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Musings from my mind |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I'd kept a paper journal for years, so I thought I'd try this out and see how it works. I must say, I'm rather liking it!! Here's some background stuff. I'm in my 40's, doing the single mom thing with a 10 yo son. My son has ADHD, ODD and was also diagnosed with high functioning autism. He can be a challenge, but he can also be pure joy. This is my safe place. I come here to vent my frustrations, celebrate my victories, share a recipe or two and make new friends. I like it here. I hope you do too. Thanks for stopping by, Curls |
| At Saint Mary's Catholic Church they have a weekly husband's marriage seminar. At the session last week, the Priest asked Luigi, who was approaching his 50th wedding anniversary, to take a few minutes and share some insight into how he had managed to stay married to the same woman all these years. Luigi replied to the assembled husbands, 'Well, I've a-tried to treat-a her nice, spend the money on her, but best of all is that I took-a her to Italy for the 20th anniversary!' The Priest responded, 'Luigi, you are an amazing inspiration to all the husbands here! Please tell us what you are planning for your wife for your 50th anniversary.' Luigi proudly replied, 'I'm a-gonna go back and get her.' |
| WOMAN'S LOVE POEM Before I lay me down to sleep, I pray for a man, who's not a creep. One who's handsome, smart and strong. One who loves to listen long. One who thinks before he speaks. One who'll call, not wait for weeks. I pray he's gainfully employed. When I spend his cash, won't be annoyed. Pulls out my chair and opens my door. Massages my back and begs to do more. Oh! Send me a man who'll make love to my mind. Knows what to answer to "how big is my behind?" I pray that this man will love me to no end, And always be my very best friend. MAN'S LOVE POEM I pray for a deaf-mute nymphomaniac with huge boobs who owns a bar on a golf course, and loves to send me fishing and hunting. This doesn't rhyme and I don't give a s*** |
| Today's Sunday, and I'm watching a church service on tv. Part of me misses attending services every week, but another part of me doesn't miss it at all. I miss the music, singing in a choir those old hymns that I've grown to know and love and get comfort from. I wish that Dishnet had a sirius music channel for just hymns. Then again, these hymns are much better when sung in a group...but I digress... I miss the community of a fellowship of believers and the friendships that are formed. I miss hearing a good message from the preacher that speaks to me. I don’t miss the cliques that are always in churches. I don’t miss the fake concerns and “prayer requests” that are mentioned but are merely a form of religious gossip justified by prayer. I don’t miss people who pretend to care but are truly just doing what they feel is their “Christian duty” and don’t really give a flip. Don’t they realize that their lack of sincerity is easily detected? I would like to find a church that I can go to in order to worship God. I don’t want one that people go to just to see who else is there, who’s sitting with whom, who’s wearing what, and who looks hung over. So why don’t I just find one, you may ask? Well, here’s my concerns. It would be awkward for me to just show up to a church of strangers. In another time in my life, I have done that. I’m just not comfortable doing that anymore. I’ve asked a few people where they worship, and have been invited, but many of the churches are so far away, that the gas it would take would be cost-prohibitive. Another reason is my arm. Everyone will ask about it. I don’t want to have to tell the saga of my arm over and over and over again. I also don’t want to hear about all the friends, relatives, etc who have dealt with bone issues. I’ve heard my fill of others’ medical stories. I don’t want to be known as “that lady with the arm problems.” There’s so much more to me than my arm. I don’t want my arm to be my identity. I’d much rather be known as the lady with the curly hair, that goofy laugh, that great voice, that good writer, or that corny sense of humor. Those are the things I want to be remembered for. I don’t want the first thing people ask me about to be my arm. I’ve been in a cast for about 18 months now. It’s kinda hard to miss, I know, but there really is more to me than just that. Would these people treat breast cancer patients the same way? Would the first thing they ask be “how are your boobs doing?” I think not. Would the first thing they ask those dealing with diabetes be about their blood sugar levels? Heaven forbid! Yes, they have a medical issue, but it’s certainly not who they are, it’s merely something they are dealing with. That doesn’t make it a forbidden topic, of course. There are times when it would be appropriate to talk about it. Such as if the diabetic goes into insulin shock and is rushed to the hospital, or if the breast cancer patient has to undergo another round of chemo. It would be nice to know that people are concerned when I have to go back for yet another surgery. I wouldn’t want them so used to me having surgeries that it’s no longer a big deal, because I guarantee you, every time I have a surgery, it IS a big honkin’ deal to me!!! The point I am making here is that medical issues don’t make the individual’s identity and they don’t want to be treated as if that’s the only thing that makes them special. The same applies to a person’s nationality or color of their skin. It’s all just part of what they are, but it isn’t WHO they are. What I’ve decided to do is begin praying that God will lead me to a nearby church HE want me to attend and