Still snowing...

It started snowing at 9am...it's 2:30pm now, and it's still snowing...even harder now! The puppies were afraid to go out, so at 2, we went out with them - plus I wanted to play in it for a while...that's me above holding Rerun.

This is what the street in front of our house looks like.

Here's the back of our house...the snow in the backyard is about 4-5" deep already.

Here's Lucy looking down at me from the deck...she's covered in snow!! The pups had a blast running around and prancing through the snow...they didn't want to come back inside even though they were soaking wet and shivering!

It's snowing!

My post yesterday may have sounded like I hate the snow and winter weather. I actually don't...I just don't like having to go out in it, especially driving.

Well...it's snowing here, and I'm so excited!! I've only seen it snow in real life a handful of times, so this is kind of a treat for me. And it helps that I'm at home...yes, I wimped out and stayed home from work, and I'm so glad I did. I woke up with a scratchy throat and a little congestion, and I REALLY don't want to be sick for my girls weekend (which starts in less than 24 hours by the way). I have my laptop out, my coffee on the table next to me, and a perfect view of the blowing snow outside...it's great!

I'm hoping that it snows enough so that we can take our Christmas pictures today..in the snow..but I don't want it to snow so much that it hinders my flight out tomorrow morning. I don't ask for much, do I?

I made it home...alive!

I am home safely, that's the important thing...and the roads were not as bad as I expected.

BUT, it was still NOT FUN. I walked out of the building at 3:30pm, with my BRAND NEW ice scraper that our receptionist was kind enough to run out and buy for me at lunch. I was wearing my new puffy down coat, so I was warm, and I started my car and proceeded to start scraping the thick layer on ice that was ALL OVER my car.

Ok, I've never scraped ICE off of a car...I've scraped frost back when I was in high school and didn't have a garage to park in, but this is NOTHING like frost. I finished half of the windshield and started on the passenger window, while I'm sliding all over the place because the parking lot was iced over...that's when my scraper BROKE!! See the picture above...actual ice scraper from Dollar General. At first I tried to use the broken end, but I couldn't get enough leverage, so then I wanted to cry...and running through my mind was why on earth did we move to a place where it snows and rains ice!!

I sucked it up and went back inside to bum another scraper...not only did I bum a scraper, but one of my co-workers helped me finish the job. So I climbed inside and started my journey home. Our receptionist had recommended I take the surface streets instead of the freeway I normally take because it goes over several bridges and ramps...so here I am foraging my way home through the less than desirable part of town where all I can think about is that if someone hits me in this part of town, they won't have insurance...

The roads were fine...our parking lot was the worst that I saw...and I made it home fine. Of course, my soft top vehicle is now a hard top as it's frozen solid...and I'm not looking forward to the next time we get ice or snow...but at least I survived today!

Once I arrived home and told my sad story to B, I immediately put on my full-body, footed, soft and fuzzy jammies...yes, you know what I'm talking about...all of you moms out there put your toddlers in these every night, and I have an adult sized pair! They will be my staple throughout the winter.

Feels like 8 degrees

That's what weather.com says right now for Wichita. It's 26 degrees, but feels like 8.

And if I look out the window of our office, I see cars covered in ice, and the ground is shiny...and as the KS natives explained to this CA girl...that means there's ice on the ground!

I didn't own an ice scraper until our receptionist braved the weather at lunch and went out and bought me one. As I sit here typing this, I can hear the ice pellets (I'm told it's not hail...there's a difference, who knew??) hitting the sky light above my head...I'm FREAKING out about having to drive home in this...I don't know how to drive in ice and snow...have I said that before??

I will be leaving VERY early to try to avoid the traffic rush to get home...and I predict I will be sick tomorrow when it's snowing non-stop...I can check email and work from home just as easily as I can from the office!

Back to the 3rd grade, you go!

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

Check this out! If bad grammar bothers you (it DRIVES me crazy), then check this out.

