I've never been one to hold much stock in superstitions, but I swear, after the day I've been having, I'm beginning to believe there is indeed something ominous about Friday the 13th.
Let me back up a few days to preface this story.
On Tuesday (the 10th), I went out to get in my car to head to work, only to discover that the battery was dead. I looked at the light switch, thinking maybe I'd left the lights on, even though they have an auto turn-off in the event they are left on accidentally. But no, the switch was off. I could find no reason for my car to not turn on. I called AAA, they came and jumped my battery, John arrived home moments later so we swapped vehicles. I drove on to work in his truck and he took my van to Ken Towery and had them put a new battery in it.
We've been going to Ken Towery for well over 25 years and have had a KT credit card since day 1.
When he went to pay for the bill he presented our KT credit card and was informed that they no longer accept that card. WTH?? So John had to put it on the debit card. When he told me about this, I decided that Ken Towery no longer needed our business if they couldn't somehow transfer our account to whatever their new credit card is without making us reapply. Our account is in good standing, so I really fail to understand how they treat good customers like this. But I'm getting off subject.
So this morning John calls me about 6am and informs me that he's taking his truck to the dealership because when he went to leave work, HIS truck wouldn't start. Fortunately, someone there was able to give him a jump start. Geez, what are the odds of both vehicle batteries dying in 3 days of each other??
I left the house a few minutes early so I could swing by the dealership and give John my credit card to use. I got about a mile from the dealership and suddenly bells started dinging in my van and messages started blinking and warning lights lit up. "Tire Pressure Low" was the message, the flat tire light was on. Seriously?! Are you freaking kidding me?! Arghhhh!!! I drove slowly and called John to tell him I was limping in on three tires. I got there and we walked all around, but all four tires looked ok.
The service manager had me pull it around back by the air hose and one of the mechanics dropped what he was doing to air up my tires which really weren't low. I told them to charge it to John's account, thanked them and left. Needless to say, the lights are still on and the Tire Pressure Low message still is coming on when I first turn the car on.
What else is going to happen today?
PS
Well sh*t!! Just got a call from the dermatology office, the biopsy they did last week on a spot they took of my leg came back cancerous. *&$%(&%$(!!! Get to go back next week and have a bigger area removed. On the plus side, if you're going to have any kind of cancer at all, it's the type to have.
Seriously, ready for this day to be over.
Friday, July 13, 2018
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Another one gone
A couple of months ago one of my coworkers was let go. Today, another coworker worked his last day, although it was his choice. It seemed like we were stretched horribly thin before, I honestly don’t know how they’ll manage now. As long as things are dead (pun intended): it’s manageable, but when we get slammed, and it does happen, I truly don’t know how they’ll get it done. At times they struggled when we had a full staff.
All too often employees, myself very much included, are left to cover a location alone. It’s not safe!! And it’s certainly not fair. Anything hold happen... a stranger walk-in off the street and rob or rape a singular employee, a trip and fall, an aneurysm or heart attack... at least if a second employee is in the building there’s somewhat of a sense of security, if only that the other person can call 911.
I’ve told my husband and family if anything EVER happens to me at work, especially if I’m alone, to sue the shit out of that company!
But to the ones that are gone, by choice or by force, I wish them well.
All too often employees, myself very much included, are left to cover a location alone. It’s not safe!! And it’s certainly not fair. Anything hold happen... a stranger walk-in off the street and rob or rape a singular employee, a trip and fall, an aneurysm or heart attack... at least if a second employee is in the building there’s somewhat of a sense of security, if only that the other person can call 911.
I’ve told my husband and family if anything EVER happens to me at work, especially if I’m alone, to sue the shit out of that company!
But to the ones that are gone, by choice or by force, I wish them well.
Monday, July 09, 2018
Once upon a time...
Once upon a time, a man’s word meant something.
Once upon a time, a man’s reputation meant something.
Once upon a time, a man always put forth his best effort.
Once upon a time, a man took pride in the product he crafted.
Once upon a time, a man had ethics and didn’t take advantage of his fellow man.
Once upon a time, this was the norm instead of the exception.
So what happened?
When did things change?
Once upon a time, a man’s reputation meant something.
Once upon a time, a man always put forth his best effort.
Once upon a time, a man took pride in the product he crafted.
Once upon a time, a man had ethics and didn’t take advantage of his fellow man.
Once upon a time, this was the norm instead of the exception.
So what happened?
When did things change?
Dream interpretation
I often find myself wondering, “what the heck did that mean?”, after I’ve awoke from some totally off the wall dream. The most current head scratcher had a mad squirrel that was probably the size of a cocker spaniel, chargeing across the yard at Beezly. What kind of nutcase squirrel would charge an English Mastiff??
Wonder what my subconscious was trying to tell me or process from previous events?