sit back and wait and see what opportunities come my way. If He really does want me to find a place of worship again, it will happen. If not, then it won’t and I’ll just keep watching church on tv for now. I still pray every day, and occasionally, I’ll even dust off the Bible and take a peek at it. I’m a deeply spiritual person, but I’m not a Bible pounder and I don’t want to be pounded on. I enjoy the occasional adult beverage, and I smoke cigarettes, and let the occasional four-letter word fall out of my mouth. My halo is rather rusty and my wings are smudged in more places than I’d care to admit. I’m no holy roller, I’m just a person who, in spite of all her flaws, believes in a power greater than myself that I call God. It’d sure be nice to be in the company of others just like that. Well, those are my thoughts for today. Thanks for stopping by, Curls |
| Hey Ya'll!!! Thanksgiving weekend is upon us, as well as the cooler temperatures. Here in Florida, the cooler temps are enjoyable to me. It reminds me a little of winters up in Michigan when I was a girl, but without the snow! I've been rather ambivalent about this year's holiday season. I just wasn't sure how I felt about it. I wasn't all jolly ho-ho-ho about it, but I wasn't all bah humbug either. I guess you could say I was ho-hum about it. I could see no point in cooking for 3 days a slam down dinner for just Joe and I. I have a sister in a nearby town, but she has her own family. Still, I didn't want to deprive Joe of good Thanksgiving memories, so I worked it out with the donkey that Joe would spend T-day break from school with him. He's got many more family members nearby, and they always get together. I was kinda looking forward to some time alone. I did make a great pumpkin cake. Here's the recipe if anyone wants to try it. Pumpkin Cake Crust 1 box yellow cake mix 1/2 cup melted margarine 1 egg mix well and reserve 1 cup. Press remainder into a 9 x 13 greased cake pan. Filling 1 16-20 ounce can pumpkin 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1 can sweetened condensed milk mix well and pour over crust Topping 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon mix reserved crumbs with topping ingredients and sprinkle over filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until filling is firm. Cool and serve. I took the cake to my sister's and ate dinner with them. We had a nice time, but it wasn't what I would call wonderful. She had PMS bigtime, and was doing her best to hold it together. Her husband wasn't real helpful or supportive. I could tell that he just wasn't plugged into doing the family thing. As soon as dinner was over, he left to go see his friends, rather than enjoying being with his family. There was a strong, tense undercurrent that we all knew was there, but nobody wanted to acknowledge. I came home and put on some Christmas music. I was enjoying it alot, and even sang along some. I don't get much time alone, so this was a real treat to me. Last night, I went to my neighborlady's house and she played piano and I sang. It was so much fun. She's such a cool person, and I hope that I'm just as spry and rambunctious as she is when I retire. I had made arrangements to work a little today and tomorrow to make up for the time I had to take off when Joe had strep. I had enough leave time to cover it, but I felt that I needed to get caught up on my workload. I don’t like feeling like I’m so far behind, scrambling to play catch up. I worked about 5 ½ hours today and will work about 4 or so tomorrow, depending on how quickly I can finish what I’m working on. As I type this, I’m watching hallmark movies on tv. Last year, I couldn’t have done it, as all the lovey-dovey stuff would have depressed me. I’m not depressed by it this year, at all. I’m actually enjoying it. So what if I don’t have a love like that in my life right now. Would I like one? Heck yeah! I’m just not going to waste my time pouting that I don’t. When the stars line up properly and the universe deems fit, it may happen to me. If it doesn’t, I’m still ok. I’d much rather be single and happy than be in a relationship and be miserable and lonely like my sister seems to be right now. When I was at work today, I was listening to Michael Buble’s cd called Call Me Irresponsible. I love that cd. I’ve been playing the heck out of it since I’ve gotten it. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes big band, jazzy with a sprinkling of latin music. Well, that’s about all I got for now. I’m gonna finish this touchy feely movie, play a few computer games, and maybe read a little before bed. I hope everyone is doing well, and is safe, warm and loved. Thanks for stopping by, Curls |
| I know it’s been awhile since I’ve written a “decent” blog entry. I’m happy to say that I’ve finally got one today. This entry is about a portion of my day today. I’ve been ordering custom music cd’s from Walmart.com for a while now. I love this feature of their website. I can make a cd with just the songs that I like on it, for the same price of a store bought cd. I make my selections and pay online for it, and in a week or so, it comes in the mail. I have done this many, many times and have been so pleased with how easy it is and the quality of the music that I get. Recently, I ordered a cd with classic rock songs from Journey, REO, Boston, etc. However, one of the songs from Journey was not the song I had selected. It was printed correctly on the cd holder, but it was the wrong song on the cd. I wasn’t too upset, because I had gotten such great cd’s in the past. So, I called their customer service center to see if it could be corrected. That’s when the fun began… The call started around 2:45 pm. I spoke to someone named