Mood:  caffeinated

This article made mede me laugh.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8003067.stm

Mood:  blue

It has been one of those days that I just should have stayed in bed. 4:30 can’t come quickly enough.

Yesterday I found out from my sister that a friend of hers, who I had met on my trips to Ocean City, had decided to take his own life. It didn’t make much sense to me because he was always so happy and everyone seemed to love him. I couldn’t imagine having that much of a support system and still feeling like you were all alone in the world.

This morning I get into work and find an email from a guy who works with the State. A suicide occurred close to a building on the project. So my boss comes to me and tells me to investigate. So I met the officer at the site. A man had shot himself in the head just off the main road. Luckily by the time I arrived there everything had been cleaned up and it was discovered that it was actually right outside the boundary so I wouldn’t have to file a report. The officer at the scene was very nice and neither of us could believe the rash of suicides that have occurred recently. I don’t know much about the guy who killed himself except for his name and that he drove a truck. Since the information wasn’t released on the news I will respect his family and not go into details.

It is so sad to me that these people feel like they don’t have a soul to turn to.

Shortly after getting back to the office I was told that I had a two hour conference call starting at 10am. It was already 10:05. It was so boring I nearly fell asleep at my desk. This afternoon I have some training to complete and some bills to pay. I really need to get a cot for my cubicle.

Lennie has been working on the house in the evenings so my nights are spent curled up on the couch which is great but I have lacked the energy to do much else. The pollen has been so bad that I can’t breath and I sneeze every 5 minutes. I was hoping the rain would help but it hasn’t. Hopefully it will die off soon.

Mood:  chillin'

So I came home from work tonight and checked the mailbox like I do every evening. There was a white envelope inside from the Wake County Court House. My first thought was that I was being sued by someone but whom? I opened it up and saw the words… “You are being summoned to jury duty.  I quickly ran inside to brag to Lennie. We had just been talking about this and we both wanted to serve on a jury.

I know that most people look on this as a pain but I think it is rather exciting. Well as long as I have a good case. I probably won’t get chosen to sit for a case but I am keeping my fingers crossed. I get paid for my time but since the government also pays for me to be there I must turn the money I get for jury duty back into the Corps.

My date isn’t till May and I don’t know how much I can actually tell you guys but I will fill you all in after is it all done.

I booked my flights today so that I can go to my niece’s baptism at the end of May.  Southwestern had great deals on flights to Baltimore. Only $69 one way. I am looking forward to seeing my family and my little niece who I have had to watch grow through pictures. There are days I miss living in MD and being close to family,

Lennie finished our taxes today and we are getting a nice refund.  We decided not to do anything fun with it and keep it for when we buy the new house. He is meeting tonight with the mortgage broker to discuss our option in renting out Lennie’s house and selling mine and just what we can expect to pay for this house we want in Wake Forest. I am trying not to get attached to this other house because we aren’t even close to buying it but I keep visioning my kids running down the steps on Christmas morning to the HUGE tree in the open living room. Lennie standing by the island in the kitchen talking to me about his day as I prepare dinner.  Take a long relaxing bath in the Jacuzzi tub. Having my mother-in-law visit from Scotland and have a nice room for her to stay in. 

Mood:  hungry

It has been brought to my attention through some emails that I have been ignoring you all. That isn’t 100% true. With finally starting my new job and training the new girl, I really haven’t had a whole lot of time to sit down and blog. I have been Twittering but I know most of you don’t follow that site. I am going to try to do better about blogging but until I get a hang of my new duties it may be a bit sporadic.

I had a fantastic weekend. Marie came down on Friday but didn’t get here till about 7pm. Of course we have to sit and chat for an hour so by the time we finally got to dinner I was too tired to hit the clubs. The plan was then to go Saturday after the festival but I guess spending all day in the sun and wind took a lot out of us because we were both yawning at the pub and decided that our girl’s night out would not happen Sat. either. So we are aiming for Oct in Charlotte. LOL We are determined this time.

The festival was great even though it was a bit windy. I didn’t win the costume contest and was a little pissed that two people in the final 3 bought their outfits instead of made them but oh well. There were some great dresses and costumes and certainly gives me some ideas for the future. The new location was great even thought he tournament field was small. They do need some more food vendors because we had to wait in line for about 20 minutes to get something to eat. Also got to meet artist Ed Beard and got him to autograph something for Justin.

I was going to try to post pictures here but that function isn't working at the moement. So if you want to see them just let me know and I will email you then to you.

Sunday we spent the afternoon at the dog park and then stopped in Wake Forest at the cutest little ice cream parlor and got some chocolate cones for us and a little dish of vanilla for the dog. Just a perfect day.

Yesterday I started my 5/4/9 schedule which means I have off every other Monday. I did laundry in the morning and then headed over to Maria’s to see the new baby. Patrick is about a month old now and is just as cute as he can be. I took my camera over and managed to get some good shots for them. We then headed over to Olive Garden to meet up with Lennie for dinner and was shocked that the little one slept through it all. It was great to see Maria. I always enjoy spending time with her.

