yet another sick day

As I said in the entry below, yesterday was a bad day in the making, starting at midnight when the bus was late.  I didn't get home until 1am, and to bed around 2:30.  I was off in lalaland when I was woke up by the sounds of Bum complaining of a tummy ache.  I looked at the clock--3:30.  Joey got up too, and we took her temperature...a very low-grade fever, but nothing to worry about.  The next thing you know, Home Fry's up and puking on the floor.  When asked why he did that, his reply was (in his usual cool attitude), "You didn't get the bucket...so there!"  LOL.  So I didn't get back to sleep until about 5am.  Since they were sick, they didn't go to school, and Joey let me sleep in a little...til about 9.  Yay.

I had to go to the bank before I went to work, to get money for the day.  When I did, once again the balance wasn't what I thought it should be.  I asked about it, and they told me there were two overdrafts...WTF?  I was just told y'day that there was money in there, and that any transactions that came through would be covered by my paycheck today!  I was furious...but they just basically threw their hands in the air, and said "it's not our fault and you should have been keeping track of what was coming out of your account".  Damn.  Oh well.

The rest of the day went okay...went to work, got monitored, came home.  Found out the girl downstairs almost got her butt kicked by two people at her door, but she wouldn't come out...chicken shit.  I would've loved to see that...lmao.  Speaking of her, Martin the landlord's making a stop here tomorrow...hee hee hee.  I'll let you know how that goes...

til next time...=)

questions

Saw this on Kristina's journal (and almost everyone else's too), and figured it was about time I did it.  Here we go.

Have you...

1. Picked flowers from someone else's lawn?

Not that I can remember.

2. Cheated on a bf/gf?

Yup, when I was 15...never do that again.

3. Had a close friend die?

If you include my mom on that, yes. If not, not yet.

4. Overheard someone having a conversation with themselves?

I don't think so.

5. Sniffed a permanent marker to get a mini-high?

Not to get a mini-high...for some reason, I like the way they smell...I know, I'm a little weird.

6. Doubted your sexuality?

Nope.

7. Written on bathroom walls?

Not that I can think of.

8. Stapled your finger?

Huh? Who thought of this one?

9. Cut your own hair?

Yup, when I was 10...I cut my bangs within 1/2 an inch of my roots, then blamed it on my friend...lol.

10. Been to Disney World?

Not yet...never really been outside PA.

11. Danced like no one was watching?

Unless I was drunk and can't remember, no.

12. Climbed a pile of boulders so you can say "I'm king of the world"?

Sorry...that's definitely a no.

13.  Return something you already wore?

Yup--my prom dress...returned it tags off and all...lol.

14. Thrown up on a roller coaster?

No, and I love 'em.

15. Danced in your underwear?

Yes.

16. Danced in your underwear in front of others?

Yup...the kids.

17. Had a successful long-distance relationship?

Kind of...I saw him on the weekends...it lasted about 4 or 5 months.

18. Taped a "kick me" sign to someone's back?

No...lol.

19. Ignored the "10-second rule" and ate something off the ground?

Probably when I was a kid, but not now.

20. Got your tongue stuck to something cold?

Not that I can remember.

21. Been to a fortune teller?

Yes.

22. Believed a fortune teller?

No--what a waste of money.

23. Burnt stuff because you were bored?

Uh-huh...someone's yard when I was 11.

24. Stuck gum under a table?

I think so.  Unfortunately, I was also the one who would have to get that junk off, too. Ewwww.

25. Had the same dream more than once?

Lots of times.

26. Talked to yourself on AIM?

Only to check something out...like a superbuddy or something (before they had the "testdrive" thingy).

27. Gone to the hospital for injuries from fireworks?

No way.

28. Made a truck driver honk?

Yes, while in a doughnut man costume...lmao.

29. Seen a UFO?

Do I look nuts? No.

til next time...=)

road trip?

That's what the ride to work felt like yesterday...I took the bus.  I had to be there for 3:45, so I had to leave at...12:30??  Yup--that's about how long it takes when you do public transportation.  Mind you, in a car it takes about 20 minutes.  I was so bored, I actually wrote down all the little dot-on-the-map towns I went through.  Let's see...Scranton, Moosic, Avoca, Dupont, Hughestown, Pittston Township, Pittston City (yes, there's a difference), *new bus* West Pittston, Exeter, Wyoming, Forty Fort, Kingston, and finally, Wilkes-Barre.  Like I said, I was bored.

When I finally got to work, I was exhausted, and my butt hurt.  I perked right up however, when I saw the new schedule...I got the shifts I wanted!!  The day flew by after that.

Then it came time to go home...another adventure.  I had to run/walk about 5 blocks in 15 minutes to get to the bus station for midnight, when the Greyhound comes (yes, a Greyhound bus goes between the cities--but not that often, and it's expensive).  I get there, and Complainer Guy from work was there waiting for it too.  Long story short, bus was 20 minutes late, and Complainer Guy was bitching the whole time.  Actually, I can't really talk about Complainer...if it wasn't for him, I would've had to shell out the $6.50 for the bus ticket (he had extra ones), and I would've had to walk home from the bus station at almost 1am (his friend, who was waiting at the bus station, gave me a ride home too).  Don't get me wrong--he's a nice guy, but he's somewhat bitter about the world.  I guess you have to take the good with the bad...lol.

So that was my Thursday...I didn't get to write about it until now because I had a bad day today, starting at midnight...as you can see.  It got worse as the day went on...I'll write more later, after I get some sleep.

til next time...

i'm tagged

But only because I read Jennifer's blog...damn.  Here goes...

15 years ago...

--I was still in 8th/9th grade.

--I was still grieving over my sister's suicide.

--I was just moving back in with my mom after a year in my other sister's custody.

10 years ago...

--I was a freshman in college.  Or at least it looked like I was.

--I was mourning the death of my mom.

--I was getting high.  A lot.