Now, I understand trying to shortcut when you're blogging or sending an IM or a text message, or just plain having a typo that you miss, but there is NO excuse for those people who have MAJOR grammar errors in a professional presentation or letter or email. C'mon!

Christmas is just around the corner!

Last night I FINALLY finished decorating my house for Christmas, and I have to admit that it was way more fun to decorate this house than the last house we had. I think I have more surfaces to set stuff on, so I didn't have to think as hard about where to put things...except my nativity set. I LOVE my nativity set...my parents got it for me for Christmas last year, and I think it so beautiful, and it really portrays the TRUE meaning of Christmas wonderfully!











I was even able to display my Christmas dishes (which I have to admit RARELY get used, but they look so pretty). This house has a built in hutch kinda thing with glass shelves and glass doors, so my dishes are displayed proudly!

About 3 years ago, I gave in to B and got a fake tree...and I have to admit, I love it even more than real trees! The only thing I miss about a real tree is the smell, so I just buy candles now. Our tree is 9 feet tall and pre-lit with tons of gorgeous white lights...but I don't have enough ornaments to fill it up...Must.Go.Shopping!













There are 4 stockings hung on our mantle. We have no children. We have dogs, though, and they get their own stockings...don't they look cute? The stockings (actually, they're sacks) for B and I are custom made by my mom and I. B and I usually only give each other stockings for Christmas, so we had to made sure our stockings were big enough for all those gifts. I have my buddy Amy to thank for the idea...it's what her family has, too.

Wacky Weather

I think my warm welcome to Kansas is about to be up.

There are winter storm warnings for our area from tonight through Thursday night.

Yesterday it didn't get over 50 degrees, but last night while we tried to sleep through the rain, hail, thunder, and lightening, it somehow warmed up to 60 degrees. Yes, it was 60 when I left for work this morning.

It's supposed to get up to 70 degrees today, and then all hell will break loose. Tomorrow the high is supposed to be in the 30's with freezing rain and thunderstorms...and it only gets worse from there. Thursday, the high will be in the 20's with SNOW.

I have NO CLUE how to drive in snow or ice or sleet or anything else like that. I don't even like driving in the rain! Hellooo! I grew up in the central valley of California...give me some fog, will ya? I can drive in that!

Besides the fact that I may have to call in sick Wednesday and Thursday (or else I may end up in the hospital anyway from sliding off the icy roads), I am supposed to board a plane and fly away to sunny California on Friday morning at 6am!

Please, God, clear up this weather by then...I REALLY want to make it to my Buddy Weekend on time and in one piece!

What a week!

It’s Monday, and it’s back to work…and that stinks! I don’t feel like I had a holiday at all.

I had a big list of things that I wanted to get done last week before Thanksgiving, and I think I did 3 of them. I came back from Michigan with a hurt back. I swear it was the bed in the hotel (it was a Hilton, mind you) that jacked me up. Anyway, the middle of my back was killing me, and I couldn’t stand up for more than 10 minutes before I was in terrible pain and had to lay down flat on my back. Luckily, we had changed Turkey Day dinner to my MIL’s house, so I didn’t have to worry about getting the house ready for that.

I struggled through 3 days of work (all right, I’ll admit to it…it was really 2 ½ days because I left early on Wednesday), made my jello salad and bought the snacks for Thursday, and then it was Thanksgiving.

We had a great Thanksgiving Day at the ILs. We ate turkey and mashed potatoes and jello….and some people ate stuffing and sweet potatoes, but B and I NEVER touch that stuff – yuck! B’s brother and fiancé came from Colorado and it was fun to hang out with them. My other BIL was with his ILs, so it was kind of quiet…no kids. Thursday night we headed back to our house to watch the Chiefs beat the Broncos – much to the dismay of my BIL and fiancé…so sorry!

Oh, funny story about the bread for Thanksgiving dinner. Apparently, B and I were supposed to bring it, but I claim I was never told that…so we show up in Small Town, KS, on Turkey Day with NO bread. MIL asks if we have it and B and I just look at each other and then at her and say “No”…well, she thinks we’re playing some sort of joke on her, so she just laughs until she realizes we’re serious. The little grocery store they have in town is closed for the day, so we have to call my BIL who is still driving down from Colorado and ask him to find a grocery store somewhere. He ends up finding one so we had cheesy garlic Texas toast for Thanksgiving dinner…at B’s request. Disaster averted!

