Yep, that's poop I smell

Friday. An off day. A day to sleep past 3:15 a.m. A day to wake up to the sunshine verses dark. A day to lay under the covers just a few more minutes. A day to wake up when I want to. But someone had a different plan for me.

There I was in the midst of a good dream when everything went sour (or should I say stink?) This was something I couldn't even blame on Barney. Maybe I should have taken into consideration that just because I don't have an alarm clock today, that maybe someone else does. I shan't take the blame for this. Right now the culprit is outside looking a little bit sheepish. It appears that Sadie's is pretty regular.

I can't stand the smell of anything cooking while I'm sleeping. Never could. I'm not the person on the commercial that is awaken by the smell of something brewing and wakes with a smile. I'm the person that smells something and hides her face under the pillow. My stomach immediately churns. Well it churned and did a few flips this morning. Out of my deep and relaxing sleep came the words "Shit, I smell poop". It woke Barney also who's first words were " What the hell is wrong with her". I don't recall the cold nose nudging my arm or the little whimper which if not answered turns into a loud bark. This would have prompted me to get up and let her out or suffer the outcome. There was no warning. Just the smell. Hell she even knew it was bad. As soon as I hit the "spot" she was standing at the door ready to hit the road. Barney got up, looked at the area, went and did his own morning ritual and hit the sack again. I, cleaned it up, disposed of it, de-smelled the area and am now wide awake at 6:40 a.m. when I should still be sleeping. She's out laying on the deck in the sun looking all kinds of smug.

Tired

I don't know if it's effects of the cold I had or what, but I could have fallen asleep at the bat of an eye today. Luck had it that today I spent a lot of time entering numbers and sitting in front of a computer. I almost drank a cup of coffee but then my senses got the best of me.

I think the higher ups at work are counting their chickens before they are hatching. As I was eating lunch my former boss and the warehouse manager were conversing about hiring some people for the new business that's coming our way. They brought me into the conversation by mentioning that they still hadn't replaced me out on the floor and then went on to say they were going to have to go back to two shifts. Insert doom music here. Not doom for the new business, but doom for the other shift. I think I may have ESP because the next question that came was whether I thought it should be a second or third shift. "Why are you asking me" I innocently said. It was then that warehouse guy starts talking about how they're going to have to hire a shipping person as he can't do it alone. He can't handle all the paperwork and trucking. So I said " They'll probably need another QC person too, because I'm not working two shifts" (with a chuckle). Former boss then says "No, Charlie (new boss) will need to start earning his salary." If I was a betting person I'd put a grand down on Charlie staying on day's and me going to another shift. Then I choose third as I cannot stand working second shift. The bad news is it's going to happen. The good news is they're predicting not until after October. All in all if it means we're picking up business, then it's a good thing.

I think Sadie may have finally come to the conclusion that rabbits do not belong in our yard. I also think she may have attacked one. When I let her out before work she usually does her business and comes right back in. If not, I shake the treat container and she comes running. I had to go out and look for her this morning and found her digging at something and growling. She may have gotten into a nest. I went to look after work and all I saw was some fur. Hopefully something else got it and not her. At any rate, there may be hope for the mighty huntress yet.

Kleenex Please!

My husband left a short time ago for the bank and was nice enough to ask if I needed anything. My only request was a box of Kleenex. It appears I have contacted a spring cold. At first I though it was just allergies but they usually have just a slight headache and runny nose. This is a nice spring cold. Headache, snotty nose and sore throat. I may be thanking my son for this gift. My cold tablets have been taken and packed along with NyQuil for my weekend camping trip. I will not let this put a damper on my weekend! Not sure how far I can go without a wad of Kleenex in my hand, but I'm bound to have some fun.

Last night I noticed that one of the pests that I most despise this part of the year are alive and out in droves. The June bug has made it's appearance. Yes, I saw several on my screen door last night. Stupid useless bugs just irk me. I'll be wearing a hat to prevent the pests from flying into and lodging in my hair. This is a bug that serves no purpose but to annoy me and just fly around and bang into things. Once down, if they land on their back they cannot flip back over. They must be a food source for something as I've seen them littering our front porch, all flipped over but by the morning they're gone. Maybe they have a rescue team that comes out and flips them all back over. I don't see that intelligence so my guess is they get eaten by something.
There can be some amusement tonight watching the stupid things fly into the fire. Between that and the suicidal frogs there should be a few good chuckles.

Here's to a good weekend for all!

The Rain Has Put A Damper

I had plans for today which have now been delayed a tad. Hopefully this rain isn't an all day long affair. There's a whole lot of yard work waiting to happen. Now if I could just get my husband motivated enough to move on to plan B I wouldn't feel the day will be wasted. This would involve a trip to Menard's for several things needed to spruce up the yard. He's currently involved in eating breakfast and watching reruns of That 70's Show. I'll be patient for a little while..but not much longer.

Not a good game for the Brewer's last night. Several missed plays added to the injury. I'm hopeful that they can pull it together real quick. Dodi and I were able to hold good conversations throughout the game so all was not lost. We watched a regular get drunker and drunker and develop hiccups (which someone was not there to cure).

I've come to the conclusion that hard work and determination does wear off. 8 weeks ago I made a commitment to loose some poundage. I've changed my eating habits and stuck to working out 30 minutes to 1 hour a day. After 8 weeks I have a weight loss of 21 lbs. I can tell you that it's mostly in my boobs, face and stomach. I've got a long way to go yet but to me the hardest part is now past. The first few weeks when the loss isn't enough and you get frustrated and return to your old habits. It gets better when you can actually feel and see results. I figure another 40 lbs and my boobs will be concave. Once I get this weight loss under control I will begin working on quitting the nasty smoking habit. One thing at a time.

Ouchie

My body is sore. I've spent a good part of the last two days doing yard work will much left to go. I even got my husband to cut dead branches off the tree in the front yard. I think he was just happy for an excuse to use his chain saw.

The trampoline is causing fights among the children next door. Yesterday their dad made them get out twice because they were fighting. Twice I fetched their ball from the backyard. They were going for three when dad started yelling that they had no reason to have the ball in the trampoline. He stated that "the lady next door has better things to do then pick up your ball". Score one point for dad. They had some friends over and one little girl thought it was cute to jump up and every time her head went over the fence would say hi. I stopped answering after the fourth or fifth time. It was a re-run today, except no balls came over.

It was a good weekend to see which neighbors are still around. Just seemed like everyone came out of hibernation these past few days. The air was filled with the sound of lawn mowers, kids and a lot of leaf blowers, and my dog barking every time the kids jump on the trampoline.

So now it's wind down time. I'm feeling the aches of bending all sorts of ways to clean out window wells and flower beds. I'm smelling the grill which is just about ready for our steaks. The trick is to actually go with Barney to pick out my steak. Got a rib eye right from the butcher, and he actually made his choice before I did.

Change Of Plans

I sometimes forget that living in Wisconsin means you don't make outdoor plans until the last minute. Unless of course in involves camping or a sporting event. Today was the day I planned to tackle the yard. I've been putting it off because a week or two ago it just didn't make sense.

Our neighbors have a tree that drops some type of pod. The first phase is these pod things that look like roaches. Second phase are the innards of this pod that are sticky. We try to keep up with sweeping the driveway so they don't get dragged into the house. I figured I'd wait until they were done to get going on the back yard. But then this morning it occurred to me that the whirly birds haven't fallen yet, not to mention the sky is soon to open with more rain. Tomorrow looks a little more promising.

Back to the neighbors annoying tree. This year, as in the past 19 we're out there sweeping the driveway and washing off our cars (These things will stick on the cars and if you don't get them off will leave marks) when here comes Pauly, the neighbor, with a 12 pack of beer and some brownies. I think it was his way of being sorry for his tree. Earlier that day I had heard Lindy, the wife, complaining about no one wiping their feet and this shit being tracked all over her kitchen. The tree is very pretty, but very annoying for two weeks out of the year. It's close to our lot line and over hangs our garage and with the right wind I think we get the brunt of the droppings. I've often thought about sneaking over there while they were gone for the weekend and chopping it down but our payback is coming. Any day now our tree will begin dropping its helicopters. Although we get most of it, they are also blessed. If they think I'm bringing over a twelve pack and brownies they're nuts. My trees droppings can be mulched. It causes no damage unlike my shoes that have to be scraped off each time I walk up the driveway.

So it's on to plan B for today. Take my mother-in-law shopping for her Mother's Day Gift. We'll either be heading out to Steins (doubtful with rain) or to Kohl's. I am pretty sure that once I make the phone call stating we're on our way she will begin the list of excuses on why she can't go. I get frustrated with her because I feel like she's giving up. I get frustrated with some family members as I feel like they're letting her. It should be an interesting afternoon.

Off We Go

In a few hours we will be on our way to the seasons first camping trip. At this point the weather is good. Rain is in store. We can handle it. I've camped in down pours, tornado warnings, and some frost. In all the years of camping we only packed it up once and came home. That was when our site, and the entire campground became a small pond. We made the best of it and held out as long as we could, packed it up and came home and made our french toast in the comfort of our home.

