A work in progress...

Last Free Day

2007-08-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

Monday is the start of classes. This is Friday. I know, Saturday and Sunday are still free but they don't count. See, there is a class free weekend every week but this is the last day of the last free week. No classes, no homework, no getting up early.

5 Am was never meant to be seen unless you are just going to bed! I am a night owl. I used to work the 2-11 shift. I went to bed around 4Am and got up around noon. I loved it. I kept the same schedule even on my days off. Now I drive a school bus. Irony anyone?

My only complaint about the 2-11 was that my family was always saying that they never got to see me. In retrospect I think that had very little to do with my shift and more to do with the fact that I was going through a brain dead period in my life. It was a time of severely bad judgement on my part. But still, I love that shift. I like the quiet at night.

Things with Nanny are looking bad. She is spending more and more time not in her right mind. We think this could be due to poor blood supply to her brain. We think that because her feet turn black after less than two minutes of sitting up. As a result she now has to spend most of her time in her bed. It's a hospital bed so we can sit her up a little and move the level of her legs around. We moved her big screen tv into the bedroom so she can watch tv.

I have biology this semester. (I'm repressing a scream of terror right now.) I keep telling myself that if I can pass algebra I can pass anything. I've never actually taken biology before, not even in high school. I took physical and life science. I'm really regretting that right about now. But Karen is taking it too so maybe we can help each other through it.

I'm also taking a psych class in development, speech, and philosophy. I took philosophy last semester but was forced to drop in due to the fact that the instructor only had one lecture which he repeated every class period and which taught nothing about philosophy. I did enjoy reading the book though. It was really interesting. So much so that I finished reading it even though I had dropped the class.

New School Year and Some Other Junk

2007-08-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

Well, we had our back to school meeting and I will be getting a regular route when school starts. This means that my health insurance will kick in. Yippee for me! I will have to change doctors but because mine is not on the health plans list. Karen's doctor is and I have gone with Karen for doctor visits in the past and I like her doctor very much so we will both be seeing the same doctor, which is cool.

I don't know which route I'm getting yet but that's okay. It will be the same route everyday instead of never knowing from day to day what route I'll be driving and almost always feeling lost. Even in an area you're familiar with you can feel lost driving an unfamiliar route because you don't know which house to look for and so on. It will be nice to be able to get to know the kids too.

On to the other junk and boy do I mean junk.

A situation has come up that I feel compelled to weigh in on. It regards blogging and the ethics and just plan courtesy thereof.

Before anyone starts screaming that I should mine my own business and leave them out of my posts - the following is my opinion and no real names or user names will be used here.

It is fine to post about a similar topic as seen on someone else's blog, put your own spin on it and get your own circle of readers to chime in on it.

It is not however, okay to flat out copy the post from another blog whether a link is provided or not. Reference the original post so that your readers can post on the original or post your own idea's with a link to the blog that spurred the thought but don't just copy the words and try to make it seem that you have improved upon the original idea in some way.

Firstly - it is unethical (not to mention in violation of copyrights) to copy someone else's work and ideas without permission.

Secondly - it is just plain, out and out, rude. (Especially if you are a person who would hit the roof if another blogger did the same to you.)

Thirdly - It is made still worse an offence when the section of the blog copied includes the words of someone other than the original blogger - let's say for instance the original blogger's spouse. The spouse no doubt agreed to having their words used in the original blog. But did the copy cat blog gain such an agreement from the spouse? I highly doubt it. This is an invasion and a violation.

Fourthly - When the aforementioned spouse is insulted by a commenter on the copy cat blog the copier should (assuming of course that they know the spouse and disagree) defend the spouse rather than waiting around for the original poster to defend their spouse on your blog.

Okay, that's my rant for now.

Been awhile!!!!

2007-07-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

So much has happened in the last couple of months. I don't really know were to start. I just read back through some old posts and realized that I really don't keep up with this thing at all.

Nanny was getting unbearable again, saying that everyone was stealing from her and that she doesn't need any help. So Karen and I went to Mom's for a two weeks. We went to check on Nanny every other day during this time. She finally left a message asking Karen to come back because she needs help. For this woman to admit that she needs help is huge.

So Mom came with us to check on her that day because Nanny's not mean when there's anyone around that she doesn't know real well. When we got here she was way dehydrated and she wasn't acting normally. We called 911 to take her to the hospital. While we were waiting Mom told Nanny about how she used to sit with people who needed the kind of help she needs now and she would be willing to stay and help her. Nanny thought that was just great. In fact, at the hospital she tried to argue her way out of staying overnight by saying, "But I've got a nurse and home, I've got Dolly." We keep telling her that Mom's not a nurse but she doesn't seem to get the difference.

So Nanny, Mom, Karen, and I are all living here right now. Plus Nanny's beagles Jigsaw and Trixie. Mom's chihuahua whom Nanny has dubbed Peanut. Banjo, the cat that we got after Candy disappeared. Oh, and soon my cockatiel, Charlie. It's a petting zoo. But they all get along.

Candy, unfortunately was never found. There was a bob-cat seen in the neighborhood and a greyhound breeder down the way lost 6 full grown dogs to it. That is the only explanation we could come up with. After searching for several weeks we gave up and got another cat.

We went back to fuzzy friends were we found Banjo (they named him) the sign said born the first week in January, American domestic long hair. Yeah. Right, Banjo is now 6 months old and looks like a full grown cat, a LARGE full grown cat. Our vet says that he is a Maine Coon. Yep, the little tiny thing we brought home could get as big as 30 pounds. I looked it up on the web and most sites say 25 pounds but our vet has another one that goes there and it is well over 30 and is not at all fat. They also take 3-5 years to reach their full size so we won't know for awhile yet. But if his current rate of growth is any indication, he is going to be one big cat. He is soooo gentle though, he plays with the dogs and he never puts his claws out. A one year one baby stepped right on his stomach (by accident) and he didn't scratch he just wiggled away! He is also a great fly catcher. Fly's and those rings off the milk jug are his favorite toys.

Not doing much right now, mostly cleaning. Nanny hasn't really let anyone clean in years. She can't see the dirt so it must not be there. So there is a lot of cleaning that needs done as you can imagine.

Waiting to hear back from some emails I sent. My cousin, hasn't been in touch with anyone for several months and Gram asked if I could try to get a hold of her. The last email she answered was in April. So I don't know if she's moved of doesn't have web access or what. She was using the computer of the woman she babysat for but maybe she doesn't work for her anymore.

Watching and reading Harry Potter, waiting for the new movie and the new book. I ordered it months ago and now I can't wait to get it.

Mostly I just have a lot of time right now to sit and think and talk with Karen and Mom. We've been having some really good talks lately. Mom spent hours the other day trying to convince us that it was a good idea for us both to get pregnant, at the same time, like right now!

I think we convinced her that now is just not a good time. Maybe some time in the not too far off future, but not just now. And not both of us. Two pregnant woman in the same house is just a bad idea. Besides, the word childbirth almost makes Karen pass out! So when we're ready, it would be me, not us. Karen can be the 3am ice cream getter.

