Thursday n Friday Garbles

Well, first of all I want to apologize for not writing last night, but I literally got home (early, thanks to a neighbor), ate like I was starving (even though I ate twice at work, spaghetti and a banana), and went straight to bed where I fell asleep within 15 minutes (which is rare for me, usually I take an hour at least to fall asleep). So there was no writing at all yesterday.

So what was yesterday like? It was busier than the day before, but not as busy as the early shift is. I juggled between my two main stations, and did a few rounds of stocking while I was at it. I can't remember if I ended up doing dishes or not, partially because of how soundly I slept last night. One of my neighbors came by to pick me up so I wouldn't have to walk home in the dark (thank goodness too because all other options were out, so thank you AGAIN, B). And, as I alluded to earlier, I came home to find out that the guys had ordered in dinner (I shouldn't have brought dinner home lol), so I was able to immediately put the "feed bag" on as we say. I probably sat and ate for a good 45 minutes straight, and that's not slow eating either! Afterwards, I went straight to bed and to sleep. I think I piddled on the PDA for like 5 minutes to catch up on the basics and I don't remember anything after about a minute past turning the PDA off.

Today was chaos, partially because I had to be back at work so friggin soon! It was a good morning though, got an early start too because another neighbor gave me a lift on her way to work (I was planning on trying the bus again), and so I was there a good half-hour early. My newer station was chaotic to say the least, but we managed, sometimes it took 4 or 5 of us though! I caught the bus home, and now we're to where I'm at now!

I forfeited my day off tomorrow because it's been so chaotic as people are on vacation or sick, so we're quite short handed. And when the boss volunteers overtime, you don't say no! So I got another early day tomorrow, and then an evening shift on Sunday. I don't know anything beyond that as the schedule's not up yet, but it'll be ok, as I think they were working on it when I left. I should get my first check next week (any would-be robber/stalker folk out there, I ain't going to get a paper check so nice try), so that'll be nice. I'm going to stash most of it in the bank (I'm not too worried about any bank collapses, my bank is huge and is quite diversified), though I will surely have to give myself a treat… but what? Anything I buy online is going to take a week or two at least, so that's no treat. I guess I'll just have to go to the grocery store and try to scrub up some non-fishy tasting fish LOL. Yes I'm THAT easy to please, food wins every time LOL.

I still don't know what I'm going to do with the rest of my evening, what few hours I have left before it's off to bed and then back to work. I haven't even decided what's for dinner yet, though I can give ya 50% odds it'll be spaghetti as I still have a big kettle full of it that I made recently that needs eating. Dangit, all this talk of food… LOL

So anyways, that's what's new 'n shaking here, for now, so off I go to scrounge up some grub 'n veg out in front of the tv in bed for a while I guess. But not before I catch up on emails n blogs n stuff! And a happy birthday to any leap year babies out there!

A Sad Birthday

A sad moment... Today, if she were alive, would've been my Mom's 52nd
birthday. So it is a sad day for me, but not overwhelmingly sad, as I
have to say so focused on the here-and-now just to get through it. I
miss her dearly, and do every day of my life, but I must go on, if not
for me, for her. She lives on every day I'm alive, regardless of what
anyone in my family may think. We all will deal with those issues when
our time comes, and I may not know what their first words to her may
be, but I know what mine will be. I am not afraid, I know I have done
no wrong. But I forgive them all, no matter what. Words are just
words, as hurtful as some are, so I cannot continue to let mere
vocalizations pierce me like they were physical knives.

Burrrr!

To say that I was cold when I got home from work would be an understatement. It was 22F, wind chill of 11, so that tells you it's cold. I was walking too! But the worst of my cold was my hands, somehow with 3 pairs of gloves on (told ya I'm an old pro at layering LMAO).
Work was actually borderline boring, but I needed it with the chaos I'm normally involved in, but that's the difference in shifts for you. I was juggling the two stations, but it was no big deal as we were that slow.
So now I'm off to rest and hopefully sleep soon, as God knows I could use it right now. I'm zoned out from self-spooking myself out on the way home (I'm real jumpy at night, what I call the "Cincinnati Effect" lol), so I really need to unwind.
And to my British readers, hope ya'll ain't too shaken up after that quake!

ANOTHER OJ!!!!!

Fkn jury in Ohio thinks that killing his pregnant gf and her unborn child (8mos along) doesn't deserve death or even life without parole, he gets possibility, if the sentences are combined, to get out in less than 40 years on parole! I DON'T CARE HOW IT HAPPENED... he killed a baby, he should at least rot in prison for the rest of his life... I shouldn't have waited to go to work to hear this... now I'm not so happy, and I already was gloomy. *grunt* Anyways, I gotta head off to work, and so I'll let you all know how my day was either late tonight or tomorrow. Good luck folks, and see ya'll soon.

Flower Awards!

This award goes to the the biggest blogging influences!

I'm not going to name them because I will leave someone out accidentally and then I'll feel bad for it later!

So everyone take this flower and pass it on to someone who needs it.

And a special one for Jeannine, wherever you are... I MISS YOU!!

Global WARMING?!? Ha!

This is why I'm not so big on the whole man-made global warming BS... I'm posting this from the following link: Lorne Gunter: Welcome to the new ice age - Full Comment, but here it is in case you're too lazy to go clicking!

Snow cover over North America and much of Siberia, Mongolia and China is greater than at any time since 1966.

The U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) reported that many American cities and towns suffered record cold temperatures in January and early February. According to the NCDC, the average temperature in January "was -0.3 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average."

China is surviving its most brutal winter in a century. Temperatures in the normally balmy south were so low for so long that some middle-sized cities went days and even weeks without electricity because once power lines had toppled it was too cold or too icy to repair them.

There have been so many snow and ice storms in Ontario and Quebec in the past two months that the real estate market has felt the pinch as home buyers have stayed home rather than venturing out looking for new houses.

In just the first two weeks of February, Toronto received 70 cm of snow, smashing the record of 66.6 cm for the entire month set back in the pre-SUV, pre-Kyoto, pre-carbon footprint days of 1950.

And remember the Arctic Sea ice? The ice we were told so hysterically last fall had melted to its "lowest levels on record? Never mind that those records only date back as far as 1972 and that there is anthropological and geological evidence of much greater melts in the past.

The ice is back.

Gilles Langis, a senior forecaster with the Canadian Ice Service in Ottawa, says the Arctic winter has been so severe the ice has not only recovered, it is actually 10 to 20 cm thicker in many places than at this time last year.

OK, so one winter does not a climate make. It would be premature to claim an Ice Age is looming just because we have had one of our most brutal winters in decades.

But if environmentalists and environment reporters can run around shrieking about the manmade destruction of the natural order every time a robin shows up on Georgian Bay two weeks early, then it is at least fair game to use this winter's weather stories to wonder whether the alarmist are being a tad premature.

And it's not just anecdotal evidence that is piling up against the climate-change dogma.

According to Robert Toggweiler of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at Princeton University and Joellen Russell, assistant professor of biogeochemical dynamics at the University of Arizona -- two prominent climate modellers -- the computer models that show polar ice-melt cooling the oceans, stopping the circulation of warm equatorial water to northern latitudes and triggering another Ice Age (a la the movie The Day After Tomorrow) are all wrong.

"We missed what was right in front of our eyes," says Prof. Russell. It's not ice melt but rather wind circulation that drives ocean currents northward from the tropics. Climate models until now have not properly accounted for the wind's effects on ocean circulation, so researchers have compensated by over-emphasizing the role of manmade warming on polar ice melt.

But when Profs. Toggweiler and Russell rejigged their model to include the 40-year cycle of winds away from the equator (then back towards it again), the role of ocean currents bringing warm southern waters to the north was obvious in the current Arctic warming.

Last month, Oleg Sorokhtin, a fellow of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, shrugged off manmade climate change as "a drop in the bucket." Showing that solar activity has entered an inactive phase, Prof. Sorokhtin advised people to "stock up on fur coats."

He is not alone. Kenneth Tapping of our own National Research Council, who oversees a giant radio telescope focused on the sun, is convinced we are in for a long period of severely cold weather if sunspot activity does not pick up soon.

The last time the sun was this inactive, Earth suffered the Little Ice Age that lasted about five centuries and ended in 1850. Crops failed through killer frosts and drought. Famine, plague and war were widespread. Harbours froze, so did rivers, and trade ceased.

It's way too early to claim the same is about to happen again, but then it's way too early for the hysteria of the global warmers, too.

Laundry Day!

You wouldn't believe how many loads of laundry I've done today. To say that I've done a bunch would be an understatement. It's currently almost 330pm, and I've been doing laundry since probably 10am. So as I'm sitting here, load 4 has probably 20 minutes left on it in the dryer, and load 5 is in the washer waiting for the dryer to finish. My last load is going to be the bed linens as they haven't been washed in a very long time it seems (it's kinda hard to find the money to wash ANYTHING that isn't absolutely necessary to get a job). I haven't gotten the first paycheck yet, but I used the money we had around combined with change from a purchase to do it. By the time I get done with the laundry, I'll probably have spent somewhere in the neighborhood of $25-30 to do laundry. I still have another load to do at least afterwards, but a load of towels isn't on the priority list right now. We still have plenty of towels, so I'm not focusing on it right now. Once I get paid, I will wash them and my throw blankets and maybe the mats in the bathroom, but those too aren't as high on the priority list. To say I am tired of looking at clothing right now is an understatement. I've kept up on the folding though, so all is well, and the still damp clothes (I didn't notice the dryer was on full blast), though few are hanging in the closet and doorway - mostly the jeans. So some of the shirts are hanging up in the doorway too, since the space in the closet has jeans hanging up lol. I can't wait to get a dresser that will allow me to fold up much more of my laundry and let me use the closet for storage and drying area. But that requires us moving boxes to storage, or at least going through them and throwing out what we don't need. But that requires transportation we don't have right now... and patience I don't have either! I'm at the point right now where I'm merely working, sleeping, and in transit one way or another. It seems like eating is something I merely do on the way to bed instead of something I thoroughly enjoy like normal. Either I've been around too much food or I'm just too busy. But I got some 6 hour shifts this week, and though it'll only be a 35 hour check this week, it's surely a nice change from the 9 hour days I was working last week. So I'm not going to complain too much, and hope that next week's schedule isn't so harsh on me.