This month is going to be crazy for me. This weekend is Easter and I still have to try to figure out what I am going to cook. I think right now I am leaning towards my herb encrusted leg of lamb but I will have to wait to see if I can find what I need at the store. If not it will just be boring ol’ ham.

The next weekend is the Falls Lake Festival. I have volunteered to work as long as I am authorized the over time. Then the weekend after that is my first weekend duty shift of the year. I am apparently leading an Osprey hike at the song bird celebration and my dad is planning to be in town for some kind of shooting tournament. He was hoping I would go with him but shucks Dad I have to work. I don’t know how many times I have to tell him that I don’t like guns.

Well it is just about lunch time so I am going to end it here. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

I know I have been neglecting my blog lately but I have had a good reason to. We have finally hired a person for my old job. So for the past two weeks I have been moving all my stuff to my old cubicle and trying to set up my old cubicle for the new hire.

Well she started yesterday and we got all the important stuff done like complete her paperwork and at 4:30 pm we got her computer up and running.

Today I am going to start her actually job training but I just need a minute or too to get my thoughts together before I start. We will be training for about the first few months and it will probably take her a full year to be as efficient as she will need to be. But at least I can finally she a light at the end of the tunnel.

I promise to get back to posting again when I have more time to sit down and write.

Off Topic:

I finished my corset this past weekend for my new Ren Dress. This weekend I am going to tackle the overskirt.

Mood:  irritated

Yesterday did not go as planned. By the end of it I was crying, yelling, and throwing things. If I had thrown some profanities in there I could have sounded like Christian Bale. I was so upset over the matter that I didn’t sleep well last night so today I am a bit groggy and still a tad irritated.

As noted in yesterday’s entry…Carmine had called and said he was going to be late and tried to get me to reschedule. That wasn’t going to work for me so in the end I got him to agree to install my DVR during my appointed time frame. At 3pm I got a call from a guy named Waylon. He said the job had been handed over to him and his partner and they were on their way. He stated that this was for a relocate and I said no it was in install another cable since the tech said I needed two cables coming out of the wall. He stated that it wasn’t a problem and they would be at my place by 5pm.  I was a little annoyed because I had plans for my evening and they were suppose to be done with this by 4pm. But as long as I could get it installed I wasn’t going to complain.

The guys showed up at 5:15 and took one look at my wall jack and satellite and stated that they couldn’t do it. They said I needed a wall fish and they weren’t instructed to do that and for them to do it, it would cost me $99. I asked what the hell I paid $49 for and they just shrugged and said they would call the company. The woman said the order was for a relocated and that to have it installed would be $99. I explained to her that I had called the Tech to help me install it over the phone and that he told me that I needed two lines. HE was the one that put the order it and it wasn’t my fault that he putting it in wrong. I was told the install was to be $49 and that is all that I was going to pay. Since they screwed up I felt they should eat the costs. The woman on the phone disagreed so I said they could come and get the damn thing and I would be switching to DISH. She told me not to be hasty and tried to convince me that the money I saved with Direct TV would make up for the money I was having to shell out now. The installers and I both looked at each other like, “she honestly thinks I am stupid enough to believe that.” I told her that my mind was made up and that if I had been a new customer all of this would have been done for free. They needed to learn to take better care of their customers and hung up the phone. At that moment my PMS had kicked in full swing and I threw the phone and the remote across the room. Luckily they didn’t hit anything. I started crying and yelling at the installers who looked at that moment that they were fearful of their lives. Men have no clue what to do with a hysterical woman. One of the installers spoke up and apologized and said he wished he could figure out how to help me get this thing installed and told them to just go. He said I was making the right choice to switch to DISH because I would get everything installed for free and that they would even give me a free HD DVR. He even wrote out what I needed to ask for when I called DISH. It is pretty bad when the companies contracted employees tell you to go with another company.

So last night I filed a complaint with the BBB and today I plan to write a strongly worded letter to Direct TV and then tonight I will call DISH to see what they can offer me.

I did call Waylon back this morning and apologized and told him that it was a combination of things that had all just pushed me over the edge and I understood that it wasn’t their fault and thanked them for their help. He was nice about it and forgave me and laughed that he had a wife who could sometimes get that way too. He reassured me that I would be better off with DISH. We shall see.

Mood:  irritated

So here I sit waiting for Carmine the satellite guy to show he. He has called me three times all to complain that he is running so far behind. At one point he went so far as to say I would have to reschedule my install. I went ballistic. I took the whole day off work. I ran home from my hair appointment because he was suppose to be here at noon. I told him he had two options 1) He could get his ass over here and install my DVR as planned. 2) I could pack up this damn thing, Ship it back to the company and switch to DISH. He then said he would call be back. When he did he said he would come out to install it today but it wouldn't be till 5pm. After this this is installed I am going to call the company and complain. If I knew he wasn't going to make it till 5pm I would have gone into work. 