Wonder what my subconscious was trying to tell me or process from previous events?
Sunday, July 08, 2018
1056 or 1301
According to the countdown calendar, it’s either 1056 days until we break ground on our new home or 1301 days until John retires. While I’m not wishing our lives away, neither of those numbers is going to get here soon enough.
Fantasizing about how the house will look, or about how our days will be filled, what animals will live on our land (both domesticated and wild), what food we will raise ourselves, what our relationships will be with our neighbors, what crafts I’ll churn our from the depths of my craft room...?
I’ve never been much of an interior decorator, I wasn’t born with that gene, and yet I find myself itching to buy things for the new home that’s not even been drawn by an architect and despite the fact I have no place to store such decorations until I need them. We went to the old Garden Ridge today (sorry, I have a hard time calling it “At Home”store), didn’t buy anything, but I walked around and day dreamt where I would hang this picture or set that knick knack. I used to enjoy decorating for holidays such as Halloween and Christmas, but stopped doing that years ago, but now catch myself anxious for the day I can start doing that again.
In the meantime, I’ll keep counting down the days, day dreaming about our future, window shopping for decorating ideas, and we’ll keep visiting the property every chance we get and doing little things to shape the land and make it feel more and more like “home”.
Fantasizing about how the house will look, or about how our days will be filled, what animals will live on our land (both domesticated and wild), what food we will raise ourselves, what our relationships will be with our neighbors, what crafts I’ll churn our from the depths of my craft room...?
I’ve never been much of an interior decorator, I wasn’t born with that gene, and yet I find myself itching to buy things for the new home that’s not even been drawn by an architect and despite the fact I have no place to store such decorations until I need them. We went to the old Garden Ridge today (sorry, I have a hard time calling it “At Home”store), didn’t buy anything, but I walked around and day dreamt where I would hang this picture or set that knick knack. I used to enjoy decorating for holidays such as Halloween and Christmas, but stopped doing that years ago, but now catch myself anxious for the day I can start doing that again.
In the meantime, I’ll keep counting down the days, day dreaming about our future, window shopping for decorating ideas, and we’ll keep visiting the property every chance we get and doing little things to shape the land and make it feel more and more like “home”.
Saturday, July 07, 2018
I’m screwed
I got up off the couch, went and did something in the kitchen and came name back to find a microscopically small screw where I’d been sitting. I thought about what I had been doing while sitting there and couldn’t come up with anything that would’ve had a screw, much less one that small, that could’ve fallen out.
While I’m fairly certain both of my girls have a screw loose at times, I was certain it didn’t come from eilther of them. I asked John if he’d sat there today, he said No.
So something of mine has lost a screw, I’ll be lucky to not lose that little thing and as soon as I do lose or toss it, I’ll find what it belongs to and then I’ll be screwed. 🤨
While I’m fairly certain both of my girls have a screw loose at times, I was certain it didn’t come from eilther of them. I asked John if he’d sat there today, he said No.
So something of mine has lost a screw, I’ll be lucky to not lose that little thing and as soon as I do lose or toss it, I’ll find what it belongs to and then I’ll be screwed. 🤨
Movie review: Planet of the Apes
I realize this movie (the remake version) is now over 15 years old, but I’m just now seeing it for the first, and most definitely LAST time! Some movies just should not ever be remade. This is awful. No comparison to the original version with Charlton Heston and Kim Hunter. It’s not even bad acting that’s making it deplorable. The apes remind me of something out of a bizzaro Dr. Seuss movie.
Friday, July 06, 2018
Pet Peeve List
Pet Peeves in no particular order...
Cigarette butts tossed on the ground or out car windows
People that litter
People that don’t clean up after their pets, children or themselves
Inconsiderate people in general
Bad drivers
Bad pet owners
Bad parents
Fire works on any day of the year besides July 4th
Fire works set off by anyone other than professionals
Politics
Memes that try to guilt you into sharing
Fake news
GoFundMe accounts
People that set up gofundme accounts because they’re going through a difficult time financially and then within a couple of months are going on vacation or going to expensive concerts or getting new tattoos or enjoying some other luxury that somebody else may have foregone in order to help you through your “tough time”
People that post remarks about someone else’s politics simply because they disagree with you
Dirty toilet seats
Lazy people, and by that I mean people that don’t want to do an honest days work
People brushing their hair in the car, in the kitchen or around food, or otherwise in my presence unless I’m standing in a hair salon
Commercials that advertise prescription drugs, attorneys and dating websites
My own stupidity
The way I constantly start new craft projects and move on to something else before finishing. 😠
Cigarette butts tossed on the ground or out car windows
People that litter
People that don’t clean up after their pets, children or themselves
Inconsiderate people in general
Bad drivers
Bad pet owners
Bad parents
Fire works on any day of the year besides July 4th
Fire works set off by anyone other than professionals
Politics
Memes that try to guilt you into sharing
Fake news
GoFundMe accounts
People that set up gofundme accounts because they’re going through a difficult time financially and then within a couple of months are going on vacation or going to expensive concerts or getting new tattoos or enjoying some other luxury that somebody else may have foregone in order to help you through your “tough time”
People that post remarks about someone else’s politics simply because they disagree with you
Dirty toilet seats
Lazy people, and by that I mean people that don’t want to do an honest days work
People brushing their hair in the car, in the kitchen or around food, or otherwise in my presence unless I’m standing in a hair salon
Commercials that advertise prescription drugs, attorneys and dating websites
My own stupidity
The way I constantly start new craft projects and move on to something else before finishing. 😠
Thursday, July 05, 2018
My Husband is Better Than Yours
After working a shift last night (so very thankful he only had a single load last night), John got home this morning in time to accompany me to work for an hour, then we ventured over to Bent Willow Place. After a long day there, we came home, he rested for about an hour and then went out and cut our grass in the 95* heat, then mowed the next door neighbor’s because he noticed it was getting a little taller than what the man would usually allow and figured he had been working some long shifts of late.