Friday we slept in while maniacs like my SIL got up at 4am to hit the stores. B had to go to work, so Kim (the fiancé) and my BIL and I took our time getting up and getting breakfast, and then we headed out to shop at a nice leisurely pace. We still got some great deals, but we didn’t have to wait in line for hours and hours. I even had time to start dragging out all of our Christmas decorations and the tree was up by dinner time! When B got home from work, we all went out to Italian food …and that’s where the good weekend ENDS…

Somewhere between the restaurant and home I lost my Irish Friendship ring that I got in Ireland this spring. It wasn’t very expensive, but I loved it, and it reminded me of our trip. Besides that, neither B nor I got ANY sleep on Friday night because he was sicker than a dog! He woke up at 1am with big time stomach pain…he spent most of the night moaning and groaning on the floor of our bedroom…until he puked at 5am…then he felt better for a few hours so we got a little sleep…until the next puking episode. Poor guy, he felt so terrible, and I couldn’t do anything for him. We thought at first it was food poisoning since it came on so quickly, but his mom and dad had just had the stomach bug so it looks like it was the flu. His bro ran to the store to get some remedies to help him, and Kim and I went out shopping again. By the time we got back, B was feeling hungry, so I went and got him some chicken noodle soup and saltines.

Saturday night we got a lot more sleep. We were in bed by 10pm and didn’t get up until 9am Sunday…and there was only one bout of moaning and groaning through the night. Sunday, B took his spot on the basement couch again with football on the big screen, while I went to the in-laws for lunch and to say goodbye to the Colorado gang. After that I attempted to do some Christmas shopping, but I got so frustrated with the way the roads around some of the stores are set up that I gave up and went home. There are a couple of strip malls in Wichita that front the freeway…and there are only a couple ways you can get to them. You can come in from behind them or you can drive up the frontage road – which only goes one way – in front of them. Either way, you’re never quite sure where you’ll pop out, and if you’re too far west of the place you want to go, you have to turn around and try it all over again. What the heck??

I actually was quite productive last night after I got home from the horrible shopping endeavor…I paid all the bills, cleaned up the kitchen, got some more Christmas stuff up, worked out, and put away the laundry…all so I could go to bed and wake up for work this morning…isn’t it the life?

I do have wonderful things to look forward to this week, though…Friday I leave for CA and my annual Buddy Weekend. I can’t wait! Now, I just have to make sure I don’t get the flu bug that B had…

And the Chiefs send the Raiders home crying!

The game was awesome!! Our seats were awesome!! We had so much fun...we started out the day by dropping off M&R’s son at my SIL so she could watch him for the day. Then we stopped at the gas station to load up on snacks for the drive to KC. We saw several other groups who were on their way to the game – everyone was wearing red!

We decided to give our extra 2 tickets to my sis’s BIL and his oldest son, who live in KC. So, here we are wandering around a sea of red outside Arrowhead Stadium trying to find David and Caleb – who we have only met once about 2 ½ years ago. B called him while we were walking and told him to look for a guy on the phone wearing a red poncho and a red hard hat – yes, that’s what B was wearing. He painted a hard hat red and added Chiefs logos and the phrase “Raider Hater” to it. We found David and Caleb and gave them their tickets, and then we headed to our own seats.

Our seats were great – we were right on the 20 yard line, 4 rows up, right behind the Raiders bench. When the ball was right in front of us, it was awesome! But, I think overall, I would rather sit higher up…it was hard to see what was going on when the ball was at the opposite end of the field. And some of the fans where we sat were pretty foul. I mean, I’m a raider hater with the rest of them, but I don’t think it’s very cool to yell the “F” word at the players or flip them off as they come towards us. We didn’t see stuff like that at the club level!

