Observations From The Back Seat - Part Deux

Have spent quite a few hours recently in the backseat of the car observing - here are some observations...

The first was a tow truck we saw outside our office in Diamond Bar - not one of our tow trucks - just to clarify... The truck said 'Emergency Hookers' - 'you blow it... we'll tow it' - Nice!

So I've been around RSM the last couple of days and it is so nice to be around an area I know. There was a beautiful sunset the other evening and as it got dark, it was nice to see the moon - just a sliver that night.

And unlike the last night driving I was observing, there were a lot of houses with Christmas lights on. It was cool to see, especially the house with the two siberian huskies pulling Santa on a dog sled - my dad would like that! There was one house that looked like it just puked Christmas all over - no rhyme or reason to the eclectic display!

My favorite Christmas lights, though, where in San Juan Capistrano - they were hanging on the street lights - nothing really fancy, but it reminded me of growing up in South Pasadena and the decorations they put up every year. Ah... fond memories. God Bless Us, Everyone!

The Test Was Almost Easy

So I am now certifiable - oh - I mean certified - by the DMV - as a Driving School Instructor - or at least I passed the test and turned in all the paperwork. Waiting to get my temporary license from Sacramento...

It was a bit of a long haul getting to that point, though - I was very nervous about it all - also felt like I should pass on the first try... which I'm happy to say that I did - but that was almost the easy part considering everything else that happened that day.

It started with a phone call just before I was about to leave for the DMV from one of the caregivers at my mom's home. She was calling to tell me that my mom had an accident that morning and piddled (my word) on her shoes - and could I bring some shoes for her - yeah - I'll get right on that! I don't keep extra shoes for my mother at my place! Where was I supposed to get these shoes? I told her that there were some dress shoes in the closet my mom could wear for now - and have since been to Target to stock up on slip on shoes - we're going to play shoe store on Christmas morning to see which shoes we keep and which shoes get taken back. God Bless Her!

So I leave to take the test and traffic is a mess! at 2pm in the afternoon - what's up with that? I finally get to the DMV and spend 15 minutes driving around the parking lot looking for a space - NIGHTMARE!!!! My favorite part, though...

One of the things you need to do is show proof that you graduated from high school - or equivalent. Well, I have no idea where my high school diploma is, but I have my college degree - so I bring that. The woman at the DMV is going down the checklist of all the paperwork that I need and gets to the high school part - I hand her my college diploma and she looks at it with a puzzled expression so I tell her that I can't find my high school diploma so I brought my college degree. She examines it - runs her hand over the seal on it - like I've forged it or something and then says she isn't sure if that will work - she needs to ask a supervisor - all the while I'm thinking - really - it's from the University of California - they don't usually let people in if they haven't graduated from high school! One of my friends said - yeah - it's not like it's from Sally's College of Beauty! So after much deliberation - and I suspect quite a bit of chatting - she comes back and says it's ok - after all that - the test was almost easy! Now as long as Sacramento doesn't kick it back to me! As we say in DMV class... 'DMV has no cents.'

And Not Just Because He Is Hot

Oh my goodness! I almost wet my panties tonight as I was watching TV... I just found out that Russell Crowe will be playing Robin Hood in a movie due out next May. I know you are going to laugh - but Disney's version of Robin Hood has always been one of my favorite movies and now my favorite actor (and not just because he is Hot) is going to be playing that lead role! And yes, I do realize there will be (major) differences between the two movies but I can't wait for the new one to be released... it's Russell Crowe! If only Hans Zimmer were doing the music - the guy that is doing the score, though, has worked with Hans Zimmer - yes, I'm a freak - I looked it up! And the current release date - May 14, 2010 - I know what I want to do on my birthday next year - Happy Birthday to me!

Do They Make A Snuggie For Cats?

So I've jumped on the Snuggie Bandwagon - in fact, I'm snuggled in it right now as I type this post. I bought one for a gift exchange at work but after hearing from B how much she liked it, I decided to keep it for myself - especially since it was in my favorite color! I got it out the other night and was sitting on the couch with part of it draped over where the cat likes to lay - and did she enjoy it! She immediately started kneading on it to make her spot all comfy... after laying on it for a few minutes, decided she wanted to lay underneath it. I eventually got up and she wandered off the couch and I was sitting across the room at one point when she jumped back on the couch - sniffed around where the Snuggie was and then started to meow - I suspect asking where it went! So this evening when I wrapped up in it and sat back down on the couch - she was there immediately - trying to figure out how to get underneath it - I had it a little more tightly wrapped so there wasn't a place to get under - so enjoy this picture of her crawling up the sleeve! I know they make a Snuggie for dogs - do they make a Snuggie for cats? God Bless the little Sadie Kitty!

Nice Morning Jog

I had no intentions of getting up early this morning - already knew I wouldn't be going to Weight Watchers - didn't want to pay again... but was awake at 6:30am! Got up - fed the cat - crawled back into bed and spent the next 20 minutes listening to the voices in my head... so I decided that maybe a nice morning jog (not a run - I don't think I'm fast enough for that) would be just the ticket to drown out the voices... it wasn't raining too hard and wasn't too cold - perfect! Of course, I got about a mile away from home and it really started to rain pretty hard - what do you do? Turn around and run back - and it did it's trick - no voices. Of course, I got wet - both inside from sweat and outside from rain - and the only thing I would do different next time is wear a hat - but I loved it and what a great way to start the day!

One Of The Perks

Oh My Goodness! So one of the perks of my new job assignment is that I get a company car - after today - not sure how much of a perk it is - but it keeps the mileage off Betsy Marie (and at 10 years old - 185,000 miles - she can use the break). I was warned about this by others that have driven company cars before - but I have never been cut off or tailgated as much as I was today! It certainly is an exercise in patience! My favorite was the guy that cut me off in the middle of an intersection so he could brake suddenly to get into the shopping center on the right - I need a drink! Would it be bad to park the car in front of BevMo?

Observations From The Back Seat

I was observing in-car lessons at work today, so I spent most of the day in the back seat of a car. And although I spent most of the time observing how the student was doing and the instructor interacting with the student - there were some other things outside the car that I observed - here are just a few...

First of all - there were these two Morman kids - not necessarily an odd sight - I see them around my neck of the woods all the time. I see them walking or riding their bikes - but today... I saw them... get into a car! I don't think I've ever seen that before! Fascinating... Times are a changing!

Second - I got to see Disneyland - twice! Once from the freeway during the day - but the second time was even more exciting - I know, I know - you're thinking crazy - but if you know me at all you know that I prefer Freak - as someone once told me - there is medication for crazy! Anywho... It was after 5pm so we were driving around at night and as we were traveling up Euclid, we passed Katella - so I had to look over and see if I could see Disneyland from there - and I could - actually it was California Adventure - but I'll take it - I could see the top of the Maliboomer and even better - the Ferris Wheel! Then as we continued up Euclid I could see the lights on the top of the Disneyland Hotel! Such excitement!

