Well, Alan decided he wanted his own space on my space, so he has fixed me up with my own space on my space!
http://myspace.com/writeforreal is now my space. With all of this space going on I should be just floating around. but here I am sittin' on my ass.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
New Site
Another week has passed and thank God it's over! Despite water lines freezing up and construction in progress it wasn't as rough a work week I had expected it to be.
My husband and I have a myspace account you can check it out at
http://myspace.com/drumsandbooks I've already posted a blog there. It's mostly Alan's site, but I will have stuff on there too. You'll have to give it some time to get things up and going but it'll be fun! Check it out!
*Aww man! N.Y. Giants and Green Bay 20 seconds to go in the fourth, a field goal attempt was made by N.Y. and its no good! OVERTIME!*
I have sent off a short story, "The Man in the Mist" to Colorado State University. It's English department has a contest with the top prize of $1,000.00. It'll be a long wait for notification, it's not until July. I have also set up a calender of sorts on my writing goals for 2008. So far, I have sent off this story and am close to finishing up my last course with Long Ridge. By the end of February, I plan to have chapters five through eight finished in long hand and have another short story picked out for another contest in "Byline" magazine. Those are the short term goals.
Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment and I am going to have her write out a prescription for Chantix. I had the prescription once and took it to the pharmacist. It would cost me $100.00 for a month's worth for three months. I threw it away. A week later, our company newsletter comes out with an article pertaining to a quit assist program. I called the number and the program would not go into effect until Jan. 1 but I went ahead and enrolled basic information. I wasn't sure about the Chantix being paid for but when I called them last week they told me our company's insurance will pay for the prescription if I have counseling to quit; I said, hell yeah! So when I go in tomorrow, she'll be mad because I gained five pounds (not good) and still smoke.
She'll be happy though when I come for the next visit and quit smoking, mad at me because I gained another ten pounds, (I better not!) She says that I need to walk at least thirty minutes a day. With alternating 36/48hr. work weeks (3 on 4 off/ 4 on 3 off), I figure I work twelve hour shifts, give and take ten minutes on either side of clock in time. I take off an hour's total time on average as sitting down, meaning most of the time it's sitting here or there for five minutes then getting up to go do whatever needs attention. Some days it varies, but not often. That leaves about eleven hours of work time. I am either walking, standing or climbing stairs. My guess is that at least five to six hours is spent walking. So I'm thinking I've met my quota on that.
*New York Giants against New England in the Super Bowl. New England 18-0! New founded respect for them!*
I hope I will be able to do this and maintain my sanity at work. It gets stressful, reach for a cigarette. Gotta watch this water drain, smoke a cigarette while standing there. Waiting for a sludge tank to empty, might as well smoke another one. Whew! Those stairs were a bitch! Better smoke one after I catch my breath. See what I mean? I have decided I will try sugarless gum, and candies. I hope I don't resort to chewing fingernails. I once tried sunflower seeds, I love the things but my tongue became raw from breaking them open. I may do that anyway. It keeps me busy so to speak. Instead of flicking the ashes, I'll be spittin' seeds into a cup or drain. Instead of pulling out a smoke, I'll be shaking seeds out of a baggie. Plus the counselors will know me by my first name and asking about the family when it's all said and done, laughing about the time I called them at 3 in the morning drunk, wanting a smoke! I may just do that to see what happens! Then I can write about it.
But this time I want to once and for all, finally quit smoking. I've tried at least a dozen times in the last twenty years. If I can get that much of a head start with assistance, I think it will be all right.
My husband and I have a myspace account you can check it out at
http://myspace.com/drumsandbooks I've already posted a blog there. It's mostly Alan's site, but I will have stuff on there too. You'll have to give it some time to get things up and going but it'll be fun! Check it out!
*Aww man! N.Y. Giants and Green Bay 20 seconds to go in the fourth, a field goal attempt was made by N.Y. and its no good! OVERTIME!*
I have sent off a short story, "The Man in the Mist" to Colorado State University. It's English department has a contest with the top prize of $1,000.00. It'll be a long wait for notification, it's not until July. I have also set up a calender of sorts on my writing goals for 2008. So far, I have sent off this story and am close to finishing up my last course with Long Ridge. By the end of February, I plan to have chapters five through eight finished in long hand and have another short story picked out for another contest in "Byline" magazine. Those are the short term goals.
Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment and I am going to have her write out a prescription for Chantix. I had the prescription once and took it to the pharmacist. It would cost me $100.00 for a month's worth for three months. I threw it away. A week later, our company newsletter comes out with an article pertaining to a quit assist program. I called the number and the program would not go into effect until Jan. 1 but I went ahead and enrolled basic information. I wasn't sure about the Chantix being paid for but when I called them last week they told me our company's insurance will pay for the prescription if I have counseling to quit; I said, hell yeah! So when I go in tomorrow, she'll be mad because I gained five pounds (not good) and still smoke.