It was so warm on Sunday! I didn’t need my coat or scarf or gloves or beanie hat…all I needed was a baseball hat and my sunglasses! I hadn’t brought a hat with a brim, so I ended up wearing the hard hat the whole game to shade my face.

The game was pretty slow for the first half, but the second half definitely kicked it up a bit…in fact, we only won the game in the last minute when we caught an interception that stopped the Raiders from scoring…and the crowd went wild!

After the game, we met up with B’s best buddy from high school and his wife and we all ate BBQ at our favorite place – Jack Stack. Of course, by this time we were exhausted and we still had to drive home, so after dinner we hit the road. We got home late – tired, a little hoarse, and ready to fall into bed!

Ok, I have some GREAT pictures from the game, but I can't get them attached...what's wrong with blogger??? How come sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't?? I'm going crazy here trying to figure out what's going on...until then, you'll have to imagine what I look like wearing a Fan Face mask and a hard hat!

CORRECTIONS to my list

Apparently I should always proof read before I post...and I usually do, but that stinkin' list was so long that I just posted it...all that to say, there are a couple of corrections I need to make:

43. My dad is a genius...I couldn't live with OUT him...he helps us so much.

I really hope no one thought I meant I couldn't live WITH him.

100. I DID NOT wreck my friend's car in high school...it was COLLEGE. I did not drive when I was a sophomore in high school, I was only 15!

20 yard line – 4th row!

That’s where I’ll be on Sunday. At Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, on the 20 yard line, in the 4th row! Tony Gonzalez will be LIFE SIZE!! I’m so excited!

Ok, let me catch you up… I’ve had tickets to the Chiefs v. Raiders game on Sunday since August. My former employees gave them to me, and B and I have been looking forward to the game for months! I love my gang for thinking of me and giving me such a great gift. Those tickets are in the upper section over the end zone…great seats…there are NO bad seats at Arrowhead…but…

This morning, the owner of the company where B works came to him and handed him 4 tickets to Sunday’s game and a parking permit (which is HUGE in itself). The tickets are in the 4th row on the 20 yard line – have I mentioned that yet????

This is so cool. Now we can take our friends M&R, and meet our friends from St. Louis who are also going to be there, AND we can take 2 more people!

I’m so excited I could scream! But I can’t scream because I’m sitting in the Detroit airport and people will freak out if I start screaming. I’m about to get on the plane and head home after a long and draining week…this is a GREAT end to it. B is in a GREAT mood now…he’ll pick me up at 5pm in KS, and a wonderful weekend will begin!

Oh yeah, and our quarterback, Trent Green, has been given medical clearance to play again – after a big nasty Bengels player knocked him out in Game 1…and they're saying that he will start on Sunday.

As soon as I get home, I’ve got to get out my red sweater and my red coat and my red hat and my red scarf and my red mittens. I’m ready!!

Go Chiefs!

Ok, I wrote this while I was sitting in the Detroit airport yesterday, but the stupid place doesn't have wireless, so I'm not posting it until right now...AND, in the meantime I've found out that Tony Gonzalez is injured and will not play tomorrow - it will be the first game he's missed in 7 years! C'mon Chiefs, don't let me down tomorrow!

100 Things That you Never Wanted to Know

Ok, DramaMama, here's my list...a prize to you if you read it all the way through...it will probably take me all night to complete...of course, you'll have to read it to find the similarities between you, me and Angel.