Missing

2007-04-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

Candy is missing. I last saw her at 3am Friday when she woke me up to play with my fingers for a few minutes and then curl up in the window behind the bed.

When Karen got up a 5am she didn't see her. After I had been up for a little while Karen asked if I'd seen Candy that morning. I hadn't seen her since I got up.

We searched the house. We searched the yard. We had to leave or be late to work. We figured she'd come back. She's gone out the doggy door and played with bugs and things since we got her.

After work I came straight home to look for her but she still wasn't back at 8:00 when I got home. Karen arrived within the hour and we both searched high and low. We wandered out through other peoples yards and pastures. I followed the creek as far as I could before the marshy area started to take my shoes off.

We gave up after several hours and went back to work that afternoon. We looked again when we got home until it got dark. Then the storm blow in and we were both standing there looking at the wind and rain and crying. So we took flashlights and went back out and looked until neither of us could feel our fingers and toes anymore.

We've called the local shelters and all the neighbors, we have an add coming out in the paper tomorrow.

One of the neighbors told us that his friend who lives not far from here just lost 6 greyhounds to what they think is a large cat of some kind. The lady at the shelter told me that a lot of people in our area have reported missing animals in the last few weeks and that as far as she knows none of them have turned up.

I think this has been about the worst weekend I've ever had.

P.S. We are getting rid of the doggy door, the dogs will just have to adjust.

Gotta Get Goals

2007-04-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, Kristyn tagged me for this thing so this is all her fault.

My goals:

1. Graduate College. This is first because I want to not only have the magic piece of paper that can get me better jobs but also the knowledge that comes with it. I love to learn but once I graduate I can focus more on those subjects that really interest me.

2. Have no money worries. I want to be able to own a comfortable home and not have to worry about everyday expenses. I'd like to have investments that will see me through retirement without having to worry about whether or not I will outlast the money.

3. Contribute. I want the freedom (both in time and finances) to give to causes I believe in. Examples would include literacy programs like http://www.reachoutandread.org/ and human rights causes like http://www.hrc.org/

4. Lose weight. I don't want to be skinny (I really don't) I just want to be healthy.

5. Help people. As a Psychology major I want to help people. I want to help those with family troubles or with depression. I also want to be listed in the gay yellow pages as a therapist. This will help me reach out to and help people in the coming out process as well as their families. I would like to set up groups for gay people to talk about their issues with one another. I would also like to start a chapter of PFLAG http://www.pflag.org/ for parents and friends of gay people to talk to one another about what they are going through.

Well, those are my main goals in life.

Snowing

2007-04-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, snowing. In central Texas, in April.

This is so freaky! It is coming down fast and in huge flakes. What's more is that it's sticking. It doesn't just melt when it touches the ground.

The Weather Channel says that this is the first April snow in Dallas... ever. Yesterday, the local forecast for here in the Waco area called for a chance of rain and mid 50's today. This morning they changed it to chance of snow and mid 30's. At 2:00 PM today they changed it again to say low 30's and a low of 29 tonight and 1-3 inches of snow.

They don't measure snow in inches in Texas. It's just "a light dusting" or "snow flurries". Today they are calling for 1-3 inches.

Ironically, I recently watched An Inconvenient Truth which is a documentary about global warming. Strange weather (even cold weather) is a warning sign of global warming. Think The Day After Tomorrow without Dennis Quaid saving anybody. The documentary was so interesting to me that I got some books on the subject. This kind of weird weather is exactly what scientist have been predicting for years. But anyway...

It's snowing! How freaky is that?

Pics of The Crazy Guard Cat Candy

2007-03-25T04:44:00.000-07:00

SOOOO SWEET!!!

Crazy Guard Cat Candy

2007-03-25T03:47:00.000-07:00

The mice thing was getting way out of hand (see post titled Quick)

They were in everything including the bedrooms the dressers and the living room sofa! We tried traps (the bait and trap to release later kind 'cause Karen can't stand the snap noise the other ones make) which worked until they seemed to realize what those were and stopped going near them. Tried the things you plug in that make a noise that you can't hear but is supposed to drive mice away. Still mice in everything and on everything. Sitting in the living room watching TV we could hear them in the kitchen. And this was even after we cleaned out the cupboards and put stuff in plastic containers. When I say they were everywhere I mean EVERYWHERE! Clean the kitchen put everything away and wipe down all the counter and in the morning? Fresh dropping ALL over the place. Can I just say icky?

It was like they called out, "In here guys! Mousy houses and mousy roads and mousy parties and mousy nude nude nudes! Now open: Mousy town, come on down!"

Karen had talked to Nanny before about getting a cat because a friend had one she was trying to find a home for. Nanny said no because the dogs might gang up on a cat and hurt it. The dogs are 4 year old beagles. The dogs are afraid of their own shadows.

So with Nanny in rehab for her hip, Karen decided that with the mice here and Nanny gone it was time to test the dogs eat cat theory. We went to fuzzy friends. We looked in the cages and didn't see one that we really liked that well. So we went into the "free room" were it's basically 4 giant litter boxes and 30 cats just running all over the place. We walked around looking at cats and petting them and after we got to the back of the room and started to head back out we saw this crazy insane freaky cat chasing... nothing. Not even a little tiny piece of pocket lint. Just nothing. Going totally berserk over nothing, just making her own fun. I thought 'that is one spazzed out crazy cat!'

Karen rubbed Crazy Cat's head and then went to the desk to ask about which ones got along with dogs and all that.

I talked to the Crazy Cat. I said "watcha doin Crazy Cat?" and Crazy Cat came running over to me and rubbed on my ankles. So I bent over and scratched Crazy Cat's ears and she seemed to like that so I tried picking her up. Crazy Cat snuggled in my arms and immediately rolled over and showed me her belly. Karen got back and held Crazy Cat and got snuggled and shown the belly too. In the words of Ellen DeGeneres, "Ya gotta reward that!" So we took Crazy Cat home.

They were calling her Priscilla. She is 1 and a half and has had kittens but is now fixed.

After 2 hours we settled on calling her Candy because she is SO sweet. She loves to snuggle and lives to show you her belly for a tummy rub. She is though, as I first thought, crazy. But we figure that's good cause she has lots of mice casing energy. She rips through the house casing whatever. Sometimes a toy, sometimes a dog, sometimes nothing.

She hasn't had to case any mice though because from the day we got her we have had no new mice evidence except one lone little dropping one night. It's like they smelled cat ran from the house screaming "Run for your lives! Mousy town is closed!"

As far as the dogs? They are indeed, afraid of the cat. Candy never even gave the dogs a glance. They hid in the corner while she explored. Her favorite game now is to bat at their noses. Not with claws out or anything, it's just her paws and their response is to run away.

When they try to sniff her, she bats at them and they run away.

She lies in wait for them to come around the corner, then jumps out and she bats at them and they run away.

When the dogs go outside she guards the doggy door from the inside, waiting for them to try to come in and then she bats at them and they run away.

She guards my bed at night, 'cause the dogs try to get in bed too, and she bats at them and they run away.

I give you: The Crazy Guard Cat Candy!

