Bill paying blues

I just finished paying some bills, scary when you are not sure what your next income will be. And of course taxes are coming up real quick, I hate taxes. Not like they are doing any good, everyone is broke so I am not sure who is getting the money except probably those who don't need it. I have money put away for the taxes, but in these times it would be nice just to have that money sitting there waiting.

Enough whining, I know a lot of people are hurting too. I did go sign up for the program today, I have to go to a seminar on Friday morning to listen and see if I qualify. The program is called No Worker Left Behind and has been going on for a couple years. I know a few people who lost their jobs and ended up joining this and getting their degrees. I am hoping I will join their company soon.

I did manage to get the lawn mowed, but that is not so bad as I enjoy it. I probably spent at least an hour on the rider, it was great. The sun was out and I like just riding back and forth putting the lines in the lawn, kind of like vacuuming but more fun. I also do an area out front in the field, our own little driving range. I did it as a joke, but it really works. I figure I will have time to work on my golf swing now. At least I was able to cross another thing off the to-do list.

So tomorrow will be another project, but I am ok with that. Today I felt like I accomplished something and had fun doing it, rather than being bored at a desk.

Weekend

The sun was out today, that was pleasant after 2 days of rain. We went to see our friend's band play last night. I drank enough beer to give me a headache this morning, but I was not stumbling drunk. So the headache did slow me down this morning and I could not get back to sleep after waking up at 6am. Many cups of coffee and some breakfast finally shook me out of my grogginess. It is a good thing that I don't do that very often because I think I am just getting to old or to out of practice.
Back to the sun being out, it was nice and I did eventually get some outdoor work done. I made a to-do list to keep my busy while I am laid off. I talked to a friend who is working on her degree and now have hope that I will be able to get on that schooling program for unemployed people. It would be nice to go back and get my degree, I really can't afford it otherwise. We will see what happens when I go tomorrow to talk to someone about it. I will not let myself become lazy just because I am not working.
So here is the end of the weekend and my new adventure starts tomorrow. What will it bring? Good news I hope.

Not TGIF

I had a big suprise today, I got laid off. It came out of left field, I knew we were a little slower than last year, but it isn't that bad. They say it is only for a little while, but I am having my doubts. My boss did not even have the courage to be there, it was his wife that came in and did it. She is a lot nicer than him so I guess it was better.

So now I wonder about all the crap from this week and wonder if I should have seen this coming? I am scared because I just lost my job, but relieved in a wierd way too. They say that when one door closes another opens, lets just hope that is true. I know I did a good job there, I did everything that was asked and more. I kept the office very organized and clean, so who is to say what is in their heads.

Anyway, wish me luck on my new adventure, whatever that may be.

TGIF

Thank God it is Friday, and I truly mean that. It is morning and I am hoping this day goes better than yesterday. My boss was in a snit yesterday. I managed to bypass it and have a pretty good day until the end when he said one little thing. Something inside me just snapped, but I did not do anything. I finished up the last half hour and headed home, stopping on the the way for some chocolate of course. I fumed all the way home, and some jerk tailgating me the whole way did not help either. So by the time I got home I was tense and irritable, no fun whatsoever.

I took the dog for a walk right away attempting to wind down, it worked a little. Usually I don't let myself get that worked up over work, I mean it is not like they are my best friends. I always try to keep my home life seperate from my work life. So why did I let it get to me this time? Was the mental abuse just to much this week? I don't know, but I do know that he needs to get out of his funk.

So that is why I did not write last night, it would have just sounded crazy. (As if this doesn't, right?) What I need is to get away from him, but I would feel bad throwing away a job when there are so few available.

Anyway, here's to Friday. Everybody feels better on Friday, don't they? And even though they are predicting a cold, rainy weekend, I will just be glad I am not a work.

Walking the dog

It was a beautiful afternoon here, the sun was shining and the breeze was blowing. I got off work a little early and decided to go for a nice long walk with my dog, he thought it would be a good idea also. Even though there is not a heck of a lot to do in this tiny town, there are certain things I would miss. I would miss being able to walk the dog on a dirt road with nothing but the sounds of your footsteps and the breeze rustling the leaves. I would miss seeing the old barn and farmhouse we pass on said dirt road. I would miss the natural beauty of the untouched field at the end.