What are the rules for bailing out?
1) You need a boat to get in and out of your site
2) The tornado has taken your tent
3) You have been injured from the pelting hail
4) You have run out of beer (?)
5) You have been struck by a falling tent pole (buck it up and apply ice to your wound)
6) You lawn chair broke (Barney always has extras)
7) The mosquitos are making a meal of you (apply some off-everyone smells just as bad as you)
8) It's to hot (go sit in the local tavern until it cools off)
9) It's to cold (that's where the roaring fire comes into play)
10) None of your friends have showed up (make sure you're at the right campground & right site because that just doesn't happen)

So the way I see it, is the tornado or the continous rain may be the only reasons for bailing.
I need this weekend away. Camping to me is more of a mini vacation away from the daily grind and drama at home. There's not a better way to relax!

At What Point?

We have a family living next door to us that have a few children. When they moved in the man of the family had asked if it was okay to attach his fence to ours. Not a problem. The kids were all pretty small at the time. Last summer we began the daily ritual of throwing their balls back over the fence. I had nicely explained that if the dog is outside when the balls go over that I'd try my best to get them back in one piece. I asked them not to go into the yard if she was out. I even talked to their father about that. We have a fence for a reason.
When the snow thawed earlier this year I threw 4 balls over the fence. They did heed my advice in not coming into the yard. Since the weather has now turned nicer the balls are once again flying. They have now taken to ringing the doorbell and asking me to fetch their ball. This has now become a daily routine, sometimes two to three times a day. Once is an accident, two to three times means maybe you better take a walk to the park which is 1/2 block away and play baseball there.
The other day I caught the younger one sticking a stick through the fence and teasing Sadie. I told him that wasn't a good idea. Dad was not around as I think he works several jobs. Stay at home Mom was not around. I have yet to see her even look out the door to see what these kids are doing. A few minutes ago I answered the door and went and threw the ball back again. I suggested maybe batting the other way. "My dad doesn't want us to hit the garage" was the reply I got. Here I'm trying to nicely say "Stop this".
I had a memory flashback of when our soccer ball went into the yard behind us and the old guy came out and just took the ball. We didn't even have a chance to ask for it back. It was gone. This was a one time thing. I remember I thought he was the biggest jerk. I also recall the former neighbor yelling at my sisters once and they smeared her garage with dog pooh. I don't want my house or fence smeared by these little guys. All I want is for the ball to come over when Dad's home so he can maybe warn them. For now, if I see the balls in the yard I will return them although they may be chewed. I may be disconnecting the doorbell.

Should Have, Would Have....didn't

Why didn't I go to Vegas with Nannette & Ben? I'm thinking it was because I had planned to go to Arizona the end of the month, but that got put off until September. I also had this little pang of guilt going on because my husband chooses not to fly. I know the whole "Stand by Your Man" and " Till Death " story but sometimes I believe you should get a free pass on that. He just better remember I made this sacrifice the next time he's at the store buying steaks. If I get a chicken breast in lieu of a Rib eye steak there's going to be some words.


That's all I have to say about that.

Hurry Up Spring!

I though maybe spring wasn't to far off until I was getting gas and being pelted by little balls of ice this afternoon. They said light rain, they did not say frozen rain. According to the weatherman warmth is on it's way. I'm either coming down with something or it was just plain chilly today.

Another good reason for spring to come quickly is that I'm loosing my patience with my husband. I think he's gone into hibernation. As I'm typing I can hear his gentle snoring coming from the living room. I've come to the conclusion that I need to purchase uncomfortable furniture. Maybe I will purchase a nice over-stuffed recliner and place it in the middle of the basement. This way I would be able to do things I want to do when I get home. It's either that or I re-decorate the basement to be me friendly. Maybe just the threat of doing such a thing would give him the hint. Enough picking on my husband for now. I hear him moving around so his hour nap must have been enough. If I can just keep him upright things will be fine.

A Sign Of Spring

Sometimes its the little things in life that excite you. The coming of spring excites me. Although the calendar states it was to begin almost a month ago, beside a few warmer days and the traces of snow being gone, it may be finally upon us. In my book anyway.

Today marks the opening of baseball in Milwaukee. There are still a few days here where we may need to hold our beer in a gloved hand and wear a second layer of clothing but these minor things can be over looked and well worth the sport.

When we think of baseball we automatically think spring and summer. So even though it may still be only 40 degrees, or raining you know that what lies ahead is good. Maybe it's the green grass, the hearty atmosphere of those around you while tailgating or all the grills going that make you realize that Milwaukee is coming out of hibernation.

Some of us were not fortunate enough to secure tickets for the home opener, therefore will be gathering for our own tailgate party. This could be the "first annual" . Ben & Nannette have offered their backyard and home to a group of us. In preparation the brats & dogs and numerous snacks have been delegated to some, the onions & green pepper smell is still in my car from my husband painstakingly chopping them and transporting them to Ben, and the beer is being kept cold. The advantages of this event are many, no long bathroom lines, no fights, good food and the company of good friends. All this to welcome the boys of summer!

Comfortable, Or Just Plain Rude?

I haven't been all that impressed with my new supervisor so far. I just haven't gotten the feeling that he's all to happy that he's been transferred over here. It's a situation where he's not familiar with our testing methods but claims he knows what to do but does the testing incorrectly. Yet, he doesn't seem to have the time to learn.

Today was my trainers last day so I had to cram a whole lot of learning into 8 hours. This would be the day he decides to come and ask questions. She left it in my hands. So, here we are standing in an environmentally controlled room and I'm explaining a test method to him , when I hear the all to familiar sound of a fart. (a squeaky one mind you) Him and I were the only two in the room and I'll not lay claim to it. He made no attempt to excuse himself. Then came the smell! Just then my trainer walks in the room and proceeds past us. He had his back to her and she turned around and looked at me. Eye contact made it known that it was him. Still no pardon. This is just wrong. It's not like we've known each other a while or camped together.
After he left I though she was going to blow a gasket. "You'all take your stinky ass out of my room". "Good Lord, that mans got no manners what-so-ever". I have to agree.

Fish Fry Review

Once again the fish fry at Bonnie & Dick's gets a 5 star review. I can sum it up with a simple yummy. The apple pie and Leon's custard was the perfect ending. Can't wait until the next one.

My Wii took a poop! In the past several it has frozen up in the midst of a game. I tried several things and it had been good for the past two weeks so I though the problem was solved. Yesterday it started again and freezes up no matter what disc you have in. I called the trouble shooting hot line and explained the problem. The response I got "Ah, that's crappy" wasn't what I wanted to hear. So they emailed me the information to send it in for repair. This was not good as I was told it would be at least two to three weeks to get it back. If it were for the fact that I just wanted to play games I'd be okay with that but I've been on a roll with working out. I couldn't bear the though of getting a lecture from my Mii for not working out for two weeks, so today I went and bought another Wii. Got a Walmart employee discount, which saved me 10%. Then the dilemma was how to save all my workout statistics from the one console to the other. First I was told it couldn't be done. Ha! Never tell a stubborn woman that something can't be done. After 3 hours, a lot of frustration, a few phone calls, help from my 10 year old grandson, and one more call to Nintendo's help desk (a very helpful girl) my Mi person appeared on the new console and my Wii fit profile and statistics were intact. "Color me Happy". I may have gained enough information to help someone else out in this situation. So console #1 is off to repair land. Of course, I'm the only person they've heard of with this problem.

Ahhhh..To Sleep In

Or so I thought. I was awaken by my husband fumbling around with his alarm clock at 5am. I was a little groggy so at first I couldn't figure out what he was doing. I damn this alarm clock since the day I bought it for him. He cannot figure out how not so set the alarm. Several times I've seen him put his glass's on and look at the settings. It appears it's easier for him to just let it go off. My mission today, when he's not around is to find that certain setting. It would be the wise thing to do if I ever want to sleep past 5 on my days off. This has gone on long enough. It's either I discover the mystery of the settings or purchase a new and easier alarm clock.

Today looks to be a nice day weather wise. Another "calm before the storm" weekend. Let's look ahead to the fact that one month from now is our first camping trip. It seemed like a good idea back in January. I think we Wisconsin-ites forget that spring doesn't come until well into June. But there is always that one weekend in May where the temperature will hit 80. I'm just hoping for the 60's so I don't have to freeze. There is nothing worse than taking a shower when the outside temperature is 40 something and it's not much warmer in the shower building. This is, of course, if they have the water turned on by them. There should be no worries because I'm sure, as always, we will go and we will have a good time.

Looking forward to a yummy fish fry at the home of Bonnie & Dick tonight. I'm told there will be apple pie also. Right now I'm heading off for at least an hour of work out time to prepare for this feast.

Well I Never.....

Maybe it's time for me to lay off the caffeine or whatever made my blood boil today. I know it wasn't a salt intake as I've been watching that. All I know is I could have just punched this woman at the bank. Instead I kept my cool and came home and hit the Wii. I don't mean hit it hit it...I mean worked out. It works wonders it getting the aggressions out.

