Food Issues
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: Work
Why do some people think that it is OK to take food like they're in a soup kitchen just because the food is out on a person's desk? I think people should NEVER help themselves unless it is abundantly clear that the food is for the taking. My friend (that happens to be pregnant so it makes this even worse in my mind) had a package of yogurt or chocolate covered pretzels on her desk for a snack. This rude-ass coworker of ours walks up to her desk, opens the bag and helps himself to her food! She's outspoken enough to tell him that he's rude, and then he has the nerve to throw the guilt trip response back by saying he thought they were close enough to not have to ask. Whatever D&*#head!!!! That's just rude. And to top it all off, this guy was supposed to go to lunch with the pregnant ladies husband and stood him up with no excuse or apology. I can do nothing but roll my eyes and shake my head. I have to wonder how this guy survives, but then again, his behavior is typical for a lot of people in my office, unfortunately.

...'Tis the Season.

Supreme Court Nomination
Mood:  irritated
Topic: Misc.
This is in reference to Pres. Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court. I'm listening to reports saying that there is controversy about her religious affiliations. Bush says that it is a factor in his selection, and she's saying that her religious beliefs have no impact on how she would judge cases. WTF? How stupid is that? It should absolutely impact how she judges, or she shouldn't be religious. If the bible doesn't influence the decisions you make, in all aspects of your life, then why bother? That's one of the reasons I believe that there cannot be total separation of church and state. Unless people are elected that make it clear that they're NOT religious, then how can there be separation. And in my opinion, I really don't want this country lead by a bunch of atheists or agnostics. I want to have some assurance that the people in charge of government have a reliable foundation on which they base their decisions. If you have someone that hasn't made clear what they base their decisions on, then it may just depend on his or her mood or the weather on a particular day. How crazy is that? So, with that said, I don't support Bush's election because Harriet doesn't seem to have her head on well enough to take such an important role. Any thoughts on this?

God Works In Mysterious Way
Mood:  happy
Topic: Work
What an amazing five days I've had. God has certainly been answering our prayers!
On Friday, Sept. 30th, I received an email from "Linda" (a former manager who is currently working at another company) asking me if we (the DH, and family) would reconsider moving to CO (which we're scheduled to do in mid to late December). She said that this company is looking to hire a couple of people, but that they really want me. How exciting and flattering. At first, I am not really considering this because we have some much "momentum" carrying us out of this area. However, Linda mentions the salary, bonus, and career advantages, AND that the company plans on opening an office in CO in the next two years. So, perhaps I delay my journey out of this area. I call my parents, because that's just what I do in times like this, and I get the guilt trip from hell from the mom and the practical "you'd better give this some serious consideration" from the dad. The rest of my weekend is pretty much shot because every waking moment is spent thinking about how to make this work. I want that house in CO so bad that pieces of my heart break off thinking about not moving in and how our family will react to the disappointing news, but then I think about how crazy it is to move to CO with no job, hoping to make ends meet. Then, I speak to the VP of this company, "Matthew," who says the plans for the CO office are most like six to 12 months away!! Things are looking better. At that point, I'm invited to an "overview of the company" meeting for Monday, Oct. 3rd. I make arrangements to be there and feel like I'm welcomed with open arms...it's like I'm already a part of the group. There was no weird tension in the room while discussing how the company was started and what direction they're headed for the next several years. After this meeting, I speak to Matthew and Linda about my opportunities and the "numbers." Today, I sent an email asking if 'hypothetically' I learn the processes and procedures by January, could I move to CO and begin working from there. The answer, so far, is yes. This is looking very good. I don't think we have to give up this house that we've been dreaming about since March AND I get to move with a job at an amazing rate of pay, especially for CO! Oh man, am I thanking God for being part of our lives and for listening to our prayers. I'll keep ya'll posted on the upcoming events. Change is certainly on it's way!

Exagerators
Mood:  cheeky
Topic: Work
I have this friend, we'll call her Stella, that seems to know, or happens to find, the most outspoken, rude people on the planet. She tells stories about people that say the most obnoxious things, and I have a very hard time believing her stories. I don't think people are that rude, but even if they are that rude, how is it that she crosses paths with so many of them. I'd love to provide examples, but I'm not quite courageous enough to put myself out there. Anyone reading this that knows her will know exactly who I'm talking about and I don't need to offend.
...oh screw it...you're dieing to hear, I know.
For example, she has a cleaning service visit her home a couple of times a month. According to her, her neighbors told her that she's making them look bad by having a service clean for her. WTF?!?! Then they went on to say that it's her job to clean her own house. OMG! I'd freak if someone made such a retarded comment to my face.
Another example, her first born has issues with his eyes and needed surgery. While he was healing, he needed to wear a patch. She was shopping and had him in the cart. I guess he was getting ready to climb out when some lady makes a comment about how he'd better be careful or he'll hurt his other eye. Who in the freakin' world would say such an F'd up comment?
See what I mean? How does one person find people like that, all the time? It's sad. I know it's fun to get attention and to get a reaction out of listeners, but come on. The truth may not be as jaw dropping, but at least we'll be able to believe it. I'm to the point where when she tells a story, this voice in the back of my head is saying, "Yeah right." I'm such a jerk. I wish I could just be blunt and say "BS, Stella!" but, I just let her have her time in the spotlight.