--I met Joey, and got pregnant with Bum (2 months later)

5 years ago...

--I was still making payments on the Taurus.

--I was a manager at Domino's.

--I was taking Bum to Head Start...then pulled her out, because she already knew everything they were teaching her.

3 years ago...

--I was jumping up and down because the Taurus was paid off.

--I was working as a supervisor at Krispy Kreme.

--I don't think anything else exciting was going on then.

1 year ago...

--I started my journal, which I love.

--I was at a job that I hated.  Really.  Boring.  Zzzzzz.

--I was having conferences with Bum's teacher about holdingher back in the 2nd grade.

Yesterday...

--I cleaned out my closet.  Fun.

--I applied for a customer service job at a bank.

--I watched American Idol, and laughed my ass off at Rhonetta.

Today...

--I cleaned the rest of my room.

--I got my DVR, and I'm now pausing live TV.  WOOHOO!

--I'm looking forward to Lost and Idol.

Tomorrow...

--I'll take my kids to school.

--I might clean something before I go to work (if I go).

--I'm going to work, but I'm still wondering how I'm getting there.

--When I get to work, I'll be wondering how I'm getting home.

And like Jennifer said, if you've read this far, congrats and consider yourself TAGGED!  Bwahahaha.

til next time...=)

what brown is doing for me, and what the post office isn't

Joey's camping out in the kids' room today, since their room is the one that has windows that face the street.  Why, you ask?  We're expecting a package today from UPS, and with her still down there, he's just making sure that they come to the right apartment with our new toy...a DVR.  Usually UPS doesn't get the apartment screwed up, but just in case...

Speaking of screw-ups, I called the post office once again Monday, telling the supervisor about the incident on Saturday.  He said he'll take care of it, and a postal inspector should be calling me to talk about the mail tampering thingy.  That was two days ago...still waiting.  If we don't get a phone call by today, I'll be calling them first thing tomorrow morning. 

Turns out the regular mailman wasn't on...he was off all week.   I ran into him yesterday, and he asked me if she was still here...I told him "unfortunately".  I asked him if he heard about her little mail throwing fit, and he had no idea what I was talking about.  When I told him the story, he looked at me with that "wow" look on his face...lol.    After the mailman left, I realized her window was open (where I was having the convo with the mailman was within earshot), and she was home...LMAO.  Not like she doesn't know that we want her to leave...lol.

til next time...=)

busy

Sorry I haven't really written lately...I've been off the past two days including today, but I've been cleaning house, looking for a new job, etc.  Of course I've been on and lurking...lol.  Just some updates...

As I mentioned, I am looking for a new job, closer to home.  Yes, I do like it in Wilkes-Barre, but transportation is a HUGE issue.  Case in point--usually I get a ride from one of two people.  One of those people might have a job with Bank of America as of yesterday.  The other one was only staying for the benefits (which are awesome, and we don't pay anything for), and after an appointment today with a specialist, he might not be coming back either.  So I'm basically up shit's creek without a boat, I guess.  It's either that or I leave pay $11 a day, leave 3 hours early, and have to walk home from the bus station at 12:30am.  I don't think so.

As far as the biotch downstairs, the landlord talked to her, and she postponed her move until this coming weekend.  Apparently she knows the system and how to play it to her advantage.  The ad was taken out of the paper (because we told the landlord to do so), but the calls keep coming.  We're just telling them we think it'll be ready for a February 1st move-in.  Hopefully.  We're crossing our fingers.

til next time...=)

blue lunch

This is one of the first pics I took with my (now MIA) first digital camera...in fact, I took this the day after purchasing the camera, after a morning of income tax shopping.  While doing this week's photo shoot, I came across this one.  Of course, it wasn't all blue then...I think it looks cool this way.

til next time...=)

it's monochromatic!

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Share some of your favorite black and white photos. Older pictures are good, but what you also might think about is seeing how some of your favorite color pictures look in black and white -- most computer photo editors will let you make a photo black and white (or sepia-toned -- that's monochromatic, too). This is an opportunity to look at some of your best photos in a new way.

Me?  Participate in a photo shoot with no camera?  Is that possible?  HA!  I still have some pictures from before...just no new ones (yet).  I have two for this one.  The first one is of my nieces, when they were good little kids...lol.  (Sis, if you read this, you know what I mean.)

 

My other entry is from not too long ago, when the devastation in Louisiana hit (it was one of John's Weekend Assignments).

til next time...=)

and the winner is...

Sorry I'm late with this--I got home really late from work last night, but I'll talk about that later...

Deborah over at Me Thinks Too Much is my pick for my "Caption This" contest!  Here's her caption...

King Kong?!?  Yeah right...where's MY movie deal??

Now it's Deborah's turn...go visit and play along!

til next time...=)

she's still here

Yup, as the title says, she's still down there.  And I think she got the fine in the mail, too.  Joey said he went outside for a smoke...when he did, he looked in the yard to find mail strewn all over the place, including our own.  She must have got the fine, and threw the rest of what was in her mailbox.  And of course, the mailman must've screwed up again, since a Blockbuster DVD that WE ordered was out there in the yard too.  I'm calling the federal inspectors tomorrow, since she's still fucking with our mail.  I'm also calling the post office (AGAIN) and telling them I want one of us to have to sign for our mail.  At least until she leaves, anyway.  Speaking of leaving, we've been getting calls out the butt for the apartment, but all we can tell them is we'll call them back when it's available.  We called Martin (the owner) this morning, and he wasn't happy about the whole situation...he said he needs that apartment empty.  I'm inclined to ask him, "Is the word  'SUCKER' just written or tattooed on your forehead?"  She's dragging her feet, and he's going along with it.  GRRRRR.  She hasn't been turning up the stereo, though...I wonder why.  I dunno. 