Nanny

2007-03-25T02:44:00.000-07:00

Well Crap! I just spend 20 minutes typing a post only to have IE freeze up on me and lost the whole thing. Oh well, I'm over it.

So Nanny's fall: this is one of many, the fourth resulting in a break. This time it's her right hip. Before it has been her tail bone, left hip and pelvic ring. The fall that broke her pelvic ring broke it in three places. After each of these prior breaks she spent a few days in the hospital before being sent to a nursing home for rehab for about 6 weeks. All of this BTW in the last 3 years. Also in that time she has lost a drastic amount of weight. She is 5' 7" and now weighs 103.4 pounds. She won't eat - Karen has tried all of Nanny's favorites and she only ever eats a few bites of anything. They have her on meds now that are normally for cancer patients to help her appetite.

After this break however, they saw fit to send her home directly from the hospital after only one night. She was unable to walk at all or even stand with help. She had to be lifted from the wheelchair or bed onto a potty chair. Karen and I did that with no complaint except that it was causing her pain and we didn't understand why this didn't merit rehab. ***Not to mention we were pissed at the hospital for bringing her downstairs to Karen's minivan to go home - with no pants! She had a little blanket on her lap but when the nurse picked her up out of the wheelchair to get her in the van the little blanket fell down and she was NAKED from the waist down on a cold windy day at the main entrance to the hospital in front of many people coming and going. --- Yep, I said naked from the waist down - don't even get me started about that.

After one week at home and home aids and nurses visiting from time to time she had gotten worse. While one of the aids was helping her wash Nanny's feet swelled (a lot!) and turned blue. Back to the hospital she went and a few days later, into rehab she went.

It has been almost 5 weeks since she started rehab and she has made almost no progress. The other times it was only about a week before they had her up and walking the halls (with a walker and a PT walking along with her) during her therapy sessions. By the time 5 weeks rolled around it was like "okay, i think she can go home now, she's moving better than before the fall!" This time at past 4 weeks and she still can't take more than 1 step, MAYBE 2 if she's feeling frisky.

Also, before this fall she had started over the last couple of years to have some confusion here and there but for the most part the woman was sharp as a tack. Especially considering she is 79 years old. But since this last fall she is having more and more confusion. It seems that there are more "off" days than good ones now.

Things like asking about pets that died 30 years or more ago. And when her son-in-law asked if she wanted him to call to get the yard guy to come out to the house she told him to "wait until George gets home and talk to him about it." -George was her husband and he died in 1983.

Day before yesterday we were visiting and she asked how Pam was (her daughter, Karen's mother, who BTW had a heart attack less than two weeks ago but is home now and doing okay)
Karen,"Mother's doing okay she called me this morning and she's feeling much better."
Nanny, "Called from where?"
Karen,"From her house, she went home three days ago member?"
Nanny "What house?"
Karen "Mother's house, Nanny. You know, the trailer house?"
Nanny "I thought they gave that up?"

They have been living in that house for years. When Karen asked what she meant Nanny shook her head, shrugged her shoulders and said "never mind I'm thinking of something else."

She also has in the last 6 weeks gotten to where no matter how we or the aids or nurses get her seated in her wheelchair, bed, or recliner (we took it to the nursing home so she'd be more comfortable) within a few minutes she is slumped over to her right side. She doesn't notice when this happens.

At first when we told the nurses the confusion had gotten way worse they said not to worry it was just from the surgery (after the second trip the er they decided it was a good idea after all) and that older people take longer to rid they bodies of the anesthesia but after this long that is so not even possible. They are going to run some evals this week for psych and nerve stuff and see if they can't figure out what's going on.

Hopefully they will be able to do something for her.

Quick

2007-03-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

I only have a minute so this is going to be short.

First, Nanny had another fall and broke another hip and after much red tape is now doing rehab at a nursing home.

Second, the problem with mice was WAY out of control so we got a cat. She is doing great and the dogs don't bother her because... well, they're terrified of her. I'll post some pics later.

Gotta go now.

Camping

2007-01-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

I have just returned from Lake Limestone where Karen and I spent the weekend. We went to a campground called Rainbow Ranch. http://www.rainbowranch.net/

It was really cool. We got in a canoe and paddled around for awhile. We had some trouble getting in the thing though. Karen was afraid of it tipping over as she got in so we left one end on the bank until she was in and then I pushed it most of the way off and then got in. Well, it didn't want to go because there was a sandbar about ten feet out. There were four men standing about 20 yards away, they just stood there. Two women who were fishing on a pier about 50 yards away came over to help push the canoe out.

It was cold last night and we slept in long-johns with a sleeping bag under us and a sheet, blanket, quilt, and comforter over us. It was still cold! It was awesome!

FYI - Never (and I mean NEVER) buy firewood at Walmart. We did. We got it when we got the other stuff we took, ya know, hot dogs and such. They had bundles of firewood outside so we got some there. Yep, Walmart sucks. The stuff wouldn't burn - I'm not kidding. We tried everything. The small stuff we gathered off the ground burned fine but the Walmart wood would not catch. We even tried soaking, yes soaking, it in lighter fluid. It would flare up for a few minutes and then within 10 minutes there were no flames and no smoke. Walmart sucks.

We had a really good time this weekend. I did some fishing but didn't catch anything. We are planning to spend spring break there.

Snow Day

2007-01-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

Everything is covered in ice. All the schools are closed for the day. Outside the whole world seems frozen over. No school and no work, whatever will I do all day?

I am staying at Karen and Nanny's so that I can work driving school bus again and still go to school. The spare bedroom was piled high with junk and mice have been a problem all over town this year. You can emagine what the room looked like. But now it's all cleaned out and I've been busy making feel like home by doing normal stuff such as leaving a laundry pile as high as my knees all over the room.

My friend Myca's mother, Martha, past away this last week. There was a viewing Friday night and the funeral was Saturday. Karen and I went to both but stayed in the lobby during the funeral service. Myca's 16 year old, Samantha, was not coping well and didn't feel like she could go in the room with her grandmother laying there. (She did not attend the viewing) Karen and I sat with Sammy through the service. We all still were able to hear the service because the sound system was piped throughout the building.

It was a cold rainy and icy day and the burial was to be out in Turnersville. Karen and I took Myca's youngest two, Sammy and Jeremiah home and got the house cleaned up before they got back. They've had a lot of out of town family camped all over the house and didn't want Myca to feel like she had to clean because of company. The kids seemed much better able to deal with the whole thing after we left the funeral home.

We almost didn't make it to the funeral at all. Besides the bad roads, I hurt my back while putting on shoes about an hour before the service. Something is out in my lower back but despite Karen's best efforts to adjust it I still am not getting around very well. Luckily I have MLK day to rest. I did make it to work yesterday but am lying here with a heating pad on my back and butt. It could be worse though.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2006-12-20T14:32:00.000-08:00

Well, the decorations are done the baking will get finished tomorrow, and right now I'm killing time to put off the last of my Christmas shopping.

Keylen has been sick since the weekend. Poor sweet baby keeps choking. Plus the little rug rat seems to have given it to me... just what I always wanted. But no matter the Christmas shopping must be done.

