The Holidays

I had a really nice Christmas weekend (although at times I felt like the little lesbian thrown into the pit of Christians). Vic & I spent both Saturday and Sunday with her mom and her mom's various friends and we went to a church Christmas song thing. Not an actual mass, but there was a little bit of preaching between some of the songs, so there was still a little bit of pain involved. Afterward, we opened presents! Vic & I both got a lot of nice stuff and we returned back to our house to open gifts there, Shannon & the kitties got a lot of paper to play with! Overall, I'd have to say this was one of the best Christmases I've had. It even snowed a little on Christmas Day. This Sunday, New Year's Day, we are going to visit Vic's aunt just over the border in Canada. She lives on a farm with chickens and cows! I don't think the cows stay there for the Winter, but I've been assured there will be plenty of chickens, so I'm really looking forward to that! Maybe one weekend this Summer Vic & I can go cow visiting.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! I'm really looking forward to a nice pleasant Christmas, an early evening with the in-law and opening up presents with Vic during our first Christmas in the new house! We didn't decorate as much as I would've liked, but we both seemed really busy with work and worn out shopping and continuing to "move in", so we just have a few things hanging up and some nice lights on our small tree. It's festive enough for us and the kids. I thought we were going to get snow for Christmas, but it's looking more like rain, so I guess we'll be having a wet Christmas instead. I've really enjoyed seeing the snow again, but if it doesn't snow any more this season that would be fine by me. I don't think that's gonna happen, though. Our friend from FL, Karen, is coming for a visit the first week in January and I have a feeling it'll probably snow then. I hope everyone has a great Christmas!

Happy Festivus

Happy first day of Winter! When I got off work this morning it was a balmy 21 degrees outside. I almost wished I had a pair of flip-flops to wear! You can really tell the difference between 21 degrees and minus 21 degrees. It's been so cold for the last couple of weeks that our concrete steps leading to the back door have cracked. After the holidays we'll have to look into rebuilding the back porch and steps. It shouldn't be too awfully expensive (I hope!), just time consuming.

A friend of ours was out shopping recently and at the end of the transaction she thanked the clerk and wished her a Merry Christmas. At this point the clerk proceded to jump our friend's ass and yell at her, "How dare you assume that I celebrate Christian holidays! Blah, blah, blah..." Now let me tell you, I'm all for people being entitled to their own personal beliefs, and I hate it when strangers try to shove religion down my throat, but geez it was just a friendly comment. It is, after all, the most commercial time of the year. Everyone celebrates Christmas or Hannukah or Kwanzaa or Boxing Day or Give Me A Free Gift Day or something! And besides that, it was a store employee for christ's sake! All she had to do was smile and walk away. I'll be the first one to run scared when a bunch of Christians are headed my way, but I don't think I've ever been outwardly rude to any of them. (And believe me, I can be rude.) So I can only assume that the less-than-merry store employee will be spending this weekend gathered 'round the Festivus pole with her family, airing their grievances and competing in feats of strength. I, on the other hand, will be spending this merriest of holidays with Vickie's mom and her old-people friends and being dragged to church to participate in Christian-themed events. I need to further investigate this whole Festivus thing.

Presents

I wrapped all of Vickie's Christmas presents last night and put them under our little Charlie Brown tree. I did this partly because it really brightens up the tree and partly because it really fucks with Vic ~ it makes her absolutely crazy to see presents that she can't unwrap for another week! Hee-hee-hee. I still have a couple of smaller items I need to get some time this week, but for the most part all my shopping is done. I really like Christmas and all the lights and songs and stuff, but I'm really looking forward to it being over already. The roads and stores are all so crowded! I'm ready for baseball season to begin!

In my earlier Friday post I forgot about the Feast, so I'm posting it in this blog...

Feast Seventy-Four
Friday, December 16, 2005

Appetizer
What is a word that your family uses that would not be considered common?
Sockie and feeties. "My sockies were wet so now my feeties are cold."

Soup
What theme of calendar do you have on your wall this year?
Kitchen~Cats Desk~Ireland

Salad
Name 3 people you speak with on a daily basis.
Vickie
Debbie, the dispatcher I relieve each night
Lt. Dave, my command officer I work with each night

Main Course
If you could put a new tattoo on someone you know - who would it be, what would the tattoo be of, and where would you put it on them?
George Bush
Two intertwined female symbols
Right smack in the middle of his forehead

Dessert
What is the last beverage you drank out of a glass bottle?
Kiwi-Strawberry Snapple (made from the best stuff on Earth)

Christmas Update

We finally received our Christmas stamps in the mail today, so now I can drop the cards at the post office. It's cutting it a little close, but I didn't want to mail Christmas cards with regular stamps on them! I think I'm about done Christmas shopping, too. Now I just need to wrap and hopefully Vic & I will be doing a little decorating this weekend. I'd be happy with just some nice white lights on our little Charlie Brown tree. Something understated, but elegant...just like me!

Millage

I just finished reading Shawn's list of 100 things about him and now I'm inspired to make the same list of myself. It may take me a while though since I'm not really sure I can come up with 100 interesting things about myself. Especially lately since I've been extremely lazy.

The big talk around work lately has been this millage tax that is up for a vote in February. If it doesn't pass (and how often do tax increases pass?) the city will have to make some cutbacks. There is all kinds of speculation on what could happen, but the worst case scenario for me is that I get laid off or the police department gets realligned under Oakland County and I'll have to make that hellacious drive out to Pontiac yet again. I'm not worrying about it - really. Not worrying about some impending future doom is so unlike me, but I just don't want to get all upset about something I can't control. I really like my job and the guys I work with, so losing this position would really suck, but if something bad happens I'll just have to start looking for another job. Again. Wouldn't it be great if I could become a professional cross-stitcher or baseball watcher?!

A Full Day

I had partial motivation today. I actually put all our games away, took the garbage out to the curb and organized the winter hats & mittens! Yea for me!!! Time for a nap.

Birthday Weekend

Saturday
Vic & I went to her mom's house for an early birthday dinner. She actually treated us to dinner at a nice restaurant and then we went back to her house for dessert and presents. Her mom wrapped 40 individual small gifts for my 40th birthday! It was lots of fun unwrapping dozens and dozens of little packages! Then we had chocolate silk pie and cherry pie. I prefer pie to cake and for years the people at work always gave me a birthday apple pie; apple is my favorite, but I like cherry and chocolate, too!

Sunday
Sunday afternoon Vic & I went to see "A Scottish Christmas" at one of the local venues in the area. It was all Scottish music (bagpipes, fiddles, tin whistles, etc.) and it was wonderful! The 2+ hours really flew by. When we left the theatre a fine sprinkling of snow flurries had just begun to flurriate, so it made a perfect ending to a great day! We spent the rest of the night in front of the fireplace just relaxing.

Monday
I have to go to work today, on the holiest of days, but I found out that I get my birthday off with pay! That was a pleasant surprise. I don't have to take the actual birthday day off, so I'll probably take a day off in the next couple of weeks so I can help Vic paint the guest room before Karen's visit. She'll be here for a week and arrives the first week of January. We still haven't hung any Christmas decorations, but we do have a nice Christmas-y table cloth on the kitchen table and I ordered Christmas stamps from the post office. Hopefully the stamps will arrive soon so I can mail all our Christmas cards. I don't know where this lack of motivation is coming from. I wonder if it has to do with the weather? Or maybe now that I'm old my body is just shutting down. I'll probably start making those weird body noises now whenever I move. And I'll wear a plastic fold-up rain hat whenever I leave the house. Forty is starting to sound kinda sucky.

Six Inches

Shannon
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

We got 6" of snow overnight! I'm not sure which was worse, driving to or from work. The roads weren't plowed yet and the Jeep was sliding around a bit. Very scary. But Shannon sure does love the snow! She's made dozens of doggie snow angels and has lost about 6 or 7 tennis balls so far. Here she is with one of her babies.


Feast Seventy-Three
Friday, December 09, 2005

Appetizer
Name something you'll miss about 2005.
My 30's. I turn 40 this Monday, so this birthday weekend will be my last in my 30's decade.

Salad
What is one thought that went through your mind today?
"I HATE DRIVING IN THE FUCKING SNOW!!" and "Please, just let me get home alive!"