I think my PMS is acting up.

 I had a great weekend. Friday night I headed out with a group of girls. It has been awhile since I have had a night out to just let go and have a good time. We had planned to go to a club call White Collar Crime but ended up at a place called The Porch because one of the girls knew a guy who was there and he paid for our drinks all night. I didn't think I had had that much to drink. But man did I feel it the next morning.

Saturday night our friend Annie gave us tickets to join her at the Emerald Society Winter Ball. It was a great event and the food and music was great but I was still a little hung over and tired from the night before that I couldn't fully enjoy it. 

  Sunday was a nice relaxing day. It was warm so we spent the afternoon at the dog park and then came home and I prepared a crap load of food and watched the superbowl. 

 Well I guess I should go and do something productive untnil Carmine gets here. *sigh* Wish me luck.

Mood:  caffeinated

Well it looks like the eagle cam at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens is back up for the 2009 season. After an eventful season last year ending with the chick having to be removed from the nest due to it contracting Avian Pox, the eagle pair abandoned its new nest and have returned to the one they have used for years. The camera equipment had to be moved and it was completed in DEC. The pair is in the process of fixing the nest and some mating has been observed. Once eggs are laid the hatching should take place about 35 to 37 days later. It is a great chance for you all to see what I get to watch our Falls Lake Eagle go through. If you get a chance check out the cam.

http://www.wvec.com/cams/eagle.html

Mood:  don't ask

It is cold, and raining and I am in no mood to be here. Not to mention that I am working a 9 hour shift instead of 8. Also a little annoyed that the clock as barely moved. I wouldn’t have come in today at all except for the fact that I have several things on my plate that I just can’t put off.

We have interviewed people yesterday and today for my old position. I think we have a candidate but I will have to wait to see if her references check out. I am excited that I might actually be able to do the job I was hired for in May.

We have also doubled up on our duties for the next few weeks which have me coming in early and staying late. We have banned someone from the park who is a tad unstable and with the fear that he might retaliate, we have decided that early and duty rangers will ride together. Hence why I am working 9 hours.  I need to be here to ride along with the duty ranger tonight when he locks up.

I did manage to get to the doctors today. I have been suffering but a horrible pain in my back just below my shoulder blade. There has also been some nausea and a bloated stomach. I was worried that something could be wrong with my kidneys but to my relief she thinks I just tore a muscle. She had put me on muscle relaxers and told me to take it easy for a week or two which meant I had to cancel my workout at the gym tonight. This sucks because I was really getting back into the routine of going and not to mention that I had 2 donuts today that I really need to work off. But I do want my back to get better so I will do as she asked. I am hoping I am healed by Friday because I am supposed to go dancing with the girls and Lennie has offered to drop me off and pick me up so I can drink and have a good time. I want to take advantage of it before he changes his mind.

Okay make that 3 donuts. OMG STOP EATING THE FREAKIN DONUTS!!!!!!! DROP THE BOX AND BACK AWAY SLOWLY

I am currently reading the book New Moon (thanks Tanya) and I have to say that so far the writing is better than the first book. I still think that chapters are too long and the author goes on and on about unimportant things but the character development is better and I can understand why people have fallen in love with Jacob.

Well I should perhaps get some more work done today. If someone out there could speed up time…I would like it to be 5pm now.  

Mood:  caffeinated

I logged onto my Direct TV account to pay my bill online. When the main page came up I noticed that they are offered a free DVR to new customers. So I called the company to ask why a current and loyal customer such as myself was not offered a free DVR. The woman at first tried to tell me that it would cost them in the long run but when I asked her how she couldn’t explain. I told her I wanted a free DVR or I was going to switch to DISH. She put me on hold and came back and said it was being shipped. I asked if I needed to schedule and install and she laughed and said not that it comes with great instructions and that basically I just hook it up like my current receiver. She did mention something about 2 input lines and I looked and had two cables attached to the box so I thought I was good to go.

Well the receiver arrived last night and I was anxious to hook it up. I opened the box and pulled out the instructions and turned to the Installation Page and this is the very first sentence… For the best user experience and system performance we highly recommend that your system be professionally installed. Call 1-800-DIRECTV to schedule an installation.

WTF! She told me I didn’t need a professional. I figured that statement was probably meant for stupid people and that so wasn’t me so I turned the page to install it myself and these are the instructions I see. The following instructions apply if you are upgrading to a new TV or adding a surround sound system, DVD player/burner or VCR some time after your professional installation…. Because there are so many makes and models of TVs and auxiliary equipment, it is impossible to fully describe all the possible connections between your receiver and that equipment. Please refer to your TV and auxiliary equipment manuals for all of the connection options specific to each make and model. The following images show examples of how your receiver may be connected. In these examples, we try to use the best video connection that is supported by the TV, the best audio that is supported by the surround sound, and the next best video/audio connections on the DVD player/burner or VCR. \

There are some poor pictures to show how to connect your VCR or DVD but that’s it. No “this line from the Satellite goes here and that wire will go there” I am still considering myself intelligent at this point so I figured I will just pay attention to how I unhook my current receiver and hook the new one up the same way. I finally get my old one unhooked and go to plug in the new one and there are WAY more places to connect things on the new one. I put outputs to inputs and hook it up the way that “seemed” logical to me. When it was all finished I stood back pleased with myself and grabbed the remote to turn it on. The only thing I got was snow. I figured maybe I needed to reset the machine so I pushed the little red button. Still nothing happened. By now I am starting to get annoyed. I must have disconnected it and reconnected it a dozen times and still nothing happened.

