Finally caught up! (Almost)

I'm finally caught up with the blogs I follow, except for just one, which I'll go read very shortly. In the meantime, before I forgot, I wanted to post to let everyone know what I've been up to.

The trip to MN was very nice. I love seeing my cousins, even though they're between seven and 12 years older than me. They all have kids, and one is a grandma. The memorial for my uncle was very nice, about 30 minutes long. That night we went to my cousin Carole's house for pizza. The whole family showed up. Four cousins and their spouses, my aunt, me, seven of the nine grandchildren, one spouse of a grandchild, one boyfriend of a grandchild, and one great-grandchild. So about 20 of us hanging out. A really nice way to end the evening.

The drive up and back was not a lot of fun. My back has been bothering me for a week and a half now, and sitting in my car for six to seven hours doesn't help. I stopped at every rest stop just to get out and walk for a few minutes. It never really made anything more comfortable, it just made it possible for me to get out and walk at the next rest stop.

I thought it would be nice, having a short week of only four days, but yesterday afternoon my throat started feeling sore. By the time I went to bed last night, I was shivering, and fearing I had a fever, took my temperature. It was about 99F. Not bad by any means, but enough to make me shiver almost uncontrollably with sweats and a sweatshirt on, under a blanket. I had already taken Ibuprofen for my back, so there was no point taking anything for my fever.

When I woke up this morning, my fever was gone, which I expected, but my throat was worse. And I completely felt like crap. So I called in and left a couple messages for people letting them know I was taking a sick day. That was at 6:30AM, I then went back to sleep until 11:19AM. I've lazed around all day, doing nothing, hoping that I'll be feeling better tomorrow or Sunday.

I'm supposed to go to my aunt's house Sunday for lunch and to see the movie The Watchmen. While I don't want to get anyone sick, I do want to see that movie, so I'm hoping my throat is better and that whatever this is doesn't spread to my nose by then.

Flashback to yesterday morning. While putting my socks on, I heard a bluejay screeching outside. When I turned to see if he was nearby, I saw a charlie on my balcony. When I got up to shoo him away from the bird feeder, I notice the bluejay was AT the feeder. I stood there for a minute, drinking in the wonder at a bluejay at my feeder. Once he flew off, I opened up the sliding door, stuck my arm out to shoo away the squirrel. He just looked at me like I was crazy. So, I opened the door a bit more, stuck half my body out, waved my arm some more, and told him to shoo. He jumped up on the railing and contemplated just how far outside he could entice me.

Making sure I blocked the entrance to my apt, so charlie wouldn't get any ideas about running inside, I stepped all the way out onto the balcony, still in just my socks. Charlie tried to get me to follow him further by leaping from the balcony to the outside ledge of the window in the second bedroom. Knowing that was not far enough to prevent him from returning to his feast of birdseed, I stepped closer to the railing, continuing to tell him to shoo and go away. Finally he gave up, jumped to the tree, scampered down the trunk and bounded away to someplace more quiet. I said goodbye to Charlie, went back inside, closed the door, put my shoes on and went to work. What work he put me through!

Besides the bluejay, I received another sign that spring is coming very soon. No, it wasn't the 60 degree temps today, although that is a good indication. This was another feathered friend, the American Robin. It's the first one I've seen this year, and I know when they show up that spring is on the way. It's so nice now that I'm starting to hear the birds singing outside my window in the morning, instead of the chip chip that I hear mostly in winter (with the occasional chick-a-dee-dee-dee).

I never did post a video of one of this week's Idol performances. I'm really slipping, because there were some really bad ones this week!

Enjoy your weekend!

A New Angel In Heaven

Thursday night while watching American Idol, my phone rang in the other room, unbeknownst to me. Afterwards, noticing I had a message on my phone, I checked the caller ID, and realized it was my aunt in MN. I listened to the voice mail message she left me; it was very brief.

I knew what this call was about.

For the last nine years, my uncle has been slowly succumbing to Alzheimers Disease. For almost all of those nine years, my aunt took care of him at their home, where he was most comfortable.

Recently though, he was needing more care than she was able to give. Being 81 years old, neither she nor he are/were spring chickens. It finally got to be too much for her. The decision was made, with the help of their children, to put him in a memory care home nearby.