CBox

Now ya'll have a way to leave me a message if you don't find a suitable spot in a blog to leave a comment, or if you just want to leave me a message! Feel free to drop by anytime and say hi!

So much for sleeping in...

I tried to sleep in today, but to no avail. But it's ok. I have no idea what time I fell asleep, but I think it was earlier than normal. I don't remember trying to catch the 10 or 11pm news, so that means I was out way before then. I figure I was out probably around 9, maybe a little earlier. I did sleep in a LITTLE, but being awake by 6am is not my idea of sleeping in. I have to head out in a little bit to get some quarters to do laundry and run an errand, but I'm NOT stopping into work. That is NOT happening today. Wrong direction, wrong mood, wrong weather. So I'm sitting at my computer reformatting my new CF card (note to self: use pda defrag program only for flash rom - that's what killed half of my card), trying to get the energy up to go on my errand. I have some food in the oven, hoping some food in my stomach will help. I've been eating more, but with all the calories I've been burning, I'm STILL hungry after I eat!
So I'm off for now, to eat, rest, and run my errand later... I might post more later.

OOoooffffahhh!

Oofah what a day! It got real chaotic right after I got back from lunch and it didn't stop until after 230, when 2nd shift had come in and was helping out. At one time, we had 5-6 people working in an area barely designed for two! So I'm not too gabby tonight (as obvious by my later-than-normal posting), and am enjoying the mere thought of NOT having to get up early tomorrow morning, especially after the day I had today. It was even worse somehow either missing the first bus or my bus schedule being incorrect, and having to literally powerwalk to work! But I made it, with maybe 10 minutes to spare, pretty good considering I had 28 minutes for a 30 minute walk to work, to be able to gain not only the minutes I needed to clock in on time, but to also give myself time to unlayer myself! So back I go to try to find a way to download a pda game that is supposed to be free but downloading a free game shouldn't cost you! Behhhh some websites are just such jack@sses!

Week 1 Ends!

Well, we've reached the end of my first week, and thank goodness too, because it couldn't have come soon enough. I still have one more day to go before I get a day off, but instead of having to get up so friggin early (430am), I can wait a little longer as I have an extra hour to get to work and might just take the bus in. So I'm looking forward to some extra sleep tonight (hopefully) and an easier awakening tomorrow. I will surely enjoy my day off Tuesday... Not! I have laundry to do like you wouldn't believe. But I am sure my cats will enjoy it as they are having difficulty adjusting to me not being home with them most of the time, and I too haven't been adjusting well either. Curzon has been quite attached to me lately, not barely leaving my side for anything, even sleep, though last night was different. I'm betting I booted him off in my sleep accidentally though.
Work was ok today, though I was juggling sections now and then and got stuck watching one boring training video on lunch and a bunch more at the end of the day. But it helped make for an easier day, and my teammate today made it even better. With him back with me, it was a more relaxed, fun day than anything. I really needed it too, as I had a bit of shopping to do after work, and with no busses on Sundays, I had to walk home too!
That is the main reason I'm sore today, not the work, but the walk home with all my stuff. But I had to, there was no choice. I couldn't come home without the grocery store shop and sleep soundly tonight, as the things I needed most I really don't ever want to run out of (and. trust me, neither does Mr. Cat LMAO). But the added weight on my back didn't help out any, and this just the day after I stayed up a little longer than I wanted to last night for the most wonderful back, leg, and foot massage I've had in a very, VERY long time (thanks hon)! Mr. Cat has very talented paws that tend to make aches and pains run away as fast as they can. I might have to cash in another massage here soon though just to relax me enough to be able to rest thoroughly and enjoy sleep again.
I came home, food and stuff in the backpack and on my arm, and just sat it all down, put the frozen stuff in the freezer and put my early dinner in the microwave. I was starving to say the least, and I devoured it in one sitting. Yes, my cats have missed me. Jadzia could barely wait for me to finish eating to jump on my lap, Curzon brought me his pipe cleaners toy, and Nimbus is now up on the chair at the dining room table that I usually sit on! Jadzia is still pacing around me wanting back up on my lap but I'm not sitting on this chair in a way that makes that possible, though with as talented as she is as a jumper, she could get behind me if she wanted to. I know the moment I get comfy on the couch or in bed I'm going to end up with cats on me, so I guess I should just decide which place to crash so they're happy. But there's still so much food to eat... Lol. I guess I just need a chef to cook for me hahaha.
But before I go, I just want to thank you guys and gals for your support while I try to physically and emotionally adapt to the new job and all the benefits - and pitfalls - it entails. Thanks espeically to Walter for your kind words the last couple days. Now off to bed I go, not for sleep, but for the blankets to keep me warm!! (I bet you I'll have all three cats in bed with me within an hour!)
PS: I know some of my blogs are oddly formatted, I'm sorry, it's which program - and where - I blog with. I will fix them as I can from the desktop, but I'm feeling lazy and may not get to them for a bit.

Bad Day

Today sucked, big time. I came home in such a bad mood, I had to wait a couple hours to write. The one lady that came in towards the end of my shift is a rude woman who acts like she can do no wrong. I don't know if she knows it or not, but she acts like she's sleeping with the boss and therefore knows she can treat everyone else like crap and it doesn't matter. I don't take to that too well, never mind her all-around stupidity. And then come to find out, she's so tight with the boss she even got her daughter a job at the same store, sometimes working the same shift. I thought that was illegal, it's definitely unethical and makes other employees wonder what special treatment she's getting. But I'm just going to keep my mouth shut, because it seems like it's a "pat my back, I'll pat yours" kind of place at times. So I'll hush...
Today was sporadic, pace wise. We had a busy morning this morning as we tried to take care of a couple things night crew didn't and get all of our stuff ready. We got that done pretty quick though, and time seemed to crawl by no matter how fast we were running. I took full advantage of lunch this time, inhaling my food like I was starving (ok I kind of was lol). I got a very nice discount too, so it made the price more tolerable.
My body held up ok except some cramps that did eventually get the pain killers and my feet were in excruciating pain by the end of the day. My neighbors dropped by to see me at work so that was nice. I do think I'm going to need a back massage soon as even hours after work I am still feeling twinges of pain if I sit the wrong way.
So I am off for now to eat (again lol). I am hoping to be asleep by 8am, though I haven't been that lucky yet. I'll talk to you all later.

Day 3

Today was much quieter. I started the day early as I'd arrived so early (thanks to the neighbor who took me in so I wouldn't have to walk in the snow). But I was where I was yesterday, so I just got started and got the area caught up. The sink isn't draining properly, so I was stuck using a bucket. Shortly before lunch, I was switched to another area so they could train me there. But today thanks to the (horrible) weather, it was quieter than yesterday, so I wasn't hurting that bad. I'm happy too!
I came back from lunch and it was busy sporadically throughout the day but not like it was yesterday. I had help now and then from different people, and thank goodness too, because I was constantly confused! My brain just didn't want to function anymore and it was rebelling every chance it got! I got sent back to my original section for a little while (because no one was watching it and it needed taken care of), then I did dishes and a little upkeep, and I was done for the day.
I caught the bus home, just like I did yesterday, but not because I was sore but because I didn't feel like walking in the sleet-covered snow! Though I must admit it was thoroughly fun to walk through (I had my boots on, I was smart enough to just bring my sneakers and change so they didn't get wet). Just in the little more than a mile's distance between home and work, there was a good inch less snow on the ground here at home. But I could tell even here there was some sleet right at the end. I'm just glad I didn't walk home, it was much more enjoyable to just walk up to the bus stop and home the block and a half from the bus stop.
So that was my day, and as you can tell, not as exciting as yesterday. But it was quite ok, as it felt good (odd as it sounds) to only have my feet hurting instead of my entire body like yesterday! I do think I'll sleep well tonight though too, and hopefully because I get to do it all again tomorrow. Next week will be odd as I will be juggling both morning and afternoon shifts as a lower-level manager got fired for laziness today so I got his hours (unfortunately not his pay though lol). I'll know more tomorrow when I'm working the 6am starter and when I'm working the 2 or 3pm starter.

Day 2

Wow, what a switch from day 1 to day 2. It's obvious this is my first full day of work in a while, as I was completely exhausted by lunchtime. Then again, maybe it's because I didn't get the time to sit down for more than a couple minutes up until I sat down for lunch. I was put into one of the busier areas of the store, and to tell you the truth, I'm kind of glad. It's not an area I can stand smell-wise, but I'm also used to it, so just being so busy the whole morning made it fly... Thank goodness too, because it was a cold walk this morning!

Luckily this morning's walk, though pitch black and a slight dusting of snow on the ground, was quite nice. I was thoroughly bundled up (to the point that it took me a couple minutes after I got to work to UNbundle), so the cold wasn't too bad. My legs felt it a little but they always do. But I kept my pace up for the most part and shaved 10 minutes off of the walk time. But I really needed to get there as quickly as possible as I had a lot of unlayering to do and a couple other things before I even clocked in.