I noticed as we were driving around, though, that not many people had Christmas lights up - either that or they hadn't turned them on yet - I have to admit, though - I'm debating whether I'm going to get any lights up this year - we'll see.

But the best part of the trip - was during the evening drive when I looked over and there was Mr. Moon - all bright and shiny in all his fullness! Actually, according to my calendar - he isn't full until tomorrow night - be he was looking mighty sharp tonight - so if you do anything this week - get outside one night and enjoy the moon!

A Note Of Thanks...

A quick hit today... As we celebrate this day of Thanksgiving, I just want to say how thankful I am for all of my friends and family who have blessed me with their love and support, compassion and grace. But most of all, I want to thank God - for His love and support, compassion and grace. He is a very Big God, who through it all - the good and the bad - will always be right there with us - leading us on this journey. My love and blessings to you all! Happy Thanksgiving!

You Look Great, Love Ya

I stopped by to see my mom the other day and when I first got there, she wasn't in her room. So I started going through her drawers to pick out clothes to wash and I find a little card that says "You look great, love ya" on it. I flip it over and it is a business card for some guy that lives in Bel Air. I then notice a little photograph of some guy that was obviously taken years ago - so I start thinking - how cute - my mom has a boyfriend (this would be number two for those of you keeping track at home). I then find another card that says "I love you" on it.

So as I'm gathering her laundry, this man walks into her room - and my first reaction is why are you walking into my mother's room without knocking. Then I realize that she is right behind him - well, that's ok then. He tells me that he is protecting her from all the big guys in the complex - how cute is that. He asks who I am and my mom introduces me as her daughter, which he didn't seem to believe at first - he kept commenting on how tall I was! He then introduced himself - his name is Vince (the name on the business cards) and he asked if I ever watched the TV show Kojak - which was one of my mom's favorites - apparently, he was Det. Rizzo on that show. After a moment or two - he excused himself and as he left, gave my mom a little peck on her cheek. After he leaves I tell her that Vince seems very nice and in all the coyness of a teenage girl she says "yeah and I kinda' like him." God Bless my mom! She's dating a TV star!

My Mom Is Eligible

For today, just a bunch of random events I found amusing....

So a friend of mine is trying to teach her stepdaughters the value of sending Thank You notes. She and her husband supported me in the Memory Walk so I sent them Thank You notes. Since they have the girls on Wednesday night - I made sure to send the notes on Tuesday so they would get them in the mail on Wednesday when the girls were there. Of course I go to the mailbox yesterday to get my own mail and lo and behold - there isn't anything there - I usually at least get junk mail - but nothing - then I realize - Veteran's Day - it's a holiday - so they won't get the notes until Thursday - oops!

I had to make a doctor's appointment for my mom today - so I call the doctor's office and get the message that 'there are 2 calls ahead of you' - I listen to a bit of music and about a minute later I get the message that 'there are 3 calls ahead of you' - wait a minute - 3 calls! How do you cut in line on the phone?! Crazy! When I finally talk to someone, she asks what type of appointment it is - and I tell her that it is for a physical - she then tells me that she needs to check to see if my mom is eligible to have one - eligible? - didn't realize they would turn her down for it - especially since the doctor's nurse called me last week to set it up but I didn't have my calendar at the moment. As it turns out - my mom IS eligible (for more than just a physical - but that is a post for another day) - yippee for us!

Last but certainly not least - I called my dad today to find out if he had any resources for an artist to produce prints from their originals - he does own an art gallery after all. He told me that he didn't have any info for me but all I needed to do was open the yellow pages to look for it - yeah - the yellow pages - and all I could think was - yeah the yellow pages called Google, maybe! God Bless Him!

I Truly Mean It

Anyone that knows me, knows that there are two phrases that I tend to use quite a bit... God Bless Her (Him/Them) and Fascinating. And I don't use the phrases to be facetious or anything - I truly mean it when I say it. Today I went to the 40th birthday party of a dear friend of mine from college. Instead of presents, we were asked to bring a letter of how she had impacted our lives or what she meant to us. Well, last night, I decided to look through 20 years of old journals and include passages about her in the letter. As I was reading through the past - I found the following entry...

------

May 24, 1989

“I’ve been down all week. And T – God Bless her – has been trying to cheer me up and stuff."

------

All I can say is... Fascinating!

In What City?

So I was watching one of the morning shows this week and they were doing a retrospective segment on what the fads were back in 1983 compared to the fads in 2009. One of the comparisons they made was how much a movie ticket cost. According to the show - a movie ticket in 1983 cost $3.15 and a movie ticket in 2009 costs $7.18!!! And my thought was - in what city does a move ticket cost $7.18?! Last time I checked - a movie ticket was about $10 - I guess that's the price we pay for living in paradise!

Visiting Your Local Pharmacy

About 10 years ago - I used to travel to Texas on quite a regular basis - and since I was always taking the same flight in and out of Houston - I started to recognize the ground crew at the airport! Anyway... that isn't where this story is going... I remember driving in Dallas one time and seeing a billboard that said 'Don't know who the father is? We can help' and was advertising a paternity testing facility. I was reminded of this billboard recently as I was driving through San Bernardino on my way to Big Bear. This time the billboard advertised a paternity test that you could purchase at your local pharmacy. Who knew that finding out who the baby daddy is can be as easy as visiting your local pharmacy! Fascinating...

Really, A Repeat This Early In The Season

Goodness - it's been a month since I last posted - shame on me! So I had a fabulous dinner this evening with some wonderful friends (thanks, Jan and Holly - the crepe place is quite the find) and got back to my hotel right around 9pm. So I thought I would give NCIS Los Angeles another shot - decided that I would sit and truly give it my undivided attention. I'm not completely sold on it - I LOVE the original NCIS show - will sit and watch repeats all day long - but haven't been as excited about the spinoff. So I lay down on the bed - turn the TV on with anticipation only to find out that it is a repeat... really, a repeat this early in the season. If you are trying to get people to watch your brand new TV show - don't be showing repeats this early on! I think I'm done with the show - not even the NCIS name will save it for me... Think I'll go check out USA and see if there are any repeats of the original on tonight - if not I know they will have some tomorrow night!

A Whole Host Of Running Events

I know - I know - it's been a while! But this will all be worth it since it will include photos. Photos not only from the Disney event, but from the Mission Viejo event and the Irvine Spectrum event. I'm going to let the photos speak for themselves - but a shout out to all my running event peeps for the fun this year - I'm looking forward to more events next year - and a good luck for those that will be doing the Turkey Trot - I'll be in San Francisco - but will think of you all! Oh yeah - you'll be hearing more about this when I get my act together to send the email out - but if you would like to do the Alzheimer's Memory Walk - it will be on October 31 in the morning in Huntington Beach - here's the link to the Team Page if you would like to join Team Lucille... anyway - enough of a commercial break for now - here is the link to the event photos... enjoy!