1. I was born in California, on an Air Force Base, in 1974.
2. I've never done one of these lists, and I have no idea where to start.
3. I'm an engineer, and I'm anal -- but that's where the stereotype for engineers ends with me.
4. I knew when I was 16 that I wanted to become an engineer -- my aunt encouraged me because she works with engineers, and she knew I loved math and science.
5. I'm not a dork (see #4), well, maybe a little, but I'm a lovable dork.
6. I was VERY shy in high school, until I got to know someone.
7. I'm COMPLETELY over being shy now -- college cured me.
8. I LOVE people -- love to meet new people, love to make fun of people I don't know, love to hang out with people.
9. I love Diet Dr. Pepper.
10. I love Diet Coke with cherry syrup in it.
11. I love iced tea with sweet-n-low...I treat myself w/ Sweet Tea from McAllister's sometimes. My glas has to be FILLED with ice before my tea is poured.
12. I love nonfat milk.
13. I can't stand regular soda anymore...too sweet!
14. I have no children...maybe someday soon?
15. I have 2 dogs (mini schnauzers) who are spoiled as though they were children.
16. Rerun and Lucy (the "kids") are 4 1/2 years old.
17. My hubby and I had Linus (also mini schnauzer) when we got married. He got hit by a car the night before Thanksgiving 5 years ago. He got out and we found him 10 minutes later...on the side of the road...we both were devastated.
18. I had a dog growing up (also mini schnauzer) named Schroeder. He lived to be 16 years old.
19. All my dogs have been named after Peanuts' characters...Rerun and Lucy are Linus' brother and sister in the comic strip, in case you didn't know.
20. I met my hubby at work...we were both working 2nd shift.
21. I thought he wasn't very nice when I first met him...I found out he's just quiet.
22. Hubby moved to Texas 3 days after he proposed.
23. We got married 3 months later, and I moved to TX with him.
24. He's my dream guy -- inside and out...tall, blond, blue eyes, tan, cute butt, strong arms...must stop now...he's not here.
25. We've been married 6 years last Saturday, Veteran's Day.
26. I love to travel.
27. My goal is to visit all 50 states in our country -- I've been to 40.
28. I've been to 6 other countries besides ours - Ireland, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Canada, and Mexico.
29. I went to Paris, France, and HATED it. The french are rude people.
30. Amsterdam is AWESOME - great food, great sights, and I didn't even go to the Red Light district.
31. I'm the oldest of 3 kids...one younger sis, one younger bro.
32. I've lived in 3 states - CA, TX (2 different times), and KS
33. I have 4 nieces, 2 nephews, and either a niece or nephew on the way, and I love them all so much!
34. I didn't care much about football until I met my hubby.
35. I'm a DIE HARD KC Chiefs fan now. I yell at the TV or at the field when we're at a game.
36. My first in-person NFL game was about 4 years ago...I've been to at least one KC game every year since.
37. I will watch my Chiefs play at Arrowhead on Sunday. Raiders are going down!
38. Hubby is patient and explains the rules of the game when I ask. I learn more and more every game I watch. And we watch every week!
39. My dad made me learn to drive a stick shift when I was starting to drive. I hated it then, but now I love to drive a stick.
40. I love cars. I've owned 3 hondas, a camaro, and now I have my Saab. Only one of them was an automatic...I'm back to a stick now. yay!
41. I'm nicer to people I don't love than to people I DO love...I'm working on that. I am a nice person, really I am.
42. I'm afraid for my parents to get old. I watched my dad deal with his parents when they got sick and died...I'm not ready for that.
43. My dad is a genius...I couldn't live without him...he helps us so much.
44. My mom is a great friend. I miss her very much since we left CA.
45. I have 10 girlfriends who have been my buddies for 15 years...my life wouldn't be the same without them.
46. I love email...real email...not spam...why does spam have to exist??
47. I became a scrapbooker about 3 years ago, and I've spent a ton of money on it since.
48. I've made scrapbooks for my oldest niece and nephew, from vacations w/ hubby, of our dogs, of my sis's wedding, of my post-college trip, of the building of our house...next on the list is our trip to Ireland last spring.
49. I love the beach and ocean...to look at...I don't like to just lie on the beach or to swim in the ocean.