I'm glad I remembered how to clock in, as the manager had only TOLD me and not shown me, and he wasn't in yet. I'm not big on asking things, but I know it's expected on your first REAL day of work.

Lunch was quiet and quick, though I needed the time more than I have in a very long time. I brought a cup of easy mac and warmed that up. After that it was a couple pain killers and back to work (I told you I'd need them). I can only hope whoever's watching my area doesn't screw it up any worse than I had it - every last one of the machines was busy doing its thing when I left (they do their own thing so you can walk away, those who know what I'm doing know what I'm talking about probably lol)!

To tell you how busy I was, in 5 hours I had to restock one area of my supplies twice and had to have my trash hauled out twice too! There's no way I could take out my own trash, heck I could fit in my trash barrels! My trash bags probably weighed as much as I do and so pushing them around was all I was going to do, not one cent more!

The rest of the day went by more slowly, and quietly. After I was shown the adjustment for the afternoon as compared to the morning madness, I proceeded to make the necessary adjustments. Just as I got this done and was finally breathing, I was pulled away to do the dishes… just what I wanted to do… NOT! But I did them, every last one of them, even though they kept adding to my pile! Once I got those done, I was asked to do some stocking, which I didn't mind. The next shift had arrived so my morning area was staffed (though not very well). I got the last of my stocking done right before quitting time.

After re-bundling up somewhat in the restroom, I headed out and stopped at the bus stop right in front of work (too bad it doesn't run earlier). I thought it wasn't coming for a while, so once I finished wrapping up, I started walking. But with my knee wanting to quit, my back still hurting, and my legs just screaming for relief, I only made it two stops down. I saw a couple people waiting at the bus stop so I knew it hadn't come yet and probably would soon, and sure enough, it was only a minute or two behind me. So I paid the $1.25 and got on to go the whole mile to the bus stop closest to my place. I still had to walk a couple blocks but it was a lot closer, and the less than 5 minute bus trip saved me 20 minutes of walking. So I wobbled home, checked the mail, and got indoors, happier than I've been in a very long time to be home. I still smell like work and I'll surely have to wash my hands again before I eat dinner so that I don't TASTE work too! But I am very happy to say I made it through the day, with a lot of aches and pains, but I made it. I'm going to have to talk to the boss about this only one break a day crap though. That's outrageous. Besides, doesn't the law require at least one break AND a 30 minute lunch? But it's not like we had the ability to do it today, as we were short-handed at least 2 people.

Self-Induced...

A friend of mine recently messaged me with such sadness I haven't heard in a long time from anyone. She was watching a video she really shouldn't have watched (we've all done this in one form or another), and it saddened her so much she was in tears. So, being the caring friend I am, I couldn't let her cry, so I do what I do best - make people laugh. When online, I find the best way to do this is to go on youtube and laugh at some adorable little kittens, which usually works. It sure did this time as we both were laughing so hard at some of the cute little babies, some only a couple weeks old, were trying to learn how to walk, playfighting with siblings, and all-around running around like cats on way too much caffeine!
This brings to mind many a time when I've done the same thing my dear friend of mine did. It's usually a song I shouldn't have listened to that brought back too many painful memories, or watching too much of the news on a particularly depressing day. We've all done it... we know better, but we do it anyways, or sometimes it just catches us off guard and we just can't make ourselves walk away in time.
My Mom used to always tell me something along the lines of "it's not about the life you've got, it's what you make of it that counts." The same principle applies here. Don't dwell on the sadness. Make yourself walk away and use that experience to make yourself stronger. Watch some kittens, read a book, take a walk, anything to forget about what you just saw/heard/read. It's not about how you cry, it's about how you recover.
And I got to experience this myself. This is important.
Mr. Cat got to see me online on the worst night in my life - the night that I'd found out my Mom was gone. In the midst of all my grief, knowing EXACTLY what I was going through, he gave me the best medicine of all - laughter. How he did this, it's hard to describe. It's a talent I think. But even in grief, you must laugh. It took him a while, but he did have me laughing between crying fits. This is a great gift that I was able to pass on a year or two ago when another dear friend of mine lost her beloved Dad. She told me the same thing I told Mr. Cat - I don't know how you did it, but thanks, I really needed that.
So I ask this of you tonight, before I go to bed for a very early morning tomorrow. Are you using your gifts selfishly? Or are you sharing them with the rest of the world? If you see a friend crying, PLEASE, at least offer a shoulder or a hug. And if you're good at making people laugh, pass along this gift, this gift I give to you now, it MUST be passed on. Life is too short for it to be so painful for so many. Let's try to make this world a little LESS painful for once!

The ****ing PDA!!

Well I'm closer than I thought I was on figuring out what's up with my PDA. I thought it was the small battery, but last night, I had the same thing happen to me on the big battery (both in power and size). So it's either the pda itself or a setting that is saved in backup. I'm leaning towards the latter as I have the new beta version of MortButtons on there, and it has a new today plugin setting that allows you to have your buttons on the today screen. Well, technically I can do this with another program that I now rarely use (as it slows up an already slow boot-up), but I thought it'd be cool to try it. Well, that is causing the black screen of death I do believe, so that along with another issue got shot off to the developers (the latter thanks to a friend who sent it off in my name because I was having PC issues, thanks again). I won't probably go back to the last public release, as the pda boots fine as long as that plugin isn't enabled. I THINK I have a program that can kill it, but I don't want to go tinkering with settings right now! It doesn't solve the small battery's issue of not wanting to go below 99%, which could have exasperated the issue. So we shall see, but not right now. I need a break from fighting with the pda, so maybe I'll fight with it later on today.

Teacher Salaries

A school district nearby just recently came off of a 7-day strike that was ugly to say the least, with every teacher's name and salary being published in the local Sunday paper. The main sticking point was a disagreement over pay raise schedules. There was a letter to the editor in the main Philly paper earlier this week that suggested that teachers should be on a three-tier pay scale, with elementary teachers making the least. Isn't this backwards? Shouldn't teachers who build the foundations for our childrens' education be paid the most? And besides, we're talking bout (often) young women and men themselves dealing with screaming, rowdy children whose attention span is about as long as a breath.
The best way to pay teachers is based on performance. If a teacher isn't very effective, they shouldn't be paid as much as teachers who are helping children who are behind catch up, giving children who find school boring an excitement for learning, and altogether moving their students along their educational path, if not ahead.
Being a teacher isn't easy, it's one profession I know I wouldn't be good in. It requires patience, understanding, and a degree in both education and psychology at times! There were several teachers who made a very profound positive influence in my life, and there were quite a few who slowed me down. But to say that elementary school teachers should be paid the least because they teach the youngest is ridiculous. If you're basing that on danger (high school kids are more dangerous than elementary school kids), then don't blame the teachers, fix the security! Our teachers are doing the best they can with what money they get. In some school districts, teachers are living in poverty but are being asked to produce high-end results. That's not as true here as it is in Philly, but even the starting wage for a teacher in this school's district is not that high considering the high cost of living in that school district. You can't expect a teacher to buy a house (which costs at MINIMUM 250k) on 45k a year, plus feed her own family and take care of an extended family 5 days a week at work. It doesn't work that way.

Some Thoughts, Randomly

I've been thinking...
1. Perhaps it was best today was a short day at work. It gave me a chance to see how long it'd take to get there, the traffic, any people that would be out walking, and a chance to start a routine on an easy day. With the next two days off, I have the opportunity to gradually get down into another two hours earlier wake up time.
2. I'm still trying to figure out why my PDA went into blank screen. It did it again today, but now I think it was the battery. I had to do a restore because I switched batteries without the power being off (automatic hard reset), but I was able to soft reset without it locking up on the big battery. So I guess the little one is dying. Figures. It's the only one that I can use and the cases still work. I guess I'm going to have to BUILD me a case. Oh JOY... luckily I live with a mechanic with TOOLS! I think what I'll do is get a sheet of thin plywood and a small sheet of aluminum... either that or try canvas again, but I've not had much success there.
3. I'm torn as to what to make of Kosovo. I think if they really want independence, let them have it. If they turn into Pakistan or Iran, then we'll deal with that. But part of me says give them a chance. The other side laughs at that.
4. Our main TV crapped out this weekend, luckily it's old, so it's gotten it's use for the bucks. Heck we've had it for probably 4 years. So it'll be ok.
5. Mic had me watching "The day the earth stood still" at the end of last week, what a scifi movie. A wee cheesy, but I think it was cool that back in that day (1951) they did an alien movie without the cheesy hollywood little green men. Refreshing. And also... even the aliens had a 'god' that decided life and death issues.
6. Back to the pocketpc, wonder if it's the new cf... no, if it was, it shoulda done it after I switched batteries... but I reset it with the small one yesterday and it didn't do it... no new proggies... wtf? Confusing...
7. Work... wow on the benefits. And what a nice manager. Not eye candy though, ladies, and besides, he's married. Figures though, all the good ones are taken. I know, I stole me the last one! :)
8. Hillary comeback in Wisconsin? *shudder*
9. Who in the hell has 3 purses and changes her mind that many times at least in 24 hours just over which one to take to work? GEEZ! lol, leave it to me.
10. Back to the battery. Do I even dare use it? Maybe I should try the freeze and thaw again. It's worked before, but not for THIS issue.