Giggle Filled Evening

So it's been a crappy day - preceded by a tough several weeks - which has led me to start practicing my new word for the rest of the year - No. So this evening, as I was telling my peep, Lynne, about my new word - she responded - 'a word you aren't overly familiar with' and it just made me laugh so hard! Which just ran over into bell practice where I got the giggles at one point - after accidentally hitting two of the bells together - they aren't supposed to ring like that - doesn't sound very pretty! :) Anyway - a big shout out to my buddy Lynne - for putting the giggle filled evening into motion! God Bless You!

The True Treasure

So I've found myself a new obsession (I am my mother's daughter)... Netflix instant play! I love Netflix and all the choices that they have - and now I just can't get enough of watching TV on my computer. So I think I mentioned a while back that my newest favorite show is NCIS - great characters, great show and just a lot of fun. Over the last several months I've been watching Season's 1 - 5. Season 6 was on this last year - but haven't really been keeping up - well, on Netflix I can watch Season 6 instantly - very cool! But even better - there are other shows from when I was a kid that I can watch instantly - like the Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries - they weren't quite as good as I remember - but the true treasure that I found... the adventures of Roy DeSoto and John Gage - and of course, nurse Dixie... Emergency! It was one of my favorite shows as a kid and I don't think I realized back then how campy and melodramatic the show is - but I have been enjoying it! And the clothing - hilarious!

You Want To Use This?

So check it out... kids today... I went to Chronic Taco at lunch today - mmmm - yummy! And the bill was $8.69 - so I gave the kid $10.70. I gave him the change first and started to hand him the 10 dollar bill and he just looked at me all confused and said 'this is 70 cents.' So then I was confused and asked how much the total was - maybe I didn't hear it correctly - I did - $8.69. At this point, I wasn't really sure how to respond - so I handed him the 10 and he still looked at me confused and said ' you want to use this?' - referring to the change - and all I could think to say was - just type it into the computer and it will help you make change - which I didn't, of course - all I could say in my 'are you kidding' stupor was - Yes. So he typed it in and lo and behold it must have told him I needed $2.01 back - at least he was able to comprehend and count that out for me... I just had to laugh as I left the place. God Bless Him!

Sucked In

I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but I've been sucked in (no pun intended)! I didn't really know anything about it when I started - I'm sure I had heard something - but nothing that really caught my attention. Then a couple of friends at work started talking about it and I just rolled my eyes - until my one (obsessed) friend brought in the first book and movie and told me I just HAD to read the book - preferably before watching the movie. So I took the book home and started reading and was caught - hook, line and sinker - completely consumed by it... The Twilight Series, that is...

Like I said - I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I've been reading the books - they are written for teenage girls and all - but as B said and the cover declares - they are New York Times Bestsellers. It took me a week to read the first book - a little under a week to read the second - and will probably be done with the third this weekend - I guess I'm the one that is obsessed now! It's nice, though, to find something that has just so captured my interest - very rarely do I find books that I simply can't put down - the Karen Kingsbury books are usually like that also - especially the Baxter series - and there are a few other authors that I like also - but I'm truly of the MTV generation and am a huge TV watcher - so it's been a bit weird that I turned on the TV today for the first time in probably a week - very unusual.

But like I said - I have truly enjoyed the books - wasn't as excited about the movie - only the first one is out - Twilight - the second movie - New Moon - comes out on November 20 - my obsessed friend at work is lobbying for a bunch of us to take the day off so we can go see it! What I like about the books is the interaction and dialogue - mainly between Bella and Edward - much of which they had to either alter or take out of the movie - that and several of the characters in the movie just weren't who I thought they should be based on my imagination. Oh well... I leave you with one of my favorite passages that I've read so far - hopefully the author won't find my blog and sue me for copyright infringement - but just had to share this with all of you - my faithful readers :) !!!!

A little bit of set up - this is from the first book, Twilight - the series is written in first person from Bella's view - Bella and Edward are out to dinner and Edward is explaining his ability of hearing other people's thoughts - everyone's thoughts but Bella's...

"Why do you think you can't hear me?" I asked curiously.

He looked at me his eyes enigmatic.

"I don't know, " he murmured. "The only guess I have is that maybe your mind doesn't work the same way the rest of theirs do. Like your thoughts are on the AM frequency and I'm only getting FM." He grinned at me, suddenly amused.

"My mind doesn't work right? I'm a freak?" The words bothered me more than they should - probably because his speculation hit home. I'd always suspected as much, and it embarrassed me to have it confirmed.

"I hear voices in my mind and you're worried that you're the freak," he laughed.

That last line just truly made me laugh out loud... I hear voices in my mind and you're worried that you're the freak! Very entertaining!

Open Faced Sandwich

I can't believe it - I have an entire page of notes of things to blog about and have just been lazy! That and I've been sucked into that whole Twilight book series - but that's another blog for another day. So on to today's subject...

The Sandwich Generation - did you know that July is Sandwich Generation month? I sure didn't until I did a little research on the topic - and let me tell you why I did research... Terrie and I were talking the other day about being part of the sandwich generation - you know - those stuck between caring for their children and their parents - except neither of us have children - so I mention that we were open faced sandwiches - which I thought was pretty clever. And that's where the research came into play - I checked to see if that phrase had been used before - and it has - however it was used to refer to 'anyone else involved in elder care' - I don't really get the reference and I like mine better - so there you have it!

Human Touch

He's 60! He's Hot! And I touched him! Yes - the concert was all that and a bag of chips, baby! We had great seats (thanks, Brandy!) and it was just a really good show - he gives a good concert! He was talking about his birthday and he said - I'm 30 times 2 - he'll be 60 next month and he looks fantastic! He's entertaining and interactive with the audience and at one point wandered far enough into the audience that he walked right by us. Brandy even helped him climb over her seat - I, of course, had to reach out and steady him so he wouldn't fall backwards - yeah - that's it :) ! The people watching was wonderful - and I'll tell you - I was right about the type of crowd - but I'd say that some of those men went willingly! There was one sweetie darling that we saw going in that was having his friends take his picture by the event poster out front - he ended up right in front of the stage and knew all the words to all the songs - he was fun to watch. We had a great time and here's a video him walking through the crowd and over to where we were sitting (I didn't wash my hand for days - not)... Enjoy - we certainly did!