He appeared to be adjusting ok for the first few days, but then he stopped eating, and wouldn't take his medications. They took him to the emergency room at the hospital, where he was admitted. He stayed there for a couple days, then was moved to a nursing home. After about a day, they refused to deal with him any longer, and returned him to the hospital. From what I've been told, they didn't have the anti-psychotic drug that he had been on, and the alternative they were giving him in the meantime wasn't working all that well. Another nursing home was found that was willing to deal with his problems.

Both my aunt and uncle decided years ago that they didn't want extreme measures taken to keep them alive, if there was no hope for a meaningful recovery. My aunt spoke with the doctors, and they all agreed that he was not going to get any better, and that they weren't going to force-feed him.

Tuesday February 24 2009, about 7:30PM, my Uncle Bill passed away quietly with his wife and daughter by his side. He was 81 years old.

Tomorrow morning, I am starting the long drive to the twin cities for the memorial, to be held at their church on Sunday. I'll return on Monday.

Hopefully my back will handle the trip ok. It's been bothering me all week and I've been taking Ibuprofen 800 mg, but I'm not looking forward to the 7 hour drive. Can you say rest stop? I'll be stopping at every one of them, plus maybe in between if necessary.

I'll catch up on everything when I get home next week.

American Idol 2nd Group of 12

Tonight was Nick's night. Nick Mitchell aka Normund Gentle was definitely the high point. He's not the best singer, by far. But, he is the most entertaining. Vote For The Worst has picked him this week, like we didn't expect that. He may just make it through on pure entertainment, not talent. Here's the video, you decide.

Pimpin' a Contest!

If you read Blue Ridge Gal's or Punkn's blogs, you know what I'm going to talk about. A contest over at Chronicles of a Country Girl, that is just so awesome!

She has nine pictures, you pick your favorite, leave a comment telling her your pick. Then blog about her contest, leave her a link to your blog, and you get a total of two chances to win. And the pictures are fantastic, I had a hard time choosing!

So what are you waiting for? Go take a look!

I'm Not Needy...Really I'm Not!

Matt over at My Side Of The Story did a post where you put your name into Google and add the word 'needs' after it and see what results you get. You're supposed to list the first 10 things that show up. No searching around for something better.

However, because my first name is the same as the Ex of Charlie Sheen, I got a lot of hits regarding Denise Richards. Kind of hard to post those when they are specifically referring to her.

But I'll try.

1. Denise needs a fame & glory. Maybe not the fame part, I'm happy sitting in the shadows, but the glory...I wouldn't mind a bit of that.

2. Denise needs her mouth wired shut! Hey now! I know I can sometimes talk a lot, but wiring my mouth shut is pretty drastic.

3. Denise needs money? Don't we all? Speaking of money, I need to get some Mega Millions numbers tomorrow after work. Jackpot is over $140 million!

4. Denise needs to take a page from one of the Housewives of the OC. Ummm, no I don't. Really. They aren't all that.

I'm now on page 2 of my google results.

5. Denise needs prayers! Don't we all? I would love to have all my friends praying for me every day. In exchange, I'll pray for all of you. Deal?

Page 3 of Google results.

6. Denise needs a tutor on Flikr. Ummm, I don't have a Flikr account, so I'm not sure what the tutor would be for. Not gonna go where my mind just wandered...

Page 4 of Google results.

7. Denise needs a maid. Why yes I do, thank you so kindly for sharing that with the world! Ok, so I'm not the best housekeeper. But it's just me here, and my motto is: My house is clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy.

8. Denise needs to realize. What do I need to realize? That my results suck? That I should change my name if I want interesting answers? That this post is getting boring? That it's almost time for bed and I better hurry this thing up? What?? Just tell me already!

9. Denise needs to move on with her life. That's what I'm trying to do...move on to bed. If I can just find one more thing I need to do, then I can do what I want to do.

Page 5 of Google results. Ok, I am TOTALLY not posting the next one! It's just too disgusting!

Ok, this next one is printable.

10. Denise needs to get over herself. Wow, I didn't think I was like that. Please, someone tell me if this is true. I'll totally change my ways, honest!

So there you have it. I wonder if I'd get better results if I used my middle name? And most of what I found did in fact refer to Denise Richards. I skipped over the ones that said "Denise Richards needs to..." I only picked the ones that used just the first name.

So, what do you need?

Let The Sparks Fly!

Things have been so slow at work, I tried to burn the place down.

Just kidding, sorta.