OK folks, sorry for the rambling thoughts, just giving you a peek into my brain, and trust me, those thoughts all passed through in less than 2 minutes. Now ya see why I can't sleep sometimes? LOL

A Slow Start

Day 1 got off to a slow start, but it sure didn't want to get started right. Last night, or shall I say early this morning as it was just a bit after midnight, I decided to check on my pda as my battery isn't wanting to cooperate. Well I rebooted it one last time, and I got the BLACK SCREEN OF DEATH! No amount of rebooting was going to fix this one, try as I might. I've never had this happen to me so I was at a loss. I did a hard reset on it, and then went to do a restore, which was no big issue because I'd just backed it up. Well, guess what. The backup must've been corrupted too. So I had to get up and turn on my PC to get the backup from earlier yesterday to try that one, luckily it worked (I always save my backups, as obvious here, you never know when you might need it). So by the time I crawled back into bed it was pushing 1am. But luckily I fell asleep shortly after that... because I had to be up at 6.
I got my morning started off fine, I hit the snoozer once, but I didn't even give it a chance to go off a second time. I sat up, watched the news for a second, checked the radar, and went back to the news. I got my PDA online so that I could get my time back right (I have a time sync proggie on it, keeps me right, right down to within a second or two). I went back to watching the news and collecting my clothes for the day (I always wear at least a layer under my work shirt, no matter what, just in case something gets spilled on me). I got up before 630 and finished getting dressed, then got my stuff together (most of which already was because I prepared last night), sprayed down my hair a little bit with some hairspray (only to control any 'shedding' on my part) and came out to finish up by 7. I got myself a coffee thermos (washed out of course, *gag* coffee) full of my beloved peach tea, double-checked everything (as I had switched purses again, I own 3 that I use often) and got my winter stuff together, expecting not to be home before the cold set in. I wrapped up my (junkie) umbrella in case it started raining harder (though right before I emerged from the bedroom I checked the radar again) and slid it into one of my top coat-pockets. I headed out by 715 and was at work by about 750. That's not bad time for a mile and a half on foot!
I got there and had the ability to have some time to read over some of the stuffon the walls, look at the schedule (minus me for the time being), and get my thoughts together before the manager was ready. A couple hours after we got started, things were getting crazy for him, so he decided instead of trying to train me during chaos, he'd send me home and schedule me for 9 hour shifts Thursday though Sunday, which was fine with me. It affirmed that I was on full-time and that we were on good terms. My benefits will kick in soon enough, and thank goodness too, this time my wisdom teeth come first, as my eyes are taken care of this time. But of course, that isn't cheap and is going to require me to take some time off. But instead of doing like my cousin did, I'm not going to have all 4 done at once. I'll have them done one side at a time. Yes it's double the pain, but it's managable pain as I still have one side I can eat on! I will also have to look into how much it's going to cost to have my two busted teeth (one from being hit in the mouth) fixed or removed the rest of the way and possibly just implants put in (I wasn't born with a good set to begin with, why fight trying to win a loosing war). If the insurance is right, I might just go that way. I might also check into supplemental dental insurance to help out on that end too, but that'll come up down the road when they kick in, a little while after my first review.
I'm not going to go into what was said, it's not proper, legal, ethical, or evenin my want to do list, as I will also not say where I am working for both company sake and my personal safety. Just know I am in a good company and that I will be fine, somehow, someway hehe. I have done this line of work before, though not to this pace. But the faster things go, the smoother they go, and thank goodness, as the days will be longer than I'm used to!
I will talk to everyone as time sees fit, and I will surely have more to say Thursday evening.

The PDA

My how things change with just a little love. As I was preparing for the new CF Card and taking care of it once it arrived, things started coming together.
1. I got my hands on a good proggie to fix my memory issues on my Flash Rom drive on my e800.
2. The email proggie that comes preinstalled is still dead, but the proggie I found (nPOPuk) works so much better anyways.
3. I suddenly once again found myself with a surplus of cards. I have now a 2 gig CF Card (that is slowly dying but will still serve a purpose somehow for a while), along with my 256 mb, 512 mb, and 1 gig SD Cards, all of which are in fine condition, except the poor 256 is kinda old, so who knows when it'll start to die.
4. I got more stuff on this card than I was expecting. I was thinking about a gig for my proggies, games, ebooks and the rest of the stuff on the 2 gig CF Card (I had it down to half full, if that), and another gig for music. Well, dummy me, forgot I was moving my pics too! (Post note: I didn't realize that 3 backup zip files were on the card!) So you can imagine me, sitting in front of the pc for 3 hours, an hour moving my CF folder from my desktop (I had already moved the stuff on my 2 gig onto the desktop to sort it out and make it easier to move to the new 4 gig), another hour (probably more) moving all my music off of my 1 gb SD card, and another hour or so moving all of my pictures off of the 512 mb card! But in all actuality, I knew it was going to take ages, so I was prepared. I went over to a neighbor's for a few minutes, I went to reading the news online for a while, I even kicked back and hung out with the rest of humanity for a few! Luckily I have slots for all sorts of cards on my desktop. Even the new pics that were still on the digital camera's stick (mmc I think it is - slightly narrower and a bit longer than SD) over to the new card (and to the desktop of course, always have two - or three - or four - copies of everything if you believe in Murphy's Law).
So I'm feeling quite accomplished right now, though I still have a couple things I'd like to have. But I have some new games, a couple handy programs, and a pda that likes me for once. The card does seem to make the pda take an extra second or two beyond what the old one did, but I'm used to it taking a few moments. I should time the desktop and the pda, find out which one takes longer to boot up from turn on (or soft reset in pda's case) to ready state. I think still, even with the new CF Card, it's still faster than the desktop, even though the desktop is technically newer lol. I really should now go through and clean up my desktop's hard drive, but with well over 140gb, what's the use? LOL I still haven't filled up the first 70gb drive yet. I think I still got 45% to go lol. So that is it for now, unless I think of something else to write about AGAIN.

Ready for Anything (Murphy's Law)

Well, as we all know, when things change, Murphy's Law tends to take effect, andanything that CAN go wrong WILL go wrong. So, as the (former) Girl Scout, adopted the Boy Scouts' motto, like I do every time things change, and I have prepared for just about anything.
I have Icy Hot. It's a great muscle pain reducer, though it stinks like he**, but if you rub it in good and give it a few minutes, the smell is gone. So if my ankle starts at it, I can fix it on break.
I have Orajel. I know me and this cold air, the next thing you know I'll be hurting. Two minute fix. Sometimes a wee Icy Hot (on the skin outside the pain area of course, doh) sometimes helps too, oddly enough.
I have a few doses of Aleve, just in case my back starts hurting. This is the most likely option as I wear out and my back gets wary of being on my feet all day. But hopefully I won't need it either.
I got all my woman things ready to go. Though, as this is NOT the best time of the month for me to be starting a new endeavor, I will walk in prepared on that one! It's not like you can go "oh s***" and run away lol!!
I even have put some of my cross stitch project stuff in my purse. Not a lot of course, just enough. Why you ask? Well, I tend to eat first then want to relax a few minutes before going back to work. What better way?
I've had several of you ask if I was nervous, excited, scared, or any of the above the last couple days. I appreciate the concern, but I find my mood to be more of a resigned optimism, if that makes any sense! But my laundry is done (what I'll need this week at least) and I'm just about ready to go, so I am going to be able to relax more tomorrow. Though I must be careful about how I relax, relaxing too much can make it difficult to sleep!
Before I go, I want to thank Katy and Cheryl tons for the last couple days as well, especially considering the headaches!
I will try to write as much as I can and I hope that you all are patient with me and enjoy the new twists and turns this blog is bound to take.

Glenn Beck's Stupidity Moment

Ok, Glenn doesn't understand how one can be anti war and pro troops. Let me explain, Mr. Stupid.
We're anti war because we don't like why were led to the war in Iraq.
But we're pro troop because they have obeyed orders and done so valiantly, sometimes with shoddy leadership, but almost always with shoddy equipment, and have shown the utmost loyalty to their nation and their mission.
Would anyone else care to chip into this?

Progress comes in stages...

2 hours in line at the dmv... geez it's NOT just the post office that's all f***d up!

CF

Got the card... it works just fine :)
Moved everything over, took an hour if not two but it's up and running and the pda reads it just as well. We'll see if it locks up on reboot soon I'm sure lol.
Off to check a couple blogs than rest. I'm pooped!

Romney Supports McCain - short, sweet, and to the point

Let's keep it simple. Of course Romney threw his support to McCain. Huckabee is too radical and even if all of Romney's candidates went to Huckabee, he'd still be way behind McCain. So he's supporting the front runner. D'oh.

Happy Dance!

I'm doing the happy dance, before I eat obviously. If ya know me, you can deduce why. If you don't, don't bother! But if you're curious, email me and I might tell you!

Thank you Walter, Katy, Kahless, and Tom for your well wishes going into today. I think it worked.

What a Post Office

A letter can take a month to move 3 miles up the road but a package can move hundreds of miles in a day... Only in America! lol

I know, it's not unique to us, but dangit, it doesn't make sense! lol

Changes

Changed the layout again :) Enjoy!

Surprise and IT'S COMING!!

