Tag: Tessa

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Busy, Busy, Busy

This has been a very busy, fun filled weekend indeed; I hardly know where to start. Let’s start with Friday, Tessa’s class was singing for the school Friday afternoon, so off I went. She did so good, I am so proud of her, she actually had a big part and she just got out there, in front of everyone and sang her little heart out.

There was no Friday night dinner, as the Irishman’s girls had a dance review happening. Instead we decided to make it Saturday, the Irishman had chosen the menu, only fair he should be there to partake.

Saturday, Tessa’s class was preforming for the Onion Festival, so off we go to that, we were all there, she did beautifully once again. This time in front of more people, she did not inherit the shy gene.

Then it was lunch, steak, corn on the cob, grilled asparagus and Caesar salad, we got a new grill. Jeffrey put together the grill, Jeffrey also cooked the steaks, he seasoned them perfectly. Everything was so good, Tessa got to play with the girls, we all got to eat. Good food, good conversation, fun times with Jeffrey, Elizabeth, Alex and the rest.

I am exhausted from all the prep work; shopping and cleaning up, I do believe today will be spent relaxing. By relaxing I do mean doing laundry, I need to get caught up today is the day.

Tomorrow is another fun filled day at work; I am hoping to hear good news, like more co-workers got new jobs. So far 7 people that I know of have been offered new jobs. That makes me happy and hopeful for the rest that are affected by this round of layoffs. Make no mistake, my job is not safe, the rest of us will be gone by November. I am actively looking for a job within the company; think good thoughts for me people.

I am thinking good thoughts for all of those that are under the gun so to speak right now. The majority are good people and good workers, I am not going to name names, there is one that I do not have an ounce of pity for. He/She has treated his/her co-workers horribly, so much so that if anyone there does not like them on a personal level.

Sometimes you cannot like how someone does business, and still like him or her on a personal level. This person is not to be trusted with anything, it’s sad really, when you think about it. We are all on this earth for such a short amount of time, 110 years really isn’t that much in the grand scheme of things. Why make everyone around you miserable just for your own enjoyment? That is the question I find myself asking, with no answer in sight.

Oh well, I hope everyone has a great day and keep looking up cause that’s where it all is! (Yes, I quoted Kidd Kraddick)

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Growth

Yesterday was Miss Jan’s birthday, I didn’t post yesterday, so I will take today to tell you all about this incredible woman. She is everything I wish I were, tall, thin, elegant, blonde and beyond nice. She is a good friend; she stood with me during my divorce and bitter custody battle when most friends fell by the wayside. I cannot begin to thank you enough Miss Jan. I don’t have the proper words to express how grateful I am that you are my friend. I hope your day was as incredible as you are!

 

This past weekend was good, really good; I was off Thursday so off to record with Shanon Jay I went. It was an awesome session, if you did not get to hear Saturday’s show you can do so now. Simply go to www.convosate.com, you can check out the latest one. It is very personal for me; I talk about a miracle that happened within my own family. My cousin Laura was the recipient of a great gift from God, well worth a listen.

Friday was getting Tessa from school, meeting Elizabeth Anne at the AT&T store; she has defected from Apple products. She purchased the new Samsung Galaxy 5 I believe is what it is. She said she loves it.

Then Friday night dinner, I am beginning to feel like the Gilmore’s, except without the maid and cook. Oh wait, that’s me. We had fried okra, corn on the cob, pork chops, mashed potatoes and homemade bread. Everyone seemed to enjoy it heartily, well worth the effort and time put into it.

Saturday was Ladies that Lunch, love those days and seeing everyone, we were a sparse group this time, but fun was had as always.

Sunday was Captain America, but you knew that, rain, love the rain, I wish it would rain every day.