Wednesday morning, as I was getting ready to leave for work, I heard my cell phone beep at me, letting me know the battery was getting low. Not wanting to go to work all day with my cell phone turned off, I grabbed my charger and planned to charge my phone at work.

It's something I've done before. I plug it in under my desk, let it sit for a few hours, then when it's done, I unplug it and put it back in my purse. It doesn't take much electricity to charge a cell phone, right?

I arrived at work, took my phone and charger out of my purse, crawled under my desk and plugged it in. Because I'm in a cubicle, the outlets are at the bottom of one wall, and there's a metal plate along the bottom to cover and protect all the wiring. All of the outlets in my cubicle are not flush against the metal plate, they are a slight angle, so I know I need to be careful plugging or unplugging anything.

About 2pm, I remembered my phone was still plugged in, I checked it (battery full) unhooked my phone from the charger, and proceeded to pull out the plug from the outlet.

As I'm sure everyone does, I wiggled it ever so slightly to work it out of the slots.

Bad move.

I saw sparks.


The outlet and the metal plate were scorched.

All the electricity to my cubicle was gone.

Shorted out? Fried?

I meekly walked over to our IT department, and explained what happened. They both came over, took a look at it, and determined that I indeed had no electricity in my cubicle.

Fortunately, my computer was plugged in to a surger protector, so that was ok.

While I waited for my boss to get out of a meeting, I began cleaning out the empty cubicle next to me, expecting I'd have to move. At least until they could figure out what happened and fix it if possible.

The drawers were a mess, I tossed so much crap, pulled one drawer all the way out and dumped it upside down. I used Windex on the surface of the desk area to clean up the dust that had accumulated.

By that time my boss was out of his meeting, I explained to him what happened, he told our controller, everyone had to come and look at my desk.

I was really getting some attention now. Not exactly the kind I wanted though.

Since the cord for my surge protector was really long, they decided to set it on top of my desk, behind my monitor, and plug it in on the other side, in the empty cubicle, where there was still electricity.

They got everything plugged back in, and I was back in business. Not that I really had anything to do that afternoon, but at least I could get any emails that might come my way.

Thursday morning, one of the maintenance guys for the building checked the circuits and found out all I did was trip that particular circuit. I didn't actually fry the wiring, which I was really concerned about. With the prospects for 2009 so dismal, the last thing I wanted was to have cost money to the company that wasn't necessary or planned.

So Thursday after lunch, I unplugged everything again, and moved it all back under my desk where it was originally.

Oh, and Wednesday night I stopped at the AT&T store after work to get a new charger, because one of the prongs on mine was melted. There was no way I was going to be able to use it again. They couldn't find a new one for me to buy, but they had one with a phone that had been returned, so I got it for free.

I will NEVER charge my cell phone at work again!

American Idol Top 36 starts tonight, with the first group of 12. Three stick around, the other nine go home. Who was good enough? I think Alexis Grace was. Here's her performance of "Never Loved A Man" by Aretha Franklin.

Things a stressed woman may say at work:

1. Okay, okay! I take it back, Unf*** you.

2. You say I'm a bitch like it's a bad thing.

3. Well, this day was a total waste of make-up.

4. Well, aren't we a freakin' ray of sunshine?

5. Don't bother me, I'm living happily ever after.

6. Do I look like a people person?

7. This isn't an office. It's hell with flourescent lighting.

8. I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.

9. Therapy is expensive. Popping bubble wrap is cheap. You choose.

10. Why don't you try practicing random acts of intelligence and senseless acts of self-control?

11. I'm not crazy. I've been in a very bad mood for 25 years.

12. Sarcasm is just one more service I offer.

13. Do they ever shut up on your planet?

14. I'm not your type, I'm not inflatable.

15. Stress is waking up screaming and realizing you haven't gone to sleep yet.

16. Back off! You're standing in my aura.

17. Don't worry, I forgot your name too.

18. I work 40 hours a week to be this poor.

19. Not all men are annoying. Some are dead.

20. Wait. I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.

21. Chaos, panic, disorder...my work here is done.

22. Ambivalent? Well, yes and no.

23. You like like sh*t. Is that the style now?

24. Earth is full. Go home.

25. Aw, did I step on your poor little itty bitty ego?

26. I'm not tense, just terribly, terribly alert.

27. A hard-on doesn't count as personal growth.

28. You are depriving some village of an idiot.

29. If a**holes could fly, this place would be an airport.

30. Look deeply into my eyes. Do you see on ounce of give-a-sh*t?

I suppose I should do a proper post, since I haven't really done one for a while now. Things have been pretty quiet around here. Work is still slow. But, I am seeing a few new orders come through, which is a good thing.