One of those days...

It was one of those days, a Murphys Law day, but not really directed at me. I was a bystander who just got caught up in the wave. My boss was having one of those days. There were no phones and only half the office had power when I arrived this morning. Their main computer was working and I ran an extension cord to mine, no big deal really. I also re-routed the power to the phones and got them up and running. But a mishap happened in the shop causing them to lose a lot of time and put everyone behind.
Before I go to far, I should explain my boss. He is a great guy to the customers, but as soon as they are gone he becomes Mr. Depresso or Mr. Stresso. I believe he could be a manic depressive or something. It is like working with Jekyll and Hyde half the time. Everybody is so used to his mood swings that they just put up with it. It is hard not to get stressed, but I just try to smile and laugh and wait for it to pass.
I would like to find a new job, but there are not a lot available right now and I really need the paycheck. So I deal with the mad scientist and keep my mind in tune with other things so he doesn't' drive me nuts.
Anyway, as these little earthquakes are happening to him he stresses and frets and accuses and just carries on in general. I keep waiting for the heart attack to happen any day now. Then as he winds down his shoulders slump and he looks as if someone ran over his dog, shuffling from one spot to another looking for pity for his oh so awful day. It is frustrating dealing with him when this is happening, but at the end of the day I just have to laugh. This is a man in his 50's acting this way, makes me wonder what his mother would say.
So now I am at home, relaxed and can smile about the events of the day. Hopefully it will change soon, but for now I smile and nod.

You can pick your friends, but not your family

So I have a younger relative who seems to just want to drive everyone nuts lately. Yes, she is a teenager. She used to be so much fun to hang around, we always got along very well. Now it seems that her friends rule her life and push her to make stupid decisions and think her family is just awful. She had it easy growing up, trust me. I swear that sometimes I just want to bitch slap the whole lot of them and tell them to get over themselves. I remember being a teenager and try to carry that when listening to her, but I don't remember ever being that bad. Maybe I am just getting old.
So on to the kids of today issue, are they spoiled little brats? Not all, but they have lost the fear. I respected my parents because I also had some fear of them. Kids have no fear of their parents today, they just threaten to call 911 when not getting their way. I don't support child abuse, but some of these kids could use a good butt kicking.
In our efforts to stop abuse have we leaned to far the other way? Why is it so hard to find a happy medium? When did the government start getting involved in the way you raise your kids?
I know some people are probably asking "why do you care, you don't have kids?" I may not have them, but I still have to deal with them in public. If I acted the way some of them do today, my Mom would have slapped me up side the head, and I would have deserved it.
So how do I deal with this younger relative? For now I tell her what a butt head she is being and tell her to grow up and get over herself, while patiently waiting for reality to catch up with her.

Inglorious Basterds

We went and saw Inglorious Basterds today. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, the first 2 hours went by very quickly. Brad Pitt did a great job, as did everyone else in the film. It is much more funny than the previews let on, and not near as much gore as I expected. It was definitely a Tarantino movie, I will just leave it at that. I don't want to give too much away just in case someone actually reads this and has not seen it yet.
Otherwise it was a pleasant Sunday, but the weatherman lied again and there was no sun until this evening. I made a pasta sauce with tomatos, fresh basil, garlic, oregano, and onion. It did not come out that bad, I basically heated it by tossing it with the cooked pasta. With some fresh grated parmesean it tasted very fresh. I am just getting into cooking italian sauces and sometimes I like to just experiment by throwing stuff together.
It is time to water the garden and see if anymore is ready to be picked.

