallen forward	See above
Beer tasteless, front of your shirt is wet	a. Mouth not open b. Glass applied to wrong part of face	Retire to restroom, practice in front of mirror
Floor Blurred	You are looking through bottom of empty glass	Get someone to buy you another beer
Floor moving	You are being carried out	Find out if you are being taken to another bar
Room seems unusually dark	Bar has closed	Confirm home address with bartender. If staff is gone, grab a six-pack to go and hit the nearest fire escape door. Run.
Taxi suddenly takes on colorful aspect and textures	Beer consumption has exceeded personal limitations	Cover mouth, open window, stick head outside
Everyone looks up to you and smiles	You are dancing on the table	Fall on someone cushy-looking
Beer is crystal-clear	It's water! Somebody is trying to sober you up	Punch him
People are standing around urinals, talking	You're NOT in the ladies' room	Do not use urinal! Excuse yourself, exit and try the next door down the hall. Try to get phone numbers before exiting (optional)
Hands hurt, nose hurts, mind unusually clear	You have been in a fight	Apologize to everyone you see, just in case it was them
Don't recognize anyone, don't recognize the room you're in	You've wandered into the wrong party	See if they have free beer
Your bedroom is painted gray, has a concrete floor and an interesting steel door. Toilet may be conveniently located next to your bunk	a. You're in jail b. You're in the navy	Sleep it off, you can always get out tomorrow. Don't talk to your new roommate, and under no circumstances sleep on your stomach
You are dancing to a Village People song, and your partner is wearing leather chaps	You're in a gay bar	Keeping your back to the wall, edge toward nearest exit. Do not accept offers for back rubs
Your singing sounds distorted	The beer is too weak	Have more beer until your voice improves
Don't remember the words to the song	Beer is just right	Play air guitar

Memories of Nana

2008-02-15T10:24:00.001-05:00

I’m one of those rare people to have the opportunity not only to know my grandparents, but have them in my life long into adulthood. Each of my grandparents served as surrogate parents to my self and my siblings. They all had their roles. Grandma as the nurturer that would take anyone in at any time, no reservations required and no complaints. We’d say “There’s always room for one more at Grandma’s place”. My Grandpa, the tickler, was our play buddy. Very seldom would you hear a stern word from his lips. Instead there would be jokes, gentle taunts and a wonderful belly laugh. Now Gramps (my other Grandpa) was the epitome of proper British culture. His accent still strong after over 30 years of living in the States, he had his own sense of humor. He was quite, gentle and kind. Gramps infused religion into the mix and taught me the importance of hard work, Kung Foo, Kojack and the simple pleasures found in a comfy chair.

Nana on the other hand, while certainly fun and caring, was often tough love. She didn’t take any crap and told you exactly what she was thinking, whether you wanted to hear it or not.--Though most times it was what you NEEDED to hear. So it should come as no surprise that while we saw butterflies at Gramps’ funeral, we saw a bumble bee at Nana’s.--Beautiful and instrumental but willing to sting you if you get out of line. Nana inspired us all to expect more from ourselves--To strive towards something better. In and amongst her lessons were these valuable tidbits:

There’s nothing quite like a good foot scrubbing: Despite giggles and screams emitted during the torturous tickling, I’d always plead for more when the “agony” ceased.--And don’t forget to scrub behind those ears, we don’t want cauliflower growing!

A swimsuit, also known as a swim costume (or “cozzie” for short) is acceptable attire under any outfit – Because you never know when you might find the chance opportunity to worship the sun. And work can always be coupled with play: Get the beach house tub scrubbed and run the Hoover on those carpets, and down to the sea we will go!

Some of the best cuisine will never be listed on a five-star restaurant menu: Potato Chip and Butter Sandwiches, Banana and Butter Sandwiches, Eggs and Soldiers (soft-boiled eggs with the tops cut off and buttered bread cut in strips perfect for dipping), Sheppard’s Pie, Mashed Potatoes Topped with Ground Beef and Gravy and a side of Peas (which usually wound up all mixed together – Some call this Poor Mans Sheppard’s Pie), Yorkshire Pudding (Heavenly!), and to wash it all down, a Shandy (Ginger Ale and Beer mixed half and half in a glass – also good for tummy aches).

There is only one way to enjoy a horror flick: The film must be frightening enough to scare the pants off of you. (Like “Visiting Hours” which left me attempting to sleep curled up on her bathroom floor with the lights turned on because I was sure the slasher was going to come out of the closet!). This type of thing makes you braver you know.

Hurricanes can be fun: Like sitting in a Florida style mobile home, listening to the wind rattle the siding and windows while rain pelted down like pennies on a tin roof and tree tops bent towards the ground.

How to set a proper table including lessons on which eating utensil is used for what: salad fork, dinner fork, desert fork... And exactly why was there a different utensil for each dish? (Did you know that real silver will hold the taste of food until they are washed? Picture eating pickled something or other with the same fork you’re about to use for cheese cake… ICK!--Now Nana taught you something too!)

Always speak proper English:

Say “Please” and “Thank you.”

It’s “Pardon Me?”, not “Huh?” or “What?”.

“Who’s SHE? The cat’s Mother?” – Always use proper names!

Presents are fun to give AND receive. Squeeze, shake, rattle, sniff, listen and if you get a private opportunity, pull up the corner a bit and see if it reveals anything. Then, as soon as you’re allowed, rip into that paper like your life depends on it. Be sure to place the bow on your head during this process.

There’s nothing quite like the cuddle of a soft teddy bear or the beauty of fresh flowers in the garden.

Shopping is a religion.

The Macarana can be fun! In fact when you saw Nana shaking her groove thing to that song in her advanced years, you couldn’t help but clap and sing along in encouragement! Some were even brave enough to join in!

This is just a taste of the wonder that was Nana. After her memorial, my mother, sister and myself were talking in the loft. The little Christmas tree with sea shells still sat on the table and the presents my brother and I had shipped down for Nana remained underneath. I handed my gift to my sister and offered, “Would you like to keep this as a memento to remember Nana?” “What is it?” she asked. At that moment, the video for The Macarana began to play on the television. Yes, Nana found a way to shout: “Oooh! Open it! What’s inside?” a brilliant reminder that while she’s missed terribly, she’s still very much a part of our lives.

Puppy

2008-01-15T23:00:00.000-05:00

I was sitting on my couch and saw a woman walking a dog past the window... Wait...that's puppy!!! Awww! I kidna miss the little stinker. But no, I like my sleep too much. And my things.

Demon Dog - Not Ready for a Puppy

2008-01-04T14:13:00.001-05:00

I came home from a job to find the cutest little puppy wandering out of my partially closed garage. It was a particularly cold day so I immediately dropped everything, picked up the puppy and took her into the house. As I tried to guess where she may have come from, I went back outside to collect my purse. In that short span of time "puppy" had already tore an ornament off of my Christmas tree. I expected to hear someone calling for her or going door to door to find her. I mean this is a PUPPY after all... You'd think someone would be missing it. Not a peep. I figured I'd wait out the night and if they didn't come, on the morning I'd start calling shelters to find out if someone inquired of her whereabouts before going door to door myself - even put up some posters. My big fear was that someone bought the puppy for their child and decided she was too much work and took her for a ride.

The reason I started to believe this was evidenced by the hole in the shin area of my pants, the little red scratches and nip bites on my arms, legs and even tummy, and the fact that I literally couldn't let this little baby out of my site for a second without her getting into something or tearing something apart. No, not my shoe... No, leave my computer cord alone! Hey! Those are my glasses! Put the remote DOWN.

By 10:00 p.m. I realized no one was going to come for the puppy. I called my friend Stacey telling her all about how cute this little thing was as I listened to her telling me that I CAN make space in my life for a new puppy. I called Cristy and her opinion was "This is why I adopt adult dogs" as I attempted to have a conversation with her between shouts of "No" and "Hey" and "Ouch" depending on the actions of this little possessed being.

Needless to say I was unable to get any sleep overnight. While I did implement a crate, which ensured I was able to have 15 minute naps here and there, but for the most part, Puppy wanted loving, playing, and taken out to eat the frozen grass (She's teething).

By 10:00 a.m. I decided to take the puppy door to door (Unshowered, bags under my eyes and all). I made it to the first house to be told they have no idea where the puppy belongs. At this point I noticed a note on the corner stop sign. Success! I dialed the number and puppy and family were reunited with wagging tails and "I missed you"s. Oh did I mention it's a pit bull? Explains a bit of the demon dog side!

To save my belongings I had taken out some of Kelsey's toys. I used her leash to walk the puppy to it's home. Unfortunately I had to then put all this stuff away, feeling like I was saying goodbye to Kelsey all over again.

I still miss Kelsey so much. And NO, I am NOT ready for a puppy!

To The Cleveland Browns

2007-12-31T10:55:00.000-05:00

Thanks for the great season. 10-6... What a record (Keeping in mind that some of the teams playing in this years play offs didn't have this good of a record).

What is my mantra?
"There's always next year".

Who am I?
I am a Browns fan!

You Know NOTHING About Icy Roads!

2007-12-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

This morning it was as if a major catastrophe took place. The news was focusing on one subject - The icy roads plaguing commuters here in North Carolina this morning. Every year when this happens I find myself scoffing at what feels like the sheer stupidity of it. I mean, this morning there were roads closing because they had a "sheen" of ice. Granted, we're not as equipped down here with salt trucks and such - we have them but we don't have the surplus of ice that they'd have in say, Cleveland where I grew up - Communiting the two hour (which should have been a half hour) snow covered highways to get to and from work many winter mornings. But this is the first icing. They have salt. And from what I understand, salt was applied. But hell, even if it wasn't used, I just don't understand why folks lose their minds when a little bit of ice winds up on the roads. I guess growing up in the north we just got so used to this type of thing that when stuff starts closing and people are wrecking left and right on the roads it just seems ridiculous. I find myself saying... "Ice? You don't know nothing about no ice!"

Headaches

2007-12-07T10:22:00.002-05:00

I am now on day three of a horrible kick butt sinus headache. I thought maybe it was the Flonase, so I didn't use it this morning (one of the side effects - headaches). But I still wound up with a doozie after being up and about for a bit. Nighttime Pain Reliever is what has gotten me through the past two nights - mostly because it's got Benedryl in it. So I'm back to believing it's sinus related because the weather here is insane. One day it will be 60 and sunny the next its 35 and cloudy. I never know what the hell to wear from day to day without checking the weather report first. But I can say for sure, taking exams with a pounding skull is NOT FUN!

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-02T11:13:00.000-05:00

Hey, you gotta get your tree home some way! And if the largest car at your disposal is your Mini Cooper, than you do what you gotta do. Lots of laughs and pointing in our general direction on that day! You'd never believe by the picture that the tree is almost 8 feet tall!

Godzilla!

2007-11-20T11:09:00.001-05:00

This kick ass Halloween Village is one of the decorations that can be found around my house in October. This year it was done up a bit more extensive with green "grass" paper and such. Apparently it was so realistic a little gecko decided to call it home. If you look closely you'll see him hanging out at the top of Dracula's castle. He was aptly named "Godzilla". Eventually I helped the guy find his way back outside so he didn't perish without adequate food and water in the house (Though I think I can thank him for taking care of any little no-seeum's that might have been lurking around).

Murhpy's Law... Or something like that...

2007-11-14T14:54:00.001-05:00

I'm working on a paper that's due tomorrow. Technically today but I had to bug out of class to deal with the heat folks - my thermostat (or something died) and my instructor gave me until tomorrow to get it in. Which is good because I have one particular problem that is kicking my booty. I spent most of the day working the problem, waking away in frustration to do some work only to sit back down and try my hand at the problem again.

A little while ago I got a call from the heat guy to let me know he was on his way. I started to tell him what was going on and I walked up to the thermostat - and low and behold it was working again. Mind you it's 75 degrees outside today (which hit us out of the blue) and I don't really need the heat, tomorrow it's supposed to be cold again. So I told him to come out anyway and see if he can figure out what is going on. While he was running his diagnostics I continued to work on my problem and shouted... "GOT IT!" when I finally figured out the answer. This was around the time the heat guy came in to tell me he can't find anything wrong. So I wrote out a check for 75.00 (With a promise from him, if I have to call him out again tomorrow because it died again that they wouldn't charge me 75.00 again) when my computer decided to reboot itself after auto installing some window updates. Uh huh... Lost the problem and am now in the process of recreating it. Thankfully it was still pretty fresh in my memory but still!

This is my life. Welcome to my world.

And I wonder why it is I can never seem to get anything accomplished!!!

Thoughtful Gifts?

2007-11-09T14:41:00.000-05:00

A word to the wise. If you ever intend on giving a book as a "pick me up" to a friend or loved one, make sure you read the book first. A prime example--As a little something special I was given what promised to be an uplifting and inspiring story about a man and his dog. This was meant to somehow help me with the grieving process of losing my fur baby. However, I do not consider getting through 99 percent of the book only to find out that the man put his dog down because it bit someone to be any kind of consolation. There is one chapter left in the book. I can't find it if I wanted to. Last I recall it was flying through the air with the greatest of ease.

Financial Hardship?

2007-10-18T16:59:00.001-04:00

I arrived home from school and flipped on the television. Generally I'll see what's going on Oprah to use as a backdrop while going through my email and figuring out what homework I need to do first. Today's guest was Suze Orman who was giving advice to various couples who were in serious debt (One so bad that she suggested they sell their house and move to Seattle). Most of what Suze had to say was certainly very valuable, however I was stunned when she suggested that one gentleman download his vast DVD collection onto his iPod and then sell the DVD's on eBay.

Ummm... Hello... Do I need to point out that this is ILLEGAL--and in total defiance of Copyright law (Not in any way shape or form falling under the auspice of fair use)? If you think the couple has a financial hardship now, wait until they get slapped with a lawsuit from the MPAA for making illegal copies of DVDs. Eeesh...

Yes, I flung off an email on the Oprah.com website, not sure anyone will read it or make any sort of public correction but I made my psa.

Evaluations?