Amanda, and told her I needed to speak to someone about a custom music cd. She stated that she handled music downloads, but would transfer me to a custom music cd rep. No problem. I was put on hold for about a minute, then Tocara came on the phone. I explained to her about an error on a custom cd, and she sounded a bit confused and asked me to hold. Ut-oh. After being on hold almost FIVE minutes, the next thing I know, I’m listening to an automated recording regarding photos! I was put into a phone tree about photos. I go through several prompts and finally got to a representative named Kenny. I explained to Kenny that I was erroneously transferred to photo when I need to speak to someone about a custom music cd. I also explained to him that he was the THIRD person that I've talked to and I was getting a tad frustrated that I can’t get put to the person that I need to speak with. He apologized profusely and stated he would put me on hold and get the correct phone number I need, and would then transfer me to that extension. After holding for another FIVE minutes (yes, I timed it) he came back on and gave me the same phone number that I originally dialed! I explained that to him, and he then proceeded to tell me that I “must have” selected the incorrect prompts! Oh NO he didn’t!!! Oh yes, he did! I gave him a piece of my mind, and asked him to PLEASE transfer me back to that number. Any guesses who I spoke with? Oh, come on, it isn’t that difficult, and it’s not a trick question. Amanda. again <sigh> I explained to Amanda what has happened, and that I REALLY need to talk to someone who can help me. She didn’t understand how I got to photo, so she put me on hold while she got a supervisor. I was on hold over 20, yes TWENTY MINUTES!!! By that time, I was royally pissed, and there was no way I was hanging up the phone and starting all over. It was that old, “in for a penny, in for a pound” mentality. I had wasted so much time on this, that I was at that point like a bulldog with a bone and was not going to give up. When she finally comes back on the line, she stated that she had talked with her supervisor, and he had traced the path of my call and had determined that they were having phone system upgrades done, and as a result I was inadvertently transferred to the wrong area. I explained to her that that was all well and good, but it didn’t solve MY problem, and could she PLEASE help me with MY problem. She stated her supervisor advised her to have me go to help@walmart.com and email them my issue. (Oh yeah, get rid of the cranky lady and move on to the next call!) I responded that if I had wanted to email my issue, I would have. However, I wanted to speak to a REAL PERSON, voice to voice about this, and that I still did. At that point, I requested to speak to a supervisor. Amanda told me that she could “escalate the call.” I told her that I didn’t know what that meant, and she could transfer me all the way up to GOD if she wanted to, but I wanted to talk to someone who could solve my problem! (grrrr) Guess what happened? Yup. Please hold….. In about 10 minutes, a supervisor named Shawn came on the line. I explained to him all the grief I had went through so far, and that I wanted to talk to someone who could help me. I further stated that if he wasn’t able to do it, then I wanted to speak with his superior. He apologized profusely and once again, I was asked to hold. In about 30 seconds, a man named Emmitt came on the line. Believe it or not, Emmitt actually worked in the custom music cd department! Thank God and all things holy!!!! I explained to him what had previously happened, and again, was apologized to. He then began to fix the problem. He pulled up my order, and somehow, he was able to listen to the track that was in error, and acknowledged the error. I don’t think that he had ever encountered this problem before, because he had to put me on hold several times. The nice thing is that he said it would take a little time to fix it, but he would stay with me until it was done. About every 3 minutes or so, he would come back on the line and tell me that they are working on it, and to keep waiting because they would solve the problem. He finally came back on the line and talked me through printing out a label to return the defective cd, and then he ordered me a new one. I told him that he had done such a good job, that I wanted to write a letter to the Walmart Corporate Office about his excellent customer service. He told me that he knew that this had taken up way too much time so far, and I could provide my feedback by phone to his supervisor. He put me on hold again. In about 8 minutes, I spoke to William, another supervisor. I gave William a glowing review of Emmitt’s customer service. It became quite apparent that William’s job was to take the complaints or compliments of other Walmart.com employees. His responses were quite obviously read from a script prompt, and I didn’t feel that William really cared. It seemed all he wanted to do was to document the call and move on to the next call. I found that quite disappointing, but I gave Emmitt great compliments anyway. After that, I was transferred back to Emmitt, who had completed my reorder and gave me a respectable date by which I could expect delivery. The call ended at about 4:15 pm. There are several morals to this story. 1) When Walmart gets it right, they really get it right! 2) When Walmart gets it wrong, be prepared to twist in the wind a while, get angry, get accused of doing something wrong to cause the problem, and talk to at least 2 supervisors before the issue is resolved. 3) Excellent customer service has now become an endangered ideal. 4) Don’t expect excellent customer service, but when you do receive it, compliment, compliment, compliment it! 5) Don’t accept less than what you really want, no matter what that thing may be. This experience will not prevent me from ordering custom cd’s from them again. One bad Edsel doesn’t make Ford all bad, and I won’t let this one experience create a “walmart sucks” mentality in me. I’m looking forward to getting my cd, and I truly expect it to be correct this time. For the record, I’m going to send a copy of this blog entry to the Walmart Corporate Office, so that they can recognize Emmitt for his kind, professional demeanor, and hopefully address the areas in which they missed the mark bigtime. One can only hope that they will. Thanks for stopping by, Curls |