Surprise, surprise! I'm on the 'net before 5pm! Someone must not have gone to work today! I'm surprised and glad. I'm not sure how long it'll last, but I thought I'd blog while I was on (ain't I so addicted).
My CF card is in the mail! I'm in process of moving all the stuff on my other cards onto the desktop so that I can just move them over to the new card instead of playing card swap all night. I'm moving my CF stuff now, then my SD with my music on it, then I'll fetch the other SD that has all my pics on it. Once I get that done, I'll see how much that is and then I'll decide if I'm going to add more music. But first of all I need to ensure I have at least 1gig left for more ebooks, games, programs, and stuff. But it'd be nice to be able to listen to music while checking my email at night again (I can't do that with the music on SD card because my wifi card is SD). I'd offer to sell my old CF card but I might still need it and two I wouldn't wish the dying CF card on anyone. I might use it for backup storage, as backups on the PDA are getting closer and closer to 40mb. I still haven't decided if I'm going to reformat the pda yet, though it could surely use it, but considering everything that's gone wrong so far I have a solution for. PIE's favorites doesn't work - it shuts down IE altogether - but I have fxtpBrowser (or something similar to that lol) for that - and it's the only browser that can download a link directly (like right-clicking on your desktop), which you have to do for .vb files. My pda "inbox" doesn't work, but I found nPOPuk, which works even better, and you can tell it where to start downloading, and you don't have to download new mail to send mail.
Well, on the note of politics, I woke up this morning curious as to who won the "Potomac Primaries" (DC, VA, and MD). I didn't watch as much tv as I'd planned last night so I only knew that one had gone for Obama, the others were still voting. Well, no luck this morning, every single station that broadcasts live was in the hearings where Roger Clemens was denying steroids charges. Luckily, Mr Cat and the roommate got up earlier in the morning and went to the convenience store for coffee (slow week economically so we all been home) and the newspaper. Headline: "Obama and McCain Sweep Primaries" - or at least close to that. So Hillary's in trouble now, if you believe what the media's telling you. Let me tell you, IMHO, Hillary has LONG been in trouble. She only killed her chances altogether when she suggested garnishing wages if you refuse her universal health care. It looks like I'm going to be stuck voting for Obama, but not because I like his policies, but because I REFUSE to vote FOR McCain's amnesty agenda, which, if elected, he will surely force through or just go around Congress altogether. At least even IF Hillary wins, universal health care isn't as likely to succeed, and wage garnishing will SURELY be contested by some lawyers to the Supreme Court. Checks and balances folks... sometimes it works, sometimes it's all we have. Do I look forward to voting for Obama? No, but I don't see a choice right now. I can't stand any of the Republicans right now, and Obama is the lesser of the two evils. Hopefully John Edwards will see that too. I think Obama and Edwards could work together and do some real good and I think Edwards would keep Obama from doing anything TOO stupid. Hillary, on the other hand, is too egotistical to listen to anyone.
So off I go, gotta check on some stuff while I'm waiting to be taken to the grocery store. But the other errands I don't have to run.

Pundits, Commentators, and Talk Radio/TV

I know each of my American political junkies surely watch at least one of the TV prime-time talk and opinion shows, whether it's Hannity and Colmes, Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Keith Olbermann, or Chris Matthews. The MSNBC wing tends to hate both the CNNHN (Headline News) and Fox wings, and the same can be said about the other two. Keith particularly hates "Bill-O" and, to a lesser degree, Glenn. The feeling is mutual for Glenn about Keith.
I tend to watch them all, well, with the exception of O'Reilly. He's almost as annoying to me as Rush Limbaugh (a good friend of Beck's), and I just can't bear to watch or listen to him for long. But I enjoy watching both Glenn and Keith, and sometimes Chris Matthews ("Hardball" host). On occasion I'll watch Hannity and Colmes, but it's a rare thing. I come from the school that says to get both sides of every issue, and whether they admit it or not, Keith and Glenn agree much more than they disagree. Both serve a great service to the First Amendment, and I believe both only want the best for this country. At one time or another, both have said some very stupid things, but no human is perfect.
We really need to stop criticizing each other for their views and start getting ALL the facts. Republican, Democrat, Independent... it doesn't matter! We're Americans, and we need to start acting like it.
And Tom, investigate the superdelegate from Wisconsin, last name Rae. He seems too young and fishy. Let me - and your readers - what you find out.

Bleh

What a day. A cold, dreary, cloudy, snowy (with intervals of freezing rain and sleet) day. The flakes started off small, then it switched to freezing rain briefly, then went back to snow, but not the small snowflakes of earlier. These snowflakes were huge! Some of them had to be bigger than a dime! Mr. Cat is trying to get a picture or two of it, but his camera is arguing with him. I'd just as soon sit inside in the (relative) warmth with a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the sight. It hasn't snowed much lately (though sometimes it was so cold you WISHED it would snow, just to give it a reason to be so cold). Overall, it's been a very mild - and extremely rainy - winter, and that doesn't bode well. The farmers depend on the weather for their crops, and we depend on the snow melting and coming down to replenish our water reservoirs.
Me and the cats are staying in for now, so that we can stay warm. With my constant worries about Nimbus' health, it is imperative that these cats do not get sick, especially him. I had wanted to head out to check on an application I have in, but with the weather today, I just couldn't get to it. I'm glad too, as the mix of snow and freezing rain would've just been too much to walk in. I will go tomorrow whether or not the weather cooperates (I have to - the cats' litterbox is almost empty and I'm out of peach flavored tea). I know you all probably are going "eewww" over the thought of flavored tea like that, but it's the only way I can drink tea. For some reason, I just can't stand it most of the time, and the lemon isn't enough.
Anyways, I'm going to head off for now and catch up on the news. But before I go, here's some food for thought. Should a dangerous sex offender be allowed to keep his lottery winnings? Or should he give his money to charity and his victims and their families?

Opinions Needed

I've been thinking about adding AdSense on my blog, but as this is a small blog, I can't see it earning any money for me either. But at the same time I don't want to turn anyone off of my blog as we all see so many ads already. What say you? Your opinions count BIG TIME in this decision.

HEY!!!!!

My cats won't let me stretch out!!! But can I complain? Look at my babies... can you really argue with twins lying right at your feet under the desk? Naw.

And this is my mess - more organized now - but my project mess. All them bundles of string used to be crammed into a 2" cubic box... it was such a hassle to find any color. But you can see now what I'm working on, a back profile of two cats sitting on a fence and the smirking smiley face I just finished last week. I'll do a background on it later, once I know if I'm going to be able to use any more of that space. I'm a little concerned I won't have enough space on top, but I'll be ok I think. I put the picture sideways so you can see how it looks when I have it hanging up on my wall to keep the strings hanging down. I just took plastic canvas scrap and yarn scrap to make the hooks. One day when I get bored I might do a background on it, but seeing as it's just a place to hang my cross stitching threads, I probably never will. Hell, if I get too many more colors, I might need to get another sheet! Luckily I still have 5 more :). I always have a few sheets on me, and they're dirt cheap, so it's no big deal. As for the cross stitch sheets, the small squares from other mini projects that I have I keep in an empty cd case that's been emptied of any excess plastic and paper, so I can see the blank ones and the ones with stitching started. I usually have my spare threads wrapped up, but I need more canvas spools for that, and right now, that's not a priority as I'm trying to figure out a way to hang them up on my sheet too. We'll see, I just don't want to have to stitch on extra hooks, it wasn't the funnest or easiest thing!

My Friends

As Promised!

As promised, here's some new (and newly recent) pictures of ALL my babies! Pictures first, captions later. I'm sure ya'll can figure out which one's which. I tried to make it easy!







































































These two are my boys, as I'm teasing them with a not-yet-bloomed carnation that was given to me. They loved playing with it (all 3 actually) and I must say it was absolutely hilarious, as there were even a couple pawslapping matches!

This is my sweet Jadzia snoozin on my lap. She's my lap cat, usually willingly. Curzon rarely does, and the only way you get a Nimmy lap cat is by using one of his blankets, and that's rare. That pink blanket was a christmas present from Ms. E, nice and warm too!

My Jadzia on guard duty, or rather, watching her free tv show! What she was looking at, I don't know but it was either a neighbor or a bird, probably a neighbor considering she wasn't squeaking!

My Nimbus... fresh off the camera, relaxing on the blanket just before I started this post as we jam to some RHCP and Godsmack :)

And of course, Mr. Curzon, TRYING to look small. But he's not much smaller than Nimbus. Considering he's a year older than Nimbus, it's quite backwards! But he's still the Alpha cat (when Jadzia lets him be LOL) and he ain't afraid to flex his muscle. Here, though, he just wanted a little attention while I was photographing his sister.

Progress

I'm making some good progress...
1. I'm getting my money back on the one hand, yet on the other hand, I have to front it to take care of another piece of business until THAT money comes back.
2. I set aside a cross-stitch project a while ago - only to pick it back up as part of the project I'm working on now. But I shrunk it down a bit and changed what I was doing. 3 different colored strings twirled together don't mix like it does with paint LOL. Plus the holes aren't that big! lol
3. Thanks to Mr. Cat (the name I'll use to refer to my better half from here on out), we have figured out why my desktop's connection was so shoddy, to a point. I'm still dropping a lot, but not like I was. It's not dropping every 5 minutes, or every time I move. That's progress! lol
4. In the process of #3, my desk is a little cleaner. Though I still have some books I need to get rid of (apparently). *grunt*
5. Found me some more music ;-) My music collection needed a wee expanding. Just some Chili Peppers and Godsmack... need to hunt down some Patsy Cline. But I'm not in that mood. LOL
6. Got ALL my emails cleared out... gmail, all 4 hotmails, 2 aol's, 2 yahoo's... oh crap, no I didn't... But those are accounts I don't even know if I remember passwords to, I don't use them at all anymore! Heck, ICQmail ain't been used in 8 years, excite ain't been used in probably 6, so they prolly cancelled anyways! I wish there was a way I could get hotmail and yahoo to forward the emails to gmail *sigh* oh well.

So off I go again, to finish a couple more things then perhaps git back to my cross stitching. No yarn for me for now, my hands are still recovering from crocheting that scarf!

A couple extra thanks...

To Cheryl, for being my voice of reason when I had none, and for being the logic when my brain didn't want to be logical.