I currently have two magazines at work to read, plus a Fill-In puzzle book. I can alternate between them, and keep caught up on the blogs and emails.

Tomorrow is V-Day, just another day for me. I did get two cards in the mail. One from a very good friend and one from my aunt in California.

Tuesday night after work, I did some shopping for work clothes. I bought three new pairs of pants, all for $52.


Sunday afternoon is the big race, the Daytona 500. Yeah, I'm a NASCAR fan! Go Junior!

CDC Alert!

The Centers for Disease Control has issued a medical alert about a highly contagious, potentially dangerous virus that is transmitted orally, by hand, and even electronically. This virus is called Weary Overload Recreational Killer (WORK). If you receive WORK from your boss, any of your colleagues, or anyone else via any means whatsoever, DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely. If you should come into contact with WORK you should immediately leave the premises.

Take two good friends to the nearest grocery store and purchase one or both of the antidotes - Work Isolating Neutralizer Extract (WINE) and Bothersome Employer Elimination Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidotes repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system.

Top Ten Employee Rules:

1. If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried.

2. If you can't get your work done in the first 24 hours, work nights.

3. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

4. For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism.

5. Keep your boss' boss off your boss' back.

6. Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.

7. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.

8. The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.

9. Don't be irreplaceable; if you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

10. If you are good, you will be assigned all the work. If you are really good, you will get out of it.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 FoxNews.com


CENTERVILLE, Utah — The man escaped with a few cuts to his arm, but the toilet made out much worse.

Police say a man's gun fell out of its holster while he pulled up his pants after using the bathroom at a Carl's Jr. restaurant Tuesday. The gun fired when it hit the floor and shattered the commode.

A few shards of porcelain cut the man's arm, and a woman in an adjacent restroom who was frightened by the noise reported she was having chest pain. Both people were checked at the scene and released.

Police say they confiscated the 26-year-old man's firearm while they review the incident. The man had a concealed weapons permit. No charges are being filed.

I'm off trying to finish this book.

It's due back to the library tomorrow, and I haven't checked to see if I can renew it. I'm still a ways from finishing it yet, so I don't know if I'll be successful, but I'd like to try. (Plus I'm doing laundry at the same time.)

I'm such a bad blogger! I had the biggest brain fart ever and never posted my spoils from winning Dorkys' last Biz Quiz in December over at Dry As Toast.



My picture isn't nearly as great as hers, but I'll tell you all the stuff she sent me.

Aveeno Sunblock Lotion SPF 45 - Just what I need for those hot summer days!
King of Shaves Shaving Oil - I'll have to find a man to give this to, lol
Kissaholic Kissing Kit Aphrodisiac plumping lip gloss and breath mist - Just in time for V-Day!
Redken Mint Clean Shampoo - Again, will search hi and low for a man
Mini Bourjois Ultra Mascara - For those hot dates with my computer!
Pantina Gel-Liner Palette - Not sure what I'll do with this, but it's got lots of really cool darker colors
TNS Line Refine - ummm, not even sure what this is, I suppose I should Google it
Purminerals Lip Gloss Trio - for that "pouty" look
Three mini glosses to attach to my purse or phone or wherever
A necklace that I absolutely LOVE, put on right away, and have not taken off since. It's a silver heart on a silver chain. One side of the heart says "You touched my heart" and the other side says "right from the start". (Ok, I had to take it off so I could read both sides, lol)

Any men out there that are interested in the shampoo and shaving oil, let me know and I'll mail them to you.

Thank you again, Dorkys, for the wonderful items you sent me!

Yeah, it was that cold this morning.

Spring is almost here in the North and Midwest. Winter is almost over; we can see the deer wandering around now.

Some of these were part of Jeannie's post from Jan 13, but I thought these were good enough to post again.

A few thoughts to live life by:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement, starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to other's. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry, God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years time, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of your when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Everyone keep your fingers crossed! The weather forecast for Punxatawney, PA tomorrow is snow flurries and snow showers. Hopefully that will be enough to keep Phil from scurrying back into his hole for another 6 weeks.

Steelers 27 - Cardinals 23

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers for winning a record 6th Super Bowl Championship.


(Go Cowboys!)