Did you ever have someone say something that was so wrong that you wanted to respond, but since it was in a public forum you metaphorically bit your tongue? That happens to me a lot, especially with Facebook and Twitter, I read things that are so erroneous, or so outrageously well, the only word I have is stupid that I want to respond. However, once something is on the Internet, it is there forever, that is something people don’t seem to understand. I suggest thinking before posting, I try my best to think before posting, even here, where it is my page, but once again folks it is on the internet, it is forever. So I didn’t respond yesterday when someone said something that was not correct, and was a little, ok a lot, condescending and completely snotty. I chose to ignore it and move on, a few years ago, I don’t believe I would have done so. This is called growth and it is painful.

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Ramblings

I know it’s been a little bit since I have posted, I am among the living, I have a lot in my head and some of it cannot be articulated in public.

I was so sick last week I did not get to see Captain America when it opened, I am going tomorrow, then I can watch last Tuesdays episode of S.H.I.E.L.D., it’s crazy that I did not have the energy or health to go see one of my favorite superheroes in action.

But I am better now and will go tomorrow, why tomorrow you ask, well today is Ladies that Lunch, yesterday was the family dinner.

I am enjoying the Friday night dinners we are having, last night Jeffrey got to choose the menu. It was pork chops, fried okra, corn on the cob, homemade bread and cheesecake for dessert.

I am still full, I think everyone may be full today from last night; Elizabeth even took home a bag full of scraps for her birds. I can’t wait to see how they enjoyed their treat.

I am full of mixed emotions, on one hand I am excited to see what my future holds, another hand is filled with pity for our customers and techs who will no longer have us to rely on when the first level fails them. The other hand (if I were an octopus this would work out) I am disappointed with management, in the way they are behaving, some, not all, it is disheartening to see people gleeful with trying to fire employees. My other octopus hand is disgusted with the Union, they make false claims, refuse to help people, who have paid dues to them for years and will be taking 6% (I hear from a reliable source) of employees severance pay, they consider it a bonus. I have never known severance to be a bonus, this is unconscionable, I do hope my source was incorrect in this. I guess I’ll find out for sure next month when the first person gets their severance check.

My spirits remain high and hopeful that the path I am supposed to take will reveal itself in the right time, God never let’s me down or leaves me dangling. I know that I will have something fantastic when this job comes to an end for me.

The Irishman gets to pick the next Friday night dinner and he has requested steak, we need a grill, so I will be looking to see who has a good one at a good price. I do love a deal! I am thinking steaks, baked potatoes, salad and lots of laughter and good conversation.

The one thing I am praying for, and would like everyone to pray for this, is I get something with a schedule that I can still pick up Tessa from school every other Friday and get off early enough that I can pick her up in the summer so we can have daylight hours together. We love going to the pool together and going to get donuts and just laughing. Being with her is the highlight of my weeks, having everyone here for biweekly dinners is nothing short of awesome. So, that is my prayer, that I get to keep those things.

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What a Weekend

Where do I start with everything has happened this past weekend? Let’s start with Thursday since it is my Friday, so I was driving, like I usually do and did not see the motorcycle cop waiting for me. He clocked me doing 71 in a 50, there was no way he could let me off with a warning. A ticket I did receive, the big question here is will I learn my lesson and slow down. I think we all know the answer to that so I shall not dignify the question here.

Since it was my Friday, Starbucks was in order, and it was good, the next day I did wake up a little congested. I do believe it is because of the barometric pressure, later in the day I felt fine.

I got Tessa from school, life was good, then I cooked dinner for my two sons, Tess and the Irishman. It was meatloaf; Elizabeth doesn’t like meatloaf so I didn’t tell her about it. I had to tweak the recipe for the meatloaf; I used gluten free breadcrumbs instead of crackers. It was a huge success, everyone kept eating more and more, oh, I also made fresh green beans (which I snapped, thankyouverymuch) with new potatoes, macaroni and cheese and homemade gluten free bread. All in all the meal was a huge success due to the face everyone kept eating.

I will be cooking again this Friday, asking Elizabeth and Jeffrey what they would like as Alex chose the meatloaf.

My dryer died, so Saturday Jeffrey came over to see if it was a fixable problem or completely dead. While he and Tess were there, Alex dropped by, then Elizabeth came with her fiancé’ Guy. He bought a new motorcycle and wanted to show everyone, it is a beauty, I can tell you that. It looks like something Batman would ride, so cool!