The story begins when I was given a personal check for some money I loaned out. It was a trusted source but this person knows I don't visit the bank often. This is why I have direct deposit. To deposit it through an ATM makes no sense as it's connected to my bank. In the past when I've been given personal checks I've taken them to the bank name on the check if I just wanted cash. Bingo...no problem, just sign the back of the check. It's the person who wrote the checks bank. Not so in today's case. This person's bank was closer to home then mine so I pulled into the drive thur, signed the check and put it through the pipes. "Do you know your account number" came through the speaker. "I don't have an account here, but the check is from this bank". "You'll have to come inside to cash this" as the check comes back through the pipes. I should have just forgot it then and drove the extra two blocks to my bank. Instead I went inside with the check. The teller asked for my account number and I again had to repeat that I did not have an account there but the person writing the check did. "Well I need your right thumb print and some ID." "Huh???" It was then that the creepy blood boiling feeling started. I asked why I had to show ID when this check was from this bank. Her reply "Well if this check should bounce, then who do we go after"?. "Well, wouldn't you go after the person who wrote it"? What ever happened to insufficient funds?. She then looks me right in the eye and says "What if that person didn't write it?". To prove that I wasn't forging the check I blobbed my right thumb in the ink and smeared it down on the check. Face getting redder, I took my ID and showed it to her.

Now, I know that someone might think I got mad for no reason, but this is just something I've never heard of before. I wondered if it was just this banks policy so when I got home I called my bank asked their policy. I was told that they will cash their own customers check and only require an ID by the person cashing it if it is over $250.00. I guess each bank has their own set of rules.

Speaking of people getting angry about having to show their receipts at a local department store when exiting the store...One of the girls I work with must have felt I can really be trusted. She breaks into this story about her friend who shoplifts for a living. She has regular customers who call and order things for her to shoplift from one certain local department store. This girl will somehow get all this stuff and deliver it in store bags to her customers, charging them half price for everything. She's only been caught twice. So this girls goes on to tell me how she's never stolen anything in her life, but looked real shocked when I told her that every time she got a delivery she was stealing. The discussion went on as to how she can't afford to pay those prices for things, that's why she continues to order from her. "Well maybe the prices wouldn't be so high if people quit stealing everything". The girl was asking if I needed anything. She's either very trusting that I won't turn them in, or she's undercover. I wish it were the second choice as I really thought this girl was on the up and up.

If There's Going To Be Blatz....I'm Taking A Leave

Why is it that my husband will consume things that he knows will cause some after effects? I could see if what he was consuming tasted even remotely good and was well worth the feeling afterwards. Take for instance I will eat french onion soup because it's worth the effect it has on me. I will also make sure that I'm clear of others when the effects are released. I have walked around my house with a can of air freshener since last night. This would be the effects of my husband drinking several varieties of beer yesterday.

Let's start with the Budweiser which he had just so he could drink out of a bottle that looked like a bowling pin. It wasn't like he could keep the bottle. Even the bartender second guessed him when he ordered it. After two of those I saw him drinking a Pabst. That may have been the wiser choice of beer. He then got in a few Miller GD and Miller Lite. Good choice. Then came the downfall....Blatz. I did have to listen to the history of Blatz in his family. This is the beer that caused his issues. When leaving the tavern/bowling alley we were at he decided to drop butt in the foyer of the building and then when he saw a young lady entering the building took off and giggled about it.

Then there was the ride home. Being that I was driving I had control of the windows and they were open. Once at home he tried to blame the dog. Around 2am I was driven from the bedroom. I was woken up in a good sleep. After spraying about 1/4 can of air freshener I had the evil thought to open the window and let him freeze. I opted to sleep on the couch until I thought it would be safe. It's still not safe. The sad thing is....he looks so damn proud. That's on the outside but I know that on the inside he's sorry he did this to himself. Suffer in silence and suffer yourself buddy..I did not do this. (although I will admit I carried the first Blatz over to him)

Men Say the Darndest Things

I was having a conversation with Nannette this evening, discussing plans for Friday morning. Sometimes my husband likes to listen in on my conversations and make a comment here and there. We were discussing where to go for breakfast and who would be coming along. First he suggested a place close to our bank and home that wouldn't be out of any one's way. Then he asked the question "Is Hooters open for breakfast". I think he made the association of one of our friends and Hooters. Nannette and I continued the discussion wondering if this one certain friend had any real clout at Hooters. If so could he call and have the place open for us? Would we get first rate service because of him? We imagined the NR plated car pulling into the lot and the red carpet going down, the doors being opened for us, and our food being delivered hot and fast. All this time we were talking my husband was sitting at the kitchen table. I looked over and saw his chin resting on his hands and this far away look in his eyes. I think he was envisioning every man's dream. Red carpet service at his local Hooters. We scrapped the idea and are going elsewhere.

Today marked my 3rd full day on the QC job. As I walked through the lines I used to work on I noticed how none of the operators had a smile on their faces. (I had a smile) I stopped to talk to one of my co-worker/friend for a minute and she was a bit crabby. "Ask me why I didn't put in for the QC job" was what she said. Good thing she didn't because she has a bit more seniority then me. I hope I don't have to kick myself in the butt someday, but I'm so glad to be off the line. I'll admit I'm a little stressed with the new workload but it's all coming together. I'm tired, but I'm not crabby. I have 6 days to learn all the ropes and my trainer is gone. Then I'll get help from my newly appointed supervisor who knows nothing of the testing we do. This could be interesting and fun at the same time. He doesn't even know he's supposed to be wearing steel toed shoes!

Who Doesn't Love the Sunshine?

There's something about a day full of sun that makes my attitude just so much better. I think I woke up right around the time the sun did this morning. I made my way to the living room and plopped down on the couch to maybe catch a bit more sleep. This didn't happen as the sun fully hits the room and seemed to be telling me to get up and enjoy the day. As my husband was still snoring away I didn't think starting any noisy chores would be a welcome to him. So I putzed. Did a little fridge and kitchen cleaning, took care of the cats, cleaned up my desk and played a few rounds of Scramble. This consumed about two hours. There was still light snoring coming from the bedroom. I toyed around with the idea of going to the store, but I really didn't need anything. Thought about going for a pedicure, but opted to put that off for another week. So instead I started cleaning some more.

By 10:30 the man stirred. I think he may have over slept. He mumbled something about getting to his sister's house and he had slept longer than he wanted. I got kind of a look, but I don't wake him anymore as when I do I get a look also. His waking gave me the go ahead for the vacuum to be turned on. I am considerate in that way. However, if he sleeps longer than 11 and I do get the vacuum out, I get "the look" then too.

So now it's 4 pm and I feel pretty accomplished in what I've gotten done today. The sun is still shining so I think I may take my dog for a much needed walk. She's been outside several times today laying on the deck soaking up the sun. She looks so content. I'm jealous.

The Double Whammy

This house gets hit twice by the recent economic saga that goes on and on. When my hours were cut six weeks ago I was fortunate enough to sell myself out to another area of my work place that needed help. This Friday will be the last week of doing that as upon getting the new job in QC I now will be working 40 hours (for now). Even though I was asked to continue working, there is currently no o.t. allowed.

Yesterday my husband mentioned that there was an important meeting at his workplace today. All were required to attend. My first though was that his Friday's off were going to kick us in the ass somehow. Bingo! He is taking a 10% pay cut as of next week. This pretty much amounts to one unpaid day every two weeks. Even though this is going to hurt I'm finding it hard not to be angry about it. He does work 9 plus hours a day and has Fridays off, but went through the past two summers without a reduction in pay for those days off. But he's also gone 3 years without a raise. Although 3% would have been more likable, I guess this can be classified as "a long time coming". It's highly unlikely that my raise for this year (rumor has it we're still getting them) will make up for this so we'll just have to tighten the belt a little more.

What does this mean?

• If the manufactures of Marlboro would stop sending me coupons I'd stop buying their product. (What a piss poor excuse for still smoking). This will be stopping very soon.
• I need to get my husband to stop making a million trips to the store on weekends. Better planning on his errand running is in order.
• Switch to a cheaper brand of soda- can't happen. I'll just drink less of it and more water.
• Cut more coupons and then find one store that carries all the brands of the coupons I clipped.
• If we go out to eat...hit the early bird specials.
• Whip out my AARP card more
• Notice I haven't mentioned switching to Bud yet
• Stop going for my nails (with no longer being an operator this could be a reality soon)
• Plant a garden and can everything for the winter (do I look like Laura Ingalls)
• Use up everything in the cupboards before going shopping (tell Barney that one)
• Get a part time job
• still not switching to Bud
• Get my pets on my health insurance plan (it works for some people)
• Take in boarders (slap me now! I've gone nuts)

We'll try a few and see what happens. We may have to resort to taking spam camping vs. sausage links. Now I know I'm nuts.

Never On A Sunday

Just got to sit down after a rather busy Saturday and Sunday. I managed to get the kitchen painted yesterday. Only took 8 hours. I asked my husband to get one high corner I couldn't reach even on my step stool. Unfortunately I had to do it over again as he painted the right color on the wrong corner. Long story. It feels kind of nice to have this nice freshly painted, clean kitchen. The color could change. I'm a little bit of a freak when it comes to finding the right color.

I headed out the door at 10:30 this morning for shopping. To bad it was such a gloomy day. Oh, I should say good thing it was a gloomy day or I would have spent more money. Made a stop at Target ($83.00) and found some of their groceries to be a lot cheaper then the local grocery store. Made a stop at Kohl's with my 30% off coupon. Found a few birthday gifts for upcoming family birthdays. Then I made my biggest mistake. I went to Woodman's. In the past I've learned that a parking lot is not always a true picture of whats inside. First off when you go to Woodman's you must always remember where you parked your car and what door you came in. As I was sitting in my car taking a good look around I noticed quite a few people walking around the parking lot, getting soaked and looking for their cars. The confused looks on their faces told me this may have been their first trip there.