So I gave up and called the help line.

HELPTECH: This is Dave..how can I help you?

ME: Yes Dave this is Rebecca and I just upgraded to a DVR.

HELPTECH Well congratulations on your upgrade. Do you need help programming your remote.

ME: Well eventually…probably… but that isn’t why I called.

HELPTECH: Okay how can I assist you?

ME: Well I am trying to hook this thing up and well…your directions SUCK!

HELPTECH: * giggles * They can be confusing to those who don’t do it all the time. Let’s see if we can’t get you up and running. First…how many cable do you have?

ME: Well there were several in the box and…

HELPTECH: No how many cables are coming out of the wall?

ME: Just one.

HELPTECH: You need to have two input lines coming off the satellite.

ME: Huh?

HELPTECH: (laughing at me I am sure) You will need to have an installer come over and install the proper cable and he will be able to hook the DVR up for you as well.

ME: But the woman on the phone said it was simple

HELPTECH: Once you have the right cables  installed it should be a quick and easy set up.

ME: * sigh * How much is this going to cost me?

HELPTECH: $40

The scheduling system has been down so I can ‘t book my appointment to get it installed. I am still pissed that my free DVR is now costing me $40. If it wasn’t such a hassle, I would switch to DISH.

Mood:  celebratory

WE GOT SNOW!!!!!!!!

I guess my co-worker got her wish. Friday as we were getting ready to leave the office I checked the forecast and heard there was a slight chance for flurries Sunday night into Monday morning. I told my co-worker who was elated until she realized that we were already off on Monday. She stated that she hoped that we would get snow Monday night so that we would be off on Tuesday. Not only could we enjoy the snow but we could watch the inauguration. I laughed and told her that she should start doing her snow dance. 

Well yesterday morning the weather guy said that it looked like we could see a little bit of snow. AS the day progressed that started saying we could see 2 to 4 inches. At 10PM Monday Wake County had already canceled schools and nothing had even started falling. The weather guy said that it looked like the storm might shift east and we wouldn't see much at all. Since schools were already cancelled it meant that I would be on a 2 hour delay. I went to bed hoping that the storm would stay on track and we would finally see some snow. 

I got up at 2am to go to the bathroom and couldn't help but look outside and I smiled as I saw the ground was already coated. My cell phone went off at 6:30 and my asst. manager said that we would not be reporting to work today. *CHEER* SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!!!

It has been nice to sit here and drink my coffee and watch the snow coming down and not have to worry about having to drive anywhere. I am also tickled at Potter who is seeing snow for the first time. There has been much growling and barking and his first reaction to stepping in it was some cowering and apprehension. When it moved under his feet he lit up and starting bounding through it. I couldn't help but giggle and I promised him when the sun comes up we will go outside to play. 

I don't know if Lennie plans to go to work. It is 8AM and he is still in bed. LOL 

Well I am off to get some more coffee and to make some breakfast. If you live here in Raleigh...go out and enjoy the snow and make sure you tune into your TV at 11:30 AM to watch history in the making. 

Mood:  cheeky

I really thought that PETA couldn’t possible get any weirder then they already are. But they have totally out done themselves this time.

My boss came in this morning and told me that he just heard a news story about PETA wanting to rename fish. Apparently they are fed up with the poor reputation that they have as being either a source for food or mounted on the wall as a trophy. So they have now taken it upon themselves to rename these creatures to something more “cuddly”. So can you guess that the new name will be….Sea Kittens.

I thought it was a joke so I took it upon myself to check into it. Sure enough it is a real PETA campaign and you can check it out for yourself at  http://www.peta.org/sea_kittens/about.asp You can even create your very own sea kitten. I was amused by the facts that appear on the side of the screen. One fact said that they enjoy being petted. Now I have own several fish…I mean sea kittens… in my life and not a one of them enjoyed being petted. Maybe they were just angry that I had bought them the fluorescent pink sand castle instead of the blue one.

So what is next on the list of animal renames? Maybe they will rename cows…Farm Puppies. Maybe Deer could be Forest Fairies?

It has all amused me greatly! J Thanks PETA for making me smile today.

Mood:  bright

Well I just got back from the Mid Winter Eagle Count and guess what? I finally saw an eagle. 