Once again, I'm rambling...I have a lot on my mind.  I have to leave early for work today, because Matt, my ride, has to be there 45 minutes before me, and that's IF he has to go at all...he signed up for e-time, so who knows.  If he doesn't go in, I have no idea how I'm going to get there...and I can't afford a 3-day suspension--that's what I'll get if I'm more than three minutes late.  AAARRRGGGHHH.  In short, my job sucks.

til next time...=)

moving day?

The ad's in the paper...people are calling about the apartment downstairs.  Too bad she's not out yet.  She was supposed to be out yesterday, but Martin said she postponed it, saying she'd be out by today.  He told us to watch her move out; he's afraid she's going to try to take the appliances, which belong to the apartment and are (were) brand new.  We don't even think she's going today, or anytime soon--we saw signs of that yesterday.  I mean, who goes to the store and gets a big order the day before you're supposed to move out?  She did.  We have our doubts.  We think she's going to tell him she's going the first of February.  He's not going to like that, especially since he paid for the ad to be in the paper today...well, that and she still hasn't paid him for this month.  As for the noise, she didn't have her music on last night; instead, she and her friends were running from one end of the house to the other, screaming and banging the whole way.  At 1am.  Who knows...maybe she was having a moving out party or something.  I hope that's what it was...when she's out, I'll probably be taking pics of the damage or something.  My instincts are telling me that Martin's going to be taking her to the magistrate to get the money to fix whatever's wrong down there...for the past week or so, all you hear is banging down there.  I dunno...I'll keep you posted when I get more info...lol.  I'm still laughing...I just might get to see the look on her face when she gets that fine in the mail...lmao!  I'm rambling, so I'll stop now...

til next time...=)

make my day!

If you haven't already...

Help My Potato Reach All 50 States!

Click on the map to see how fast my network of friends can pass this potato to all 50 states!

and...

(and I want a pic on there too.)

just to make my day nice...lol.

til next time...=)

just a little somethin'

Figured I'd do an entry before I go to work today...and I'm actually looking forward to going.  Last night went by so fast, I was home before I knew it.  Halfway through my shift, I wasn't too happy--I thought Matt quit, since I saw him hand in a headset, and walk out.  Found out later that he just got e-time, and the headset he gave them was the one he borrowed.  Stupid me for assuming...lol.

Anyway, it's Friday, and it's time for this week's 5'er!

1.  Have you ever played Truth or Dare? Either as an adult or a child?

I remember playing as a kid, but no "oh my god!" moments came out of it--I guess we were boring.

2. What is your all time favorite game? 

I would have to say Monopoly, but I haven't played that in the longest time, even though I have it sitting in the closet.

3.  Hormones were rampant as a teenager. Did you ever play spin the bottle? Can you tell us about it?

Never played it...I was always home...I had no life.  Still don't.

4.  When was the last time you played a game? Who were you with? Where did you play it and what game was it?

The last time I played a game was a few months ago, with Joey, Bum, and Home Fry.  We played Candyland and Chutes & Ladders.

5. If "Life" really was a game where would you be on the board?  In Jail? Do not pass go? Bankrupt? Buying out property? Having babies? Boardwalk? 

Isn't that Monopoly?  If it is, I would probably be passing "go" and collecting my $200, then going around again...by the time I got back to "go", I would need that $200 again...living from paycheck to paycheck...my life in a nutshell...lol.

There's my answers...where's yours?

til next time...=)

can you believe this girl?

This morning Bum was late for school.  Why, you ask?  Did she wake up late?  No...  Did she forget to do her homework?  No...  Was she not feeling well?  No...   The reason she didn't get there on time was because we spent the morning searching for her uniform.  SHE HID HER SCHOOL CLOTHES.  They were on her bed yesterday, but now they're MIA.  This is clearly her best (and worst) effort to stay home from school.  Luckily for us, there was a clean shirt in the dryer, and her jumper was in her closet where she can't reach it.  Then she tried to say she had to stay home because of a blister on her foot...what will she come up with next?

til next time...=)

caption this!

Over at Kimberleigh's place, she had a contest to come up with a caption for a pic she had found.  Started by Danielle, this is the game--the winner from the previous week puts up a photo, and readers of the journal (or just people stopping by) come up with a caption for it.  Since Kimberleigh picked my caption, it's my turn to pick a pic.  So get to it...leave your caption in the comment section, and I'll pick a winner Sunday!  Have fun!

Photo courtesy of EXTREME Funny Pictures.

til next time...=)

something else...

Just to add to the girl downstairs problems...Martin, our landlord, called not too long after Joey got home.  He asked Joey what happened at the magistrate today, and also asked if she was still down there.  Joey said "yes", and Martin was not a happy camper.  She hasn't paid the rent for this month, so she's living down there for free at this point.  He's going to put the ad in the paper for it this Saturday, so she needs to be out by then.  Joey hopes she's not out, and hopefully Martin says to just go in there and start throwing her stuff on the street...we'll keep the stereo, though...lol.

As far as I know, there hasn't been a moving truck out there yet.  From what I've been hearing, she's moving into that house across the street...you know, the same one we all got screwed on.  Well, she got screwed...literally--she was doing you-know-what with Owner (the owner of the house across the street), and I guess she got the house after all.  That's the rumor going around...we'll have to wait and see what happens.  Hopefully she's still here when she gets the fine in the mail--I want to see the look on her face...lmao!  Then again, if the rumors are true, she won't be that far away...

til next time...=)

two (or is it four?) words...

$300 fine.

That's what she got...the girl downstairs, that is.  Joey just got back from the magistrate all happy.  As we knew, she didn't show up.  Joey told me he had to tell the magistrate in detail what happened.  When Joey told him about the cops not really doing anything, he just shook his head in disbelief...I guess they should have cited her or something.  Bottom line, she got fined, and Joey was on his way.