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how compassionate would you say you are?
Probably about 6 or 7. Working in law enforcement has made me very jaded.

Main Course
If you could invent something, what would it be?
A TV channel dedicated to nothing but the theatre. Every night would be a live production of a different NYC play and during the day there would be taped performances from all over the country. Maybe the occasional documentary about different regional theatres, but absolutely NO reality shows with people competing for acting jobs or surviving in theatres or anything dumb like that. I would love a channel like that!

Dessert
Do you prefer salty snacks or sweet treats?
Salty, salty, salty.

Christmas Cards

I finally got my Christmas cards made out today. I'm kinda disappointed because I wanted to make my cards this year just like I did last year, but I just can't seem to find the time to do anything lately. We've been living here almost 6 months and we still don't have the house arranged like we want. I think part of the problem is that Vic & I are rarely home at the same time and we really need to do a lot of stuff together. That's my excuse anyway. We haven't even decorated for Christmas and I love to hang lights and stuff. We really need to work on organizing and arranging soon.

I've been at my new job officially for one week and I really like it so far. Everyone has been really nice and the the time goes by quickly (always a good thing). I'm still learning the little nuances of the PD, but I think I'll do okay. I like my Lt. and all the guys on patrol seem very friendly, so knock on wood, nothing will happen to screw this up.

We're supposed to get 4-8 inches of snow overnight. When I get off work at 7am my car windows already have frost on them ~ I can't imagine what driving in 4" of snow is going to be like! Guess I'll find out in a few hours.

Registered in MI

I finally got around to registering my Jeep in MI and I now have a blue MI plate. That FL tag was the last vestige of my Floridian-ness and it kinda made me sad. Then I went to WalMart and I got better. I bought some chocolate covered marsmallow Santas and snowmen. The really cheap ones are my favorite and these were 6 Santas for a dollar! I can't wait till they go on sale after Christmas!

Did you know that AOL has free XM radio on the web? I'm listening to it now ~ the Celtic station is excellent. And it's all free and no commercials. I can't create a link for the site, but you can Google it by typing "aol music" and then choosing "launch AOL radio." I love radio without commercials. Maybe even more than chocolate covered Santas!

Vic's Official New Job

Shoveling
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

This past weekend Vic & I went to the mall for a alittle Christmas shopping. Going to the mall is something we only do once a year and every year I'm reminded why that is. There are just way too many people there and Vic somehow always finds the pet store and is hopelessly sidetracked for long lengths of time. Well, I surived yet another Christmas malling and went on to have a somewhat normal weekend. It snowed off & on all weekend and I've actually got a picture of Vic shoveling the sidewalk. I've decided (not out loud) that shoveling snow is officially Vickie's job. (Much like she decided,not out loud, that cutting the grass is officially my job.) I'm not a fan of the wet socks.

My first night on midnights went rather well. I was kinda nervous about starting my new shift, but my Lt. is really nice and he has no qualms about showing me how to do stuff. I guess he figures that the sooner I learn , the less he'll have to do. That was always my motivation when I was a trainer! The shift is only 8 hours (I'm use to working 10's) so the night actually went by pretty quickly. The last two hours are always the worst, but I think it's that way wherever you work. I just wish it wasn't so cold when I get off in the morning. Geez!

A Fine Friday

I had a pretty good Friday. This was my last day of working the dayshift ~ I begin my midnight shift on Monday night. I really like working mids, but I haven't done so in over 6 months so I hope I can get back into the swing of things quickly. I'd hate to fall asleep my first week on the job. After work today I made a quick stop at WalMart and bought some wood for the stove. The wind chill tonight was 9, so I made a nice fire and ended up taking a little nap on the recliner! I think I've finally figured out how to make a fire with real wood, so I'm not limited to just the Duraflame logs any more. Yea for me!

Feast Seventy-Two
Friday, December 02, 2005

Appetizer
When was the last time you did something you would consider courteous, what was it, and who was it for?
What an odd question. I guess I do nice stuff for Vic every day, but I can't really pinpoint any one thing or time. I'm a sweetheart all the time.

Salad
If you were to have a painting done of you alone, what would you want the background to be?
A nice Irish countryside with a castle or some ruin. And sheep!

Soup
Describe your voice.
Squeaky.

Main Course
What is something you would like to do, but you're afraid of the risk(s)?
Move to NYC and pursue acting full time. I'm not afraid of the rejection at all. It's the bills and not making any money that scares me. If I was independantly wealthy I'd be there!

Dessert
What was the last television show you watched?
A"Law & Order" rerun. The last show I watched on regular primetime TV was also "Law & Order." It's just a thrill a minute around our house.

Tree

Tree
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

Well, here is a somewhat blurry photo of my cross-stitch project thus far. Looking at the picture you can't really tell what a bitch that tree was to backstitch. You'll just have to take my word for it. I really enjoy cross-stitching and I'm glad I've kept at it for the last 20 or so years. It's relaxing and allows me to pass the time with one or more kitties on my lap. They've been especially "snuggly" lately. I think it has to do with the drop in temp over the last couple of weeks. It's supposed to snow this weekend and we're going to have highs in the 20's, so I'm predicting a rise in kitty-furred clothes.

The new job is going well. Everyone is really nice and today I got a locker and a key to the bathroom, so they must like me. I hope the midnight Sgt. and Lt. are both nice and patient because they are the ones who are going to be doing most of my training. I really can't learn anything until something happens. It's hard to show someone how to do stuff when stuff isn't happening. I hate going from a job where I considered myself to be pretty darn proficient to a job where I'm starting from the beginning. My background is certainly helpful, but every agency has a different way of doing the same thing. I just need to learn HPPD's way. Wish me luck!

Another First Day

I wanted to include a photo of the bane of my existence for the last couple of days, the tree, but Flickr is experiencing some sort of uploading problems and I just don't have the patience to fool with the damn thing all night. Just know that as far as stitched trees go, it's spectacular. I'll try again tomorrow.

The first day at the new job went well. I like first days because nobody ever expects much out of you and I'm happy to not disappoint them. There are only four officers out on the road at a time, so I think I'll be getting a lot of reading done on the midnight shift. I'm sure there will be other stuff I'll have to do, but for the most part this is looking like the job I always wanted ~ very little work and plenty of free time! I'll know more next week after I start my regualar shift.

Flowage

I actully experienced flowage yesterday! Usually I walk into the craft room, sigh and walk back out, but yesterday I sat down (after sighing). I scrapbooked for over 2 hours! I only have a few more pictures left for 2004 and then I can start on this year. I also need to work on the Hurricane Ivan book. The hurricane will have it's own little separate book since it played such a pivotal role in our lives. I think part of the reason I scrapped yesterday was because I was trying to avoid the cross-stitch. I'm at a part of the picture that is just really tedious to me-backstitching. I'm not a big fan of the backstitching and I have a rather large tree with many branches all requiring backstitching, so I was looking for a little backstitching escape yesterday. Tonight, however, I will conquer the cross-stitch beast and finish that tree!

I also have to get my clothes ready for my first day at the new job tomorrow. I'll work the day shift for the rest of this week (Wed-Fri) and then start on my regular midnight shift on Monday night. I won't be issued a uniform for another 6 months, so I have to wear dress-up clothes until then. Yuck. Especially with the snow coming! I'd much rather wear boots and a goofy police uniform then cold girlie shoes.

Vic and I have been trying to save our Wendy's AirTran points and so far we have 12! Just another 116 and we'll be livin' large and flyin' free! Of course, I'm not sure when I'll get vacation time again, so I may be livin' large in the metro Detroit area for a while.

Books & Flows

Vic & I made great strides today house-wise. We finally, FINALLY got all our books out of boxes and onto bookshelves. Yea for us!! Of course they still need to be arranged, but they are out of boxes and the boxes are out of the house! Next up is all the knick-knacky stuff we have stored in my craft room. I think that's why I haven't scrapbooked in so long ~ there's just too much stuff in there and it's cramping my creative flow. I just can't flow properly!

Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind...(As You Like It)

Thursday
Vic & I spent a lovely Thanksgiving day with her mom and a few of her friends. It was just a small get together of five people with great food and conversation! It was really a nice relaxing day and we managed to get home early enough in the evening to get to get to bed early so we could get up early the next day to catch all the "Black Friday" sales. There was a light snow all afternoon and the temp was 28 degrees! The wind chill was like 18 or something, but really, when you get past 25 degrees it's all pretty much the same, I think. This was my first opportunity to really wear my nose mitten and it worked wonderfully! With my nose mitten on it felt like a balmy 30 or 35 degrees at least!

Friday
The alarm clock went off at 3:30 this morning... and again every 8 minutes for about on hour until we finally stumbled out of bed. We didn't actually get to our first store until almost 5:30, which I guess is kinda late, but we still managed to get everything on our list. Well, actually it was my list. Vickie did the driving and I was responsible for organizing and crowd manipulation. We made it back home around 8ish and took a nice nap for the rest of the morning. When I woke, I called work to tell them I was quitting. It actually went a lot better than I thought it would. Everyone I spoke with was very understanding and wished me the best of luck. Of course I haven't spoken to the either of the main cheeses yet, so I've got that to fret about all weekend. Tomorrow is Vickie's mom's birthday lunch. She wants to go to Red Lobster, so I guess we're going to Red Lobster. I'm looking forward to spending tomorrow night plopped in front of the fire watching a lot of nothing on the TV.


Feast Seventy-One
Friday, November 25, 2005

Appetizer
What did you look like when you were a teenager?
I was very tall and very skinny and had horrible hair. I was very unattractive and it's a wonder I didn't get stuffed in a locker daily.

Salad
Whose advice do you listen to?
It depends on the question, I guess. But mostly I'd have to say Vic.

Soup
Name a book you would like to memorize.
The complete works of Shakespeare.
"That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet" (Romeo & Juliet)
"All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players" (As You Like It)
"Beware the ides of March" (Julius Caesar)
"Lord what fools these mortals be" (A Midsummer's Night Dream)
"Cowards die many times before their deaths" (Julius Caesar)

Main Course
How often are you sick?
Only maybe twice a year and every time I go to Europe.

Dessert
Do you like or dislike change?
I'm usually very leery of change and worry about it before and then way after the change has been implemented. It takes me a while to adapt.

Snow News Is Good News

Shannon's First Snow
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

Shannon got to experience her very first snow today and as you can see by the picture, she seemed to really love it! Of course now we have to get her little boots for her feet and fluffy towels to dry her off with. We still don't have enough snow to make a fort or have a really good snowball fight, but the weather guys are predicting more snow for the rest of the week, so maybe we'll be able to have a snowball skirmish.
And I finally got the final work from the PD. I start my new job on Wednesday the 30th. Yeaaaa! Of course my present employer doesn't know anything about this yet and I'm not really sure how to handle it. I didn't want to quit before Thanksgiving because I really want the holiday pay, so I guess I'll have to let them know sometime this weekend. I hope they're not too pissed. And if they are, oh well..it's not like I'll have to deal with them on a daily basis any more.

Culture

Not much going on today. I did a little Christmas shopping and Vic & I bought some wood for the fireplace for this weekend, but really not much else new or interesting to report. I didn't hear from the PD, so I guess I'll be going to work at the Sheriff's Office this weekend. I can't wait to have the weekends off. Having weekdays off is nice, but it seems like all the concerts or festivals happen on Saturdays or Sundays and Vic & I would like to start getting cultured again.

Feast Seventy
Friday, November 18, 2005

Appetizer
When do you feel impatient?
While waiting in lines at grocery stores watching old women tear thru their purses looking for the exact change.

Salad
How many times in your life have you had a broken heart?
Two.

Soup
Name a book you would like to see made into a movie.
Any of the Martha Grimes "Inspector Jury" mysteries. I'd like to be able to put a face on the characters.

Main Course
If you could thank one teacher for what they taught you, who would it be and what would you thank them for?
None. I really liked my English Lit instructor at PJC, but even she wasn't so spectacular that I remember her name.

Dessert
What is your favorite kind of pie?
Dutch Apple pie with lots of crumbly things on top. With Cool Whip.

Today Is My Day Off

I really love having days off from work ~ I think maybe more than anybody else ever. I truly believe in my heart that not another living soul enjoys not going to work more than me. Really. It's not that I don't like the job, it's just that I know there is something, anything, that I could be doing other than being at work. I hate to think that most of my life will be spent either working or preparing to go to work. I would much rather be travelling the world, meeting people and adding a little spark of Casey into their lives. And if not that, then just sitting home reading would be fine, too.

On this, the day of my off-ness, I went to get my physical for the PD job. As I suspected, it was little more than peeing in a cup and reading an eye chart, both of which I performed fabulously. I should hear some good news probably next week and I anticipate a start date some time soon after Thanksgiving. I also organized our Winter jackets, scarves, gloves and nose mittens. It is really freaking cold out there! It's been snowing on and off for the last two days, but nothing sticks to the ground yet. Vic is very excited about the snow. I hope she's just as excited when she's pushing that snow shovel in a few weeks.

The conclusion to "Pride & Prejudice" was last night, so tonight I will be without Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. "I am grieved entirely." Nobody can say "grieved" like that Colin Firth. Maybe I'll watch "Bridget Jones" so I can get a little Colin fix. The new Harry Potter movie starts tomorrow, but alas, I'll shall have to wait until Vic and I are off together to finally see it. Maybe she can call out sick tomorrow. For tomorrow is also my day off!

Flurries

Geez, was it ever bone-chillingly cold today! The wind chill factor made the temp a nose-reddening 22 degrees! There were actually some flurries, too! Nothing that stuck to the ground of course, but I'm sure that's not too far off. Since this is my weekend, the kids (Shannon & the kitties) and I will spend the evening watching part 3 of "Pride & Prejudice" (Will Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy ever end up together?) in front of a roaring log. I still haven't gotten the hang of making a fire in our fireplace, but I'm a wiz at those Duraflame logs! And Vic made me a small roast for dinner because she said she's tired of me defrosting things. But I still have to take it out of the crock pot and make the macaroni & cheese side dish, so I'm being forced to cook! Tomorrow I'm having pizza!

The Theater to Scrapbooking Stream

This is how my mind works sometimes...The other day I was commenting to Vic on how happy I am that we are finally getting a new movie theater near our house, which made me think of the upcoming "Harry Potter" movie, which then got me to thinking of the new "Pride & Prejudice" movie, which led to the old "P&P" movie with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, and Colin was also in one of my favorite movies "Bridget Jones' Diary" where his name was Mark Darcy (a coincidence??), which reminded me of our recent trip to London where we saw the house and restaurant that were used in the film, which leads to the fact that I still haven't put together our London scrapbook! (This is one of my more saner stream of consciousnesses!) So I think I'm going to defrost some taquitos (Vic isn't home to cook) and cross-stitch all night. And coincidentally, "Pride & Prejudice" is on the Biography channel tonight! I just love that Colin Firth!

Update on the HP PD job...I am scheduled to take a physical this week ~ nothing extensive; mostly just breathe in and out and how many fingers am I holding up kind of stuff. If I pass the physical (duh) then they offer me the job. Since it's flu shot time and all government-related offices tend to close up the week before Thanksgiving, it'll probably take a couple weeks before they get the results back. Hopefully I'll hear from them by the end of the month!

Business Casual

I stopped by the Hazel Park PD yesterday to get fingerprinted and to check on my overall hiring status. Both the fingerprinting and the status checking went well. I think as long as my fingerprint check comes back okay (no bank robberies or anything) I should get the job! I hate to plan ahead before I actually have the job, but I'm really excited about it. Like my present job, I'll have to wear a uniform, but it won't be issued to me until I've been there six months, so I'll be "business casual" for the Winter months. Lots of sweaters and long-sleeve shirts I expect. Vic and I did a little clothes shopping this morning before she had to leave for work. I got a few more pairs of pants and a nice sweater, so hopefully I'm set for a while. I really hate clothes shopping ~ all the trying on and dragging stuff in and out of dressing rooms. I wish "business casual" meant jeans and sweatshirts.


Feast Sixty-Nine
Friday, November 11, 2005

Appetizer
If someone made a statue of you, in which pose would you like to be?
The "ta-da" pose. Arms held wide open with a big goofy smile on my face.