And to my dear friend in missouri who shall remain nameless (unless she wants to be named, she knows who she is) for just being a very special young woman and a friend for a long time. Thank you for listening to me ALL the time. *hugs*

Thinking Problem...

(Before I paste this blog, if anyone knows the song I'm referring to in the blog, I'll be impressed. haha... Anyone remember the artist who released it? I do!)

So... Another tv anchor says something really stupid and gets suspended... This time it was MSNBC's David Schuster.
The comment was made in a conversation about Hillary Clinton's daughter Chelsea on the campaign trail. He said something to the effect that it seems like Hillary was "pimping out" her daughter.
Ok here's my point on it. It was rude, inconsiderate, and utterly disgusting to even suggest such a thing, even if it was sarcastic. Let him serve his suspension, then come back on the air and apologize. Much worse things have been said on air by personalities still broadcasting. Let's not let this one thing get in the way.
Ok, on to other issues... Waterboarding.
It was made official this week. The government waterboarded three terrorism detainees, including the mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks, within the months after the attacks.
Let's assume it hasn't been done to anyone else since, just for the sake of argument. While I believe this practice is torture, I am torn as to whether or not it was worth it in this case. We had just been attacked horrendously, and the terrorists surely didn't care who they killed, men, women, children - it didn't matter. But we Americans are supposed to be bigger and better than that.
But where's the line between morality and security? Could we have gotten the same information without this practice? I just don't know. My cold, angry, hateful side says do what you gotta do, get the information, then hang them slowly, so they feel the pain that they thrust upon us Americans, as well as all the others they have attacked. But then the warm side that you all are familiar with cries out for morality, justice, and fairness, and asks if it's worth it. I just don't have the answers. Does the end justify the means? No one died, no one REALLY got hurt, but I'm sure they didn't think so when it happened.
So is waterboarding torture? And should it be used when nothing else works? Or should we be willing to risk another attack in our goal to remain on the moral high ground? Or are you also sitting on the fence not sure? What's your opinion?

Thanks

In this season of cold, dry, dead-looking season we call winter, I find it necessary to pass along some gratitude to some of my fave peeps, some of which rarely, if ever, read my blog, but that's ok.
1. To the vibrant and sweet Jeannine, wherever you may be. I miss you and hope you and the kids are well.
2. To my beloved "adopted mum" Debbie. You're the closest I have to a Mom left, and you've been the best friend I ever had growing up. You were an unwaivering source of strength, comfort, guidance, love, and humor along the way. Can you believe our "meeting" was 20 years ago? (Yes folks, we go back most of my life LOL)
3. To the only man that could ever understand me, the love of my life for the rest of my life. You are one of the strongest yet one of the most gentle people I've ever known in my life. You make me think when I'm jumping the gun, laugh when I'm too sad to, and... Eat when I just don't want to! Without you I'd surely not be here today, and without you I wouldn't have gotten through all the battles I've gone through, especiallly scarlet fever. Thank you also for understanding why storms were - and kinda still are - so scary to me! It must be a midwest thing!
4. To one of my closest friends online, Walter. You make me think when writer's block owns my brain. You make us all laugh once in a while too! You are an unwaivering friend that never gets too preachy, and considering that's what you do for a living, that's irony in a nutshell!
5. To my political junkie cohort, Tom. You awaken us all to the BS that IS politics, and give us all something to shake our heads at. Thank you!
6. To my sorely missed MaryAnn, my one friend in Ohio I could always count on for a laugh, and an occasional surprise bump-in laugh fest on the bus on the way to or from work. I miss you dearly and hope things get better soon. I wish you could get out of Ohio but I'm just glad Taft is gone *vomit* one Bush gone, one to go LOL (gotta be from there or know who I'm talking about to get it).
7. To my always optimistic friend Katy, a source of strength, a great guinea pig (thanks for letting me bounce things off of you), and someone I can always count on for a laugh. Sometimes life deals us a crappy deck of cards, and its our job to make something of it. You show everyone how it's done! Chin up my dear, because you never know when you're going to find yourself a millionaire! Hehe
8. To my beloved Mom, rest in peace, for showing me that it's ok to be unique, along with all those other things Moms pass along. Love ya, miss ya, and I'll be there shortly (just don't fret if it takes me a while, I seem to be stuck here hehehe).
9. (Stealing a line or two from a high school buddy of mine from back in the day.) To all you mfkrs who made my life living hell growing up and those who doubted me every step I took: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. You made me stronger, you made me more driven, you made me more gutsy. It hurt along the way but I don't regret it. You get what you give, and surely you'll get your dues soon enough. Meanwhile, the world can't knock me down because I already seen the bottom and it doesn't scare me anymore.
10. To all you I once knew online that either turned your back on me or on someone that I care about. Remember karma's a b****. I'm not mad at you, as anger only gets in the way. No hard feelings, just time to go.
11. To my wonderful neighbors, thank you for putting up with me, and thank you especially, E, for that wonderful birthday cake, and B, for the presents, though I told everyone not to. It was greatly appreciated and your thoughts warmed up a cold, gloomy night.
12. To whoever came up of the idea of putting wheels on backpacks, THANK YOU on behalf of all of us folks who killed our backs early in life for giving us a way to carry on without having to CARRY on, and those whose backs will never be as fkd up as ours!
13. To my cats, Curzon, Jadzia, and Nimbus, the sweetest, kindest, funniest souls I ever knew. You taught me compassion, love, and the ability to laugh through anything. You showed me that size doesn't really matter (thanks Jadzia), sweet doesn't mean weak (thanks Curzon), and not all the sweetest things in the world come in small packages (you haven't been accused of being small in ages Nimbus).
14. To the doctor who examined me when I had scarlet fever, thanks for not telling me just what it was! I didn't need any more fear, I already felt like I was dying, I didn't need to know I was! And thank you too for catching my ear infection while you were at it!
15. And to all of the rest of my blogger friends, I didn't forget you, but I decided by 15 I better shut up or this blog will never end... Thank you for reading the blog and the ones I send out privately. Thank you for your support, comments, ideas and humor. Your blogs are special to me, and I look forward to each one of them!
I hope each one of you are doing well, and I will talk to each of you soon!

It's How You Do It!

There are times when this world when things just seem to go wrong, when everything that you know isn't what is real, when things just don't go quite as planned... Thus starts my day...
It actually started last night. I had planned to be in bed early (around 10pm) in the hopes that I could actually get to sleep before midnight. Well, so much for that. The night ran away from me, seemingly literally. Before I knew it, it was already well past midnight, approaching 1am and I had just crawled into bed. So by the time I got to sleep, it was already after 2, so there goes being awake before 10am.
I knew I had a lot to do, as I knew I needed to at least go to the store today (which is a 3 mile walk round trip). But I ended up having to the bank too, on the other side of town (a mile to the west). So, stupid me, already up late (11am), instead of taking the day in steps, I decided to take it all at once, walking the 2 miles round trip to the bank but instead of coming home and resting first, going straight on to the grocery store. So by the time I got all my walking done, taking into account walking inside of stores and such, I figured by the time I sat down at home, I'd walked close to 6 miles with only two small (less than 5 minute) breaks. Yes, very very stupid me...
Just as I was sitting down to eat, our roommate came home. Thankfully too, sort of. He decided he wanted to go out and take my man with, just the guys hanging out on a Friday afternoon. So while they talked for a few minutes, I quick ate my food (not out of rush, out of hunger) and tried to decide whether or not to take a nap (not like I could afford to take one after the late awakening). Well, once the guys left, I decided, with the apartment to myself, I was taking a recovery soak in the tub! Only one problem... A cat that LOVES drinking bath water! Thank goodness I don't put anything in my water, except some as-hot-as-tolerable water!
So why am I telling you this?
The moral of the story: Don't try to make any big plans or resolutions on your significant other's birthday!!! LOL
And while I got ya'll laughing, remember this...
A cat with her tail down is in trouble, a cat with her tail up is either proud or just farted! *gag* Poor Nimbus...

Fixing

Just fyi, yes I know some of the previous blogs no longer look weird. I went through the last about dozen blogs and fixed them. This won't affect future blogs, as it's a problem with how the program works, but it fixes the ones I already posted. :)
I hope everyone is doing well and soon I'll post new pics of the cats (Curzon has to let go of my hand first LOL).

Sad But True

Isn't it sad we give more money to our presidential candidates than we do to the poor?
It is estimated in just the two days since the massive Super Tuesday primaries, the two Democratic candidates alone raised $14mil in cash just on their websites, no dinners etc. Considering by law an individual's donation is limited to (approximately) $2300, that's a lot of people donating. If each one of those donors would even donate half of that to their local foodbank or other charitable organization, we wouldn't have near the tragedy of children going hungry or without medical care. Women would have more access to help when trying to get out of abusive relationships. High school graduates in low-income families would be able to afford college better. If we spent the money that the select few politicians spend getting elected on more worthwhile things, how much better would we, as a nation and a society as a whole, be even within a few short years as kids no longer fight off hunger pangs during school? Trust me, school breakfast doesn't silence those pangs, they only numb them for a little while. If the only meals kids are eating are at school, they're still going to be starving during class. Let's stop wasting money and start spending wiser.

So Much for Endorsements!

Just as I was set to go towards Romney, he pulls out! Dangit! Now I'm stuck with McCain on one side, and two left-wing extremists on the other. Now the question is, will it be Clinton or Obama? Dangit. Just a warning folks, the next 4 years might suck as much if not more than the last 8 have. Either the government's gonna take even more of our paychecks and take away our choices or we're gonna be the United States of Mexico stuck in the Middle East! So here we go...