| Hello all! I'm glad that I finally have a chance to blog again. The project I was absorbed with at work is finally over and I can focus on my regular duties now. it's a good thing it ended when it did since Joseph has taken sick. I picked him up from his dad's on Sunday pm, and he had all the symptoms of a head cold. I made the decision to keep him home from school on Monday. Yesterday am, he woke up with fever, so I had to keep him home again. I figured since he was going to be out of school for 2 days in a row, I'd better get him to the pediatrician. Good thing I did, because they diagnosed him with strep throat. So we're home again today and tomorrow is a huge MAYBE at this point. They've got him on Cefzil antibiotic and an over the counter decongestant called Muscinex DM. it's a pill form which is cool because he won't take liquid stuff because it tastes bad. This extra time at home has been a blessing because I've been neglecting a few things around the house. I got those done Monday and spent the rest of the day baking. I love to bake. Yesterday, I went to Joe's school to try to get some homework for him, then I washed the top layer of limerock dust off my car and, since I was home, I put up the Christmas tree because the lights make Joe happy. My dear friend B had surgery yesterday, and I really felt bad that I couldn't be there with her like I promised her I would. I just didn't want to leave Joe, and didn't want to run the risk of taking this strep to her. She'd have kicked my ass 8 ways from sunday if I had!!! I love her so much. She is just like me in that she's a mom before she's an employee or a friend. If the situation was reversed, I would have expected her to stay with her son too. I just felt bad because she has been so good to me through so many of my surgeries and I wanted to do the same for her. Maybe this weekend I'll get to go see her. Today, I plan on getting the rest of my ironing caught up and I may go outside and fiddle with the lights on the porch if I can borrow my neighborlady's ladder. I also need to go get Joe's science book from school and hopefully his reading teacher will have some worksheets for Joe to do as well. Poor kid has little energy, but is bored out of his mind. It's gonna take a few days for him to get caught up at school. He's missed a math and a science test this week. His teachers are very fond of Joe and will work with him as much as they can. I'm so thankful for that! Well, that's about it from my neck of the woods. I hope everyone who reads this is happy and healthy. Thanks for stopping by, Curls |
| Hi Everyone! I'm so happy I get a chance to blog again. It's been very stressful at work this week. One of our managers was removed from their position, and there have been lots of closed door meetings and such. I did my best to be invisible and just keep my head down and work. With all the stuff going on, the last thing I wanted was to be busted for blogging at work while everyone was wigging out over the other stuff. I went to pick up Joe from his dad's today, but Joe wanted an extra day with his dad. He hasn't seen as much of his dad as he would like, so I couldn't deny him. I want his dad in his life, even if he does leave much to be desired as a parent. He's the only dad Joe has, and a kid needs his daddy. I'm trying to recover from the workweek and gear up for another. All else is going well, I'm just trying to maintain my sanity. As my son would say, "good luck with that..." Be well, Curls |
| It's Saturday, and I just put in 6.5 hours of OT at work on one of the special projects I'm on. They want this project done by 11/11/07, so if you don't see me much between now and then, that's why. I sure miss talking with all of you. Hopefully this project will be completed soon so I have enough fluff time in my day again to hang out here more often. Until then, keep the love goin'. Curls |
| Yay! I have time to blog again! I'm at work and our system is down, so I thought I'd take advantage of the break. I had to put my car in the shop again. First thing in the morning, when the engine is still cold, the automatic engine bogs down when shifting from 1st to 2nd. I know these things don't fix themselves, so before it gets too terribly bad, I thought I'd have them look at it. The power train and transmission is under warranty still, so hopefully any repair needed will be covered. For now, they gave me a nice extended cab Ford Ranger to drive. I feel kinda claustrophic in it. Not a lot of head room and the windshield seems so small to me. I'm just happy the service agreement includes a free rental. Here's the next personality survey, as promised. Have fun! I'm a 35. Don't be overly sensitive! The following is pretty accurate, and it only takes 2 minutes. Don't peek but begin the test as you scroll down and answer. Answers are for who you are now..... not who you were in the past. Have pen or pencil and paper ready. This is a real test given by the Human Relations Dept. at many of the major corporations today. It helps them get better insight concerning their employees and prospective employees. It's only 10 simple questions, so ... grab a pencil and paper, keeping track of your letter answers. When you finished, please respond and let me know your score. Ready?? Be Honest! Begin.. 