2007-10-16T08:48:00.001-04:00

Okay, call me naive, but this is the first time I've ever heard of this... Maybe I just never paid attention...But there is such a thing as "Evaluations" where I, the student, am afforded the opportunity to grade my instructors. How cool is that?!? I mean, if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Say you have a teacher that by definition sucks, they never showed up for class, when they do they're not prepared...This system allows you to tattle to the powers that be. What a brilliant idea. This way the instructors are held accountable to the students just as much as we as students are expected to put forth our best effort. On the other hand, I can see where this might be dangerous.--Lazy students failing a given course might use this as an attempt at blaming the instructor. But it does make me feel better about my relationship with my teachers in some weird way. Thankfully I don't have any that would require a bad evaluation, but it's nice to know this system is in place to, shall we say, keep the bar raised.

Bad Dreams

2007-10-10T15:25:00.001-04:00

It's been seven months since I lost my baby-girl, Kelsey (my fur kid). I still dream about her quite frequently. I've realized that my subconscious doesn't realize she's actually gone. These dreams include freaking out because I haven't fed Kelsey in seven months (or let her out) and she must be STARVING. I wake up in a panic thinking, "Oh God, what have I done." The last dream I had involved my X telling me that he's taking her away from me because I've been neglecting her. Anyone who has ever seen me with my girl realizes how in-tune I was with her. I knew what each and every bark, whine and whimper meant. In fact, it seemed that I developed a sixth sense along with an almost bionic ability to hear her gremlin-like noises when no other human or animal seemed capable of picking up on them. So the idea that I would ever neglect her in any way, shape or form is unthinkable. But here I am, unable to convince my sub-conscious that she's gone. I've been told that she visits me in my dreams, and that's a comforting thought. Except for the ones where she starving, in need of an out door break or freezing to death. Isn't it horrible how the human brain can mess with you sometimes?

Stiving For Greatness or Just Being Anal?

2007-10-09T15:15:00.001-04:00

I never thought I would see the day that I'd be pissed off for getting a 90% on a paper for school. Most folks would say, "Hey, a 90! That's great!" I on the other hand, I have turned into a prefectionist when it comes to school. And considering I inadvertently skipped the prereq for this specific course, I've been applying myself extra hard so I've set the bar fairly high. Of course there's also something to be said for paying for your own education.

This is one of the major differences between high school and college. Paying for it yourself certainly inspires a certain sort of dedication that you might not have if say Mommy and Daddy are footing the bill.

Something else I've noticed, when you actually have a direction and pride yourself on being well-versed in your given career, coming home with less than 100% feels a bit like a black eye. "I thought you knew what you were doing." "You mean you don't know EVERYTHING about computers?" Sure this is pressure I've put upon myself, but pressure all the same. And man, I've gotta tell you, getting a hundred on a final exam rocks!!!

A Day In the Life...

2007-10-03T12:02:00.001-04:00

The following are actual events from a day in my recent past:

I woke up running late but remembering to grab my tire information so I could call regarding a nail in my right front tire (yes ANOTHER nail!!!). Thank God for that road hazard policy I received with my new tires, right? So I'm rushing around the house, throwing on whatever clothing doesn't smell... Makeup? We don't have time for no stinking makeup.

I began looking for my checkbook (I needed gas and had to make sure there was actually money in my account to cover the expense). As I was shuffling papers around on the kitchen bar (which recently has become the catch-all for every scrap of paper imaginable) I knocked over my antique apple pepper shaker. Yup, you guessed it... a cloud of pepper dust encircled me. I began to sneeze endlessly (Allergies did NOT help this situation). Of course I cursed and grabbed the broom, throwing the ceramic shards, along with the still-intact salt shaker and the mound of pepper swept up from the floor into the trash.

Crap, I've gotta go! I begin to hunt for Out Door Kitty, who managed to run past me into the house as I grab my keys. After depositing kitty outside, I hop into the car and pull out of the driveway, my "hey you've got a flat tire" light came --Tell me something I don't know! There was enough air to get to class and hopefully the gas station to add more air.

I get to class in the nick of time and during my first break I decide to go out and call the tire folks. I'm informed that they're really booked up and that the wont be able to see me before 3-4pm. Fabulous. As I'm making this call, I step out of my car and do the once over, only to realize that my left back tire is totally flat. NOT the tire that has the nail!!! Are you KIDDING???

I proceed to security, hoping that they can help me out, as I wasn't very interested in putting on my spare tire wearing a skirt. The security folks were nice enough to fill the tire but suggested I go get this taken care of right away. Okay fine, I drive home and grab my laptop so I can be productive while I wait for my car.

I changed and checked my email (I was banking on the fact that they wouldn't have wifi at the tire shop). As I pull the laptop and its accompanying t.v. table next to the sofa so I could sit while answering my mail, the cord caught in the bottom of one of the tall scroll work candle holders next to the fire place. I watched, what appeared to be slow motion, as the one slightly taller candle stand tipped into the shorter candle stand, both of them toppling on to the hearth in a crash of glass, slate and metal. Various expletives later, I left the shattered glass all over the floor and went to deal with my tires.

Serviceman: "I'm sorry, we are all full for today."
Me: "What? I spoke to someone earlier and they told me that you wouldn't be able to look at my car until 3 or 4pm."
Serviceman: "By that time we're trying to get out of here, we wouldn't be taking anyone new."
Me: "Well that's what I was told."
Serviceman: "Who did you speak to? Was it a woman?"
Me: "Yes. And she specifically said that you wouldn't be able to see me until around 3 or 4".
Serviceman: (Leaves to investigate and then returns) "She must not have explained properly. We are generally booked up by 10 or 11am, and those walk-ins are usually not seen until 3 or 4pm'
Me: "Well that's not how it was explained to me. I was told that I cannot make an appointment because you don't have any available until the 12th and if I came in today you wouldn't be able to look at my car before 3 or 4"
Serviceman: "I'm sorry she didn't explain that at the time you called you should have come right away."
Me: "Even if I did come right away, from what you're telling me, you are booked up by 11:00 a.m. and I wouldn't have been there in time anyway."
Serviceman; "True"
Me: "So what am I supposed to do. I have road hazard with you and I have not one, but two tires that need repaired, one that is totally going flat."
Serviceman: "You can come by tomorrow morning"
Me: "That is inconvenient because I have school. I definitely cannot miss my first class so the soonest I can get here is 11a.m and you're always going to be booked".
Serviceman: "I'm sorry..."
Me: "So essentially for me to use this free road hazard service which enables me to get my tires fixed for free is worthless because you'll never have an opening when I need it.
Serviceman: "You can make an appointment"
Me: "My tire is flat NOW."
Serviceman: "I'm sorry..."
Me: "Never mind"

Thanks to a certain cute boy, I was able to get the totally flat tire fixed for free immediately at his place of business, however I will be making an appointment with the tire shop to fix remaining nail pierced tire. Regardless of the fact that the road hazard came for free with the tires, in one way or another I paid for it and I am going use it damn it!

After all that I was put to the task of cleaning up the damn glass that was scattered on the living room floor.

What a freaking day!

Outdoor Cat

2007-09-14T13:51:00.001-04:00

I've gained a new friend - Smokey aka "Outdoor Cat". He can't live inside with me because I'd suffer horrible lung reactions... and so he gets the garage (cracked enough for him to get in and out) and the run of the large yard and woods. He's been guarding my yard for a few months now and I announced out loud a few days ago how happy I am that he doesn't have any hunter sensibilities. Not surprisingly, that very evening, while pulling into the driveway I noticed the carcass of a now deceased field mouse. I was told that I am supposed to praise him for this act, instead I announce "No Smokey! You killed Stuart Little". When discussing this with a friend the other day I was told that I'd should be happy he took care of it because having the rodent in the house is not a pleasant experience. I suppose this is true, but my animal loving side can't seem to get over the murder of this little furry guy.

Database Programming

2007-08-28T17:19:00.001-04:00

I'm into Chapter 3 of Oracle9i: SQL with an Introduction to PL/SQL. I still have no idea what PL/SQL is, but I'm at least not running the other direction from the rest of it. Considering I found out after starting the class that I should have taken DB110 first, I'm actually holding my own, which is good. Though I can tell you one thing, its not something you want to be watching Oprah while working on. After reading the first paragraph of Chapter 3, I decided I needed quiet. And I'm taking notes. It borders too closely to math for my distraction zone. I decided to write my own query:

Select DosEquis
From beer
Where temperature = "cold";

In slight contrast, the CSS and XHTML are a BREEZE! A little too easy actually. So I"m happy to report, school hasn't killed me yet :)

Some Folks Shouldn't Breed...

2007-08-16T17:05:00.001-04:00

I realize I live in the South. And with that comes certain hazards. This time, as opposed to complaining about the blistering heat or threatening hurricanes I'm referring to another inherent problem. That would be rednecks. Now the reason for this diatribe:

I was listening to the radio while doing some school research. Per usual a news brief came on air and the current concern was the water in a certain county that had been so bad it was coming out of the pipes the color of strongly brewed tea. The reason for this is that the water tables are extremely low due to the severe drought we've been experiencing. Now that isn't what has me disturbed The reason I'm shaking my head in disbelief is a comment made by a local citizen after the close of an emergency town meeting wherein it was requested that residence withhold from watering lawns until the situation improves. This idiot's response (which he wanted the entire public to hear since he voiced this opinion to reporters)... And I quote [Insert hillbilly accent here] "It's my house, I'll do what I want to do!"

Are you serious?

You Thought YOU Had It Bad

2007-08-16T14:39:00.000-04:00

This poor sucker's self-esteem must be in the toilet! He was awarded the World's Ugliest Dog title in 2007.

Hot Hot Hot!

2007-08-10T16:55:00.001-04:00

It's no secret that I love summer. That would explain my love of Florida and my desire to move there (That's coming quick! 10 months!!! Eeesh!) But I'm telling you, on these days when it's in the 100's here in North Carolina, I can't breath because my lungs are constricted, and I break a sweat just fetching the mail, I realize how spoiled I am with the air conditioning. I'm literally hiding inside and not even the kiddie pool can coerce me outdoors. I love it hot but 104 degrees? Good lord, that's just slightly cooler than hell itself!

Incredible

2007-08-09T11:52:00.002-04:00

Check this out: geek-squad-stealing-porn-from-customers-computer

Now, I can't say that I'm surprised that Geek Squad technicians at Best Buy, or any male techie for that matter would be caught stealing porn, photographs or private information off of computers they're supposed to be fixing. I mean, there is a reason geeks are portrayed a certain way on film and other media outlets. But I base my lack of shock mostly on the mentality I've experienced from many of my male counterparts. Thus this story only goes to fuel the public perception that the majority of techies are adolescent-minded, testosterone driven, nerdy, dateless males who find it necessary to achieve sexual gratification via the internet and other porn-rife outlets. I'm not saying this is true for all computer career males, however this video proves that there is a reason for the stereotype. And to stoke the fires of this stereotype further, the following comment:

I used to work for an independant computer repair shop. Believe me, this is nothing unusual within the industry at all. And all the company owners do it too. I worked for a guy who checked the pcs of every good-looking girl who came in to see if they had any interesting photos of themselves. Either learn to fix it yourself, or live with it. Be happy that most technicians are just geeks looking for porn, you could have gotten a guy who copied your Quickbooks file, stole your account numbers, and then drained your bank accounts.

Is that seriously your response? Would you say the same thing about physicians: Either learn to conduct surgery on yourself or don't complain if your doctor happens to snap a few pictures of you while you're lying naked and unconscious on the table, and then be happy that he didn't steal your wallet? -- What this person is saying, is that we should be experts in every single field know to man if we'd like to avoid getting ripped off, taken advantage of or violated. It's ridiculous. But thanks for making another point in the endless list of why companies should hire more women techs!

Who Loves You Baby

2007-08-08T12:43:00.000-04:00

"Gentleman." I heard that word tossed around more than once during his funeral. "He was a real gentleman." they said. And, it's true - there are not many people like him left in the world today. He never had an unkind word to say towards or about anyone, and he'd give a stranger the shirt of his back if they needed it. He worked hard as a carpenter his entire life, and even after retirement he would mow lawns, do yard work, and handy man tasks. He was a devout Catholic and it brought him tremendous joy when any of his family would attend mass along with him. He was the epitome of an English Gentleman in look and mannerism with a strong accent and sense of propriety. His favorite past-time was watching sports, however my fonder memories include him kicked back in his lounge chair with me laying on the living room floor in front of him as we took in episodes of Kung Fu and Kojack on blistering Florida summer afternoons. He'd always greet me with an enthusiastic "Who loves you baby?" to which I'd gleefully shout "You do Gramps!" and a bear hug would result. Often he'd slip me an old-fashioned English toffee, Chicklets gum, or rise to retrieve a coffee can full of change from the hall closet that he'd been saving just for me. He loved his family and his wife tremendously, and even as death greeted him his main concern was that each detail of his Will, ensuring his wife would be properly taken care of, was covered to a T. He passed quietly with the majority of his family around him and his daughter holding his hand until the very end. A peaceful death if ever there was one, for a peaceful, kind and loving man. On the eve of his funeral the family passed around a glass of J&B Whiskey and we took turns sipping the lethal fluid--Honoring him by partaking in one of his favorite vices - a single belt of the amber-colored liquid after each evening meal. During the funeral a butterfly swooped in while my mom was doing her reading, it circled around her head, fluttered around the inside of the gazebo and remained throughout the service. "Gramps was here visiting" I said. My sister-in-law corrected me, "They say that whenever there is a butterfly around, there are angels around you."

Who loves you baby!

What a year...aka Kimmie's Absence

2007-08-08T11:36:00.001-04:00

Okay I know I've been MIA, but this is through no fault of my own.

Not only have I been in the middle of getting organized for the fall semester (Yes, I've decided to go back to school.) but in between all this, my grandfather took ill, I went to Florida for two weeks to help out because they didn't think he was going ot make it and my mom has been having health issues of her own. I arrived to find out that my Nana had been sleeping for two days straight and when she came to she didn't know who she was, where she was, or who any of her family members were. We were informed by a Hospice doctor that she had dementia and that she didn't have long to live (Mind you no tests had been administered to discover this fact). Meanwhile grandpa started to do much better and his outlook was good.