Lee's Mother and sister were suppossed to come but Jamie told us today when she picked Keylen up today that they are not coming. I guess his sister is sick and that's a long drive when you are well let alone sick. Lee, understandably is upset.

But Karen is coming and Lee and Jamie are still coming over and bringing LJ and Keylen. And there are tons of presents for the boys. All of them are kind of educational toy or books though. LJ is 6 and can't read yet... not even little words. He needs this stuff. Keylen is getting a stuffed toy or two but even he is getting some books - those soft kind that baby's can chew on and stuff.

I heard from someone resently that I haven't heard from in a long while. She just came out and wanted me to know. I am really happy for her. I don't know if she's okay with me talking about this on my blog though so I won't say anything else. Except maybe... why am I the only one in the world who just assumes people are gay until they prove otherwise?

2006-12-19T21:44:00.000-08:00

I desided to take a look at my blog because I had like six comments hid my email that were nothing but spam links. So I stepped over here to delete them and realized that I haven't posted in forever.

Mom and Charlie got married. Jamie (Charlie's youngest) has another baby boy so that brings the grandchild count to 3. Holly's Vincent who is 17 and Jamie's LJ is 6 now and Keylen was born 7-25-2006. He is SOOOOO cute!! Mom babysits during the day and with school out I get to see him all the time.

Last semester was a total let down. Anytime that math is MY favorite class you know something is wrong. I think something is wrong with me though, this is 2 math classes in which I have made an 'A'! One more to go this spring and then no more math for me ever. WOOO HOO!!!! Karen says that my inner math geek woke up and that I should imbrace it. Whatever.

Last semester was hard in other ways too. We moved to Killeen at the start of the semester and the drive back and forth is a pain in the ass. I spent most weekends in Waco at Nanny G's house so that I could see my friends. That left no time for work. So I stuck out this semester putting stuff on credit. Next semester Nanny says I can just stay there full time so I'll be able to go back to driving bus and have some cash and still be able to see my friends.

I haven't seen or heard from Matt or Kristyn lately. I keep up with Kristyn's blog though. I miss them both. I hope to get out there sometime soon after Kristyn gets back from her parent's.

Well, it's late and I am tired. More another time.

Where the hell is my cheese?

2006-08-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

Did you ever have a manager give you a book about someone having moved your cheese and how to deal? It's really annoying when they hand you this book because it's their way of saying "I'm changing something around here and you're not gonna like but too bad for you." The idea behind this book is that we are all mice in mazes looking for cheese and just when we find it someone moves it and we have to adjust.

Last week I was overjoyed to find a degree plan that works for me. Mom's getting married in December and Charlie's moving in here. I will continue to drive bus and go to school and live here.

Tuesday, Mom had an interesting topic on her mind when she got home. I'll give you the information as I got it:

8-1-06: Began the relocation of my milk by-product.

8pm - We are moving to Killeen, sometime next summer at which point I could transfer to the college there. (My cheese will be moved at a vague date in the future. I'm okay with that.)

9pm - We are moving to Killeen at the first of the year. I will probably have to quit my job as the drive would have to begin at 4:30 in the morning to get to work from Killeen. (I am desperatly clinging to my cheese.)

11pm - We are moving to Killeen within the month. I have no friggin' idea where my cheese is.

The hunt for a rental house has begun.

Now, am I happy about this? Well, yes and no.

On the yes side: this will allow my mom to quit a job that is becoming increasingly stressful. It will allow her to be close to Charlie and his grandsons. It would allow us to get a bigger house with a fenced yard for the dog. I would have more time to study if I wasn't getting up at 5am.

On the no side: this forces me to move away from my friends. Kristyn will be 3 hours away instead of 2 which isn't that huge, I could still go out there for all the more often I have the time anyway. It will put Karen and Myca about 45 minutes way instead of 20. And if I quit my job I'll rarely see Becky, Tammy, and Latresa at all. I just finally, after 6 years, have gotten to where I don't have to ask directions to get everywhere.

My cheese is MIA!!!!!

Cowboy Boots and Degree Plans

2006-07-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

I had an awesome visit with Matt and Kristyn. We hung out, gamed, and watched movies. We went bowling and my high score was like 80. I know, I suck. Kristyn, having taken a bowling class this summer, did much better. We went to see My Super Ex-Girlfriend which was dumb and predictable but very funny and starred one of my favorite comedians, Eddie Izzard.

Karen has been looking for cowboy boots for Mom's wedding, which has a western theme. She found some on Ebay and bid $.99 for them. Monday night the lot closed and she won! For $.99!!! If I tried that I'd end up paying more than retail for them.

While I was at Kristyn's I got a message from someone at my school regarding art classes. I was expecting this call because I enrolled in Drawing II and was told but my Drawing I teacher, Mike, that they were probably going to condense the two sections offered into one and that either he or Ms. King would be teaching the resulting class. But the woman called back Monday morning to find out if I wanted in the new class or if I wanted to just drop it. I asked, just to make sure, who was teaching the new class. I'm glad I did because it isn't either of the teachers I thought it would be. It's being taught by the same teacher I had for Art History last fall. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! Shudder gasp!!!! I told her to drop me.

I got on the internet to look up what other class I could replace that one with and called Karen to get her to look too. The way they lay out the schedule online is not easy to look through so I wanted a second pair of eyes. I ended up enrolling in Sociology.

It was really lucky that we had a reason to look at the website Monday though. If we hadn't we wouldn't have known about the informational meet and greet Tuesday. It seems that the University Center at MCC is adding degree plans!

MCC is just a two year school but the UC is a program they have in cooperation with four year schools like UTA and Tarleton. An MCC student, like me, can earn a bachelor's degree from one of the participating schools but attend the classes on MCC's campus. Until now the degree's available in this program were limited to business degrees and a k-4 teacher's course. They added six new degrees plans.

Karen and I went to the informational session yesterday and have been pouring over the catalogs ever since. One of the new degree plans is a BS in Psychology. Which is what I originally wanted to go to school for but gave up the notion because I can't afford to transfer and the only local program for it is Baylor which I can't afford.

I got the degree plan and looked at every class required and I have quite a bit of if done. Best of all there is no foreign language requirement. None. No Spanish, no French -- NONE!!!! Dance of Joy!!!!!!! Happy Dance!!!!!!!!

My Pappy

2006-07-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

I have just today, about 2 hours ago infact, returned from PA with my Mom. We were not, as we were last year, on vacation. We got a call Wednesday, June 21 that my Pappy (Grandfather for non-northerners) was in ICU and not doing well.

We left as soon as we could pack a few things and drove all night and all day Thursday to get to Connellsville, PA. Pappy passed away late Friday night, June 23. At his request there was no service. We had a private family viewing on Saturday and he was buried in a family plot Thurday.

All but one of his 10 grandchildren were at the house this week. My brother, Matt, the oldest grandchild, was unable to be there as he was traveling overseas for work and left the country that Friday. We were able to contact him and at least let him know what was happening before Pappy died.

It was a sad trip but it allowed me to see cousins I (nor anyone else in the family) had not seen in 10 years. More about that later.