I arrived at my observation point which was on the Cheek Road Bridge at 6:45 AM.I was lucky I had approached the bridge from the right direction because I was able to pull up close to the side and had a clear view of both sides of the lake. It was still dark but the full moon glistening off the lake provided me enough light to get my bearings and to find the box of donuts I had stashed on the floor (plain donuts so as not to hinder my diet), The count didn’t start till 7 so I had some time to drink my coffee and start filing out my paperwork. Sky...still too dark to tell but looks clear. Wind....well the trees seem to be moving a little so I will write light. Precipitation.....none. Temperature....FREAKIN COLD!

I complain every year about doing this event because I have to get up early on my day off and it is usually cold but it is an amazing experience to be there and watch as nature starts the process of waking up. The moon by now had turned to gold and was just about to meet the horizon on the lake. To the East the sun was just starting to rise so the sky was a lovely shade of pink. I glanced back at the moon just in time to see a group of Canada geese skim the surface of the water in the moon’s reflection. The world had awoken. A quick glance at my watch confirmed it was now 7 and was time for me to start scanning the sky. 

I opened the car door and I was suddenly hit with a wall of freezing cold air. I zipped up my jacket, turned on my Ipod so something peacefully. Claire de Lune was just perfect music for a sunrise. I put on my gloves and my ear muffs and then last but not least, grabbed my binoculars and headed out onto the bridge. It was so quiet except for the occasional sound of gunfire from some far away hunters to the West. I scanned to the skies to the West and stopped at the Hickory Hill Boat Ramp. I could just barely make out the figure of one of the other rangers standing on the shore line. A quick wave but nothing in return. Most not see me or she is doing what I am supposed to be doing which is searching the sky. 

I turned to headed over to the eastern side of the bridge and scanned the sky and the shoreline in that direction. Nothing much to report except for s large flock of gulls and a lone great blue heron sitting on a sandbar. I stood out there watching the sun come up, until my poor fingers couldn’t take it anymore. I headed back to the car to warm up a bit and perhaps grab another donut. Little black capped chickadees were playing in the sweet gum tree beside my car and I giggled as they fought over a seed pulled from the only sweet gum ball still hanging from the branches. I put my gloves back on and opened the car door and threw them a few crumbs from my donuts. They quickly scooped it up and flew off. 

It was now about 7:30 and I headed back over the side of bridge. This time I hopped over the guardrail and followed the little path down to the shore line. I put my binoculars up to my eyes and scanned the sky once more. Seagull.....another seagull....Canada geese...Heron....some ducks....some more gulls....heron...wait was that a heron? I quickly back tracked to the place I thought I had seen the heron. Where did it go? Herons are large and hard to miss. Then I saw it circling close to the water. It wasn’t acting like a heron...maybe it was a cormorant. The cold had me shaking so badly that it was hard to keep the binoculars still. I took a deep breath and forced my body to hold still and my eyes focused just in time to see the bird turn. Then I saw that unmistakable sign...a bright yellow beak. My heart jumped as I continued to try to keep my eyes focused. It turned again and slanted its body towards me. It was an immature adult and had just a few patches of white at the base of the head and mixed into the tail.  I suddenly became all giddy like a kid on Christmas morning. I had completely forgotten about the cold as I tried hard to follow the eagle through my binoculars. Because it was mostly brown I would lose it from time to time in the tree line but then I would catch site of it again when it would turn and skim the surface of the water. When it finally had enough of entertaining the strange girl standing on the bridge, it took off to the West and disappeared completely over the tree line. I watched intently, hoping it would resurface but by now my body could take no more of the cold and begged me to get back inside the car where it was warm. 

I sat in the car and filled out what I had just observe. Looking at my sheet I realize now I will have to rewrite it Monday because I was shaking so bad you can’t read what I wrote. I ventured outside the car a few more times hoping I would see the eagle again but 8:30 came quickly and it was time to pack up and head home. 

I am still all giddy and excited and I can’t wait to get to work so I can share my news with the other rangers. We found out last week that the state ranger found two new nests this year bringing our nesting pairs up to 6. It is to be hoped that the bird I saw today will find a female this year and come next winter I will see it grown and possibly starting a family. 

Well I am off to take an extremely hot shower so I can warm up a bit but just wanted to share my news. I hope everyone is having a great weekend and I will catch up with you all next week.  

Mood:  don't ask

I am suffering from major cramps today so my mood is very poor. All I want to do is go home and curl up in a ball on the couch with a heating pad and a cup of tea. I have to find a way to perk up because I am manning our booth at the Fishing Expo this afternoon and I need to be personable and approachable. It is inevitable that someone will come up to me and ask a stupid question or want to bitch about something. In my current state I would likely tell them F*** Off!  Maybe I should stop by the Dr.’s office and pick up a muscle relaxer.