Within a few days Nana was doing much better and her dementia was first explained away by a urinary tract infection, only to be informed later that she had a TIA (mini stroke). Meanwhile we find out that grandpa has an infection in his pacemaker, he only has 20% use of his heart and his options are limited.

After two weeks of up and downs similar to this, I came home to await the inevitable - My grandfather's death and funeral. After not having been home a week I was back on a plane the next day to attend his funeral on Friday.

It is now Wednesday (not quite a week later) and I'm just NOW getting caught up on everything that needed to be done around here (catching up on email, work stuff, laundry is still piled high and my suit case is yet to be unpacked... sad...)

So that's where I've been! Fun no???

Puppies

2007-07-12T11:44:00.002-04:00

So it has been a while since I've been into the pet store (Since I lost Kelsey). I went in to check out the new fish. Fish are safe. You know they're not going to last a long time. You deal with their remains by either flushing them or liberating them into your back yard pond to become a part of the ecosystem. (That is unless of course they decide to commit suicide and jump out of the bowl - Which I actually had happen to me once!)

As luck would have it, I walked into the front door and there was a woman with a pack. I mean a PACK of Shih Tzus (Kelsey's breed). I asked if I could pet her babies and I gave them lots of love while choking back tears. I miss my girl so much! Especially her nugglin!

Yeah, I'm not ready for another dog... Yet...

Facing Death

2007-07-06T07:39:00.001-04:00

I recently found out that a beloved elderly family member has been given as little as two weeks to live. I'm left wondering what's worse. Knowing or not knowing?

If you get advanced notice you are given the gift of saying goodbye. You have the opportunity to let everyone know PRECISELY what you want done with your earthly belongings and how you'd like to be buried. Hell, you could even pick out the flowers, music and food for the funeral - if you were so inclined.

On the other hand, how would it feel to know you're dying. I mean we're all going to die someday but to know within weeks that you're reaching the end? And to have everyone sitting around... waiting for you to die (For lack of a better way of putting it).

I still think there is a lot to be said for making sure you have all your affairs in order ahead of time, and then going quietly in your sleep. I mean hell, sleep is my favorite past-time so what a great way to go!

Yes it's Summer!

2007-06-07T12:53:00.000-04:00

It's 99 degrees outside, the little gel decorations have melted on my window, the June bugs (aka Japanese Beetles) are dining on my rose bushes, I burnt the soles of my feet on the way to the mail box, and the neighbor's dog sought solace from the heat by diving into my swimming pool. Ahhh yes, it's summer in the South!

Crappy Insurance

2007-06-02T13:14:00.001-04:00

Yeah I'm still fighting with the pet insurance over My Girl. Originally they were telling me they denied her claim because of the pre-existing Cushing's condition. When I gave them evidence to the contrary they're now screaming Hypercalcemia - because she had a test for this disorder that fell within the time frame that would allow them to claim pre-existing condition again. Mind you, Kelsey was never diagnosed with Hypercalcemia. She had ONE test come back that would lead to believe Hypercalcemia, but one test is NOT definitive when dealing with that disorder. Multiple tests need to be conducted and it can get quite expensive and invasive. My vet conferred with a specialist after the initial test came back showing elevated calcium and the consensus was that she more than likely had a brain tumor and not Hypercalcemia so no further tests were ordered.

It's my opinion that the insurance company just went on a fishing expedition and had intention of paying. Hell, why should they right? They're not getting anymore money out of me because Kelsey is gone. And at this point they know I will NEVER EVER purchase pet insurance from them (or anyone else), they really have nothing to lose. So they speculate that Kelsey's kidney failure was because of Hypercalcemia and deny my appeal. Well guess what, LOTS of things can lead to kidney failure! The only way they can prove Hypercalcemia is to bring her body back from the ashes and do some blood work on her. Since that isn't bloody likely, they have no proof that she died from Hypercalcemia and they have no right to deny my claim. Guess who is going to be answering a legal complaint!

CSS Anyone???

2007-06-01T17:05:00.001-04:00

I forced myself to do my very first all CSS page. As many of you know I'm not a programmer, any HTML coding, scripting of any sort, and the various programs to go along with webdesign I've taught myself. And since I've been planning on some classes at the local college in my very near future I figured ... What the hell, I'll take on this challange. It wasn't so bad -- if not for a power outage causing an upload of code to blank out an entire page on me causing me to recreate a half a day's work -- yeah yeah I know, always back up your work -- It wouldn't have been so bad at all. The hard part was the cross-browser compatability. It seems that IE doesn't read CSS the way it should causing the page to render differently than firefox. And since I decided to tackle one of the more difficult feats - A design that flows to fit the size of any screen resolution, it made it quite a challange to prefect column heights and such. It also forced me to avoid doing some really nifty shadowing effects on the center boxes, but what the hell, I think it still came out pretty good for my first try! Check it out here - mind you the page isn't "live" so somethings are not complete, its just for your viewing pleasure!

Weddings

2007-05-08T14:23:00.001-04:00

I was given the honor of being in my little brother's wedding. I love my brother to death and his wife is a really great gal whom I've grown to love as well. So of course I would stand up for them, put on a special dress (Butt Bow and all) and smile for the camera (Despite my extreme loathing of having my picture taken).

Though the entire event, and the bride's subsequent comments it got me to thinking. Why is it that we as women feel that we need to have the big shebang, only to be let down later with feelings of "It wasn't worth it."

1. Barbie: Yes, Barbie is partly to blame for this dilemma. If you remember, back i the day, they didn't have the "career" Barbies or "rock star" Barbies. The biggest thing when I was a girl was the "Bride" Barbie. That's right, the white flowing gown, the veil, the ring... Barbie got to marry Ken! If this isn't gender programming at it's finest I don't know what is.

2. Let's Play House: I'm not sure if ya'll used to do this when you were kids or not, but I had the play kitchen, play dishes, play washer and dryer (with nifty ironing board on the side), all the bits and bobbles associated with being a wife and mother. Hell I even had that damn Baby Alive doll that you'd feed fake food and it would pee and poo into the diaper. (Which also brings up the story of me and my best friend using the food as projectiles at one another, thereby staining the garage ceiling and cuasing a near grounding). Again - Gender programming!

Those are just two examples of the fuel that drives Brides-to-Be to have that wonderful perfect day! Thankfully these days we see more career oriented toys which now rival those created solely to inspire the imagination of young boys. Let's face it, back in the day there were no "Firefighter" or "Business Woman" Barbies.

But it still remains - So many of us were groomed to get married and have a family. This is considered "normal". So it's no surprise that we all plunk down thousands of dollars for a dress, cake, band, food, accessories, flowers, etc. to have that "perfect" day. But when all is said and done, and you look back years later, most of us are left thinking... "What I could have done with that money!"

Doing it like... Bunnies...

2007-04-30T12:46:00.001-04:00

I was out tooling around in my garden, trying to replace my underground soaker hose, cutting back a mutant strain of parsley that lived through the winter and now has stalks the size of small trees, and pruning back other vegetation. I made my way through the parsley and was about to plant a nice fresh basil when a little rodent head appeared from beneath the mulch.

Contrary to what some may believe, I'm not a big "girl" and I didn't run away screaming. Instead, I cooed in response and began to call all my friends... "I have a baby mole in my garden!"

Upon closer inspection, we didn't have "a mole" but multiple babies had taken residence next to the nutritious and delicious parsley. Being the animal lover I am, I decided to leave them where they were, and planned to spot water until they grew to adult size and would later find a humane means of transplanting them from my garden. It wasn't until later in the day when I showed the nest to a friend that the true identity of my house guests were uncovered.

They're not moles... They're baby bunnies!

When being teased about not knowning the difference between moles and bunnies I professed my desire to respect their privacy. I'm happy to report that mama comes back every evening to feed the babies and I'm giving her full reign of my garden to raise her young. (I mean hell, no one could have eaten that amount of parsley in a lifetime let alone one year! I can share!)

Why Pet Insurance Sucks

2007-04-25T11:01:00.000-04:00

As you may know, my baby girl Kelsey, a 14-year-old Shih Tzu "puppy" had to leave this world for greener pastures in March. For the bulk of Kelsey's life I had paid into a pet insurance policy with PetsHealth Care Plan. The premiums ran around $50 per month in her younger days and $100 per month in her senior years. For the most part, the insurance company made prompt payment on pretty much every claim I had submitted. However, for the majority of Kelsey's life she was a fairly healthy dog--She had the occasional ear infection and we had a constant battle with kerartitis (dry eye syndrome) but beyond that she had no major injuries or illnesses. This was until October 2006 when Kelsey began having seizures. Thankfully she only had two episodes of cluster seizures before finally placing the blame on Cushing's disease in November 2006. The insurance company paid for her continued Cushing's treatment for four months (80% give or take some money here and there for what they consider to be usual and customary fees).

However, and this is where you really need to pay attention folks it wasn't until Kelsey became very sick this past March and her treatment continued for the Cushing's that I uncovered a very important fact -- This after having my first claim denial.--Chronic Illnesses or injuries are covered only during the Plan Year in which the illness manifests itself. PetsHealth Care Plan's Plan Year runs one full year beginning 30 days after you sign up for insurance. What this means is - your pet is only covered for any illness or injury during the year in which the illness is diagnosed or the injury takes place. After that, the illness or injury is considered to be “pre-existing”. So, in my situation, because Kelsey was diagnosed with Cushing's in November and her Plan Year ran March 1 through February 28, she was covered for Cushing's all of four months before her plan "renewed". That means any claims for treatment of Cushing's, which is a chronic disease that had to be treated for the remainder of Kelsey's life, were no longer covered after February 28th. In addition, it appears that PetsHealth Care Plan then began to summarily deny any submitted claim as being related to Cushings, regardless of treatment. For example, blood testing and antibiotics in relation to an infection were denied, along with emergency treatment for dehydration and Kelsey’s eventual kidney failure – All unrelated to Cushing’s Disease. Obviously these claims are being appealed for reimbursement in excess of $1500.

Certainly it is expected that the appeals will be granted in my favor for the treatment given outside of Cushing’s, but unfortunately the only recourse for recouping any expenses relating to Cushing's treatment would be to take PetsHealth Care Plan to court for deceptive practices. A strong case could be made since PetsHealth Care Plan, and other insurance companies like them, repeatedly compare themselves with regular human health insurance and their use of the term “pre-existing condition” is different than the already widely used and understood definition of this term. What they fail to point out from the onset, when it really comes down to it, what you're purchasing is "property insurance."--That exact phrase being quoted from a claims representative at PetsHealth Care Plan after claim denial and cancellation of my policy due to the loss of my pet. If you consider that anyone purchasing pet insurance most likely does not look at their pet as "property", rather a beloved child for whom they'd like to provide the best medical care possible, the idea that my girl was referred to as "property", while enlightening, was pretty disturbing.

Here is the problem: PetsHealth Care Plan holds themselves out to be a health insurance company, not a property insurance company. Their name alone confirms this fact. No where (At least not that I could easily locate.) on their website does it mention that their insurance is anything short of health insurance. We as humans all have a pretty strongly ingrained understanding of what health insurance consists of (Ignoring the flawed system currently in place.) We would never even consider that any illness or injury we'd contract would only be covered for one plan year. Who would be stupid enough to have that kind of insurance?

Meanwhile, PetsHealth Care Plan emblazons their website with such claims as "Pet insurance helps you cover the rising costs of veterinary care, so you won’t have to choose between your pet’s well-being and your finances"; "With a Petshealth Care Plan, you can rest easy knowing that your dogs or cats will receive the care they need when they need it"; and "You can choose from plans that cover injury, illness, and even routine preventive care..." With statements like these, it's hard to feel your getting anything less than what the common public has come to know as health insurance. Further, beyond testimonials rife with stories about pet insurance saving thousands of dollars and pets lives, PetsHealth Care Plan's website contains a "Myths About Pet Insurance" section, where they compare their pet insurance to human health insurance. In this comparison it mentions NOTHING about their "plan year" or other major differences. Instead it states in completion:

Given this comparison not only does it lead one to believe their pet is getting what you'd expect from human health insurance, but it insinuates that pet insurance is better than human health insurance because you can go to any doctor you choose and you don't have to worry about co-pays or bothersome membership cards and identification numbers.

So what have we learned? Pet Insurance companies play on human’s feelings for their pets, they are misleading in their descriptions and use commonly known terms in a way that deceives the public, who purchase pet insurance with the belief it will cover their pet for illness or injury just like human health insurance.

The bottom line? Pet insurance is a complete waste of money beyond major complications or injuries while your baby is young. My advice, put some money in savings before you bring a pet into your life so you’ll have the funds to care for them if something major happens in their younger years. Contribute the $50-$100 a month that would be paid towards insurance premiums, to an interest baring account and use those funds to pay for the continued care of your animal. Meanwhile, keep up with routine and preventative health care, don’t let your animal outside without a leash, and use the same common sense used in raising children (Keep poisonous materials out of reach, provide healthy food and plenty of water…). By this theory you will be putting in far more than you’ll spend in your baby’s younger years and you’ll have more than enough saved to care for them when the get older and more serious complications arise. Instead of throwing your money away on insurance and having to worry about pesky deductibles, partial reimbursement because the insurance company feels that you vet charges you more than what is usual and customary, you’ll be covered for 100% of all routine, preventative, emergency and continued care for chronic illness for the life of your baby.

Memories of Kelsey

2007-04-06T11:59:00.000-04:00

Sadly, after over 14 wonderful years (I’m told that’s 98 in dog years), being as spoiled as she possibly could, and cared for by the very best doctors and nurses, we had to say goodbye on March 21^st. While the last year seemed to show a gradual decline of the little girl everyone knew, and in her final week her spunky demeanor seemed to waiver, she never lost her charm or spark. She will linger in the minds of many for years to come as “the dog with the tongue,” and she will always be “sweet pea”, “peanut” and “baby girl.”