My note to self as walking in "Exit by the rack of green bags". The store was a mad house. I've been there once before, when they first opened. This was crazy. I'm convinced that the reason for this madness is they have 50 different types of whatever you're looking for. The bread area itself is 10 times more then Pick & Save carries. But...they had no Texas Toast. I came with a handful of coupons and was only able to use two as they did not have the brands of the other items I had coupons for. 45 minutes later and with a frustration level of 10 I made my way to the check out. I spotted the green bags for sale rack and went toward that check out area. Every line had people with at least two carts each. I picked out the most interesting person and got in line behind them. $421.00 later she was done. Didn't even bat an eye. They would have been calling 911 for me if that was my bill. Of course I didn't have 4 boxes of Little Debbie snack cakes and several cartons of ice cream. I opted for the more healthy week of shopping. Meat, veggies and fruit. My bill..$122.00. I had a few things that were cheaper then Pick & Save but not by much. This will probably be my last visit to Woodman's, especially on a Sunday.

P.S.- I located my car. It was right were I left it.

I Got You Chicken

Gotta love my husband. At least he tries hard (sometimes). Yes, as most of you have already heard he some what tried yesterday. He is now off on Friday's and he had mentioned the other day that he may just fire up the grill Friday. I didn't put much thought into it until 3:00 Friday when I got out of work. Here follows the phone conversation.

me: What are you doing
B: cleaning off "my" grill (he's very possessive)
me: Oh, what are you going to cook
B: Well, I got some steak (this is where I start thinking a Ribeye would taste really good) and I got you some chicken.
Me: a moment of silence. Chicken? What kind of steak did you get?
B: I got my (once again possessive) fillet that I usually get.
Me: So, I'm having chicken breasts.
B: Well yeah, the ones you like marinated in the sauce.
Me: silence, once again. "Um...I'll be home around 5. Did you get anything else to go with it?
B: Some salads.
Me: Oh, well I guess I'll see you around 5.
B: Let me know when you're on the way and I'll light the grill.
Me: still in shock...."Okay".

Shock...my God does he not know how much I could have went for a Ribeye? He knows that the one and only steak I like. Married 24 years and that's the only steak I ever order. I though maybe, just maybe he was joking around. I got home and sure as heck...chicken breasts and not one but two filet's. When he brought them in I said nothing, but I cut a nice sized piece off his steak and proceeded to eat it...with A1 sauce. Never touched the seafood salad he got as it's made with imation crab which I got sick on once. I haven't eaten fake crab in years.

The next time grilling is in order I will be getting a Ribeye and for him I will buy a veggie burger.
The funny thing is, he offered no explanation. I'm sure he really doesn't even know he did wrong. So, like when he gets paid back for flushing the toilet while I'm in the shower, he will get paid back for this. Of course, I will play the innocent just as he does.

One Pink Sock

After chuckling at Bannettes pink laundry story the other day, I have been paid back. It seems that one of my white socks got in with my husbands red sweatshirt and is now a pretty pink. Apparently I was careful enough that it wasn't his sock. Now the problem is what to do with the other sock. Should I throw it in the next time I wash his sweatshirt, or just don't worry about it as you can't see the sock under my pant leg anyway.

Have you ever noticed that one bad egg can spoil the whole bunch? Our bad egg had a vacation day today and everyone on the line was smiling and happy all day. I know she has a personal issue which is eating at her and for that I sympathize with her, but sometimes it's better to let it out. My boss approached me regarding her moodiness today stating that he was noticing it and wanted to know if it was affecting her work. Seeing as I'm the one who usually gets stuck working next to her, yes I have noticed and I can only cover the areas she zones out on for so long. I suggested he spend more time on the line to see if he can observe any issues. He suggested we take her out for a beer. I'm thinking that's not such a good idea. He also told me that he is 99.9999 % sure I got the QC job and is wondering why it's taking them so long to notify me. My new supervisor was supposed to get with HR and send a formal request offering me the job. Present boss was told to have me wrap up any projects I have going within the next week or so. I asked him if he wanted to join my pool.

This could very well be a painting weekend. This is why my husband is going to scatter on Saturday. The man hates painting. My kitchen is in need of a paint job. Tomorrow will be a trip to Menard's to view paint samples. I can bring some swatches home and hang them in the kitchen or I can just go for it. How bad can it be? It will not be pink, yellow, any shade of blue or green. I think I've tried them all so far. Has to be something that goes with dark cabinets. Oh and white is completely out of the picture. This could be an interesting weekend.

Did You Go Through A Snow Wash (Part 2)

Not actual pictures of today in the previous post, but it should give you a idea of the difference in weather conditions from one side of Milwaukee to another.
As other's have posted today, we didn't have much warning. At 10 last night we heard "a dusting". I let Sadie out at 4:45 am and was greeted by a stuck porch door due to a pile of snow. My ride to work was slow from my house until the Hale. It appeared that area received the dusting. As I neared work there was nothing. I could see grass. I had to chuckle as I got out of my truck and heard "Did you go through a snow wash or something?" from a co-worker. He lives on 84th and Cleveland. He then took notice that I still had snow on my shoes and bottom of my pants from my walk to my car this morning. I guess stranger things have happened.

My interview this morning took about 5 minutes. She had three questions for me. I answered what I figured she wanted to hear but in my head I really wanted to say "I want this job because I am sick and tired of being dirty all the time. I want this job because I don't want to crawl up a ladder or on the floor anymore. I want this job because I'm bored with what I'm doing now".
So now the slow process of making the decision between me and......wait...I'm the only one that applied, begins. Want to start a pool on how long it takes until they let me know?
The girl who's place I'm taking gave them a 6 week notice. If they were smart they'd get going now on replacing her. In past practice they wait until the last minute and then scramble to train someone. If it means one of the management or supervisors will have to do the work they might move a little faster.

My other shock of the day was seeing that my husband answered an email. I didn't even look to see what it said as I was so shocked. I asked him about it and was told that LMFA means leave my friend alone. LOL.

Do You Go Through A Snow Wash Or Something?

A Whole New World

Yesterday I did something I haven't had to do for eight years. I interview for a job. A job within the department I work in now. This is for a QC position. In the eight years I've been with the company I have done QC work. Not as extensive as what the full time position calls for but pretty close.

My interview was with the newly appointed QC manager and Supervisor. QC right now consists of 1 person. If she's busy the manager helps out or we help her. The position is open because she is leaving. I knew this interview was going to be odd when (let's call him Farley) started asking me questions from a formal interview instruction sheet. What is your experience here, What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment, biggest challenge and so on. I've been told he has a very dry personality and it showed. The manager who I've worked with for about 1 1/2 years now kept looking at him oddly and looking at me and smiling. I think it went well but there is another girl interviewing next week. She's pretty confident she's getting the job. She feels she's put her time in. Let's see, two years vs. eight years. And her schooling for a Para-Legal should land her the job. All we can do is wait and see.

The past few weeks I've been working in a QC Lab on the other side of the building. A world not seen by us production workers. This was my third week and I had a lot of visitors today. People coming in and introducing themselves and thanking me for helping out over there. I kept thinking to myself "they are thanking me yet they are getting me my 40 hours?". I got to go on a tour of the "other side". I was given a ten minute tour of the CSI Lab. Found it very interesting. The best part of the day was no stress. Zip...none what so ever. It was great. I came home in a great mood, I wasn't tired. I wasn't crabby and I actually enjoyed my day. This is the kind of work environment I could be very happy in. This is not where I will be if I get the QC job. I will still be in the same department.

I did get an interesting bit of information. The lab I'm helping out in is trying to justify the hiring of another person. They are about two weeks behind in testing. Their budget comes up in a month or so and they are pretty sure they will get approved for the hiring. I was told to put in for the job if it opens. This could actually make going to work somewhat enjoyable.

Sharing Is For The Birds

I felt it this morning as soon as I woke up. The nagging pain above my eyes. As the day went on I developed the "tickle" in my throat. I managed to keep the pain at bay with a few Dayquil tablets. Thought maybe I could beat this thing.

I have felt a little tired the past day or so and have had the chills. I didn't have the chills when it was in the teens outside but now that its in the 30's I have the chills. Could it be?? Yes, I think that I can now confirm that my husband has been so kind as to share his illness with me. Of course, mine won't be as full blown as his was. Because I won't let it.

I have the DayQuil and the Nyquil (Walgreens brand, same ingredients) my orange juice and just enough stubbornness to fight this thing.

Happy Valentine's Day

This is a note that my daughter made me years ago. I save the sentimental things in life.

My husband seems to be on the road to recovery. I think that fact that he slept about 16 hours straight may have something to do with it. He's at least up and moving now. He moved from the bed to the basement and then back to the bed to watch TV. He's currently chowing down the bag of Peppermint Patty mint hearts I got him. So fast that he didn't even notice the minty goodness on the inside is pink.

