Freaky Friday
Mood:  not sure
This morning my outreach ranger came to me and asked me to check into a budget matter. I have somehow been labeled Budge Guru, which is funny because I can't even balance my own checkbook.

Here was the situation. Dana was trying to order something and charge it to a certain account and it kept coming back that there weren't enough funds in this account. Turns out there was $1400 unaccounted for. After doing a little research and running a couple of reports I figured out the problem Someone from another project charged to that account without letting us know.

Now for the freaky part. Here was my horoscope for the day:

A group you're affiliated with could find some discrepancies in their financial records, and they might ask you to check into it, Rebecca. This is probably due more to mistaken entries or lost pages than to any major disaster, but it'll set everyone's mind at ease. Don't be surprised if you have to dig through little scraps of paper buried in the bottoms of files. It'll be worth it, though, as everyone will be very grateful! Have fun!

I usually just read my horoscope for amusement sake. Not once have they gotten it right...except for today. FREAKY!

It is great when a plan comes together!
Mood:  happy
I was pulling into the office this morning when all the sudden a panic set in. I saw the landscapers here and they were doing something around the flowers I planted yesterday. I was afraid they were putting pine straw down and I didn't want that tacky stuff around my plants. I immediately ran up to the patio and my boss stopped me. I guess he could see the panic in my eyes. He said not to worry that Delmer was taking good care of me. I looked over at Delmer who was smiling from ear to ear. I then looked down at the flower beds to see he was placing this beautiful hardwood mulch neatly and delicately around my flowers. I almost started crying. Delmer came through!!! He said he knew from the look on my face the other day that I had an absolute hatred for pine straw and he wanted to make sure I was happy (probably because I am the one who writes the checks). Well needless to say that I am VERY happy. The front of the Visitor Center is really starting to look nice. It is actually a pleasure now to look out my windows. The Colonel probably wont even notice all the hard work we did but I will know and that is really all that matters.

I uploaded a couple of pictures to photobucket this morning. These pictures were taken yesterday before the mulch. But just imagine that the flowers are now surrounded by a beautiful dark brown mulch. Enjoy!

VAC Flowers

Flower Power
Mood:  happy
Well I have convinced my boss to let me plant flowers in front of the office. We have these plant beds along the front of the building. They used to have plants in them but a year or so ago when we remodeled the outside of the VAC the workers trampled all the plants so that left us with a pile of dead plants and weeds. Since our Colonel is visiting next week, the original plan was to just cover it all up with mulch. I must have really been charming yesterday or my boss was sick of me mentioing how a splash a color would make the place more inviting to visitors, because he sent me to Home Depot to price flowers. I can't get what I really want till spring but I have come up with a plan that I think will work really well for now. In one section I am planning a butterfly garden...should look great. I will try to take pictures. I should have taken some before shots so you could have seen how bad it really looked.

I came in early this morning and Josh and I weeded and prepared the beds. It is already hot outside and I think I managed to sweat off 5lbs. I am not looking forward to being ourside planting this afternoon. Must make sure I drink TONS of water.

Another Day in Paradise
Mood:  hug me
I hate Tuesdays! Why? Because Tuesdays are the days we have staff meetings. It seems that when we come out of the meeting I have about 80 other things to add to my to-do list. *sigh*

Our Colonel is coming next week so we are running around in a panic trying to get everything ready. Pulling weeds, getting the grass mowed, cleaning the office..etc. Luckily Tom will have him out in the project most of the time so I don't have to worry much about what I am going to talk to him about. He is actually a very nice man. He is down to earth and puts you at ease. We often talk about Catoctin (the park where I worked in MD) because he was stationed in DC for awhile and used to pass the park on his way to visit family in PA. We are planning a dinner with the Colonel Tuesday night and it is my duty to pick a restaurant. The only problem is...the places I like to go can be pricey for some. So I need to do some research.

I am trying to get my boss to agree to let me plant flowers outside my office window. He is worried it will be something else we have to keep up with. I assured him I would pick flowers (cone flowers, day lilies) that would be easy to grow and wouldn't take much care. I have end of the year money left in my budget so I might just go ahead and do it. I think he would really like it once I get done. We have a landscaper here doing some weeding and putting down mulch. I think he has a slight crush on me. His name is Delmer and he is just a sweet heart. I was outside talking to him about what kind of mulch he plans to use and he said pine straw. I immediately turned up my nose. As most of you know... I detest pine straw. It just looks tacky. He asked me what I would like to see used and I said some sort of bark mulch or cocoa hull mulch. He smiled, winked and said he would see what he could do. We will more than likely end up with pine straw because it is cheap but I know Delmer will do his best.

I heard from "A" last night. I was actually surprised that he called. Sunday night while I was out with Tanya and Andy I mentioned that I wasn't sure there was anything there between us. That it seemed to be more of the friendship than a romantic relationship. I thought that it was just my commitment phobia rearing its ugly head because after all it was the 2nd date and there is a holiday coming up. Well apparently "A" had the exact same feelings. He told me that I was a nice person but that he just wasn't feeling a connection. Wow I have never had a guy call and be so honest. Normally they just stop calling or ignore my phone calls or send me a crappy email. He says he still wants to be friends and hang out but just not on a romantic level. And before you all start sending me emails and calling me to see if I am okay or to bad mouth "A" in some way...remind yourself that it was only 2 dates and I was in no way emotionally attached to him. He respected me enough to be honest and that says a lot about him.