I loved my Grandfather. I loved my Pappy. It will never feel the same to go home now without him jumping up and starting coffee and coming out of the kitchen just as the water works ended to shout, "There's my Mandy Dawn!"

His name was Donald Eugene Ritenour Sr. and was called Gene by friends and Pappy or Uncle Gene by family. He was married to Orpha Ritenour for 55 years. He had 4 children and he worked hard to provide for his family. He was 75. He lead a good life.

Warning Labels

2006-06-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

Okay Kristyn, you can drink if you want to. We'll just have to pass out warning labels to everyone who comes that they let you drink at their own risk. Because we all know what happens when you have too much to drink.

HeHeHe.... you are never going to live that down. You know that right?

Ummm

2006-06-06T07:50:00.000-07:00

I didn't think about that Kristyn. Okay, everybody but Kristyn can drink if they want to. Oops.

Summer!!!

2006-06-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

I normally hate summer. It's so... What's the word? Oh yeah, HOT! Heat and I don't get along well. So far there haven't been too many scorcher though and I am so far enjoying my summer.

I do have to drive summer school which is a pain because it's not my regular route and/or kids. It's all middle school and they are mostly from a large somewhat scary rep kinda school. Woohoo. Oh well, maybe I won't have to do it all month and even if I do, July is MINE.

Mom is engaged. His name is Charlie. He is an Indian. (He prefers that term to Native American because he says that applies to anyone born here.) He is about her age, was in the Army and was a truck driver for several years. He now works in admin at a hospital. He has decent taste in movies. He can hold an intelligent conversation. He has three grown daughters and two grandsons, all of whom I've met and they were all very nice. (and NORMAL - no freaky people that I could find) They are getting married.

Mom and Charlie and going away for the weekend at my request. I am having a party. Well, okay I'm having 2 or 3 of my bestest buds over. Kristyn is driving down from Stephenville.

Dance of Joy!! Kristyn's coming for a visit!! Dance of Joy!!

Sorry. Moving on, Karen's coming and maybe Myca.

So anyway, we're all just gonna hang out maybe play some games and there maybe booze of some kind involved. It's a girls' weekend to laugh and carry on. No men allowed. The only one that would come is Matt anyway and Kristyn's leaving him home with the puppy and the kitten. Haha for him.

PUPPY: Charlie went last weekend and got the last of his stuff from Amarillo where he lived up until a few months ago. Mom went with him. They came back with a mini chihuahua. She only weighs 4.3 pounds and she is 4 1/2 months old. It was Jamie's, Charlie's youngest, she named it Angel. Then she gave it to Heather, the middle child, who renamed her: Poopy Monster. Mom decided she didn't like either name and since this is still a puppy decided to rename her yet again. (poor baby) So the dog's name is now Lil' Bit. She answers to Lil' Bit and hey you. She is too cute for words.

The dog has taken up residence in my bed.

Weekend after this Mom is hosting a BBQ, or cookout, whatever it is we're going to grill stuff and have people over. We've invited everybody we know that we thought would possibly show up.

Well let me qualify that: we didn't invite the woman we'll call WWB.

WWB works with me and we've never been what you'd call friends. Before she even met me she met a friend who worked there before me. This friend has a gay pride bumper sticker. WWB assumed that because I was a friend of this person, I MUST be gay. She went around telling people that I shouldn't have been hired because "we shouldn't have 2 of them out here." Since I am in fact gay I never bothered to try to smooth things over.

Well, the last Friday of school she called me a fat cow to my face. (She later claimed that she was talking about another coworker who happens to also be a friend of mine.) Rather than explode I went to my car to calm down. WWB followed me to my car. She tried to apologize -by saying that she was talking about my friend not me. I told her that she should leave me alone and walked to my bus.

Again she followed me. That did it. The screaming match was on. I told her just exactly what I think of her and she did the same. I won. Don't try to out yell someone from a big family - you will lose.

That's all for now.

Oh, crap.

2006-05-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Where to begin? Okay, school it is. Finals are over, I came out with an 'A' in Drawing, English 1302, and History 1302. Spanish? We won't discuss spanish. All will be well though, no biggie.

Three more weeks and school will be out for my bus kids. They can't wait of course and some are showing it in their behavior but nothing serious.

Now the big news: last Friday night I was on my way home via the traffic circle just like every other day when some friggin' #%$&*@ tried to exit the circle THROUGH my car!!!! Police were there before I even knew what had happened. Josie from work was just seconds behind me and called EVERYONE we work with, most of whom showed up before the ambulance.

I left in a ambulance to Hillcrest tied to a board (can you say hyperventilate?) There they determined that I had a bump on the left side of my head, a sprained left shoulder, and a contusion on my left lung. --- I'm OKAY - none of it is serious.

The other driver had himself and 6 - that's six- other people in his 5 seater car. Well, it wasn't HIS car it was a friend's car and neither he nor it were insured. In fact, he didn't even have a driver's license. Three of the 7 people in the car were under the age of five - one was only 10 months! and there were no car seats or booster seats in the car. Jack @$$ !!!!!!!!!!!!

My car is totaled. The insurance guy called yesterday, they're just gonna cut me a check instead of fixing it. We are looking at used cars that I could use the insurance money as a down payment on. My Dad is gonna get a guy to look at my Jeep and see how much it would take to get it running good again. I don't know. Figures, huh?

Spring Break is Broken

2006-03-16T16:34:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the last day of Spring Break. I had plans to party, go camping, party some more and visit some friends, none of which happened.

Each Wednesday for the last six weeks or so a group of friends from work have been going out to have a good time at a local bar that has free food and cheap drinks from 5-7pm on Wednesdays. We hang out and cut up and generally make idiots of ourselves. One of us (not me) won a CD two weeks in a row for having the "biggest boobs" in the place. This week being Spring Break and most of our group not having to work today were going to stay out later and possibly end up pouring ourselves into cabs. Earlier this week some of us were going to go camping. I was also hoping to make a drive to see some good friends that I'm hoping are still good friends.

Why did none of this happen you ask? Well, where to begin? The one with all the camping gear had some personal stuff going on and was in no shape to camp or party. One couldn't make it because her youngest son (SO cute!!!) broke his arm. One had to work Wednesday at the last minute. And as for driving out to see my buds - I haven't heard back and never seem to call at the right time. So rather than taking Karen with me last night as planned (this would have been her first time meeting some of the group and first time going out with any of them) we took in dinner and a movie. No spoilers below - just my thoughts.

We saw Failure to Launch and it was VERY funny. Some stuff seemed a little over the top and didn't seem to fit the tone of the movie but over all I loved it. Terry Bradshaw is so cute in this movie and did really well but.... well, I'll let you be surprised - let me just say this: I think my Mom is going to LOVE this movie!

Then we saw Final Destination 3 which was okay as a stand alone but I don't think it lived up to the first two. I won't give away any plot or anything here but the death scenes in the first two were specific and detailed - you saw what exactly was happening. In this one it was more a sudden flash of something - often you couldn't really be sure of what you saw - and much more blood and guts. It's as if rather than making it more intricate they simplified it and just added more blood hoping no one would notice. A pretty good hack and slash flick but a disappointment when compared which FD1&2.

