The Long Way Home

After what seemed to be forever we made it home safe and sound. For some reason it seemed that we got there a lot quicker. Maybe it was the straight through drive on the way there. I don't think any of us got more than 2-3 hours of sleep on the way out. I have problems sleeping in a car. I did note some people nodding off here and there and being awaken by their own snores. It's always funny to witness this, but funnier when it happens to you. A sudden snort will jar you out of complete sleep and you look around to see who made the noise and then realize it came from your own nose or mouth. I also noticed that sleep talking is not only Annette's thing. Interesting speech will jar anyone awake.

Interesting but funny license plate on the way home today "WHUZ HIZ". On the Illinois turnpike.

Not much new on the home front. House was still standing, grass is long, no water in the basement and the fridge and freezer were both running. The fridge has been re-stocked after a visit to the local P&S. There must have been something big going on there earlier today as they had stands set up all over the store. Most of the signs were for Roundy's food items. Guess they're pushing the Roundy's brand this week.

Things I learned on this trip:
Rhode Islander's are very friendly people. All you have to do is step off a curb (not even in a cross walk) and cars will stop and let you cross.
Boston sucks
The entire New England area is windy-forget about any hair styles out there
Croc's are popular nation wide.
There are some wealthy people out there. Newport & Jamestown make Bay Shore & River Hills look like pauper land.
Rhode Islanders are very laid back.
Flatulence is everywhere
A Cozy Cab is a cozy cab
My husband cannot read a map.
Toll booths suck! Wisconsin needs to start charging for road usage
There's a whole hell of a lot of road kill out there.
We have the worst radio stations in the nation
All Super 8's are not the same
Minor League baseball is quite entertaining
Fast food is fast food, no matter where it's from.
Lobster continues to gross me out. (Lobster splatter on the dining room window is even grosser)
When traveling always have beef jerky-it hits the spot
Cosmos are yummy
Someone told their son that I indulge in Bloody Mary's-had to save face
The worst part of a vacation is the end.

It's Raining On My Parade

We've been pretty fortunate with weather so far. Yesterday we went to a Pawsocks game which was enjoyable. The hot dogs were a little weak, but the beer was tasty. Stopped at the Warwick Hooters afterwards for wings, a passport stamp and some tee shirts. Wings were good, service sucked. Our service was slow because "our waitress was in a meeting" then "she was outside". We couldn't figure out if she was fired or what. It also seemed strange to hold a shift meeting with tables full of people waiting for service. Never quite figured it out. One girl served our drinks and took our order. Food came, no plates. Things were a little amiss. Then when a waitress finally did appear I almost chocked on my wing when she stood next to me and yelled in a very thick Jersey accent "Is everything all right here" Scared the crap out of me. I'm trying to figure out why everyone yells around here. At the stadium a young girl selling freeze pops just about shoves them in your face while screaming "Freeze Pops" at the top of her lungs. Gave J & I something to laugh about for awhile.

Woke up this morning to cloudy,cold and raining. It's off to Boston and then Maine as soon as we all start hauling ass out of bed. Guess who's still laying in bed? Give you a hint- I'm blogging, J's showering, K's upright and eating left over Hooters Wings.

It's All In The Family

After a 20 hour road trip we arrived safe and sound in Rhode Island. I was impressed at the Travel Stations along the way. I'm pretty sure we missed a few as my husband seems to have developed an adult bladder now.

J's family was generous enough to stock our room with a few necessities ( beer was a total score). We then went on a little tour of Middleton/ Newport over to their house. Yesterday was just a hang out and relax day and pizza which was yummy. This brought on a little gas from everyone. You'll all be happy to know that the flatulence in this family starts at Bonnie and Mick and goes right on down to little Tizzy. However I must say the Mick II has beat out everyone in the oder department.

Today it's off to the waterfront if we catch the bus. I'm in search of sea glass and the souvenir spoon for the mother-in-law, then it's over to the family for a barbecue. The sun is shining it's probably in the low 70's, I'm on vacation and life is grand.

I did score on a 12 pack of diet coke yesterday. Walking through the store parking lot with J on our way to a little pampering at the local nail place when I saw it. In the cart coral on the bottom of a cart was one lonely 12 pack of diet coke. I looked around to assure that no one was driving off without it and then snatched it up. I was on my way back into the store to turn it in when I ummm.. forgot and carried it into the Nail place with me. I meant to take it on the way back to the hotel but totally forgot. Lugging it up the hill to the hotel was a chore. Maybe I'll take it back today...if I have time.

Yep..You Guessed It-1 More Week on Third

The part that broke on our machine has now been semi-fixed. I was able to begin training associates on 3rd shift last night. There are still some kinks to work out with the system but I got through it pretty well. The problem is 1 night is not enough time to get everyone trained and comfortable. They are not running the line next week, so when I return from a much needed vacation I will be working the shift for one more week.

I mentioned to my husband this morning that it was very quiet on 3rd and you don't have people bugging you or constantly walking through the line. There are no trials, except that trials are a huge learning experience. The night goes by pretty fast as it's busy. He got this frightful look on his face and asked if I was thinking of staying on 3rd. Not for .35 per hour I'm not. Not for the constant tiredness and inability to sleep during the day.

When working days I average about 6 to 6 1/2 hours a sleep per night. On third it's about 5 hours of very broken up sleep. One guy that works on 3rd was telling me he sleeps from 8am to 2-gets up for lunch-sleeps again from 3-9. When I mentioned that he was getting 12 hours of sleep a day he looked a little shocked. "Wakes up for lunch" What a kook.

So J's family has got to be proud of her brother making Commander. I'll bet Bonnie had to let all the buttons out of Mick's shirts to allow for the pride. I'm happy for all them. This is a big deal. I'll have 17 hours to think of an appropriate gift.

So long all, for now! Have a good Memorial Day and remember to log on to WKLH.com to pledge to the Childrens Hospital.

It's Gonna Be A Long Ride

It is one more day before we leave on our trip to Rhode Island. The plan is to depart around 8 pm tomorrow night. I need to pack. I have things piled up and ready but they need to make their way into the suitcase. I have a mental checklist of what to bring and if something should be forgotten, I'm sure RI has stores.
Has anyone ever made a list of the absolute essentials for traveling? I jot things down but leave the notes at work or crunched up in my purse. I truly think that because we camp so much that some things are just a natural. Camping is different though as the stores are sometimes a bit out of the way. Therefore I have made a list of things that I never want to forget.

Toothbrush & toothpaste- you can borrow toothpaste, but not a toothbrush
Undergarments- nuff said
Soap- I simply refuse to use my husbands bar soap. Hotel soap is sticky and as much as I rinse I feel like there is a film of soap on me.
Money/wallet/purse-Ask J about this.
Tampons- so I don't have to send my husband, K & R to the local store for them.
A change of clothes until I can get to a store and buy more
Hair bands so when I forget my blow dryer I can just put my hair in a pony tail
Hat-so when I put my hair in a ponytail I can cover it with a hat
Lotion-My use of lotion is for dry skin
Makeup-something else you don't want to borrow.
books or magazines- so someone else can read them to me as I can't read on a plane or in the car.
My phone-so my kids can call me.
Cigarettes-a nasty habit.
I'm fairly sure I could survive a day or so on the above items. I'm sure that I better not forget anything that's essential for the car trip as the trip Nazi does not like to make unscheduled stops. The only relaxing part of this may be that he will sleep for a portion of the ride. We may be able to pull off a smoke/pee stop without him waking up. I wonder if there's a CD we can purchase with sounds of driving or traffic that we could put in while we stop.

A Value Meal For a Home Run

I've come to the conclusion that I will need to spring for a new computer after our vacation. I'm a little outdated and funky things are starting to happen. I'm just glad that the bitch hung on as long as she has. (Isn't that what men do? Give a name to items.) She's 9 years old now and in computer years probably 90. She is unable to be upgraded or have any more memory added to her. I believe she is gracefully fading in senility.

My first clue that there was a problem was when I started getting lines across the screen whenever I scrolled down. Of course once you clicked the cursor on something the lines would disappear. Tried another monitor and the same thing happened. Well now the lines aren't always going away so when I'm reading emails I'm feeling a little like Steve Martin in the jerk. Something just don't make sense. I tried to cut and copy them and low and behold the little lines appear on the copies. I have now lost the ability to change my fonts and sizes. Don't get that one at all. Probably within a week or so I will be typing minute size in wingdings.

I have begun to seriously check out PC's and compare prices and packages. With the help of my son-in-law I should be able to complete this task within the next two weeks.

Like the loyal grandparents we are we sat on the warm bleachers (I remembered the blanket) and watched yet another interesting Little League game last night. In the past few weeks Dylan has had a little problem connecting at the plate. Not so true last night. Of course there was a little bribing game going on. "Get a hit, get a burger after the game". His first at bat he hit a line drive that got him to 1st base. The not so fast kid running from 2nd to 3rd was a little confused and was tagged out well after Dylan was safe. I say give him the burger still. Before his second at bat I told him if he hit a home run I'd upgrade the burger to a value meal. He hit well into right field and drove himself and two runs in. He wanted to know what a grand slam would get him. This is where I drew the line and pulled one out from the past. "It will give you the satisfaction of knowing you did well". I was shocked when there was no face, no comment, just a pumped up fist.

They were up 15-0 going into the 3rd inning. That's when all hell broke loose. Is it possible to walk 23 people? That was the coach's comment to the home plate Ump. "I call um as I see em sir" was the Grizzly Adams Ump's response. Immediately after that the pitcher who couldn't throw a strike was striking people out. The final score of the game 15-15 with exactly one hit made by the other team. These games are to say the least, exciting.