Well I guess I should get back to work. I have a lot of dining research to do. Later ya'll!!!

Where has the day gone?
Mood:  not sure
I just looked up from my computer to see that it was 4PM. Where has the time gone? I have had my nose buried in my computer all day and I probably would have worked through lunch if my boss hadn't told me it was time to eat.

The weekend went well. "A" and I had our second date. He picked me up around 11AM and we headed into a new park that the county has opened call Historic Yates Mill. We hiked about 1.4 miles (not nearly long enough for me but it was fun) and then headed over to look at the mill. The mill is apparently the oldest in the US and still runs with most of the original parts. They just got their Ag license so they will soon be making and selling corn meal. How cool would it be to stick some ears of corn in the sheller and then feed the kernels into the mill stone, then buy the corn meal you just made?

After the park we headed to Napper Tandy's which is a really quaint Irish Pub in Raleigh. We ordered lunch and watched rugby, which was a first for me. Man those guys are tough. What a sport. Don't understand the rules at all but it was fun to watch.

Once we finished lunch he brought me home and he headed back to Durham. The second date lately seems, for some reason, to be the date the kills the relationship. We will have to wait and see.

Sunday I got up and put a roast in the crock pot. I then did laundry and cleaned and even worked some on my dress. Then about 5PM there was a knock at my door. Tanya and some friends had stopped by to say hi and immediately smelled the pot roast and invited themselves to dinner. After devouring the meal I had hoped would last me all week, they felt bad and decided to take me to the movies. We went and saw World Trade Center. It was a great movie but too depressing to watch on a Sunday night. It ended up setting the mood for my Monday.

I have been a wild eyed best all day and I know it is PMS. I have tried hard to lift my spirits but no such luck. Maybe a peppermint patty will make me feel better? Let's go find out....

Finally Friday!!!!
Mood:  irritated
What a week it has been. I finally got my phone repaired after numerous phone calls to Bellsouth. My modem also arrived last night and I was able to get that installed...luckily without incident. I called just about everyone I knew to let them know that I was talking to them on the phone and surfing the net at the same time. It was an odd feeling. At one point I was reading email when my phone rang. I thought, "wait that can't happen...I am on the net." then it dawned on me. Whoo Hoo. The DSL is so much faster than my old dial-up. It is outstanding.

I just got done paying $700 worth of bills. Actually made me nauseous. Not only did I have my normal bills to pay..ie phone, cable and electric, but I also had my car insurance and my NC Personal Property Tax. *sigh* Can I just vent for a minute. It just irritates me that in this state I have to pay for the right to own a car. I paid taxes on the car when I got it and I have to pay for my registration, inspection and tags every year. You would think that would be enough, but NOOOOOO they send me a bill for $147 every year. The taxes are based on the value of the car at the time of purchase not what I actually paid for it and I don't think they care about depreciation. It just makes me so mad. They love to tax people in this state. They have a tax on food, which I think is absurd. When the tax was first put in place it was only to be for a few years. This year the tax was to be removed and they decided to leave it in place. I just want to know where all my money is going to. Also when you buy a car they charge you a fee...this fee goes into an account for a rail system (sort of like a metro) which we do not currently have here and there doesn't seem to be any plans to develop it in the future. Okay I will stop venting now.

My boss pulled me in his office this morning and told me that he wants to put me in for an award. I didn't really do anything special to get it. I just did my job. I realized that that rangers who work Sundays should have gotten premium pay so I went back and corrected everyones time from April to now. Yeah it was time consuming...but it is my job. My boss now wants me to write a letter that reads as if he wrote it bragging about myself and the job I did. I have stared at the screen for about an hour. I just hate bragging about myself. In any case I hope it will be a big award if I get it. May make up for the $700 I just spent on bills. LOL

I have a Dr's appointment this morning and even though I know it will only take about an hour or so, I have decided to take the rest of the day off to relax and get some chores done.

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

It is only a computer...it wont hurt you
Mood:  cheeky
I sometimes forget that most of my staff isn't well versed in computers.

We are suppose to take this online Ergonomics training. That's right...Ergonomics. *shrug* I didn't realize there was training in such a thing but leave it up to the govt to come up with something.

My staff has been coming to me today and telling me that the site wont load for them. I checked and it opened fine for me. It then dawned on me that the program is connected to the H: drive not the C: drive. So I sent out the following message to my staff:

"If you can not open the training it is because you don’t have the H: drive mapped on your computer. Please map your H: drive to the location provided below. Let me know if you have any problems."

This is the response I got back:

"Map the H: drive???? What in the hell is that? You might as well ask me to map a course to the moon. Are you serious? I have A,C,D, and E. There is no figgin' H. You are like, "just map it." Like it is something that every normal human being should know. So I guess I am letting you know that I have a problem with your instructions. Please come help me."