My old and not so dear friend, Asthma.

2006-02-09T07:40:00.000-08:00

I had asthma as a kid and outgrew it by the time I was about 15. I moved to Texas at 20 and like most of the people here, I took up smoking. It's just something you do in Texas. On TV all Texans wear boots and cowboy hats, in reality, we all smoke.

Or at least we all used to. I have to quit. Sunday afternoon was the last time I had a cigarette. Although, last night before I could stop myself, I lit one and took two drags. Does that count?

The reason I have to quit, in case anyone missed that, is that my asthma has returned. I have been sick all we9ek. <----- that was Charlie, my cockatiel, he's helping. Anyway, I haven't been able to catch my breath all week and stubborn as I might be even I can see that the smoking has got to stop.

School is going okay. We had a test in history on Wednesday, the only class I went to this week. I showed for the test and that's been it all week. I've been in bed half proped up on pillows. I think I did okay on the test though. Dazed as I was (lack of oxygen 'll do that to ya) I only ran across one question I wasn't totally confidant about my answer for.

Spanish is kicking my butt, I am sooo behind from this week. But Karen is taking that class too and she is going to hang out this weekend and help me catch up.

English is really cool this semester. The instructer is very interesting.

Drawing is fun but I missed charcoal this week so I'll have to catch up in that too.

I plan to go to tomorrow's classes but today I'm just going to rest between routes. I can handle my route since it's only 2 hours at a time and if I don't have to talk much. I've found that a cold hard stare does much more than yelling anyway. Talking seems to be the worst thing for my breathing, so I've been avoiding it.

Well, I am going to go lie down for awhile before I go back to work. More later.

Hola!

2006-01-12T16:10:00.000-08:00

The spring semester has started and I am definitely glad I only signed up for four classes. I don't think that I could handle working and a bigger course load.

One of the classes is drawing. Yes, me, the one who can't draw a stick figure is taking a drawing class. The instructor is the same one I had last semester for ceramics, Mike. Mike says not to worry and that I'll do fine and if I already knew how to draw I wouldn't need the class. Mike's a sweet guy but I'm beginning to think he's daft if he thinks he can teach ME to draw worth a damn. But, I'm gonna try it.

I'm also taking History of America from 1877 with the greatest teacher known to mankind! This class alone makes life worth living, okay? This is the reason I get out of bed in the morning. HIS NAME....... is Vincer. He is the best of the best of the best of the best - just continue that for an hour or so and you'll begin to know how great this man is. And I get to take a second class with him! Yippie!!!!! Dance of joy!!!!!

I signed up for English 1302 Freshman Comp II with a certain teacher that a friend had last semester and said she was tough but fair. When we got to the class it was a different teacher. They had changed the schedule at the last minute. I prepared for the worst but was pleasantly surprised to find that this teacher seems really cool and appears to actually enjoy her job.

They have changed comp classes a lot since I last took one. Comp II is now an argument class instead of the research paper class it once was. Argument writing. Argument. (She said as a sadistic grin crept onto her face.) I'm gonna like this. Mom's comment was, "argument paper's? Pshw! You're gettin' an A." I love to argue. Those who know me best know this to be true. I've been know to start an argument just because I want to argue.

Of course, this has it's down sides. For instance, in a relationship, you have to balance the right amount and the right kind of arguing. Otherwise, you get bad relationships. One one hand your emotions about something or someone run so high that you argue too much and those arguments turn into screaming matches. Or on the other hand you might have emotions running steady which leaves you without the need to argue and searching for that missing element that makes your blood boil. Arguing, even civil debate like arguing can be an incredible high - provided that you avoid the screaming part which is generally bad. (Although, there is something to be said for make-up sex.)

The fourth class I'm taking is Spanish I. I so don't speak spanish. The only words I know are dirty ones! This is going to be a very tough class. The teacher is nice though. He's very patient. Today he was asking a girl in the class where she was from in spanish and she was to respond in spanish. She said she was from Buffalo, NY and he asked if she ever had real Buffalo wings. She responded of course and - I swear this is true - another girl called out, "How is that even possible? Buffalos don't have wings!" The entire class burst out laughing but the teacher kept his cool and calmly explained the misunderstanding.

Well, I gotta get to the studying.

Okay, that kinda sucked

2005-12-26T20:39:00.000-08:00

Aside from the AWSOME gifts I received - thank you, thank you, thank you - Christmas kinda sucked this year.

All of two whole people showed up Christmas Eve. While it was great of them to come and we had a nice evening, it really stung that no one else that was invited came - or called for that matter. I had figured on at least two more people but I haven't heard from them. Not even Christmas Day when they were supposedly "definitly" coming by.

But with everything going on with Matthew and not getting to see my Dad after planning on it for so long... it was all too much. Or too little, depending how you look at it. I actually starting crying at about 9pm Christmas Eve because all I could think was, "Could I really be that horrible of a person?"

Christmas morning my Dad called to say that he opened the gift I sent him and he liked it. He put my neice on the phone for a minute and Mom could hear her chattering about how Santa ate the cookies and the reindeer ate the carrot. We both spent the next hour crying.

Merry freaking Christmas.

No matter what has been going on in my life around the holiday before, Christmas lights and music and movies and the whole thing always cheered me up. This year I look at my beloved Christmas village that I've had longer than I can remember and I just want to pack it all away and never look at it again. Same with the tree and everything else that looks remotely Christmasy.

When did my life become something to be endured?

Christmas Eve

2005-12-23T22:13:00.000-08:00

It's past mid-night so it's officially Christmas Eve. As a child, this was a big night for me. Not just because Santa was coming and I would get presents but because on Christmas Eve my family opened our home to friends and neighbors at our annual open house.

We started doing this the first year we lived in our house in California. In an effort to get to know the neighbors better we passed out invitations to everyone on our block. Open house, Christmas Eve starting at 6pm. The party was a great success and was repeated each year that we lived there sometimes lasting until the wee hours of the morning.

This year Mom and I have decided to reinvent that tradition here. We have invited pretty much everybody we know in the area, even inviting some very special out of town guests to stay the night if they would like to.

This will be our first Christmas in this house and I hope that this party will go as well as the one that started it all.

This will also be the first time for many of our friends to meet Lila, the latest addition to our little family. Lila is a black lab and a retired drug dog who was in need of a home and family of her own. We were in need of a dog that was preferably house trained and presto! We got a very loving, sweet, beautiful dog that is, in fact, already house trained. She's very friendly and gentle and I think everyone will like her.

I better log off because I've got to get up early to finish all the party snacks and what ever else turns up needing to be done at the last minute. (No matter how carefully you try to plan it seems that somethings are always last minute.)

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas full of family, friends, and most importantly lots of love.

Let it go.

2005-12-03T18:26:00.000-08:00

Last Christmas started off great. Mom and Albert had been married just over a year and his oldest daughter and I seemed to be getting along pretty well. It had been a long while since any of us had had a real Christmas with family and special warm feeling that comes with knowing that you belong. We all tried to recreate that feeling last Christmas and it worked. Everyone was having a wonderful time.