Amphitheater Full Of Middle Aged Women

So I'm getting ready for fun evening out! Later tonight I'll be in an amphitheater full of middle aged women (and the men they drag with them) for... wait for it... Rick Springfield aka Dr. Noah Drake from General Hospital! So how appropriate is it that TBS has been showing the movie 'Music and Lyrics' all weekend - there is a great scene in it where the 80's Pop legend is performing for a high school reunion and all the women are just all dreamy for him - to make it hit home even more - it is a Class of 1987 reunion - yep - the year I graduated from high school! I can't wait - should be a great concert!

A funny about it from yesterday - at breakfast in the morning (as opposed to breakfast in the evening) we had a waitress that was asking if we would be going to the fair and I mentioned I was going to the fair and Rick Springfield concert tonight - and she didn't know who he was - God Bless Her - she's young!

Past My Bedtime

It's late and past my bedtime - but had to take a few moments to comment on some observations today - actually - mainly this evening - but I do have to make a shout out to my lunch buddies for humoring me and walking around the mall looking for the pastry place - you were right, Merendia!!! The chocolate croissant was well worth it - and I heard the chocolate chip cookie was also!

So to make up for the big lunch and pastry dessert - Merendia and I went walking this evening - we went to the RSM lake since it has a nice path around to walk - and some great people and dog watching opportunities! And it was a beautiful evening - we did four laps. There was this cute little kid as we were walking that was fishing with his parents and he ended up catching this tiny little fish - I'm not sure what they put in the lake, but they aren't very big - and this kid was so excited - we actually stopped for a moment to watch him he was just ecstatic about this fish - very cute! It seems like there was something else that amused me that I was going to blog about - but don't remember now - will have to lay awake thinking about it so I can write about it tomorrow (or not).

We did spot something else on the way back from the lake though - 2 kids driving a Ford Pinto - hope they don't have my luck of being rear ended - haven't seen one of those in a while - the last one I remember is the green one that a neighbor of mine had who was so into heavy metal at the time that we called it the Motley Crue mobile! She is now married with a bunch of kids - converted to become a Morman and is a big fan of country music - go figure!

Get The Rope

Tuesday night - traditionally dinner and people watching at the Spectrum night! And tonight did not disappoint. Although very busy! we couldn't sit at our usual table at Wahoo's - although the Hair Club for Men guys were there. We've noticed over the last several weeks that there are a group of guys that have dinner at Wahoo's around the same time that Brandy and I do every Tuesday - several of them are bald - hence the name. Anyway... it was just busy - and lots of kids around - it must be summer! Even our yogurt place was crowded - people taking pictures and kids being loud inside - didn't stop us from getting a yummy swirly dessert, though. What was fascinating, however, was watching three of the workers try to make this parfait thing - how many does it take?! We did get wonderful service from Cody, though - much better service than we have previously gotten in that shop.

What I found really amusing though was when we were in Target - I had to look for the Texas Toast - I remember Jan blogging about her disappointment when they only had 6 slices in a box rather than 8 - so I thought I would take a look - had no idea there were so many brands of Texas Toast (honestly - I had never heard of it before) - but what amused me the most - was this particular brand - New York brand - The Original Texas Toast - get the rope!

What Questions Do You All Have?

Wow! It's been a while... and it's not like I don't think of things to blog about all the time - I just don't take the time to sit down and write them out... so I was thinking yesterday and decided that I don't need to make these big long entries - but short and quick will work also - so I'm going to try my best to post at least 3 or 4 entries a week. So a couple of stories from yesterday....

I was assisting at the 11am service which means that I did just about everything except the sermon. And while I was doing the welcome to everyone and giving the announcements - I almost said at the end of it... What questions do you all have?! And then I realized - wait - this is church - not work!

I went out to lunch with Terrie afterwards and she told me that on her way to the restaurant, she was following a mommy van that had a license plate frame that said that Mom's know everything (or something like that) and also had a sticker that said 'Pole Dancer on Board' with an outline of a woman pole dancer - yeah - it seemed a little odd to both of us!

Is It Or Isn't It?

Goodness... it's been awhile - again - bad habit - not posting - oh well - I do what I can. So last weekend I went to a picnic at O'Neill Park - a really nice regional park in the area that is popular with hikers, campers and those just wanting to have a nice picnic out. It was with my fellowship group from church and we had a great time - we did have a question about one of the plants though.... is it - or isn't it... poison oak? Didn't want to touch it so I took a picture - I think we decided that it really was poison oak. So at lunch when we were eating at the picnic benches - we noticed all of the squirrels around the field we were in - they were all over the place! At one point we were a bit worried about an attack of the squirrels. So after lunch and some fellowship we decided to play 'Bowling for Squirrels' - aka Bocce Ball. They pretty much got out of the way when we started throwing the balls around - except this one - and of course being the evil one that I am - couldn't resist trying to roll the ball as close to him as possible - which I did - within a couple of inches - he decided to leave after that!

After the picnic was over - a group of us decided to take a walk around part of the park and see where the campground was - and I found this one campsite rather amusing - it had this beautiful new trailer with several slide outs - and next to it was this little hibachi. We also saw horses in the equestrian camping area and then got in the car and drove around the park - there are a lot of picnic areas and hiking trails - I took a couple of pictures that I just couldn't resist - including one of my very favorite subjects - check them out here. All in all - it was a lovely and relaxing day and has inspired me to check out the regional park just down the street from me - may become part of my walking and running routine - will post an update on how that goes - hopefully in a more timely manner!

Three Unrelated Stories

I was in Target tonight buying cat food - and was happy to see that they had a 'Temporary Price Cut' on the food I normally buy - it was now $14.00 - of course then I looked a little closer and the noticed that the regular price is $14.09!  Are you kidding me?  That's almost false advertising - unacceptable!  Of course, I bought it anyway - the cat has to eat!  When I was walking to my car - I noticed the Stater Bros and Target carts playing together again - maybe it's ok since they were in a Target collection stall!

So on Saturday when Terrie and I were going up to Big Bear to do some picture framing, we stopped at Carl's Jr a the bottom of the hill.  While we were in there - this bus driver came in - and I didn't really think much about it until we were walking  back to the car and he was walking back to the bus - that the bus was running - unattended!  It really made me laugh - I joked with Terrie about whether she wanted a bus - there was one that she could hijack - I realize now that the story was much funnier in person.  

One last story that may or may not be funny - we went to lunch last week at South Coast Plaza and I couldn't resist taking this picture...

How many malls do you know of that have a limo stop?!  I was informed by one of my friends that it is the mall of choice of the Real Housewives of Orange County - yeah - real housewives my a**!

It Would Be A Great Outfit And All

Goodness - I keep finding these notes of things that I have meant to write about and haven’t - so here is some completely random stuff.