You're probably wondering, why didn't I go?  Well, right now I'm supposed to be at work, but since I missed the bus (at 10am), I wouldn't have got to work in time (at 1pm).  He and the kids got a ride to his mom's house, so she could watch the kids, and he could walk to the magistrate's office, which is close.  So I made the most of it, submitting my resume to employers, cleaning the kitchen, etc. 

When cleaning the kitchen, I decided to try out this new floor vacuum we got for Christmas.  It sucks...wait, that's what it's supposed to do, but doesn't.  It says it sweeps, mops, and sucks up the water...I just kept finding dirty water streaks on the floor.  When Joey got home, he wasn't happy I used it--they were taking it back to the store to return it, since the damn thing wouldn't stand up in the first place.  But now we've got another reason to take it back...it just doesn't work.

til next time...=)

open up now...

I went to the dentist this morning.  Fun.  Actually, it wasn't that bad.  It was the same dentist that fixed my front tooth when I broke it on a Snickers a few years back.  When I saw his name on the list of dentists that accepted my insurance, I wasn't sure it was him...the office was at a different address.  So I called, and whaddya know?  Yay!  This guy is so cool...when I broke my tooth, I looked like the toothless wonder (but not as bad as I do now), and he took me in the same day--and I wasn't a patient of his yet.  That's how good this man is...he's awesome.  He's worth hunting down.

Anyway, back to today.  I was sorta hesitant to open my mouth, since it looks so bad in there...5 teeth on top, only one being fully intact (the rest are broke off up to the gum).  He looked and said they gotta go.  All they have to do is wait for my insurance to approve the extractions and plate, and we're all set.  He'll pull them too.  SWEET.  As far as the bottom ones go, he said keep 'em, since they're in good shape (all 8 of them--the rest were pulled out).  They just had to be seriously cleaned, that's all.  That's when his assistant stepped in...she showed me what they looked like in the back...ewww.  Then she cleaned them up a little...what a difference!  I like!  I like!  Never thought I'd be saying that...lol.

So now I have to keep my job for a little while...so I can let them finish this.  I can't afford for my insurance to cancel now.  I can't wait to see what they look like when they're done.  It'll be strange at first...I mean, I haven't had nice teeth since...um...school, I think?

til next time...=)

new digs

I just got home from work not too long ago.  I'm not used to being at work this late anymore.  I know you're wondering--how was it?  A little strange, a little different, but okay.  I got a ride from a co-worker, Matt.  He's really cool...he was in the same training class as me.  So our schedules are pretty much identical.  There was another guy riding with us, John.  He's a piece of work, let me tell you.  He does not see the positive in ANYTHING.  You see, pretty much the whole way down there (which was about a 25 minute drive), all he did was complain.  Drove me nuts, but I was nice and didn't say anything.  Walking from the garage to the building, he complained.  Oy.

It's kind of nice there...all the people are nice--our trainer, Bonnie, was awesome.  Since we knew most of the stuff, we flew through the training.  The hard part of the transition is the keyboard--it's different from the one we were used to.  Some things weren't in the same place, some things were bass ackwards, and so on.

For lunch, they even bought us food!  They had subs and chips and pretzels and cake for us!  And they decorated with banners too!  It was cool.

After lunch, we went online, taking calls.  Not bad, although I think I screwed up a few times, but that happens with having new features, different kinds of calls, etc.  Then on my last break, yet another bomb was dropped--Matt might have a new job at Bank of America (I know what you're thinking...stupid ads!).  I was thinking about getting a job there too, but with no transportation, no go.  Anyhoo, the day was over, and John the Complainer got a ride from someone else, and Matt and I had a story filled ride home, laughing most of the way. 

In short, I guess you can say it was a fairly good day, and despite what I'd heard about the new office, it wasn't as bad as it was made out to be.  Woohoo.

til next time...=)

oh yeah

Yup, it's definite--she's moving.  We called the landlord about something else today, and he told us he finally got a hold of the girl downstairs and she said she's going to be out by Friday.  He's been trying to contact her for the past week or so, since she hasn't paid her rent for this month...she says she used it for a down payment for her new apartment.  That can't be true--if I'm not mistaken, with Section 8, they pay for your down payment.  I'm not sure, but I think that's true.  Anyway, that means we'll be cleaning it next weekend, getting it ready for potential new tenants.  Yay.

In the meantime, Joey's going to the magistrate Wednesday, even though she's not showing up.  She doesn't have to, though--she'll just be found guilty and get a fine.  I also have a feeling we're going to be calling the cops every day this week...I already had to call them once today, who knows what's in store.  I'll even call up to the day she's moving if I have to--just to make a point.

til next time...=)

done

I'm officially done at the Scranton office of Verizon...I can't even get in there again if I tried.  No, really--my swipe card won't even work.  I start at the Wilkes-Barre office tomorrow afternoon.  And from what I've been hearing, I'm in for a rude awakening.  It's landline 411, so that's a plus--no more dropped calls, no more people complaining about the fact that they're sitting in front of the business, but the number's not listed...that one gets me every time.

There's other reasons for wondering if I'm making the right decision, but with those reasons come some doubt.  Through the grapevine I heard someone who transferred to that office last week (the company did the transfer half last week, half this week) is now on final warning, after she accidently hung up on someone.  WOW.  The managers are mean down there, I'm thinking.  But I later heard that said co-worker also gave the manager an attitude, so that's why, I guess.  I guess I'll find out what really happened tomorrow.  I dunno.  I'll fill you in when I get more info.  Hopefully this works out, since now I'm finally starting to get my dental work done.  I need the benefits to do this, and without the job, I have none.  So hopefully, I'll get done what I need to get done by July...that's when the reunion is.  Yay.  So looking forward to that.

til next time...=)

it's official

**doing the happy dance**

The girl downstairs is moving!  I don't think the landlord knows yet, but it's definitely happening.  She's got all the curtains off the windows, and she had loads of stuff outside for the garbagemen to take.  She must be moving this weekend, so that's good.  The only bad thing is that Joey went to the magistrate about it the other day, and the court date is Wednesday.  Maybe she'll be stupid enough to go anyway...lol.  Also found out the landlord knew she got evicted from her other apartments because of her music...but by the time he found out, it was too late--she had signed the lease and was moved in by then.  And we weren't the only ones complaining about her--the lady next door to her (the one we gave it to) can't stand it either.  So I guess I'm not the only one doing the dance...and to think--we'll get to pick the next tenant too.  YAY!

til next time...

friday the 13th sucks

I should have known not to get out of bed this morning.  This is not a good day for me.  The year before Bum was born...actually a year to the day to be exact, on Friday the 13th, I crashed my car into a convenience store.  Not just any store--the one I worked at.  That should be enough for me, but no....