I will be working the expo tonight till 8PM and then I have to get up at 6AM Sat to drive to my assigned location in Durham (of course I always get the spot furthest away from my home) to conduct the Midwinter Bald Eagle Count. This will entail standing on a bridge over the lake with a pair of binoculars in the cold and possible rain to see if I spot any eagles. Of course I never see any. I am hoping I can get my car close to the observation point so I can run back there to get warm from time to time. This spot, even though it is a drive for me, isn’t nearly as bad as the spot I had three years ago where I parked my car and hiked a mile to the shore line in the dark. I managed to scare the crap out of myself when I stepped on some trash that someone had dumped and it popped up into my face. I screamed and punched what I thought was an attacker only to discover it was just part of an old couch. I will need to remember to stop and pick up breakfast on the way and I am hoping the police don’t confront me like they did last time and steal all my donuts.

Lennie has drill this weekend so don’t really know what else I will get up to. I have some cleaning to get done but much  to Lennie's dimay, I will not be doing with the French Maid's outfit on.  I wont be doing much shopping either this weekend because I had to have my debit card shut off. My bank called me last Sunday to tell me that there where some strange purchases on my card. There were 3 charges for $87.13 from a company called Lipaphen (sp?) I told them I have never heard of the company and don’t think I purchased anything from them. She told me that apparently their parent company is one called FWM Laboratories. Nope still didn’t ring a bell. She then told me that she would shut off my card and issue me another one and transferred me to the fraud department. The fraud officer and I  looked up the parent company and found websites dedicated to complaints about them. Unlike me these people seemed to have signed up for a free trial only to be charged over $90 a week later. They have tried to get refunds from the company but instead continue to be charge. The bank refunded my money and I filed a police report and filed a complaint with the BBB and the FTC. We were not sure if they were the ones who used my card but when I called the company to straighten it out and cancel the subscription the guy at the scam company said it would happen within 24 hours and I would get and email stating the refund amount. That has been 4 days and I have seen nothing. I have several issues with BOA but they are always on the ball when it comes to spotting possible fraud. At least I was able to get my money back from the bank.

Well I better go grab some lunch and get to the expo. I hope everyone has a fun weekend.

EDIT – It just occurred to me that I am going to have to put on a tie and my “Smokey Bear” hat. Could this day get any worse?

Mood:  don't ask

I don’t

I don’t have a clue what is wrong with me today. I just can’t seem to focus. I am trying to blame it on the cold weather. I was late for work this morning because I couldn’t pull myself out of bed. Then when I did I had problems performing my morning routine. Then I get to work and realize I forgot my wallet at the house. Normally it wouldn’t be a big deal but it has my CAC card in it which without that I can’t log onto my computer. I had also forgotten to pack lunch so I needed some cash to hit Subway at noon. Luckily for me, Lennie was also running behind this morning so I got him at the house right as he was headed out the door and he ran my purse out to the park. I  told him that I seemed to be having issues today and he just laughed and said that he has had days like that as well. Oh what I wouldn’t give to be curled up in bed right now. Maybe I can sneak out and run to Starbucks for a peppermint mocha or maybe a chicken biscuit. Those always perk me up.

We had a great New Year’s Eve. My friend Maria hosted a small party at her house which was nice not having to be in a crowded bar or standing out in the cold. When she first sent out the invitations she said that we would have heavy appetizers but when we got there she had roasted a turkey and baked some Mac and cheese. Yum! We then played a game of Scene It which was fun but I didn’t have my glasses on so I couldn’t read the question real well. We then played Phase 10 which was a riot and Maria had me laughing non stop. We then rang in the New Year and Lennie and I went home and crashed.

We got up Thursday morning and proceeded to clean the house. I had gotten a call from my father and he asked if he and his new girlfriend Susan could come and meet Lennie and takes us out to lunch. I haven’t seen the man in over 10 years and have only spoken to him a handful of times so I was weary about the visit. He always criticizes me for something so that had me a bit on edge but having Lennie there as moral support really helped. They arrived about 11:30 and we chatted a bit and I showed them the house and then we headed downtown for lunch. Most places were closed but one of the Irish Pubs was open so we popped in there. When our food arrived Dad insisted we say grace. This totally caught Lennie and me off guard.  My Dad, as far as I know, doesn’t go to church and isn’t really religious. Maybe he has found God in his old age? During lunch the conversation turned to Lennie and me looking at houses. See Lennie views the house we live in as MY house because I bought it and I pay the mortgage. He wants to buy a new house that will be OURS and one that we can raise a family in. I told Dad and Susan that we had found one is Wake Forest that we really liked but right now it was out of our price range. Dad then insisted that we go and take a look at it after lunch. This was a bit odd because I said more than once that even though it was perfect for us we just couldn’t afford it until Lennie sold his house and the seller dropped his asking price. But he said he just wanted to see it. So after lunch we headed out to the home site. As I was showing Susan the stone work on the steps, Dad insisted that I turn around so he could take a picture of me in front of the house. This was also a bit odd because well once again…it is highly unlikely, unless all the stars align, that we will be able to buy this house. But I posed for a picture anyway. From what they could see of the house they liked it as well. How could you not? It is gorgeous! They loved the development and the town of Wake Forest and said it would be great if we could afford it and Susan wished us luck. After checking out a couple of the other homes, it was time for then to get back on the road. Dad handed me a check for $100 (belated Christmas present) and they said their goodbyes and left. All in all the visit was not as bad as I was expecting. Susan is very personable and talkative which helps out a lot when Dad goes into his quiet moments. He never once said anything critical and even said at one point that he was proud of what I had done with my life.  I have a good job, own my own home, and have married a great guy. I don’t know if this will end up being the relationship that he hopes it will be but Lennie said that it was good to see that there might be a possibility of making a mends. He just doesn’t want me to get hurt again.