I'm almost certain this is going to turn into a lazy day. I've been up since 7 and haven't really accomplished to much yet. A few phone calls (received) and cleaning of the litter box. I'm currently smelling the goodness of two apple pies I'm baking to bring along to the Turkey Dinner at Ben & Nannettes house tomorrow. I'm sure they're not as good as Connie's but they should come in a close second place. (if I don't burn them). If I do I have enough apples for a do-over.

I received a recipe for Mac & cheese that I may make but it will require a visit to the grocery store. Seems we're lacking the cheese. Guess it just wouldn't taste right without it.

So am I the only person that is hungering for spring to arrive? I'm not asking for much, just some days with sunshine and temperatures around 65 for starters. Just enough to open some windows and maybe sit outside on the deck and soak up some sun. Winters are just way to long around here. Yes, the snow is pretty and I can deal with snow. I just want some warmth.

Got a little sad & bad news this morning. I'm not sure how this is all going to pan out so I'm trying not to go into any panic or deep depression about it. It seems my son-in-law has an urging to move to Denver. He has a brother there and they've been out to visit quite a few times. My daughter likes Denver, but isn't sure she wants to live there. Right now he's unemployed and can have a job in Denver if he wants. They are pondering him going and checking it out and her and the girls following if it works out. She was telling me via phone and I could hear him in the background "It's only 15 hours away". "Maybe your mom would move out there also". I had to explain to her that I would not freak out and although I would miss them, they're young enough to pull off a life there. It would give me a place to visit. Then I started to remember how I felt when my parent's moved to AZ. This should me that's moving....not her.

Random Bits of Un-Interesting Things

• Leave your crummy mood at home. Those you work with don't want to see your scowling face day after day.
• I can be stubborn, although it doesn't suit me.
• When you fight with your spouse and one of the things mentioned is leaving a TV or radio on when you vacate the area, it is sure to happen several times.
• When you fight with your spouse and mention that the dirty laundry does not have just one person's name on it, you can be rest assured that when they hear the washer start they suddenly throw down all their dirty clothes.
• My cat's love me because I am the one that feeds them, gives them water and cleans their litter box.
• My dog loves me because I am the one that think she deserves clean water several times a day.
• When you fight with your spouse about who should be the one to cook dinner, they will call you when you are on your way home to see if you want dinner from the China House.
• I realize that either I am mute or my spouse is deaf.
• The toothless shoe-shine man at Southridge must be good as he had a few people in line.
• When you get a male nail tech. they are a bit rough on your hands and then think they did the best job ever until you point out an imperfection.
• I hate left-overs and came very close to turning down the take out order just to prove a point.
• I may be stubborn, but I am not stupid.
• Silence is golden. It's very quiet here.

Happy Birthday Randy

Not a day goes by that we don't think about you!

One Brave (or stupid) Cat

Does this not have "Do you realize I could squash you like a bug" written all over it?
So far Sadie has put up with a lot and not made a stink. He's been found sleeping on her bed, eating her food and attempting to move her bone. Beside the one incident where she dropped her bone on him, she's been really calm about him invading her territory. The other one still will not come upstairs unless we hold him and I'm not starting that so I guess he stays put downstairs. He's probably glad to get rid of Mitchell for a while.

It was back to work today after 5 days off. Nothings changed. I did notice that a barrel of trash that was tagged was still sitting there. Yes, tagged. We are currently in the midst of starting "The 5 S" program. It's all about being clean and organized. At the end of each day a member of management goes around a tags anything that is out of place or dirty. Then in the morning we're supposed to fix the problem and remove the tag. So you would think that after getting tagged for the same thing 5 days in a row you'd have the sense to check it before you leave for the day. Not where I work. You just ignore it or wait for someone else to do it. Then the next day you claim you didn't have time, yet you stood around talking to someone for 10 minutes. Probably not a good thing to do in front of the person who is going to issue the tags. This is the mentality of some of the people I work with.

I had to chuckle today as I watched someone screw around with a stapler and attempt to use different staples for over 10 minutes. Twice I mentioned that the line could use his help and that there was another perfectly functional stapler sitting right on the desk. This guy actually left the line with the stapler and headed for the office. Once again, this is the mentality of some of the people I work with. He was pissed when he came back and I had stapled what he needed stapled. I just couldn't resist it.

Not a Sheet In Site

We arrived home today to find our house intact. I half expected to see my yard toilet papered and a line of food delivery people on my door step. Maybe someone really didn't know my address, or maybe it was the threat of sending Bible toter's to his home, or maybe he realized how expensive toilet paper is now days. At any rate it was a relief to see that he decided to leave well enough alone.

Once again a good time was had in Green Bay. We picked up these drifters along the way. We had stopped at Cruiser's for lunch and they suddenly decided to tag along. They were okay, they made the weekend fun. You may know them yourselves as they go by the names of Babbette and Benny. We tried to leave the hotel this morning without them but they were just to quick for us.

I had not one ounce of luck at the Casino. The closest I came to luck was when a woman sat down on the machine next to me and won $1200.00. As usual it was the machine I had thought about playing but it didn't look to interesting. After about 3 hours of rotten luck I went in search of my husband. Found him sitting at a Let It Ride table and after a few minutes got his attention. I mentioned that I was done and going to sit in the lobby. I got a nod and "Okay" out of him. For some strange reason I thought he'd offer me a few bucks. My luck this weekend wasn't entirely bad as I did win two pools. The game was good, but I'm going to have to catch a repeat of the commercials as I missed a few of them.

Poor Sadie must have had a exhausting weekend. We picked her up from my daughter's house and she's been sleeping ever since. The boy's did good. The basement wasn't torn apart. The most I could find that they did was dump their food bowls out. They seem to be healing nicely and have maintained the same pitch of their meowing.

Tomorrow will be another day off as I'm heading out to make some bucks doing a survey and then off to several appointments. Trying to get all the insurance related things in before I get my walking papers.

Sorry....In Advance

In a few hours we're heading out for a much anticipated, much needed weekend away. The chosen spot is once again Green Bay. I'm going with a positive attitude that I will leave the Casino with more money that I came with. Although I would like to repeat the fun I had last year, I don't want to repeat the ride home. Let's just say the boys got us drunk. Hence the drunk dialing. I will apologize in advance for any calls that may be made Sunday. Seeing as my parents don't read my blog I will have to deal with them on Monday.

I'm a little shocked that Sadie isn't on to us yet. There are bags and coolers sitting by the door which usually sparks something in her. As I'm typing she's laying next to my chair snoring away. This has me a bit concerned as normally she'd be pacing and wondering if she was going to her hotel or to my daughter's house. She has been slowing down a bit lately but I try not to think about that. She's only 9. It still seems like we just got her. Cute little puppy that peed on me on the ride home. You would think she is sensing the cats are not here and trying to get all the love and attention.

I hope the rest of you enjoy Superbowl weekend. I'm sure we'll be calling!

Big Day For The Boys Tomorrow

Yes, the mean lady is taking the cats in for a fixin and declawing. I walked downstairs after work today and found Barney talking to both of them. I figure he feel's their pain or something. Seeing as they are starting to scratch their claws on everything downstairs they will be taken care of.

We still keep them downstairs during the day so coming home is sometime humorous. I've found Mitchell in the laundry basket a few times trying to claw his way out. We find things out of place or moved. They kept getting this goofy troll doll so I hid it in a box. Came home and found it in their bed. The best one was trying to figure out how they got the chain that hangs about 5 inches down from the ceiling. It was no where near a chair or table.

Mitchell will venture upstairs when we're home and has been exploring a little bit more each day. He's gone from hiding under the dining room table to jumping up on it. The squirt gun seems to have become ineffective with him, but a loud bang on the table works fine. Today he went as far as to try to eat Sadie's food. "Hey, if it's in a bowl and on the floor it's free game".
I tried to get a picture of this little cat (I don't think he's going to grow) eating out of the 71 lb. lab's bowl. Sadie goes downstairs and can gulp their food down in one second flat. I left the room for a minute and came back to find Mitchell siting in Sadie's water bowl. Must have felt the need to take a bath. The big Ragu will come up the steps but go no further. He's still a bit of a wimp. I'm hoping that tomorrow doesn't throw him completely out of whack.

The best part about this is that Barney will be delivering them to the vet for the butchering....I will be picking them up, so I'll be like the savior.

All Is Quiet

We had the kids and grand kids over for dinner last night which actually turned out pretty good. I say good as there were enough left-overs for my husband tonight. Then the grand kids all stayed over last night. Most of the night was taken up by twin #1 & Barney working on a school project for her. She had to make a musical instrument, so they were occupied with that the whole night. Twin #2 , Dylan and I decided to play a Wii game he got. After about 1 hour of watching them create their Wii people & pets I went and found something else to do. I'm not sure if I'm okay with the fact that they don't need me to help them anymore.

This morning I stood back as they made breakfast (french toast & sausage) and only needed to ask me a few questions. I should be happy with this right?? Although I did find out I was needed when it was time to do the dishes. Barney & twin #1 used the excuse that they still had work to do. #2 & Dylan used the " Well, I cooked the food" excuse. I guess I'm okay with that.