She'll be happy though when I come for the next visit and quit smoking, mad at me because I gained another ten pounds, (I better not!) She says that I need to walk at least thirty minutes a day. With alternating 36/48hr. work weeks (3 on 4 off/ 4 on 3 off), I figure I work twelve hour shifts, give and take ten minutes on either side of clock in time. I take off an hour's total time on average as sitting down, meaning most of the time it's sitting here or there for five minutes then getting up to go do whatever needs attention. Some days it varies, but not often. That leaves about eleven hours of work time. I am either walking, standing or climbing stairs. My guess is that at least five to six hours is spent walking. So I'm thinking I've met my quota on that.
*New York Giants against New England in the Super Bowl. New England 18-0! New founded respect for them!*
I hope I will be able to do this and maintain my sanity at work. It gets stressful, reach for a cigarette. Gotta watch this water drain, smoke a cigarette while standing there. Waiting for a sludge tank to empty, might as well smoke another one. Whew! Those stairs were a bitch! Better smoke one after I catch my breath. See what I mean? I have decided I will try sugarless gum, and candies. I hope I don't resort to chewing fingernails. I once tried sunflower seeds, I love the things but my tongue became raw from breaking them open. I may do that anyway. It keeps me busy so to speak. Instead of flicking the ashes, I'll be spittin' seeds into a cup or drain. Instead of pulling out a smoke, I'll be shaking seeds out of a baggie. Plus the counselors will know me by my first name and asking about the family when it's all said and done, laughing about the time I called them at 3 in the morning drunk, wanting a smoke! I may just do that to see what happens! Then I can write about it.
But this time I want to once and for all, finally quit smoking. I've tried at least a dozen times in the last twenty years. If I can get that much of a head start with assistance, I think it will be all right.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Anniversary
The loss of a loved one for many can cling to one's soul for many years. Some can move onto other things and never give the loss another thought. Some, like me push the loss to the backs of their minds and continue on with their lives and then one day when you reflect back on the years it suddenly hits you.
My father was sort of a hero, an idol of sorts when I was growing up. I did not actually acknowledge this until I decided to become a writer. Even then, back in 1990, I did not cherish as I do now that I am in my late 40's.
Being the oldest of five kids, I suppose I should have set examples and I did. I got more whippings and yelled at than the other kids did until my dad figured he was wasting his breath yelling at me. I have to admit, I deserved most of the spankings I got. I did stupid things and therefore I got spanked (those incidences are stories in themselves).
I honestly do not see how my folks stayed sane with five kids. I see people with one or even two kids, and it simply amazes me my parents weren't sitting in a corner smacking their head against the wall!
My father was a dreamer. He loved the wide open spaces and the Rocky Mountain Range. Nearly every summer west is the way we went on vacations, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Texas and New Mexico. He loved Louis L'Amour and I guess he wanted to go where he had been.
We lived in Memphis most of my childhood in a nice urban area, split level home, nice yard and I'm positive in debt up to their eyeballs. Back in the 60's everyone wanted to be Catholic, and made it a point to keep up with the Joneses, in this case, the Kennedys, J.F.K., that is. I think that after the Martin Luther King riots and civil rights movement, my dad decided he was tired of the rat race. I'm not real sure when he decided to become a writer though. I remember he went to college on the G.I. bill and received his Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and Law Enforcement, and was writing then. He had a den of sorts, I used to marvel at the shelves of books he had (I have many of those books) and would love to have the setup he had. It was definitely off limits to us kids, especially me, I had a tendency to write in and on things and have no recollection as to how many spankings I got because of that. In my defense, I think they should have tried to encourage this and gave me paper.
the vacations to the west I guess must have become mundane, because we went to Canada when I was 11 for the first time. That story will have to be told at another time. All I can say right now is it was an awesome adventure! I promise to write about that another time. The following year my grandparents sold their home in Memphis and moved to Missouri, near Branson on 40 acres of wooded land which eventually became pasture land they rented. Also that same year, we became members of a place, near where my grandparents lived called "The Wilderness Club". Ironically, that's where most of the Memphis Police and their families spent the weekend hanging out at the lodge and swimming area. It also had trails and dirt roads which we trampled on quite a bit for the next two years until we moved to Alaska. That is another story which is going to be told and I hope to have input from family members, my brothers were too young, but my mom and my sister, Cheryl can help fill in things.
The reason for the move to Alaska? My dad the dreamer. By this time, he had a couple of short stories published in campus papers and "gentle men's" magazines and wanted to become a full fledged novelist living in the wilds of Alaska in a log cabin, snowed in during the winters and I don't know if the thought ever occurred to him then or later on it was probably a good thing that it didn't happen. Five kids, couped up in a log cabin, snowed in???? Yeah, you get the picture.
He and another fellow officer decided they had had enough and both families back their belongings, had yard sales, bade farewell to relatives and off we went.
Unfortunately, for them, had they investigated further, they would have discovered we needed to have Eskimo or Alaskan Indian blood in order to establish a homestead. Pretty sad too, since both my dad and his friend staked out land in which they wanted.
