Wacky Tobacky

I don’t understand why people refuse to grow up!

I was talking to a friend of mine who is in shock – her and hubby had a play date/get to know the other parents night out a while back with some neighbors who have a son the same grade as said friend’s son. They are all over, the boys are playing in the next room and the father of the little boy (9 years old probably isn’t considered little anymore) lights up – yes my blogger friends he just pulls out a joint lights it and offers it to my friend and her husband. She was stunned – they wrapped up the night very quickly and took their son home. 1st she was shocked that someone would just light up in front of practical strangers 2nd she was pissed that someone lit up right in front of her son. Just this past week the neighbors called to see if her son could “sleep over” in the tent in the back yard. Friend said NO – she could not comprehend letting her son stay at the other kids house “with his parents home”. Now that is back asswards – I wouldn’t let my children go to a friends house if their “parent’s were not home”.

I was at a friends house – (friends that are older than I) and I could smell it – not just a faint maybe their son had smoked it the night before smell – but a STRONG they must have just finished smell (and their son was not home and had not been since the night before) so that leaves me to believe that it had to be them that was smoking weed. I’ve suspected before due to some really weird conversations about the supply of “ham”.

One of our employees is concerned about qualifying for a “background” test because of the drug test involved with it. He partakes in recreational toking – direct quote from him. One former employee talked about how many “tires” he needed for the evening on the phone with his best buddy – with me standing there. Then he would come to work the next morning smelling like stale pot – and so out of it he couldn’t function. He would tell me he stayed out partying all night long – and I don’t think it was just alcohol.

Am I just OLD? Did most of us not outgrow this type of behavior in high school or college? At the very least when we became parents? All of the above mentioned people are parents with at least one child living in their home. All of them are healthy individuals so it is not for medicinal purposes. SO AM I JUST MISSING OUT ON THE LATEST TREND OR............ am I being too judgmental?

Let’s take a poll real quick do you think this is the norm or just that I know (know of) the exception to the rules. (If you vote it’s the norm – I won’t immediately think you are ‘one of them’).

"L" my letter is!!!!!

My pal Shawna has challenged me to come up with 10 things that describe me, that start with the letter L. If you want to play along leave a comment and I will give you a letter of your own!

Late: I hate to keep people waiting and I hate showing up late to things but.........way to many times I am 5 to 10 minutes LATE to things. I always think that I have time to do one more thing.

Lonely: Most of the time I am very lonely – hubby travels a bunch – like lately 2 weeks out of the month. I’m lonely when he is gone. (I have friends and family near or at least just a phone call away but I seem to prefer to sit along and have my pity party)

Lucky: I was lucky enough to meet my Hubby when I was in 8th grade – I stated at that time to my mom – I was going to marry him. We dated off and on all through high school – truth be known more off than on. But got married during my Senior Year and have been married almost 27 years now.

Large Family: I come from an average size family – Mom Dad & 2 daughters – I have tons of first cousins that I’m still in touch with for the most part. My sister and I are both married with children and grandkids so now when it’s Mom & Dad and down instead of 4 we count at a whopping 23 (will be 24 by the end of this month). Which to me makes us a LARGE FAMILY – my hope is that all the “great grand-kids” can grow up as close as all the “grand-kids” did.

Loser: I am a poor loser – I hate losing arguments - I can’t stand to lose games. Unfortunately I married a worse loser than I am so I’ve learned to lose games better (preferable to having a grump!) (Okay truth be known I’m just not as good as he is at most of the games – so of course I lose but hey if I use the above excuse then I make him think I threw the game)

Lone Star Girl: Even though I now live in Florida – I am and will always be a Lone Star Girl. Texas bred and raised and plan to return someday.

Looking: I’m currently looking for a new job. (See previous posting for reasons)

Lumpy: I am a large and lumpy girl – hence my going to weight watchers. My favorite diet has been the fin fen – lost quickly had lots of energy and liked the way I looked! WW worked well for me while I was on it.......go figure when I started eating my old way I started gaining weight like I did before – baffles me! So this time I'm going to lose and keep it off (or at least try to!)

Logical: I like things to be logical......if there is some type of tapping on my car it should be able to be fixed by tightening something down.......if it hurts when a child hits his head, they shouldn’t hit their head. When things aren’t logical or I can’t wrap my mind around a proper order of doing something I can’t stand it. (It comes back to my control freak tendencies – if I can understand it or control it I’m alright with it – if it is out of my control or understanding it DRIVES ME CRAZY!)

10 Things I hate about..........

MY JOB!

1. I'm underpaid - not just like "not paid as much as I think I'm worth" but in out of 5 of us with the same job (and title) I've been at my job the longest and make the LEAST

2. Out of the 2 months that my new boss has been here I do not think he has worked a single 40 hour week

3. My NB's first conversation with me was our office hours are 8 - 4:30 and then he has assigned me work to do from 4:30 to 5:30 everyday (just until I get caught up - which is an impossibility).