Salad
What perfume/cologne does your best friend wear?
Vic wears Fendi. I wear Nicole Miller, but it seems that it has been recently discontinued, so now I have to find a new essence.

Soup
Name something satisfying about your work.
Well, if I get the HPPD job, I'll have the weekends off. This would be the first time in my job working life (since the age of 16) that I'll have a schedule with weekends off ALL THE TIME.

Main Course
What was the last excuse you made, and why did you need to make it?
I honestly can't think of a single thing I've made an excuse for. I'm sure it would have to be work-related, though.

Dessert
Complete this sentence: I wonder why _________________.
I wonder why baby polar bears leave their mamas, too (Shawn). That just breaks my heart. I also wonder why Shannon insists on dribbling water all over the kitchen floor after I've just put on clean socks and why Vic constantly leaves the sink full of dirty dishes for me to wash. I wonder what the hell Katie Holmes was thinking?! and why isn't there a 24-hour "Law & Order" channel? I wonder why the USA hasn't adopted the metric system like every other nation and why I just can't seem to find a good navel orange in the Winter.

The Game

Why does it seem like whenever you attend mandatory work-related training there is always some fool in the class that insists on debating everything with the instructor and asking endless amounts of dumbass scenario questions (i.e. "What if there's a snowstorm during a tornado and a train collides with a fire truck and all the other units are out answering calls and I'm the only dispatcher in the room because one of the other dispatchers just got food poisoning and the other dispatcher didn't show up for work and..."), you get the idea. Where do these fools come from?! Just sit in the class, listen enough to pass the open-book test at the end and go back to work and do stuff the way you've always done it because "that's the way we've always done it"! Am I the only one who knows how the game is played or am I just being cynical? Geez!

Nachos

Today was my first day of Emergency Fire Dispatching (EFD) training. Like most training required for your job, the classes are just a tad more interesting than clipping your toenails. But hey, it's three days I don't have to go to work and that's always a good thing. Speaking of work, Vic got a call today from the Hazel Park PD guy about giving me a referece for the dispatch job. She gave me a glowing review and when he asked her if I had any areas that needed improvement she told him that I needed to give up my corny jokes. Everyone loves my jokes so I'm not really sure what she meant by that, but she said that the Lt. gave her the impression that they might offer me the job. Yea!! I'll think I'll make anticipatory celebration nachos for dinner tonight!

Traffic

The traffic was so incredibly bad on my way home from work that I had to finally get off the interstate and take the long way home. The long way probably turned out to be the quickest way today. I absolutely fucking hate this drive. Twice a day. Five days a week. About 350 miles a week. On the upside, I got to see a lot of dancing leaves today. It was a bit breezy & the Drop leaves like to dance across the sidewalks in this kind of weather!


Feast Sixty-Eight
Friday, November 04, 2005

Appetizer
What was the last game you purchased?
Scene-It for Vic for Christmas.

Soup
Name something in which you don't believe.
Lifetime appointments for Supreme Court Justices.

Salad
If you could choose a television personality to be your boss, who would you pick?
Norm from "This Old House." Just think of all the home renovations I could get!

Main
What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?
You can't drink pop from a bottle while lying down.

Dessert
What is your idea of the perfect relaxation room?
A room filled with comfy furniture, a fireplace and tons of books.

Errand Day

Today was pretty much "errand day"; I got gas ($2.17 gal), washed, ironed, tidied up the house and took some stuff to the recycling center. Not a very exciting day, but not a bad day either so I guess that's good. In Michigan you have to pay a dime deposit on all cans and bottles and then you take them to a recycling machine and get your money back. It's kind've a pain in the ass, but you NEVER see any cans or bottles laying on the side of the road, so I guess forced recycling has it's advantages. Anyway, Vic & I cashed in our cans today and stopped at Wendy's for lunch. They have some kind of promotion with AirTran where there is a "flying point" on every beverage cup and if you save up 64 points you can cash them in on a roundtrip flight on AirTran. We only need 126 more points and then Vic & I can fly to Pensacola or Savannah! The promotion ends in February, though, so I guess we really need to start stopping by the Wendy's more often.

New Project & Other Stuff

Victorian Era
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

My latest cross-stitch picture is coming along nicely, I think. I've included a picture of it so far. It's actually a street scene of a bunch of Victorian Era people on a Wintery evening. There are tons of color changes and heaps of small details, so I really hope I can finish it before Spring! And, of course, the hoop marks will be gone.

In other news, Vic & I both got our hair cut today. I always like it better the second week after it grows out just a tooch. I ordered some prints off of Shutterfly. The first 15 are free, so I figured it was worth the $2 in shipping to give them a try. I haven't been pleased with the quality of prints from the surrounding stores, so maybe the internet is the way to go. I should get the prints later this week and I'll let you know the outcome. Also, I heard from the Hazel Park PD. The Lt. called to ask me a few questions in conjunction with the background check he was doing on me. He said my interview went quite well and that I should know something in the next week or so. So things seem like they're looking up! I felt good about our talk and I'm just going to try to send positive thoughts his way for the next week. And enjoy the rest of Drop until it begins to snow (I've got my nose mitten ready!).

Boo!

Happy Halloween! We didn't live by any kids at our old house in FL, so Vic is really looking forward to handing out candy this year. I'm looking forward to having the next two days off! I don't really have much planned for the upcoming "weekend." I'm going to get my hairs cut tomorrow and of course I'll have to do laundry, but other than those two things it's going to be a fly by the seat of my pants kind've weekend. We planted Tulips and Daffodils yesterday and I can't wait for them to spring up! The house is slowly but surely coming along the way we want it. Vic is off tomorrow, so I think we may do a little re-arranging. Or we may just sleep late, go to Big Boy and watch TV in front of the fire.

Clueless

Well, I finally got an interview with the Hazel Park PD ~ it was earlier this morning with a Lt. and the Chief of Police. I don't feel real good about it. The Lt. was really nice and made small talk with me, but the Chief didn't change the expression on his face not even once. He would ask a question and then make notes about my response, but he never commented on anything. I certainly have the experience, but who knows how many other people they interviewed with equal or better experience. Even though I answered all their questions and successfully completed a short test, I just didn't walk out of the building feeling like I got it. This is the first interview I've ever been on where I really had no clue how I did. They're supposed to let me know one way or the other in the next couple of weeks, but I guess I really shouldn't hold my breath. I was really really looking forward to not having to make that long drive to Oakland County any more. Bummer. I wore my lucky bra and shirt, too.

Crafty

Today I finally managed to successfully organize the craft room (mostly)! It still needs a little work, but the major craft components have been put in their newly designated areas and I was actually able to put together a few pages in the scrapbook. Yea for me!! I'm still about a year behind, but at least I've made a little progress. The rest of tonight will be spent cross-stitching while watching baseball on the TV. I'm making pretty good progress on my Victorian-themed project, so perhaps I'll have a picture to share soon.

Vic & I finally cleaned out the garage and we were able to pull our Jeeps into it for the first time since we moved in back in June. The last couple of mornings there was a light film of frost on my car, so I'm glad we could finally get this accomplished. We still have a few pieces of lawn furniture we're going to have to make room for, but I think we might put them in the garage's attic space. We turned on the heat in the house the other night because it was just freezing! We're going to have to stock up on some wood for the stove because I have a feeling we're going to be making a lot of fires in the next couple of months.

Drop

Drop
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

Why do we call Autumn Fall? To me fall means to land on the ground when you really didn't want to be there. But drop means to land on the ground because you wanted to be there but you didn't want to make that extra effort to sit down the normal way. I think the Autumn leaves WANT to be on the ground. I think they put in a hard year's work and are ready to take a nap for the next few months. I think they fling themselves off the branches saying, "Hey, look at me! Look at what a beautiful shade of red and orange me and my siblings are! Look how gracefully I flit to and fro while making my was down to the ground. I'm so happy to be here and even happier to know that people are looking at me and admiring my beauty and agility." And if you got close to the ground you'd hear the leaves that have already dropped saying, "Hey! Look at us! Gee we really wish someone would come by and put us all in a big pile so some small person could jump on us!" I think the red, orange and yellow leaves are very very happy. The green leaves are very very jealous. I drove by a tree filled with yellow leaves today and they were all waving at me and jumping up & down on their branches. The green leaves on the next tree looked pissed. I love Drop!