50. I went to college 15 minutes from the Pacific Ocean. It was gorgeous!
51. I can't believe I'm only halfway done!
52. I love to read.
53. A couple years ago I started reading mostly novels by Christian authors...there's some good (and clean) stuff out there.
54. I'm a virgo...and it's pretty right on.
55. I'm only 5'2", and I love to wear high heels so I'm tall...er.
56. The boys in 6th grade called me Himalayas...because I was an early developer...I hated those boys.
57. I played the clarinet until my junior year in high school (I started in 4th grade).
58. I marched in the band in high school until we moved back to CA where it wasn't fun anymore.
59. I never once went to a school dance with a boy (see #6)
60. My first real boyfriend was a guy I met my first year in college...it didn't last long.
61. My hubby is the first guy I really loved.
62. My hubby was a US Marine before I met him, and I'm very proud of him for serving our country.
63. Hubby is 5 years and 2 days older than me.
64. I LOVE red...my car is red, my dining room is red...I wear red...I dye my hair red.
65. I color my hair...red and blond highlights...I've been coloring it since I got out of college.
66. I've worn glasses or contacts since I was 16 and realized I couldn't see the chalkboard in calculus. I got contacts after I graduated college and could afford it.
67. I drank way too much in college...I'm thankful to God that he let me survive it!
68. I only keep in touch with 2 friends from college...but about 20 from high school...mostly friends I met in church youth group.
69. I love old movies...like black and white movies and old musicals.
70. On Sunday mornings (before football starts and I'm getting ready for church) I watch whatever old movie is on TCM.
71. Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses...I also love Judy Garland.
72. I love mushrooms...grilled, sauteed, stuffed...but hubby hates them!
73. I collect shot glasses...I have them from everywhere I've visited and from a lot of places friends and family have visited.
74. I have NO idea how many shot glasses I have, but it fills up 3 big display cases.
75. I hate moving, and I never want to do it again. It's too much work!
76. I like my house to be clean, but I don't like to do it myself...I have other things I'd rather do.
77. I'll clean when I have to, but it sucks! I want a housekeeper!
78. I love ethnic food (anything but fish).
79. I love to try new restaurants - especially Greek, Indian, Thai, Mexican.
80. I lean FAR to the right, and I CAN NOT understand the view on the other side.
81. I have a low tolerance for ignorance and plain stupidity (this one goes with #80).
82. I don't understand why people who would make great parents have a hard time getting pregnant and terrible parents have a zillion kids.
83. I want twins, deparately! I pray for twins.
84. I love the new show Brothers and Sisters (I loved Ally McBeal also).
85. I also like the show 6 Degrees but I hear it's being cancelled...not cool.
86. I'm still addicted to Survivor and ER, although Survivor is getting very old.
87. I love to play board games...well, mostly card games...Canasta, Nertz, Cribbage, SkipBo...anything.
88. I've worked for 6 companies since I graduated from college 9 years ago.
89. I've only been promoted one time, but I worked really hard to earn it.
90. I can't picture myself staying home full time when I have kids...but I would love to work part time and stay home part time.
91. I usually stop for loose dogs and try to find their home.
92. I picked up a puppy I found on the street one time, and my friend adopted her (the vet thought she'd been hit by a car and that we rescued her).
93. I called animal control one time when I saw a mama duck trying to lead her ducklings across a busy street...no one would come out and help her.
94. I'm afraid of cancer...but I truly believe God won't give me more than I can handle...not sure I could handle cancer.
95. When I was younger, I wanted to be an attorney - mom thinks it's because I liked to argue.
96. I was a great student...I think it was because I was afraid to do something wrong. I was always trying to please people.
97. I graduated high school with a 4.2 GPA...one of 10 valedictorians in my class.
98. I broke my arm in 1st grade...jumping off of a bench.
99. I had to write with my left hand while my right arm was in a cast...it was terrible!
100. I flipped my best friend's (and roomie) car when we were sophomores in college...my car had broken down the day before...yes, we're still friends.