LOL I love my staff.

The Phone Saga Continues
Mood:  hungry
I got a call at work from the phone company yesterday about 2PM. The woman told me that a technician was on his way out to my apartment right now to fix the problem. I was so excited that they were able to speed up the repair (was told they couldn't send anyone out till Thursday.)

I got home last night and picked up my phone just to check and make sure it was fixed. It wasn't. Again all I heard was this horrible static. I called Bellsouth back and the woman who answered said to give the technician till 7PM. That he might just be running late. Well 7PM came and still no repair man so I called back. The woman said she would call and find out what the hold up was and call back. She never called back. So about 9PM I called back and was told they still didn't know what happened to the service call and that I would be first on the list for tomorrow. At this point I asked to speak to the manager. This whole time I am having to scream over the static. The manager comes on and apologizes and swears it will be fixed first thing Wednesday morning.

I got a call about 10 minutes ago from Bellsouth and the woman says the problem has been fixed and the line tested clear. We shall see. I just don't understand why this has to be so difficult. If the technician encountered a problem and couldn't make it out, that would have been fine. Just call and let me know that. I am a reasonable person and I understand that things happen but just let me know that.

Is it lunch time yet? I AM STARVING!!! My boss has come back after being off because of knee surgery. Which means I have been running around all morning helping him get caught up on stuff he missed. I have already been in his office twice to fix his computer. *sigh* I sit here at my desk and I here his computer start beeping. Then I hear this, "Rebecca I have done something wrong...its beeping at me again." I go in a push two buttons to correct the problem and he looks at me like I just performed some sort of great feat.

I need a vacation!!!!

I don't exist...
Mood:  irritated
Well at least as far as the phone company is concerned I don’t.

For the last month or so I have been experiencing some static on my phone line. The phone company has been out several times and but they can’t seem to fix the problem. Well Sunday night it got so bad that I couldn’t hear poor “A” on the other end. I know we have a date on Saturday but I have no idea what I agreed to do on said date because I couldn’t hear anything but static. .

After I hung up the phone I called the phone repair number. There is an automated answering thingy that asks you for your number and your complaint. After I entered all the options, I was immediately transferred to a live representative. This was our conversation.

Agent: Ma’am can I please get your phone number again starting with the area code.

Me: XXX-XXX-XXXX (using X’s to protect my privacy)

Agent: Is this a new account?

Me: No? I have had this account for two years now.

Agent: Hmmm….Well I show this account as being disconnected since December of last year. I don’t see any activity on this account since then.

Me: Well that is odd considering that I am talking on that line right now and you all continue to send me a bill every month so I must exist in your system somewhere. If not then who the hell am I sending all my money to?

Agent: Well ma’am I can’t put in a service order for a phone line that doesn’t exist.

Me: But it does exist…I am talking on it right now!
Agent: I am sorry there is nothing I can do about it. You will have to contact the business office tomorrow morning to get this straightened out. Is there anything else I can do for you this evening?

Me: Yes you can fix my phone.

Agent: Thanks you for you business and for choosing Bellsouth. *click*

I was so furious that I could hardly sleep that night. As soon as I got into work the next morning I immediately called the phone company. The woman who answered was a little more congenial than the woman at the repair center. She found me in the system and said she couldn’t understand what had happened. She then told me that they wouldn’t be able to get a repair man out to my place till Thursday. I explained that this has been an on-going problem and that my phone was now so bad that you can’t hear anything. I told her that it was my main phone and that I don’t use my cell phone much because it is pre-paid and I don’t get very good reception in my apartment. She said she would she if she could speed it up but that she doubted they would get to it till Thursday. I then asked if I would be compensated in some way, because I pay for a clear line and I am forced to go 4 days without internet or phone use. We discussed options that would make me happy. And finally agreed to upgrade me from dial-up to their basic DSL package at a “secret only I get it” rate for the first year, plus I get the modem for free (a $75 value). The kit is suppose to arrive Monday for me to install. This should be very entertaining. She said if I like the DSL she might be able to come up with a package deal for my phone and the DSL ultra package for about what I am paying now. SWEET!

A gentleman called me back last night on my home line and was able to witness the horrible static. He said he would try to have someone out to fix it today. Some how I the feeling that it wont be fixed till Thursday. It isn’t that I use my phone all the much but I just hate knowing I don’t have it if I should need it. My neighbor has been very sweet and offered to let me us his phone if an emergency arrives.

I hope this DSL thing will work as well as everyone says it will. I am excited about the fact that I will be able to talk on the phone and surf the web at the same time

Monday Morning and Here I Sit...
Mood:  mischievious
Had a very relaxing weekend. The weather was perfect and I actually got out and enjoyed it. It has been too hot here lately to really enjoy being outside.

I am sure most of you have tuned into the blog today to find out how my date went Friday night. Well actually it ended up being better than I expected. Lately it has been one horrible date after the next so I didn't have high expectations that this was going to go well.