Eight Day Week

I've just completed day 5 of my 8 day work week. Hopefully the weekend will go by pretty quickly. I'm scheduled to ride with a deputy all day Monday, so really I just need to get thru the next couple of days and I should be okay. I haven't seen Vic since last Sunday! She's already left for work when I get home and I'm asleep when she gets home. We say maybe 3 sentences to each other when she finally comes to bed at 3am and I say good-bye when I leave in the morning, but that's it. All our communication has bee over the phone. We'll finally get to spend some time together tomorrow when I get home from work, but I think her mom is coming over motivate Vic into caulking something so I'm not anticipating alot of quality girlfriend time.

Feast Sixty-Seven
Friday, October 21, 2005

Appetizer
Do you button shirts top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top?
Most of the time I button from the top down. I like to tempt fate.

Soup
What is your favorite sandwich?
1) Patty Melt 2)Philly Steak & Cheese 3)The one you dink in the au jus sauce

Salad
What was a family project you helped work on as a child?
We never ever did anything as a family. We took a vacation to Sea World every Summer, but Sea World was only 20 mins. from my house so I don't think that counts.

Main Course
When have you acted phony?
Any time I've ever taken a phone call from an especially moronic citizen.

Dessert
Do you write letters or postcards? If so, to whom?
I haven't written very many letters since we got a computer. I do occasionally send a postcard from time to time, tho.

Bring On The Snow!!

nose mitten
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

I'm ready! I just received my designer nose mitten shipped directly from the manufacturer, "Mr. Shawn's of Savannah" and I am now ready to brave the Winter Hoo-Winds. As you can see, I am modeling my new nose-wear indoors because although it's been quite chilly lately the snows of Michigan have yet to grace our backyard. I'm sure it's just a matter of weeks, though, and when it does come I'll be ready! And so will my nose!

Uneventful Wednesday

Nobody peed in the sink at work today. And not much else happened today either. I'm looking forward to spending the night cross-stitching and watching baseball and Law & Order reruns (I thought I'd never say that!). I see that Florida has yet another hurricane headed its way. It doesn't seem as though Wilma is headed for the Pensacola area, though, so I'm quite relieved to see that. Although, sometimes Jim Cacciatore mucks the whole thing up by going to a certain part of the state and dragging the storm with him, so I think I'll keep an eye on this one for the next couple of days. I really don't miss hurricane season at all.

Perv?

The strangest thing happened today at work...while I was in the bathroom washing my hands, a guy came in and tried to pee in the sink next to me. Come to find out, he is a county commisioner who happened to be in the building for some county commisioner meeting. So did this guy not see the huge tampon machine hanging on the wall, the fact that there were two women in the restroom and that the urinal looked a helluva lot like a sink?! With a mirror above it?! So either he was so deep in thought that he really didn't notice any of this until he unzipped his pants and saw the shocked expression on my face or he's a perv. Or maybe this was some sort of strange dispatcher initiation rite that I missed the first time around 7 years ago. How very odd. I'm glad I washed my hands.

My Sunday

The Sunday that I wanted to spend doing absolutely nothing turned out to be sucky in the "do nothing" department. Vic & I went grocery shopping at the exact same time that everyone else in the Detroit area decided to go and unbelievably at the exact same store! It was kind've overcast when we set out which made me very happy because then I wouldn't have to cut the grass. By the time we made it home (3 days later) the sun was out and ended up having to drag out the lawnmower yet again. Maybe THIS will be the last time before Winter.

I also bought a USB port online so the chore of unhooking one connection so I can plug in the camera won't be so tedious. It should arrive around the middle of the week. I'll be able to upload more pics to my blog once I get it hooked up. How exciting.

Apples

Looking over my blogs, I see I haven't written in a few days. I guess I've been pretty busy with going to class and sleeping. I really despise getting up early to an alarm clock. I can't wait until I have a nice afternoon or midnight shift I can work. Or better still, I can't wait until we hit the lottery and I can be a stay-at-home wife. I think I'm supposed to be on this morning shift for at least the next 4 weeks ~ maybe longer. My training period is 6 months and I have to work all of the shifts during that time. It's killing me. And I hate the drive on the interstates (I have 2 or 3 to drive on, depending which way I go). I hope the traffic will be a little lighter when I go to afternoons and mids.

It was a perfect Fall day today (sunny, but chilly), so Vic & I went to Yates Cider Mill. We had all kinds of delicious apple treats! What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon! I won't have another weekend off for an eternity, so I wanted this one to be kinda fun. It seems like I'm always either cutting the grass or trying to organize something in the house or garage. I'm looking forward to a nice Sunday filled with plenty of nothing to do.


Feast Sixty-Six
Friday, October 14, 2005

Appetizer
Who is someone you would consider to be a calm person?
Matt, a guy I used to work with in P'Cola. He never seemed affected by anything. I think he just didn't really give a shit about most stuff, so didn't care when somebody might be pissed at him.

Soup
What was your last "gut feeling" about? Were you right?
Ordering a patty melt at lunch today. I always get a patty melt and I thought maybe I should try something different, but I just had this feeling that the patty melt was going to be especially tasty today and I was right!

Salad
List 3 words that you really don't like how they sound.
lesbian (leZZZbian)
fester
nipple

Main Course
What kind of shampoo and conditioner do you use?
Aussie something or other. It's got a kangaroo on the bottle.

Dessert
If you found out that you definitely do have a guardian angel, what would you name it?
Emily. I really like that name.

EMD Class

Today was my first day of a three-day class in Emergency Medical Dispatching. I've only ever dispatched dumb deputies, so dispatching not-so-dumb fireguys and paramedics is going to be a real treat. Actually, the challenge is going to be in giving out pre-arrival instructions to the hysterical callers. The class has been pretty interesting, so hopefully I'll be able to retain a lot of useful info. If I pass, I get a nifty certificate.

I also took a typing test today. I type 57wpm. Not too shabby. The test was part of the application process for the Hazel Park PD. Yes, I just got the other job, but the PD job pays more and is only about 6 miles from my house as opposed to the county job which is 34 miles away. Right now it takes my about 50 minutes to drive to work one way. Once the snow starts falling it's going to take me about 3 days to get to work. I haven't interviewed with Hazel Park yet, but if I like what they have to offer and they offer me the job, I'll probably take it.

First Day

Day one of the new job went quite well, I think. The first day of a new job is just like the first day of the school year ~ nobody expects much from you and you get bogged down with loads of information that makes little sense. I got a tour of the building and met everyone (I won't remember any of their names tomorrow) and my trainer went over how to answer the phones and what info to gather when putting in calls. At first I don't think she realized that I had done this for many years because she was very impressed with my answers, but I guess I was just a little too bright and she looked into my background. My diabolical scheme was thwarted. But she did give me a 7 (out of 7) in the "gets along well with co-workers" category on my daily eval so I guess I'll go back tomorrow. It's actually someone's birthday and we'll be having chili, so I'll definitely be going back tomorrow!

First Fire

Stove
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

Vic & I (well, really just Vic) lit our first fire of the season in our wood-burning stove last night! We had a few dicey moments when trying to figure out whether the flue was open or not, but once we saw a continuous stream of smoke coming out of the outside pipe (and none in the house) all was well. It really made the house very toasty. We actually opened a couple windows and removed some clothing! I'm looking forward to many more fires! I think most of Sunday will be spent in the garage since none of Saturday was. It was pretty cold yesterday and we really didn't want to leave the warmth of the house. Today is pretty chilly also, but the sun is out so maybe we'll be a little more motivated. I hope I can catch at least a little of the Lions game, too. Vic made a wonderful pot roast last night and that's something that always makes for great leftovers, so I'm looking forward to a really good Sunday. And just in case you're interested, this week's PostSecret entries included a few that I found kind've humorous. It's updated with new postcards every Sunday, so check it out sometime.