Keep Your Rain

The weather this weekend wasn't as cold as we thought it would be. Friday afternoon was actually quite warm but the chill came when the sun went down. It was a tad bit windy but the rain held out. The carefully tended campfire kept us all warm. Saturday afternoon was a keeper, but the evening put a damper on things with the rain. Had the rain been steady it would have been less frustrating. Old Mother Nature couldn't decide whether she wanted an annoying drizzle or a little steady rain and stop, rain and stop. I say either poop or get off the pot. The good thing was there were no pesty bugs. A few spiders here and there and some ants in the bathroom but they're harmless.

I think the next time we have pizza on the menu I may take a trip to the local tavern and purchase my frozen pizza from them. We had an assortment of pizza's but none of them tasted as good as the DeRangos from the tavern. Once again we were not lacking in the food or alcohol department.


I purchased a 7 inch flat screen color TV for my husband for Christmas. I could give a rat's ass about TV when I'm camping. This guy sat for a couple of hours playing with this thing to get it "set up". Saturday night I was a little peeved at him for having his TV on while some of us were attempting to listen to the Brewer game. I myself found it a little rude. I don't think it enters his mind or he can completely block out a radio. At home I'll have the radio on in the kitchen and he'll walk in and flick on the TV. I give up , I've been trying to figure him out for 24 years.

I got to work tonight only to find out that the part we're waiting for which will enable us to run and enable me to train people has still not arrived. Apparently as of Friday they still had no idea when it would be in. I figure by the time I get used to 3rd they'll put me back on 1st.

Last night was rough, but the first night usually is. I don't feel so bad as everyone on the shift looks about the same. I think they're on the buddy system to keep each other awake. Speaking of sleeping...I'm gonna go get me some.

13-1

I have to remember to bring a blanket to watch Dylan's games. The new metal bleachers are a tad bit cold on the butt. It was an interesting game. They won 13-1. In the 2nd inning they scored 10 runs. I felt comfortable with that much of a lead as when I looked over to the other two diamonds the scores for those teams were close. Slugger does have to learn to relax at the plate and not try to kill every ball pitched to him. He did get on base on balls twice which means he's paying attention but at his 3rd at bat he struck out. Got a piece of two but not enough to make them fair. It's off to the batting cages this weekend. I'm impressed by the coaches on this team as they treat the kids good. They're called off to the side and told of their mistakes rather than signaling them out. We were watching the coach from the other team (The Cubs) ream out every kid that made a error. I also noticed last night that the bleachers for Dylan's team are filled with parents and family members. The other team had more kids on the team than parents in the bleachers.

I am spending my morning baking cookies for my fellow camp mates. One special order of oatmeal/choc. chip is currently in the works. I seemed to have gotten my second wind after my tiring ride home. I think it was the price at the gas pump that shocked me into awareness.

Right before I left work today I have my annual "This is how much your raise is " meeting. Needless to say I didn't expect a windfall and although we always want more I can live with this. I think it was the added bonus of a $50.00 gift check that made it all good. The raise itself was 3 1/4 %. Once again, although I'm grateful it's not covering the cost of everything that's going up. Maybe that part-time job at Steins is looking better.

I smell burning...I better go.

The Chili (Chilie) Is Brewing

Yes, that's my assignment for this weekends camping outing. A big slow cooker chock full of chili. I came home from work this morning and started the concoction I call chili. I think I have just the right amount of ingredients in it however will have to check after it cooks for a few hours. I hate the smell of food cooking when I'm sleeping so I'll be keeping the window open and the bedroom door closed. Since my husband was robbed of his chili at Brat & Beer the other day I may allow him a small bowl. (I made extra)

The weather forecast looks to be nice during the day but chilly at night. Hopefully the boys have remembered to fill the propane. There will be plenty of warm clothing packed. The first time out is always the hardest in getting used to the cold nights. The fire master will keep the fire hot but as he said the walk to the bathroom may be a little nippely. Hopefully by the time it gets cold I'll be numb to it. Warning!! It's been a while since I've had more than 2 beers.

I fear it's going to be a long spring/summer unless we put the kabosh on the neighbor kids. Last year we went through fetching their ball from our backyard quite often. I mentioned before that if Sadie is outside the balls are pretty much toast. We've warned the kids and father of this fact. I'm not replacing balls that she gets. Yesterday afternoon my doorbell rings and here stands the younger kid asking if I can get his ball. I think the older one sent him over. I got the ball and threw it back over the fence. Ten minutes later, the same thing. When I threw it over this time I watched for a few minutes to see how they can possibly be getting this thing over the fence all the time. Well it appears that they were using the fence as a target for practicing pitching. As the ball came over the third time I got it and walked to the fence and nicely said "Use your dad's garage for a target, not my fence". I then "nicely" explained how if they used the garage it wouldn't fly into my yard and the dog won't get it. The little kid looked really scared. The older 10 year old had this smirk on his face that I wanted to wipe off.

When my sisters were younger the old neighbors would yell if they stepped on the grass. My one sister led the younger one astray in smearing dog crap all over this woman's garage as they were sick of her bitching at them. The woman came to the door to tell my mother of this caper as they were caught in the act. Of course the girls were punished but my parents then installed the privacy fence which still remains standing. I'm wondering how long it will take them to smear dog crap on my house since I talked to them yesterday. Mark my words, one ounce of crap on my house and no more balls for them.

Day Two

I knew I'd be tired at work last night. I have a problem sleeping at night so the day time sleep just doesn't fly. I did manage to sleep but it was very broken up. We must have the loudest garbage men in the city and I'm not sure if anyone works in this area as I heard lawn mowers several times.

We went to Dylan's game around 530 and it started out being warm enough for just a sweatshirt. That changed rapidly when the wind shifted a little. Even sitting facing the sun wasn't helping. I need to remember to bring a blanket to sit on as the metal bleacher seats are a tad bit chilly on the ass. They lost last night. I know bottom line is they lost but they had went into the last inning down by 6. They did not allow any runs after the 3rd inning. They scored 3 runs in the 6th and had the bases loaded with 2 outs and the tying run at the plate. The kid hits a nice ground ball into center field and two runs score. The Ump made a terrible call in calling out the runner going to 2nd. The kid clearly was safe. The coach goes out to argue and the Ump calls time. The games are supposed to last 7 innings or 2 hours. It started at 530. At 720 they decided to let them play through the 6th inning as there was no other team scheduled to take the field. What was sad was walking past the other teams dugout after the game and hearing the coach say they got a break. I know it happens all the time but it's frustrating that you cannot challenge an Ump's bad call.

As we were sitting out there freezing I asked my husband if he was sure he wanted to camp this weekend. With the stern look I got I figure there's no backing out.

In answer to STB's comment regarding Brat & Beer. The only brat item I saw on their menu was the brat pattie special.

A Strange New World

You know when you leave work and you're hyped up to do things? Like make a quick stop at the store or run an errand that is on your way home. Or you think about things that you need to or could do when you get home? This is all good when you're working a day shift. Not so true when you're coming home at 7a.m. Beside Walgreens, a few fast food places, doughnut shops, P&S or gas stations, not much else is open.

When I work days I have this small time span when I'm very tired but once 3pm rolls around I'm awake and ready to tackle things. Not so on the night shift. I started getting tired around 5am and by 7 it was worse. The drive home was chilly as I left the heat off and drove home with my window 1/2 open. About 1/2 way home I got my second wind.

I was asked to work 3rd this week for training the current 3rd shift people. This worked to my advantage for the weekend. The night did go by rather fast which I was thankful for. Hopefully the remainder of the week will go as fast. I just have to get a sleeping pattern down pat as I hate the broken sleep. Ahhh, it'll be over before I know it.

My husband and I tried out the newly remodeled Brat & Beer yesterday. This was after we drove to Night Owl only to find out it was closed. I had a taste for a good burger , which doesn't happen to often. I would not recommend the Brat & Beer to anyone. First downer was the chili is not in season. I chuckled when the waitress told us and I remarked that it was 50 degrees outside. We opted for the Turkey noodle soup. This consisted of two noodles, a small chunk of turkey and broth for $2.95. The burger itself was good but the fries were so salty I was beyond thirsty the remainder of the night. The service sucked and they were a little under staffed. I found this odd as they advertised a Mothers Day Buffet and Brunch. Gone is the brat link special and California Burger. We were also trying to figure out why the had Metro's outside. Couldn't have been that they were so crowded that there were lines to the bathrooms inside. We were both a little disappointed as this used to be a place we'd stop at once in awhile for a quick bite.

So I'm not sure if I'm supposed to watch the weather for the weekend and if it's over 50 not make the chili for camping. Could be that it's not seasonal.

Strange Dream

I used to have a dream book that every once in a while would look up what a dream I had meant, but sometimes I didn't like the explaination so I tossed the book. Unless it said I was going to prosper and be rich I usually ignored the explaination.

Last night I had a dream that my mother and father came for a visit and my mother's belly was huge. At first the family was polite and didn't say "God Mom, you're pretty fat" but I think it got to us so we asked. She explained that she was pregnant. "It's lonely in Arizona with just your father and I so we opted to have another child". There was only one problem. They didn't think the baby could take the summer heat in Arizona so they were going to leave it with me for the summer. The dream goes on to me shopping at Target for baby items and finding wads of cash in my purse when I was trying to figure out how to pay for all the stuff I had to buy for someone else's child. On our way home from the store my husband says "Your parents are not going to come back for this kid. We will be stuck with it. What's your plan?. This kid will live with us just as every family member of yours has lived with us at one time or another." I woke up in a bit of a panic and before I would gather my thoughts I felt a little sad knowing that he was right but I couldn't turn my back on this kid. Time to fully wake and shrug this off.