I ended up breaking a couple of my first date rules. I know the guys at this point are rolling their eyes and saying, "Geesh, another girl with rules?" Well these aren't the rules you typically hear about like not going out with someone if he doesn't schedule the date before Wednesday. My rules are in place 1) for safety and 2) to get the most out of the first date experience.

This is where I broke a major first date rule. On a first date it is always good to meet on YOUR turf. That way if you have to make a speedy getaway you will know all the escape routes. Well my date talked me into coming to Durham, which if you read the early swing dance entry you will know that I become directionally challenged when I enter Durham. I met "A" (we will call him "A" to protect his identity) at Moe's Southwest Cafe at 7PM. I was actually early...imagine that. He then suggested that we just go ahead and eat at Moe's. For those of you who have never been to a Moe's, it is sort of a fast food Mexican place and not exactly what I would call romantic. I figured maybe he wanted to eat there because it would be quick. That way if the date didn't go well he wouldn't have to waste his whole evening and shell out a lot of money. I thought it wasn't a bad plan so I said sure. After dinner he suggested that we drive across the street to the Southpoint Mall. It is a neat mall in the fact that is is all outside and there are street performers, statues and fountains scattered all over. Thing must be going well at this point seeing as he wants to continue further.

As we walked around, we past by the movie theaters and decided to stop and check out what was playing. One of my other first date rules...avoid movies. It doesn't give you time to talk to one another and really learn if this is someone that you want to see again. But before I knew it we were buying tickets to see Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby . Which I highly recommend. It isn't a thought provoking movie. It is just one of those "just for fun" films. I can't remember when I have laughed so hard. We also saw a preview for a film coming out this fall called Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (just click on the title to watch the trailer). It looks like it will be hilarious.

After the movie ended we walked around the mall some more and decided to duck into Champs for a drink. This was a great idea because it would allow me to get to know him better. We sat there and talked till about 11:30 when both of us finally admitted that we were exhausted. So he drove me back over to my car and we headed home.

Do I like him? Even though I broke two rules, the date was very enjoyable. He is kind, considerate,smart,and has a great laugh. He is very laid back which I really enjoy and he didn't seem nervous. We both agreed that online dating sucks but I am glad that we decided to give it a try. He has already called me to set up a second date.We shall see...

Well I better get back to work. Later!

Fenwick the Cat is thinking up evil plots...
Mood:  don't ask
This week my cat, Fenwick, has done everything in his kitty power to make me late for work. He has knocked over his water dispenser sending 1/2 a gallon of water across the floor. He has thrown up on the carpet, knocked over the trashcan twice, and pulled down the shower curtains. I am standing in the bathroom getting ready when all the sudden I hear a CRASH and go running out to see what he has done now. He gives me a look like, "what the hell was that? Don't look at me...I didn't do it. It must have been the bird." I keeping threatening to give him away to the first band of gypsies that come through town but it hasn't worked. I don't know what has started this odd behavior. Maybe he is trying to tell me that I work too hard and need to spend more time cuddling on the couch with him. As much as I would love to take a mental health day...I just have way too much work to do and there are only two of us in the office this week. I still haven't rescheduled my massage. *sigh* Can't wait till October!!!!!

My boss is having knee surgery today and will more than likely be out for a week. I am hoping that this will enable me to get caught up on a few things. Someone from our district office sent me 3 large boxes of files that I have to sort through and catalog. They have been sitting in my cubicle for a week now. *I DON'T WANNA DO IT!!!!!* There is nothing I detest more than the Corps filing system. It just doesn't make sense to me. Oh well.

I have booked mine and Marie's trip to Ocracoke. We will be camping out...hopefully in a site near the water. I am really looking forward to it. I haven't been camping since last year. We will be taking off Friday Sept 29 and camping out for 2 nights. As of right now only 5 sites have been booked. I am hoping it will stay that way. I just want to get away and relax. The following week my Mom comes down for a visit. She bought us tickets to the Lion King. I can't wait!!! I haven't seen her since February. We talked about going out to Asheville for a few days to see the Biltmore, hike up Chimney Rock, and taste some wine. I still need to check out B&B's. The following weekend Marie and I will be heading to Charlotte for the Ren. Fair. I really need to finish my dress.

Well I think that is about all that is going on at the moment. I have a date Friday night with a guy I met online. I will try to fill you all in our how it went. Wish me luck!!!

No Wallflowers Here
Mood:  energetic
As most of you know, I love trying out new things. Well only if it doesn't involve spiders or heights. :) My quirky sense of adventure has allowed me to do some pretty odd and totally random things. So when my friend Marie emailed me last week to see if I wanted to go swing dancing Saturday night, I sounded out with a big HELL YEAH! There was only one problem. I have never been swing dancing before. She then informed me that they have a beginners class from 7 to 8. Well then sign me up!!! I was a little nervous seeing as it took me 3 years to learn the electric slide. I couldn't even imagine how much of a disaster this was going to be but at least I could say that I tried it.