Cold

It's been really freakin' cold here the last couple of days, so I spent the first part of my afternoon "Winter cleaning." The window AC unit and fans have been properly stored away until Summer and I've started organizing my cold weather clothes. I really like the time of year when you get to layer clothing ~ I just wish it didn't last so long. If we can find some wood, Vic & I may build a fire in our little outdoor firepit thing this weekend. I know I have the next two weekends off, so hopefully we'll be able to get the garage totally cleaned up and organized soon. It won't be long before we'll need the space to park our Jeeps in so they won't be in the snow.


Feast Sixty-Five
Friday, October 07, 2005

Appetizer
Name 3 qualities that are important to you in friendship.
Sense of humor, honesty and general overall kindness.

Soup
If you could dream about anything tonight, what would the subject matter be?
Most of my dreams are usually about me hurrying to get someplace or combatting a lot of obstacles to get someplace. They're never scary and nobody is ever chasing me, but I usually wake up exhausted and having to pee. I think a really nice dream would include me, Vic and Shannon all having a great time playing in a grassy field with bunnies and squirrels all around.

Salad
Do you usually make an effort to personally thank people who do favors for you?
Yes, I think I do. I'm not always the best about remembering to write thank you cards, but I try my best.

Main Course
If you had to go out of town for an extended period of time, who would you trust to take care of your home and belongings?
If Vic & I were both going to be gone for a long time we would probably ask her mom to check in on the house every couple of days, but we would probably leave the every day feeding and watering of the kids to our neighbors, Carl and Kari. They're both really nice and have left us their key the couple of times they've been gone for the weekend, so I'm pretty sure we can trust them.

Dessert
How do you react to practical jokes when they're played on you?
I don't like practical jokes; neither the giving nor receiving of them. I'm always afraid someone is going to get hurt (physically or emotionally) and I don't want to be part of that.

Finally Finished

Lavande
Originally uploaded by wahoo1265.

I finally got the French Lavender (Lavande) cross-stitch complete. The photo isn't exactly centered, but you get the picture. I'm now going to start on a Victorian Winter scene. Hopefully I'll finish it before Spring! Not much else is new here. I'm just getting all my stuff ready for the new job on Monday. I'm kinda nervous actually. Not really about the job because I know I can dispatch, but about meeting all the new people. I hope they like me.

Progress

I made some progress on the craft room this afternoon. It really only amounted to moving the two desks into place and putting away loose stuff lying around. But, at least I'm making some progress! I have some great ideas for the room, but until they reach fruition I'm really going to have to get serious about scrapbooking. The last page I did was before Hurrican Ivan last year. I want to get an early jump on Christmas cards, too. I just need to get all my stuff out and organized (with labels, of course) and then I think I'll be more inspired to get down to work. I'm about finished with the cross-stitch, too. Just a little outlining left and she's all done. I'll try to post a picture.

Indians

Geez, is it ever hot here! The weather channel says it's 82 degrees, but it feels more like 102. I guess this is what they call Indian Summer because by this weekend we're supposed to have lows in the 30's. I thought we escaped all this heat. Speaking of indians, my Cleveland Indians made a good run at the wild card spot, but ran out of steam at the end. No Cleveland in the playoffs this year. I'm very disappointed.

Busy Monday

I had a very busy Monday and now I am exhausted. I had to be at the Oakland County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) at 10:00 which meant I had to leave the house by 8:30 which meant I had to wake up by at least 7:30! I spent 4 hours there filling out paperwork and running all over downtown Pontiac to get things signed and fingerprints taken. By the time I got home I had barely enough time to change clothes and head out to another grueling night at the WalMart where I spent 8 excrutiating long hours on my feet. Needless to say (but I'm gonna say it anyway), I am totally beat. I'm really looking forward to climbing in the big bed and sleeping until I feel like it ~ no alarm clocks. Hopefully I can work on finishing my cross-stitch picture tomorrow morning before leaving for work. Right now I'm just too tired to concentrate on anything other than my pillow.

Excited

It looks like my training for the sheriff's department will start on the 10th, but I have to go in on the 3rd and fill out paperwork and take a drug test. The more I think about the new job, the more I get excited about it. I really hope I'll be working with some nice people and will like the deputies I'll be dispatching. Vic is really excited about it, too. I'm still a bit concerned about the long commute, but I think the other benefits of the job far outweigh the drive.

Feast Sixty-Four
Friday, September 30, 2005

Appetizer
When was the last time you visited a hospital?
Just a couple weeks ago when Vic's aunt died.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?
I think I'm probably an 8ish.

Salad
Make a sentence using the letters of a body part. (Example: (mouth) My other ukelele tings healthily.)
Batches Of Ornery Beavers Yelped.

Main Course
If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?
"All Things Casey" It would be about me and the things I like and the club members would explore different ways to make my life happier and work-free.

Dessert
What color is the carpet/flooring in your home?
God-awful brown

When It Rains, It Pours

Good news ~ the Oakland County Sheriff's Office called today and offered me a job! Yea!! The nice lady is going to call me back tomorrow to let me know exactly where & when my training will be, but she thinks I'll be starting on the 10th. If so, that'll work out perfectly because I'll probably be working a dayshift for at least a couple of weeks and this will allow me to catch some of the playoff games and possibly continue at WalMart on a part-time basis for a while. The lady I spoke to sounded very nice and Vickie's boss (an ex-police officer) is familiar with the Oakland County department and says it's a great place to work, so I'm pretty psyched about the whole thing. Now get this... a little later in the day, I got a call from the police department of one of the neighboring cities also asking me if I was still interested in their dispatcher position. Hazel Park is a little closer and supposedly pays a little better than Oakland County so I didn't want to burn any bridges and say "no." The Lt. I spoke to said that someone would probably contact me in the next couple days to set up an interview. If they call before I start at Oakland County, I'll meet with them and see what they have to offer. I've heard a lot of good things about Oakland County and nothing at all about Hazel Park, so chances are that I'll probably take the county job. I'm just happy to be out of WalMart (almost). Yea for me!!

Boring

On this, my night off, I'm looking forward to doing nothing. Well, almost nothing. I'm half way thru washing clothes, but then that's it! Nothing else task-related. My very boring plans for the evening include sitting on my ass and attempting to finish my cross-stitch while watching a bootleg copy of the last Star Wars movie and maybe a little baseball on ESPN. I wish the Indians were playing. It's really a tight race for the wild card position and any Cleveland game will be good one. (I know that if you're not interested in baseball all this means squat to you, but if you're an Indians, Yankees or Red Sox fan you're checking those standings daily!) Hopefully when the Indians are in the playoffs (and they will be in the playoffs!) I'll be in training or orientation for a new job and will be working a dayshift, enabling me to catch all the playoff games. I know Vic is very excited by this. There's nothing she likes better than baseball every night for three or four weeks!

A Good Omen

Today was a good leg day ~ the first in over a month. I actually had a pain-free evening at work and this has put me in an especially good mood. I'm still walking with a slight limp, but there is no more shooting pain and my knee didn't buckle once today! I hope when I wake up the hurt will be absolutely gone. Maybe this is a good omen. Maybe I'll get a call from the sheriff's office by the end of the week. Maybe I'll win the lottery. Maybe Shannon won't roll in unidentified yuck in the back yard any more.

Progress

I met with a detective from Oakland County yesterday to complete the last phase of the background investigation they are doing on me. I guess this means that they are still interested in hiring me for the dispatching position and this is very good news. The detective I spoke with also talked to some of my friends and my old boss and they all had really nice things to say about me (thanks!). The detective seemed impressed with what they had to say and I think the overall interview was pretty positive. Now he forwards his report to the people who do the hiring and they make the final decision and let me know either way. My initial interview was exactly one month ago, so I hope things progress a little more quickly now that we're at this point. Cross your fingers!

Happy Birthday Vic

Happy Birthday Vickie!! Unfortunately, for Vic, she had to go to some mandatory supervisor meeting thing this morning and will be spending the first 8 hours of her new year at GM. But then this means that I get to read thru all the newspaper sales ads and watch football all morning! (Yea!) When she comes home, we are going over to her mom's house for dinner and to open presents. I took all Vic's presents over there earlier in the week so she wouldn't nag me for days to open "just one." I'm looking forward to a relaxing morning and an early evening at Mom's.