I know the rest of my family probably doesn’t understand why I agreed to meet with my father. They have, for the most part, written him off. But I met a woman not so long ago who had had a falling out with her father and hadn’t spoken to him in over 20 years. She had gotten a call from a friend of the family who informed her that her father was dying of cancer.  She thought it over for a few days and decided that she should make peace with him before he goes. She flew to his beside but it was too late. He had passed the evening before. She said that my father may not be perfect and it was true that he had made some horrible mistakes but he was the only father I would ever have. She said like it or not, he had made me the person I am today. All the anger I was carrying around for the man only served to poison my life. I was happy to let go of some of the anger yesterday. I am still waiting for it all to come crashing down but I will just enjoy it for now.

I hope everyone had a great New Years and I hope that 2009 will be the beginning of some great things.

I don’t

Mood:  a-ok

Well I am back! Did you miss me?  Thanks to my brother-in-law who installed a wireless router onto my mom’s computer, I did have internet access while in WV but I could be bothered with posting an entry. I had a 4 month old niece to cuddle with and a birthday to celebrate.

The visit home was nice but the drive there and back is getting a little old. Lennie did the driving but I just get so antsy when I travel. He doesn’t stop as often as I would if I were behind the wheel.

We got to mom’s on Tuesday and we headed out to the Charles Town Race Track for dinner (It was all you can eat crab leg night). I gorged myself on crab legs, shrimp, crayfish, and a huge plate of mash potatoes. Then I headed over to the chocolate fountain. It dawned on me as I was dipped marshmallows in the chocolate that I hadn’t eaten any vegetables. Oh well. After dinner we went out to the slot machines. I played a dollar and won 79 cents. Whoo hoo I know I am a big gambler aren’t I? We then walked over so that Lennie could see the track. There were no races that night and it was pitch dark but I think he could get the gist.

Wednesday we did a whole lot of nothing. Anne, Jimmy and the baby arrived that evening and we stuffed more food in our mouths and played with the baby.

Christmas morning mom went and got my Aunt Buddie who seemed in better spirits since her stint in the assisted living. Once everyone was up and had coffee in hand, we started opening presents. We didn’t buy much for each other this year but the gifts that were bought were great. I got some DVD’s, gift cards and a bag for my new laptop. Lennie can be a hard one to shop for so I just enrolled him in a Microbrew of the Month Club. HE will get 12 beers every other month for 6 months. He was thrilled.

After breakfast mom started making dinner. The rest of us relaxed and played with Naomi who was so happy that she squealed with glee no stop all morning. At dinner I ate way more food than I needed and it never dawned on me that my birthday cake was going to follow and I should have left some room. But I managed to eat about ½ a piece before feeling totally nauseous. Then it was time for Bday presents. I got a might mouse for my Mac, the 3^rd book in the Twilight Series, and an Ipod. I know…I am such a spoiled girl.  That night we rested as I tried to let the food in my stomach digest. We ended up playing a card game called Phase 10 which I really enjoyed. Mostly because I won (Thanks again Anne for not paying attention and giving me the cards I needed J ). We ended up getting the game as a Xmas present from some friends but Lennie hates games so I don’t know when I will have a chance to play again. Maybe I can take an ad out on Craigslist to start a Phase 10 meet up group. LOL

Friday I spent the day with Justin. Lennie stayed behind this time so that Jus and I could have some quality time together. We went to lunch and then headed to the mall to watch a movie. We opted to see Bolt because it was the only playing at 2pm. It was actually a cute film Rhino the hamster was the best and I even shed a tear or two.

Saturday we got up and headed back to NC. I was so happy to be home and Fenwick the cat didn’t leave my side all evening. I popped in a movie and we both feel asleep before it was over.

We got up Sunday morning and ran a few errands. I wasn’t in the mood to cook a huge dinner so I just cut up a huge plate of vegetables and bought some shrimp and we just relaxed and munched. Lennie then gave me the last of my Xmas presents. A Dyson vacuum complete with a French Maids outfit. See in Lennie Land I clean the house in a sexy French Maids outfit and he is trying desperately to bring that into reality. I told him that once he dons a Monty Uniform when we will talk. LOL Although he is kind of short so it may not be so appealing.

Tonight I am going to try to get back to the gym. I haven’t been in the last month and I really need to put it back in my routine. I also need to do better at eating healthy. I avoid fast food most of the time and I never drink soda but I have been making very heavy dinners and need to eat more fish and chicken. I do have a turkey breast in the freezer that I can thaw out for Saturday.