I met Marie over in Durham a little past 5:30. It was amazing that I didn't get lost seeing as for some reason I become directionally challenged in Durham. I was a little late because mapquest said it only took 24 minutes to get there when actually it took 32, but I digress. We headed over to the pottery shop so that I could get the plate I had been dying to own and I was in luck...it was 30% off. Whoo Hoo!!! We then searched for a place to eat and settled on Fowler's for some sandwiches then headed over to the pastry shop,Amelia's, for dessert.

We decided to leave our cars parked at Brightleaf Square and walk the 4 blocks to the Armory. We got there and paid our $11 and headed for some chairs along the wall. I looked around and the scene reminded me of going to the bowling alley on league night. Everyone had come in with there street shoes on and immediately changed into their "swing" shoes. Marie was no different. She pulled out these cute white and black shoes from a bag that she had been carrying and put them on. Okay, now I feel a little out of place. My shoe choice? For some reason I opted to wear these cute high healed sandals. I would pay for this decision later. I often choose fashion over comfort.OUCH! Lesson learned.

About 7:15 the instructor called us out to the floor for our "lesson". He told us the history of swing and went over the different versions of the dance. We would be learning some East Coast Swing, which was apparently much easier to learn than West Coast. He then lined all the leaders on one side of the room and all the followers on the other. There seemed to be more followers than leaders which when you think about it...is sort of like society. Anyway...I chose to be a follower. We started out with the basic side to side and rock step. We did them over and over again until it was like second nature. Then came the fun part. The instructor paired us up with a leader and we practiced our basic moves. He then would yell "switch" and the followers would pair up with a new leader. This was a great way to meet people. Once we got our basics down, we started to learn a basic turn. I don't remember the name of it, but it was pretty simple. We practiced it a few times then went on to one of the holds. It was either called the cuddle or the cradle or the sweetheart or something along those lines. This one took me a little bit longer to master. While in the hold you are suppose to do a rock step before releasing and it always seemed I was on the wrong foot. LOL Well by this time it was 8PM and the band was ready to start playing. The last leader I ended up with was a really sweet guy named Chris who asked me right off the bat if I wanted to dance. Pleased that someone would let me try out my new skills I said sure. The music started and we started with our basic steps. Chris then started turning me and doing some other fancy moves. It was apparent to me that he was no beginner. But to my astonishment...I kept up with him. Apparently I was a natural follower and was able to pick up on his cues very well.

The evening went on and every time I tried to sit down to rest my feet, someone would come over and ask me to dance. I think I sat out a total of 2 songs. every time someone asked me to dance I would inform them that I was a beginner and wasn't very good. After I danced with them they swore I was lying about my skills. They said that I did very well. Not sure if it is true or they were just trying to make me feel better. LOL At one point I got a chance to dance with this Armenian guy. I wish I could recall his name. He was AMAZING!! He was such a great leader. He had a good hand grip and without saying a word he spun me around the floor like I had been swing dancing all my life. I think I could have danced with him all night. Marie had teamed up with this guy named James who danced with me twice. He told Marie that I wasn't bad, that actually I was a great follower. Maybe I have missed my calling in life??? :)

I glanced at my watch and it was now 11:00. My feet at this point were KILLING me and I still had to walk 4 blocks back to my car. I wish I could have stayed and danced longer. I also wish I would have had a camera with me.

I woke up Sunday morning with blistered feet and bruised heals but I wouldn't change it for the world. I can't remember a time when I had this much fun. I definitely want to do it again. Next time though...I will make sure I have on proper shoes.

Count down to the weekend has begun
Mood:  mischievious
Well it is finally Friday. This has been such a long week. I am grateful it has come to an end. I managed to get all of my stuff completed at work. Except for a few purchase requests but those wont take anytime at all to do.

Still no major plans for the weekend. I haven't yet check to see what is going on in and around Raleigh. I know the Gin Blossoms will be at Downtown Live but not sure I will make it down there. A few months ago my friend Marie and I went to this thing in Durham and we managed to stop at this little pottery shop. They had a plate there that I wanted but for some reason didn't buy. I have been meaning to drive back over there to see if it is still there. I also need to work on my dress. The fair is in Oct so I need to get crackin'.

Album review:

I recently bought Frou Frou's album, Details. I had heard one of their songs (Let Go) on the soundtrack for the movie Garden State and I loved it. After listening to the CD, I wasn't sure if I liked it. The first half of the CD was great...the last half was okay. Well after listening to it a couple more times the CD has grown on my and I absolutely love it. It is a trendy, sexy blend of music. There are some great sounds and the lyrics are very well written. If you don't have an ear for non-mainstream music I don't think this album is for you. But if you are like me and take time to listen to the words and the music itself I think you will fall in love with this group as I have. It is a shame that this album will likely be the last one for this pair. They both seem to be working on separate projects. Check out their Myspace profile and listen to some of their music. Frou Frou

I think there is something I am suppose to be doing now but I have forgotten what it is.
Mood:  a-ok
This is going to be a hectic week for me. I have so much I have to get done but I just can't seem to wrap my head around it all. I seem to be jumping all over the place. I start a project then I get distracted and start something else and then later I try to go back to what I started earlier but forgot where I left off. I need to come up with a "to do" list. It is so frustrating. I am trying to write up 3 government contracts and I just can't seem to get the wording just right. It is driving me insane *scream* I needed to take a break so I thought I would update you on the weekend.