Feast Sixty-Three
Friday, September 23, 2005

Appetizer
Name something someone has done lately that impressed you.
I was pretty impressed that Vic started working on cleaning out the garage the other day.

Soup
Do you have any relaxing rituals? If so, what are they?
At the end of the day I love to take a long, hot bubble bath and read my book while listening to jazz on the radio.

Salad
If you could spend the winter season somewhere other than your current location, where would you choose to stay?
I'm really looking forward to my first snow in years, but if I had to choose someplace else it would be Switzerland. I'd like to see the Alps with tons of snow on them.

Main Course
When was the last time you had dinner out, and what was the name of the restaurant?
Taco Bell on Wednesday. We really know how to live here in the "D."

Dessert
If you had a boat, what would you name it?
Water You Looking At

A Festive Fall

Happy Autumn! This is my absolute favorite time of the year. The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are changing color. I scooped up a handful of our first Fall leaves and am pressing them in a book for the scrapbook. We've been having cool nights and the last couple of mornings have been sweatpants weather, too! I look forward to soups and stews and chilis in the near future. I'm trying to arrange it so that Vic & I have at least one day off together so we can go to some of the cider mills around the area and check out some of the pumpkin festivals. Today was my day off and I slept late (till about 1:30!) then did some last minute birthday shopping and I'm now relaxing in front of the TV with my cross-stitch. I only took a break to come upstairs to close the windows because it started raining and thought I would jot down a quick post. It's been 4 weeks since my interview with Oakland County and I still haven't heard anything, so I guess I'm at the Wal Marts for a little while longer. My leg seems to be getting better, but I still have flare-ups so I'm trying to take it easy. Kinda hard to do, though, when I go back to work tomorrow. Oh well...I'm glad Autumn's finally here!

Lesbian Shopping

Do you like grocery shopping with or without your significant other? I would really prefer to shop with Vic than without her for seveal reasons. I don't have to drive, she lets me push the cart, I have someone to talk to in the long check-out line and I have to make few decisions; I tell her to get us some kind of detergent and hair stuff, then she meets me on aisle 5 with detergent, hair stuff, Oreos and brownie mix and I'm happy. I call this "Lesbian Shopping." Long ago, when I was single, I used to have a part time job at a grocery store and I'd see lesbians shopping together and I would feel sorry for myself. I wished I had a lesbian to shop with. Now I do! Today, though, I have to shop alone and already I'm dreading it. I wish I could take Shannon. I'm not sure if she's gay or not, but either way she could help me with the impending detergent issue.

Practitioner

My trip to the VA Clinic today turned out to be a colossal waste of time. My doctor is a nurse practitioner. She was very pleasant, but a little disinterested. She ordered x-rays and lab work for my leg to rule out any breaks or serious tears, but she seems to think that it's just a pulled muscle that needs time to work itself out. She figured this out without actually touching or looking at my leg. She was more interested in inputting my past medical history into the computer. I brought along copies of all my medical records, but she wanted no part of that even though I painstakingly slaved over a hot copier to provide the VA with the most current and comprehensive medical history I could provide. She did, however, give me a prescription for Lortab, so I guess the day wasn't a total failure. And actually, my leg is feeling quite a bit better already. I knew I just needed to make an appointment with a doctor (or nurse practitioner) and my sickness would go away! Maybe I need to start wearing a nice pair of orthopedic shoes and support hose so that I won't reinjure myself. I like those white hose that go up to your knee and help in the war against vericose veins. Maybe I'll get me a pair of the Dr. Scholl's inserts, too. I wonder if Dr. Scholl started out as a nurse practitioner?

Loopy & Feast

I had to go back to work today even though my leg still is no better. I took a few days off in the hope that the time off my feet would "fix" whatever is wrong with it, but it still hurts just as much as did before. I've found, though, that if I take a Lortab and sit for about 15 minutes all the pain goes completely away. Of course, I'm also a little loopy, but I'm loopy with two good legs!


Feast Sixty-Two
Thursday, September 15, 2005

Appetizer
Do your closer friends tend to be male or female? Why do you think that is?
With the exception of Shawn, all of my closest friends are female. I don't think it's a "gay thing" because, also with the exception of Shawn, my closest friends are also straight. Maybe it's because we worked together and had that and other things in common.

Soup
If you could wake up tomorrow with a new talent, what would it be?
I would love to be able to play a musical instrument really well.

Salad
Name a household cleaning item that you would recommend to others.
We have a toilet wand that I just adore.

Main Course
What do you strive for in life?
I would like to be wealthy enough to be able to take advantage of some of the great trips that are on sale for "only the next 24 hours." I guess I'd also have to have a job that would let me take off with very little notice...or perhaps no job at all!

Dessert
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how funny do you consider yourself?
I think I'm probably a 7 or 8. I tend to gravitate toward goofy jokes for some reason.

A Penguin

A penguin walks into a bar and says to the bartender, "Excuse me sir, but have you seen my brother?" "I don't know," says the bartender. "What does he look like?"

That's my new favorite joke and I just wanted to share it with everyone. (I like penguins.)

Leg Update

I headed over to the VA clinic today to see if I could have a doctor look at my quadricep. Really nice people and, surprisingly, I didn't have a long wait. But I also didn't get to see a doctor, either. Because my leg wasn't hanging off my torso by one thin blood vessel I was given an appointment for next Monday. I'm sure that by then my leg should be in great shape. It feels a little bit better already! At least I'm now entered into the VA system and can get health care and prescriptions for next to nothing. Another plus to all this is that I took the last two days off from work. I haven't done much more than cross-stitch both days. I really wasn't able to move or upack anything due to my leg ailment so I had no choice but to sit around outside enjoying the Fall-like weather and lay on the couch watching football on the TV. Really.

Strain Pain

I pulled or strained my quadricep muscle (front, upper thigh region) about 2 weeks ago and it still hurts like hell. I'm fine as long as I'm sitting, but if I try to walk I experience shooting pains all through the upper region of my right leg. I assume it happened due to something I did at work, but since I can't pinpoint the exact event or date it happened the WalMart ogres won't allow me to use Workman's Comp to see a doctor about it. And since I don't have insurance yet, and don't have a regular doctor, I'm screwed. And in pain. I called out sick from work today because I just couldn't stand it any longer. Vic said she would drive me to the VA or a free clinic to see if either of them can help, but until then I've been scouring the internet for possible solutions. It seems that the universal treatment is RICE ~ Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. I've been icing it all day and using a cane to relieve some of the pressure. Every morning it's the most excrutiating pain I've ever experienced. I'm going to try to sleep with my leg elevated tonight and see how I feel tomorrow morning. Hopefully I will be miraculously cured by dawn!

Weekends

I really look forward to the weekends, although I don't know why. I usually have to work every weekend. I guess it's just the whole idea of the work week being over and the thought of being able to relax. There are a lot more things to do on the weekends in MI then there were in P'Cola. I scan the paper every Friday for the upcoming Apple Festival or Greek Festival or St. Somebody-I've-Never-Heard-Of Festival. Also, football season has started again and every Michigan State, U of M and (surprisingly) Ohio State game is on TV here! I also have my new home team Lions every Sunday afternoon. I guess I just enjoy the idea of weekends.

Friday Feast Sixty-One

Appetizer
Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?
That one's easy ~ Vickie. I used to talk to Jeannine sometimes, too, if I needed to vent about a problem Vic & I might've been having. Now that Jeannine is so far away, I guess Vic & I can't have any more problems!

Soup
If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?
My first thought is Rome because of how technologically advanced they were. It would be interesting to see the beginnings of politics, too. But only if I was one of the politicians.

Salad
What is the most exciting event you've ever witnessed?
The 1980 US Hockey team beating Russia. I was only about 15 and was watching it on the TV, but I remember that it was so exciting that I kept moving closer and closer to the screen until I was right on top of it. I yelled and screamed at the top of my lungs! It still gives me goosebumps when I see replays of the game on TV. My second choice would have to be experiencing Hurricane Ivan, although that was more terrifying than exciting. I have a small idea of what the Katrina victims are going through. Although we didn't lose the house, we were without electricity for two weeks. That's a lot of cold showers (when the water was turned back on after three days!)!