My husbands family is now having some issues with Mom and the sister downstairs from her. Not so much ths sister as her kids. Just as in the winter when not one of those lazy kids would go out and shovel, we are now faced with the lawn mowing issues. His mom wants to pay some guy to come and mow the lawn. I feel those kids should pay it. This is their home, and they need to kick it up a notch or get out on their own. My sister-in-law in stressed from being in the middle. She needs to lay down the law to them or it's going to be another long summer. In my childhood years it was just a natural that if dad said "the grass needs cut" out we went. We didn't have a weed whacker so this involved trimming the fence lines on your knees by hand. Shoveling in the winter was a given. You live here you get your ass out and shovel. Mom's home with groceries, you get your ass out and help carry the bags in. These chores were also expected of us when we got jobs. This is a constant battle with these kids and when we step in and try to lay down some ground rules we are told by their mother to back off, she'll handle it. I have no love lost for disrespectful kids (I should say adults as the two worst ones are 19 &21) so I've already said my peace to them which is probably the reason that they don't talk to me much. It just burns my ass that anyone would treat their mother or grandmother the way they do. My husband is slowly developing the balls to go over and lay down some rules. In the mean time caller ID is a wonderful thing.

Where Are All The Fans

Did anyone else watch the Brewers/Marlins game? I was in awe over the lack of people in the Marlins Stadium. There was an entire top section all the way around with not one person in it. Even in a major slump I'm willing to bet that fans at Miller Park would have out-numbered them 50-1. It looked as if there would be a glimmer of hope in the 9th but the Marlins had to go and change their pitcher. At least the games have been exciting verses sleepers.

I want to know how many people have screen doors on their garage. I didn't catch it until today but my husband replaced the storm/screen door on our porch and put the old screen door on the side (man) door of the garage. According to him, I need to look around and take note of all the screen doors on garages. I may just do that.

Be on the look out for anyone who has never invited you to a cook out to come over for one. Ben & Annette were victims of thieves today. Their grill seems to have been stolen. Is nothing sacred? I did try to reassure her by noting that at least there was not food on it at the time. That happened to us once while at my brother-in-laws house. Bastards stole the grill right out of the back yard complete with ribs and chicken. People just need to leave what's not theirs alone.

The Party's Over

I know many of you can agree with me that coming back to work after a relaxing vacation sucks. I had a hard time sleeping last night and woke up every hour on the hour until I finally shut the alarm off at 430 and just got up. What's another 1/2 hour of crappy sleep. I was moving in slow motion so it took me just as long to do my morning routine.

Things went pretty smooth until I got out to the line and stood in total confusion. I had no clue what they were running and I'm pretty sure the 3 people I was working with were clueless also. I'm still not sure what the hell was going on. We ran for a few hours and then shut down for a major change in the equipment. (to boring to go into). All I know is the day dragged and it is extremely hot in our room. I can work in 70-72 degrees but 86 is going a little to far. I know my boss is looking into the problem , or should be before he finds a crew of melted people.

On another note I will be going to 3rd shift for one week starting next Sunday. As much as I hate the hours it's in my favor this time as our first camping trip is on the Friday that week. On first I would be working until 3 and rushing home to fight the traffic and get to the campground. Now I can just go home and catch a nap. I say now that it'll be okay but by the 2nd or 3rd day I know my mind will change. I've been told it's one week only.

Dylan's first season baseball game was tonight. I guess the 3 times per week practices have paid off. They played very well as a team and won 16-4. He started out on 1st base, then left field for one inning and finally to the catcher position for 3 innings. They let those kids drink so much water and Gatorade that there was a bee-line to the bathrooms as soon as the game ended.

I'm missing Arizona. Although it was warm today I was a little annoyed by the chilliness that set in around 7pm. Better a little chilly then hot and buggy.

Back Home

Eight days is not a long enough vacation. I have always hated the feeling of coming back home after a vacation. Not because I don't miss my family or dog but I hate the thought of returning to work. One can become very used to the lifestyle of being non-commital and layed back. The thought of an alarm clock waking me up rather than the soft coo of the dove's outside the bedroom of my parent's home is just not right. The thought of possible frost on my windshield or having to wear a jacket at 6am rather than it being 65-70 at 6am is just not right. But that's what vacations are for : a teaser to let you know what could be in store for you if you plan things out right and can retire at an early enough age to enjoy these things.

My dad is doing good. He's a little scared after the stroke, but I think he's relaxing a bit now. Mom is mom and always will be. My dad want's to come back to Wisconsin to be near family and of course is worried that he may be leaving her in a quandry should something happen. The hardest thing I had to do was inquire about their plans for the future. I don't want them to feel as if their kids are ripping their lives out from under them, but we all live in Wisconsin. I case of and emergency we'd have to find the quickest way there. Is it fair to suggest they move back because of that? I'll answer my own question..No. They are both in good sound mind, they're a little slower getting around now but who isn't at 75? My mom claims she enjoys the weather but from June to August rarely goes outside due to the heat. My dad is miserable from March thru August due to allergies to dust, pollen and the catcus flowers.

My dad has this old solid wooden rocking chair that he moved from Wisconsin to Arizona 16 years ago. It's out of his patio and he still sits in it and reads his paper daily. We fight over it when I'm there. As old and rickity as the chair is its comfortable. The chair has history, it was my Grandfathers. He asked me if I wanted the chair should something happen to him. My mom didn't think I was to funny when I said I'd tie it to the roof of the truck and tie her in it. It will save storage space on the trip back. She can sit up there and knit away. I did promise not to forget about her when we stopped to eat or gas up on the way back.

In a way it's good to be home. I had tulips in my yard that the rabbits must have moved from someone else's yard over the winter. I have never planted red tulips and I have about 6 of them in full bloom. This is the season I enjoy the most in Wisconsin. Everything is blooming and turning green, baseball is in full swing and the weather is getting nicer every day. It's two more weeks until the first "freeze your ass off" camping weekend. It doesn't get much better than this.

I'm Outta Here

In 11 hours I will be flying away from Milwaukee where it could be snowing and heading for Phoenix where it will be sunny and warm. I think I could label this a cheater prelude to summer. I look forward to this but don't look forward to the boring plane ride. I get the thrill at take off but once in the air boredom sets in. I have problems reading on a plane and staring out the window is only good for so long. This is where the portable DVD player comes in handy. My daughter is supposed to be borrowing it from my grandson. Something is terribly wrong when an 8 year old has better electronic equipment then his 50 year old grandmother. If that doesn't come true I'll be renting one and hoping it's some type of good movie. Snakes on A Plane won't fly with me.

I was scheduled to work 8 hours today but when we weren't running from 830 and 11 was getting closer I did the deed and took 1/2 day of vacation. I'm glad I did as there was a lot of things I needed to get done yet. At the moment the sky has opened up to dump some more rain on us and our power has flickered several times already. Glad I got the laundry done so I didn't have to leave it for the hubby. My guess is it would still be sitting there when I got home. I was kind enough to clean the house for him. He's pretty good about not making a huge mess. I'm sure that next Saturday he'll shovel out the food wrappers, start the dishwasher and throw all the dirty clothes down the magic chute.

It's been a pretty stormy night so far. Sadie is a little nervous which is unusual as a good thunderstorm usually doesn't bother her. Maybe in her older age she's getting to be a worry wart. I did go to look for a flashlight just in case the power should go out. Found two of them, both with dead batteries. I have resorted to finding a few candles. The annoying weather alert on my husbands alarm clock has gone off a million times already tonight. I still can't believe I bought that damn thing.

On the local radio station I listen to on my commute to work they got on the subject of American Idol. I'm not a big fan of the show and will watch the first week or so and then if I think of it will watch the final few shows. Paula annoys the crap out of me. She always sounds like she's whining and ready to break into tears. This morning the DJ commented that her breasts look unusually large and pushed up the other night. "As if her chin was resting on two pillows". That was comfirmed at work this morning by a few of the guys. I'm finding that more men at work watch the show then women.

Hope you all have a great week. Go Brewers!

Dad Is Good

My dad was released from the hospital today with an rx for medication. He did not require any surgery. He did have three strokes, two which he can account for. The speech therapist came in to see him and told him by the time he saw her for his appointment next week that he'd probably be back to normal with his speech. When I talked to him today he sounded much better. A big improvement from Sunday night. Now if we can just get him to take it easy he'll probably be okay.
They both seem to go through a lot when one of us visit's and I tried to convince them that I need nothing special. I just want to bask in the sun and relax. We'll see how well they listen. As he puts it " He'll listen as well as I did as a child". I find that unfair as I did listen (to him). He had a way of making you feel really guilty when you did something wrong (without talking).

So I am as well as my siblings very relieved. Thank's to all of you for your concern and well wishes. It just beats us up that they're so far away. We've had the talk before about them moving back and I can see it in their faces that they are not ready to give up their independence yet. My parents are both very stubborn and have very rarely asked for help from anyone. (some of that may have rubbed off on a few of us). There may be some convincing that maybe coming up here for the warmer seasons might just be a good idea. I remember my parents going through this with my grandfather. He lived part time in Florida and at 85 was still driving back and forth. Had he not had complications I'm sure he would still be doing so. I was told that all is well now as they have On Star in their car. That makes me feel so much better (not). So now instead of flying into Phoenix in case of an emergency I can have the airline pilot drop me off in the desert some where between Phoenix and Laughlin.

I took the liberty to pack early just in case. Probably not a bad idea aa I have already thought of several things I had forgotten. I did see the weather forecast for Milwaukee on Monday. 46 sounds a little chilly.

The Stroke

Finally we had a great weekend weather wise. The rain forecasted for Saturday never happened. Instead we had a full afternoon of sun and temperatures in the high 50's. We caught our grandson's baseball scrimmage, when each and every one of the boys is hoping to get the position they really want. Dylan started out on 3rd base and in the 3rd inning went to catcher. He did a good job and should be splitting this duty with another boy. Hopefully he can maintain that position as he is happy and seems at home there.