That night, went online to buy a new dryer, ordered it from Home Depot, then woke up the next morning to what looked like a price reduction. Called the 800 number, spoke to a representative who said, um it looks like you paid the sale price, I said then why is my total this. Then I started laughing and said oh, I also bought the power cord and a new tube thingy, never mind. She burst out laughing, I explained I had only had 3 cups of coffee; she said oh, nothing counts until after the 4th cup. It was a fun exchange and I was happy to have made a call center person’s day a little brighter.

Late lunch, early dinner with the Irishman made the weekend complete, a lovely meal, a great waitress at the Texas Roadhouse was a much needed respite. The Walking Dead Sunday night was awesome, no spoilers, I will just say I was not disappointed and very happy with the outcome. The season finale is next week and I want it to air NOW! However I will have to wait like everyone else.

I know yesterday I was a bit of a downer, however, thanks to some very kinds words from a couple of people I am back to normal. That plus the fact it is very difficult for me to stay down for any amount of time here I sit ready to tackle what this Monday has to offer.

As my mom would say, see ya in the funny papers!

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My Friday News

Friday started out on a very good note, first off to help my friend Wanda with her email issues. Then Tessa time, we decided to go to the movies and see Mr. Peabody and Sherman. An excellent movie, very much in the true spirit of the original cartoons.

It was during the movie that my phone began going off, texts, phone calls, completely blowing up. I didn’t know what was happening. I looked at one of the messages and really couldn’t believe what I saw. After the movie I looked at all of them and listened to my voicemail.

It was bad, 43 people in my office of 73 were being let go, by inverse seniority, they are to be off the books by the middle of May. I just sat there, stunned, not shocked so much as emotional. Thinking of all of the people that I have known now for 7+ years, it was overwhelming. They have two months in which to find other employment within the large corporate machine we work for. I will be praying constantly and consistently for them, that they find other employment within the company.

Why within the company you might ask, well, that way they don’t lose their seniority, they don’t lose pay, they keep their benefits and can stay with the company.

For some this might be the push they needed to start that business they always wanted to, to become something more than tech support.

I want to say this, I work with some of the best people I know, they are smart, loyal, funny and resilient, they will land on their feet, of that I am positive.

I started thinking about the people that sit in close proximity to me. I will be alone on my row, they will all be gone, I am having a hard time comprehending that.

I ask all that read this to pray for my friends and co-workers as they try and go about their normal day, all the while finding employment. Pray for their strength, pray for guidance that they follow the path that God will have them go down. Most of all pray for their mental well being, I can see where this would get them down, depression is a real concern for some, this could also cause physical health issues for others.

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My Review of Spa Esoteric

Yesterday I went and had the facial Jeffrey gave me for my birthday, and I was not disappointed. The place he chose, Spa Esoteric, is located in old McKinney, in a house that is over 100 years old. When I walked in the door I was immediately put into a calm state, the atmosphere was nothing short of perfection.

My appointment was with Irene, she was gracious and welcoming, she explained to me step by step what was going to happen and how my skin was going to react. She expressed surprise at my age, in a good way, and put me at ease immediately. She told me she would not be chatting during the facial; she would only talk to me if she needed to tell me something about my skin.

I immediately fell in love, I do not enjoy chatting during my facials or massages, I want to relax, not talk. She asked what products I use, I told her I was a true Mary Kay user; I have been using the products for 25 years.

The Chocolate Cherry facial was beyond any expectations I might have had, my skin felt wonderful afterwards. She told me that whatever I was doing was working, she did recommend I use something gentle in the line on my face and only exfoliate twice a month for the type of skin I have.

She did not try and upsell me on needless products; she did not try and convince me that I need to change my current products. She told me that it was working for me, just be a little gentler with how I handle my skin.

I noticed that they do more than just facials; they have a full service salon within the building. I will be going back and enjoying the services they have to offer.