We shall start with Universal Studios - I was there several weeks ago - played hooky from my church - although I went to church in Thousand Oaks - and after that - I met up with some friends at Universal Studios.  We had a good time - it’s been several years since I’ve been there - and I can say - that I don’t think I really need to go again for another several years!  There was some new stuff that I hadn’t seen before, though - and they had the new Simpsons ride where the theming was fabulous - the park employee that was supposed to be managing the queue was quite the ass - thought it fit in nicely with the whole Simpsons theme.  The best part of the day though - were the several things that reminded me of our England trip - check out the pictures here.

A couple of weeks after that I had the pleasure of modeling for our women’s group at church.  I don’t mind doing the modeling - but it was a nightmare trying to get an appointment to go in and try on outfits.  The shop they choose caters to an older crowd - so there were only times during the middle of a weekday - they made an exception for me and let me come in on a Sunday - how gracious of them!  So there were 3 outfits that I wore - even a casual one in my favorite color - that the coordinator from the store thought I should buy - yeah - no.  It would be a great outfit and all - for my mother!  Check out all the outfits here - along with a pic of peep Lynne who modeled as well.

Random Things I Have To Tell

Here I am out of town - away from all the stuff I should be doing at home - with time in my hotel room to blog and I'm just not in the mood - shouldn't have brought the DVD's of NCIS with me - but there are some random things that I have to tell - so I'll at least get those out...

Let's see - some trends that I have noticed in this and last week's hotels - the shower curtains - it must be the in thing to have a shower curtain that has more privacy in the bottom part and more see through at the top.  And I've noticed that both hotels had elevator permits that were out of date - what's up with that?!

And an amusing store that I drove by yesterday - Baby Trader - didn't know you could trade them in!  Went to Vons last night to pick up some stuff and this woman starts to talk to me about how her son found inspiration on the bottom of a Kleenex box for his graduation speech - she actually read some of the text to me from the box she was carrying around - it was actually pretty good - will have to check out the bottom next time I come across a box.  She told me not to tell anyone - so shhhh - mum's the word!   Speaking of odd things at Vons - I was in Vons a couple of weeks ago back in the OC and I came across these baby apples - along with baby bananas - I found them terribly amusing - so much so that I had to take pictures - check them out here.  So when I came across a potato of a baby size at Soup Plantation recently - had to take a picture of it also!

So one more rambling story before I go - aren't you all glad I finally decided to post :) !  Anywho... best part of the trip - seeing my friend Jan for dinner - who would have thought we would both be in San Diego last night!  We went to a little whole in the wall Mexican place that she is familiar with - YUMMY!  At the end of the evening I had to buy a bag of chips to go - and contemplated buying the big bag - good thing I didn't - I practically ate the entire small bag tonight - I don't even want to imagine the kind of damage I could have done with the big bag!  ok - think I've rambled enough for now - happy rest of the week to everyone!

Happy Birthday To Me!

What a lovely birthday weekend - not only do I get three days - but I get a weekend filled with the love and blessings of friends.  Friday evening started with prayer and wonderful dinner out with friends (even if I was cramming for weigh in on Saturday morning and had to eat salad and the service was terrible!) - Saturday started with breakfast with friends and a lovely day of laying around the house (and doing laundry).  Saturday evening was filled with a pool party and excellent dinner at friends - more good times.  Sunday morning was a bit hectic at church - lots going on - but hope that will calm down in the next couple of weeks.  Went to lunch out with a friend and not only had a great customer service experience but got a discount card also - will have to eat at PF Chang's more often!  Sunday evening went to visit my mom - we had a nice visit - have other mom stories from earlier in the week - will have to get those posted in the next couple of days - back to last evening - at one point she asked me how my love life was - made me laugh!  She also told me about an outfit that she had laid out on the chair to put on before breakfast and when she came back it was gone - last Tuesday when I was there - the outfit was red - last night the outfit was blue and then 5 minutes later when she brought it up again - it was pink (it's her latest obsession).  God Bless Her!  After visiting with her - went to friends for dinner - fantastic (and found out I like yams - as long as they don't have all that sugary stuff on them) - and I got my favorite thing - angel food cake with chocolate frosting (thank you!) - in fact - I think I just might have the leftovers for breakfast - mmmmm.  I started this morning with a couple of my favorite things  - got to see my friend Jan - walked up to cheer her on in her 1/2 marathon and then I treated myself to not just a tall - but a grande hot chocolate.  Happy Birthday to me!

Early Birthday Gift

I got an early birthday gift yesterday.... check it out - Betsy Marie...   I got my baby back, baby back, baby back...  I got my baby back, baby back, baby back!  I was convinced when I left her at the body shop two weeks ago that I wouldn't get her back - cried as I drove out of the parking lot.  But here she is - in living color (although I don't think black is really a color - but you get my point).  It was so good to see her!  I know it sounds crazy - I certainly wasn't this attached to my Corolla (Betsy Jane - they are all named Betsy) when I had her - but there is just something about my Integra - I just really love the car.  When I went to pick her up - there was a guy in the office that might have been either the owner or manager and he asked me if the Integra was mine - and I told him yes - he said he was glad they were able to save it - that it is a really nice car.  I completely agreed with him - it's nice to have her back - God Bless the body shop!

Take My Mind Off Everything

What a week!  Well - here's an update...  had to get a new rental car after a warning light came on in the first one - the new car doesn't have a sun roof - bummer!  Haven't heard anything about whether they are going to total my car - several of the claims folks at work told me it can take a couple of days to determine - will be following up tomorrow (the consensus is about 50/50 as to whether they will total it).  And was told of a 'special assignment' opportunity at work that looks very promising - although getting information about it today wasn't without its drama.  I'm leaning towards the opportunity - but any prayer you would like to send my way would be greatly appreciated!  But best of all today - was an evening out with B - just to take my mind off everything else that is going on - thanks, my friend - God Bless You!

Crappy Day

This is how my day started - needless to say - it wasn't a very good one.  Got rear ended on my way to work - and am fine - just really sore - and the doctor told me I would feel even worse tomorrow - God Bless Him!  I have to say, though - even with the crappy day that it has been (with all sorts of crying going on) - there have been blessings also.  The blessing of a friend that recently got a job - but is off on Fridays so she was able to chauffeur me around to take care of the details.  And the blessing of a doctor's appointment this afternoon that had already been made for my annual physical.  And mostly the blessing that he was able to swerve and only clip the side of my car - had he hit me straight on - I would have been in much worse shape!  And with this damage there is still hope that they won't total my car - but Monday may really be crappy if they do - no matter what, though - God is Good and God is Ever Present and God will Never Fail Us!

Former Student

So I'm driving home the other day and stuck in traffic and I enjoy reading the bumper stickers and license plate frames and occasional personalized plate that comes along - but the plate frame I saw recently really made me laugh out loud.  It said...  'Texas A&M - Former Student'.  And all I could think was - nothing screams 'I didn't graduate' more than creating a license plate frame that says 'Former Student'!