The rest of the day was spent Wii bowling, boxing (I kicked butt) tennis and then we decided to ski. I'm the mean grandma that actually makes them get off the couch to bowl. When the phone rang and one of the parents wondered if they were ready to come home yet they answered that they'd be ready around 5 or so. What???? I softened and let it go at that. We managed to get a movie in and the project was finished by 5. Had to check twin #2's jacket as she was leaving to make sure my cat wasn't in there. He took to her and followed her around all day. I think she may have had some remnants of french toast or syrup on her.

So now it's quiet. Sadie is pooped out and both the cat's are sleeping. Having them here took the boredom out of a winter weekend.

Not The Silver

This, I feel is worthy of sharing. Last night after a good meal with good friends at BW3's we opted to head home rather than hit the bar for a beer or two. My husband claimed that is was because it was to cold outside, but deep down inside I think he didn't want to wash off the spray paint in minus zero weather again.

I was kind of surfing through eBay and came across a silverware pattern that matched a set that my mom handed down to me. Awhile back she found it funny that I had kept it and told me I should try to sell it. I joked with her and told her that I was going to hang on to it until her and dad hit the nursing home and needed the bill paid for one month. Cruel daughter.

When finding this on eBay I decided to look into it further. I'm not planning on selling it I just was wondering the worth. I had the silverware case out on the dining room table and was looking at what pieces I had when Barney came up from downstairs. He walked past it and into the computer room and with the funniest expression on his face says "No, not the silver". He then just shook his head and walked away. I could do nothing but burst out laughing. I told him that there are a lot of things in this house of value that we should think of getting rid of. I'm pretty sure that he has all his antique trains locked away now. This morning I had to reassure him that I did not plan on selling anything. I asked him if he even knew the set of silver existed as I've never used it . I find no joy in sitting and polishing a fork so I can use it. Our company silverware is in my kitchen drawer or obtained from Sam's Club in best plastic ware you can find.
He wanted to know if the china was going next. "What China"? I've been married twice and have not yet picked out a China pattern. I explained to him that China is something you invest in, not go to Kohls or Walmart and purchase. I guess the next question he asked was well deserved. "Well then why did we have to spend so much money on a China cabinet"? See, he's not just another pretty face after all.

Last of the 40's for awhile

I'm not talking about 40 ouncers...
The 40 hour work week. Today was the last 10 hour day for us for the (see able future)? I tried to find out what that meant and was not given the answer I wanted to hear. Last week we were told April at the earliest. Today we were told maybe July.

I've listened to the comments all week regarding my co-workers looking for jobs. Most of them are looking for full time jobs. I'm wondering if that is wise right now. We have excellent benefits which they have not touched yet. Most of us have 3 plus weeks of vacation and we make a decent wage. I'd like to pick up something part time to make up the wage loss and will be seriously looking. Then again, if several people leave it could mean more hours for the remaining few left. Or if the housing market would pick up we'd be back to 40.

When we were given our hours today I questioned if these would be permanent. If I'm going to work part-time I would prefer to start at 7am. My boss was either really confused or just plain doesn't get life. He asked why and I told him that most part-time jobs start around 4 and you're done by 9 or so. Getting off a second job at 9 and getting up at 3 for this job might be difficult. His answer to the worlds problem "Work Friday, Saturday and Sunday". Not that I'm above working weekends, but I'm certainly not wishing to work 7 days a week. I'm not as brave as a co-worker who asked "Just how long are you going to dick us around". I had to turn my head to keep from busting out laughing. It's so true though. All in all, you have to do what you have to do.

I've put plenty of though into how to budget things a little differently. Here's my list:

1). Quit smoking- big on the list
2). roll my own
3). Cut down the dining out-(we don't do that to often)
4). Switch from diet coke to Roundy's cola (not a chance)
5) Start to see Connie for haircuts (she does a good job with Ken)
6). Watch the clothing allowance (gift cards are great gifts to receive)
7). Use up all the food in my cupboards ("Hey dear, what do you want for dinner...we have a can of pineapple and some re fried beans left)
8). Screw all that crap and look for a part time job

Here was my husbands suggestion..."I'll buy you Budweiser".

Who dun It & Why???

We went to a 50th birthday party for a very good friend of ours last night. Had a good time. It was more like a gathering of friends for a good cause. He's been somewhat unable to attend a lot of functions due to his ailing father so it was good to see him, and to see him happy.

The night went well until....Some jackass decided to spray paint my truck. I hate parking in the lot down the street from the bar and would prefer to park in the bank lot, but hubbie thinks it's illegal and he was driving. It appeared that we were either the only one's tagged or other's who had been were gone already. The first thing Barney says to me "Who did you piss off"?. I didn't think that Cleve was that upset with me over throwing snow at him. Needless to say at 2am here's Barney outside scrubbing the paint off my truck. There still is a little residue on the windows and grill which he's out working on now.

So a good night ended like crap. I'm more ticked off that some jackass felt the need to deface something not belonging to them. I keep thinking it could have been worse.

Paper or Plastic???

Well the downhill economy has now hit home. At the very end of a meeting held at work yesterday, which was supposed to be our monthly production meeting, we were give the news. As of Jan. 26th we are cut to a 32 hour work week. This affects only the hourly production workers and shockingly maintenance.

The first part of the meeting was all about cutting costs and improving production. Then we had a little safety spoof on the safe use of electricity. I felt a little sorry for my boss as he stood up there and read the bad news from his notes. It hit me half way through that he's never really had to bring this kind of news to us. It had always been Randy who had to stand up there and do the dirty deeds. It sucked to because had it of been Randy I would have had a little hint.


When I called home after work and my opening line was "Do you want fries with that"?, it took Barney a second. At first he thought I was stopping at Kopps on my way home. He didn't seem to concerned about the loss of income, but I think he's all about helping me find a part time job. We were also given the option to work 5-1 or 7-3. As I am sick of getting up at 3am I chose the later hours. This way I'll have plenty of time to get home, change and get on over to Walmart.

This reduction in hours is predicted to last until at least April. My guess is there will be occasional weeks that we'll work 40 hours. In the mean time I'll stock up on Ramen noodles and start looking for something to fill the gap. I already have a lead for something. I don't see any tragic losses coming from this if it only lasts a few months.

On a lighter note...Crap! It's damn cold outside. Ol" Barney also has off work today and here I am at 7:30 a.m. wide awake and he's snoring away. I was the one who said last night I wanted to sleep in and he was going to get up early and get some things done. I'm not used to someone infringing on my lonely day off. I surely hope there's no breakfast expected.

Dirty Cat

With not being at home during the day I wondered what these cat's would be up to. I took a sick day today due to plain out being sick. I have contacted both the cold and stomach part of what ever is going around. Yesterday was no more than laying around with a box of Kleenex and my remedy of Day Quill (coupon at Walgreen's for $3.00 off). I went down at my usual time this morning at gave them water and food and had a few minutes of them crawling all over me. Went back to bed. Around 7am I heard some noise and decided to investigate. It seems as if Mitchell had gotten his toy stuck around the leg of a bar stool and was determined to get it off. I noticed that the water bowl was full of food for some reason, so I figured rather than let them learn a lesson I'd just clean it out and refill it. It was then that all hell broke loose. Barney has put doors on to the laundry room just to keep them out for a short while. We have some cleaning to do in there before they can be let loose. They have a habit of sitting by the door when I go in for water and usually a little nudge will make them move. This morning they both escaped when my hands were full with two water bowls.

After about twenty minutes of trying to get them I just sat down and waited for them to come to me. They have to get hungry sooner or later right? I got Mitchell and then rather than let him escape again while waiting for the big Ragu to appear I put him in the cat carrier. I think what drew the big Ragu out was Mitchell's crying. It only took about 2-3 minutes. Got the door closed and realized I'd left the water in the other room. Armed myself with the squirt gun and went back in. I required only one shot and they both scattered. Felt so proud I wanted to blow on the end of the gun like the movie stars do. No holster, and I didn't feel the fool as the gun still had water in it. The helpful hint on using the squirt gun is much appreciated. For the time being I will be bringing water from upstairs.

As for now, they seem to be spent after spending quite some time bathing themselves after their adventure.

Just Call Me Charlie Brown

Here's a little picture of the nightly meeting between Sadie and Mitchell. Mitchell actually pets Sadie's nose. No claws. All went well tonight until Sadie attempted to give Mitchell her rather huge bone she received for Christmas. (a dog bone). Kind of spooked the cat a little and we saw her hiss for the first time. I'm not sure I like the way he's eyeing up the house. You can just see the thoughts racing through his head. "I could do some damage up here". So for now when we're not home he'll be staying in the basement. We'll try the upper level this weekend.

I've been on this daily regiment of taking Sadie for a walk. Her and I both need the exercise plus I think it helps her to not feel slighted. We headed out tonight around 5. Most of the sidewalks were shoveled or had light snow on them. We were about a mile from home when we encountered a pretty snowy sidewalk. Had we not been on a busy street I would have headed for the road. Sadie did a complete Bambi on ice show for me and I managed to stay up right....for a moment. She gained her balance and we took a step and I did a very nice imitation of Charlie Brown kicking the football that Lucy just pulled away. Feet up in the air and down flat on my back and clunked the ol' noggin. "Damn that f***ing hurt". Sadie did exactly what she is supposed to do. Sat down next to me and didn't move. Then I go to get up and my feet are slipping all over. I was pretty close to walking up to their front door and ranting. This wasn't just a patch of ice, the entire sidewalk was like an ice rink. There ought to be a law. Oh, wait, there is. We continued on our way with no further mishaps. I have a nice bruise on my leg and a knot on my head. Good thing I had my hat on to shield my head from to much damage. I shall choose the other side of the street tomorrow.