Dang Allergies!!!
Mood:  spacey
Topic: Misc.
I woke up with a sore throat, water eyes, runny nose & sneezy, aches and pains...the works. I thought I was coming down with a cold, but my friend suggested that I take some of the medicine we have in the office medicine cabinet. It worked for a while, which leads me to believe that I just have bad allergies, but couldn't taking a "cocktail" of various drugs just mask cold symptoms? My nose is runny again only after about two hours of taking some decongestant that says take two pills once every four hours. Grrrr!

Happt Birthday Daddy!
Mood:  happy
Topic: Family
Today is my dad's 60th birthday. I really wish we could be there to help him celebrate. I'm sure the party is gonna be very memorable for all attendies.
Since we're in the process of getting ready to move, we're trying very hard to save money. Therefore, we have made our weekday meals really simple and boring (Mac & Cheese, Stuffed Potatoes, Soup, etc.) and our grocery bill is still high! I can't figure out why it's so high. The only think I can think of is the baby food, but that's not too bad. We've even decided to quit buying beer and spirits for a while. :(
That's it for now. See Ya.

Mood:  chatty
Topic: Misc.
So, we learned that my father-in-law and his wife are staying in Houston. We'll be in contact with them as much as we can, but there is the possibility that we'll lose contact. They expect power outages, along with phone lines and maybe even cellular service outages. Yikes!
We have this local circus that comes through here this time of year. We took DD1 last year when I was about to pop with DD2. Since DH and I have both been to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, we think that The Big Apple Circus really sucks!! We paid a lot of money to sit in the hot, dirty tent to watch some dogs and cats jump over each other and through hoops. The theme (some gender confused idiot playing "Grandma") was so lame! Give me a break. DD1 loved it, but she was freakin' 3...she'll just love when we take her to the REAL DEAL. Anyway, I have this friend at work that's taking his twin sons and some out of town guests. They've never been and I wanted to warn him that it's not that great but decided to bite my tongue and let them form their own opinions. Plus, they'd already paid for tickets. It's not like they were going to change their minds and not go.
I found out that my good friend is having a baby boy, sometime in Feb. 2006. I'm so happy for them, but get the impression that because everyone wanted her to have a boy, she wanted it to be a girl. Oh well...so far everything in normal and that's what's important.
Here's a little gripe session. We have these friends that go to surrounding wineries all the time. I personally don't get too excited about them because you have to buy a couple of bottles of wine to really get the full affect and since we're towing two little ones, it's not really that fun. The thing is, this couple, along with another couple that they go with, have little ones too. They take their kids and just sit there drinking their wine. It bugs me, but I'm not sure why. Am I jealous of the camaraderie? Maybe, but we're very private people and we love being alone. We like hanging out with others, but we love having our space too. Do I think it's unhealthy to be always drinking in front of the kids? Yes, but that doesn't stop me from doing it at home. I'm a hypocrite. Maybe it's because I know they're getting a buzz on, and then driving home. I think what bugs me most is that I can't spend money like that. Boo hoo for me! I need to get over it, but I can't seem to shake it. Any suggestions?

Flying and Landing
Topic: Misc.
I just wanted to say that DH and I watched that footage of the plane in CA landing while it was happening (aka live). I am so thankful that the pilot was able to land the plane safely! I hear there are pilots saying that what this guy did was not that big of a deal because they prepare for that in simulations. Well, la-tee-da. I think he deserves a "whoop-whoop" for remembering how to pull it off and for performing under pressure. If I were on that flight, I'd be the crazy lady screaming uncontrollably and crying my eyes out. I can't stand flying and I really hope I never experience what those people went through! Can you imagine having to fly around for three hours because your freakin' plane can't dump the fuel? Or to realize that your plane's landing gear is messed up? I thank God for how this ordeal ended.

Today was a much better day
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Misc.
DD1 had a much better day today. Her letter to Bobby was read out loud to the class. He was so happy to have the attention and the class learned the importance of saying sorry. The two kids are the best of friends now. Cute!
DH rode his bike to work yesterday and will keep riding to work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It will help on our gas budget, but I'm wicked nervous about him coming home in the dark.
We're all thinking about DH's Dad and Step-mom in Houston. They're having to evactuate because of Rita. Let's all pray for them and all of those that will be impacted by this hurricane.
Congradulations to DH's brother on his new job. He'll be moving to Houston this weekend, or at least whenever people are allowed to go back. Yikes!
That's it for now. Love to all!!

Kaley Gets Busted
Mood:  irritated
Topic: Kids
I thought I'd share something that DD1 did today...not one of her proud moments. When I picked her up today from daycare, her teacher, informed me that DD1 got up out of her chair, walked up to a child, and hit him on the back, hard enough to make him cry. It wasn't some little shove or harmless push, she just went off and smacked the kid. I was so freakin' embarrassed! The child is ok, but she was sure I knew that he cried. When we left the classroom, DD1 started to tell me that it was an accident. I would have none of that so I put her in the office while I got DD2. Another teacher tried talking to DD1 to see what caused her to do such a thing, but DD1 thought it was a joke and smiled. This teacher was pissed and said that it was nothing to be proud of. I agreed! Once she got into her car seat, she started crying and saying how sorry she was. I told her that I was disappointed and embarrassed (always a parenting favorite). I found out who the kid was that she hit. She had no reason to hit him. In her words, something inside her just made her want to hit him, but she doesn't know what it was. Her punishment is no TV for the rest of the week. We'll see if that motivates her to not hit again, but for the time, she doesn't seem to upset about losing that privilege. I made her write an "I'm sorry" letter, which stated, "Dear Bobby, I am sorry for hitting you on the back. Can you be my best friend?" I wonder if the parents will think I'm as insane as I feel. LOL Anyway, that's the adventure for today.