I managed to clear the remainder of the fall leaves from the yard yesterday. When I finished I remembered the the helicopters will be falling within the next week or so which means I'll be right back at it. I threw all the neighbor kids balls over the fence to their yard and noticed that Sadie only poked a tooth hole through one of them. I don't even feel bad about it any more as they've been warned. At one point last summer I was stupid enough the replace the ball. I have now seen the youngest purposly toss the ball over the fence. Although his father did yell at him, he continues to do it.

Last night I received a call from my mother that dad was in the hospital. He was having some difficulty speaking and felt dizzy. My parents are not one's to tell us all the details of their health (mom's breast cancer that they didn't want to worry us about). Of course receiving this call was a little bit of a shock. My dad had a heart attack about two years ago and I spent some time out there checking things out. He had shown improvement and was on medication which he was weaned off of within a year. He continues to walk daily and while walking the other day felt out of breath and dizzy. Of course he didn't tell anyone until after he landed in the hospital yesterday. After talking to my mother and siblings I didn't feel I could fall asleep without talking to him. He was his usual humerous self yet was having some speech problems. The staff made the mistake this morning of telling him he'd be having some additional tests this morning. As of 3 pm our time he was still waiting. The tests they ran this morning showed he had suffered 3 strokes. Hmmm...guess that walking incident should have been reported. Regardless he's waiting on one more test which will determine whether he will have surgery or be home tomorrow. His speech was much improved this afternoon. For right now the doctor is calling this aphasia.

Maybe it's a stroke of luck that I'm heading out there on Saturday. I'll have to be pretty nosey and check things out. I'm not sure what if any limitations he'll have. Knowing dad he'll work hard at getting better and will soon be taking his walks again.

The Count Down Begins

I fetched the suitcase from the attic today. In nine more days I will be venturing out to Sun City West with my daughter to visit my parents. (that is if MidWest can hold on for that long). The last time I used this particular suitcase would have been last April when I went there. I was pretty sure I cleaned it out well. It has a ton of side pockets and when inspecting them I found : 2 brand new pair of socks (bonus), 5 quarters (must have been all I had left from the Casino) the comb I had looked for, my Gold Nugget players club card (there's points on there) and a pencil from the Colorado Belle (I think I was going to give that to J) After those finds I dug more hoping to find money. I came up empty. I'm in complete hope that this vacation will do my daughter good. She is still not fully recovered from her back surgery last May. I'm in complete hope that we'll get there and she'll be able to relax and have a good week. I may need to get a wheelchair to get her to and from the plane. I picture her in the wheelchair with suitcases piled up on her lap. I'll try to leave her a little room to see where we're going.

Last week my husband offically started his summer hours. He now works Monday through Thursday. He will be off every Friday until the end of August. I'm just a tad bit jealous. More so on Friday morning when I'm leaving for work and he lets out the overly dramatic yawn. We went a few years at work with 4 day work weeks and the Fridays off were nice. Last summer we went back to 5 days. There was an attempt to go to 4 days this summer which was shot down for reasons I won't get into. Maybe it's best that I'm not home on Fridays as the porch demolition has begun it's next stage. I came home yesterday and saw the back of his truck loaded with insulation and the carpeting from the porch. He is now starting to break up the cement. I think the jack hammer is coming into use soon. I'll figure that out when I get home and he has what appears to be a nervous twitch and stutters.

Good trivia night last night. We were able to take first place and collect another gift certificate. Good weather, good friends, free beer= good time.

She's In Her Glory

The weather Gods have finally decided that it's time to give us a little taste of brighter things to come. The sun is out in it's full glory today. It could be a tad warmer but we must be patient and take what we can get for now. The rest of the week looks promising. We could reach 65 tomorrow. I let my dog out around 1pm today and she seems to have found her favorite spot on the deck. I've gone to let her in several times and she's just sprawled out under the sun looking so comfortable. I figure within the next hour or so she'll be at the door. This also means that the rabbits and squirrels will once again overtake our back yard while Sadie basks in the sun.

I made a trip to the newly opened Woodmans this weekend. For all the hype I didn't find it very impressive. Keep in mind that I hate to grocery shop in the first place. But I had heard so many great things about it that I figured I'd check it out. Here are some things that I observed.
#1) The prices are a bit lower than P&S.
#2) The produce was not as great as I had been told. All the bananas were green, the oranges were not huge as I was told and nothing appeared cheaper than else where. You want good produce visit Sendiks.
#3) The entire store is like a maze. The 2 aisles of bread are just one aisle and two square displays. There is more of a selection of breads but most of us get stuck on a few certain brands of bread and don't really switch to often.
#4) The bakery is mostly imported things. I saw Grebes, Muerer's and a few different Kringle places. It didn't appear that they do their own baking.
#5) The deli did not have a very big selection. All the salads are packaged.
#6). Almost everyone I walked by had the same look of confusion on their faces. The women mostly had smiles, the men had the "Get me the hell out of here" look.
#7) If you are looking for any type of ethnic food you will find it here. One aisle each dedicated to Mexican or Asian. One aisle, both sides dedicated to all natural food items.
#8) It has the warehouse shopping appearence. I was looking for the crayons to write the prices on what I was buying.
#9) Checkouts are slow. The girls are still learning. However they are friendly enough.
#10) If you work there you will get a lunch break. They will announce for a relief cashier to take over on lane whatever for a lunch break.

I would say that it may be worth a second visit if I am in the area, but it's not worth the drive just to go there. I didn't go into the liquor area (which is seperate) but it looked pretty big. So for now it's the usual P&S or Sentry for me. If I feel like grocery shopping.

The Purse

With enough comments from my friends about my suitcase sized purse I went in pursuit today. With my 30% off coupon that came in the mail along with the Kohls advertisment I made a slight detour on my way home from work. This is anal I know but I have to find just the right purse. I may purchase one once every 6 months or so and I do not have a collection of them. I have the every day purse, the casino purse, the wedding purse and another smaller standby purse. I need my everyday purse to be large enough to hold more than just a tube of lipstick and it has to have a shoulder strap. I'm not about the small strap that you cock your arm and walk around like an old blue hair. I'm also not about the purse matching the shoes or the seasonal purses. (white or cream in summer, dark in winter). Not happening here.

I made my way through the purse aisle. I knew this was no easy task. This thing has to be sturdy, not gaudy (hate big buckles or any decoration on them). Just simple brown or black with a shoulder strap. I don't need the added extra cell phone case or checkbook holder. After about 1/2 hour of pulling out just about every purse in the section I was almost ready to give up when I spotted it. The Vera Wang purse. Not sure how I missed that small rack the first time through. It may have been because I looked at the prices. But I consider what I got a bargin. Or shall I say with the sale price and extra 30% off and the balance on a gift card I paid what I would have paid for a normal purse. Not as long of a strap as I wanted but I did downsize. I can fit a tube of lipstick and a lighter in it.

Koo-Koo-Ka-Choo

What can you say about Opening Day? The weather was good, the crowd watching was great and the Brewers won.

We left Ben and Nannettes house around 9 ish and began the trek to the stadium. We had bets on what time we would actually hit the lot. 10:30 was the magic time. Don't know who won that as I don't think we ever put money on it. We were able to enjoy a few cocktails and dogs before going into the game. We were also able to do some crowd watching. The hairy bearded man in the tan colored skirt walked by a few times. There was a guy with a "Virgin Tailgater" shirt on that was pretty funny.

We had good seats thanks to Nannette and her connections. Did I mention someone stole her jersey. Yes folks walking over the bridge right in front of us was a man with "Gambino" across his jersey. I pointed it out to her but I think she refrained in taking it back due to the crowd. We sat up by Bernie which gave us a good view of the game. We were in a small section which was good for entering and exiting. There was a good crowd of people around us which made for a better time.

We lost the boys for a while. On a trek to smoke we got all the way to the smoking section and realized they were no longer behind us. When they did finally show up we were ready to head back in. My husband in his drunkedness tried to convince us that there was a shorter route. I've been the victim of his shorter routes in the past so opted to go back the same way. On our way back Nannette and I were behind 3 men until one reached over a felt up on of the others ass. Quick veer off to the left passing lane and we were outa that view. Needless to say we did beat the boys back. A good 5 minutes ahead. They took a wrong turn. This is why I will not follow a drunk.

When we got back to our seats there were a few differend faces. Or may a few more drunken faces. There was a guy in front of us, I'd say maybe in his early 20's that struck up a conversation. He made note that I looked unhappy because my beer was empty and he wanted to find the beer guy so he could buy me a beer and make me happy. After he left my husband was joking around about my "flirting" with the young lad. I was then labeled "Mrs. Robinson". He thought it was funny (it was a little). I didn't think so at first. We all know what Mrs. Robinson was. Priceless was the look on his face when I said "Mrs. Robinson was a whore". I guess you could just say it was my way of getting back at the situation.

Speaking of drunkenstines, the man just got up. He looks like hell. This should be a good day. I'm off to watch my grandson's baseball practice.

Go Brewers

The boys pulled it off! I got to listen to the game on the way home from work due to the rain delay and then capped it off watching the last few innings at home. It was a bit of a nail biter but I had complete faith they'd pull it off. I did get to catch Braun's little slip on his way to first base and Weeks get hit twice while at bat. Oh yeah, and Prince's little mishap at first base. The scowl on his face showed he'd do something the next time at bat. Good game for what I saw of it.
Hopefully they will play well for our home opener Friday. Hopefully the weather will hold up enough that I won't have to chip the ice off my brat or hot dog while tailgating. Looking forward to Friday.

I have a friend at work that is a huge Cub's fan so we'll trade a little smack talk tomorrow. Actually he talks smack..I just extend my sympathy at the loss.