Trying To Stay Cool

I have stories to tell - and pictures to post - but they will have to wait for another day.  It's late and I'm tired - but snapped this picture of little Miss Sadie this weekend as she tried to stay cool outside on the balcony and thought it was so much fun that it deserved a post - so enjoy!

Almost Too Old

At our church communications meeting the other night, we were talking about how to improve our website and what we could do to make people want to visit it daily.  One of the suggestions was to create a blog.  So I've been thinking about how to make it work.  I was trying to think of how to make it not so taxing on people to contribute - I know a little about trying to keep a blog updated on a consistent basis (or not keeping it updated as is more the case).  I was in the church office yesterday afternoon for prayer therapy and before we started, I was talking to Pastor Darren about it all.  He said he could easily do one entry per week.  So I challenged him to try one per week for a month to see how it goes.  I told him that it can be really, really tough to keep it current.  To which my dear friend, Jill, said that it's because I'm almost too old to have that gene to blog every day.  Needless to say, we enjoyed quite a laugh about that.  Oh well - I guess ALMOST too old is better than just TOO OLD!

Out For A Run

So Monday evening, I finally got my act in gear and decided to take my new haircut out for a run.  I figured after taking February off with an ankle injury, March off with walking pneumonia and the first part of April off for dental work - I really need to start cramming for the 10K on May 3 (I might be briskly walking quite a bit of it).  Back to my hair - it did ok - I might need to get a hat, though.  With long hair it was easy enough to put it up in a ponytail - with this new haircut, though, it has quite a bit of get in my face potential - especially on a windy day like today!  The run itself was good also - ran a mile and a half without stopping - thought that was pretty good - was getting a nasty side ache, though, so I briskly walked the last 1/2 mile.  Didn’t run last night - had the third (and last) installment of my root canal done (although now I have to go get the crown put in - might wait until after the run) - yuck!  But will got to the gym tonight and maybe out for a run on Thursday.

Tales From The Home - Part Deux

So we tried one more place - they had slip on shoes in wide widths - with a blue strip - my mom’s favorite color - things were looking up!  Unfortunately, she couldn’t figure out the slip on shoes - she got the front part of her foot in them but couldn’t figure out that she needed to use her finger to slip them over her heel - can you imagine?  Crazy disease!  So I boxed them up and almost in tears gave them back to the sales associate - who then produced a different shoe to try - except these had zippers - and all I could think was - she’ll never figure out the zippers - but I gave them to her to try anyway - what did I have to lose?  And all praise be to God - she was able to figure them out!  I made her put them on and off several times by herself to make sure she could do it - and she seemed to do just fine!  I told the sales associate that she was an answer to prayer!

When we got back to the home (for lack of a better word - I think it sounds better than facility) - there was this old man in his wheelchair sitting in the middle of the parking lot - he always seems to do that - usually blocking parking spaces!  So I had to park in a different spot than I wanted to - but - oh well!  I went in and got my mom all settled with her new shoes.  She was all excited about them and wanted to see if anyone would notice that she got new shoes.  As I was leaving through the TV room - there were two of the old men sitting in there enjoying a little too much whatever Spring Break Bikini show was on Fox at the moment - ick - dirty old men!  But wait - it gets better!  I go out to my car and the little old man in the wheelchair has wheeled over to my car and is looking in the driver’s side of the car.  So I ask him if he sees anything he likes and he tells me he is reading about the car - he’s reading the security sticker in the window.  He starts to move out of the way as I open it up and start to get in - he then asks me if my husband has his own car - to which I reply that I don’t have a husband and am not married - to which he makes a ‘hmmm’ sound - and all I can think is - double ick - I need a shower!

Tales From The Home - Part 1

So on Sunday, I had the distinct pleasure of taking my mom out to get new shoes.  We went a couple of weeks ago and looked at a few place with no luck - my mom, God Bless Her, has these wide little feet - and in case you don’t know - it can be tough to find shoes for wide little feet!  When I got to her place - she wasn’t there - I put away her laundry and tidied up a bit and then out to look for her - I figured she was in the activity room for one of the three Sunday worship services that they have.  I was right - I went down there and saw her sitting on the side - she didn’t see me and I didn’t want to interrupt, so I just sat on a bench right outside the activity room until they finished.  It was pretty cool at the end when they all sang ‘The Old Rugged Cross’ - one that I’m sure most of the group knew without having to look at the words - it was neat to sit there and just listen to the group singing - a bit of a blessing for me.

When they were done - my mom and I went out on our quest to find shoes.  The first place we looked has some shoes that I thought would work - they had velcro like my mom has now - but my mom can’t figure out what to do with the tongue of the shoes - so after I helped her the first time to put the shoes on - she wasn’t able to get them on again without getting the tongue all smashed in the toe so they didn’t fit - she also seemed to struggle with the velcro - bummer!  So we went to another place that I knew had wide shoes and slip on shoes - of course they didn’t have them in her size - dang!  And I remember putting the smaller shoes back on the shelf and just thinking - Lord, I don’t know what to do.

Stay tuned...

Or Maybe An Inch Longer

So I got my haircut a week ago - and I really like it!  Short so the long hair doesn't drag the curl down - and yes - those are my own curls.  Hated them as a kid - was always getting my hair straightened!  We never want what we have!  So it amused me when I was done at the hair place - I love the cut that she did - although when I was there - she blow dried it - which took out a lot of the curl and then used a curling iron on it - yeah - I will never do that - I don't even have a curling iron!  But, like I said - I love the cut she gave me and it is totally wash and wear - that was a requirement since I won't spend time doing my hair - I'm lazy that way.

The reaction - mostly positive - there have been a couple of reactions, though, that have amused me.  Someone at work asked if I liked it and I told them yes - I loved it - and they said - that's nice and then walked away.   My very favorite came at church when someone told me that it was a really good length - or maybe an inch longer!  That one still makes me laugh!  My mom didn't notice - but at least she still recognized me - so that's always a good thing.

Unfortunately, this picture just doesn't do it justice - but whether you like it or not - I love it and that's all that matters!

A Yogurt A Day...

Goodness!  It's been over a week - shame on me...  well - I'm going to play the sick card this week - that cold I've had for the last month that I just couldn't get rid of - walking pneumonia!  Good Times!  I'm now on the mend - the magic of antibiotics.  Unfortunately for me, antibiotics usually come with a complimentary infection - that luckily I've been able to avoid...  A yogurt a day keeps the complimentary infection away!  I know - TMI - but I also know you wouldn't expect anything less from me.  So speaking of yogurt - I like to break up these granola bars and put them in my yogurt - so I was in Henry's the other night and thought - why not just buy granola - so I went looking - they have 20 varieties of granola!  I was overwhelmed by the choices - and I couldn't find any bags to put it in - so I just looked and walked away!  Anybody have any suggestions of their favorite granola?