It didn't stop dad from achieving what he wanted to do, but it forced him to find employment in the only thing he knew, law enforcement and after living in a motel for a month, we moved to Nome where eventually he became the Chief of Police.
After a series of moves to Washington and Oregon, he finally moved back to Missouri with everyone but me where I stayed and had a decent job and going into my second year in college where I wanted to work in the Forestry department. Of course, that did not work out.
He continued through the years to write, submitting stories and working on novels, a publication here and there. Sometimes the only desk he had was a kitchen table and an electric typewriter.
Then my world fell apart and I moved home to my parents who, by now lived in a two bedroom trailer on my grandparent's 40 acres. Lucky for three of my siblings, my great aunt had passed away and her living quarters were where they slept, then I came along and with a huge bookshelf used as a wall to block out my sisters I had a tiny sleeping area.
In August 1983, I had moved out and was living in an apartment, partying and having a good ol' time when I found out my dad was diagnosed with cancer. By January 1984,it was nearly nine months from the time of diagnosis to his death.
It was twelve years and one day when my grandmother, dad's mom, passed away from Pneumonia.
This year for some reason, I missed my father terribly, I guessed I wanted him to rejoice with me when I got my first short story published and wished that he could of had all the wonderful tools the Internet has brought to the world. Did he accomplish his dream, was it fulfilled? I think if he would have had the opportunity to live longer he would have eventually become a published novelist. He died a happy man, he found part of what he had searched for most of his life and that was peace within by accepting Jesus as his Saviour. It was a transformation I would have never thought to happen to him. He was a hard-nosed cop, calloused, and cussed alot (expect for the f-word). Finding God turned him into a happy man and I know he was at peace with himself and with God. It is my understanding that when he did pass away, the oldest of my brothers, Mike and a family friend were in the room and witnessed a glow fill the room when he died. Dad told his mother the day before he passed that the other side did not look so bad.
A few years back, when my second ex-husband was running the roads doing God knows what, (I knew) I ran across some of his files of stories and the works of one of his novels. After reading several books in a row it hit me that I wanted to write. Call it what you want, but I could have swore that my dad's spirit started nudging me. Apparently, I either ignored the nudge or sent it reeling down the hillside because I pretty much stopped until recently. Again, I started going through his files, feeling the nudge again, only this time, it was subtle. As if to say, it's my choice, but I perhaps had better decide if I will pursue writing or not, get a thick skin because the publishing world is not a pretty place and you have to keep picking yourself up.
I have decided that I will get thick skinned and keep trying. I cannot see myself in another ten years doing the same job I am doing now, although I like it, it sometimes does not like me!
I'm glad I have this blog though. If I have the notion to write, I can come here. I could have kept a journal, but writing long hand is a difficult task, yet I prefer to write my first drafts in long hand. I think that will come to pass too as my hands and fingers are becoming knotted and very sore as the years go by. Good thing I can type!
My father was sort of a hero, an idol of sorts when I was growing up. I did not actually acknowledge this until I decided to become a writer. Even then, back in 1990, I did not cherish as I do now that I am in my late 40's.
Being the oldest of five kids, I suppose I should have set examples and I did. I got more whippings and yelled at than the other kids did until my dad figured he was wasting his breath yelling at me. I have to admit, I deserved most of the spankings I got. I did stupid things and therefore I got spanked (those incidences are stories in themselves).
I honestly do not see how my folks stayed sane with five kids. I see people with one or even two kids, and it simply amazes me my parents weren't sitting in a corner smacking their head against the wall!
My father was a dreamer. He loved the wide open spaces and the Rocky Mountain Range. Nearly every summer west is the way we went on vacations, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Texas and New Mexico. He loved Louis L'Amour and I guess he wanted to go where he had been.
We lived in Memphis most of my childhood in a nice urban area, split level home, nice yard and I'm positive in debt up to their eyeballs. Back in the 60's everyone wanted to be Catholic, and made it a point to keep up with the Joneses, in this case, the Kennedys, J.F.K., that is. I think that after the Martin Luther King riots and civil rights movement, my dad decided he was tired of the rat race. I'm not real sure when he decided to become a writer though. I remember he went to college on the G.I. bill and received his Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and Law Enforcement, and was writing then. He had a den of sorts, I used to marvel at the shelves of books he had (I have many of those books) and would love to have the setup he had. It was definitely off limits to us kids, especially me, I had a tendency to write in and on things and have no recollection as to how many spankings I got because of that. In my defense, I think they should have tried to encourage this and gave me paper.
the vacations to the west I guess must have become mundane, because we went to Canada when I was 11 for the first time. That story will have to be told at another time. All I can say right now is it was an awesome adventure! I promise to write about that another time. The following year my grandparents sold their home in Memphis and moved to Missouri, near Branson on 40 acres of wooded land which eventually became pasture land they rented. Also that same year, we became members of a place, near where my grandparents lived called "The Wilderness Club". Ironically, that's where most of the Memphis Police and their families spent the weekend hanging out at the lodge and swimming area. It also had trails and dirt roads which we trampled on quite a bit for the next two years until we moved to Alaska. That is another story which is going to be told and I hope to have input from family members, my brothers were too young, but my mom and my sister, Cheryl can help fill in things.