Main Course
If you were a celebrity, what would you do for a publicity stunt?
Have an affair with Angelina Jolie or get engaged to Katie Holmes.

Dessert
What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?
I'd have to say 26. Your body is still young enough and you've had time to experience some things in your life you may not get to after having a child.

The WalMart Monster

Have I mentioned lately how much I hate the Wal Mart? I really don't mind my job that much. It's very labor intensive, but I tell myself it's a great workout (I hit my 20lbs. mark yesterday!). It's just that they don't pay us very well and treat us like cattle. There's little to no compassion for anyone I work with. During my orientation I had to watch several films and in at least half a dozen of them some bigwig tried to drive home the point that unions are bad, "we don't need unions because here at Wal Mart, we are a family." Family my ass. We work long hours for little pay and at the end of the night I can barely drive home because I'm so exhausted. And just to show you that WM is a multi-trillion dollar conglomerate that cares about nobody but itself, they've posted a sign-up sheet for people who would like to go to the Katrina-ravaged cities to help rebuild the Wal Mart stores down there. Not help with clean-up or distribute much-needed supplies. No sir buddy, we gotta get them stores back up and running cuz we're losing gobs of money each day they're closed. I'm considering quitting and getting a paper route. Or maybe I could be fry girl at an area McDonald's.

Excellent Sunday

I had my first trip to the Michael's store here in Warren this past weekend! I absolutely loved the Michael's in P'Cola and especially loved it when I had 40 or 50% off coupons. Well...this Saturday's paper had a 50% off coupon in it! AND...we get two papers so we got TWO 50% off coupons!!! (The store sales papers come in the Saturday paper because there are so many of them and the Sunday paper is really big anyway, so we get a headstart on all the Sunday sales. And we get two newspapers because Vic just loves to read the newspaper and Detroit is big enough to have several papers.) Back to Michael's...So I dragged Vic and took our TWO 50% off coupons to the Michael's store (which is only a few blocks from our house!) and we bought two, that's TWO cute little stools to put on either side of the big bed. Vic stained them and they look wonderful! This made for a most excellent Sunday. TWO 50% off coupons!

Mums The Word

Okay, so we didn't actually finish the bedroom today, but we did buy some lovely Mums at the Home Depot. For some reason Vickie & I seem to be more productive when we attempt tasks on our own. When we get together to tackle a project we just never seem to get anywhere. I think we enjoy each other's company too much and want to do fun stuff instead of work stuff. So on my next day off (while Vic is at work) I will probably finish the bedroom. Until then, we have some beautiful flowers to look at!

Big Bed

On our move to MI, Vic & I stopped off at her brother's house in Nashville. Not only was it our half-way point, but it enabled us to finally pick up her grandmother's bed that her brother had been keeping for us for about 6 years. About an hour after we left her brother's house, he called to say we had forgotten the side rails! I tell you all this because he finally got around to sending us the rails and we got them from the UPS man just the other afternoon! Wow, is this ever a tall bed! We need little step-stools just to get in (or I guess we could dive in when feeling especially perky). It really looks nice in our bedroom. As a matter of fact, since I have this weekend off Vic & I are going to concentrate all our energy on fixing up the bedroom exactly how we want it. Hopefully this weekend our bedroom will be the first totally completed room in the house!

Interview

I think today's interview with the Sheriff's Dept. went really well. (I'm glad I wore my lucky bra!) They smiled and nodded and chuckled quite a bit and then gave me a tour of the workcenter, so I guess that's all positive feedback. I'm sure I won't hear what their decision is for at least a couple of weeks. I know they need to do a background check and it is a government agency after all, so everything moves at a snail's pace.

Vic's mom left for vacation this morning ~ she and a friend are driving to the Wisconsin Dells for a week. I kinda feel like Vic & I are going to be on our own for a week and her mom doesn't even live with us! She's not really here all the time, but she's an every day presence none the less. She calls at least once a day and sometimes she evens calls just to talk to me! It's nice. I think she's really glad to have Vickie nearby her again, although sometimes Vickie's not so glad. It seems like Mom always finds some project for Vic to do on Sundays while I'm at work. Hee-hee.

Gas

How 'bout that gas?! It's about $3 around our house and the news says it's only going to go higher. I interview for the Oakland County position tomorrow, but even if they offer it to me I'm not sure I'm going to take it because of the gas situation. Oakland County would be like driving from Escambia to Santa Rosa (for those of you familiar with the Pensacola area) and I would probably spend at least one day's pay for gas! Geez! I think this is all Bush's fault. I also blame Bush for Hurricane Katrina, my sucky job at Wal Mart, the computer crashing and the fact that I can't find even one box of "Cheesy Hashbrown Hamburger Helper" (my favorite) anywhere in the greater Detroit area. I say "Impeach the bastard!" (Speaking of peaches, there is a Peach Festival this weekend Vic & I may check out.)

Catching Up

Computer
Last Wednesday, as I was walking by the desk, I happened to glance at the computer and the whole damn thing just imploded. Okay, maybe not imploded, but I just got the darn thing back today after being at the computer doctor's for FIVE DAYS. Now, many $$$ later, we have Windows XP loaded on our computer and everything appears to be fine. Of course we lost everything and I've spent the better part of the night loading stuff back on the computer. How very sucky!

Katrina
Once again, Vic & I are really glad we got out of P'Cola before the hurricane season started this year. And we're also glad that the storm didn't do more damage to P'Cola than it did. It's so frustrating to sit and watch the storm keep building and heading your way and knowing that there's nothing you can do. You would think that with today's science and technology we could send up something to break up the storm before it makes landfall.

Postal Exam
I took the entrance exam for the post office this morning and feel pretty good about it. I think I did really well, but won't get the results for 6-8 weeks. Government efficiency, I guess. My interview with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office is Thursday morning and I haven't heard from Sterling Heights yet, but I'm pretty confident I'll be in a new position before Christmas.

Around The House
I'm still working on the craft room, although I've made some pretty serious progress. I hung a couple pictures, set up the table and have all the boxes unpacked. I have to move a few heavy items to another part of the house and then I'll be ready to scrap. It's hard to move anything large without Vic's help and we don't really have many days off together so things are moving a little slowly. And so am I...I pulled a muscle in my leg and it's left me a bit "hobbley." I'm kinda gimpy and walking up & down the stairs and spending 40 hours a week on my feet at work isn't helping it any. What I need is about a month off from work where all I do is sit in the backyard, enjoying the breeze and catching up on my reading. My cross-stitching is coming along nicely. Still working on the "Lavende" picture (mostly on my days off). The backyard squirrels have started to trust us more and now they'll eat out of our hands! Shannon's not really very pleased about this, but as long as we pet her while feading the the squirrels she seems to be okay.

Looking Forward To My Weekend

Today is the last day of six straight days of work for me. I am so ready for my two days off. I have lots planned around the house, which doesn't seem very exciting, but I really like the progress we've made thus far and want to keep the ball rolling. My goal is to have everything out of boxes and put away by Thursday. I'd really like to get started on the craft room, too. It's been perfect weather to do stuff inside with the windows open, so I hope this chilly weather sticks around for a couple more days.

I got the results back from my written exam and I scored 88.5% on the test which made me one of the top 30 finishers and eligible for the oral interview! They said they would call sometime in the next couple of weeks to set up a date for the interview. So hopefully I won't have to rely on Wal Mart too much longer.

Weather

It's been really chilly the last couple of days; at night the temp has dropped to somewhere in the 50's, which makes for great sleeping weather! Today is was cloudy, but not just normal cloudy, these looked like the snow clouds I remember from years ago. Cloudy in Michigan is a lot different from cloudy in Florida. In Florida it's just a few clouds here and there and the oppressive heat returns. In Michigan the entire sky is filled with clouds and we have a wonderful breeze in our backyard! Vic & I keep saying that we can't wait for the snow, but I know I'm gonna be pissed when it's still snowing on baseball's opening day.

Shannon update...We starting giving her Benadryl and it really helped in deterring her from scratching her hotspot. It is completely gone now and everyone is feeling tons better. I'm not sure what, if anything, she developed an allergy to, because we didn't change her diet or anything else in the house. I guess we'll never know.