This week I also signed papers for my condo refinance - and why is it that I've been working on this for at least a month and a half and they call at the last minute to get me in on the last day they can to sign papers before they have to file.  And then I notice they have put the wrong city all over the place - even on the same document - they had the correct city in one place and the wrong city in another - unbelievable - so we crossed them all out and I initialed them and luckily that wasn't a problem - needless to say - I would have been very unhappy had that delayed anything.  When I was in the parking lot of the escrow office - I noticed several cars with personalized plates - one said 'FASN8ME' and it got me to thinking - I wonder if 'FSN8ING' is available - it's not, of course - and I really don't need to be changing the plate on my car - I'll just stick with nothing - or as a friend once thought - gettin' it on!  Hee hee hee!

Their Eyes Just Lit Up

So I wrote earlier in the week a quick hit on dinner - what I didn't write about was one of the other blessings of the evening.  We had dinner at Ruby's Diner - it was a fundraiser for our Family Ministries team at church - so needless to say - there were a lot of families there.  We were there a bit late for the families - but we did get to see a few.  Well, there were two of the girls from the Joyful Noise children's choir having dinner together with their moms and brothers.  I went over to say hello to the girls and their eyes just lit up when they saw me - and the one girl - I had never heard her speak so much!  She was just chatting it up with me - which is odd because I never hear her say a thing during choir (don't even really think she sings much) - but here she was talking away.  And can I just tell you - as excited as they may have been to have me come over and talk to them - really, they were so much more a blessing to me - God Bless Them!!  I have to tell you - as much as kids scare me - I love working with the choir - all of them are just wonderful.  I love it as long as I don't have to be in charge - and the director, Kristi - does such an amazing job with them - it's fun to watch - I think we make a good team.  April will be a bit tough for me - I have to do a lot of multimedia training during that month so I won't get to see the kids as much as I want - but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Fellowship, Food and Fun

A very quick hit and Big Shout Out to my peeps and the mister tonight.  Thanks for a Fantastic dinner of Fellowship, Food and Fun - and remember we're not women - we're friends!  Blessings and Love to you all!

Beautiful Weather And Wonderful Friends

So I think I mentioned a while back (I do such a good job of keeping my stories current!) that we had a girls weekend in Palm Springs. Terrie and I went out to cheer Kris on in a softball tournament. And what a good time we had! On the way out there – Kris was driving and we had stopped off at her parents first and as we are driving through the back roads of the desert I told her that if she were to drop me off anywhere – I would have no idea how to get back home – had never been to that area before. Of course, we kept it at a lower elevation – Terrie took a bit of a scenic route after the road she wanted was closed and ended seeing snow on her route!

On our way out to Palm Springs – I’m not sure why – but I found it fascinating that we were traveling along the Sonny Bono Memorial Highway – such excitement. When we got to the hotel, the room was nice - one of my favorite chains - Marriott (and I was even able to take advantage of a special rate being a Marriott Hotel Specialist - goodie for me - aren't I just so special) anyway - back to the room – it had this very friendly door. The door to the bathroom remained open and blocked the sink – so you had to close the door to be at the sink or contend with the door that wanted to be close to you and rest up against you – of course, it was the most action I’ve seen in a while! And then there was housekeeping! They came by on Saturday morning around 8am! We couldn’t believe it – we hadn’t put out the do not disturb sign – we didn’t realize that they would come by so early! And speaking of the do not disturb sign – here is a picture of it... 

It certainly isn’t your mother’s do not disturb sign! It’s been updated with current lingo – just like the conversation hearts. The other thing I found cool in the room was the pad of paper from the hotel – this is what it said…  'Accomplished List.  Much more gratifying than a to-do list, don't you think?'  - I thought that was pretty cool! - Although I guess I already said that - think I'm losing my mind today. Anywho...

One of the best things, though was the guy we saw Saturday morning. There was an older man walking through the parking lot with his shorts, black socks and black shoes! Classic! As we were getting into the elevator – another guy walked in with the same thing – shorts with black shoes and socks! Then as we walked by the pool – the original guy was laying in a chair with his shoes off – kept his socks on though. Very amusing!

The softball tournament was good also – fun to watch all the ladies playing. And Saturday evening during one of the last games, Kris made this Awesome diving catch for the out! Unfortunately a couple of plays later she twisted her knee and was out for the rest of the tournament. We still enjoyed cheering the team on for the rest of the games. They ended up coming in second place – but that was ok – it was such a great weekend to get away and just enjoy the beautiful weather and wonderful friends!

They Certainly Don't Make It Easy

So check this out…

I have tried twice this week to compliment someone on the service they gave me and it just hasn’t been working out – what is the matter with companies today? They certainly don’t make it easy. I’ve already told my story about JCPenney – they frustrated me again, though. After I sent the email through their website, I got an automated response that a representative would contact me in 48 hours – yeah – that was 6 days ago – oh well. I was telling a friend at work that I was considering printing out the email and taking it into the store to talk to the manager – she encouraged me not to do that – it would more than likely just add to my frustration – and of course she is right!

So my second attempt to compliment someone came when I called Countrywide. I’m refinancing my home and didn’t think about the fact that property taxes are due April 10 and the loan closes on March 30 and since they are compounded – they are paid out of my escrow account. So my loan guy told me to call Countrywide and have them pay the taxes before the loan closes – which I did – and the representative was wonderful – friendly, helpful, followed up and explained everything that was going on. At the end of the conversation – I told her that I really appreciated the service I had received and if she had a supervisor or manager that I could talk with to give her a compliment – apparently the only supervisor was on an escalated call. No one else is available? I was disappointed! She told that since they have my email address, that I may be getting a survey – yeah – because I have had such good luck with surveys this week. What a bummer!

Bad Cat Mommy

Last night - I felt so bad - here's what happened...  

In the morning - at around 5am I hear Sadie purging on her favorite blanket on the bed that she always sleeps on.  Not just once - but twice.  I have to admit, though - I was so glad it was on the blanket not the comforter - wouldn't want to have to deal with washing the comforter!  So I immediately get up - fold up the blanket and throw it on the floor by the washing machine - with every intention of washing it yesterday.  Well, the day got away from me and although I did get some laundry done - the blanket wasn't one of the items.  So last night I was getting ready to go to bed and walked around the corner and found her as she appears in this picture.  And I just felt like such the bad cat mommy that I didn't get it washed and put back on the bed!  So last night she had to make a decision about where to sleep - her favorite blanket on the floor by the washer - or her second favorite blanket on the bed with me.  Well - apparently I wasn't that bad since she opted for the bed with me.  And tonight she will be in for a double treat - her favorite blanket - fresh out of the dryer - on the bed!  Doesn't get much better than that - God Bless Her!