4. NB's first conversation with the Technicians was how he had an "Opened Door" Policy and then he tells me NO ONE is allowed in my office except for me and him and then when he is is in the office his door is ALWAYS CLOSED.

5. NB's only job as I can tell is to "delegate" work to the project manager and myself - to the point we are buried but I haven't seen any evidence that he does ANY work

6. I have to use my PTO time whenever I'm out of the office sick (I agree when I'm out on a vacation day) but like last Tuesday I worked from 7:30 a.m. until 11:15 p.m with only the drive home as off the clock. But being out sick yesterday I'm sure it will cost me 8 hours of PTO.

7. I am expected to attend a weekly hour long conference call to discuss SERVICE TICKETS - I do not take the calls from customers - I do not assign the Technician that is dispatched to do the call - I do not complete the tickets that are generated to detail what actions were taken and I do not invoice the customer. So why the heck should I give up an hour of my week to discuss something I have NO CONTROL or participation in?

8. NB has informed me that I am not to talk to my former boss - direct quote "it bothers me when you call ***** - please stop it" later "I know you talk to ***** daily but" (which I do not - I have talked to him since he left but only a few times - not daily and some of those calls have been at NB's urging to ask questions that we do not have another resource to find the answer to. )

9. When the salesman, NB or even a tech does not "want" to do something it lands on my desk to get it done - be it to fill out the forms that must be completed to "book" a job or "signing" my boss' name to pay applications because he's not in the office to sign off on them

10. I'm being punished for stating to former boss that I was thinking about changing jobs. He said something to a former employee who said something to a current employee who said something to his boss - who said something to my boss' boss' boss who called my boss and his boss and discussed it with them. Which led to my boss asking me if I was going to leave - and if he had done something to offend me or upset me (I like a chicken did not state any of the above things - like I probably should have - but to be honest I could not see anything positive as an outcome but lots of negatives) Anyhow back to how I've been punished - I was one of the "Super Trainers" picked to test our new accounting system in INDY and my name was removed from the list to go this month (and probably next month) by the boss x3 within 2 days of her having heard the rumor and talking to my boss and boss x2. UGHHHHHH that was one of the things I really really enjoyed about my job lately. (BAD TWILA NO TRAINING)

I dread going to work everyday - I used to have days that I think I really don't want to go to work today about 1 time a month or every couple of months - but now I get sick to my stomach every morning as the alarm clock goes off.

Solution - I guess is to find a new job. Draw backs to that is I like the majority of the guys I work with - I have 4 weeks of vacation a year that I would lose (not many companies start out with that much after only 5 years) I make fairly decent wages (still not as much as I was making in previous job - company went bankrupt so I had no choice but to leave) but my wages are still really good.

Do I hang in there and pray it gets better - do I bail while the bailing is good????? So what do you think my blog buddies?

Christians - By Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say. "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!

Hope vrs No Hope

You may or may not have heard about the confusion of who died and who didn't in a horrible van wreck in Indiana.

Both girls in question were Taylor University students.
Both girls had GREAT faith along with their families.

Here's an article from their college newpaper




http://www.taylor.edu/community/news/2006_05_31_accident.htm


This is a blog where Laura's family documented some stepping stones of her recovery. Best if read from the archived to current.

http://lauravanryn.blogspot.com

I cannot imagine how either family feels - but I do know that both speak volumns towards how faith in God can carry you over ALL rough places.

One family went from Hope - Hope that their daughter/sister/friend would fully recover from a comma to find that they lost their beautiful daughter 5 weeks ago.

One family is greiving the loss of their daughter and find that she has been recovering from a comma for the last 5 weeks - they are given Hope again.

Praise God that both families have faith and know that they will spend eternity with their loved ones. We are here but a moment compared to eternity. My prayers are with both of these families.

Camping

Randy and I spent this weekend camping. It was hot - it rained - we burned. Yes we had a wonderful time!!!!

We left early Saturday morning - went out to eat breakfast and went and set up our campsite.



After setting up the campsite with our tent and screened room - it was a trip to the grocery store (stopping to eat at Cracker Barrell- ymmmmmmmmm). By the time we got back from shopping our friends and their 3 kids had arrived. E pitched their tent and spent a couple of minutes visiting and then drove home for "gaming" and home to his own bed. J and E 7 S 4 and baby R 7 weeks stayed the night and then bright and early went back into town for Church. Randy and I just crashed a service being done with a bunch of youth.

Randy and I hiked in 90 degree weather (with a feel's like 102 rating) We tried to stay in shady places like this.



By mid afternoon Sunday we could see the clouds moving in and we prepared our campsite to be hit with a heavy rain - then we prepared the friends site since they were still in town. We took our books and read in the screened room until rain splashed in so much we moved to the tent. We read we napped - we listened to it rain and most of all we relaxed and had quality time with each other.

We spent time with our friends and went swimming a couple of times - I had the priveldge of taking baby R under water a couple of times (she loved it on Sunday - was not a big fan on Monday). We are home we are tired but we are rested!