Marie and I met up Saturday night to go to the Raleigh Wide Open street party. We ate dinner at the Oyster Bar then headed downtown to try to find a place to park. We figured we would park at the science museum because it was free and only 3 blocks away from the event. Everybody else in Raleigh must of had the same idea. I was lucky that someone pulled out as I pulled into the lot but poor Marie had to drive around the block. We finally got to the festival and were amazed at all the people. The whole thing was a lot of fun. They had 4 stages set up with different bands playing. There were street performers including a hoola-hoopist, who was amazing. They had food vendors, wine and beer tastings and then they concluded the whole thing with fireworks. After that Marie and I decided to head to Bogarts for some of their famous martinis.

After driving around Glenwood South for about 20 minutes, I finally gave up trying to find a place to park on the street and paid my $5 to park in the garage. Wasn't happy about that. Oh well. Marie and I got in and immediately "bellied up to the bar". She ordered a martini that tasted like chocolate covered cherries and I order a pomegranate flavored one. I immediately sent a text message to Anne to let her know what I was drinking. She called me to to tell me that she had been shopping and had bought pomegranate martini lip gloss and body splash. If you haven't read Secret Society Girl the pomegranate thing wont make much sense to you. Anyway...

As we sat there a man came up to order a drink and Marie started talking to him. His name was Ferdinand and he had moved here from Cameroon. He was so nice and I loved his accent. After ordering a couple more drinks we decided to all head out to the dance floor. Ferdinand asked me if I knew how to dance he said he didn't have any rt hymn. I laughed and told him that sober I can't get the beat but get a few drinks in me and I am the greatest dancer EVER! LOL It is funny how that works. :)

We found a mice open spot on the floor and the 3 of us started dancing. At one point I looked over and Marie was dancing with this middle eastern guy and seemed to be enjoying herself. But at one point she pushed him away and went over to dance with Ferdinand. I didn't understand why until a little later in the evening. As we continued to dance...the middle eastern man came over to me and started dancing with me. I didn't think anything of it and he seemed nice. That was until he started trying to put his hands up inside my shirt. I pushed him away and told him that I wasn't looking for "that kind" of action tonight. He smiled and said okay. I turned around to find Marie, when all the sudden the Middle Eastern guy came up behind me and grabbed my hips and started thrusting into me. He was a little too excited about it if you know what I mean. I tried to push him away but he clamped down harder. Ferdinand must of seen the look on my face and came over to pull me away. Thank god!! I don't mind dancing with guys that come up to me on the dance floor just respect my personal boundaries. If I push you away and say no...then understand that means no.

It started getting late and Marie and I decided to call it a night. I think I got home around 1:30AM and immediately went to sleep.

I got up the next morning and was a bit hungover so I decided just to take a day to relax. I meet up with some friends at Tir Na Nog for brunch then headed home to put on my bathing suit and then I headed up the pool. I was sitting there reading my book when a guy approached me and sat down in the chair next to me. He started talking to me about the typical things guys like to know about you. You know your name, age, sign...etc. All the sudden the conversation got a little too personal and a little too weird. He asked me which apt I lived in and asked me if I would show it to him. He asked me where I worked and wanted the street address and how much money I made. Did anyone live with me or did I live alone. He started telling me that he used to see me walking at night but noticed that the last two weeks I haven't been out. I informed him that it has been too hot and decided that was time to leave. I packed up my stuff and headed back to my apt. He and his friend also decided to leave and got in a white van and followed me as I headed home. They went down to the turn around and when they came back by they slowed down to see which apt I entered. What is it about me and stalkers? LOL I haven't seen them since but the whole thing just struck me as odd.

I don't have major plans for this weekend. I have a lot of stuff to do around the apt but other than that I will be relaxing or maybe hanging out with some friends.

Well I think that is about it for now. There is some blueberry cobbler that my boss made sitting in the next room and it is calling me. Can't resist. Till next time....

I need a dark room, soft bed, and a hunky guy with strong arms to give me a massage
Mood:  spacey
I woke up this morning with a horrible tension headache. I really thought about calling in sick but there are only 2 of us in the office today. I am early ranger and she is duty ranger so there wouldn't have been anyone to cover for me. *sigh* So here I sit with what feels like someone pounding on my head. I have taken Excedrin but it hasn't kicked in yet. On top of that...I have cramps. Just shoot me now!!!

I need to go to the spa and get these knots worked out of my shoulders but my weekend is jammed packed so it wont be till sometime next week. I need to take better care of myself. On the diet front I have lost 5lbs. Whoo Hoo!

Still planning on attending Raleigh Wide Open on Saturday. There is suppose to be a parade, fireworks, food, and wine. Should be a good time.

I also plan on taking some time to go through my 26 pairs of jeans to weed out the ones that I just don't wear anymore. Which will leave some room to buy more jeans. Somebody stop me!!! NY&C sent me a coupon for 30% off. Evil people are just feeding my addiction. I have on a pair of my new jeans today. Friday has sort of been my unofficial casual day. There is always a small staff at the end of the week so I can get away with not wearing my uniform. Anyway...the jeans really do look nice. I have gotten several compliments from the regular walkers out here.