Snow is in the forecast for tonight. Nothing of measurable amounts but it shows we're not in the clear yet. It's 26 days before I leave for Arizona which is usually a weather shock for me. Getting on a plane when it's in the 40's here and landing in 85-90 degree weather there. A week of the same and it's back on the plane and back to maybe the 50's by then. I know that when I go there is usually a day or so of 70's up here so it's like a prelude to spring.

One of these times I'm going to plan a trip around when the Brewers play in Arizona so I can take my dad to a game. He's been there 15 years and not yet been to a baseball game. I blame that on my mother as she finds no fun in going to games. She'd probably be bitching at my dad the whole time for dropping his peanut shells on the ground. One would think she knows nothing of sports at all but she can tell you how the teams down there are doing. Know's the guys by name also. I guess that happens when you read 4 different papers on a daily basis and watch the news several times a day. She just never was one for going to any type of sporting event or allowing popcorn or peanuts to be eaten anywhere else but the kitchen table.

Not Seeing Eye to Eye

After spending a Friday night out with friends, Saturday was spent quietly. I'm such a bore that I was in bed by 10:30 watching a movie that I think I saw the opening credits on. I was up bright and early today and suggested we go to the Home & Garden Show for some ideas for the porch.

These shows kill me as maybe 30% of the exhibitors have something to do with remodeling. The rest range from cooking demos, sheets (??) lots of Asian guys selling sheets, the newest in mops and a few crafters. There were 3 places that actually had to do with sunrooms so we did manage to get some ideas.

After that we went to Southridge, or as my husband would put it "I dragged him to the mall". We had a few birthday gifts to purchase and rightfully so he should help with these things. Besides with the price of gas I wasn't about to take him home and go back. It was kind of a round trip thing. I did buy him lunch at the Red Robin which I found to be a bit over priced and over rated. My chicken sandwich was bland and dry. One of the basketball games was on while we were there and we sat right under a tv. I had to chuckle as almost every guy facing the tv was absorbed in the game rather then the family they were sitting with. The wife and kids would be chattering away and dad would be focused on the tv.

I made this kick butt dinner of chuck roast, taters and fresh mushrooms which was in the slow cooker from 9am until 5. I'm not a big beef eater but it was good. It was at that point that I could see trouble brewing. We began to discuss brick for the bottom half of the porch. I though it should match the siding. He thinks it should match the brick on the front of the house which is a peachy sandstone color. WAWAWA WHat?? was my response. There was complete silence. I then mentioned that I would be tagging along to the store for any purchases made. WHile I'm in Arizona I will be freezing the bank account and hiding any credit cards he has. There will be no peachy/pinky sandstone colored brick in my porch. He explained that it should match the house. The back and sides of the house are done in light gray and white. Someone help me!!!

The Wrecking Crew

As I'm sitting here typing I can hear the faint sound of the demolition of the screen porch. I'm a little nervous. The window treatments have come down and at last look the ceiling tiles and framing for the tiles were starting to come down also. This must be a spurt of energy on my husbands part as I didn't expect this to begin happening for a least another month. My questioning brough a stern look and the reply that he wanted to get this started while everything was dead. I assume he's talking about the possible wasp nest that may be between the walls.

He's just left to purchase "Industrial Bags" for the insulation. This may get farther than I thought. Earlier I assisted with carrying the chairs down to the basement. This was the first thoughts on how much I'm going to miss the porch. I vowed I would be patient but it may be difficult. I just picture this mud hole when it starts to rain. I think he's on a roll as he'll be renting a Bobcat to do some work and this excites him in a way only a man could relate to (so I'm told).

Yesterday he spent the afternoon at the book store and Best Buy for a program on drawing up plans. I noted a sketch pad was purchased and spralled out on the kitchen table with numerous "Self Help" books. I asked if he was going to need to purchase a drafting table and got a nasty look. I have complete faith that he can do this, but he has a habit of not finishing things as he gets bored with them. Two days before J's birthday party he painted the railing on the basement steps that he started two years ago. He may have no choice in the porch as my parents are coming this summer and he'll feel the need to complete it by then.

I don't usually write reviews on bars but I must mention that we stopped at the City Lounge last night for the basketball game. Nice place. Plenty of room, a lot of tv's, good service and a good crowd. A little more pricey then I'm used to but it was a step up from the corner bar. They have a good choice of beer and Jo tried some type of rasberry Ale that was a little to sweet for my liking. It would have to be a one shot deal or my stomach would be churning. Because I don't really like many types of beer I didn't really scan the list for what they actually had , so no review on beers here.

The demo has resumed so I must go see if I can be of any assistance.

A Dream or Wishful Thinking??

Every once in a while I have some really wacked out dreams. I don't eat before bed and other than the fact that I am a restless and light sleeper I see no cause for some of the crazy shit I dream.

We have a vacation planned in May to go to Rhode Island to visit Gambino's brother and family. On the way there we are driving straight through. The other night I dreamt that we arrived at their home and E (the sister-in-law) hugged everyone and then looked at me and said "God A you look like crap". I was so floored I woke up.

Last night was better. J & K, my husband and Dimmy M. took a ride in J's new car to 7 Mile Fair. Where this came from is beyond me as I hate 7 Mile Fair and haven't been there in years. Well somewhere along the way J purchased a new couch. There wasn't room in the car for this so the guys tied it to the back of the car and J proudly sat on her couch as it was being dragged on the freeway. I suggested that they drop me off first to make more room in the car. I stood at the end of my driveway waving to J as they pulled away. I then noticed that our garage door was open. I went into the house to make sure the house wasn't robbed and went back out to the garage to find the snowblower and lawnmower gone. The garage was also very clean. At this point my husband pulled in the driveway. I notified him of the missing items and he stated that it was no big deal. It was then that I noticed that his ancient snowmobile was gone. I turned to tell him and found him falling to his knees in the driveway with his hands covering his face. "Not my snowmobile...It was the only thing that mattered to me". In the dream I comforted him. In reality I was jumping for joy. Those of you who know us may find humor in this dream. This piece of crap snowmobile has followed us for 24 years. I have seen it run once. We have moved it 4 times in 24 years. There are rabbits living in it.

Now I ask you....Dream or Wishful Thinking?

The Egg Police

I went in to work early today to get out early enough to catch my Granddaughters school program. They had a wax museum. This consisted of picking a person from the past, writing a report, making a poster board and dressing as this person. She portrayed Debra Sampson. (dressed as a boy to get into the army during the Civil War and was booted out after being discovered, but later received a metal).

The Wax Museum opened at 2 and went for 45 minutes. I was amazed at how these kids (ages 9-11) sat, stood, and were able to pose for that long without moving. Her mother, my joking daughter, in trying to get her to flinch or crack a smile walked up to her and said "You smell like butt cheese". What a nice mom, but nothing..not even a flinch. She did really good.

The best part of this was seeing the kid dressed as Elvis. On the poster they had to have a time line. This kid's time line showed a date with the caption "His mom died cause she was old". I could not help but smile a bit. This is something I've never heard of being done in a school before and though all the kids did a great job.

On the way home I made a stop at a small Sentry store on the south side. I haven't been to this one in years and opted to stop there as ham was on sale and I figured the store wouldn't be to crowded. Got the ham. The aisles in the store are wide enough for just two small carts. This was no heavy duty shopping store. The deli cracked me up as I think they had maybe 10 different selections of meat and a handful of salads to choose from. I did find everything I needed. I even got the 2 dozen for $2.28 eggs. I picked up 4 dozen thinking I'd get the sale price for two and pay the regular price for the other two. WRONG!

I knew there would be some sort of trouble when I got to the checkout line. The cashier looked like someone pissed her off really bad. She saw my card and immediatly called for a bagger. I told her I could bag. Apparently I'm mute as she continued to call for a bagger before even checking anything out. I always save my eggs for last and as they were being rang up she announced loud enough for shoppers in aisle 3 to hear "There is a limit on these eggs". I told her that I was under the impression that I could purchase two at the sale price and the othersat regular price. A flat-out "NO" came from her mouth. "There is a limit" and she swiftly moved them off the belt and to the side of her register. It seemed as if she though I was going to dive for them. She then said that she'd had several customers today that she had to "pull" eggs from. I'm wondering if she got a badge at the end of the day.

So Long

Glancing through the obits this morning I saw that a former boss of mine had passed away. I graduated High School early and went to work for a medical supply company the day after I graduated. I remember the interview like it was yesterday. The co-owner was my friends mother. The place was in Franklin which at the time was like driving out to farm country. I went to the interview with basic office skills. At the time they didn't have a computer system so everything was done by good old fashioned electric typewriter and a big filing cabinet full of over-stuffed files. My job was to be taking care of billing Medicare/T19 patients and answering phones. I had no prior experience but remember thinking that things weren't very organized.
"Terry & Gene" made me feel very comfortable and welcome. They were both very dedicated to their company and put a lot of trust into employees. Some of which stole from them and had some pretty crap ass ways of dealing with customers. In the 7 years that I was there I watched the company boom...and then take a huge fall due to new competition. The owner attempted to start a Solar Heat company which may have been a bit to early for people to accept. That flopped horribly and he went on to rebuild and design boats. It was a small office with a total of about 12 employees so everyone was pretty close. Their daughter came to work for them also and then her boyfriend (soon to be husband) joined the "team". Needless to say things weren't working out as they were also friends of my ex-husband and mine. Wasn't much fun working with her all day and then having them hang around at night also.

When my divorce proceedings started I felt it was time to leave the coop. Terry was very caring and understanding and we remained in contact for several years. Gene passed away two years ago, and now she's joined him.My ex remained friends with this couple and visited Terry & Gene often in Reedsburg. My kids have been to visit them also and had a good relationship with them.

