Welcome to Friday everyone! I feel it is going to be a good day, the Irishman is chatty this morning which means he is getting better. I have had almost a whole pot of coffee which means I am doing very well.
Zumba was last night and it was the last workout with my friend Kay, we will be on different schedules starting Monday. It was a great time and if we are ever on the same schedule again I know we will be workout buddies again.
Let’s discuss Zumba, shall we, Elizabeth Anne told me she bought Zumba for the Wii, she got because she thought since I do it, then it would be a piece of cake for her. Ha! She found out, it is a workout and a half. I finally figured out why I enjoy it so much, for an hour I get to feel like a Latin goddess, in my head I am just doing exactly what the instructor does. I try not to look in the mirror, for it tells me a completely different story. I will continue with my Zumba and I am hoping to add a body sculpting class as it starts an hour before my Zumba and with the new schedule I will get off in time to take it.
Well I am signing off early today as I do believe it is a Starbucks day, I will be getting my Passion Tea Lemonade, unsweetened of course and perhaps splurge with a fruit cup.
Happy Friday everyone, I hope you have a terrific day and a terrific weekend.
Update on James Dotson
Last night I had the most unsettling message here, from someone defending James Dotson, yes, defending the monster who broke a 5 year old girls femur by kicking her. She accused me of slander, let me tell you something, I wrote nothing slanderous, James Dotson confessed to me what he had done. I will say it again, James Dotson confessed to me and many others at work that he had indeed broken that little girls leg. Also what I published were the court records, court records, can you read? I want to tell you in no uncertain terms you are a major moron, an idiot if you will if you believe that man is innocent. I never said the mother and grandmother were innocent, I hold them accountable as well, that moron wife of his told the court she would not give up the abusive husband in order to see her daughter. A poor, innocent little girl was in a house of vipers, you need to get a clue, if you have children I most certainly hope you do not take them to the prison to visit James Dotson. Another thing, Collin County Texas does not mess around with child abusers, I dare say he will be in there the entire 50 years he was sentenced to.
Now, onto better things, last night I had the strangest dream, I dreamed that Alex went to Granny Dee’s house and she was there, her spirit was there. He brought her to me and I asked what I was supposed to do, and he wanted me to help her get to the other side. In my dream she had more interest in getting on the internet than going into the light. She was very curious and wanted me to show her how to use the laptop. I miss Granny Dee, I have to tell you she was the best ex mother-in-law a girl could have had. I hope you are resting in peace and found the light and are having a party with my mom and dad right now. I know my mom always wanted to thank you for your friendship to me, I know she has gotten that chance now.
I am super excited about my tour change beginning next week, I know it sounds crazy, but I am, almost like being in school when you have a schedule change and it is to a class you like. Well I know I will be doing the same job, however, there is excitement in the air, there are several people I know at work that are excited about their new schedules. I love the fact we get to change every 4 months now, instead of 6, you can try something out, and if it doesn’t work for you or you need another change, well you can do that in 4 months.
My cough is going away, I have a voice again, and am nursing a sick Irishman, he has been sick for quite a while. I finally convinced him to go to the doctor and he is on the road to recovery. Men are so stubborn, my dad was the same way, had to be on deaths door before going to a doctor. I don’t know why the majority of men have to be this way, if he had gone when I told him to he would have felt better three weeks ago. Ok, done with kvetching, on to more positives, he is taking his medication that was prescribed and today he is beginning to feel a little better.
Ok, it is off to see the wizard for me, to help the people with their internet, email and browser issues, if you have to call tech support today, please remember we are there to help you. Cursing at us, yelling, threatening and pretending you know more than us is detrimental to you getting the help you need. Be kind, we are human beings at the end of the line, treat us with respect and we will go out of our way to make sure we fix everything we can, if it is something that is not within our scope of support we will make sure you know who to call to get the issue resolved.
Peace, love and gossip!