Pampered to the point of being spoiled, but not bratty, Kelsey had a “pup tent” and three different beds in various rooms of the house though preferred to sleep near her “mama.” She was fully in charge of the sleep schedule and would dig under the blankets, pulling them off to indicate it was time to rise. She loved to be chased on the bed and would raiser her backside in a play bow while emitting a deep grrr to initiate such encounters. She wouldn’t suffer summers without air conditioning and donned her purple furry cape when winter walks threatened to cause a shiver. She was the proud owner of a special “Dog on Tour” meal and water dish, which accompanied her on many adventures, and a walker-umbrella and raincoat to keep her dry on rainy days. Fuzzy blankets scattered the house, as did toys of many shapes and sizes, but despite all the worldly things, what she loved most was to be near her people and wouldn’t let mommy out of her site for more than a minute. She enjoyed having her soft tummy rubbed, being held and snuggled and never failed to “nuggle” in return, earning her the nickname “nuggler.” She was fond of pulling scrunchines from unsuspecting heads, her favorite time of the day was snack time, she enjoyed walkies, and knew how to beg just right—“sitting pretty” to get those coveted morsels of people food—ensuring she’d remain at least a little overweight for the bulk of her life. Seldom barking, but to demand food, treats and water or in response to the occasional door or airline alert bell, instead her mode of communication was cute little whines known as “Gremlin” or “Ewok” sounds. She loved traveling and found herself on car rides, airplanes, boats, camping and even a canoe once. She was snuck into animal-free areas via concealed carriers or duffle bags—And her most recent trip included this type of intrigue as she was secreted out to take pleasure in walks on Myrtle Beach. To say that she lived a long, full, loving and adventurous life would be an understatement. She will remain in our hearts and minds, be forever loved and dearly missed!

Again With The Customer Support...

2007-03-12T17:48:00.000-04:00

What's wrong with this picture:

I have been attempting to call customer service at Delta Airlines to make reservations for my dog to travel with me. While my flight was booked on line, you cannot book for pets on line. I've been informed that space is still left on the flights I need, however it's on a first come first serve basis. Obviously I started calling right away as I want to ensure I'll be able to travel with my dog. I tried getting through to reservations three times, each time I'd go through the godawful phone tree and then wind up getting disconnected (The system's fault not mine). So I found an online form to contact someone (since you can't get a live person on line). Here's how this thing goes down:

Kim Wrote:
I have now attempted to get through to reservations three times (waiting at least five to ten minutes each time) and I get cut off before getting to an operator. I'm very frustrated and would like someone from reservations to contact me regarding traveling with my dog (as carry on baggage). I need to reserve her spots and pay for the service immediately. Please call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX. My reservation/confirmation number is: 3K7G1I Thank you.

Customer Care Responded:
Dear Kim: Thank you for your e-mail to Delta Air Lines. Prompt telephone answering is critical in our business, and we recognize that any delay can be frustrating. The number of telephone calls we receive is carefully monitored so that we can take the necessary steps to prevent the problem you described. We would be happy to welcome your furry (or feathered) family member on board. There are some important things you will need to know before you travel with your pet. We recommend you check www.delta.com for information about pet travel fees, types of pets accepted, and other important details.

Pets are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Call Delta in advance at 800-221-1212 to arrange to bring your pet on board. Your selection of Delta is appreciated, and we will always do our best to merit your confidence and support.

Sincerly, Mandy Ulson
Online Customer Support Desk
http://www.delta.com

Kim Responded:
I have traveled with my dog before. I know what is entailed, but I did read over the website. However, the details are not my problem. My problem is that every time I attempt to call to make her reservations at the number you provided, I get disconnected. I can't get the reservations made if I can't get through. So I need someone in Reservations to call me to assist with this. Thank you.

Customer Support Responded:
Dear Kim: Thank you for expressing your concerns. We apologize that you had to wait when you called us. Prompt telephone answering is critical in our business, and we recognize that any delay can be frustrating. The number of telephone calls we receive is carefully monitored so that we can take the necessary steps to prevent the problem you described.

We ask for your patience while you continue to contact Domestic Reservations at 800-221-1212.

Based on the information in your message, we are unable to assist via e-mail. Our telephone representatives will better assist you with questions regarding your tickets.

We appreciate your business and trust your future flights will be enjoyable. We hope you will continue to make Delta your airline of choice.

Sincerely, Irene Roberts
Online Customer Support Desk
http://www.delta.com

Okay, did I not say that I've been unable to get through using the number they've provided? Did I not indicate this not once but twice? But yet their recourse is I continue to call and have them hang up on me until I finally get through? You've GOT to be kidding me.

Oh High Oh

2007-02-22T09:34:00.000-05:00

My cousin forwarded this me this and I thought I'd share:

A guy from Ohio dies and goes to Hell. He had been a horrible man all his life. The devil puts him to work breaking up rocks with a sledgehammer. To make it even worse, he cranks up the temperature and humidity.

After a couple of days, the devil checks in on his victim to see if he is suffering adequately. The devil is aghast as the Ohioan is happily swinging his hammer and whistling a happy tune. The devil walks up to him and says "I don't understand this! I've turned the heat way up, it's
humid and you're crushing rocks. Why are you so happy?" The Ohioan, with a big smile, looks at the devil and replies, "This is great! It reminds me of August in Cleveland . Hot, humid and a good place to work. It reminds me of home. This is fantastic!"

The devil, extremely perplexed, walks away to ponder the Ohioan's remarks. He then decides to drop the temperature, send down a driving rain and torrential winds. Soon, Hell is a wet, muddy mess. Walking in mud up to his knees with dust blowing in his eyes, the Ohioan is happily slogging through the mud pushing a wheelbarrow full of crushed rocks.

Again, the devil asks how he can be so happy in such awful conditions. The Ohioan, with a big smile, looks at the devil and replies, "This is great! It's just like April in Cleveland. It reminds me of working out in the yard with spring planting. It reminds me of home. This is fantastic!"

Now the devil is completely baffled. He is more determined than ever to make the Ohioan suffer. He then makes the temperature plummet. Suddenly, Hell is blanketed in ten feet of snow and ice.

Confident that this will finally make the Ohioan unhappy, he checks in on him again. He is again aghast at what he sees! The Ohioan is dancing, singing, and twirling his sledgehammer as he cavorts in utter glee. "How can you be so happy? Don't you know it's 40 below zero?" screams the devil. Jumping up and down the Ohioan throws a snowball at the devil and yells "Hell is frozen over!! This means the Browns won the Super Bowl!! The Browns won the Super Bowl!!"

More Legal Insanity

2007-02-21T16:24:00.000-05:00

My supposed continued hearing for my non-accident is tomorrow. If you read previous posts you'll see that I did in fact attempt to contact the DA after getting the required information that he requested through my friend/attorney. I gave the guy everything he asked for but after a phone call and a follow up fax, I haven't received any communication from him to indicate that this matter was settled.

Now, considering my last dealing with the assistant over there, I decided to beg my friend to once again call on my behalf. I hate asking for favors but I decided the alternative of actually showing up to a waste-of-time hearing was less appealing. So, my friend called on my behalf and spoke to the assistant who is all sunshine and flowers (Because of course my friend is an ATTORNEY and therefore much more important than I). My friend was informed that the DA did receive the faxes and that he has notes in the file but that nothing indicated a dismissal of the case. And to add to the confusion that DA will not be the one handling traffic court tomorrow but someone else. So my friend asked that the DA that will be handling traffic court give her a call back. After speaking with this person, who went out of his way to ensure that it be known that he is a supervisor of some sort, he indicated that the DA working the case is new and therefor unaware of the procedure in this type of situation. They prefer that the other person involved in the accident show up and state that they will not be filing a claim.

Okay, you received a fax from this woman, what more do you want? My friend politely suggested that maybe the woman could fax a copy of her driver's license in lieu of appearing in court. After a bit of blustery-bub-bub-that's-not-our-procedure (Though still being very nice.) my friend asked if the current DA had looked at the file and noted that the accident happened at less than a mile an hour with no damages. His response to this was an incredulous "Why did they wait for the police?" My retort would have been "I don't know the law in these things and I was doing what I thought was right in the eyes of the law. However if this woman would have told me to forget it I would have been on my way thank you very much!" But I wasn't the one involved in the conversation and my friend politely replied that I was "attempting to do the right thing". He seemed to be very amused over the whole situation (I'm glad someone is!) and indicated that he would look over the file and get back to her (not yet granting a continuance).

So, I'm currently waiting to find out if 1) I have to show up to the cattle call know as traffic court only to have my case continued again 2) whether I have the continuance and now must beat down the other woman's door again for yet more proof that there was no damage and she's over it or 3) whether they're going to be nice and just dismiss the damn thing. Mind you it is now 4:30 p.m. and I haven't heard boo. Thus I'm sure he's gone for the day so I think I have my answer to that question.

What an incredible waste of tax payer's money... Not to mention all of our time!

Tires Tyers and Oil Changes

2007-02-21T08:23:00.001-05:00

This should be subtitled "A Day In The Life of Kimmie". This is how this year has been for me. I know many of you are feeling my pain. One struggle after another. Seemingly simple things become huge projects and it takes weeks just to get a small task accomplished. So here is my day yesterday...

As you are all probably aware (If you're a frequent reader of this little blog.) it took me an inordinate amount of time to choose the right tires for my car. Once ordered it took another week and a half for their arrival. Despite the fact that I prefer to be sipping coffee and going over my email in my jammies at ten in the morning, I was pushing my luck driving around on that sad-looking donut. So I jumped at the recent opening left by a last-minute cancellation. A quick shower and driving a bit too fast on the aforementioned spare, I arrived at the service station on-time. The paperwork given to me at the time of my purchase was relinquished to the polite woman behind the counter along with my car keys. I then set myself to waiting. You can only look at the various options in air filters, oil, licence plate brackets and air fresheners before you lose interest.

Large coffee in hand I sat in the waiting area behind the television for almost an hour when I was approached with a problem. "These tires will not fit your car." the woman explained. "No, they'll fit, I checked with the manufacturer." The woman produces a puzzled look while pointing to my paperwork. "You ordered 15 inch tires, your rims are 16's". "No, I ordered 205 50 ZR16's. I was standing right there when the woman called B.F Goodrich and placed the order. I was very specific in the size and type of tire I wanted and she ordered those tires." I said in frustration. Thinking, once again, I'm getting screwed because people are incompetent. (Let's not get into the death of customer service again!) The woman shuffles me over to the managers office because she could tell by the tone of my voice that things had the potential to get very ugly. "I have been attempting to get tires for three months now. I realize the tires on my car are 195's and European. I decided to go with the 205's because there were more tire options in that size. I was specific in what I wanted ordered and heard the woman order the proper tires..." I said in exasperation as the manager looked over the paperwork and the assisting woman announced I was undercharged for the tires I described. This was not helping. Losing all patience I said, "Listen, I came to this shop because I was told that I could get the B.F. Goodrich G-Force Sport 205 50 ZR16's here for this price. I looked all over town and online for the lowest price on these tires." The manager looked perplexed and the woman handed me the paperwork stating "I don't know what is going on, but the tires you ordered according to this paperwork were not those tires. What car do you have?"

My blood pressure was now at a very high level and I envisioned my head bursting open on top like a cartoon character. "I cannot continue to drive this car on a donut. This is ridiculous. How hard is it to get tires." I said flatly. The woman, looking very confused, asks "What is your name?" I tell her my name. This was not the name on the paperwork I was given. Interesting... That's right, I was given the wrong paperwork at the time of purchase. The woman marches to the service counter and finds MY paperwork. "We've got it figured out" she says. "Thank God!" I replied, still annoyed. Now why I was given the wrong paperwork is a mystery. I never bothered to look it over because the receipt was correct (stapled on top) and I physically heard the tires ordered properly.

So, my tires were ordered and had arrived, they just had me confused with someone else because of the mix up in work orders. And incidentally, they had been trying to call me to tell me that my tires were in but they typed my phone number incorrectly. So back to waiting... Almost two hours later (Yes we're talking a total of almost three hours here.) and my tires were on. But wait...As I pulled away I heard this terrible thump in my car. I nearly had a fit thinking something was wrong with the tires when I realized - they couldn't be bothered to put my spare tire back under the car, instead opting to place it in the hatch and go about their business. Are you kidding me? Almost $400.00 in tires (Which I realize is a GREAT price but not the point.) and they can't put the damn spare tire back in the proper place? Hello, you had it up on the lift! How hard would it have been?

NEXT - The Oil Change

I figured my day was pretty much being thrown into my car so instead of making an appointment some where to have my oil changed and wasting another day I decided to get it out of the way. I pulled into the quick oil center at the same service station (Hoping that this unrelated business would be better to deal with then the tire shop). I walked in with my oil filter in hand (Since the last place that changed my oil charged me $20.00 for this $10.00 part) and asked if they could change my oil. "We don't have the part." "No, I have the filter right here." I said. "No, we need a special part to get the filter can off." "Oh, okay, thank you." I said as I walked out the door. At this point I figured I was going to have to take the car back to the place I originally had it serviced. I stopped off at the computer parts store to check on the price of a hard drive for a client and on the way out of the parking lot I noticed one of those quick lube places with a car wash. I pulled up and asked of the young man "Can you change the oil on a Mini Cooper? I have the filter and O ring." "Yeah, if you have the filter we can do it." he assured me. "Great!" I exclaimed. I went inside, made the purchase of the oil change (Totaling over 50 clams, but it comes with a free car wash and the topping off of other fluids and some 14 point check). I was told it should only take about 40 minutes (including the wash) and I thought it was cool that they had a window where you could watch. I messed around on the free Internet looking for more hard drive prices as I waited for my car to be put on the lift. Once it was up I sat and looked on in amusement.