She's Not Having It

We got our adopted kittens yesterday. The featured guy here is Mitchell. He settled right in. The other one let us hold him with no problem at first. Because of the dog we thought it would be best to get them used to us first and then gradually get them upstairs. Barney spent most of New Years Day (after he finally got up) putting doors on the other areas of the basement to keep them confined to the rec room. After about two hours of them being here we decided to bring Sadie down. It took her a minute or two to notice that something was amiss. Mitchell went right up to her and batted her in the nose. This forced a little growl out of timid Sadie. They probably would have been okay after a minute but then came the hiss out of the other one. Sadie's hair stood on end and the cats tail was about 10 times bigger. The cat (Carmine) took off for the only corner in the basement that he could hide in and immediately got stuck. Got him out of that jam and he took off again and headed for the air conditioner. Managed to get himself stuck in between the fan. Tool man had to take the thing apart to get him out. We then let him go back into the corner and figured he'd come out when he was ready. Mean while Mitchell was just having a good time.

We had to take a trip to Waukesha last night to visit Barney's aunt who had a heart attack New Years Eve Day. She's a talker and after about 1 1/2 hours of being there the nurse came in to check her vitals. We got a chuckle when she said her oxygen levels were low and Aunt D proclaims "Well that's because I've been talking non stop for almost two hours". The ending of the story she was telling was about South Dakota but I don't quite remember how it started. I have learned to just nod and not ask questions as it will throw her off. I though for sure I'd look over and see Barney nodding off but he was just staring at her in awe.

Upon our arrival back home I was happy to see that they are indeed litter trained. We had to search around for Carmine and found him in a box behind the bar. He may be the damage inflicter as some glasses and bottles were teetering. Some adjustments must be made to secure the safety of the cats and our sanity. I heard some commotion at 6 am and went down to check it out. Mitchell was in the playing mood so the laser light came out and he was tuckered out after a bit. The big Ragu made an appearance, walked by my leg, took a poop and went back to his corner. All in all day one went okay. Sadie knows I still love her more.

We Rang It In Good

I woke up late this morning and wandered into my kitchen and hit the fridge for some ice cold water. A chuckle escaped as I spotted the bowl of albino cashews in the fridge. It was way to early for me to make any sense of why they were in there. On my way back to bed I spotted my newly acquired Christmas quilt I had gotten in the White Elephant exchange. Although cute, it will probably look better in my mother-in-laws home then mine.

I laid in bed for awhile and thought about the crappy things that happened in 2008. Things that I try to block out of my head because I'm not all that ready to accept them. Things that have made me forget the good. I then started to think about the good. The everyday good that I guess I have taken for granted. The fact that I wake up everyday, I am healthy, I have a roof over my head, I have a job, I have an awesome family & husband and the best friends anyone could ask for. Friends that I spent New Years Eve with. What more can I say besides "These guys are the best". I just need to investigate the green and gold Christmas bows left on my front porch.

I have no New Years resolutions. Just can't set myself up to fail. What I do have are New Year's goals. Things I would like to change in the next year. Some of them are the normal...quit smoking...loose weight...look for a new job...blah...blah..blah. The smoking being the highest priority goal. The little bit of TV that I watched today must have had a weight loss gimmick commercial on every 3 minutes. Good marketing strategy. I watched them while shoving a Connie cookie in my mouth. I looked in the fridge for other food to eat and decided to skip the eating for today as all that's in there are things that contain BBQ sauce or dips. I think a trip to the grocery store is in order.

So, hopefully this year we will be able to hold onto the everyday good and hope that the bad isn't too bad. Maybe the bad can hold off until we'll able to heal from the last bad. Like my other friends have mentioned..we couldn't ask for a better support system. I must also take a second to apologize to someone for picking on his albino cashews. Never....ever....give a drunk a phone.

Under Control

Knock on wood, I think we are rid of our visitors. We are holding at 7 and haven't seen one or evidence of one since the 25th. I guess instead of coal, I got a family of Mickey's for Christmas.
There are enough traps around this joint to catch quite a few and either they all wised up or we got them all.

The other night when we first found them I mentioned that we should have a cat. I've had cat's before and they seem to take care of any mice or creepy things around the basement or house. My husband always claimed he was allergic to them. We go to K & J's and they can crawl all over him and he has not affects. He does have an issue with his Aunts cats, however they are long hairs. I browsed the Humane Society site and mentioned it to him and from the lack of an answer I got I figured it was water under the bridge. Saturday morning he woke me up to ask what time they opened. At that point I was then the negative one. I mentioned a place near the bar we go to that adopts out cats. At 2pm he was ready to go there. Nice place, and the cat's seem to be well cared for. We found one right away and threw the idea of two around. We decided it might be a good idea. Finding the second one was a chore. One made me itch and sneeze immediately and another one was just weird looking. I felt a little bad taking it back to it's cage we had it in a room with us for 15 minutes and the thing just hovered in a corner. The first one was very lively and friendly. Third times a charm as we found one (Carmine. The name will change) that was a little timid at first but then came around. So we made our choices and had to fill out some lengthy paperwork and are waiting to be accepted. We also mentioned that we needed a few days to think it over ourselves. Yesterday I made a negative comment and Mr. Tough Guys face looked a little sad. I may have him sign something stating that he wants them more than I do that I can pull out the first time they claw something. I'm more worried about Sadie feeling a little put out but I'm told that dogs don't have those feelings. Not quite convinced of that. What I am convinced of is that the boys will be getting fixed and de-clawed ASAP.

Eeeeekkkkkkk!

Things were a little amiss at this household today. I had shoveling in mind when I got home and found that we must have ticked off a snowplow driver enough that he would direct the entire blocks worth of snow into our driveway approach. I'm not kidding when I say it was up to my knees. I parked on the street and made my way up the driveway and into the house. Did the usual, checked the mail, checked my email, let the dog out and then ventured downstairs to retrieve the polish sausage from the fridge. As I rounded the bar I saw something out of the corner of my eye. At first glance I wondered why my husband would play such a cruel joke on me. I got the polish and turned when I realized that what I saw moved. This was no fake mouse! The little creature jumped off the bar onto the floor. I heard the little plop and then it started running in circles. My natural instinct was to scream and try to get away from it. I had no weapon except the box of polish sausage which I was not about to try to explain to my family tomorrow. It took off under the fridge. I took off up the stairs and slammed the basement door. WTF! How did we get a mouse in the house.

I made a quick phone call to my husband at work to pick up some traps. He seemed a little irritated when I said it was on the bar. "You know, the same place you were eating crackers and herring last night" was my explanation. I then made a hasty retreat outside to tackle the snow. I kept telling myself I was being silly, the stupid thing is only about 4 inches big. I kept shoveling until he got home an hour later. Like a scared ding bat I followed him into the house. He had brought home sticky paper instead of a trap. He neatly laid them down in a few places in the basement and then with broom in hand I got the rest of the things I needed. I kept looking at the laundry basket under the magic chute wondering in the little bastard crawled in there. I whacked the basket a few times and then moved it to the top of the washer. I looked for droppings in the area and found none. Hopefully this thing just got in.

My husbands feelings were not the same. He thinks they came in when we brought in some boxes from the garage. If this is true it's been shacking up down there for a month. Hopefully not in the motherly way at the time. He checked a few more areas and then went off to work.
I stayed clear of the basement. There was no way I was going down to "check the paper".
Also had to keep the dog upstairs lest she come up with sticky paper stuck to her nose.

He got home around 11 and we went down to investigate. The look on his face when he rounded the bar was priceless. He just let out this strained "Ohhhhh" and almost looked sad. "Did you get it I asked". "Got them" him...."Them"..me "Ahh, there's three". Then he was kind enough to tell me that I don't want to see the mess. He took off into the workshop and returned with a pliers and bucket. I figured he was just going to pick up the whole pad and toss it in the bucket. I asked if they were still alive and got a nod of the head. "Got to put them out of their misery" is what got me to fly back up the stairs.

As the count goes now....3. More paper is down and unless he checks it in the morning I'll be staying upstairs with a towel jambed under the door.

Brrrrr....Humbug

No big shocker here. It is cold outside! Snow, cold, repeat..seems to be the same old story over and over again. I ventured out of the house long enough today to put the peanut butter balls we had dipped in chocolate on the porch to set. Didn't take long. My compliments to my husband at the solid porch walls. I felt no breeze coming in, only frigid cold air. I don't hear my windows rattling any more so the wind must have died down a bit.

Last week we were given the option to have the entire week off. Seeing as I had only one vacation day left I pondered for the whole week on what to do. Thursday at 2:45 I gave them my answer. I would be in Monday & Tuesday. How do I feel about that now? Duh...how dumb could I be? Am I seriously going to want to get in my car at 4 am and go to work? Well, I have no choice now.

I though I was doing pretty good with all the Holiday things and I prided myself with starting early. Not feeling so much that way now. I just spent three days being quite busy. Right about now I could use a beer but I'm opting for a shot of cold medicine instead as I've developed a bit of a cold. That's par for the course though. I'm always sick on Christmas. The bad thing is feeling like yuck. The good thing is not being able to taste anything, therefore not eating much of it.