Wednesday Thoughts
Do you ever wish life were easy? Do you ever look at someones life and think wow God must really love them, their life looks so easy. I have, I admit it, there is a couple I used to go to church with and their life looked so easy. It seemed they had and continue to have everything, I would just look at them and think God must really love them, and then wonder why God didn’t love me like that. Then upon talking with a friend she told me the things this couple had gone through, I realized that God loves us all the same and we all go through things that no one knows about. I realized everything I was going through and would go through in the future was not of God’s making, but of the worlds making. God would be able to use my experiences and how I handled them through Him to possibly help others in the future. So here I sit today realizing that God loves me, He is always with me and I am the only one that control how I react to the world around me.
I have nothing to contribute regarding the things I have been through, some things are not for public fodder, some things are simply my own.
Today is Wednesday, next week this will be my day off, I am so looking forward to that new schedule! A day off during the week to run errands, to schedule an eye appointment, dentist appointment, have lunch with friends, really anything, such a luxury, and still have my Saturday and Sunday off! Wow, could anyone ask for anything better? I think not!
I really need to make a run to the Goodwill and drop things off, I do believe that will be my first Wednesday project. I know this means getting up at 4am instead of 6:30, but I am up for the challenge. This is going to be fun!
For now, I am finishing my coffee and putting my makeup on and making sure my hair is presentable, 3 more days then new schedule time! What are you all going to do with your Wednesday? Me, well I will work, then work out, woohoo, big exciting plans! I hope everyone has a great Wednesday, in the words of my friend Sandi, go out and make it happen.
Controversies
I was watching the View today and Joy Behar said something that really made me angry, huge surprise there, what they were talking about was should a woman choose to be on welfare to stay home with her children. My resounding answer to that is no, no she should not, I should not have to pay for someone to be a stay at home parent. Welfare was put into place to be a stop-gap, to help people get on their feet, not keep them on their behinds.
I feel very strongly about this, and I am going to tell you why, I was a stay at home mom, my husband at the time and I chose that for our family. We could afford for me not to bring home a paycheck, so that is what we chose. for the families that cannot afford that choice, I’m sorry, but it is not a reality for them. When I was a single mom, staying home was not an option, I did what I had to do in order for my family to survive. I worked two jobs and went to school full-time, I would like to add my jobs were considered menial. I kept kids in my home and I worked at Kids R Us, a children’s clothing store, there was no money for extras, my big break came when I got a job offer from the telephone company. I could cut down to one job, what a luxury that was for us at the time, I would like to reiterate, I did what I had to do to ensure the survival of my family. I did not continue to stay home as that was not a luxury I could afford, I was not going to go on welfare to continue my lifestyle when I myself could not maintain it.
Mitt Romney’s wife has seriously come under fire for being a stay at home mom? It is something they could afford, and it was something she and her husband decided was best for their family. I do not fault them for that decision, in fact this is the same as when Theresa Hienz-Kerry put down Laura Bush for being a Kindergarten teacher. Why as women are we putting each other down? Working or staying home, we all need to support one another, these are choices that we make, well, no, I take that back, sometimes the choice is not ours. If families cannot afford for one parent to stay home, it is better for them to work than it is for them to be on welfare. I will say that long and loud, I do not want to pay for anyone’s choices in life. Now being on welfare because you are not able to work or were laid off and are actively looking for a job is very different from making a choice to stay home and collect checks.
I am going to be honest about this, I don’t want to pay for people’s birth control, abortions or laziness, I do not mind paying for actual health conditions for those that need help and for help getting back on ones feet. Hugely different issues there, make no mistake about it, I am not afraid of hard work, if the only job I could find were to be digging ditches I would do it. If the only job were to be a fry cook in McDonald’s I would do it, honest work for honest pay, that is after all the real American dream.
Starbucks Review, Parker and Custer
I have given my scathing review of the Starbucks at Alma and Parker in Plano, TX, now I shall give my glowing review of the one at Custer and Parker. This is by far my favorite Starbucks, they never get my order wrong and they are always friendly.