Please check them out at www.spaesoteric.com, well worth a trip to historic downtown McKinney. I believe in spending dollars locally, so I will be using them again and again. For many things, check out their website, make an appointment and enjoy. Especially if you live in McKinney or the surrounding areas.

The day got better from there, Alex had the day off and came over after my facial, then I went and picked up Tess from school. I made dinner, Jeffrey and I ate together then the Irishman came home with his two girls and Alex came back and I fed more people. There was plenty for everyone and they all seemed to like it, the only one missing was Elizabeth Anne and her fiancé with his daughter. Hopefully next time an impromptu family gathering happens she will be able to come down for that.

I have decided that whenever I pick up Tessa I will be making dinner, so maybe next time I pick up Tessa Elizabeth can plan on coming down and hopefully her intended will be in town so he can come as well.

That’s all I have for now, I hope everyone has a great day and enjoys the artic blast that is headed our way.

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Grateful Friday

I forgot something important, Sunday I got to have lunch with 4 of my ultimate favorite people. Jeffrey, Elizabeth, Alex and Tessa, it was my birthday lunch; this was Alex’s birthday present to me. Lunch with the 4 of them, it was awesome!
Of course it was Mexican food, if it’s a lunch for me it’s Mexican food, the food was good, the company was great, the conversation was awesome.
Nothing makes me more at peace than spending time with the four of them, it was such a treat.
This week has been a challenge, however I am keeping my attitude positive, and teaching my supervisor a few things as well. Every day we have a meeting, called a huddle, in the past this time has been filled with everything negative. There has not been one positive thing said during these times. I told him please tell us one thing that we do correctly, just one. He stared at me, I said, you praise to success, one does not beat employees to succeed. You need to figure out the good things we are doing and tell us those, because this time is a beating.
Well, Tuesday he started doing just that, it was a revelation, I felt better as did my teammates. It’s amazing what happens when you give praise instead of negativity, I imagine this is what happens when we go to God and thank Him for all the great things that He does in our lives. Instead of complaining about all that He doesn’t do for us, or about all of the things we perceive as wrong, we just say thank you for our daily miracles.
There are many, the very breath we take is a miracle, the way our bodies work, the way we interact with all species. The world at large is a miracle, look at the way it works, the very way the earth sits in the galaxy. What an awesome world we have, let’s take a moment and say thank you to the great creator.
Today is Friday and I will make this a great day, I woke up, I have a nice place to live, in a great neighborhood, I have someone in my life who thinks I hung the moon, I have awesome children, I have Tessa and I have Stormie. I also have the most incredible friends, who remind me every day that there is something to be grateful for.

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Happy Day After

What a great day yesterday was, I decided that since I was picking up Tess and the Irishman was getting his girls I would make some treats and order pizza for Valentines dinner.
So, I made cupcakes and dyed them red, with purple frosting, then made big, heart shaped, sugar cookies, bought candy, decorated the dining room. I thought that would be it, then to my surprise a text comes from Jeffrey telling me that Tessa’s class is having a Valentines Day party and it starts at 3 if I wanted to go. Did I want to go??? Uh, yeah!
So off I go to surprise Tess in her class, what fun, first graders are so much fun, no guile, no shyness, just pure joy. I took my camera and the kids had a ball taking it and taking pictures of each other. I am going to have the pictures printed and give them to Tessa for her to keep as a good memory of her first grade experience.
Then another surprise, the Irishman’s girls were having friends over, so extra pizza was in order; I already had enough of the other goodies.
Another surprise, Elizabeth Anne was in town and came by to visit with Tess and myself, then to top it off Jeffrey stayed and had dinner with us as well. The only person I didn’t get to see was Alex, the only thing that could have made it a completely perfect Valentines Day.
I know that Valentines Day is touted as a romantic day, however, love is love, and I got to be around people I love. I consider that a win.
Maybe next year will be about romance, we have had years where it is about romance, but this year was about family.
I hope everyone had a great day and celebrated in the manner in which they wanted to. If not there is always next year to look forward to.