The reason for the move to Alaska? My dad the dreamer. By this time, he had a couple of short stories published in campus papers and "gentle men's" magazines and wanted to become a full fledged novelist living in the wilds of Alaska in a log cabin, snowed in during the winters and I don't know if the thought ever occurred to him then or later on it was probably a good thing that it didn't happen. Five kids, couped up in a log cabin, snowed in???? Yeah, you get the picture.
He and another fellow officer decided they had had enough and both families back their belongings, had yard sales, bade farewell to relatives and off we went.
Unfortunately, for them, had they investigated further, they would have discovered we needed to have Eskimo or Alaskan Indian blood in order to establish a homestead. Pretty sad too, since both my dad and his friend staked out land in which they wanted.
It didn't stop dad from achieving what he wanted to do, but it forced him to find employment in the only thing he knew, law enforcement and after living in a motel for a month, we moved to Nome where eventually he became the Chief of Police.
After a series of moves to Washington and Oregon, he finally moved back to Missouri with everyone but me where I stayed and had a decent job and going into my second year in college where I wanted to work in the Forestry department. Of course, that did not work out.
He continued through the years to write, submitting stories and working on novels, a publication here and there. Sometimes the only desk he had was a kitchen table and an electric typewriter.
Then my world fell apart and I moved home to my parents who, by now lived in a two bedroom trailer on my grandparent's 40 acres. Lucky for three of my siblings, my great aunt had passed away and her living quarters were where they slept, then I came along and with a huge bookshelf used as a wall to block out my sisters I had a tiny sleeping area.
In August 1983, I had moved out and was living in an apartment, partying and having a good ol' time when I found out my dad was diagnosed with cancer. By January 1984,it was nearly nine months from the time of diagnosis to his death.
It was twelve years and one day when my grandmother, dad's mom, passed away from Pneumonia.
This year for some reason, I missed my father terribly, I guessed I wanted him to rejoice with me when I got my first short story published and wished that he could of had all the wonderful tools the Internet has brought to the world. Did he accomplish his dream, was it fulfilled? I think if he would have had the opportunity to live longer he would have eventually become a published novelist. He died a happy man, he found part of what he had searched for most of his life and that was peace within by accepting Jesus as his Saviour. It was a transformation I would have never thought to happen to him. He was a hard-nosed cop, calloused, and cussed alot (expect for the f-word). Finding God turned him into a happy man and I know he was at peace with himself and with God. It is my understanding that when he did pass away, the oldest of my brothers, Mike and a family friend were in the room and witnessed a glow fill the room when he died. Dad told his mother the day before he passed that the other side did not look so bad.
A few years back, when my second ex-husband was running the roads doing God knows what, (I knew) I ran across some of his files of stories and the works of one of his novels. After reading several books in a row it hit me that I wanted to write. Call it what you want, but I could have swore that my dad's spirit started nudging me. Apparently, I either ignored the nudge or sent it reeling down the hillside because I pretty much stopped until recently. Again, I started going through his files, feeling the nudge again, only this time, it was subtle. As if to say, it's my choice, but I perhaps had better decide if I will pursue writing or not, get a thick skin because the publishing world is not a pretty place and you have to keep picking yourself up.
I have decided that I will get thick skinned and keep trying. I cannot see myself in another ten years doing the same job I am doing now, although I like it, it sometimes does not like me!
I'm glad I have this blog though. If I have the notion to write, I can come here. I could have kept a journal, but writing long hand is a difficult task, yet I prefer to write my first drafts in long hand. I think that will come to pass too as my hands and fingers are becoming knotted and very sore as the years go by. Good thing I can type!
Sunday, January 6, 2008
My sister's blog
Hello to all!
Almost a week into the New Year and it just keeps rolling on and on.....
My sister, after I convinced her she could do this has her own blog. I have competition! She will tell tales of our youth, and things that gets her blood boiling. Let me say that anything she says about me is not true! LOL:) She doesn't know it, but I think she could do well writing her own column in a newspaper, but her blog will do just as well. Of course there is no pay for her opinions, but insights to life and things she sees through her eyes are picked apart and put back together again.
As for work..... (boss is cringing)
We are staffed with only one extra person to cover when someone is not there. Our shifts run in twelve hour increments, and thankfully the weeks alternate as four days on, four days off. As of now, we have a position open which leaves only four of us to cover the shifts. There is one person who will tell you outright he is not a team player and gripes about his job and the company and the boss, he basically gripes about everything.
He doesn't like the boss because he thinks that when decisions are made, the boss is the one who has made them all. When weekend assignments are handed out, this person gripes because our boss at one time was an operator and in this person's opinion never did anything but sit in a chair shooting the breeze all day long.