FORTUNATELY, he doesn’t have to work tonight.
Mooooving forward?
(Future)Neighbor Mark proposed an idea to us this morning while waiting for our tractor to arrive.
Running an electric fence around the back acre that’s closest to his house and go in halfsies on a calf. We’re providing the pasture, he’ll take care of keeping it watered and the electric fence and we’ll split it at slaughter time.
I never really gave any serious consideration before to raising our own cow, even though a few people have mentioned it to us since we bought the property, but now I’m giving it some serious consideration. I hadn’t really thought about our little 6 acres being a real farm, persay, but I’m thinking we can try it once, if it works out, great, we can do it again, if not, we’re not out that much money and it will be a learning lesson.
Advantages: 1 less acre to mow (& it’s the pain in the butt acre at that), fresh grass fed beef and if it’s anything like the beef we’ve gotten from Brent the past couple of years, it would be better than anything we’d ever get in a store.
Disadvantages: it doesn’t work out and we’re out a few hundred dollars and lose our new neighbor as a friend.
When John and I first started dating, he used to imitate Mr. Haney from the show Green Acres show, and after seeing him riding around on the tractor today, I may have to start calling him Oliver and have our name legally changed to Douglas.
Running an electric fence around the back acre that’s closest to his house and go in halfsies on a calf. We’re providing the pasture, he’ll take care of keeping it watered and the electric fence and we’ll split it at slaughter time.
I never really gave any serious consideration before to raising our own cow, even though a few people have mentioned it to us since we bought the property, but now I’m giving it some serious consideration. I hadn’t really thought about our little 6 acres being a real farm, persay, but I’m thinking we can try it once, if it works out, great, we can do it again, if not, we’re not out that much money and it will be a learning lesson.
Advantages: 1 less acre to mow (& it’s the pain in the butt acre at that), fresh grass fed beef and if it’s anything like the beef we’ve gotten from Brent the past couple of years, it would be better than anything we’d ever get in a store.
Disadvantages: it doesn’t work out and we’re out a few hundred dollars and lose our new neighbor as a friend.
When John and I first started dating, he used to imitate Mr. Haney from the show Green Acres show, and after seeing him riding around on the tractor today, I may have to start calling him Oliver and have our name legally changed to Douglas.
Our future hometown
Oh my, where should I start? We don’t even live in Salem yet, and already our name is causing a stir. Not sure if it’s good or bad, but when we’re told our name was brought up at some sort of county meeting, that’s enough to make me sit down, get wide eyed and think, “ah crap!”
John and I spent a long two hours this morning, parked in the shade at our property, swatting mosquitoes (which are HORRIBLE this year) and watching a momma deer and her three fawns playing across the road. They were scampering all over, around the trees, darting in and out of the woods then back across the field. We were very entertained. 😍
Our mower was finally delivered and we spent an hour talking to a couple of the neighbors and even met the census taker for our area. It was so blasted hot, sweat was running into my eyes and burned so bad, I was sure heat stroke would occur any moment.
Once we finished up there, we drove into town and had lunch at El Camino Mexican restaurant. The food was okay, but something I saw in the bathroom grossed me out so bad, I don’t know if I ever want to go back. On the counter by the bathroom sink was a tray with hand lotion, hair spray and a framed poem that went something like this: “when your skin is dry and your hair is a mess you don’t feel fresh, use what you need and leave the rest.” And it was at that moment I noticed the hairbrush lying behind the tray. 🤢. Seriously?! A community hairbrush??? Disgusting!! Gag a maggot!! How much lice is spread around that town?