This particular Starbucks has started doing something unusual, they have a girl outside taking the orders in the drive thru. She is courteous, friendly and funny. She now recognizes me and tells the people inside to get my order right because I am one of her favorite customers. I don’t know if she says this about everyone, but it makes me feel good about my purchase.
When I pull up to the window I am again treated to professionalism and good humor, not overtly so, to turn one off, but just enough to feel as if you are at a neighborhood coffee shop and not a chain.
I frequent this Starbucks and will continue to do so as over the years they have proven themselves, and have very little turnover. If employees are loyal that tells me that the management in this establishment are doing something right and I will continue my patronage to this location.
If you are in the area I would ask that you drop in and give them your business, remember the Starbucks at Custer and Parker in Plano, TX, not just a chain, but a friendly reminder of what good management can inspire in employees.
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15 Years with one Company
Today is not only Friday, it is Friday the 13th, a good luck day in my family, so Happy Day to everyone! I know today is going to be great, I have a voice today and am looking forward to sweating after work at the gym. Not. I hate to sweat but I know in order to move forward in my quest to perfection it is a necessity, so sweat I shall.
I got my 15 year anniversary present this week, 15 years with one company, not the same job mind you but the same company. I am pretty proud of that, I accomplished it by working, not by showing up and managing to not get fired, as one person believes. I started out as a clerk to a 2nd line, I loved that job, I met my BBFF (that is boy best friend forever in case you are confused) I met my friend Carol and my friend Shanon there. I moved from there to become a Service Rep working with major accounts, researching claims and finding where they owed us money, that job was sadly yanked away from me and I went to pay phones, the only job I truly hated in this company, not because of the work but because of the lack of it. I moved from there back to majors only this time processing orders for T1’s, voice grade and digital service, a job that was challenging, loved it. Then I learned it, became bored and moved to my current position in Technical Support. I love my job, I love helping people and learning new things and this is an ever-changing world, I also am very fond of my coworkers. I don’t know where the path will lead from here career wise, but I await the challenges and learning experiences I will surely encounter along the way.
I hope everyone has a great Friday the 13th, and goes out and makes their own luck and clears their path in life.
Possibilities
Another Gateway Day is upon us, the day before Friday, the day we all wait for, expectantly, almost as if the day itself is filled with magic. I think perhaps it is, it is filled with the magic of possibilities, the possibility that the weekend itself will be full of adventure and surprises. My weekend will be spent cleaning and catching up on laundry and making 15 bean soup, a spring rarity. Saturday I will be cooking the soup for me and Elizabeth as we are the only ones that eat it. So she is coming down and we are going to feast! I will be making cornbread to go with our soup,I am very excited. I make two things really well, pancakes and 15 bean soup.
I have one more week after this on the current schedule of Monday through Friday 9am to 6pm, then I begin my Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 6am to 5pm. I am very excited to have Wednesdays off, it will be a treat, I will finally get to use my two spa gift certificates! The places are not open on Saturday and Sunday, so now I will not have to take vacation days to use them! I am so excited to be able to use them, facials and massages here I come!
I will also get caught up on my television viewing, The Borgias, Game of Thrones, The Big C and Weeds have all started again and I have no time to watch them! So much television so little time!
So has anyone come up with a schedule change where they can work out with me??? Volunteers?
Workout
Last night Zumba about killed me, the instructor, Heather, was on fire, we even added some new steps. I was sweating like a pig, I don’t even know if pigs sweat, but I imagine if they do it was like I did last night. As you all know my workout partner is my friend Kay, I met her when I changed teams and moved desks, it never fails, I meet the most interesting people every time management has me change desks.
This time I was sat next to Kay, I had never met her before as she always worked nights and I have always worked days. She switched her schedule to days and ended up next to me, lucky her. Actually I consider myself the lucky one, Kay is opinionated, honest and doesn’t take kindly to fools, in other words they sat me by someone just like me, in that respect. I am going to tell a little about Kay’s story, I don’t think she will mind, if she does, well as she says, it is easier to ask forgiveness afterwards than gain permission in the first place.