I called my son today to see if his dad knew. He called me back tonight a little upset as his dad was choosing not to attend the funeral as he has a problem with the "former friends". I have always been glad that I walked away from that friendship as it was all about money and who could buy more shit. But does someone want to tell me what that has to do with paying your respects to someone who was never more than kind to you?

He's Famous...kind of

I took the grandkids to the yearly Open House at Quality Candy/Buddy Squirrel today. This year was a little different. As we approached the building there was no line. This was a plus as it was a little chilly out today. Although they were dressed warm it just felt damp and cold out. So we were able to start our trek indoors. They have a line set up where you just walk through and can see how certain things are made. You then get to a point where you can take the "Bunny Bypass" and not see the Easter Bunny. They tried to act like they were old enough not to do that this year but I could tell by the looks on their faces that they may need another year yet. So this was about a 1/2 hour detour. It was around this point that we met up with my husband. He had the camera out and ready to film them. He then walked along with us for a bit which I think makes the kids feel special as Grandpa works at this place. They get an extra sucker and a few extra samples.

We walked into one area where they sell nut mixtures and different popcorns and I had a request from my daughter to purchase some cheese corn for her. I glanced through some of the bags of nut mixes when I saw it..."Arnie's Awesome Mix". What the &*(* !. The kids spotted it also. Grandpa has his own candy mix. Their faces were priceless. Their chests puffed up and you could see pride. I just looked at him and said "YOu have a mix named after you". Mr Humble just nods and says "Yep" I had to buy it. Not sure what I'm going to do with the contents as I remember when he brought some home for us to sample and I didn't care for it all that much. I recall saying "It needs something a little sweet". When we got home I looked at it again and noticed there were some chocolate covered peanuts in it. They weren't in there before. Did he take my advice? Should it now be re-named Arnie's Awesome Mix (with a little help from his wife)? Either way, I'm a little proud. I wondered if he gets anything from it? His answer "Just my name on a bag".

Wanted: 1 Quarterback

I heard the news at 9am this morning and it spread quickly on the line. I got to witness the expressions on everyone's faces. We had a customer in from out east and it was the first thing he said to me when he walked in. He, of course being somewhat of a Packer fan himself. I myself won't believe it until the first game of the season is played and I don't see #4 running out on the field. If it all holds true then "Thanks for the ride Brett".

I had to do an interesting Grandma chore last night. My son dropped my grandson off and asked a favor of me. "Would you please take him to his "God" class. My son had to do a tile installation quote and was not sure he'd make it back in time. Not a problem, we live about 4 blocks from his church. About 10 minutes before we had to leave it started...."I don't feel good Grandma" (didn't work) "I don't get to spend a lot of time with you and Grandpa" (didn't work either). " The class is boring" (made me smile but still didn't work). "Did my dad go to these classes" (yes). I then told him that I also did and I also argued with my parents about it. I went into lecture mode and explained that no one ever suffered taking these classes and that it was a parental duty to allow their children to learn these things. That when he was old enough he could make his own decisions but for now he needed to go and actually listen to what he was being taught. There was quite a pitiful little act going on but I wasn't buying it.
The whole incident brought back the memory of me at about 8 years old fighting with my father over learning the weekly assignment and how I didn't need to know that stuff. This turned into my first attempt at running away. Where did I go? I walked the 6 or so blocks to our church. I never said I was a smart kid.
His reasoning continued up until I walked him to his class room. I told him if he still felt sick to call me and I'd come and get him, but he would have to get his homework and class work and we'd do it at home. He told me that his dad said I was a tuff one.
On the way home I had a flashback to when my son was attending his classes and the constant arguing in getting him there. This boy is a spitting image of his father. When I got home I promptly called my son to "thank" him for this wonderful duty that he put on me.
About 2 hours later I received a call from Dylan telling me that he learned about Moses and it wasn't all that bad. There is truth in your parents telling you "What comes around goes around.

Bingo! (not)

I've probably only visited our local casino 4 times in the 17 years it's been here. Three for Bingo and once with my parents. The visit with them was okay. We went during the day when the casino was not at all crowded and there were no strange smells. We went this Friday to celebrate J's birthday with a round of Bingo.
I drove down alone which is a first. My first mistake was taking 16th street. It took me longer to get from 16th & Greenfield to the Casino then it took to get from my house to 16th & Greenfield. Then to walk through the casino to the Bingo hall took forever. Through the gapers who feel the need to stand behind people playing slots and watch their every spin. Unless you're playing it's just not that exciting.

Bingo was fun. Although we seemed to be at the unlucky table. One winner of $100.00 was all we could produce. Afterwards we opted to cut out rather than stick around and try to find some slots to play. Plus I was a little turned off by the whole thing when someone felt the need to drop their ass in a crowd. Guess that's one way to clear an aisle for retreat.

Not much more of an exciting weekend. I consumed a total of 3 beers on Friday and on Saturday roamed around my house looking for something to do. Today I think my husband finally got fed up with my comments about wanting to do something and broke into a lecture about how winter is always boring and I should more or less get over it. So I opted to go and sit with my sister-in-law at the hospital with her crabby husband who is still cooped up there. A few rounds of borrowed "Go Fish" cards later I was on my way out of there also.

Some ice was chopped today which has allowed for the Roman River to flow down our driveway. Can't figure out why the porch is not leaking but there is a waterfall coming off the corner of it which I'm sure will be running under the wall within the next few hours.
That will then probably freeze tonigh when it's turns colder and we'll be holding skating lessons in our enclosed porch. The plan is in action to tear down and replace the entire thing in spring. I'm not really to excited about that as it's going to be a mess and of course we can't really start anything until early May. My only hope it that it will be done by fall. I'll miss my porch but will be happy when it's done. The old lady is pushing 32 years and needs work.

Taken Down

After 5 weeks of winning 1st place in Team Trivia, we were taken down to 3rd place last night. It was a good ride and I'm sure we'll be able to jump right back on. We just need to watch more movies as that's what usually stumps us. It's a nice mid-week break to what seems to be like the longest work weeks ever.

I've come to the conclusion that my job bores me and that's why I dislike it so much. We have 3 lines and I've worked on all three with various combinations of co-workers. There is not one line that I actually will say I like to work on. Every so often I'm given a different task which will keep me from being bored for a day or so. The problem is that every line does just about the same thing but with a different packaging option. So you're either packing a roll or into a box or into a huge roll. It's all basically the same fricken thing day in and day out. We've all become comfortable with each other and know the work habits. We know when to stay out of the way of someone who's having a bad day, or how to get them out of it. Right now we're slow so they will begin moving people around to cross-train. This could be the highlight of the month. A few different faces.

I have to say that right about now I am in the same mode that I was 7 years ago when I quit my last job. Pure and utter hatred of the job and boredom. I have more to loose at this job and that's what irks me. In 3 more years I can leave there with my health insurance benefits available at employee cost. We have excellent benefits, the pay is good (although who doesn't want to make more)and we're treated decent. Because we're slow, there are rumors floating around. In the 7 years I've been there I've made it through 2 major reductions in the work force. It was so slow that they didn't hire anyone for 3 years. I've never been laid off which to me is a plus. There are times we went in and did cleaning for a week at a time and wished we could have sat home and collected UE benefits for the week but our company prides itself in not laying off.

This week is annual review week. Mine is scheduled for tomorrow. I'm not real sure if I can sit through another "great job" review. I used to be in a position where I wrote reviews so I know the scoop. I don't know if it's worse being on the giving or receiving end of a review. I've given bad ones, but never received a bad one. It's one of those things that I just read and discuss for a minute and walk out feeling like somethings missing. I need a challange that's far above what they give me for the up coming year. One that's actually obtainable and not just written for the simple fact that they need to write something. Plus I hate the fact that we're given the reviews now and have no clue of the money we're getting until May 1st. It's usually a little over the amount that our health insurance premiums raise each year.

So, it may be time to start looking into something that I can start to do now that will pay off for me in 3 years. Some kind of class or part-time job that will help me to get out of there May 14, 2011.

I Shared My Germs

Nothing like keeping the illness in the family. On Friday morning when I left for work all was well. That is except for the fact that I still had the illness. The cough had subsided a little but I went in with my bag of cough drops and 4 cold tablets to be taken during the day. I had a busy day Friday and had to get right home from work to get some food items prepared for the 40th Birthday party for Gambino. I had limited time to do these things as we were also joining our fellow Trivia Champs for a few beers.
I walked in the door after work to a sorry looking man. The first words out of his mouth were "Thanks for sharing" followed by a fit of coughing. My whole weekend was now down the tubes. When I'm sick I try to keep it to myself. I wallow in my self pity alone. I may cough and swear silently afterwards but I try to put on that it doesn't really bother me that much. When "A" is sick it is known to all mankind. He will wince at every cough, he will grip his chest like the big one's coming and he will walk around with a snotty wad of kleenex.
I give him credit as he did still want to go out Friday night, although he made it clearly evident that he was ill. We were home by 9:45 and he was in bed shortly afterward. He did have some things to do for the party on Saturday and got them down slowly. Sunday was another story. The man slept from 1 am until 1:30 Sunday afternoon. Got up one hour before we were having the family birthday party at our house. Lifted not one finger and once again made it quite clear that he was sick. Sick enough to take cough medicine. That's how I know he's really ill. Usually I have to coax him to take something. He did try the shot remedy on Saturday night which I don't think helped him much although he did sleep pretty soundly.
This morning he moaned loudly when his alarm went off. Mr "I don't take sick days" actually took a sick day today. He went in to open the place up and was back home within an hour. I myself went in but left at 11 to go to the doctor. My doctor visit produced nothing but a script for antibiotics which I need to take because of my hip replacement. They still worry that any infection could cause some problems with the hip. I only have a few more months unti that's in the clear. I was also told to continue taking the cough medicine I have been taking. It is a viral infection that will run it's course. My worry is now that he has this I may take a little longer to get over it.
I came home from the doctor to find my poor little pitiful man wrapped up in his bankie still sniffeling but not sounding as bad. I was kind enough to make sure he took his medicine, had something to eat and got him fresh pillow cases. I commented on how he never asked me if I was okay when I was sick. "You didn't ask for anything" was the answer.