I took Bum to school this morning, and on the way back stopped at the store.  I had to get a few things like coffee, filters, and conditioner.  I got to the register and ran my check card.  Declined.  Huh?  My paycheck was direct deposited the night before.  Since the bank was across the street, I told the lady I'd be back in a minute to pay for the stuff.  She tried to cancel the order, but it wouldn't work.  Meanwhile, there's a line forming behind me...how embarrassing.  She eventually had to void everything individually.  So I left and went to the bank, and they basically threw their arms in the air, since they had no clue as to how that could've happened.  I withdrew money there, and got the statement back, and there wasn't as much as there was supposed to be.  I asked why, and they said I overdrafted.  WHAT THE HELL?  I was at a loss for words--I balanced my checkbook and kept accurate track (I think) of what I spend...how could this happen?  So the rest of the day, except for work, was spent trying to figure out where I (or the bank) went wrong.  I still haven't figured it out.  Grrrr.

til next time...=)

robin's 5'er

It's Friday, and you know what that means...time for Robin's 5'er!

1.  How many candles will be on your next birthday cake?

29.  No, seriously--I will be 29 in June.

2. If you get a birthday cake do you prefer butter cream frosting or the whipped?

Butter cream...if I'm going to get a toothache from all the sugar, I might as well make it worth my while.

3. What was the best birthday present you ever got?

I think it was the bike I got from my dad one year...I think that was the only real thing he got for me.

4.  Has anyone ever thrown a surprise birthday party for you?  If so did you know about it or were you really surprised. If not, would you like for someone to throw you one?

No surprises parties for me, but I would like someone to throw me one...*hint hint, wink wink*

5. If you could be any age on your next birthday and have that age stick how old would you want to be?

I think I would want to go back and be 21 or 22...then again, the age I'm at now isn't that bad...

til next time...=)

a little flattered

I didn't tell you about yesterday--some guy tried to pick me up!  Let me tell you about it...I was standing at the bus stop waiting to go to work.  This guy driving up the street slows down and beeps at me.  Then he proceeds to go into the grocery store parking lot across the street...and turns around!  By now I'm thinking I must know this person or something...why else would he be coming back to talk to me?  So he finally gets back to the corner I'm standing on, and rolls down his window...and what he said floored me a little.  He said that I was cute, and he thought maybe we could get together some time...HUH?  I smiled (mouth closed, of course...embarrassing) and happily told him I was taken.  He was like ok, maybe some other time.  Nope...lol.  He wasn't bad looking either...and had a cute little dog too.  Too bad for him.  I've already got a good guy, and I'm not leaving him.  I told Joey about it, and he was just waiting for the last part...where I told him I was with someone.  I told my friend about it today, and she said the guy probably thought I was cute because of the jeans I had on yesterday...I dunno.  Who cares--I guess it's nice to get compliments from someone you don't know every once in a while...

til next time...=)

make it stop!!

Weekend Assignment #94: What's the worst possible song to get stuck in your head? You know: the song that once you hear it you cannot drive from your skull, even with an ice pick and a centrifuge. They have a word for that kind of song: "Earworm." We want to know what you consider to be the most evil earworm possible.

Extra Credit: Is there a song you can use to drive the evil earworm out?

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a song stuck in my head.  And the worst?  The ones from the kids' TV shows on Disney, Nick, etc. every morning.  You know--the ones that are SUPPOSED to get stuck in your kids heads, so they're singing them all day.  Unfortunately, they also get stuck in my head too.  Like "This is the song that doesn't end....".  ARRRRGGGHHH!  I heard one this morning from a show called Hi-5 on Discovery Kids, and it didn't leave me until I was at work. 

Which brings me to the extra credit...when I do get sick of a song that's in my head, I start singing "Sunday Morning" by Maroon 5, and before I know it, problem solved!  So there you go!

til next time...=)

still contemplating

I was thinking about archiving my journals (all of them) on Blogger, but I dunno.  Now, don't start thinking I'm leaving--no way--I like the community here.  I'm just thinking of putting all my old entries on one journal...once I do that, then I'd mirror this one and that one.  The only thing I don't like is I can't figure out the damn HTML stuff.  I used to be good at that...then AOL~J came, and I didn't need to use it as much (well, that and you can't use advanced HTML here anyway), and I forgot how to use it.  Did I mention my short-term memory sucks?  There's times I'll go to the store, which is a two-minute walk, and forget what I went over there for.  Anyhoo, I have the Blogger account set up, I just haven't posted anything to it yet.  I think I mentioned that before, but I'm just mentioning it again.  Let me know what you think!

til next time...=)

two in a row? wow.