Endorsements, or Rather, Who I CAN NOT Vote For

Republicans:
I'm really torn here, as it might come down to me voting for a Republican, much as I fear another 4 years of Bush politics. But I'm dismayed about the Democratic options, much as I tend to lean a little left, though I am through and through an Independent. I cannot and will not support Mike Huckabee or Ron Paul, as they are far too radical to fit ANYWHERE in my realm of values. So that leaves John McCain and Mitt Romney.
I've known a few Mormons, and they've always struck me as being honest people.
But politics corrupts all, regardless of religion. So that's a non-issue. McCain's got a deal-breaker or two on his side. I don't care so much about campaign finance reform when it comes to deciding who to vote for, there are many more important issues to consider first. But his whole stance on immigration and amnesty is a MAJOR deal breaker for me. It affects our economy AND our national security.
Mitt Romney on the other hand, I don't really even know enough about his positions to say yes or no. But McCain is really pushing me towards Romney, but there are twists, as you'll see on the Democrats.

Democrats:
This one is short, sweet, and to the point. If Hillary Clinton wins, I will vote for ANY Republican. She will thrash our beloved Constitution, and with a Democrat-controlled congress, she could get her way easier than any Republican could. I would be sweating bullets in the hypothetical (but near impossible) situation of a Clinton vs Paul general election, as they are both so radical. So there leaves Obama.
Clinton and Obama are so similar it's scary, but at least Obama has his universal health care only for the kids. This is the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. We have something given to us back in 1776 that NO ONE can take away: FREEDOM. Freedom to choose. Freedom to reject. Freedom to spend. Freedom to not spend.
Hillary came out this week in support of garnishing wages if she gets her universal health care into law!!!!!!! WTF?!? If we were talking about adults not paying for their children to have insurance, I could (albeit, reluctantly) go along with it. But we're talking about voting-age, drinking-age, combat-age adults who are mature enough to decide whether or not they want and/or can afford health insurance. The last thing we need is big brother (aka the government) making choices for me. So reluctantly, Obama becomes the candidate on the Democratic side for me.

Overall:
Clinton vs Romney - Romney
Clinton vs McCain - McCain
Clinton vs Huckabee - ?
Obama vs McCain - Obama
Obama vs Romney - ?
Obama vs. Huckabee - Obama

Clinton vs Huckabee - forced health care vs 25% "consumption tax" - which evil is less evil? I'm leaning towards Hillary...

Obama vs Romney - my problem is I don't know enough about either to say one way or another.

A vote for Romney is possible, though I would be hesitant to do so. But the chances of me voting for Hillary is slim to nil, in the same category as Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee.

I don't truly think anyone will base their decision on my way of thinking. As a matter of fact, I hope no one does. We each need to decide for ourselves. I'm just giving everyone a glimpse into what makes my brain spin right now and where it MIGHT be spinning. I still have to register for the primary (as technically I'm still not a PA resident yet, holding out in case we were going to move again, but now stuck here). Any thoughts that you my readers may have, both here in the US and internationally, are more than welcome.

So much for luv... LOL

I was sniffin' around the net looking for a sneakaround to get pda access to yahoo (especially) and hotmail. Well, I found the codes, but one yahoo account went through but the other didn't. But I emailed from my gmail to my yahoo and it was showing in the pc email but the program on the pda wasn't picking it up, kinda like a year ago or two when I still depended on yahoo and I quit getting my emails, causing me to switch to gmail. No love with hotmail yet either. Bah, if everyone would just quit emailing me there! LOL
Goodnight folks, as it's 11pm and somehow, miraculously I'm still on, but off I go!

Oh Hillary...

Hillary, Hillary, Hillary... Can you get through a close election by NOT getting all emotional? I understand it's been a long campaign (a whole friggin month) and you're about to lose your voice. But every time the race is tight, you don't have to get all weepy. You're starting to look like the fake many of us Independents and I'm sure several Republicans know you really are. Get over yourself, ma'am. Be happy you're even in Congress.

Miscellaneous thoughts

So how many of my American readers watched the Super Bowl last night? And how many of you (suckers) were going for the (undefeated) Patriots, buying into the thought that no one could stop their run from the first 19-0 season in NFL history (the 70s era Dolphins played a different number of games during their undefeated season)? I have to admit, I wasn't too concerned about the game, as the Giants beat my beloved Packers in the Championship game, but at least we can say we got beat by the best team in the league. I have to say... nothing like an underdog, is there? And now poor Eli isn't just the younger brother of Peyton, one of the best quarterbacks playing now. Now he has his own Super Bowl ring and the people that doubted him this year can't say he's just an up-and-coming quarterback. He's started building his own shoes outside of big (and incredible) brother Peyton's shadow.
So what do you make of (IMHO untalented) Britney Spears' stint in the hospital psych ward? Is it too late for her? Do you think she even needs it? Or is it just in time for her? And why and the hell was everyone griping at her for that last appearance where she had obviously gained weight? She finally looked healthy!! And on a side note, why isn't Paris Hilton her next door neighbor in that hospital? Sheesh!
Did you hear about one state congressman's drive to make restaurants in Mississippi not serve "obese" people. Ok first of all, this is just rude and wrong. Some people can't help it and shouldn't have to suffer because some people can't help but overeat or eat foods that are bad for them. But most importantly, there's a particular law we have that keeps this from happening... THE CONSTITUTION! It is illegal to discriminate, and it is unconstitutional also. Our founding fathers are shaking their heads in their graves I'm sure. Of course now this guy that suggested it (I'm assuming it was a guy) says he doesn't REALLY want the bill to pass... so, WHY'D YOU PROPOSE IT, IDIOT!?!
So what do you make of McCain seeming to be the frontrunner for the Republican nomination? Will the conservatives who will refuse to vote for him vote for Hillary during the general election? I doubt it. Not only is Hillary much more liberal than McCain, but even IF some Republicans refuse to vote for McCain, I am sure it will be offset by Democrats refusing to vote for Hillary. I will be one of those Independents shaking my head in confusion in November if it it comes down to McCain vs. Hillary. I think I would just HAVE to go with McCain though, even though I'd regret it, but I cannot vote for Hillary, no matter how much I think Bill was one of the best presidents in recent history. She's no Bill, no, not even close. So we will see.
I went to the grocery store today to get some cheap pizza for the man and to get me some cheap (but good) fetucinni alfredo as we'd both been having cravings. While I was there I did something I haven't done in almost a year, since the big pet food recall. I bought them their favorite treats. Of course, I read the label, as I refuse still to buy any food that has glutens in it, even if it means paying more, meaning I'll be buying less. I refuse to put my cats' health on the line over a treat or a special treat of canned food. But when I came home, even before I started heating up the food, I gave the kitties each 3 little treats. I don't think I've EVER seen them so happy in the 6 years I've had the twins or the 5 years Nimbus has been alive!
Anyways, me and my tender joints (the weather must be getting ready to get colder) are going to head off for a little bit. So I'll see ya'll later, and enjoy your week, especially if it isn't winter for you!

Update on Previous Blog

In a blog I posted yesterday, I said that Microsoft was out to buy Yahoo. It's BILLION not million... 44 BILLION DOLLARS. Crikey! Then again, the big oil companies are making that a year, so maybe Bill Gates should get into oil instead of email and internet search companies. So wtf? I guess we, once again, get stuck with the bill while the big tycoons get the monsterous mansions up on the hill where they can't even see us "small" folks.