The young man, Chad according to his name badge, walked up the lift with two very large sockets in his hands. These were obviously to be used to open the filter housing where the new filter will be inserted (This is known as an internal filter, which Chad had earlier explained to me as I detailed what needed to be done to change my oil to ensure he was able to achieve this goal). Immediately frustrated, he dropped the two sockets to the ground. (Obviously they don't fit). I chuckled to myself at this point because I knew that this was the "tool" the previous shop didn't have. Down the stairs and back up again with a wrench. That quickly fell to the ground, along with my car manual which was obviously of no use. Next came a very large plier. No joy. This was flung away in frustration along with a very loud curse that at any other level would not have been heard through the thick glass. For some reason I was highly amused (Because at this point, what else can I do right?). I thought, "I'm going to have to go buy this damned socket aren't I." And I continued to watch as Chad, who went up and down the stairs one more time to procure a large wrench and a pipe began attempting to get leverage on the offending nut. Finally, success!

I continued to watch as the old oil was changed, the grungy filter removed, replaced and reinstalled, and new oil was fed to my baby. Next was anti-freeze and other fluids and a quick wipe down (since the car was washed first). I was happy to take possession of my automobile after two hours (longer than the estimate of course). I zoomed up to the first stop light, happy that my car was now taken care of and healthy, when all of a sudden the "check oil" light came on. I made an immediate u-turn, pulling back into the shop in time to witness a look of horror on Chad's face. I motioned for him to come over. "The oil light came on." I explained. "Was it on before? Is this something you need to reset?" he queried. A reasonable question I figured but I countered, "No, it's never come on when I needed an oil change." He looked perplexed as he asked me to pop the bonnet and began looking around for leaks. "Pull the car back please." he instructed. I complied, and no oil leak was to be seen. "I know that this is a fairly precise procedure," I said. "I looked this up on the Internet because I was going to do it myself but decided cleaning out the filter housing and such was all just too much work. Would you like me to pull up the how to page?" I asked, pointing towards the lobby computers. "Sure." He replied as I handed over my keys.

After finding the page I showed him there were a few important factors... 1) put the oil fitter in with the rubber side facing out 2) put the o ring on the last notch 3) don't over torque the oil drain plug. Other than that it was pretty self-explanatory (Other than the need for I think it was a 16mm socket.. heh heh). He then explains that there was a weird spring in the oil filter that was really hard to get out and that he'd never seen that before. Okay, HELLO this might be important. So I looked up the procedure again and it did say something about some Coopers having the spring and where it should be located. Armed with this new information Chad took to removing the now-hot filter can. While I do suspect the spring had something to do with it, more so I think that having the filter in the wrong way was what was causing the oil pressure light to illuminate. Chad replaced the spring, flipped the filter and put it all back together as Wasabi (Yes that's my car's name) sighed in relief. Everyone is happy.

But here's my question: If I were running or even working at a shop like this, and I came across a car that looked a little weird to me, what is the first thing I'd do? I'd type the following words in a Google search "Oil Change Mini Cooper". If I wasn't sure of the proper procedure, or came across a weird spring, I'd certainly look that up. And, I'd make note of how the old filter came out of the can so that I'd be sure to put the new filter in the same way. Granted, I realize that after an hour of attempting to get the top off the filter can Chad was probably spent. This should have taken him 15 minutes to a half hour max and I'm sure he was tired and frustrated with it. But the last thing you want to do is make a mistake like putting the filter in the wrong way.

So this causes me to further ponder...Doesn't everyone use this valuable tool, the Internet, in the same ways that I do? From "How to's" to medical evaluations, dinner recipes, shoe shopping, finding a local business, getting driving directions and communicating on a daily basis with friends and loved-ones--I simply don't know why the first inclination isn't "Let's look it up on the net." And in a situation like this, where there is a wealth of information available on line, why was it that I, the customer suggested looking on the Internet, and inevitably the one doing the search and finding the solution to the problem. Further, why isn't there a website put together by these oil change places that details the procedures for changing oil on weird cars. You can't tell me that of all the chain oil change places in the country someone else hasn't come across this very same problem. Add it to the Oil Change How To Database and move on... Am I wrong?

And hey, shouldn't I be getting a discount considering I paid these people for their skills and education? - At least now I know, thanks to me, Chad currently possesses the knowledge to change the oil on a Mini Cooper. Glad I could help further your training dude.

Thus concludes my day - 3 hours at the tire place and more than 3 hours getting my oil changed. Between travel time and my stop off at the computer store, I arrive home at 6 pm. Day is shot. *sigh*

NOT Everyone's an Author

2007-02-20T07:50:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately we live in a world where it seems that anyone in the current spot light of the entertainment world can get a book published, crap or not. Meanwhile you have underground writers who can put words together like no one I've ever seen (or read) and are forced to beat people up to get them to notice. Sadly people who can't write are clogging up the veins of the publishing world with sludge and those gems that deserve to be published have to work all that much harder to be taken seriously.

Why is it that everyone thinks they can write?!?! Guess what world... Most of you CAN'T write and shouldn't try! Hell, even I have been told I'm a talented writer, but I'm smart enough to know I'm no author. I wouldn't dream of thinking that I have what it takes to put a book together. And yet there is a large number of folks out there that think being a talented blogger makes them a qualified candidate for the next Pulitzer.

What brings me to this topic is a guest I saw on a television talk show yesterday. I was stuck in a service station waiting room as tires were being installed on my automobile and the only thing to do was watch what was in front of me. Dr. Keith Ablow (Whom I haven't decided whether I like or not, nor will I ever get the chance to find out since I don't watch much of this type of programming.) was talking with two women who were currently arguing over a good-for-nothing man who had cheated on both of them and has kids in three states (One of whom he's never even met). The obvious answer? DUH, he's an idiot and needs help and the two of you should seek counseling to find out why it is you keep choosing the wrong men. Show topic aside, my beef is with the choice of guest "expert". It was some bachelor/bachelorette "star" who had turned down the coveted wedding proposal because she felt that the man wasn't right for her. So what does she do? She writes a book about being okay with yourself and how it's better to be alone than with the wrong person. Admirable subject matter to be sure, but I'd like to see her credentials please. As I see it, she's suddenly a relationship expert, a counselor AND an author? Somehow being a personality on a gawd awful television show that is melting the minds of America takes the place of a degree in counseling and formal writing classes? And sadly, folks will buy this book and think that she knows all there is to know about relationships simply because she had the insight to cast out the wrong man? Hell if that's all it takes then I think I must be an expert too!

The truth is, most of us have been through some experience worthy of at least a chapter. But it takes more than a good story to make a good book. So unless you plan on having someone else write your story for you, stick to entertaining us in on-line forums and leave the writing to those that are actually good at it. The literary world will be much better for it and we can avoid reading fluff, crappy plot and poorly constructed sentences. That is all...

Happy Friday!

2007-02-16T09:08:00.000-05:00

Missing Sonny

2007-02-15T04:44:00.000-05:00

It's going on 5 a.m. and I have been up with my girl, Kelsey for about a half an hour. Her timing sucks considering I woke up at 2:30 and only began to fall asleep when she decided to start whimpering to go outside. But I smiled at her as she barked by her food dish in anticipation for her midnight (Or in this case, early morning) snack. She's officially old and her clock is off. She has to go out more than usual and that means some inconveniences for me, but I can't get upset with her. I'm cherishing every moment I have with her. So, my MO -- While Kelsey wanders around with a full belly making herself tired again, I sit at my computer and catch up on work or whatever outstanding email I have in my inbox.

Tonight (or now this morning) I was looking for a particular piece of clip art for our monthly newsletter (Due pretty much now.) when I came across a photo of Sonny. Sonny is our family dog, adopted by my mom not long after Kelsey came into my life (Which was 14 years ago). Sadly, we lost Sonny (aka Frupe-a-roon, Froopdy, and Sun-Bun) about two weeks ago. He was as much a part of the family as any of my siblings. Loved and pampered to the point of being spoiled, but still very much adored and obviously very missed. It's hard not to get choked up when looking at this face and remembering how he'd paw at you while making this funny little cuh-cuh-cuh noise when he wanted to play.

It's amazing how these little buggers worm their way into your heart and how hard it is to let them go or even imagine life without them. Mom swears she'll never adopt another - that she can't go through the loss. I tend to think differently. Faced with Kelsey's old age I know that I could never replace her anymore than we could replace Sonny. But it's not about replacement is it. It's about opening your heart to the unconditional love of an animal and giving as much to them as they give to you in return. For me, life without an animal would be incomplete, much like making a decision not to have a permanent human mate. For some that's a fitting choice. For me it's a lonely existence. I realize it's hard to get passed the pain, and believe me I'm still dealing with the loss of Sonny in my own way. Tears still fall frequently and probably always will when I think about him. But none of that overpowers the cherished memories and the experience of that reciprocal love.

My Favorite Valentine Wish

2007-02-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

Sirius-ly Not

2007-02-14T04:08:00.000-05:00

After long contemplation, I've decided to nix Sirus radio. Much of the content I've found while at first blush was "different", the repetitive nature left the same-old-radio-format feeling in my mouth. I want variety! There are enough artists out there, with enough different songs that you don't have to play the same artists and the same songs over and over again. Further, the fact that you want to charge me 13.00 (or more) a month when you're giving large bonuses to morons like Howard Stern tells me that you really don't need my business. I may consider trying XM in the future, but honestly, based on what I see on my DirecTV, it has the same repetitive, pick the hits from whatever artist nature and I just don't think it's worth the money. So goodbye Sirus. Maybe if you're lucky I'll renew for a month here and there if I'm going to take a long trip and wish to have more channels to flip through than standard radio (Flipping and not finding anything substantial to listen to is the problem however).

2007-02-13T17:01:00.001-05:00

The Death of Customer Support

Aside from my earlier rant about the DA's office, I have another wonderful Customer Support Report. I was going over my banking today and I noticed that I was double billed for a $20.00 purchase of gasoline. Considering my car on empty doesn't take but $30.00 or so to fill (depending on the price of fuel at the time of purchase), there is no earthly way that I put $40.00 worth of petrol in my tank.

So...I call the station. I'm immediately informed by the person in charge of the transactions that "this is not [his] problem". Certainly not a great way for him to begin our encounter. EXCUSE me?" I replied with more than a little venom in my tone. "Well, what you can do is call Customer Support." he says quickly. "Do you have that number?" I ask impatiently. So I call Customer Support (and hold a good long time). Guess what the reply was. "That isn't our problem that's his problem." You can see where this is going.

I ask to speak to someone who would know how to fix the problem. I'm promptly transferred. This new person gives me a big story about how she can't do anything for me beyond put in a request with headquarters... Whatever the hell that means. So I say, "Great, how do we do that." She gives me a laundry list. We need a copy of the receipt (Conveniently that day the machine was out of paper). So she tells me I need to go to the station and have them reprint the receipt, then she needs a copy of my bank statement and she needs to know all the transaction numbers, etc. All this should be brought to her and she'll put in a request with headquarters.

By this time, I'm annoyed enough that I figure I'll give my bank a call and see what recourse I have through them. Now, despite my being transferred 4 times, accidentally hung up on and having to navigate two phone trees that had nothing to do with my complaint, I finally got a nice English speaking gentleman on the phone who took my information and initiated the proper steps to file a claim. My bank will be doing an investigation. Considering how much money my bank makes off of me, yeah I think THEY should do the leg work and find out what the hell is going on. Further, I think that the gas station (headquarters or no) will take it much more seriously if they're hearing from the fraud department at a bank than from li'l ol' me! So there! Nah!

2007-02-13T16:17:00.001-05:00

That Damn Non-Accident

So you may recall some time ago (back in October 06) I was in a car non-accident (Dubbed as such because there were no damages or personal injuries and the citation says there was no accident). At the time of the incident I was told by the statey (State Highway Patrol Officer) that I should simply show up with the letter my insurance company will send me and this matter will be dismissed. Okay I've never been in an accident before (Well, that one time in Florida but it wasn't with my insurance company and nothing showed up on my record so that doesn't count!) so what the hell do I know? And since the lady decided it was imperative that we both stop and wait for the cops since, while there appears to be no damage she wants to make sure there is nothing wrong with her brakes. (Did I mention her husband is an officer of the law?) Now I'll skip passed the obvious "How can there be damage to your brakes when I didn't hit you hard enough to even leave a ding on your car"... So we wait an hour for the statey and he tells me what to do. I figure that this woman is certainly going to file a claim for damages, whip lash, emotional distress and anything else, considering what a pain in the arse she was being about me waiting for the police.

Oh, and word to the wise. In NC, if you get in a minor fender bender you don't have to wait for the cops. You can give your information and go. Also, in NC I was told if you don't have a witness other than the person involved (i.e., The Cop giving the ticket didn't personally see it happen) there is no case. Just so you know...

Anyway, so I wait for this infamous letter from my insurance company. Nothing comes. My court date arrives and I show up with my insurance policy in my hand (Since the letter was supposed to show that they'd cover any damages and I'd think that my paid up policy would give enough evidence of this.) I have more than enough insurance to cover whatever damages or injuries she incurred when I bumped into her traveling 0.0001 miles per hour. The DA was less than interested, (After all, his FAVORITE day is traffic court - notice the sarcasm). He continued the case to a later date, instructing me to bring a letter from my insurance company despite my pleas of "There was no accident, there were no damages, there will be no letter."

Flash ahead to now. Thankfully I have a friend who is a lawyer so she called the DA, since any of my attempts were greeted by an unfriendly receptionist/secretary who gives the same answer: Show up at your court hearing. Not suprisingly my friend discovered that the previous DA is no more (We're guessing he either had a break down or was fired). A new DA has taken his place and is genuinely happy about his job. He told my friend that I should contact the plaintiff (That would be the lovely woman responsible for the entire entire fiasco) and ask her to put something in writing saying there were no damages or personal injury and the claim is settled.