It's been a good day so far, I guess.  This morning was nothing out of the ordinary, just your usual walking Bum to school, coming home, and doing nothing.  When I took Home Fry to school, I brought some banana muffins Joey had made last night...MMMMM.  Mrs. Guerra (his teacher) thought it was his birthday or something.  Nope.  Just a little snack for the class, for the hell of it.  Nice, huh?  Then it was off food shopping with my m-i-l...*cringing*...actually, it wasn't bad.  I stayed at one end of the store, while she and Joey were at the other...lol.  Just kidding--I can tolerate her when the kids aren't around; it's when they are (and she starts giving into them) that irks me.  Off that subject...when we got back to the house, Joey started making one of my favorite foods...ham and cabbage.  By the time I picked up the kids from school (about an hour and a half later), the whole house smelled like it--YUM.  I had to walk back over to the store for something, and as I was walking across the lot next door, I fell right on my butt!  In the mud!  I had to go back to the house and change.  Before I did, I made the mistake of showing the family what happened.  Joey said I looked like I pooped my pants!!!  Imagine if I went over the store that way...I'd have some 'splainin to do...lol.

So here I am, enjoying my second bowl of hammy goodness, drinking my coffee, and writing about the good day off I'm having.  Just the way I like it.

til next time...=)

not bad not bad

Just thought y'all would like to know I had a good day at work yesterday.  The people must have taken their meds, since they were pretty good.  I would get the usual idiots now and then, but overall it was nice.  During lunch, I put together the turkey club I brought...yummy.  After work, I was waiting for the bus to pick me up, but it never came (again...it didn't come on Friday either).  But a co-worker saw me standing there waiting, and since she was going my way, offered me a ride.  Woohoo!  That was cool...on the way home, we were talking about the transfer--she's going too, but a different shift.  She told me there's a lot of people who commute from here to there, so that's good.  Maybe it won't be so bad.  That and the (roughly) $400 check in March...lol.

til next time...=)

wouldn't be the first time...

This entry is only to reply to a comment on my last entry...here is the comment:

"Be careful because now a days the hospital will call CPS child protective service over animal bites and scratches.  Sit Bum down and explain this to her some how because I know you are a super mom and I would hate for you to have to deal with that.  Hope her face is okay."

Okay...a couple of things about this, just to inform.  I'm not writing this to be mean or anything, it's just to clarify.  First, as far as Children and Youth Services (or CYS, as it's called in PA) getting involved, if they were going to make a case out of it, they would have been asking questions at the hospital.  They didn't get involved when this happened back in August, and that incident was much worse.

Second, if by chance they did get involved, it wouldn't be the first time we had a run-in with CYS.  I never told this story here, only because I didn't have a journal (or a computer for that matter) at the time.  But I'm telling it now.  This is going to be long.  So get comfy.

One morning in 2002, Joey's mom was giving Home Fry a bath, and she found a squishy lump on his head.  She called me, and I went over to see what she was talking about (she lived across the street, so I didn't have to go far).  I felt it, and I knew it wasn't right.  I immediately called Joey at work, then went to pick him up (his employer didn't like that--they tried to fire him for it).  We took him to the hospital, and they examined him--CT scan and all.  Mind you, while doing this, Home Fry was acting like nothing was wrong--no complaining, etc.  What they found was not good--a skull fracture with internal hemorrhaging.    We had no idea how it happened (we still to this day don't have a clue), and because of this, and because it was so severe, CYS and the police started asking questions.  What they said next almost floored me.  Since they had no pediatric neurosurgeon here, they would have to Life Flight him to Geisinger in Danville.  And since there was no room in the helicopter, we would have to drive down (1 1/2 hours) and meet him there.  So we did. 

At Geisinger, they did some more tests, among them, a full body x-ray to see if there were other signs of abuse or something.  Of course, there wasn't.  They had him on all kinds of monitors through the night to make sure he didn't seizure or anything...he didn't.  The pediatric neurosurgeon saw him the next day, and said that there was no real damage done, and the swelling would go down in about a week, leaving him with a small dent in his head.  That's it.  Two round trips to Danville (I locked the keys in the trunk of my car, had to take brother-in-law's car, had to take said car back, then make the trip again in our car, once the keys were retrieved) in less than 24 hours.  Wow.

The next day, a caseworker from CYS shows up at our door, and tells us that Home Fry can't be left alone with Joey or Grandma, since they were the ones who had him during the time it could have happened.  I was cleared only because I was working at the time.

Long story short, everyone was cleared, CYS came to no conclusion, and I almost lost my job in the process.  But that's another story...one with a happy ending...lol.  Maybe another time.

til next time...=)

will she ever learn?

Work sucked yesterday...nothing out of the ordinary, just boring and annoying.  When I came home, and Joey was asking me why I was home so late.  He thought I started sooner, but I told him that I had to leave sooner so I could catch the bus...he understood.  Then Bum came in the kitchen, and had her hair on the side of her face.  She said, "Wanna see my face?"  I had no idea what she was talking about.  She moved her hair, and there's this HUGE scratch going from above her eye, along the side of her face, and back towards her ear.  I was like, WHAT THE HELL?  Joey told me the dog got her...again.  This time Princess scratched her.  Bad. 

(A couple side notes here: Bum likes to annoy the dog, cat, anyone she can annoy on a regular basis.  We told her not to do that to the dog after the last time, but as always, she didn't listen.  Also, Joey told me later that the dog was sleeping on my bed, and Bum went over and started getting in the dog's face, growling at her, etc.  Then he heard the dog yelp, then growl, then Bum screaming.  And that was it.) 

Joey had no way of taking her to the hospital, so he called an ambulance.  With that came a cop, since it was an animal attack.  Long story short, she's doing fine, Grandpa (and Home Fry, who wasn't home at the time) yelled at Joey (telling him "I knew you should've got rid of the dog"), and we might get a citation for not having the dog's shots up to date.  We have three days (I think) to get them updated, but with no car, how the hell's that going to happen?  Why can't vets do house calls, just this once?  I guess that's just wishful thinking, I guess.  I dunno.  Something else to deal with.  Damn.

til next time...=)

this week's 5'er

Let's play!!!

This weeks theme is...potatoes. I don't know why...I am just thinking about them.