Corn anyone? Be careful of what you wish for
Mood:  lazy
I have been craving corn on the cob. It is that time of the year when the corn is ready to be pulled. Everyday I tell myself that I will stop on my way home from work and pick up a few ears at the little veggie stand. Yesterday my boss surprised me by brining in some fresh silver queen corn on the cob and cooked it up for us. Man was it good...so sweet and juicy. I was cleaning up the dishes after lunch and my boss asked me if I wanted to take the rest of the corn home. Hell yeah I want the corn!!! I brought it home and cooked it for dinner. YUMMM!

Well today I come in and my boss is in the kitchen shucking more corn. Apparently we are going to have it AGAIN for lunch. He also informed me that his son was so pleased I enjoyed the corn that he pulled me and entire bucket full. What the hell am I going to do with entire bucket full (about 30 ears) of corn? I am sure after I finish this batch of corn, I will not want to see corn again till next summer.

Note to self: Don't tell boss that I am hungry for any vegetable he grows in his garden. After last year's tomato fiasco, you would think I would have learned my lesson.

Today should be quiet. At least I hope so. I have some data entry to do and then I have some powerpoint slides to come up with for a program I have to give next week.

Raleigh Wide Open (which in my opinion is a horrible name for a festival) is going on this weekend. They have been remodeling Fayetteville Street and its grand opening will be this weekend. There are going to be food stands. live music, and wine and beer tastings. Should be a good time. I also at some point this weekend need to go and pick blueberries and my old boss's house. I am hoping to try my hand at making blueberry scones. *keeping my fingers crossed that they turns out*

Oh to my friends in England...I have been searching for Yorkshire Tea Biscuits. If you can find them, can you send me a few packs? I will pay you for them of course. Although it will have to either be in US dollars or Euros...cause that is all I have.

I have an addiction
Mood:  cheeky
Hello my name is Rebecca and I am addicted to denim.

I got a coupon in the mail last week for 45% off any purchase at New York and Company (one of my favorite stores). I decided that I needed some new shirt. Something nice for when I go out to dinner. I swore to myself that I would not buy another pair of jeans. I have more than I will ever wear. So Sunday morning I headed out to the mall. I went into the store and immediately filled my arms with shirts. On my way to the dressing room I noticed a table with a display of their new Westside Jeans. I thought I will just pick up a pair and try them on...but I WASN'T going to buy them. Can you see where this is going? Anyway...I must of spent what seemed liked an hour in the dressing room. I tried everything on twice...including the jeans. I finally made my decisions and came out of the store with one shirt and 3 PAIRS of Westsside boot cut jeans. UGH!!! I am so mad at myself. I got home and counted and with the three pairs I bought yesterday I now own 26 pairs of jeans. *Sigh* It is a sickness. I need help. On a positive note...they are slimming and make by butt look very nice. LOL

I also went over to Bed, Bath and Beyond to buy new pillows and also manage to buy 440 thread count combed cotton sateen sheets. They are so soft. Getting into bed last night and feeling those soft sheets against my freshly shaved legs was heavenly (guys wont understand that sensation). I slept like a log.

I watched a movie last night called the "World's Fastest Indian". It was recommended to me by my friend Bill. I wasn't too excited about watching it, but told him that I would give it a chance. I LOVED IT!!! It is about a man named Burt Munroe (played by Anthony Hopkins) from New Zealand who comes to America with his Indian Scout motorcycle to try to set a land speed record. The best part of the movie is the odd characters he meets along the way. It is a great movie about determination, perseverance, and following your dreams.

I also finished reading Secret Society Girl Friday night. What a great book. Thanks Anne for sending it to me. It was definitely a page turner.There are very few books out there that are hard for me to put down. I just had to see what happened in the next chapter. I really identified with the character of Amy, who fights to prive that woman belong in the all male secret society. Being a girl who has chosen to work in what has, in the past, been a male dominated field, I have had to struggle to prove that women can be great, if not better, park rangers than men. Men will often walk by you and utter under their breath "rangerette". And when I fought fires I worked harder then most men on my crew just to prove that I had a right to be there. Heaven forbid they saw you wince when you took the boots off of your blister covered feet. I am glad to finally read a book that has strong female characters. Characters that girls can look up to. If you are looking for a book to take with you to the beach, then I highly recommend you buy "Secret Society Girl, an Ivy Novel" by Diana Peterfreund.

Well I have think I have written enough for today. Back to work all of you!!!

What a week it has been already and it is only Tuesday
Mood:  caffeinated
I came into work yesterday after a nice relaxing weekend to find this. Graffiti

Those pictures are only a fraction of what was destroyed. They painted all the fixtures and wall sockets and then smeared feces all over the walls. I just don't understand the mentality of the people who would do something like this. I figured it must be teenagers with nothing better to do with their time. I called the police who came out and confirmed that the markings were not gang related. Both of us agreed that their mommas didn't raise them right.