What a Disservice

I like JCPenney - I've shopped there for many years - and yesterday's experience was good also.  I went in looking for some new pants for my mom.  And being much shorter than me - I was shopping in the petite department for her.  I had no idea they had so many choices - they had pants that were short, pants that were petite AND pants that were short petite!  Who knew there was something called short petite - actually - someone at breakfast this morning knew and said they are a rare commodity!  So I feel pretty blessed to have been able to find not just one - but two pairs of pants in short petite for my mom.  Anyway...  I went up to purchase the pants and the sales associate was just wonderful!  At the end - she mentioned that there was an online survey that I could take to get a coupon - and if I was happy with her service - to please mention her name.  I'm all for making sure people get credit when they provide this kind of service (not that I'm always this diligent - but I try).

So I go online this evening to take the survey - answer the questions - and at one point there is a free form box that asks if I have any suggestions for improvements to the store - I mention that I was disappointed in the shoe department by the sales associates that were standing around talking and not offering to help any of the customers.  I continue on with the survey - waiting for the free form box that I can mention what a great job Nell did in helping me - when I'm all of a sudden at the end and the coupon appears - there was never another spot that I could make my comments about Nell.  So they want to know what kind of improvements to make to the store - but don't want to know what was right with the store - unacceptable.  Now I'm frustrated because I want to make sure that Nell gets some kind of credit - I know how nice it can be for a customer to recognize the service that I have provided.

Well, I couldn't let it just rest at that - I immediately went onto the website and sent them an email about what a nice job Nell did and how I was unhappy with the survey since I wasn't able to provide any positive feedback.  And, of course, the skeptic in me doesn't think that they will respond at all - but what a disservice to their employees to not allow the customer to give them praise - I wish I had written that in my email - if I hear from them - maybe I'll include that in a response.  How was I to know that I needed to write my kudos in a box with a question about improving service.  Unacceptable!

Does That Make Sense?

Another quickie tonight - went to Costco and thought I was going to have to make another trip to WalMart for Red Yeast Rice that my mom takes for her cholesterol - but I was pleasantly surprised that Costco had it - and a 90 day supply for the same price as a 60 day supply at the other place.  And let me tell you - anything that keeps me from having to walk into Walmart - especially by myself - is tops in my book!  So I brought my Trader Joe's bag to put the few things in that I bought and they ended up putting those things along with the TJ bag in a paper bag - does that make sense?  Crazy!

Peanut Butter

I know it's been over a week since I've posted anything - will get around to more stories later - I have several that need to be told - but for tonight - enjoy this picture of Little Miss Sadie.  I treated her to some Peanut Butter this evening - of course, being Lady Licks A Lot - she had to clean up after the treat...  Enjoy the picture and know that she truly enjoyed the PB!

Trend Setter

I had lunch with my brother the other day and I was talking bout how mom is sometimes wearing her clothes inside out and I commented that I wasn't sure how often that happens.  He said - probably half the time - if the shirt is on properly - it becomes inside out when she takes it off - so the next time, she just puts it on that way.  And sadly, he is probably right - I find her sweaters in the closet inside out all the time.  Fascinating to me just how her mind must be working (or not) these days.

So I always worry about her putting her clothes on inside out - what will people think?  Apparently I don't need to worry so much about it. I was in Target this week and noticed these pants that were sewn with all the seems on the outside!  Who knew she was such a trend setter!  God Bless Her!

Optimism

I love Sheer Freesia from Bath and Body - found it over 10 years ago (when it was originally called Freesia - I wonder if they have sold more now that it is called 'Sheer Freesia') and have tried to keep it stocked in my home  - which can be a difficult task - they don't carry it regularly in the store anymore and don't always have it online.  So a couple of weeks ago, I decided that I would try to find a new scent (a bit traumatic for me - did I mention that I LOVE sheer freesia?!).  I went into the store and asked for help - the associate showed me several different scents and in the end, I decided to try two of them - Blushing Cherry Blossom (not their other scents - Cherry Blossom or Japanese Cherry Blossom!) which is a nice floral scent and Optimism which is part of their new aromatherapy line.  I've worn both scents several times to see what I liked better.  I had decided that I liked the Blushing Cherry Blossom better but didn't want to waste the Optimism (a terrible thing to waste) so after several weeks - decided to wear Optimism today.  And driving in - it drove me crazy in the car - I kept sneezing which continued when I got in to work!  So I decided that I must be allergic to Optimism!  Dang - there goes my 2009 new year's resolution.  And, of course, lo and behold - I went online recently and after being out of it - I was able to get my cherished Sheer Freesia - so all is right with the world again.

Online Disclaimer And Age Verification

I found another calendar with a disclaimer.  One of the guys at work had a day by day calendar called ‘Dumb Dares for the Office.’  Not only did it have an online disclaimer you were supposed to look at - but an age verification also!  So I have to peruse through the calendar, of course, and one of the dares was to yell the word ‘phone’ when the telephone rings - well, I actually already do that on occasion.  There was another dare to charge people a toll when they walk by your desk...  hmmm... have done that also!  Or make up words during meetings - we already have someone in the office that does that.  One that intrigued me was to take your trash can over and empty it in another coworkers trash can and then walk away without saying a word - that could be fun - might have to try that at some point.  The one I probably won’t be trying is smelling both your armpits during an important meeting - yeah - don’t think so.

So I’m taking a cashiering class this week so when I get questions about what is covered in that class - I’ll have a little more knowledge about it.  I went to sign up for the class and lo and behold - I hadn’t met all the prerequisites.  So I check to see what I needed to take - as it turns out - it is a class that I teach!  Go figure!  Apparently - teaching the class doesn’t count.  Crazy!

And one more work story - about a week ago we were having a team meeting and during the middle of it - our supervisor got a call from her husband - since he knew she was in a meeting that day - she was concerned about why he was calling - so she answered to find out if he was ok.  Yeah - he was fine - he just got his first cell phone for Christmas and was checking to see if the speed dial worked!

SAD

A shout out to Kris and Terrie for a very enjoyable dinner on SAD - Single Awareness Day aka Valentine's Day.  Nothing like good food and good conversation with good friends!  We had dinner at a little Mexican whole in the wall place that Craig introduced us all to - yummy!  After that we ventured up to the Spectrum for some Pinkberry - also yummy!  Although the flow of the place isn't very good - everyone seemed to just be standing around not sure of where to go or where to order - Jan, can you get on that?! :)  I tried the pomegranate with blueberries and I think Kris was sold on the new Belgian milk chocolate on the pom swirl.  It was just an all around lovely evening!