What The Hell??

I'm a pretty mild mannered person. I can keep my cool. I just become frustrated when I cannot fix something that is out of my means. Take for instance tonight. I'm tooling along cleaning out the fridge (a shopping day ritual) so mind you I am emptying out a lot of containers of left-overs and doing a general clean up of the kitchen and fridge. I then go to rinse out the containers before putting them in the dishwasher and find that the kitchen sink is not draining very fast. We do not have a garbage disposal, which I have to remind my husband of several times a week, so we need to scrape off any excess food prior to putting things in the sink. This story goes back to the weekend when I first noticed it and mentioned this little fact to him. The plunger, it seems, is in the back seat of his truck. Why? Well because last week the tragedy of the week was that his mothers toilet was flushing slow. He took our plunger over to her house to fix that problem. How many times has he gotten out of his truck at home since then? Hmmmm.
Naturally, he's at work tonight and I now have a double kitchen sink that will not drain. So when he made his usual "check In With The Wife call" and I nicely mentioned the problem it became very quiet on the other end. "Where is the plunger" I ask. " I'll take care of it when I get home" is the reply.
As I am typing this I can now hear the plunging of the kitchen sink in progress. Hopefully this will be a quick, non-messy job and won't entail taking any pipes off.
No swearing yet. All is quiet. Resume plunging....
I must add that I did find a plunger that was so small it didn't even fit over the drain properly and I was having trouble plunging one side and holding the drain down in the other. The dog didn't seem to interested in giving me a hand.
Something tells me this is more then a plunging job.

In This Case..Sharing Sucks

As a child I was always taught to share. "Share your toys" I really didn't have to share my toys to much as up until I was 14 I was the only girl. "Share food" ha, I never got a chance as my brother would grab it from me before I could get my own bite. "Share the last drop of milk" didn't matter, I never really liked milk. "Share the tv" Once again I was ousted on that as the boys usually got to watch whatever they wanted to while I was helping mom with dinner or something.

Sharing can be somewhat over-rated. Take for instance the sick management people at work. Some of them rarely come out to the floor, however last week it was like they all had to come out and show us just how miserable they were. Come out and hack all over us and blow you nose's in front of us and then touch everything. They would leave and I would spray down things with alcohol. I would wear gloves to empty the garbage so as not to touch their snot rags.

On Sunday I started feeling a little bit of a scratchy throat. Took the NyQuil and headed off to bed a little early. Yesterday I felt good but had developed a cough. Not a bad one, enough that I could slip a cough drop in my mouth and I was fine. All hell broke loose today. I have developed the cold I hate the worst. The hacking, my chest is going to explode, my head is pounding and I have to constantly have a cough drop in my mouth so I don't bust into this hacking, dry cough. I blame them all. For the past week I took my vitamins, drank plenty of water, got extra vitamin C and washed my hands after touching anything these sick people touched.

One boss was out on the line today and was nice enough to tell me I looked like crap and wondered what day I'd be calling in sick this week. I told him I was going to drag myself in on my elbows and cough all over the office just to give this back to them. He said he thought I should stay home one day rather then spread it any further. "Okay, I'll do that and you pay me and don't ding me for it. I'll put an end to what you guys started."

What irks me the most is that I can usually go all winter with one major cold. One that I have to actually purchase medication for. This is number 3 this season. I know some of it may have to be due to the crazy weather but I dress for that. I WILL NOT LET THIS TAKE OVER!!!!!

Slamming the Thong

I know I'm going to get crap for this but I'm sure there are some ground rules for wearing a thong. First of all aren't undergarments sort of a private thing? I know the boys wear the crotch riding pants with the boxers showing as it's the style. Should a girl/woman wear crotch riding pants with a thong that is exposed when she reaches up, squats or bends over? Should you not wear a shirt that's either tucked in or long enough to cover this?

I know that there are certain bodies that can wear a thong in this fashion and no one cares as they have the right body for the look. Does everyone feel that because it may be the fashion, whether they be 85 lbs or 200 lbs that it'll look good? Come on girls. Here is my case....there is a girl at work that subjects us to her thong on a daily basis. It's to the point that the men at work are also commenting on her need to cover herself. We work in a manufacturing plant. Wear the proper clothing for the job. Hip Hugging flight pants with the crotch half way down to your knees is not the proper attire for someone who will have the need to bend over, kneel down or squat several times a day. We know you are uncomfortable in this attire as you are constantly tugging at your pants. Time to invest in new clothing or find clothes that fit you.

We are required to have our shirts tucked in unless we are wearing a banded at the waist sweatshirt. Not in her case. The tee shirt can be flapping in the wind. If we call her out on it she'll remark that her pants are to tight to tuck her shirt in. If the correct size is worn you will not have the plumers crack show. A belt would help also. Who gives a rat's ass what you look like in the industry you are employed in. You want to expose the thong and crack then get a job that pays you to show that off. For all of you who may now think I am bitching without just cause..it is not a pretty site. I may invest in a hidden camera (maybe a spy pen camera) to get a shot of this display.

As this girl was bent over today with lime green thong in clear view one of the guys on our line yells out "It's showtime". She actually turned around and smiled as if she thought there was something about her butt crack to admire. Because we work in such a "protected" work place people are careful about what they say. I almost busted a gut when another guy walked past her and made the comment that "Maybe it's time for bigger pants".

This is just not right.

Happy Valentines Day!!

It's Sappy Movie Time

This just in....Milwaukee under yet another deep freeze. This comes as no shock to any of us (or it shouldn't) as we've had this pattern for the past month or so. Warm, snow, deep freeze. It's getting old. There is light at the end of the tunnel however as sooner or later (around mid-June) this should stop.

My weekend has now officially sucked. Friday morning I bent slightly to straighten out the quilt on our bed and felt this twinge go down my legs. Crap! As soon as I straightened back up I knew exactly what I was in for. I blew out the old back. This has not happened in years. I had gone through this period back some years where there was a constant pain in my lower back. I went through physical therapy, shots and finally was told nothing else would help except surgery. That wasn't going to happen. Then when the hip problem was discovered and the surgery finally done on that, the back issues went away. Granted I still have to be careful about lifting and back related things but I haven't had any problems.

The issue now seems to be that whenever I sit down for any lenght of time, getting up is a chore. I feel like I evolving from ape to man as I slowly straighten out. I did start doing some of the old stretching exercises from the past which are helping a little. Something as simple as a 10 minute car ride to Kohls yesterday turned into a little chore. Good thing I have a large truck and I can pop out and be somewhat hidded by the truck as I stand and try to adjust myself to a standing position. Sleeping has not been an issue and getting up from laying down has not been an issue. I just can't sit, which would be find except for the fact that I need to do that for several things.

Seeing that I can't really take any thing stronger than Aleve this may take a few days to cure. Funny how when an issue like this arises there are a lot of people I know who will offer out their prescription drugs. Some of my friends are walking medicine cabinets. Sure I have some stuff left over from my hip (I must remember to dispose of them) but the thing about hurting your back is that the pain meds will not make it go away. I need a stretching rack. Anyone have one of those.

The tv Gods must have predicted the deep freeze as every sappy movie is on this weekend. Sad thing is I've watched several of them. Half-hearted as I whipped through our taxes in a record 42 minutes. I did go back over them to assure they were done correctly.

Speaking of having problems getting up after being seated, I am done here. If this condition continues for very long I will have to ask my husband to rig up a stand so I can be more comfortable when on the computer. That will go over real well.

White Death

The radio station I listen to on the way to work every day labeled today "White Death". I left my house about 15 minutes earlier than I usually do and wondered what the big fuss was about. The further north I got the worse it got. I opted for Hgh 100 vs. the freeway and I think I made a good choice. I figured I'd get to work and find that a lot of people would have called in. 1 lonely person called in.

As the day progressed we kept an eye outside. Around 11 am the radio announcer said "Don't be fooled by the lull in action out there. The worst is yet to come". Around 1pm I opened the door on our line only to be slapped in the face by snow. "Whiteout"! I yelled out, which led everyone else on the line to fall for the same face slapping. We thought for sure they'd tell us to go home. Not so lucky. A lot of the office workers left but we stayed until 3. I think I half scared our Process Engineer by noting the fact that he lived the closest and we may all go to his house and hunker down for a few hours. He has a keg and did mention that he had about 15 boxed pizza's in his fridge.

The normal 20 minute ride home took 47 minutes. The farther south I got the worse it was. By 84th & Layton it was difficult to see. I did notice that on 76th & Layton the orange neon signs of Hooters were lit up. Called my friend to let him know that the city was still alive!

Now is the sit and wait for some of this to die down and go assist the husband (who has been home since 10:30 am) with the clean up. I'm not sure we'll be attending Trivia tonight. Although I hate to miss it.

Hope everyone made it home safely.

Never Give A Cell Phone To 2 Drunks

Of course it all seems funny when you're making the phone calls...until the next day when people start to remind you that you did it. Or in J's case they email you and ask you to please interput the message you left them. Or in my case my daughter called me to laugh about it. Or in my parents case I will be eating bread crumbs when I go to visit them. Haven't talked to former boarder brother yet but I'm sure he'll call soon to give me shit. Thank God for the ability to view calls made.
Yes we did make some calls. We can blame it on the Vodka & Cranberry juice drinks we were consuming along with the Cherry bombs which were on special. I think we may have been drowning our sorrows due to all of our loss's at the Casino on Saturday. I did manage to "only" loose $50.00. I haven't been to Oneida in awhile and probably won't go back on purpose.
Beside the fact that I woke up at 5am with one heck of a queazy stomach I didn't feel all that bad. No headache. I just could not fall back to sleep. It was then that I reviewed the nights events. Laughing to yourself is not the same as sharing with your fellow partner in drunkeness.