Then the phone rang. It was my sister-in-law calling to inform Mom on Christmas Day that my brother, Matthew, had left a few weeks before and would be spending the next year in Iraq. This came as a shock since Matthew was in the Army but has been out since 2000. He was going as a contractor. This news came within less than a month of a contractor over there being beheaded was all over the news. Gordana, my sister-in-law, called to tell Mom on Christmas Day because she knew she wouldn't be alone then. Merry Christmas ladies, your son and brother has just done something incredibly stupid and possibly life threatening, enjoy your eggnog!

This Christmas Matthew is still not home. He maybe coming back in January, but nothing is for sure yet. I haven't seen my niece, Mary, since she was six months old. She turned three on Dec. 1st. It's been even longer since Mom's seen her. I also haven't seen Dad since he moved to Alabama to be close to Matthew, Gordana, and Mary.

Mom and I have been planning to go see them this Christmas. We talked to Gordana and Dad. Everything's all set. We even went out the other night and bought Mary one of those V-Smile things with games for her age that help kids learn colors and numbers.

One problem. Yesterday, Mom got an email from Gordana saying that she talked to Matthew and he is totally against Mom coming there when he is not there.

We aren't going. Basically, I don't get to see my niece or my Dad for Christmas because my jack-ass brother of 29 can't grow up and stop acting like a 12 year little boy who's mad at mommy for divorcing daddy. Mom called Gordana and the only other thing that Gordana could think of why he might be acting this way is that he told her that Mom beat us when we were kids. Again, not 12 anymore, GET OVER IT!!!

Yes, Mom did hit us when we were kids, A LOT. But ya know what? We've both been grown up for awhile now. We both know for a fact that Mom was severely depressed during the years that kind of stuff happened and didn't know how to handle it. I, for one, realized a long time ago that Mom did the best she could. No, my childhood was not perfect. Yes, there were a lot of times that I got whipped worse than I probably deserved IF I deserved it at all. But guess what? I turned out pretty good. I have more good memories than bad, and I love my mother.

Matthew can't see past his own nose to see that holding on to the bad memories and burying the good ones is in the long run going to hurt him and his children more that Mom. In trying to punish her, he is depriving his children of their Grandmother. Their other Grandparents live half way around the world. As important as our Grandmother and our Gram and Pappy have been in our lives I would think that he would want his children to have that, as I hope mine will someday.

I just can't understand why he has to hold this grudge. Let it go.

Bad, Bad Week

2005-11-18T08:34:00.000-08:00

This week has just sucked big time. First, all this stuff going on with blogs and then my friends' cat is very sick and the kids on my bus are acting like satan's spawn. Oh yea, plus I got a 'C' on my last Math test which marrs my perfect 'A' in that class. Bad week. Bad, bad week.

On the blog drama front: Kristyn, it looks as if Tiger's indeed do not change their stripes.

Poor Chummer!!!! The evil drow cat is sick and it's very sad, I like the little Dark Master. I hope he gets better very soon.

The kids on my bus have acted like brats all week. Yesterday I had a migrane so Lisa sent an aid on my route with me to handle the kids. That way all I had to do was drive - thank goodness because I sooo could not have dealt with them yesterday. So the aid talked to them and found out that all the kids hate me. Yep. So I started thinking about when they started acting like brats and what I might have done to tick them off. The only thing I could come up with was that last week I did a new seating chart and they don't like it. So in an effort to bridge the gap, this morning I had a talk with one of the Jr. High kids. I told him he could make a seating chart for rows 6-12 and I would look at it. He did and I did. So this is what I'm going to do: This afternoon I'm going to let them sit according to the "new" seating chart that this kid and several others made up. The conditions are that they 1) sit in the seat 2) do not turn around backwards 3) keep the aisle clear 4) no littering

If they can do those 4 things I'll be happy and if they can sit according to the new chart they'll be happy so we'll trade. Wish me luck!

OMG could people grow up?!!!!

2005-11-15T10:07:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I need to vent about something and for those it concerns please don't get mad at me about this. I just have to get this out.

I am tired of it. Tired of the fighting and squabling and downright bitching. How can people who haven't seen each other in over 2 years be that ticked at each other over their freakin' blogs???

One, I have to say, I don't know why "Carla" would have taken that comment as coming from "Elaine" in the first place it sounded like it was written by an illiterate extra from Deliverance. But we already talked about that.

Two, why would "Elaine" care what she was accoused of on the blog of an ex-friend who didn't even use her name to accuse her? Keep up with an ex friends blog... understandable. Bash the ex-friend for bashing a "girl" you assume is you.... childish, petty, just plain dumb, need I go on?

Now, "Elaine" has been emailing me, playing all nice like she wants to be friends again and then there's all this bashing about "Carla" who just happens to be one of my very best friends thank you very much!

I'm tired of it. I realize that when "Elaine" lived here I was immature, naive, and down right a pain in the ass sometimes. But you know what? I grew up. I moved on. I've grown as a person. Whatever. The point is that I am not the same immature kid I used to be. Apparently not everybody grows up.

Okay rant over, feel free to bash me all you want as long as you refrain from useing my full name. Go for it.

P.S.

I would just like all to note that I used fake names and mentioned no one's user name or blogger id for a reason... I think doing so in regard to something like this is just rude.

Birthday!

2005-10-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, yesterday was my birthday. I am now 25 years old.

My day was really good, my Dad called me and we talked for awhile. He actually asked how school is going and if I liked my classes! (Dad is a firm believer in hard work replacing the need for a degree.)

Then in the afternoon the kids on my bus sang Happy Birthday to me! Even the older, "I'm too cool to ride the bus but mommy won't let me have her car." kids!! It was sooo sweet I wanted to cry! A lot of the kids hugged me and said Happy Birthday as they got off the bus. I love those little brat's! I've been thinking about switching over to a different district because I could get medical insurance which I don't have now and they pay more. But, I have desided that I am staying put. I found out the hard way that more money or benefits does not a better job make. I like my job, I like my co-workers, I like the kids. I enjoy going to work - even at 6:10AM!!!! Anybody who's known me for awhile would know that left to my own devises I would be awake from like noon until 4-5 am. I am a night owl. So liking this job even at 6:10 in the frikkin' morning is a BIG deal.

My mom took me out last night with friends for dinner and we had a blast. We stayed until they started turning off lights and then stood around in the parking lot talking for another hour! Matt and Kristyn drove all the way from Stephenville just for me! :) Karen and Myca were there and all talked and laughed for hours. It was a really great night. All in all I'd say I had a fantastic birthday!

Happy Birthday Matt!!!!!

2005-10-13T16:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my very good friend Matt!!! 28 is NOT old!!!!

So to update my friends who look at this thing and sigh because I never post anything new,
here is what's new:

I moved out of my little garage apartment and into a house with my mom who has just left her becoming abusive and soon to be ex-husband. We have moved into a 3 bedroom house-o-boxes and I am hopeful to unpack ALL my stuff this move.