Whew...I can't believe I did it. I'm exhausted now! But there you have it...100 things about me.

helpless

I'm in Michigan. My honey is in Kansas. He's far away. And he's sick. I feel helpless.

I called B this afternoon to ask him to pick up my new contacts from the optometrist while I'm out of town this week. He sounded terrible when he answered the phone! I thought he had gotten over this post-flu-shot sickness thing. He sounded pretty good on the phone on Monday night, but today was BAD!

He said his head was killing him. He didn't really sound coherent, and he was at work...trying to work. He had no drugs (advil) on him, and I doubt he's eaten much today. I don't know if the headache is from being sick or from being stressed about work (work is enough to do it!).

I talked to him a couple hours later and he sounded just as bad. He said he was getting ready to go home, but he didn't feel well enough to drive. Then I was really worried! He promised to rest in his car until he could drive home...I haven't heard from him since, I hope he is at home now, sleeping w/ the puppies on the couch in the basement.

He would kill me if he knew I called our friends M&R and his dad and asked them to call and check on him. B hates going to the doctor, and he always says, "the body has an amazing ability to heal itself," so he doesn't always recognize when going to the doctor is the best choice.

I wasn't trying to bring other people into our business...I just needed some help. I feel so bad that I'm not there to help him! Why do things like this always happen when you're far away? He never gets sick! Well, very rarely, anyway.

The World According to ME

I know what’s wrong with Kansas…it’s the typical mode of thinking that “we’ve always done it this way, so it HAS to be the right way”. They don’t know what it’s like to have choices between more than one cable company, or more than one utility company, or more than one lane to drive in…they also don’t realize that they’re being raked over the coals by every Tom, Dick and Harry that signs you up for new service anywhere…that’s why they are blissfully happy with the way they do things here.

I, on the other hand, having lived in the land of milk and honey, or at least the land of CHOICES, can see IMMEDIATELY what they need to do differently.

Does it make sense to anyone why I should pay $12 each and every month to my gas company to cover THEIR overhead?? If I use $2 of gas for the month or $200 of gas for the month, I pay $12 for overhead…what?? Last month, my gas usage was $16, and I paid $12 (that’s 75% of my total!) for OVERHEAD. Hellooo….what the heck is going on here??

Or how about the fact that there is only one cable company in town (die Cox Communcations!) and so they think it is perfectly acceptable to charge me $50 for installation AND make me buy my own cable modem AND charge me to come see why my cable doesn’t work right??

And I bet you think that your taxes pay for a public education, right? I mean, the illegals can send their kids to public schools, even…but NO, my friend sent her son to public kindergarten here in KS, and she got a bill for $100! What??

Who taught these people how to drive? They have NO idea what to do at a 4-way stop…they just sit there, and then they inch forward, but the guy across from them also inched forward, so they stop and wait and wait and wait some more until someone finally crawls through the intersection. Are you kidding me! The first one to the intersection goes first…if you get there at the same time, the person to the right goes first…c’mon, I learned this when I was 15! And don’t get me started on the fact that if you’re in the fast lane and someone behind you wants around you, YOU MOVE OVER, no matter how fast the guy behind you is going.

Oh yeah, one more thing…supposedly I’ve moved back to the land where people have family values and lean to the right…but that DOES NOT explain why we RE-elected a liberal, baby-killing, tax-hiking woman as governor of Kansas.

What is this world coming to? I think I need to create my OWN state, the state of CALIFORNIASISTER. In CASIS (for short), we will drive properly, we will not elect idiots into office, we will not charge ridiculous fees for utilities, and we will make sure we have competent hair stylists…oh yeah, and drive through coffee shops on every corner…and Sam’s Clubs that aren’t the size of a Taco Bell…and decent Mexican food…and no ice storms…and weathermen who DON’T cross their fingers for rain (what is wrong with him??). I think that’s enough to get us started…who’s moving to CASIS?

Thai food and good weather to the rescue...

I'm feeling better...at least better than I was feeling earlier today.

It is November...in Kansas...and it's 80 degrees outside! I took full advantage of it...the top came off the Saab today! I cruised around town with the wind in my hair and the sun on my face. I found a small anniversary gift for my honey, and then I went to the Thai place I found a few weeks ago. I ordered the yummiest spicy Thai plate and a Thai Iced Tea, and I read aboutall the latest Jessica Simpson news while I drowned my sorrows in red chili sauce. It was great!