We received an envelope in the mail yesterday for "Cowboy's Fans". It was handed to me by my husband when I got home. He asked about the letter and then noted that he was wondering if that's why I made him put up all blue and white lights this year. He wondered if I was "turning". There was the one thing that I ordered off their web site earlier this year that has prompted these mailings. He doesn't check the mail to often, so is unaware of the fact that they come several times a week. I might just stop and pick up an ornament and hide it on the tree to see how long it takes him to spot it. Or maybe I could borrow one from my friend.

Holy Crap!

Remember not to long ago when it looked like this outside? I think that was back in October. Hard to imagine that we are on track to beat last years snowfall. To me this is not a contest we feel we need to win every year.

At 6 am this I asked my husband if he was going to work. They have a standard rule that if the public schools are closed they are also. I quoted this rule to him and he replied in his hero voice "That's just the production lines. I must go in". Then he has some dumb lady call him for a ride as she didn't want her husband to drive in this. That's just a point blank sign that she was calling his bluff. She wanted to stay home. I'm not sure I could ever call another guy for a ride in a snowstorm because my husband didn't want to drive. Her poor husband either didn't hear the call or is not feeling like the biggest wimp in the world.

For some reason I keep smiling at the image of my husband outside his work shoveling so the office people can get in. His beard covered in snow and his mustache icing up. I did notice that he had his shoes packed in a bag but left them by the door, so if he does decide to stay he'll be clunking around in his boots all day. He was nice enough to leave the shovel inside the porch today so I could shovel my way out.

Things were looking pretty upbeat yesterday. After work I went out with a few people for a Christmas drink. We were done within 2 hours as everyone wanted to get errands done last night before the big storm. I stopped at the mall to look into an air compressor for A. It was on sale but the added bonus was the man who handed me an additional $10.00 off a purchase of $100.00 or more. He was like a secret Santa, just walked past me and said "'Maybe you can use this". It was like finding a coupon at the grocery store right next to the item you are going to buy. So I bought it and then thought about how I was going to get it to my car. Suddenly this woman walks by with a cart from another store and asks if I need to use it. Double score! Got it into the truck and managed to get it into the house. I need to train my dog to help out a little more.

Here's wishing all of you a Happy Snow Day!

No Auditions

I made a mistake last night. I had stated that I was going to start taking auditions for a new friend. Of course our group joked about it and comments were made.."Randy would have never said that" or "Randy would have got me a beer". Things that seemed funny at the time.

After much thought about my audition comment, which I now blame on my emotional state over the past week, I am retracting that comment. You see, I feel that every one of my friends are unique in their own way. They are all special to me for different reasons. Randy was special for many reasons. I made the comment that his shoes would be hard one's to fill. That is true, but I don't compare my friends. I care about each and everyone of them and enjoy spending time with them. We've seen each other at our best and worst. Over the past week we've all been here for each other.

As I looked around last night I was over whelmed by the amount of people that came out with one purpose in mind. To provide support for each other. We shared stories, attempted to sing, and saw a few tears. We helped each other through a rough time. This, to me, is why all my friends are special to me.

It Has Been An Honor!

To My Friend Randy,

The initial shock of loosing you has finally hit me. I was gathering some pictures tonight to add to your picture board and broke down. It was then that I realized that you weren't going to make that next trip to South Dakota. I would never be able to prove to you that Custer State Park is chuck full of buffalo. Then I had to laugh when I thought about how much ribbing we got from you the past few years for dragging you all the way there with the promise of seeing them.
This is the person I will always remember. The good hearted, there for everybody person. The guy who's laugh you could hear clear across a bar, campsite or any activities we joined you in. The guy who would always cheer me up, make light of a situation and give the best hugs ever.

We became friends when stuck working 3rd shift together. But my first memory of you is when I worked 3rd and you worked 1st. You would be coming in early and had do buzz in. I'd walk the long hallway at 4am to let you in and I'd hear the same words every morning. "Good Day". After a few weeks of this I'd get Ahoy Mate in before you could utter a word.

Pretty soon we met each other's spouses and my husband took a liking to you immediately. Social activities came after that and we'd always get the evil eye from the spouses for talking about work. It seemed as if you knew everybody. You always had a friendly word and a funny story about someone. You became a friend that I could talk to and trust. You became my boss and although we didn't always see eye to eye, I respected that fact that you had a job to do and vice versa. Any indifference's we were always able to talk over. This is what is known as a true friendship.

When you left our current place of employment you were missed. There wasn't a day that went by that someone didn't ask about you. I missed you, not only as a boss, but as a friend. I missed your crazy comments, your stressful hand through the hair motion and bitching at you for not having your safety shoes on.

My heart sank on Saturday. It sank for J your wife, for your family, for all your friends and for myself. You were loved by many people and will be missed by many. Your circle of friends is bigger than you ever imagined. I am not at all shocked by it. This is the kind of person you were.

We will all miss you terribly. I will burn every glow stick I can find in your honor. I will shine my flashlight into the sky and try as hard as I can to search for Major Tom. One thing I don't think I'll be able to do is down 21 Mike's Hard Lemonade's in one night.

We will take care of Jo. We will never forget you. I have my memories.

Touching

Last night I picked up my grandson and headed off for the twins annual school Christmas concert. Their school really goes out of the way for these concerts and last nights was even better then the previous years. The principal is very involved and demands that the parent's and visitors stay through the entire concert and don't just get up and walk out when their child is done.

Each of the girls had a solo, one vocal and one on the violin. Last year she was still a bit squeaky but as nervous as she was last night I heard not one squeak. They do more of a culture orientated concert so each grade did one. When the Christmas Rap part came it was truly hilarious. This was a 3rd grade class and they wrote the song themselves. There were several groups of 3 or 4 that would break into rap for a few lines. We happened to be sitting in back of one of the parents whose son was very Opie Taylor looking but when his turn came he transformed into a rap King. His parents just cracked up and explained how he had been practicing at home. The father who looked strictly the business type , took credit for practicing with him. Of course besides the girls, this was the highlight of the concert.

I also scan the stage for the kid that looks the most uninterested or simply did not care to practice. I found several last night. One little guy was not singing at all, just standing at the end of his row looking up at the lights and waving his prop mittens around. The little girl next to him looked completely disgusted with him.

I then scanned the crowd as I like to see the looks on people's faces. I happened to be taking a drink of my water when I spotted the man with the worst beard ever. Needless to say it sent me into a choking fit and trying very hard to fight back laughter. My daughter looked over to see what was going on and I very discretely pointed it out to her. Broke her and my son-in-law up. This came at a time when we were able to cover it up as the little boy on the stage was dressed as a Sheppard and looked like Linus. Back to the beard thing. He had what looked like a Chi Pet on his chin. A very strawberry blond one. It almost appeared as if he just stuck it on there. Completely clean shaven with a nice hair cut and this crap on his chin. So you know how when you spot something your eyes always want to go back to this spot no matter how bad it is? Luckily I didn't spot it until 1/2 hour into the show. What made it worse is that he kept stroking it like he was proud. My son-in-law was attempting to get a shot of it but I tried to be the sensible one and stated that we should never laugh at others misfortunes. He stated that if it's out of your control it's wrong to poke fun...A purposely done thing is worth a laugh.

Recession...It's The Buzz

The front page of the Journal was the talk of the shop today. We have been in a recession since last December. Was this actually news to anyone? I got sick of hearing about it by about 10 am. When I went to lunch at noon I was soon wishing I could actually leave for lunch. Had it not been so cold I would have fled to my car to get away from the head of our Department. There were three of us in the lunch room just relaxing and chatting in between eating our lunches when in he walks with lunch in hand to "Eat with the workers". He went on to ask us all how we felt about the news. Then went on to explain it to us as if we had no clue of what was going on. As I left the lunchroom I commented to one of my co-workers that maybe he was preparing us for bad news. This is the same guy who comes in around 7, grabs the sports section and heads to the bathroom. I'm in tune to the fact that people read on the pooper, but do it at home not at work. Then don't bring the paper back and lay it down on the table when you're done. There is a mad scramble for the sports section prior to 7am. When he brings it back it literally lays untouched.
I am a little nervous about the next month or so because apparently what we're making right now is all inventory. You never want to see a warehouse full of finished product. Incoming raw materials is a good sign, but there's not much of that. May have to look into the library after all.

Through out the course of the past two weeks I have discovered that I now work with one of the moodiest people I have ever known. She's a former 3rd shift worker who made it through the last layoff. This girl doesn't utter a nice word until at least 10 am. She comes in with a scoll on her face every morning and answers in a grunt. By around noon she starts to chat. Yesterday I almost blew up at her, but couldn't lower myself to her level. I'm all about trying to get along with the people I work with. It makes for a shorter day when you can actually converse. Today after about an hour of grunty grunterson I decided to give her some of her own medicine. Yes, I actually went down a few pegs. Within fifteen minutes she was asking what was wrong. Tomorrow I think I'll try that right away.

On a lighter note, my mom's thyroid which was removed a few weeks ago is cancer free. She's still a little shakey as her meds are still being worked on. Now if I can just get them to move back here I'll be little more relaxed.