1.  When was the last time you had mashed potatoes?  Were they regular mashed potatoes or some kind of fancy version?

Geez...I think it was the day before Thanksgiving, at Home Fry's Turkey Day party at school.  It was regular mashed tatos, but the ones made from scratch...mmmm.  I probably ate them since, but the turkey day ones were memorable--there weren't any left.

2.  Do you grow your own veggies? Have a garden? If so are potatoes one of the things you grow?

Nope--no real place to grow them...and if I did, they would probably die...lol.

3. French fried potatoes...do you like natural cut fries, with skin still on or the McDonald's kind? 

Mickey D's, here we come!  Or Burger King fries, dipped in BBQ sauce...yummy.  I hate the skins.

4.  How about potato salad?  Do you like it? Have a family recipe you have used for  years?

I like potato salad, but only eat it on holidays.  You know, Easter, July 4th, the ones where Joey's mom makes it.  I haven't made it myself in years.  When I do make it, I guess you can say I make it the way my mom used to, with loads of onions.

5.  Did you have a Mr. Potato head as a kid?  Ever purchased one for someone else's kid?

I think I had one--I can't remember.  I never bought one for anyone, but my m-i-l bought one for each of my kids.

til next time...=)

same job, new place

I made up my mind...well, actually, the lack of jobs made it up for me.  I'm going to transfer to the other office, starting next week.  I'm getting a ride from one of my co-workers, who is right below me in seniority, so I can pretty much mimic his schedule.  Except for days off, of course, but hopefully by then I'll find someone else to bring me down on those days.  I'll deal with it for now.  I might not want to quit until at least March anyway--there's this thing called "profit sharing"...I got a letter about it the other day.  Basically, it's a nice chunk of change in the form of a check from the company, just for working there.  It's in the union contract.  Thank you IBEW!  So unless Joey lands a job between now and then, or if I find something better, I guess I'm staying on doing 411...but now it'll be landline, so that's a little better.  Yay.

til next time...=)

the "weekend assignment" weekend assignment

Weekend Assignment 93: Suggest a Weekend Assignment topic!

The rules are simple: The assignment has to be a question that most people can participate in and answer on their blog or journal, and it has to not violate AOL's terms of service, and it has to be something that we haven't already done as a Weekend Assignment (variations on something we've already done are fine). Pick something simple, pick something wild and crazy or pick something somewhere inbetween -- get as creative as you want.

Extra Credit: Thought of one? Think of one more.

I've been thinking all weekend, and this is what I came up with...

Weekend Assignment #100:  Name your favorite Weekend Assignment, and link to your entry.

Since it's the centennial assignment, I thought it would be good to take a look back at what we've done so far.  From the very first one, back in April 2004 (sharing 10 random facts about yourself), to last week (insert #99's assignment here), we've had a little glimpse into your life and the lives of others.  Now's your chance to highlight your favorite.  So get to it!  Start digging through your archives!

Extra Credit:  Showcase someone else's Weekend Assignment entry that you liked.

There ya go!  Maybe mine will get picked...lol.  Yeah right.  Hahaha.

til next time...=)

i'm it again!

Now this one suits me more...Sharon got me this time!

These are the rules of the game: You must write a journal entry listing the 5 things that drive you CRAZY  ~ as well as the rules of the game... Then, you select five people to tag and link their names/blogs in your entry... Go to their journals and leave a comment informing them they have been tagged by you and to read your journal to see in what way they have been nailed...! Those five then MUST write an entry listing What drives them crazy and tag an additional five people...

1.  Other people trying to tell me how to raise my kids.  Or someone (a few in particular) going completely against what me or Joey say or do.

2.  My neighbor downstairs from me, and the things she does.  Playing her music so loud I can't hear my TV, stealing my mail, etc.

3.  Someone wearing too much perfume/cologne.  You know it's excessive when you can tell they're around when as soon as you walk into a room, their scent is all you smell.  That happens to me at work.  I can tell one of my co-workers is there based on the aroma in the office.  I can tell s/he's coming near when I start getting a headache.

4.  When I'm telling a story to a group of friends, and one of them butts in and starts telling a similar story of their own.  Then I can't get a word in edgewise.  I can't even finish my own story.  What's worse is their story is always better (or worse, depending on the story) than yours.  It's like they're trying to compete.  WTF???

5.  People, especially family members, telling me Joey should get a job.  You know what?  He had one, and I threw a fit and made him quit so I could take the job I have now.  If it wasn't for me, he WOULD have one.  "He's the man, he should be the one supporting the family."  WHAT??  That is so 1950-ish.  Wake up...duh.

OK...time to torture someone else.  Since this one's new, this shouldn't be too hard.

1.  Brandi

2.  Jimmy

3.  Leslie

4.  Cyndy

5.  Kristina

There.  That wasn't so hard, now was it?

til next time...=)

my misadventure

Well, I went on my journey today, and as the title says, it was mostly a misadventure, and a waste of time.  I had to stop at my job so I could get my manager's signature for a discounted bus pass, then had to go to Rite Aid and buy it.  Then it was off to the library to print off a copy of my Monster resume, and to also print off some Blockbuster coupons.  After that, I headed over to the CareerLink (unemployment) office to look for something new.  I found nothing, but applied for something that's too little, too far away, and not my type of work at all.  Should've seen that one coming...I didn't.

Finally, when I was done wasting my time there, I hopped on the bus to go somewhere I've been putting off for a few months.  I went to the garage where my car was being held for $181 ransom.  Instead of handing over the money, I gave them the title to the piece of junk, which is what they're going to do with it anyway. 

R.I.P. Hunk O' Junk, aka my 1992 Ford Taurus. 

(1991-2006) (2000-2006, when we had it)

 

This was taken in last year's snow.  This was the only pic I find.

In the 5 1/2 years we had the car, it was really nothing more than a headache, as mentioned here and here, and what led up to today, here.  From the time the water pump went about 2 weeks after we signed our lives away, to 4 months ago when it would overheat within 15 minutes of starting it up.  The ABS was going too, so that would be just a waste of time and money.  We got our money's worth out of it, though.  It got us back and forth through 10 jobs (6 of them mine), including a year as a Domino's driver (that's what REALLY did it in).  It suffered thehell that is my kids.  That would be enough to make any car run for the yard.