There have been changes made in merit raises and licence requirements, this person grandfathered into a licence and now has to go take a test to get up to date, he blames this on our boss, not the guy's fault, but try telling that to him.
Now he is creating strife with me, at one time I respected this person. He's an excellent operator and knows the ins and outs of water treatment, but in his opinion, why would someone want to go to college and learn how to stick their head in a manhole? This person does not have an open mind and is stubborn as six mules going uphill, and he's finally pissed me off.
He does not care about his co-workers, they could sink or swim as far as he is concerned. He refuses to learn the technological aspects of our job and so when an issue arises, say the computer quits on the treatment systems and sludge spills everywhere, he walks off instead of correcting the situation.
Yeah I'm mad. I cherish my time off just like the rest of my co-workers. I take great pains to ensure the fact that should I need time off, I schedule it far enough in advance so others are aware of it. When situations arise where my boss and our maintenance guy have to get up at three in the morning to come in and fix things, I know they cherish their time off and their sleep! Yet,they are there to help in anyway possible. My poor boss has gone from brown hair to brown and gray hair in less than a year. The maintenance man is also an operator and between him and me, we fill in the days and nights if someone wants off. The other night shift operator is great, he helps fill in those gaps and comes in on his days off to do cleaning on our treatment units so this certain person does not have to drive in on his day off, because he has made it known he will not come in.
I have decided this person has lost alot of respect from me because of his crappy attitude. My boss can only do so much and personally I think he has bent over backwards to keep this person happy and it hasn't worked.
Said person went to our human resources manager instead of our boss and complained he had a week of vacation and wanted to take it. We are short handed anyway, he says it's not his fault the other operator quit, it's the boss'. He claims he is entitled to use his vacation, I agree, but....he could have done so earlier. Hell, there are 52 weeks in a year! There are including this person, four of us who have four weeks vacation.
Do the math! It just really pisses me off! What a sorry deal! He does not think of no one but his own selfish reasons, but perhaps I'm not seeing the whole picture. Perhaps I'm being selfish because my feet hurt and need the time for them to stop hurting. Twelve hours of walking and standing makes my feet hurt, don't know about anyone else. Yeah I gripe and bitch but I'm there to help out and would not ever place my co-workers in this situation. If we had two or three extra people, I damn sure wouldn't be writing about this person's lack of heart.
I think I need the Valium now! Maybe my feet wouldn't hurt and maybe I wouldn't give a flying ***k! I kind of wish this person would just quit, I could move up to the front of the work week, (providing the maintenance guy did not want the position) for me, that's the primo spot in this department.
I guess I've spouted off enough about this for now. Yeah, I'm still pissed. The five day week, (two day shifts and three night shifts) will make for an excellent pay check, but sometimes money isn't everything!
It messes with my body which has decided that it is time to go into menopause, so the griping, crying and whining will probably won't go away for sometime. (Sorry boss :() ) I try to have a positive outlook, for the most part I do. I like my job and my co-workers (execpt the one I'm complaining about) I couldn't ask for better people to work with. I just wish my feet, back and soulders agreed. Hell, if I did not ache so much I would still have a problem with it.
It's the principle of the issue.
Almost a week into the New Year and it just keeps rolling on and on.....
My sister, after I convinced her she could do this has her own blog. I have competition! She will tell tales of our youth, and things that gets her blood boiling. Let me say that anything she says about me is not true! LOL:) She doesn't know it, but I think she could do well writing her own column in a newspaper, but her blog will do just as well. Of course there is no pay for her opinions, but insights to life and things she sees through her eyes are picked apart and put back together again.
If you want to visit her blog go to http://itsallinthetimong.blogspot.com/
As for work..... (boss is cringing)
We are staffed with only one extra person to cover when someone is not there. Our shifts run in twelve hour increments, and thankfully the weeks alternate as four days on, four days off. As of now, we have a position open which leaves only four of us to cover the shifts. There is one person who will tell you outright he is not a team player and gripes about his job and the company and the boss, he basically gripes about everything.
He doesn't like the boss because he thinks that when decisions are made, the boss is the one who has made them all. When weekend assignments are handed out, this person gripes because our boss at one time was an operator and in this person's opinion never did anything but sit in a chair shooting the breeze all day long.
There have been changes made in merit raises and licence requirements, this person grandfathered into a licence and now has to go take a test to get up to date, he blames this on our boss, not the guy's fault, but try telling that to him.
Now he is creating strife with me, at one time I respected this person. He's an excellent operator and knows the ins and outs of water treatment, but in his opinion, why would someone want to go to college and learn how to stick their head in a manhole? This person does not have an open mind and is stubborn as six mules going uphill, and he's finally pissed me off.
He does not care about his co-workers, they could sink or swim as far as he is concerned. He refuses to learn the technological aspects of our job and so when an issue arises, say the computer quits on the treatment systems and sludge spills everywhere, he walks off instead of correcting the situation.