I'm back at work now, and I think I can make it through the afternoon now.

I feel "sick" today

"Sick" is in quotes because I'm sick of work and sick of B being sick and sick of being unmotivated...and that's enough...I almost stayed home from work today, but I felt guilty and got my butt out of bed anyway, so here I am at work.

Right now I'm on a conference call...with the phone on mute...and I have NO idea what they're talking about. I'm going back to Michigan next week for Part 2 of my training, so we're supposed to be talking about our "homework" on this call, but we haven't really done ours yet, so I'm just trying to get by...my turn is over now...whew!

B is SICK -- real sick! He had a flu shot last week, it's the first time he's EVER had a flu shot, and he's been sick ever since. The news said that it's just a myth that you get sick from the flu shot, but IT'S NOT A MYTH. B is VERY sick! He's been coughing and feverish and congested for 6 days -- ever since he had the shot. And he won't stay home from work and get better. I do not understand why he is being so PIG HEADED. Hello! If you're sick, stay home and get better - don't go to work and infect everyone else and drag out your sickness because you won't let your body fight it off! I WILL NOT be having a flu shot!

Oh, and to top it off, it's our 6th anniversary on Saturday, and I was hoping to be able to go out and celebrate before I leave town on Sunday, but we can't go out if B is still sick.

It's Hump Day...so there are still 2 more days for this week to redeem itself..c'mon!

Busy Day

Whew! What a day! Tomorrow is my Holiday Bazaar with my friend Monica. We now have 11 groups/companies represented for the event. My hubby with his cigars makes the 11th. I have NO idea how many people will show...I hope it's a lot though. Not too many so it's too crowded to shop, but a nice steady stream of chicks who want to spend money would be fine with me.

Anyway, Monica and I spent ALL day shopping for stuff for tomorrow. Well, we didn't spend all of our time shopping for tomorrow...that's why we were out for so long...we got distracted. We started off ok by going to Dollar Tree (the one in Wichita sucks! the one we had in CA was 4 times bigger), but then we headed over to SIL's new place. We piled into 2 cars (3 adults, 3 kids) and headed to lunch, then to the little shop where SIL works. She had called me a couple days ago to tell me about these really cute Christmas ornaments they had just gotten in -- they are Chick ornaments -- they have pictures of girls drinking coffee together, and girls at a cocktail party. The goal was to buy these ornaments ONLY, but Monica and walked out of there with a TON more stuff, luckily it was all either 50% or 75% off, so we didn't spend as much as we could have.

Next, we HAD to stop for ice cream...the day had turned into a beautiful fall afternoon - about 65 degrees! So, we lugged all three kids in for Cold Stone...by this time it was after 3pm, and we really hadn't done much to prepare for tomorrow. We said goodbye to SIL and her girls, and then we headed on to do the rest of our errands. Monica's poor son was SO done with us by the time we finished and got home at 5:30pm. He had spent ALL day with a bunch of "chicas" as his dad would say. We got all of our stuff unloaded, I dropped off Monica and her son, and now I'm sitting on the couch relaxing as I watch OU play A&M...crazy day!

Chain Letter

Remember those chain letters from when we were growing up - where you were supposed to send letters to some person you didn't know, and the whole point was to see how many letters you would get? Then as we got older, the chain letters turned into something where you were supposed to send items to people - dish towels or recipes or something like that.

Did you ever actually do one of these? I never did...I guess you can always use dish towels, but I like to pick out my own. And I don't cook much, so I don't need more recipes.

But, I got a chain letter last week that got me all excited. It was a BOOK chain letter! You are supposed to send a book that you recently read to one person, and then you send the letter to 6 other people, and if they follow through, then you should get 36 books!

I love to read! And since the weather will probably have me hiding out this winter, what could be better than hot coffee, a warm fire, and a great book?

I tried to pick carefully when I chose who to send the letter to. I have a lot of friends, but not all of them are readers like I am. I hope I picked well....and I hope they pick well so that I get a bunch of cool books!