Then my boss called me about 8:45. His normal report time is usually 8AM. He informed me that his wife was ill and he had just left the house. I then panicked because we were having a LTC from Nashville flying in to visit and Tom was suppose to pick him up at the airport at 9:05. This was our conversation.

Me: "Are you headed to the airport then?"
Tom: "No? Why would I be going to the airport?"
ME: "To pick up the LTC from Nashville."
Tom: "That isn't until the 17th."
Me: "Tom, today is the 17th."
Tom: "Are you sure. I thought the 17th was Wednesday?"
Me: "Nope, Wednesday is the 19th."
Tom: "SHIT!"

Tom hurried into the office, Grabbed our co-op Josh and ran out the door to go to the airport. He called me from the road saying he just got a call from our Colonel's secretary stating that the Colonel would be coming up to meet with the LTC and would be meeting him at my office. I then had to go around and clean the office. I was the only one here and there was so much to be done. I am sorry to those of you who called that I snapped at. It was just the straw on the camel's back.

The visit went well. Tom made it to the airport on time and lunch went off without a hitch. The LTC was very nice and commented several times about how lucky I am to be working in such a beautiful place. I agree....I am VERY lucky.

Things are much better today and I am hoping it will be nice and quiet.

Today is my sister's Anne's birthday. So if you see her or email her...Wish her a happy one. It is nice having an older sister because as I grow older I can say...at least I am not as old as Anne. LOL JK Anne...you know I love you.

Diane Peterfreund's book, "Secret Society Girl, and Ivy League Novel" also releases today. I have heard great things about it. Anne sent me a copy of the book and I am anxious to start reading it. I will let you all know what I think about it. You know how picky I am about books so I will be honest. Speaking of which...Just finished two books,
"Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire and "Mary Mary" by James Patterson. "Wicked" was a horrible book. Being a huge Wizard of Oz fan I just couldn't picture the Munchkins talking and acting that way. It was just a hard read. If you want to read it, let me know and I will send you the book. I wouldn't waste your money on it. "Mary Mary" was fantastic as are most of Patterson's book. If you are a huge Alex Cross fan like me you will not be disappointed.

Well I think I have managed to catch you up on everything that is going on here. Till next time....

"Why can't we have a park for people?"
I love being a park ranger. One of my favorite aspects of the job is talking to visitors. But there are times when a visitor will come in with a question or comment that you just don't know how to respond to. Well tactfully anyway. Today was such a day.

A gentleman came into the Visitor Center and informed me that he just moved here from New York City and was interested in learning about the lake and fishing opportunities. I gave him a map and told him where he could launch a boat or fish from the shore line. We chatted a bit about the types of fish in the lake and animals he might see then he looked at me and asked, "Well what about snakes?" "What about snake?" I said. "Are there any in the area?" he replied. "Yes sir there are snakes here at Falls Lake." I responded. The man then got this very disgusted look on his face and said, "Well you would think a place like this would have a management plan in place to control snakes." I wasn't real sure how or if I should answer this. I tried to be as polite and tactful as I could be. I said, "Sir this is the outdoors. It is a natural area and you will encounter things that you would commonly associate with nature...snakes included. We do have a management plan in place here for snakes...we leave them alone. That is our plan and it works really well. Snakes are a valuable part of the ecosystem buy helping to maintain rodent and amphibian populations...yadda yadda yadda." He then looked at me with even more disgust and said, " I just don't understand why we can't just have a park for people. " Then he turned around and headed out the door.

Maybe if he wants a park for people he should head back to NYC where everything is paved and buildings block the horizon. I can't imagine not being able to get out of the city and hike out into the woods and see birds, deer, turkey, and snakes. It is a great way to relax and just de-stress from the pressures of life.

"How long can men thrive between walls of brick, walking on asphalt pavements, breathing the fumes of coal and of oil, growing, working, dying, with hardly a thought of wind, and sky, and fields of grain, seeing only machine-made beauty, the mineral-like quality of life?" (Charles Lindbergh)

You tax dollars hard at work...
Mood:  energetic
Well it looks like kite tubes are on their way to being banned. The Corps and the National Park Service has been trying hard to banned this product from its lakes and rivers. The company who makes the product has started to recall them. For those of you who have never heard of a kite tube, they are the latest in water recreation. It resembles a regular tube that you hook up to the back of a boat but this tube, when the users pulls up on the handles, soars up in the air like a kite. Sounds fun right? Wrong! These tubes go anywhere from 30 to 70 feet in the air. Like a kite,when the tube tilts just a little, the wind pushes back down causing the person on the tube to crash into the water. Falling from the height these tubes get, would be like falling from a 3 to 7 story building. When you hit the water from that height it is like hitting concrete. There have been close to 40 accidents (include a broken neck, punctured lung, chest and back injuries and facial injuries)in the short while these thing have been on the market. A few have resulted in death. We have had two injuries on my lake this summer. There is a warning on the tube that say, "Never fly higher than you are willing to fall."

You can see a picture of the tube on this website. There is also a video but I couldn't't get it to load. You might have better luck. Wego Kite Tube