Yeah I'm mad. I cherish my time off just like the rest of my co-workers. I take great pains to ensure the fact that should I need time off, I schedule it far enough in advance so others are aware of it. When situations arise where my boss and our maintenance guy have to get up at three in the morning to come in and fix things, I know they cherish their time off and their sleep! Yet,they are there to help in anyway possible. My poor boss has gone from brown hair to brown and gray hair in less than a year. The maintenance man is also an operator and between him and me, we fill in the days and nights if someone wants off. The other night shift operator is great, he helps fill in those gaps and comes in on his days off to do cleaning on our treatment units so this certain person does not have to drive in on his day off, because he has made it known he will not come in.
I have decided this person has lost alot of respect from me because of his crappy attitude. My boss can only do so much and personally I think he has bent over backwards to keep this person happy and it hasn't worked.
Said person went to our human resources manager instead of our boss and complained he had a week of vacation and wanted to take it. We are short handed anyway, he says it's not his fault the other operator quit, it's the boss'. He claims he is entitled to use his vacation, I agree, but....he could have done so earlier. Hell, there are 52 weeks in a year! There are including this person, four of us who have four weeks vacation.
Do the math! It just really pisses me off! What a sorry deal! He does not think of no one but his own selfish reasons, but perhaps I'm not seeing the whole picture. Perhaps I'm being selfish because my feet hurt and need the time for them to stop hurting. Twelve hours of walking and standing makes my feet hurt, don't know about anyone else. Yeah I gripe and bitch but I'm there to help out and would not ever place my co-workers in this situation. If we had two or three extra people, I damn sure wouldn't be writing about this person's lack of heart.
I think I need the Valium now! Maybe my feet wouldn't hurt and maybe I wouldn't give a flying ***k! I kind of wish this person would just quit, I could move up to the front of the work week, (providing the maintenance guy did not want the position) for me, that's the primo spot in this department.
I guess I've spouted off enough about this for now. Yeah, I'm still pissed. The five day week, (two day shifts and three night shifts) will make for an excellent pay check, but sometimes money isn't everything!
It messes with my body which has decided that it is time to go into menopause, so the griping, crying and whining will probably won't go away for sometime. (Sorry boss :() ) I try to have a positive outlook, for the most part I do. I like my job and my co-workers (execpt the one I'm complaining about) I couldn't ask for better people to work with. I just wish my feet, back and soulders agreed. Hell, if I did not ache so much I would still have a problem with it.
It's the principle of the issue.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Happy New Year!
Hello to all and Happy New Year!
The Holidays are over for another year and now it's time to get back to the business of getting my book published! I do however want to share a bit of news, I did get a short story published. It will be in the upcoming issue of "Just Write" magazine. It's not a paying gig but it's a start! I want to net a paying gig, sure, but if I get a couple of publications on my resume' it won't matter how I got them. You can check out the magazine on http://www.uandijustwrite.com/
On to other news.
Alan and I spent the early evening hours of New Year's Eve driving to Russellvile, Arkansas. Our first stop, Alpena, eight miles from where we live to fuel up the truck. For $30.00, we got almost three-quarters of a tank. Pitiful, just pitiful, good thing our little Ford Ranger gets decent gas mileage!
It's been over ten years since the last time I visited Russellville. My good friend, Pam and her two daughters lived there while Pam attended Arkansas Tech. From what I remember of it, Russellville is a pretty nice place. Lake Dardenell, Illinois Bayou, and the Arkansas River are close by, and I-40 helps bring in the people.
Anyway, it's a nice evening for the ride, tunes on the radio and no snow, ice or rain! We are going to Russellville because my husband, Alan is checking out a band looking for a drummer.
Alan is a musician by the way, (in case you haven't guessed) he's been pounding the skins over thirty years now. "Quinntalkin" is the band's name and the club is called the "North Forty", situated right off the Interstate and a Motel 6 right across the street, very nice and convenient!
Now we are on hwy. 7, a very scenic route winding through the Boston Mountains, Ozark National Forest, and the Buffalo River one of the most popular rivers to float. The sun blinds us from time to time, and we sort of made it a game to see who could slap down their sun visor before the sun, which is right at the level it shines in the eyes and sun visors can't block it out. From Harrison to Jasper is extremely curvy, and full of long winding, sharp cornered, inclining hills. But it is so beautiful, breathtaking vistas which one can see for miles. As a matter of fact, there is what we call the "Grand Canyon of Arkansas" just south of Jasper. It was so cool how the setting sun covered the tops of the mountains and the cold shadows of the winter's oncoming darkness enveloped the "canyon". If I hadn't packed the camera into the suitcase, I could have snapped a couple of shots. Oh well, maybe tomorrow on the way home-
(half hour later)-
Man, what a curvy assed road! It's all I can do to keep writing! I have this lap version of a desk,just a bit bigger than a legal pad and a pillow base. A very handy gadget and it's much better than a clipboard because the pillow is helping to keep me warm! It became dark enough that even my little book reading light wasn't helpful and decided to watch for deer jumping out onto the highway. I've seen some crazy pictures of deer and vehicle collisions on emails sent to me, and know people who have hit deer. They can sure jack your car up. We were down to a crawl stuck behind an eighteen-wheeler loaded down with poultry products from Tyson. My guess is he's headed to one of the distribution centers in Russellville. He's doing pretty good navigating the highway, I figure he's done this a time or two. Ahh! Going down hill, wheee!