Worn out Saturday

I accomplished very little today. I stayed up late reading a book and woke up with a monster headache. After taking pills every few hours it is finally diminishing. The weather is definately not August weather, only reached about 65 deg at best, very gray and cloudy. This definately did not make me want to jump out of bed running either.
On the bright side, grocery shopping was done and there is food in the house agian. We had tacos for dinner, nothing fancy, just shells meat, cheese, and sour cream. That is what is nice about it just being the two of us, no requirements to make a healthy meal when we are just in the mood for fast and easy. Thank you Ortega.
So I will continue on with an uneventful evening, but sometimes lying around in sweatpants and watching bad movies is just what I need to recharge. I guess I will go "plug in".

To Short A Life

I was just reading an article about a multi-car accident locally where four people died. They were not the cause of the accident, just the effect. They were all under 25, two of them brothers. I can't imagine what their family must be going through. The news is not releasing the name of the car driver that crossed the center line and started the horrible mess.
It happened at 4:30pm, why would he have crossed the center line? Talking on his cell phone? Texting? Drunk? I am sure it will all come out in due time and he will be stuck living with the deaths on his conscious.
Reading this really made me think that there might not be a tomorrow. It puts in perspective of what really matters in your life. No one else can tell you what matters most in your life, only you know.
So, say "I love you" to the people who matter in your life on a regular basis, you may not get to tomorrow.
Take time to do all those things you want to do and don't be afraid to live, you might not be able to tomorrow.

Rain, rain, go away...

It is raining, agian. It has rained a lot this summer, as a matter of fact this summer has been downright crummy. I can probably count the number of days it was over 80 in the last month on one hand. I am praying for a mild winter. Craziness will ensue if we have another long winter after such a short summer, at least it will for me. Why do I stay in this area with the cold you ask? Family would be the number one reason I guess, pets that I could not just leave. I am sure I could come up with many others, but it also comes down to not knowing where in the heck to go.
How does a person go about finding a spot that fits their nature? Traveling to different towns and looking around was my answer. Someone told me that usually when a person wants to move they just do it, and I think they are probably right. But I am a research person, being I look up whatever I can on my destination before leaving. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it is better just to wing it.
I do often picture myself on an island, working at one of those little hut places on the beach. After many sunburns I imagine my fair skin would eventually tan. Isn't that what the big floppy hats are for anyway?
So I will end this now, daydreaming of the sun and beach, the soft whoosh of the ocean waves, the smell of the salt water, aaahhhhh......

Something New

So I decided to take this writing class online and today was the first lesson. What am I hoping to accomplish? Not sure yet, just sounded right. I like to write, obviously or I would not have started a blog. I love to read and would like to be able to write even an article that just grabs reader's attention.
Actually this blog is part of the process, of writing something every day just for the sake of writing. It might not always make sense, but at least I tried. Samson (my dog) just agreed with me as he nudged my elbow with his nose looking for some petting.
But it is later than I thought and still have things to accomplish, such is life.

Jimmy Buffet

We went and saw Jimmy Buffet at DTE Theater last Thursday. It was our first Jimmy Buffet concert experience. I am glad we spent the money and went as it was one of the most enjoyable concerts I have ever seen.
We did the shuttle service with the hotel we stayed at and let me tell you that it was worth every penny. We were able to walk to our shuttle van beyond the gate as car after car lined up at the exit. I was able to get some great pictures during the show and we drank and danced and had a great time. My only problem is I am short (under 5'), so half the time I am searching for a hole in crowd to see the stage. I was fortunate enough at this concert to have one 90% of the time.
So in the end, if anyone is thinking of going to see a Buffet concert, do it. He sounds great and puts on a heck of a show.

Starting Up

So I have started a blog, but do I have anything to say? It seems that I do run into writers block when I am staring at a blank screen. I guess I will start off about me, I just found out today that my hours at work are cut down, bummer. At the same time I am still glad to have a job as so many people in my area are without. I have no kids, nothing against them, just not for me. I am in my mid-late 30's and married, we just wed in June.
We have a large dog and two cats to keep us busy. The profile picture is of Raiju, a wonderful cat I had for almost 10 years until she succumbed to kidney failure two years ago. She was one of the most unique animals I have ever had, a truly one of a kind personality. I still miss her and like to keep her memory alive by using her name.
I guess that is it for now. Until later.