I called this woman three times and she never returned my calls. Each message I left was more informing than the last and yet, she didn't bother to call me back. Finally I wrote her a nice letter that simply said, since you haven't filed a claim I can only guess you do not intend to. I need you to put this in writing and give it to the DA or I'll have no chocie but to subpoena you as a witness and you can join in the fun at court. (Well I didn't say it like that, but you get the gist). Funny what a formal letter with a little threat of having to appear at court will do. She called me the minute she got the letter, explaining that she didn't file a claim because there were no damages (Yeah she didn't want to have to pull out a microscope to show proof to the insurance adjuster). Now, I explained everything to her in the letter, that I was tied up in court because she didn't file a claim and if she wasn't going to file a claim that she needed to fax the DA and let him know. I was even kind enough to enclose a form stating everything that needed to be said, with her name and the DA's fax number on the fax sheet - All she had to do was send the fax. All guess work was taken out of the equation. But she called me for further explanation and to explain why she didn't call me back. She told me she'd fax the letter first thing the next day. Which, HOORAHH! -- After calling the DA, I uncovered that she did in fact do this.

Now at risk of making this the longest blog post ever... I would like to give a taste of what I experienced in attempting to contact the DA to verify that he received the fax, that my case is dismissed and that I do not need to show up on the 22nd. I was once again greeted by the lovely receptionist. Now I understand that she probably deals with a million nit wits a day and her job is most certainly not in the top ten of "most fun jobs ever". But this really isn't my problem. Nor should I have to be subjected to her annoying 'tude because she loves her job so much. Anyway - I asked to speak to the DA and she replied "Hold please." She returns to inquire, "May I ask who's calling?" I give her my name. "Let me see if he's in." She comes back "I'm sorry he's in court." So I ask "Can I please leave a message." "Hold please." She comes back "Okay what was your name again?" "Can you spell that?" Then she says, "What is the message?" And I reply "Can you please just have him call me?" "What is this regarding?" I patiently reply "This is in regard to a fax he should have received this morning from Linda Russell". She says "He got the fax." I counter "Great, can you please have him call me? I need to know if that was all the information he needed and if my case is disposed of or if he still wants me to show up on the 22nd." So she answers, "Well he will be very busy when he first gets back from court so he can't just call you the minute he gets in." I, very much annoyed at this point, clipped "I realize this, can you just have him return my call." -- I mean hello. Did I ever say he needed to call me first thing? All I asked was he return my call. Did I even say he had to return my call today? No... I simply said, please have him return my call. I don't need an opinion about what she knows about my case, how I'm not first on his call back list, or that he's a busy man. Unless she's the DA handling my case, what she says to me means bubkee and all I want is for him to CALL ME BACK! Oh and by the way, it occurs to me now that she never asked me for my phone number! For the love of string cheese! How difficult is it to take a message? Things do NOT need to be this hard.

2007-02-06T11:08:00.001-05:00

Few Days in Review

Got a flat tire, shelled out close to $400.00 for new tires. Found out my co-pay on my medication is now $22.00 and I’ll be paying $22 per month. I realized I'm late at getting cards out to my Grandfather and Niece for their birthdays. The dog peed her bed last night and woke me up at 5:30 a.m. And now I have a sore throat and stuffy nose. And it’s only Tuesday!!!

2007-02-06T06:35:00.001-05:00

That Will be $66.00 Please

I went to pick up my prescription at the pharmacy yesterday. I had already walked around the store a bit and picked up a few groceries. When I approached the pick up window I let out a sigh over the length of the line. After waiting fifteen minutes I get up to the window and ask for my prescription. I told the pharmacist I'd pay when I bought my other groceries (Being kind enough not to unload a half a cart of groceries on them to ring up). They handed me my meds and I went on my merry way. I made my way up to the self-checkout, which I was THRILLED to see. This is the first self-check out that I know of in the entire town (They're a bit behind the times) and everyone was afraid to use it, so I was excited that for once, a general fifteen to half hour wait was reduced to nothing.

I scan my first item, which happens to be my medication. I look at the little monitor to make sure it accepted and I see the amount $66.00. What? Crap, there must be some mistake. I hit cancel and then restarted ringing my order without the medication. After purchasing my groceries I walk back to the pharmacy. The line is twice as long as before. I wait. Twenty minutes later and I'm speaking to a pharmacist.

Me: I was overcharged for my medication. I usually only pay seven bucks but it rang at $66.00.
Pharmacist: Yeah, do you have X Insurance?
Me: Yes I do.
Pharmacist: Yeah, they were supposed to send you a letter. They've changed their co-pay system to $7, $9 and $22 but they didn't tell us what medications would be at what co-pay.
Me: Are you serious?
Pharmacist: Yeah, they said they sent out letters but quite a few people haven't received them yet.
Me: But how is it that it went from $7 to $66
Pharmacist: Well, this one pack of pills that lasts for three months is now considered 3 packs of pills with a co-pay of $22 per pack.
Me: But this is a generic pill.
Pharmacist: Yes, and it's $22.00 per pack.
Me: We'll I'm glad that this is how I'm finding out. I have no choice but to buy them because I need them.
Pharmacist: Yeah I'm sorry; you'll have to talk to your insurance company.
Me: Oh, I WILL.

Tired of Tyres

2007-02-04T05:59:00.001-05:00

I was coming home from the grocery store on Friday when my car started to feel awfully funny. I knew that my left front tire was bad, but it's a run flat and I've been faithfully filing it with air until I could figure out what the hell tires I wanted to put on my car. But it seems three months on repeatedly filling up your run flat the "goo" breaks down and pretty soon you find--on your way to fill your tire with air-- your steering wheel starts to shake and the entire car begins to thump. If you've reached this point you probably shouldn't be driving the car, but the gas station was so close!!! I was rewarded with a large rip around the entire inside of the tire (thankfully no damage to the rim, which is what was actually cutting into the tire). I'm now running on a hideous spare tire, but I'm still counting my blessings on that one.

Now, before you scold me for waiting so long to get a new tire, let me point out that buying tires is one of the most arduous tasks. You don't want to purchase the wrong kind or it will affect the way your car performs. Not only that, if you wind up with the wrong tread it could actually be dangerous. (Think summer tires in North East Ohio folks and you'll get an idea of what I mean). Being here in NC I don't have to worry about ice and snow so much, so that wasn't really a factor. But I did need to make sure I have the right size tire of course (Width, Height, etc...) And of course I'd have to have an odd size that means a limited tire choice. Though after asking around I found that I can put a 205 50 16 (as opposed to the 195 55 16's). This opened my options up a bit more and helped in the price category. So I was looking for an inexpensive, quality tire. Something where the tread would last more than three months--and the tires needed to be right for my driving conditions and style. (I took a little questionnaire and found that my driving is considered "spirited" --Some would use another words to describe it but we wont go there).

So taking all of the aforementioned factors into consideration, I was armed with the appropriate information to slog through the dozens of tires I had to choose from. Now, why not buy the same tires that are already on the car you ask? Well let me see...I've had four flats in the past year, so I am of the mind that runflats are more prone to pick up nails on the road... Nail magnets in my world! This might not be the case but it sure feels that way. But anyway...The major factor was price. The cheapest runflat tire I could find was $150.00 online (not including shipping and handling), which wouldn't be too bad if I was only replacing one tire. But there's the other factor - You can't replace just one tire because the tread won't match with the other tires and this will throw off your ride. (Unless you're tires are all pretty new, or pretty worn where you can buy a used tire with similar wear). I've also heard that putting a new tire on with three old ones will affect the wear on either the old tires or the new tire. So, worst-case scenario I would need to replace two tires, putting the new ones on the back and the old on the front. (Rear wheel drive means the rear runs out faster so you'd put the good tires on the back). But if you do the math on getting two new tires, 150.00 per tire (not including shipping, handling and installation) and we're already well over 300.00. Can you say ouch?

Now lets add to the mix that my tires are all pretty worn so they all need replacing (Which is the more likely reason that my tires are getting holy). So I did beau coup amounts of research and found that I can get four BF Goodrich G-Force Sport, which is an ultra high performance summer tire, good on dry traction, steering response and good cornering (Being that I tend to take corners pretty quickly that's fairly important) and they're decent in rain/wet weather. Though these are not the cheapest of tires, I looked online, called a local tire place, called Sears who is supposed to price match and give 10% back and I got a bunch of different prices. Online was the cheapest per tire, even with shipping and handling, but the local tire place wanted 65.00 to install. That same tire place wanted 500 clams if I bought the tires from them installed. Sam's didn't carry this tire (and I'll be damned if I was going to abandon my choice after three months of research) nor did Walmart - Though Walmart only charges 3.00 per tire to install if I were to buy online. Though I've heard scary things about Walmart... I called Firestone and they admittedly couldn’t come close to the price I got online. Sears would have to order my tires and since they're not "in stock" they won't honor the price match and 10% return (which pushed them up close to the $500 mark.) Finally I called the base shoppette/service station, which I happened to recall carried tires. FINALLY, $371.60 installed with road hazard. Woot! Woot! Unfortunately they also have to order the tires so I'm stuck with the spare until they get them in, then I'm home free. Next is trying to find the best price on an oil change... ack!

2007-01-14T10:57:00.001-05:00

It's a magic number...

I've been on this kick lately that involves listening/watching the old School House Rock videos. I bought the all-inclusive DVD some years ago and also the "modern" rock artists CD. So for about a month now I've been cranking out "Three is a Magic Number", "Interplanet Janet", "Little Twelve Toes" and "Lolly Lolly Lolly Get your Adverbs Here". So imagine my surprise...I was in Old Navy today (Yeah, yeah, I'll give them a shout out since I got a scarf and a knit shirt for a total of six bucks!)...And guess what I heard on their piped in music? "Three is a Magic Number" (The original version). How cool is that?

Oh and I also went out and bought myself some Madlibs (Remember those?) I'm torturing all of my friends and loved ones! "Gimmie and adjective!" (Singing... "So I pulled out my adjectives...")

2007-01-13T10:42:00.001-05:00

Are You Kidding Me?

So I found out the other day that Howard Stern was given this HUGE (Like 80something Million dollars!) bonus recently because Sirius has had so many new subscribers. Considering I cannot stand Howard Stern, I'm more than a little miffed that my Christmas present helped to line his pockets with cash. Quite honestly the decision to get Sirius was almost diverted simply because Howard is on the play list! Suffice it to say that this doesn't lend towards points in the "Keep Sirius" column. It's sad really because I had just given them points for having Kid Leo on the "Garage" station. And now I have to take those points away.

Suffice it to say that Sirius will be getting a letter from me telling them that their logic is seriously (No pun intended!) flawed. Just because they've had a slew of new subscribers, you cannot give that credit to Howard Stern. Is it possible that 1) The new subscribes are due to the fact that more and more people have been getting Sirius or XM and telling their friends how easy it is? 2) People are choosing Sirius because they have more music channels than XM? and 3) The cost of the receivers have gone down? To simply assume the increase in sales is because of Howard Stern is wacked! I'm here to tell you that no one at Sirus asked ME what my decision was based on. So I'm curious as to how they've come to this conclusion. Oh and by the way, if you're making that much freaking money that you can sift 80million to Howard Stern, maybe you should consider lowering your monthly rates! (I'm also curious out of all these new subscribers, how many are like me, deciding to test drive the system and see what they think. How many are going to stay?) Food for thought I suppose.

2007-01-01T11:04:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

I made a New Year's resolution many years ago to not make New Year's resolutions. Those of you that know me (Or have been around long enough.) Will have already heard my theory on this, which is pretty much as follows: If you have to make a New Year's Resolution, it's something you should have been doing a long time ago so get off your tookus and do it. Don't use New Year's as an excuse. All that does is set you up for failure. You're much more prone to use the Cleveland Browns Super Bowl Theory (Ahhh crap, maybe next year!) (I love the Browns so I'm allowed to say that!)

This "better myself", "better my situation" - It's something you should be thinking about year-round. I know that New Year's has that effect on people, you reflect on the past year and the things you accomplished, and then you find yourself looking to the things you didn't accomplish--And this is a good thing (Provided it doesn't send you into a swirling abyss of depression.) There's nothing wrong with reflecting and refocusing, but don't use New Year's as your reason for doing anything. Take the pressure off and just do it. (Or don't think about it and live in your happy oblivious world... Whatever works for you!) Life is hard enough!

2006-12-28T10:35:00.001-05:00

Sirius Radio...Am I Serious?

Santa was good to me and brought along a Sirius radio. Why did I choose Sirius you ask? Well I can assure you it was NOT because of Howard Stern! After much research I found that Sirius has quite a bit more music channels. You do the math.

Right now I've got it set up in the plug and play environment. Which means that I'm using my FM Tuner on my radio to dial in. Not the BEST option or the best reception but considering the other options require more parts, more installation and more money (Despite the fact that I'd install it myself.) I decided I would give it the trial run and be sure that I actually like the thing before going through all the trouble.

Here is my delimma. I was never a big radio person to begin with. This is why it's taken me so long to get the thing in the first place. I'm also not a big channel flipper (Unless I'm the passanger.)--Which is why I was never big into listening to the radio in the car. I always found it so much easier to just pop in a CD or plug in my iPod. So I'm going to have to find a station or two that I really like to make it worth my while. I was honestly hoping for more indie music, and it seems as if there is only one station that plays this. And it's indie/college at that. Which means that there is some indie and a bunch of what you'd consider "college radio music". I dig the "1st Wave" station which is old 80s new wave. And it was cool to hear all the old MTV VJs on the all 80s station... I dunno I'm still debating!

2006-12-20T10:32:00.001-05:00

Highway Robbery

With a little help, I finally figured out what was going on with my car door. (About a year ago it stopped opening from the inside, causing me to have to roll down the window to let myself out of the driver side). The culprit is this little white plastic clip that holds the bowden cable in a stationary position, while still allowing it to do it's job -- open the door. I looked on line to no avail and finally had to call a dealer out in my old stomping grounds of Mentor, Ohio. The part was 12.00 and shipping was 10.00... $22.00 for a 1/2 inch piece of freaking plastic. Ridiculous! Unfortunately any attempts at rigging were unsuccessful and I had to break down and order the part.