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I Wanna Talk About Me

Yesterday Elizabeth took me out for my birthday; she bought me a present I didn’t really ever think I would actually want. Let alone go through with, she bought me a tattoo. Yes, for my 50th birthday I got a tattoo.
I will not be showing it to people, it is for me and in a place, my ribcage, that I will not be hiking up my shirt and showing anyone. I thought long and hard about where to get one, I don’t want my mom to see it when I die. She will never see it there, neither will anyone else.
I have thought about this for years, at one time I thought about getting the superman symbol, however all that color would hurt. This is permanent, so I didn’t want anything embarrassing as I grow older. Also there is the sagging and wrinkle conundrum, you don’t want anything anyone will see all distorted and wrinkled.
So my ribcage it was, there you have it folks, it’s not earth shattering, but it is news in my world. Angie World.
I have decided that my birthday will be a national holiday in Angie World; being in Angie World it should be the actual world. I do believe I will start a grass roots campaign to get my birthday declared a national holiday. I thought I would start this by becoming a Chief Steward in the Union, I will run on the platform of honesty. Interesting concept in the Union these days, I will tell people a vote for me is well for me. This is all about me, what I can do for me and not anyone else; this is what the majority of them do now, so why not run an honest campaign.
I can name on one hand the Chief Stewards that are there for the people, that want to make a difference, that fight the good fight. It’s a shame really, Unions are the reason workers have off Memorial Day, Labor Day, the Fourth of July, Christmas, two days at Thanksgiving and countless other little things we take for granted. The 40-hour workweek, we can thank them, fair wages, benefits for workers. I could go on however I shan’t, I will leave it alone. For now.
Back to me, which, let’s be honest, is my favorite subject, next to my children and Tessa. Elizabeth and I rounded the day out with shopping, where I spent money on her and lunch at Taco Bueno, which she bought. All in all a good day celebrating both of our birthdays.

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I’m Alive!

I have a lot and a little on my mind, this month is quickly winding to an end and I am happy to see February on the horizon. First up, Elizabeth Anne’s birthday then mine, both milestones this year. Elizabeth Anne hits the quarter century mark and I hit the half-century mark. And for the first time she is half my age, this happens rarely and I believe it is a good sign, not that I really believe in signs or luck or anything else of that nature.
Still enjoys this rare occurrence, I shall, fully.
We are still enjoying the new abode, the house is wonderful, I am loving having carpet only in the bedrooms. I know the electric bills in the summer are going to be much less than being in the apartment. So many great things about living in a house as opposed to the apartment. Number one is no one is stomping on my head that was so completely annoying.
I know I haven’t written in a while, so let me get you all caught up. Last week Tessa’s mothers called me on Tuesday and said Tess was out of school Friday and could I pick her up and have her spend the night. Let me tell you I was all over that, put in for the afternoon off on Thursday and it was a Tess and Gigi day.
A pancake for breakfast, a quick run to Bed, Bath and Beyond for a special brush that is supposed to get tangles out easer then off to Kid Mania.
Fun was had by both Tess and Gigi, then her dad came and got both her and Russ as he was staying with us for a week.
The next day was museum day, I had promised Tess a trip to the museum and Jeffrey said let’s make a day of it. So we took her and the Irishman’s two girls to the DMA (Dallas Museum of Art) where we did indeed see a couple of mummies. One was a not royal person so their sarcophagus was not constructed as wonderfully as a Pharaoh’s would be so the feet were exposed. She could see what an actual mummy looked like. She was a little shocked, she thought they would be all wrapped in pristine linen, when I explained that the mummy was thousands of years old and that’s what they look like her jaw dropped. Totally worth the time and effort to get her there.
This weekend was uneventful, cleaning, laundry oh wait, no I lied! I got to see Elizabeth Anne for a few moments Friday evening and Saturday was lunch with Alex, very nice indeed. So see not so boring after all, today is back to work where I am sure I will be helping a ton of people keep their connection to the world. It’s always a good feeling to help someone keep connected.
Have a great Monday!