Update to Previous Blog and More

Well, with some tinkering I got this new program to work ok. I decided to set the email program up to only download the first 10 lines of an email (as I plan to still use the mobile IE to read and delete email) to speed it up. But sending is my main prerequisite, and it seems to be working well.
There is word that Microsoft is offering to buy Yahoo for nearly $45mil (yes, I'm serious). Let's see, if this happens, you still won't be able to upload your email on your Microsoft OS pda (as this requires POP access, which Microsoft charges for and Yahoo requires you use their program which takes up a minimum of 4mb on your pda). You still won't get your email for a day or two, if at all, and now your emails will have twice as much spam!! I'm thinking about switching my yahoo and hotmail accounts to my old aol or my aimmail account! Sheesh, most are already only spamboxes, and if I didn't depend on my gmail so much and need to keep it free of massive emailings, I might just finish the transition. But I don't know, maybe it'd make more sense to have my survey sites on gmail also (I'm on 4 different sites, one sends to gmail, two to yahoo, and one to hotmail, based upon when I joined them). I've been contemplating combining them for ages, but I don't to suddenly be overwhelmed with emails, as with the other ones, I can easily ignore until I can actually take care of them.
I have all my projects done, except my cross-stitched football field as I have put it aside for now. I made a basic hook that I made a couple dozen of to secure to a blank sheet of canvas to hang all my cross-stitch threads on so they're not all folded up and stuffed in a little box. So now I'm working on a few small cross-stitch patterns (one at a time of course), to stitch to a piece of felt then onto a bag I made a long time ago to use for a mini-purse and pda bag. I started the actual work today on a smiley face, but without the text. I haven't decided if I might add a banner on each side later, as I need to get my squares done first and see how things will fit as my bag size is set.
Surprisingly, the cats have been staying out of all my thread, though I have it scattered around the couch and table right now. Curzon's sacked out on the desk chair right now, oblivious to ANYTHING going on (me kicking the chair didn't even stir him lol), Jadzia's snoozing on the other side of the couch from me, and Nimbus is reading the paper by osmosis on the loveseat (if ANY creature is a reader by osmosis, it's him, he's always so serious, even watching the news intently).
We decided last night was treat night, ordering in dinner (the roommate was ordering anyways so we just jumped in) getting ourselves a couple mushroom cheeseburgers which were just so juicy and delicious that we just couldn't help but devour them (even me, who'd just eaten not an hour or so earlier). What we're going to do for tomorrow's game, I don't know. There's plans to go upstairs and watch the game, but if I'm feeling tomorrow like I am tonight, I won't be up there too much. I'm not trying to be anti-social, I'm just not FEELING very social and jolly. It's kinda hard to be that way when things are tight and the job market is even more tight. Oh if I could go back and change things... But I wouldn't change much, even if I could. When I left home, I would've taken Mom with me if I'd known better, spent my money wiser, not gotten that second credit card, but all in all, I'd still done everything, as if any of it changed, I'd be without the cats and the love of my life.
I've had several people ask me if arguments destroyed my previous relationships or if I was just too stubborn, as they were going through tough times themselves. As I explained to them, stubbornness leads to arguments, but when itmatters most, you must stick to your guns, even if it means the end of the relationship. Take the last serious relationship I was in before I left home. I cannot and WILL NOT be forced to do anything I do not want to do, and trying to do so will cause hell for you, as that poor sucker found out. He soon found himself devoid of many friends (as we had many mutual friends) and banned out of the store I was working in (can't harass someone at work and not expect that). I won't go into further details, but know that as stubborn as I am, and as willing as I am to sometimes pick a fight, there are some fights better left unfought, and this is something I am still learning. We all have issues and sometimes that emotional, mental, and psychological baggage can interfere with rational thinking. This is why sometimes I email one or more of you for advice before I say or do something that might be stupid. It's my check and balance system, and I thank you (suckers lol) for being a part of it. Luckily I have a wonderful man in my life that understands my baggage (though he's still figuring some of it out) and loves me enough to work with me to empty out that suitcase. I can't thank him enough, try as I might, for his patience, as we fight to keep the walls from coming up every time one of the triggers find their way. Even the wrong tone of a "no" can send my walls up sky-high, and I wish I could throw
them back down just as fast, but it doesn't work that way. I've been told many a time I need professional help, I just sigh. All I ever needed was someone that loved me and had a patient heart of gold. Love and patience cures much more than any stranger could. No offense to psychologists, I'm actually happy to say I grew up around one who was more a friend than anything. I just find most of them to be full of BS and I'm not about to go wasting time and money to find one that isn't when I got all the emotional support I need right at home and here on my blog.
So here's my early Valentine's present to all of you, my faithful friends and readers... THANK YOU! To all of you, big hugs and thanks from my (cold and wet) corner of the world to yours.

Stupid Politicians' Talking - as promised!

There's a lot of stupid stuff being said this election season, and so I decided
I'd list my (least) favorite suggestions.
1. Driver's Licenses for ALL illegals - Obama
Barack Obama (D-IL) has just come out with a proposal to give licenses
to all illegal immigrants. Ok, IMHO this is the stupidest idea I've heard to
date, and that's hard to do. They tried this in California and it cost the
Governor his job because of the impact it had. They have tried this in other
states as well, NY included, and the same thing has happened. Doing this gives
the illegals a piece of legitimacy and a hint of legality. It allows them to
open bank accounts (which face it, most of their wages goes back to their
homeland) and access to parts of our society that should be reserved only for
legal immigrants and citizens. But let's be honest here. They're already
breaking the law by being here. Do you really think they're that concerned about
the law that they're going to get these licenses, which would require they admit
their crime? Most of the time, before or shortly after they arrive, they have
plenty of false documents to make it appear they are here legally. Add this to
the list of reasons I'm not going to vote for Obama.
2. Amnesty - McCain and others
The "path to citizenship" is a load of bullshit if I ever heard it. We
already have a path! It's called visas (and in other situations, green cards)!
You apply for a visa, come over, apply for legal alien residency, then start the
process for naturalization! This proposed "path to citizenship" that was pushed
and then voted down was nothing less than a blanket amnesty check for millions
of illegals already here, many of which have committed other crimes. If we're
going to help the illegals, let's pay them $2 a day to build the fence - from
the Mexican side! Let them fence themselves out, with supervision of course. But
let's not use border patrol agents to do that, they have to make sure they
aren't getting shot at by the Mexican military. Let's send some of our soldiers
that aren't in Iraq down there if they're nearby. Even an Air Force pilot can
shoot a gun! Then once we got the fence built, we'll round them up and send them
up to Canada to do the same thing! Once they're done there, we'll ship 'em back
and tell the Mexican government that it's their turn to figure out what to do
with their people! Meanwhile, we'll start checking all these Arabs to make sure
they're not terrorists! Am I racist? I try not to be, but let's be honest. The
9/11 terrorists were Arabs, mostly Saudi. We must make sure that we aren't
letting them plot new attacks from within our borders. I'm not calling for camps
like we had for the Japanese during World War 2, I'm just talking about
verifying citizenship and loyalties. And while we're verifying that the Arabs
are here legally and not plotting to blow us up, and making sure the Latinos are
here legally, let's do it to everyone else too. We're all supposed to have birth
certificates anyways! Suppose one year everyone who pays taxes has to stop by
their local IRS office and hand in their tax paperwork and show their birth
certificate. That way, we know all of our employees are legal. Then we do the
same with the government assistance rolls (welfare, social security, disability,
etc). What's left? The criminal syndicate! The drug dealers (many of which are
illegal immigrants) and those not supposed to be here! If they're legal, they
can show a birth certificate. I don't have a problem proving I'm an American by
birth. As a matter of fact, I'd be proud to!
3. Universal Health Care - Democrats
This is another one of those issues that is making it hard for me to
vote for ANY democrat lately. Our economy cannot handle any extra burdens on it
right now. The stock market's down, the housing market is in the midst of a
collapse, and oil and food prices are up dramatically, hurting low- and
middle-income Americans hardest. We already have government health insurance for
the poor and working poor. We now have the SCHIP program for middle-income
families that make too much for Medicaid but not enough to buy their own. We
don't need the government mandating anything else. If you can afford the
insurance, then get it, stop begging for handouts! The real issue is these very
profitable companies cutting their insurance for employees instead of cutting
back on extravagant wages for their CEO's.
4. "Consumption Tax" - Huckabee
Former governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR) has proposed eliminating the income
tax, and dismantling the IRS altogether. Now while this sounds heavenly, as who
wouldn't like to have more of their paycheck every week, this in reality is
about as stupid as any proposal can get. In an attempt to make up for the income
and other taxes no longer collected, he has proposed a 23% "consumption tax" to
make up for it (which many experts have said wouldn't be enough). Now he SAYS
that some would get a "prebate", which doesn't make much sense either. But let's
put this into perspective. This tax would be on EVERYTHING bought, food included
(many states don't tax food), so that $1 pack of eggs (and if you're still
paying that for a dozen eggs, I envy you) suddenly costs you nearly an
additional quarter. Now let's say you want to buy a $400 PDA. Under current
sales tax rates (which average about 7%, which is what my figures are based on),
you're total today would be $428, but under Huckabee's plan, it'd cost you $492,
a difference of $64. So let's go further, let's triple that cost, which is the
average price for a decent laptop. Now you're talking an additional $192! So
figure how much more cars are going to cost! And what if it goes onto gas too?
And what about the family in a state with 4 kids that probably spends $400 a
month on groceries tax free that suddenly has to spend nearly $100 more just to
cover the additional taxes? Our economy would not only screech to a grinding
hault, it'd plunge us into a recession as even middle-income Americans living
paycheck to paycheck would suddenly be thrown into poverty!
4. Campaign Finance "reform" - McCain amongst others
I'll keep this one short as in THEORY I agree with it but the process by
which it was debated was stupid. If you want to keep the lobbyists and
corporations out of politics, make it illegal for ANY company to donate! Make it
where only citizens can donate to campaigns, and set a limit! You can't have
loopholes and expect the law to work!

Super Bowl, Weather, Computers

Well the big day is almost here. No, I'm not talking politics this time! The
Super Bowl is just a day away, and like every other year it seems, I really
don't care who wins I don't think. I think this one will be another one watched
merely for the commercials, which reports have said cost over $2mil for each 30
seconds. That's no chump change! Let's put this into perspective. A recent
former news broadcast anchor's contract was said to be neary $1mil a year.
Figure that the weekend national broadcast anchor probably gets a little more,
so it's probably safe to say that the network makes the money it needs for all
its anchors' salaries for the year in one day. So I guess we should help the
companies shelling out all that money get the most bang for their buck by
watching their masterpieces... (insert sarcasm here).
What's with this weather? Where's that "global warming" now? China's buried in
record snow, the midwest is buried, the northwest is buried, the northeast is
buried, and here in PA, it seems we might float away! I've made it known several
times that I think humans aren't to blame for the warming, just we're only
making it worse. But let's make this clear. If they are right and we're heading
for a warm-up, silly as it sounds, stock up on food, water and thermal
undergarments while you can, because as the ice melts, the water current
temperatures will change, screwing with climates everywhere, leading to another
ice age as the cold waters will not be able to be warmed by the southern
currents because the ice that has melted has cooled them too much!
Well, I think (emphasis on the think lol) I solved my inbox issue on the PDA, so
that may save me (for now at least) from having to reformat the SOB completely
when I get the new CF card (which should have already been here but apparently
the mailman hasn't delivered the fkn money order). So who knows, maybe there
won't be any downtime for me after all! I'm sitting here watching the desktop's
internet connection fade in and out, and being thankful I'm not trying to send
emails on it right now! So hopefully this blog will post and I'll have a good
solution to my email-sending needs! Well, here we go....! (and of course if
you're reading this, you know I succeeded)