Well, it was a rough wake up, I can say that, however I did have the foresight to have my coffeemaker programmed and already brewing when the alarm went off. Coffee is the elixir of the gods, what a gift it is to us mere humans.
Yesterday was spent taking Carolion and Lauren to the movies, I took them to see Journey 2, the Mysterious Island, at the dollar movie, which is now $2.00. Still fun, I did find that .50 cent Tuesday has now turned into .75 cent Tuesday. Still a great deal.
I cannot believe this is my Monday and also my psuedo Thursday, what an amazing thought, I am one blessed woman. The Irishman had a couple of setbacks this weekend, but by last evening he was looking better. Hopefully this road to recovery will continue in its progress.
I did watch the season premier of the Real Housewives of New Jersey, man, that Joey Gorga is just heartbreaking to watch. You can tell he cares a great deal about his sister, Theresa, and yet she is in such denial about her financial issues, her personal issues, everything. Theresa did at one point try to talk to her husband about the tabloid reports of him cheating, in the guise of their daughter having seen the headlines in the grocery store. His response, it is what it is Tre, I was like, what, that is not a denial, no, well you know I am not cheating, no let me talk to her and comfort her and let her know her dad is not a lying scumbag and cheater. Not a ringing endorsement of his fidelity, however, if it works for them, who is to say anything negative about them. Still love Caroline Manzo, that woman just doesn’t take any nonsense from anyone, Jacqueline is still breaking my heart with her issues with Ashley, her daughter, so sad, Jacqueline does not deserve that turmoil. She is a good mom and Ashley is spoiled beyond belief and thinks everything should be given to her and she should not have to work for anything.
Melissa and Joey are still cracking me up, he is so funny and so is she, she just makes up words, it is so funny to watch.
Well that is all for now, must go and get dressed for the day, just because I go in early does not mean I get a pass in the fashion department. Must look fabulous!
Shopping, Lunch and Ladies
Well, tomorrow is the day, I start my new shift, I know you all are tired of hearing about it, but I am way excited. Yesterday was a fun day, I had lunch with my ladies that lunch crew, a good crowd showed up and we had the best time, good food, good company and a ton of laughter. Next I took the Irishman’s girls shopping, they were in desperate need of new shorts and tops. So, I had made a decision recently to support JC Penney in it’s effort to revamp itself. So, off to JC Penney we go, I am so happy I made this decision, 7 tops and 4 pairs of shorts for under $70.00. The girls are now wearing the same size in clothing so I told them the majority of the clothes they have to share but they will still have their own special outfits.
Next it was Target then home, they were very tired as they did not get to bed until after 11 the night before due to their dance recital and up early for Carolion for her Saturday school. By 9pm they were almost falling asleep in the living room, so off to bed for them and me. I was exhausted as well, so a good nights sleep was had by all.
This morning was pancakes, normal color, with red sprinkles, add some coffee (for me) and bacon and it was a pretty darn good morning.
I will let you all know in the coming days how much I love my schedule, I hope you all have a great day and a great start to your weeks!
Total Geek Happenings
I am going to admit to a major geeky thing I am going to do, I am so excited! On May 3, the Irishman and I, starting at noon, will be at the movie theater watching all of the Avenger movies, Iron Man I and II, Thor, The Hulk and Captain America, culminating at midnight with the showing of The Avengers, so freakin excited! I am going to totally geek out!
I love the Avengers and I love Joss Whedon, I cannot wait to see what he has done with this franchise. Expect live tweeting, if you are not following me on twitter, now is the time. I will not be tweeting any spoilers of the new movie, no fears on that end, probably a lot of O.M.G and Wow and Joss Rocks, will be on the menu of tweets.
Does anyone out there have a total geekfest coming up? I know Jess does. If not what is your favorite geek out moment in your life? I have too many to really mention, however, my very first total geek out was at Star Trek the Motion Picture, it was when Spock walked onto the bridge wearing all black. An epic moment indeed.
so I confessed mine, your turn, confess yours.
Zumba Related News
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?