Well there is work to be done. I hope that everyone had a great holiday and that Santa brought you everything you hoped for.

Mood:  blue

This is a rant of sorts so I will understand if you don’t read it. But sometimes it helps me to get the words out. My husband has been great about it but he is always trying to fix it and he is often off the mark. But I do love him for trying.

My mother had called me Friday on the verge of tears. She and my Aunt Buddie had a falling out and she just needed some advice and someone to talk to.

For those of you just tuning in…we had to place my 98 year old great aunt into an assisted living facility. She had fallen 5 times in a 2 month period and we were worried that her next fall would put her in a nursing home with a broken hip. Of course, Aunt Buddie being the independent, stubborn person she is, didn’t want to go in “a home” so she fought it every step of the way and proceeded to make everyone’s life miserable.

At Thanksgiving when I was taking Aunt Buddie back to assisted living, she stated that she wanted to go home to her cottage and have Homecare. Mom and I discussed it and Mom agreed to look into it. We were hoping that it might maker her happy. Mom found a wonderful agency that agreed to come in for 4 hours everyday. It was a bit pricey but her insurance would cover most of it.

So that brings us to Friday. Mom got a called from the nursing agency and saying that Aunt Buddie had canceled their services. Then she gets a call from Aunt B who proceeded to yell at mom stating that she heard from the cleaning lady that someone had taken off her shower doors and put of a shower curtain which she didn’t want. Mom tired to tell her that she had never authorized that but Aunt B would hear none of it. She stated that Mom needed to butt out that she could take care of herself. Mom said fine. That the deal was that she could go home with nursing care and since she had canceled that and apparently can do for herself she could get herself home from the assisted living facility that mom was done with this. Aunt Buddie then hung up to phone.

When I got home from work that night I decided to call my great aunt to see if I could smooth things over. She immediately started in with how the last month has been hell for her and that she was finally going home on Saturday. I said I had just gotten off the phone with a mother in tears and there was a brief moment that she seemed sorry that she had made mom so upset. But it was only a brief moment. She started in with how mom was trying to kill her and take all her money. She said mom was being unreasonable and that she was just trying to stick her in a home so she didn’t’ have to worry with her. I tried to stay calm but she continued to say horrible things about mom and I eventually lost my temper and fired back at her. I told her that Mom had ALWAYS been there for her. Every time she called, Mom rushed over there. She traveled the 50 miles round trip and gave up social engagements so that she could tend to her needs and never asked for a dime in compensation. I said that if Mom truly didn’t care about her that she would have stuck her in a state run nursing home and just walked away. Instead she tried to find her a great facility and that she had never given it a chance. I said that Mom could have just left her there and gone on with her life but she continued to come over and she took all the verbal abuse Aunt B could dish out at her. I stated that she herself told me that she wanted home care so that is what Mom got for her. Aunt Buddie tried to stop me and said it was too expensive and I chimed in with the fact that her insurance pays most of it. The more I talked the angrier I became and the more unreasonable she became. When I finally told her that she was acting like a child she stated that she didn’t need anyone that she could take care of herself and she hung up. I was going to call back but thought in my mood it wasn’t a good idea.

So on Saturday I waited to hear something from Mom but never did. I started to write a letter to Aunt Buddie but every time I would start writing I would get angry and I didn’t want the letter to come from a hostile place. I wanted it to show how much I was hurt by her recent attitude and hope that she would one day see reason. I am hoping that tonight I can remain calm and finish the letter.

I did talk to Mom yesterday who sounded awful. She has been in bed sick since Friday. She said some friends had gone over to check on Aunt Buddie and that her hairdresser’s sister had moved in with her. I don’t know anything about the woman except for the fact that she has a home and a husband in Delaware so not exactly sure how long she is staying or even how long Aunt Buddie will put up with someone in her house. Right now mom and she are not on speaking terms and I know mom plans to write a letter. I hate to see things so strained between them because they have always had a good relationship.

I just don’t now where to go from here. I haven’t a clue how to make this right. How to get mom and her talking again. Should I trust this person who has moved in with her? What happens if they rob her blind? The whole thing just makes me uneasy.

Well thanks for letting me rant. I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything gets sort out by Christmas. I would hate for her to miss Naomi’s first Christmas.

It is POURING down rain at the moment. Normally I wouldn't care but I am duty this week which means I have to lock the gates tonights. I am going to get drenched.

I had a pair of rain pants in my desk but they have gone missing. UGH!!!! So not looking forward to this. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the rain stops at 4:30.

 On a different note I just got a call from my friend in India. Totally out of the blue and it has added a little sunshine to my day. I haven't talked to him in over two years and he is now married with two beautiful twin girls. I am so happy for him.  I just love surprise phone calls. Well unless it is someone trying to sell me something.

 ooooh nooooo it just got darker outside. Not a good sign.