After a stop in Dover to get out and stretch our legs, we headed onto our destination. At the Motel 6 we checked in and then decided to go check out the club. The first snag of the night is when we went inside, there was another band scheduled to play by alternating the sets between them and Quinntalkin. Problem was "Off The Wagon" had to set up around QT, with OTWs drummer without a place to set up. All was resolved when lead singer Jeff Quinn came in and together both bands worked out the issue. In the meantime, we finished our beer and walked a few feet to "CJs" a burger place, fresh made burgers with whatever you desire on it, home fries and a drink.
I will have to finish my story another time, I just found out I have to work in the morning and at the latest I can get up is 5:00am in order to be there on time (6:45). A co-worker's father in law is very sick and is not expected to make it through the night.
(It's 4:30 in the morning on the following day)
So, far, Steve's father-in-law is holding on, but he's not doing too well. Day at work wasn't a nightmare like I expected it to be- on to my story!
First person who stood out was Todd Clark, the bass player, short spiky hair, and squinty eyes, with a perpetual smile. "Dude!" he shouted to Alan. I think he may have been in Bill and Ted's great adventure. Next to stand out was the lead guitar player, Marty (sorry can't remember the last name!) big ol' boy and lots of hair! Then Jeff, also a good sized character and all about the business. I liked the chin beard (what is that called?) goatee thing. After Alan had another beer, we went to the room and got ready for the party.
We came back around ten or so and the crowd was into an electric slide, lights dancing, twirling and blazing above and around us. We missed OTW's first set but we would be able to check them out later in the third set.
Odd, never have been to a gig where the bands alternated sets, each one 40 minutes long, then the DJ for twenty. That meant each band had an hour break between sets, I don't know if that's a good thing or not so good thing. Nice break for the guys, but how many beers (or whatever) during that time?
The coolest thing about North Forty in addition to it's spaciousness and six pool tables was a huge wagon wheel which hangs over the dance floor, note the picture. (The ladies in the picture, sorry, but I kept it because of the silhouettes against the lights on the wheel.) The dance floor is wood and surrounding it is a rail where patrons may lean against it and watch the dancers. There are two bars plus a beer wagon to assist folks in becoming pleasantly numb and beyond. There were folks dressed up for the New Year, a promise of a nice purse for the winner of the costume contest scheduled for later that evening. I tell you what, seeing all of those college kids running around made me feel rather mature. Although, I did not have four or five buddies running with me to the bathroom, laughing and giggling. It made me realize that women in their twenties still acted like school girls. Ah, youth!
AN HOUR FROM MIDNIGHT
Quinntalkin is on the stage, way cool, they have a country thang going, nice and slow to start, good sound. By the way, Todd and Jeff's wives also are active with Quinntalkin running sound and the lights, very nice ladies. What I thought was also cool was Jeff broke a string and they took it off stage and replaced the string, go girls!
Support our troops! We just met a kid back from duty in Iraq, Chris Hayes who came home in October. What a great thing to see him smile when we all clapped for him! Way cool! He did confess he did not get to see much action, I say lucky for him! Wish him all the best!
Off the Wagon now playing, their style a little more contemporary. The drummer toured with Black Oak Arkansas, I think he said for about nine years. Both bands are really good!
I may be a bit biased, but I think Alan could be an asset to either band! Sorry again, but what can I say?
Last weekend (Christmas) he went to Rogers, "Tony C's" a club, (near Springdale/Fayetteville) and got to sit in with QT, and the reason we drove to Russellville was so Mark could check Alan out since he was not at that gig.
Another first for us! We just found out this place is open until 4:00 am! I am with the understanding that it used to stay open until daylight. I am also with the understanding that however, after 1:00 am no one else was allowed inside. (Thought I might mention this, don't need anyone getting into trouble.)
It's nearing midnight and the North Forty is starting to gear up to the big moment, more people dancing, laughing and yelling. It's funny how a few drinks can turn an ordinary, quiet girl into a yahooing, cartwheeling, invincible thing until she throws up on the dance floor. (At this point it hasn't happened yet, but I'd place money that it will)
I think we are less than a half hour from midnight. As I continued to marvel at its size, I think half the town of Green Forest could fit in here and not see the same person twice!
Okay, perhaps I jumped the gun. There's been a gal who keeps circling the outer edge of the dance floor, I've seen her several times (must be looking for somebody) so I guess it's not that big.
NINE MINUTES TIL MIDNIGHT!
Horns blowing and those little noise makers you twirl around are becoming commonplace. Champagne is being pored. Oooh cool! A champagne fountain and food at another bar near the back where we are sitting.