Kay is a cancer survivor, by the time she went to the doctor she was in stage 4 breast cancer, she had let it go for so long. She let it go for so long that her surgeon actually wrote her off, he lopped off her breast and left nothing for reconstruction, that is what he thought of her chances. Her plastic surgeon had to do some really fancy work to fix it, however, fix it he did. I believe it was at this point God looked down and said to his Angels, hey, this doctor thinks he can predict the time and date of Kay Lynn’s death. Let’s have some fun, shall we? Not only did Kay bounce back, she beat the cancer and as of today is cancer free, she is a walking testimony to what God can do, I fully believe he uses modern medicine to show his miracles. I love Kay’s resilience, her attitude is joyous, rarely does anything get her down. I am going to miss my workout partner, this time she chose a shift that once again is partly in the nighttime, so our workout schedules will be different.
On that note, I am looking for a new workout partner after next week, I will be getting off at 5pm, so if you want to workout with me on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday then it is on, like Donkey Kong!
I feel fortunate that every time I am moved next to a new person it ends up being someone that I genuinely like, I also believe God puts me there for a reason. I learn more about what He does in other peoples lives, I learn about the adversities they have overcome to get to where they are and I get a new outlook on life. I believe everything happens for a reason, we don’t always know what it is, and trust me when I tell you I have a list of questions ready to go for when my time comes, I will continue to enjoy sitting by new people at work and learning their stories.
Last Book Review and Other Stuff
Well I finished the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy, and while I liked them, I stand by my statement of yesterday, they were written with 14 year old girls in mind. The marketing was brilliant, first the middle school girls, then their mothers then the rest of the world followed. Even I capitulated, I am not sorry I did, I do not consider it an effort in futility. The books were good, the first one juvenile in nature, was to draw the reader into the world of the inhabitants of this world, and it did, the second and third were written at a higher reading level. I enjoyed the ending very much, it ended exactly the way I wanted it to, that is all I will say.
I am fighting some sort of sinus thing, I do believe the honey I have been ingesting has helped stave it off because by now I usually have a full-blown sinus infection and this is just a little sinus congestion and drainage. I will be taking meds tonight so the drainage will be less, I am going to Zumba today, not going to let a little sniffle get in my way. I will probably sweat whatever I have out.
The Irishman is not feeling well, don’t really know what is wrong, hopefully he will get better if he does exactly what I say and eat everything I make him and take the medicines I am forcing down him. Wish me luck, nothing like dealing with a stubborn sick man to get the creative care juices flowing. In the beginning he would blindly take whatever I gave him, however I do believe he has begun to realize any medicine that will truly make you better tastes horrible, so now he asks, what is that. Wish me luck!
Today is going to be a great day, I can feel it, so off I go to get ready for it! Peace, love and gossip…..
My Review on The Hunger Games
Ok, so, I caved into peer pressure and read the first two books of the Hunger Game series, yes I know these books are aimed at 14 year old girls. But read them I did, and I have to say was pleasantly surprised. If you are a fan of the movie Logan’s Run, you might like this series of books. It is a definite twist on the movie, in the movie when you are 30 you go to carousel, you essentially die, but the citizens of the city don’t really understand that. They are kept pretty child like and simple. In the book, there has been a civil war, this is obviously set in the United States, and now the government in the Capitol runs everything and the country is divided into 13 districts, however they think 13 is defunct. The districts are poor, the citizens kept down and cannot get ahead, or change their station in life. Once a year they choose two “tributes” from each district to fight to the death. The chosen are between 12 and 18, it is brutal, however, so is middle and high school. So many metaphors in these books. What it is though, in my belief, is a commentary on how, if left unchecked, corrupt government can become. Especially in a land where the people are complacent, and allow government more and more power to strip away our freedoms. I did not find the books disturbing, I will not see the movie, as I never see the movies of almost any of the books I read that require a lot of imagination. Harry Potter and Twilight come to mind. I have not finished the third book, I read the first two Saturday, I started the last one last night, so I expect to finish it today.
There you have my thoughts on the Hunger Games, I hope you all have a great Monday.
Angie World 