No Such Thing As Untrainable???

Let me start out by saying how smart my friends are. Three week in a row winners at Trivia. I do need to say I wasn't over joyed at the booing session. Jealous snobs!

I'm old so I've worked a lot of years already. I somehow always manage to end up in the position of training others. People either train well, or they don't. It's all in their willingness to learn. I can usually tell if someone is just going through the motions and really doesn't care. You have the one's that are nervous of every move they make. Then you have the "I got it, I don't need you" people. Some people just take a little longer to catch on but once they grasp it, then they do well. It's funny when I tell them to give it time and all of a sudden it will click. What we do isn't that hard but it can also be a chain reaction. The group I work with now all work well together, all help each other out. Between another girl and I we've trained everyone on the line in the past year.

We have now come to training who we refer to as Dorey (finding Nemo). She's a nice girl but it took a long time to train her in the other 3 areas of the line. In order for Dorey to get a wage increase she must now learn to operate the machine. A few weeks ago I was given that task. Now this girl has been on this line for 9 months so you would think she knows what's going on. Quite wrong. She's knows her own little world of her own little work area. Don't get me wrong, she is all about doing everything right. To the point that she will ask the same questions every day.
I worked with her on operating the machine for one week. Nothing sunk in. I asked another guy to work with her just to see if he could get through...one day. On to the next guy...4 hours and he was ready to pull his shiny thick Korean hair out of his head. In his broken English he told me " THis is shit...she can't learn, I think she is , how you say...untrainable." I almost peed my pants laughing so hard. This poor guy was a nervous wreck. I asked him if he could try again tomorrow and after rolling his eyes he said "She will forget everything by tomorrow". This is most likely true. She sure does put a lot of effort into not being able to remember things from day to day. That's the problem here...a lot of effort with no results. This girl went as far as putting a post-it note saying "Stop" on the stop button so she would remember where it was. Untrainable or not?

White Death

I was leaving work today when I was told to watch out for "White Death" tonight. I chuckled to the guy who said it to me and then had to listen to him for 5 minutes ,while almost in tears ,complaining how they canceled a basketball game he was going to attend. I need to learn to keep going when funky comments are made. I dislike the weather we've been given this winter just as much as the next guy but I'll be damned if it's going to ruin my life. This guy was upset. When I asked if it was a Bucks or Marquette game he replied that it was his son's High School Basketball game. Not that it wasn't an important event. He was upset because they rescheduled it for this weekend and he has other plans. Guess it's not that important than right?

Another chapter in the saga of brother-in-law has opened. He's been having some stomach pains for the past week or so. They spent 7 hours in the emergency room on Saturday just to be sent home with some medicine to clear his bowels. At 5am Monday they were back in the ER and at 7pm last night they removed his appendix. The guy is in some pain as there is infection from this all inside the cavities including the shunt they put in to drain his brain fluid. Now it's a waiting game again. They started him out on some hefty antiobiotics hoping this will clear the infection but the shunt is plastic which will probably need to be replaced. They want to clear the infection before changing it. Hopefully...yes the good doctor said hopefuly, the infection will not travel to his brain. When he said that my sister-in-law and I both looked at each other and must have had the same thought. This guy has had every issue they hoped wouldn't happen. It'll happen. The simple operation to remove the appendix which would have him home in a day has now been stretched out to 7-10 days.

On a lighter note, today was the first day in about a month that we actually ran a full day of production. Despite the fact that we had no boxes to put our produced rolls into we ran anyway. I think I will begin to follow the strict morale of "It's not my problem". Let's see how much of a raise that'll get me.

Mourning is Over

I took some good advice on Monday and did not watch the news or look at the newspaper. No one who called me Monday discussed the Packers. By the time I went back to work on Tuesday it was out of everyone's system. There is one guy who is still brooding over it. I think he may have lost some big money.

I have been in a football pool at work for several years now. I've always won a fair amount of times. This year sucked. I won 1 pre-season game, 1 instant and one regular season game total. I'm hoping the Superbowl is my last chance to recoupe my weekly contribution. This guy at work has made an excel sheet and I told him he should graph it out as I'm sure that my name would be way beyond in the red. On a lighter note I did win $$ from another pool several times so in the long run I am ahead.

Like our friend STB we make trips to my husbands mother's house to shovel. Why, you ask? Because my sister-in-laws lazy kids that live downstairs need a swift kick in the ass. This has been a problem for several years now. When we lived in the unit below her my kids who were much younger than her's would shovel, no problem. The next family that moved in took care of it. These kids are just plain lazy and uncaring. Mom-in-law walks with a cane and they will clear a path wide enough for a rabbit to get through. What is bothersome is that she carts one to school every day and the 19 year old boy to work. The other morning rather than get a free ride to work by shoveling so she could get to the garage he took a cab. This boy had $20.00 to blow on a cab for a job that would have taken him 15 mintues tops. We've all been over there and proded their lazy butts outside. Last Christmas I even purchased shovels for them (a sore subject on their part). At least this year they stopped calling to find out when Arnie would be over with the snowblower. We used to keep one at their house but it was destroyed when they left the dogs chain on the sidewalk and ran it over with the snowblower. No cost to them to repair. I'm just trying to figure out how these kids just have a plain lack of respect for their grandmother who does so much for them. I see a butt kicking coming on! Who's got my back?

He Needs To Move

Yes, it's cold outside. We live in Wisconsin where it's cold every winter. The last few years we've been robbed of a true fall season. It's hot and then all of a sudden it's frigid. This year I do believe we had our fall in late November and for a few days earlier in January.

Every year for the past five or so years I've listened to my husband complain about winter and how he needs to move to a warmer climate. I'm pretty sure he has a five year plan to move to Arizona. Then I know for sure that from May until October I'll have to listen to "It's fucking hot out there". I know the perfect plan would be to live there from November until late April and here for the summer months, but that's not in the cards unless we win the lottery. Like I said, that's not in the cards.
In the past we talked about moving there but I'm not sure that's what I want. My parents made the move about 15 years ago. They were going to give it a year. I know my dad would move back here in a heartbeat as he misses all of us. My mom is a person who cannot change from her routine. I can remember she had a cleaning schedule and to a tee washed the floors at the same time, on the same day forever.
She has a hard time adjusting whenever they come up to visit and I swear she's packing to go home as soon as she unpacks. It's nice out there but I'm not sure it's where I want to live. It's always nice to visit another place and I know we've all thought about moving elsewhere, but would that change once you set up house and possibly had to work?

We had an invite to my son's house for dinner tonight. A good time was had. He's quite the cook and made some great Mexican food. Gas boy is downstairs now wallowing in his fumes. While at my son's I opted to take on Dylan in Madden 08. I don't want to get picked on but I'm not real familiar with PS2 or We or any of the newer game systems. The last time I played any of that stuff was when the kids still lived at home. So this little snot thinks he's going to forget to show me a few things. I get sacked and this little voice says " oops Grandma I forgot to show you that". When we were leaving I told him to pack up the game and system and I would take it home over the weekend and practice my skills. This kids face turned green. His dad said get the stuff for your Grandma. I had to remind him of all the things he got from my house in the past 8 years. In the end I couldn't do it. By the time I got it down pat there would be a new system anyway.

Hope everyone stays warm this weekend. Dress well for the deep freeze!

We Rock!

First place in the Team Trivia! $50.00 richer. Thanks to the stainless steel answer by Ben and the dipstick help from my hubbie. Could use a little help with the sports but we managed to win. We won't talk about scratching Arthur from the answers and loosing a few points.
Got to sample a new snack sample which I have to say was mighty tasty. Fried mac & cheese squares.
What more can you ask for..bucket night, a trivia win and a tasty snack.

Boring, Boring, Boring

Our line at work has been down since last week. We've been unable to run due to:
#1- lack of materials
#2- technical work being done to our line
#3- lack of knowledge by the technician doing the work.

In the 7 years I've worked there it was normal to have a lull once or twice a year. This was the time they spent cleaning, painting and doing inventory. We've now run out of things to clean. My new job this week is to go over Work Instructions and safety items. The problem is that there is one computer out on the floor to be used by several people. I could use the one in the office but that would entail walking back and forth to the line a million times a day to review these work instructions with others. I don't mind an idle day once in a while but this is not going to end until maybe Monday. We were urged to take vacation days but who the hell is going to take a week off in January unless they have the money to go some where warm? I'm telling you, I am in the wrong industry.

Chef Arnie whipped up some yummy home made pizzas yesterday. In the midst of cooking one of them my brand new pizza stone broke in the oven. Thankfully the pizza was saved. The stone has been quickly replaced by Pampered Chef but I'm a little nervous about trying it again.

Although I appreciate when my husband cooks I chuckle at the mess he makes. I can cook a full meal and contain the mess. He's got shit spread out all over the place. It more so looks like a war zone when he's cooking. He also cannot be disturbed. There's a lot of thinking that goes into making a meal. So I left him alone yesterday. I proceeded to complete the painting project I started Sunday. He was home by 3:10 and started right in. At 515 I had to question the estimated time of delivery to the table. The downside being that I was hungry. My orange and jello I ate at 1130 wasn't holding me over. I just wanted one fricken slice of pizza. By 530 it was done. Although good, the crust was just a little to crispy for my liking.
He did also attempt a small pie pan sized stuffed pizza. He needs work with that. I look forward to his next attempt.