1. When do you feel your best? a) in the morning b) during the afternoon & and early evening c) late at night 2. You usually walk a) fairly fast, with long steps b) fairly fast, with little steps c) less fast head up, looking the world in the face d) less fast, head down e) very slowly 3. When talking to people you a) stand with your arms folded b) have your hands clasped c) have one or both your hands on your hips d) touch or push the person to whom you are talking e) play with your ear, touch your chin, or smooth your hair 4. When relaxing, you sit with a) your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side b) your legs crossed c) your legs stretched out or straight d) one leg curled under you 5. When something really amuses you, you react with a) a big, appreciative laugh b) a laugh, but not a loud one c) a quiet chuckle d) a sheepish smile 6. When you go to a party or social gathering a) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you b) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know c) make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed 7. You're working very hard, concentrating hard, and you're interrupted; do you ... a) welcome the break b) feel extremely irritated c) vary between these two extremes 8. Which of the following colors do you like most? a) Red or orange b) black c) yellow or light blue d) green e) dark blue or purple f) white g) brown or gray 9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep, you lie a) stretched out on your back b) stretched out face down on your stomach c) on your side, slightly curled d) with your head on one arm e) with your head under the covers 10. You often dream that you are a) falling b) fighting or struggling c) searching for something or somebody d) flying or floating e) you usually have dreamless sleep f) your dreams are always pleasant POINTS: 1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6 2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1 3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e) 6 4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1 5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2 6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2 7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4 8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3 (f) 2 (g) 1 9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e) 1 10. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6 (f) 1 Now add up the total number of points. OVER 60 POINTS: Others see you as someone the should "handle with care". You're seen as vain, self-centered, and who is extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but don't always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved with you. 51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality; a natural leader, who's quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once; someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement your radiate. 41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting; someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well-balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding; someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out. 31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over it if that trust is ever broken. 21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It'd really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then, usually decide against it. They think this reaction is caused partly by your careful nature. UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions & who doesn't want to get involved with anyone or anything. They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don't exist. Some people think you're boring. Only those who know you well know that you aren't. |
| WOW! First of all, please let me apologize for not blogging lately. I've been busier than.... a salmon in cold water. a one-armed paperhanger with a case of the hives. one-legged cat trying to bury a turd on a frozen pond. a one-eyed cat watching nine rat holes. a one-legged man in a butt kickin' contest. a three-legged cat trying to cover s*** on a marble floor. a one-toothed man in a corn-on-the-cob eating contest. a mosquito at a nudist colony. a cross-eyed air traffic controller. a set of jumper cables at a country funeral. a cat with puppies. a weatherman in a tornado. a desert cobra at a mongoose convention. a termite in a saw mill. a dog scratching fleas. a one-armed-pimp in a bitch-slapping contest a one-armed trombone player. a rooster in a henhouse. a French politician at an ass-kissing convention. a blind man at a strip show. a hooker on a troop train. a moth in a mitten. a one-armed taxi driver with crabs. a bricklayer in Beirut. a billygoat with two peckers. a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers a cranberry merchant at Christmas time. Are ya gettin' it yet? It's been nucking futs at work, yet, I love it. Go figure. I have my usual workload and have been involved in two separate projects, one of which I'm chairing. I like the added responsibility and the opportunity to show my leadership skills. Although I'm quite exhausted at the end of the day, it's a happy tired, because I know it will open more doors of opportunity for me in the future. I have another personality test to post, perhaps tomorrow if I can get the computer away from my son. Hugs to all!! Curls |
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