2006-12-04T11:13:00.002-05:00

'Tis the Dang Season

Around 4 o'clock this morning a trip to the kitchen for a glass of water led to a startling discovery. The Christmas tree had fallen over.

You’re joking right?
Nope.
Tell me this is a joke!
Nope.
It's kinda funny if you think about it! Christmas stories for the kids and grandkids...
Tell me this is a joke...
Nope.

Broken bulbs (Along with the majority of my favorite ornaments.) littered the floor. Bits and pieces of poor teddy (A Christmas cookie ornament I had made long long ago.) were found from the living room far into the kitchen. The area rug was speckled with a glittery array of tiny shards of red, gold and silver bulbs. Wrapped presents--because I was trying to stay far ahead of the game—lay crushed under the tree, some of them having grown soggy from the absorption of water that spilled out from the tree stand.

How the hell?

The glass was swept, the tree set right, and the soggy gifts laid out in such a fashion as to hopefully allow them to dry. "Awww this will eventually be funny... It'll make a great memory..." I'm told.

I’m planning on going to the store to get some more bulbs today – though some would tell me to quit while I’m ahead I’ve decided that this tree will not beat me. You can blow lights, you can topple over, give me your worst. You WILL sit pretty in my living room until at least December 26th damn it! (Makes a mental note to ensure that the alarm system is set up to dial the fire department in the event of fire).

Tis the season to be jolly?

2006-12-01T08:03:00.001-05:00

And I Thought I had Problems!

So I go to take Kelsey in for her blood test to figure out what is going on with her Lysodren levels so we can stop the Thorazine shuffle she's been doing. While waiting for her to be admitted (Yeah this place is like a human clinic I swear!) one of the receptionists decided to impart this little bit of information on me:

"We have a dog in the back that was brought in because he chewed off his penis."
A look of shock quickly appeared on my face. Or more like a look of complete horror. "Are you serious?!" I exclaimed.
"Yes," she said. "The doctor said he's either going to have to do a sex change or put the dog down."
I felt my eyes go *blink* *blink* *blink*
"Wow! That's crazy".

The more I thought about this the more it made me wonder.
What exactly would cause an animal to do this?
Gender confusion?
Is this proof that creatures are born gay in the animal kingdom?
Obviously they're not giving the thing hormone replacement therapy or anything, they won't be constructing a vagina. But will they change the dog's name from Brutus to Babs?

And hey, Isaac Mizrahi has created some damned adorable doggie gowns available at Target! (If they’re into that kind of thing).

2006-11-29T08:32:00.001-05:00

Getting Old Sucks

My poor dog is officially old. Kelsey recently started having seizures and after one bad vet visit, finding a new vet and numerous tests later, it is realized that she has Cushing's disease. What this means is that something (most likely a tiny benign tumor) in her pituitary gland is causing the adrenal gland to over-produce steroids in her body. (Originally by her former vet, she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and was needlessly taking meds for that causing her to have hyperthyroidism).

During this time Kelsey has slowly been losing her vision and her appetite increased to the point that she wouldn’t let me walk into the kitchen without pitching a fit. The latest symptom was weak hind end causing her back legs to slip out from under her on occasion (One particularly amusing time was when she was on a hill trying to go to the bathroom and she tipped backwards. Funny enough for a chuckle, later replaced by feelings of guilt. But hey if you don't laugh at some of this stuff you'll go mad!)

My vet is really great. I had Kelsey in on Wednesday because of the weakness (To test for Diabetes which she doesn't have thank goodness) and x-rays were taken of her hind end. No arthritis, but two small calcium deposits were discovered in her kidneys.

The vet was thinking about it and researching over Thanksgiving weekend (Is she cool or what?) and she is now concerned regarding where the calcium is coming from. Kelsey has a history of calcium oxcylate crystals in her urine (Which could lead to a kidney stone that must be operated on to remove). The other thing excess calcium is accused of is seizures. Ah-ha! So, there were a few options as to what was causing the excess calcium. Many of them were ruled out (exposure to rat poison, lymph gland problems, etc.) The final hypotheses were rectal gland problem and/or parathyroid.

Back at the vet Kelsey had more blood drawn and a rectal exam for which she is now not speaking to me, and a check for kennel cough. Lungs sound good, no problem in her back end and her heart sounds as normal as it can for a dog with a heart murmur. So hopefully we'll find out what is going on through this latest blood test.

2006-11-29T08:20:00.001-05:00

Oh Christmas Tree!

This year I decided I wasn't going to tackle the task of dragging out of the attic and then assembling the artificial tree. Nope, I'm going to get a live tree. And in fact, I'm going to make this year so much easier on myself that I'm going to get all new lights. Yup. That's what I did. This is going to be the easiest tree set up ever.

After a quick stop to the thrift store for a tree stand (I'm not paying 15.00 for a tree stand. Give me a break...) Four dollars later and I have a lovely state of the art stand ready for the tree. I went to Home Depot for the tree. I did this mostly because 1) They guarantee their plants and 2) they're cheaper. Okay so more weight being on the latter. A 7-8 foot tree is chosen (Thinking in my mind that the artificial tree I had at home was 8 foot) and brought home. It doesn’t come to light how huge this tree is until it is drug into my living room and stood up. Thank god I have vaulted ceilings! A few adjustments and water added - the tree is now ready for lights.

I grab the five new boxes of lights I had purchased and prepare to put them on. What's this? The strands are all white. White wires on a green tree? Well that's not going to do! Crap.

So I dig out the lights from last year. First strand, work's fine. Second strand, okay we're on a roll. Third strand, half the lights wont come on. Crap. Set that one aside. Fourth and fifth strands? Same thing. Crap crap! After fiddling with the strands, one is now working but that still leaves me short one strand.

Being bound and determined to get this sucker done (It's now going on 9pm) a trip to the grocery is in order. They don't sell lights. What? Since when? Okay, up to the drug store we go. I picked out the last strand of 100 lights. Paid seven-freaking-dollars for them then realized as I got in the car that they're blinking lights. Fudge! Okay how about the dollar store?

Three dollars later and I've got three strands of 35 lights and am happily at home. But wait, what's this? They don't connect end to end.

Now let me pause here. Who ever thought it was a good idea to create any lights that do not go end to end? What are the majority of twinkle lights used for? Decorating trees and houses right? So unless you want a big star on the front of your house, what the hell purpose are lights that do not connect end to end?

After a few moments of huffing I decide to give up on the lights. I began to organize the boxes in my living room when one of the previously purchased boxes of lights is discovered. What's this? A brand new strand of green-wired lights? YIPPIE!

I can't tell you what time it was when the tree was finally decorated after the lights were done. But I can tell you that while attempting to push the tree back into the corner a very interesting thing happened. A bottom strand of lights went out. Mmm hmmm... (Precisely why I wanted all new lights this year). Grrrr argh...

So guess what, the strand will remain out and I just don't care!

2006-11-18T08:56:00.000-05:00

Here's the Culprit!

This is Katie, or as I like to refer to her - Katiekins. She's the guilty party previously discussed. How can you get mad at a face like this?

I'm not a photographer, but there was just something really cool in the lighting and the color of the shades against the white of Katie that I thought was really cool and caused me to grab my camera. Enjoy!

2006-11-17T14:26:00.001-05:00

When Good Pets Go Bad

It's been a hectic couple of days. Hell, the last week and a half has kicked my arse. So I finally got to the point where I was going to take some "me time". I figured a few extra minutes in the tub today wouldn't be out of line right?

But first, lets step back a moment. Last evening I noticed that Katie (my foster dog of sorts) was overly preoccupied with the corner of my office--So much so that she was beginning to pull up the carpet. I found it half amusing, but considering it's new carpet and all, I yelled at her to cease. Continued reprimands were the order of business for the remainder of the evening, so I decided when leaving the office, the best course of action would be to shut the door. Miss Katie, who happens to be my friend's dog for which I am sitting, but I love as my own, rewarded me this morning by peeing in the hallway by the shut door.

Fast forward to today. Katie wasn't bothering too much with the corner. A few "Uht Uhts" in her direction were enough to keep her at bay. So when I got into the tub I didn't even think twice about closing the door. A half hour later, I'm dressed and searching for my brush to tackle the now wet and knotted mane on my head. I walk into my office (This is where the brush was last seen.) and a gasp escaped my lips. I stood in total shock for a moment before yelling, "Katie!" followed by an "OH MY GAWD!" and a "You get out of here!" while pointing towards the door. Katie did the right thing, dropping her head while instinctively tucking her tail and ears as she slunk out of the office.

Please take a gander at the following photograph to share a little in the joy of what lay before me:

Ready?

2006-11-15T17:01:00.001-05:00

Tires, tires, tires!

So I took the car back to Frank's. Told him the tire he gave me is flat. He says "What you been doing babe, driving through construction sites?" I gave a half-nervous laugh and said "Noooo..." Because as far as I knew the guy gave me a bum tire. He takes the tire off and throws it in the tub of water then puts a big circle around the culprit. Yup...Another nail! What the hell??? Thankfully Frank is a nice guy and he filled the flat for free (and put some air in the left front tire as well, which most likely also has a nail and needs replaced). But hello... How can I have three nails in the span of two weeks? This is ridiculous. I'm starting to think someone doesn't like me. But I swear I have no enemies that I'm aware of. I'm nice to pretty much everyone. So what the hell??? Now I know I'm going to need this front tire repaired and at this point I'm blaming hthe tires. So I'm going to have to decide if I want all four regular tires or all four run flats. Either way the price is going to hurt because the size of the tire is really weird. *sigh*

2006-11-14T16:47:00.001-05:00

Unreportable Accident You Say?

I have to go to court on Thursday regarding my accident last month. (See post entitled "Car Wrecky Goodness"). I was told by the officer at the scene that this was an "ureportable accident". He said "Show up at court with the letter that will be sent to you from your insurance company indicating that they will be taking care of any damages and this issue will be waived." Sounds simple enough right? Well sure! Except that I never got the letter from my insurance company telling me that they're covering the damages. Most likely because you need a microscope to see the damages on the lady's car and she decided that she wasn't going to bother. So now I have no letter to take with me and I have no idea what to do.

Sound advice would be to call the court right? I mean, I don't want to call my insurance company and put them on alert. They might raise my rates just out of spite. (Can they do that? Hell I dunno, I don't TRUST them so that's the point). So I do what any smart chick would do, I call the court. The clerk refers me to the DA. I get the DA's office. And I was told that there are way too many files for mine to have already been pulled, and as such she has no information about my case. Also, it seems the information that they're given is different than what is actually written down by the officer at the time of the accident. ??? So her advice to me was to simply show up. So I ask, "Should I have my checkbook in hand considering I'm might have to pay some fines and court fees here if it's not waived". Her response was that she doesnt know what to tell me and the best thing she can advise is to show up, listen to find out if the DA wants to see me before hand. Great... That's helpful. So the best I can do is make a copy of my insurance policy I suppose and stick it under their noses when I get there. Yes, my insurance coverage is good. Yes it will cover the microscopic damage and any whiplash she may have endured at the less than 1mph (and decreasing) speed we were traveling.

If I have to pay a fine and I get this letter after the fact I'm gonna be pissed!

2006-11-13T16:54:00.000-05:00

Tis the Season

I started my Christmas shopping early. I'm bound and determined to get everything purchased, wrapped and sent so that I don't have to pay next day air fees on everything I have to ship out of state this year. That's one of the downfalls about living away from your family. Shipping charges. Hey shouldn't that be figured into the over all gift? "Look! I obviously love you or I wouldn't have spent $20.00 to get this package to you on time!" I'm just saying!

2006-10-21T16:57:00.000-04:00

Where the Rubber Hits the Road (Or Rubber Delimma Part Deux)

If you've been reading, you knew about the issues I was having with my tires right? Well, I got that tire replaced for $50.00, I get in my car today and guess what. The yellow light is on again indicating that I have a flat (or at least low pressure in one of my tires). I check my tires and find out that the left front is down so low that it's not even registering. AND, the tire that I just had replaced is in the same situation. They sold me a bum tire? Well that's what I'm thinking. So now I have to go to this dude, and hope that he'll honor this considering I didn't get a receipt from "Fred's Tires" or "Frank's Tires" or whomever the hell tires it is... Ack!

2006-10-20T09:29:00.001-04:00

Rubber Dilemma

So I've had my third flat tire in less than two years. What's up with THAT?

I love my car. That's no secret. And I adopted it knowing full well, being a european car (Mini Cooper), that certain things might be a little pricey. On the other hand, the parts are almost always interchangeable with the VW (Not that I should assume repairs would be any less expensive - damn German engineering!) And it's still a fairly new car so I figure things shouldn't be going wrong with it. Which is true in part...

My car came equipped with run flat tires and a nifty little light that tells me when I've got a flat. I'll admit that I'm not really great about making myself aware of tire pressures or checking that...EVER... so the feature is almost essential in my book. If the pressure goes low or anything gets out of whack the light will come on. Unfortunately for me, out of the three times the light has come on, I've always had a nail in my tire. Lucky enough, the first two times the tires could be plugged and I've gone off on my merry way after paying a nominal fee. This time however, the nail was in the sidewall of the tire and they couldn’t, in good conscious, fix it.

So I need a new tire. I remember when I was ordering brakes for my car I had inquired about the cost of the run flats (the sticker shock being 300.00 a piece, Ack! from one dealer).

So I did some price shopping and, the exact tires I have on my car (Because I was told it's not a good idea to mix and match) are $192.00 on special (not including shipping and handling or installation). The other problem is, the tires are worn enough that putting only one new tire across from an already semi-worn tire could affect the ride (including performance in inclement weather). So now I have to price two tires... And being frugal, I priced two of the cheapest type of tire for my car. My research proved that I could (if I must) put two different tires on the back as long as they were the same size obviously. Still the cheapest scenario was running close to 300 clams installed. So I think... What about used tires? Can I find a single used tire? Something where the tread is somewhat worn and is matched a little more closely with my current tread? I scoured online (Since it was after 5 and everything was closed). The only thing I was coming up with was in the UK (Yeah it seems that while it's a Goodyear tire, it's made in Germany... Thank you BMW/VW/Mini Cooper). I finally found a set of four used tires from someone in NY, but again, with shipping and handling and installation we're right back up near the $300 mark. Now the good thing about this is I could put two tires on, swap out the tires that had the worst in tread and then save the other two for incidents such as these... But... ACK! $300! (Considering my clothes washer just died on me I really don't need this new unexpected expense).