We left there and headed to the highway department as that is also the office that issues building permits. We’ve been there before, a couple of years ago, the first time we attempted to get an address for our property. I won’t rehash that right now because I don’t have the energy. But let’s suffice it to say I’ve now met and talked to all three employees there and we’re on a first name basis.
So we went in, asked if I was in the right place to get a building permit, Pam at the desk confirmed it was and Travis, the man walking thru at that exact moment was the one that did them. He asked what we were building and where, I told him, he asked a few more questions and then he informed us we didn’t need a permit for that project. I half jokingly asked for that in writing, as I went on to mention the runaround I’d gotten on the water meter a few weeks ago. A light seemed to go off in Travis’s head and he asked what our names were, so I told him. He nodded and said, “and that should’ve never been installed. He wouldn’t have okayed it.” I won’t go into details why, but he said our name came up at some meeting recently. I think that was the moment I plopped down in a chair, afraid my knees would buckle.
When he went on to explain things, I told him I understood, and I’ve tried playing by the rules since day one but have gotten one hassle after another. Then he pulled out a blank certificate and before he could open his mouth to tell me about it, I perked up. “I have that! It’s expired, but I have it!” I opened my trusty binder and turned right to the permit and showed it to him. He held out his hand and asked to see it. As I handed it over I said, “Please don’t shred it.” He made a copy and handed my original back and said, “we’re good. I have no problems okaying the water meter. You and I are good.”
So apparently a LOT of the bullsh*t I went thru a couple of months ago could’ve been avoided if ANY of those dumb asses had ever mentioned a septic permit or perk-test. I’ve got all that. But they never asked so I never showed them and as a result I pitched a fit and caused a small scene and now our name is being brought up at county government meetings.🤪
I shook Travis’s hand before leaving and thanked him.
Seriously, we’ve only ever wanted to do things the proper and legal way, haven’t wanted to make any enemies or cause trouble or make things difficult for when we do get ready to build our house.
John and I spent a long two hours this morning, parked in the shade at our property, swatting mosquitoes (which are HORRIBLE this year) and watching a momma deer and her three fawns playing across the road. They were scampering all over, around the trees, darting in and out of the woods then back across the field. We were very entertained. 😍
Our mower was finally delivered and we spent an hour talking to a couple of the neighbors and even met the census taker for our area. It was so blasted hot, sweat was running into my eyes and burned so bad, I was sure heat stroke would occur any moment.
Once we finished up there, we drove into town and had lunch at El Camino Mexican restaurant. The food was okay, but something I saw in the bathroom grossed me out so bad, I don’t know if I ever want to go back. On the counter by the bathroom sink was a tray with hand lotion, hair spray and a framed poem that went something like this: “when your skin is dry and your hair is a mess you don’t feel fresh, use what you need and leave the rest.” And it was at that moment I noticed the hairbrush lying behind the tray. 🤢. Seriously?! A community hairbrush??? Disgusting!! Gag a maggot!! How much lice is spread around that town?
We left there and headed to the highway department as that is also the office that issues building permits. We’ve been there before, a couple of years ago, the first time we attempted to get an address for our property. I won’t rehash that right now because I don’t have the energy. But let’s suffice it to say I’ve now met and talked to all three employees there and we’re on a first name basis.
So we went in, asked if I was in the right place to get a building permit, Pam at the desk confirmed it was and Travis, the man walking thru at that exact moment was the one that did them. He asked what we were building and where, I told him, he asked a few more questions and then he informed us we didn’t need a permit for that project. I half jokingly asked for that in writing, as I went on to mention the runaround I’d gotten on the water meter a few weeks ago. A light seemed to go off in Travis’s head and he asked what our names were, so I told him. He nodded and said, “and that should’ve never been installed. He wouldn’t have okayed it.” I won’t go into details why, but he said our name came up at some meeting recently. I think that was the moment I plopped down in a chair, afraid my knees would buckle.
When he went on to explain things, I told him I understood, and I’ve tried playing by the rules since day one but have gotten one hassle after another. Then he pulled out a blank certificate and before he could open his mouth to tell me about it, I perked up. “I have that! It’s expired, but I have it!” I opened my trusty binder and turned right to the permit and showed it to him. He held out his hand and asked to see it. As I handed it over I said, “Please don’t shred it.” He made a copy and handed my original back and said, “we’re good. I have no problems okaying the water meter. You and I are good.”
So apparently a LOT of the bullsh*t I went thru a couple of months ago could’ve been avoided if ANY of those dumb asses had ever mentioned a septic permit or perk-test. I’ve got all that. But they never asked so I never showed them and as a result I pitched a fit and caused a small scene and now our name is being brought up at county government meetings.🤪
I shook Travis’s hand before leaving and thanked him.
Seriously, we’ve only ever wanted to do things the proper and legal way, haven’t wanted to make any enemies or cause trouble or make things difficult for when we do get ready to build our house.
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