I really only went up there to take out what I wanted--my Hello Kitty stuff hanging in the rear view, the tire iron, since I didn't want to buy another one, and some other personal effects.  I almost cried, especially when I started it up just one more time.  When I was done, I returned the keys to the garage owner, who said he'd give me 2 weeks to come up with something for a payment, then he'd junk it.  So much for that offer--I'm about to lose my job in less time.  Oh well...one less financial burden on my shoulders.

I decided to walk home from there, tire iron sticking out my backpack (c'mon--MESS WITH ME).  On the way, I saw the lights on at the yet-to-be-opened Papa John's, and decided to stop in and fill out an application.  What the hell, I thought, can't hurt.  The owner was busy setting up shop when I was done, but he said he'd look it over.  Cool.

So that's my day.  Anyone wanna trade lives right about now?

til next time...=)

dammit

I'm ranting today.  I'm upset, confused, and pissed off.  And I'm venting here to get it off my chest.  Deal with it.

I  have less than 2 weeks to find a job.  I know it looks like I've been just putting it off, but with my work schedule, I haven't really had the time to go to the job center.  I've been looking in the paper and online, but nothing really there within my transportation limits.  I'm going to the job center today, along with the library to print a copy of my Monster resume.  Hopefully I find something today.  I don't have much more time.  Unemployment won't work--they only give you about 1/2 of what you were making, and that's not even close to what we need, even with sacrifices.

I'm getting sick of jumping through hoops.  Tired of challenges.  Tired in general, too, since I couldn't sleep last night--I was up until about 4:30am, thinking, crying, and talking to myself.  And while I'm on the "I'm screwed" kick, my looks aren't helping me.  I know what you're going to say--it doesn't matter what you look like, it's what's inside that counts.  I know (and somewhat believe) that, but when it comes to job hunting, who are you kidding?  I've been thinking about this all morning, and there's only one phrase that keeps repeating itself--"You don't get a second chance to make a first impression."  Think about it--what's the first thing people look at when you go for an interview?  YOU.  That's what scares me...I'm so insecure about my appearance, and I think that is what everyone else is looking at too.

I'm done for now, but only because I have to take Home Fry to school.  Maybe more later.

til next time...=)

snowman jumping

Barbara sent me this...it is cute, but hard!

Snowman Jumping

You have to try and get the snowman into the MINI...and you can have him do tricks too!  But I'm warning you, it's hard.  You get scores for each jump, too.  Awesome!

til next time...=)

new year's day

  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I didn't want to get up yesterday...after not going to bed until 3, work was not looking like a good thing.  What's worse, I had to walk to get there.  Then when I did get there, I got a soda, and it turned out to be diet...YUCK.  The customers weren't making my day go any better...I think they were calling just to see how much they could aggravate us, with us having to be nice and not being able to tell them where they could stick their phone (it would, however, give new meaning to ass calls...lmao).  I swear they were as pissed off about having to call 411 as I was having to take their stupid requests.  And if it wasn't there?  All hell broke loose.  I hate my job.  In a way, I'm glad I have to look for a new job.  I like talking on the phone, and I'd say I'm pretty good at it.  Maybe something in customer service, but no more 411.  Especially wireless 411.  So if I say I'm getting a job in this field, YELL AT ME.  LOUD.  Call me on the phone and yell.  I don't care.  Do what you must.

In other things, when I got off of work, I went straight to my MIL's house, where piggies and other good things to eat were waiting for me.  I didn't eat anything all day for this reason.  I went nuts.  Ham, baked ziti, lots of food--she does this every year for New Year's Day.  WOOHOO!  We stayed there until she got home from bingo, then she packed us a bag of goodies to take home.  Since the kids stayed there, we got to do a little you-know-what...again, WOOHOO. 

So that's my yesterday...hope yours was good too.  Now I have the next 3 days to sit and veg and look for a new job.  Yay.

By the way, the kids are going to NYC today--they didn't get to go Friday because their uncle got sick on the way there...so they came home.  They're going to FAO, then who knows what.

til next time...=)

oh yeah--<AHREF="HTTP: krspkrmmomfriends? www.frappr.com>sign my map!

fun new year's eve

Been a few days...guess I should update.  Had to work New Year's Eve.  Fun.  After work, the family met me at my job, and we went to First Night.  Luckily for us, my job is less than a block away from the courthouse, where most of the festivities took place.  The kids and I went on rides, and walked around some.  It didn't look like there were many people there...probably because everyone was inside one venue or another.  Immediately the kids were bored, especially Bum.  She's like that--if it's not about her or entertaining her, she tries to bring everyone else down with her.  Anyway, the reason we were bored was because we didn't have the schedule of events to tell us where stuff was happening--I left my copy at work, and Bum threw the one she brought away.  Good thing there was Command Central--they had extras.  We got one, and found out there was a magic show not too far away...we had to get the shuttle (which was free) to take us there.  It was awesome.  Then off to another one, which was totally lame.  The guy was like a bad Rodney Dangerfield impression, AND his magic tricks were lame too.  The kids got a kick out of it, though...that's all that mattered.  Then we walked back down to Courthouse Square, and it was getting packed with people.  All the other events were done for the night, and all that was really left was the fireworks at midnight.  Then the bells rang midnight, and the fireworks started.  THAT was awesome.  I got pics of them, but you'll have to wait til I get the camera developed.  After that, the square was like a ghost town.  We went home, and the kids were out in a matter of minutes.  Dick Clark was still on--he looked absolutely terrible.  Didn't sound much better, but at least he made the attempt to be there--that's all that matters.  Went to bed around 3am.  Happy new year!

til next time...=)