What to do, what to do. I slept on it.

The next morning with fresh frustration I started calling around the local used tire places. I figure if someone in NY has them I might be able to find a tire here. All I want is one dang used tire! So I call a few places. "No we wouldn’t have that tire." I was referred to another place who then referred me to yet another place and voila! One used Goodyear NCT5 55R16 (Which apparently is a very strange size - Again... Mini Cooper!) $50.00--Cash--later and I have a used tire installed and ready to go. Yippie!

Now the next question to ponder - What is it with men in the south that think it's acceptable to call a lady "babe". (This is more prevalent in service positions such as the dude putting a tire on my car). I've actually become used to this...

2006-10-15T12:31:00.001-04:00

Harddrive Shmarddrive

I've installed SATA hard drives before, but never had one of my own (my computer being the last thing to get fixed and/or upgraded). Things have been humming along with work and I'm thinking that I'll be able to get cauht up. But what's this? My computer decided to turn itself off and then not restart on Friday. After spending all day Saturday trying to figure out what was going on, it seem that my other hard drive has gone bad. Now considering my SATA hard drive is my master hard drive it should have started just fine. So, after unplugging my secondary hard drive I'm humming along just fine again. Weird...

2006-10-14T12:50:00.000-04:00

Idols, Starstruck, and Humanity

So I was invited to go meet Gene Simmons on Friday. Not a huge fan of the man myself, I thought it would be a hoot, and knowing how much others look up to him I knew it would be interesting to see the reactions. I decided to go with the qualification that I couldn't promise that I wouldn't tell him he's a pig. (Incase you're unaware of how he treats women). I admit to enjoying his reality show though so if nothing else we've got that.

We arrived at Belk (the department store hosting the event) and confronted a store clerk. We've got two bottles of cologne Gene is hawking (which were a gift but they don't need to know that) from another Belk store, is that a problem? Confused looking clerks scratched their heads and the dilemma was solved when I announced "If this is a problem we'll just return these two bottles for two more bottles from your store." Confused clerk... "Well she does have a point there". Suddenly we find ourselves with VIP Belk passes (given to anyone that forked over close to 100.00 for two bottles of this fairly stanky cologne - hey I didn't buy the stuff don't look at me!)

Then came the waiting. Which was also pretty entertaining in it self. We were treated to a fun encounter with "sasquatch" as we fondly referred to him. A very large man wearing sweat pants and a dirty T-shirt, long hair in a ponytail, and a stench indicative of a dire need for bathing. Toss in a bit of gas and his "apple doesn't fall to far from the tree son and wife" and we've got our curled up noses and quite a bit of laughter from those around us. Now, let me also mention that the dude was holding a bootleg DVD that he expected he was going to get signed. How little of a fan do you have to be to think that Gene Simmons is going to sign a bootleg copy of his music? I mean, you'll be lucky if he doesn't grill you on where you got it and call the cops! After a few store folks pointed out that he wasn't getting anything but the perfume bottles signed and you had to have two bottles to get near the guy, he finally took his family and left.

After more waiting, we got up to the front of the line. My event-mate being a huge fan of Kiss and Gene, who previously said he was not going to "be that guy" and show his tattoo or make the obvious statement that he's "a big fan", did everything he said he wouldn't. Now is where I watch, smile and enjoy. I remember that feeling of meeting someone I looked up to in this fashion. Where you lose all sense of who you are and the calm, cool, collected goes right out the window. I MISS that feeling. And sadly I don't think I'll ever get it back. So it was fun to live vicariously and recall fondly. After meeting Gene, getting photos taken and autographs, and coercing him into doing a spot for the radio show (which I wasn't even going to attempt because I thought there was no way he'd comply) we began our wait for the photos to be delivered.

More fun included a dude that stole Joey Ramone's identity and made me want to go remind him that he's dead. Complete with long black hair, what I was convinced were girl's skinny jeans, and girls boots, the attempt at being cool was laughable. The dude that was with him was more of a Kevin Debrow look-alike. Then there was a Jerry Garcia wannabe who smelled strongly of patchouli. (A little too much herb before the show me thinks). Finally, we had the young girl that overdosed on Hot Topic and the lady that showed up the final 20 minutes complaining that she had to wait 20 minutes to get to see Gene. Word to the wise. If you attend one of these events, get there later when the line is somewhat depleted. Gene's being nice enough to stay until all the fans get their shite signed. Your wait will be a hell of a lot shorter and you'll still get what you came for!

All in all, Gene was pretty cool, as I said I didn't think he'd do the radio spot so he earned major points in that respect. And he was super nice to everyone that came up (course if I knew everyone that I was meeting that night just spent 100 clams on a product I'm selling I'd be nice too). But go Gene. Good times. Oh and be sure to listen in to the next Siren Rebellion to hear his spot!

2006-10-11T12:20:00.000-04:00

Car Wreckey Goodness

So I got in a fender bender today - If you can even call it that. There was no bent fenders. No injuries. No real damage to speak of, save for a little tiny ding in the lady's back bumper. It was one of those things where, had I been the person in the lead car, I would have said, "Hey, no harm no foul, let's go along our merry way." But this lady decided that we HAD to wait for the cops. Her concern was that something might have happened to her brakes when my car tapped her car in the back bumper. No seriously!

I was coasting from a dead stop. You know how your car will idle and pull foward if you take your foot of the brake? That's how fast I was going. And I hit the brakes once I realized (sun glare thank you) that she stopped again. So how fast, when coming from a dead stop and then applying the brakes in an attempt to not hit her, was I possibly going?

After 45 minutes of waiting for the highway patrol (and her continually calling her husband who just so happens to be a police officer ... GREAT), we were finally at the information exchanging process of the event. Then one by one we sat in the patrolman's car and gave him our information. I threw down the "just sent family back to Iraq card (I was literally returning from the airport)" at which point the lady felt bad. Then I got in the car and gave the officer my information.

"This is how this is going to go" he said. "I have to give you a citation, but since this is an ureportable accident the only thing you'll have to do is wait for the letter in the mail from your insurance company saying they're handling any damages to her car, you'll take that to court and they'll dismiss the case." Now obviously I assume I'll be paying some sort of court fees but I wont have a ticket to pay and I wont have any points on my licence. He assured me of that after I got pouty and asked if I was going to lose my "safe driver" status. "You'll be fine" he said. This will never make it on your record." "I asked her if she was injured and she said she didn't think so, and I'll ask her again before we leave, but she said she didn't know how she was going to feel tomorrow," he informed me. "That's because she's a nurse and knows you can't claim whiplash until the day after" I replied. "The airbags never deployed so I know you were not traveling at any real speed" he stated. "I wasn't even going 1 mph", I confirmed. He asked me for my phone number, asked me what I do (told him worked on computers) and then started to print my citation. It wont print...

"Are you going to make me fix your printer?" I joked. "I might have to" he laughingly replied. "Do I get special dispensation for that?" I quipped, to which he laughed even harder. The lady in the other car didn't seem very amused.

Now I've gotta wait for this paperwork and then show up to court with it. I'm wondering what sort of mysterious injuries she's going to wind up with because of this incident. I'm trying to have faith in humanity, but my first inclination is she's probably sitting somewhere in a full body cast talking to her insurance agent. We shall see!

2006-09-24T12:16:00.000-04:00

Here Is The Design

And here is the new webdesign for my business. FINALLY I have a site that shows I can actually do something! My old site was pretty plain and pretty lame. That being said, check it out! Webart Design

2006-09-15T10:08:00.000-04:00

New Webdesign

I've been working my butt off on a new webdesign for my webdesign business. Yes, that's right--I have a webdesign business but my own website is just plain sad. There's something wrong with that! So I've been working tirelessly to get something up there that at least semi-represents what I can do. This is where I've been hiding all week for those of you that have been wondering ;) But don't look at the site right now expecting to see anything but a new header. I haven't revealed it yet. Stay tuned :)

2006-09-13T10:11:00.001-04:00

Listening to and Watching

I'm currently listening to the new Donovan Frankenreiter CD. Good stuff.

Meanwhile I've managed to get hooked into Dancing With the Stars. I hate reality tv but something about this caught my attention.

I stopped watching Rockstar SuperNova. Mostly because Brook Burke annoyes me and because the only thing I really cared about while watching it that this one scary chick get kicked off (Since I knew they were only keeping her on for the ratings). Once she was booted I seemed to lose interest. The only one that really blew me away was a woman that wont be chosen because of her gender. Hey maybe I'll be proven wrong, but I refuse to waste hours of my life and have what happened last year during Rockstar INXS repeat itself. The person that should have won didn't and I felt duped. Not biting this time!

2006-09-12T10:02:00.000-04:00

Another Season of This...

Every year I get excited for the new football season and hoping against hope that my Browns might do SOMETHING impressive. First game of the season... Lots of turnovers... Another lost game. *Sigh*

2006-09-10T09:32:00.000-04:00

The Bug Whisperer... Or not!

I've been battling fire ants both in and outside of my home. Apparently, due to the unusually warm and dry climes this year, the fire ant population has exploded (Most of them in my yard). After being badly bitten while weeding I decided to be proactive (Two bites caused a large swelling on my arm that lasted for three days and itching that continued for two weeks - and bites on my back and left breast - Crap if I know how they found their way there!) Not being a fan of poisons and their results on amphibious life. (Or the potential hazards to my dog.) I was avoiding this option. But reaching the end of my proverbial rope, I was out of options. After talking myself into using the spreader to treat the entire lawn I come to find swarms of birds in my yard. Upon further inspection I see little inch worms all over the place.

New delimma. If I put the poison down while the birds are feeding on the worms, am I going to wipe out the local bird population? And are the inchworms bad for the lawn? So my next plan of attack - get on line and research the damn worms and the effects of this type of poison on birds (Because this is what ya do). It seems the inchworms are not in any way harmful to my lawn and yes, the poison will probably kill the birds. Damnit! So after a few days - once the birds had moved on to other feeding grounds, I spot treated the lawn. Once this chore was completed I took to straighten up the yard. I pick up the pool cover, which had been errantly cast on the lawn only to find that ants had also decided to move in here. Four new bites... *Sigh*

But wait, we're not done. Today I leaned over while putting away my hoover and immediately felt a sharp pain in my right breast. I jumped up and started yanking at my shirt. No, not a fire ant this time… A wasp! (Let it be known that I'm allergic to bee stings). In response to almost being squashed while I leaned over, it decided to fight back!

I'm avoiding bugs of any kind at the moment!

2006-09-05T10:04:00.000-04:00

Computers, computers, computers

I finally got that motherboard and processor my brother sent me. I finally upgraded my computer - While not a huge upgrade, a little faster processor, a hell of a lot better graphics card, lots and lots of RAM and a new SATA hard drive. I've decided that this time I'm going to set it up perfectly so that there are not any of those little annoyances (Everyone has these - something goes wonky on your machine and instead of fixing it, you deal, or find a work around and vow to deal with it when you have more time. In my world, more time means working on everyone else's computers before my own.) So we're up and running and humming along. Life is good for the moment. (Other than finding that a 400GB Harddrive that I had laying around is toast.)

2006-08-15T10:53:00.000-04:00

My Theme Song - Thanks to Cristy for this one!

Your Theme Song is Back in Black by AC/DC

"Back in black, I hit the sack,
I've been too long, I'm glad to be back"

Things sometimes get really crazy for you, and sometimes you have to get away from all the chaos.
But each time you stage your comeback, it's even better than the last!

What's Your Theme Song?

2006-08-14T17:53:00.000-04:00

Stupid Human Tricks

Do not...I repeat do NOT attempt to mow your lawn when it's got at least a month's growth on you (Thanks to lots of rain and a vacation) all in one day, during the hottest hours of the day, when it's 88 degrees and sunny. I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my entire life. Thank god for the kiddie pool! I think it prevented heatstroke and a total meltdown.

2006-08-11T17:55:00.000-04:00

Gay Friendly Fayetteville

You've may have already seen a previous post where I explained how I had seen the local little theater rendition of Rocky Horror Picture Show a few months back, and how I was pretty sure that the role of Frankenfurter was played by a gay local hairdresser. Well, the other night I went out to a favorite local tapas/sandwich place where the staff is always pleasant (So much so that my partner-in-crime at said restaurant claimed that one of the waiters had a thing for me. I protested on account of my certainty that the man is gay). So guess who was behind the counter making the yummies? Yup, none other than Frankenfurter. Anyway, after making our way into our second bottle of wine and noshing on salmon, hummus and other goodies, the gay waiter approached us with an invitation to a new local bar. Surprise! "It's a gay bar" he said, but defended that it was "About 50/50 gay and straight". Out of curiosity, and after having a few drinks at our favorite watering hole, we wound up at the club. Seems you have to have a membership but we insisted that "Mario" would vouch for us. We walked into the club and upon seeing us Mario happily exclaims "You showed!" A little later we were also treated with his shriek "Ahhh, straight people!" Mostly in response to the fact that we were the only straight people in the club that evening. But hey, the dancing was great, and the company was fun. I'm now a member at the only gay club I know of in Fayetteville.

2006-07-15T13:22:00.000-04:00

I WANT This!

It's an inflatable pub! Tell me that woudn't be cool next to the kiddie pool!!!

2006-07-15T11:29:00.000-04:00

Modem Hell aka I'm back on line!

Good ness that was painful! I finally got my modem and I'm back on line (after threatening to take my laptop to the local coffee shop just to get this month's update done - thankfully I didn't have to do that). You don't realize how much you depend on your computer until you don't have it anymore. What I needed it for in the past three days besides work? Checking movie times, paying bills, and a small research project. I'm currently digging out of the mound of email and getting the update done. Woot woot!