The last time I unpacked All my crap was when my ex (the red headed one) and I moved into a great little duplex and started making it homey. I haven't really unpacked everything again since we split up. That's saying something since including the move out of our duplex I've moved 5 times since then. (That's a space of 2 1/2 years for anyone that's counting.)

Speaking of the red headed one, I got an email not too long ago from said red head. Either I'm the world's most gullable person or my ex-honey grew a conscience. I got what seemed to be a real "I'm sorry I acted like a bitch last time we talked!" from her. I replied to the first email with guarded hesitation and she in turn replied with a "no really, I'd like it if we could talk again," so of course, being the big p*ssy I am I emailed back and told her all the goings on in my life. Why do I do this to myself? I mean, chances are she'll get it and use part or all of it to somehow make me feel like sh*it about myself. Or she may just make fun of me for believing her "no really" sentiment to begin with.

If nothing else she may be the one person I know that will understand my resent splurg. I bought the ENTIRE DVD collection - all 7 seasons- of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is something I know she has to understand because we used to tape and watch every ep. When the WB in this area went of air we were both crushed and suffered major withdrawls. I have now watched each and every ep at least twice. I actually found 2 that I had NEVER seen. This both amazing and pleased me. It pleased me because it'd been so long since I saw a "new" one; and amazed me because I taped eps on FX for 2 rotations trying to make sure I got all of them. I guess these were skipped because I'd seen the ones right before and right after several times.

Well, that's all for now I guess. I will try and update more often Kristyn, I swear.

Adventures in Bus Driving

2005-05-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm getting better... I didn't miss anyone's house yesterday afternoon. Although, I did almost miss one kid this morning. He lives on the main road and I drop him off in the afternoon but they told me he NEVER rides in the mornings and this is twice now! He did say that he would be riding the bus every morning this week so at least now I know.

Yesterday afternoon after all the kids were on the bus we sat still for like 10 minutes. I got them to not be so freaking loud last week and this week they are going to learn not to hang half their bodies out into the aisle. I told them to face forward, sit down in the seat, and put their feet on the floor in front of them, and clear the aisle. Most of them did, but there will always be those pain in the neck kids who just live to make you work. I looked right at those kids and calmly said, "This bus is not moving until you comply with the rules." They finally sat down the right way (the safe way BTW, I'm not just nit-picking here) And I started off.

Two minutes later we were sitting still again because they were in the aisle again. So this morning, the first time I had to say something to anyone about getting out of the aisle, some of bigger kids started yelling at the kids who were hanging into the aisle (also older kids) at one point this morning at a stop one the the big kids got up and walked two rows back and physically put another kid's foot back where it should have been instead of out in the aisle where he could trip someone (or if I had to stop suddenly or there was an accident he could be badly hurt from being in an area that is not designed for riders. )

So it is getting better, I have a few trouble makers but most of them (even the trouble makers) are good kids.

Update

2005-05-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

BTW, having just reviewed my last post I think I should update a bit.

I am all moved in to my apartment, I even hung pictures on the walls in the living room. Mom and Albert's house is done... kinda. They are living in it anyway, there are still some small things that need done.

My step-sister (the oldest one) was going to move in with me but she did something very mean to her dad and has been told it would be best for her to stay away for awhile. So now she's not moving in.

Weird thing: I'm obsessed with Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe I have seen the movie and read the book many times before (it's one of my favorites) but lately I don't want to watch anything else. I have watched at least 6 times in the last 5 days. I can quote the movie word for word and know the whole thing off by heart but for some reason nothing else on TV and no other movies seem remotely interesting to me. I've also read the book twice in the last week. I have other books but can't seem to get in to any. Everytime I pick up a different book I put it down and pick up with Ol' Idgie and Ruth. Everytime I start to watch something else I get bored and switch over to Idgie and Ruth. I love the story but will I never get bored with it? I'm annoying myself here. - good thing I live alone!

2005-05-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, keeping up with my blog is not the highest thing on my list of things to do. I admit this but I think it's time for an update.

Did I post that I quit selling PC's? Well, I did. I started driving a school bus. (Frightening isn't it?) I went through the training and all and rode along a couple of times. They have me driving in a small town close to here that until last week I had never been in. I DON'T know my way around there.

Well, I am now driving my own route now. Friday afternoon was the first time that I drove it without an adult in the bus to help me.

ARRRGH!!!!! I am a complete moron!!! I missed one kid's house by like 50 yards. It's not safe to back up in the road like that so I had to set the brakes, turn the bus off, tell the kids on the bus not to move, and then take the keys with me and get out and stand in the road so I could make sure he was safe from cars... Meanwhile he had to run to the bus. (I wouldn't have cared if he walked but his dad was yelling for him to run... Poor little Daniel.)

Then when I had picked up all the kids and got back to the main road ---- I turned the wrong freaking way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The kids were screaming, "Where are you going?!? The school's the other way!!!" So I had to find a place to turn around - which is not easy in a bus on a main road BTW.

So then I said to the kids that I was sorry and I know it's a pain to have a new driver this close to the end off the year and that until last week I'd never been in their town before so please try to help me out. This little speech was met with a chorus of, "It's okay, we'll help." (Chorus being about 3 of the 19 kids on the bus this morning.)

Then after I had dropped off all but the middle school kids --- I turned the wrong way AGAIN!!! Luckily for me I was in the right school just at the wrong end of it. The kids were really nice about it and said that they would walk from there and that it was no big deal and not any futher to walk. (I think they recognized that look on an adult's face that says, "Say one word, just one smart ass'ed word and I'm going to SNAP!")

But of course you can't say that to kids on a bus so I just waited until they were all of the bus and then let my head fall none too gently onto the steering wheel.

Maybe this afternoon will be better? :)
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Lets try this again

2005-02-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

I'm restarting my blog. Hopefully I'll keep up with it this time. I will try it again anyway. That seems to be a theme in my life lately, I'll try again. I'm back in school after a 4+ year absence. I'm trying to work part time and live at home (kinda) again. I'm try AGAIN to figure out who the hell I am. You wouldn't think that would be so difficult a question for a 24 year old. I mean wasn't I supposed to "find" myself in highschool or something? Anyway.

For those who know anything about my life prior to today and would like an update:

My apartment is DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAPPY, HAPPY, JOY, JOY!!!! Happy dance of joy!!!

The bad news:

Mom and Alberts house is still not done. The "contractor" Jose is trying to be a shister. How do you say shister in Spanish? He agreed to do a set amount of work including drywalling the bedroom walls and painting for a set amount of money. Now true we had him do alot extra in the apartment but we also already gave him $1000 extra for that extra work. Now that he's done in the apartment and working on the house he says that he only agreed to do the ceiling in the bedroom not the wall and none of the painting... AND he wants $300 MORE to do the walls he agreed to do in the first place and still says he won't paint. So he's doing less work and asking for more money. If I could speak Spanish well enough for him to really understand me, I'd make him think he was 3 years old again and just stole a cookie.

Work is going well. I had a bad night on Sunday but who's trying to buy a pc during super bowl? Tuesday and last night were great nights for me, hopefully tonight will be too.