IT'S 2008! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
First gripe in 2008- My feet are killing me! First pair of heeled shoes in a long time and standing is not an option. If I had only worn flat heeled shoes! I look good though! (LOL)
I still suck at dancing! I'm about as stiff as PVC pipe, made my feet feel real good :( !
Finally after five beers and untold amounts of champagne from the cool fountain, I am beginning to feel "cozy", hey, my feet don't hurt anymore and I'm a dancing fool! (It must have took awhile for the burger and fries to get completely saturated with alcohol.)
Both bands are playing at the same time- Oooh a fight! Security to the rescue! Good God, those bouncers don't mess around! (According to my source, he informed me he's seen the front door a time or two and open it with his head, ouch.) I'm not sure what happened, my guess: A misunderstanding escalating into an ass-kicking because someone looked at someones woman.
Anyway-
Both bands played at the same time. You see two lead singers doing it, two lead guitarist doing it, rare for two drummers, and rarer still, two bass players jamming together. I must admit I was impressed at how smooth that went! Not many bands can go that on the spur of the moment! The bass player brought out his stand up and jammed on it (Check out the Pic), sort of looked like Ozzy Osbourn!
LATER IN THE NIGHT/MORNING
I'm not sure at this point what time it was, past two at least. Alan finally gets to get up and play! (Only two songs though, I'll uh, keep my thoughts to myself on that.) He decided he wanted to jam on OTW's drum set. Although it was not miked that well, he jammed pretty good. I tried to tell him he needed to beat on 'em harder, but of course, they weren't his drums, no sense in putting a hole in the guy's drum heads!
Thanks to a nice gal, Trisha for buying beer and a shot of Tequila for Alan. He thought she was a waitress! She was merely being nice and is a big fan of Quinntalkin.
Hell, last call already! Man this night just flew by! Alan and I couldn't believe time flew by so fast! We bade our farewells and hit the sack.
9:30 THAT MORNING- FOUR HOURS LATER
Ugh! What the hell is Alan doing up? Oh my god, my feet! Ouch my head! I go to the bathroom, of course there is always a huge mirror in these motels somewhere in the room, this one happened to be in the bathroom. Oooh turn off the light, what was that staring at me! Alan left to get coffee and took the camera with him so I slept a few minutes more. With a couple of cups of coffee, I managed to climb out of the bed and grab a shower, that helped immensely! Before we left Russellville, we stopped at Dixie Cafe and ate, breakfast had come and gone but we stuffed ourselves on rolls, salad and fried mushrooms and cheese stix. I know there is a Dixie Cafe in Harrison, we may have to check and see if their food taste just as good. A bit pricey, but we could have done without the appetizers, not!
We stopped at the Arkansas Grand Canyon to stretch our legs and get some fresh air. What a spectacular view! We didn't hang around too long though, there was a stiff, cold wind knocking us around and plus the food was beginning to make us drowsy. We actually made good time coming home, and was I glad to get there! I missed my cats and dogs, my bed. Didn't even bother to unpack, just went to bed......ahhh! No place like home!
The Holidays are over for another year and now it's time to get back to the business of getting my book published! I do however want to share a bit of news, I did get a short story published. It will be in the upcoming issue of "Just Write" magazine. It's not a paying gig but it's a start! I want to net a paying gig, sure, but if I get a couple of publications on my resume' it won't matter how I got them. You can check out the magazine on http://www.uandijustwrite.com/
On to other news.
Alan and I spent the early evening hours of New Year's Eve driving to Russellvile, Arkansas. Our first stop, Alpena, eight miles from where we live to fuel up the truck. For $30.00, we got almost three-quarters of a tank. Pitiful, just pitiful, good thing our little Ford Ranger gets decent gas mileage!
It's been over ten years since the last time I visited Russellville. My good friend, Pam and her two daughters lived there while Pam attended Arkansas Tech. From what I remember of it, Russellville is a pretty nice place. Lake Dardenell, Illinois Bayou, and the Arkansas River are close by, and I-40 helps bring in the people.
Anyway, it's a nice evening for the ride, tunes on the radio and no snow, ice or rain! We are going to Russellville because my husband, Alan is checking out a band looking for a drummer.
Alan is a musician by the way, (in case you haven't guessed) he's been pounding the skins over thirty years now. "Quinntalkin" is the band's name and the club is called the "North Forty", situated right off the Interstate and a Motel 6 right across the street, very nice and convenient!
Now we are on hwy. 7, a very scenic route winding through the Boston Mountains, Ozark National Forest, and the Buffalo River one of the most popular rivers to float. The sun blinds us from time to time, and we sort of made it a game to see who could slap down their sun visor before the sun, which is right at the level it shines in the eyes and sun visors can't block it out. From Harrison to Jasper is extremely curvy, and full of long winding, sharp cornered, inclining hills. But it is so beautiful, breathtaking vistas which one can see for miles. As a matter of fact, there is what we call the "Grand Canyon of Arkansas" just south of Jasper. It was so cool how the setting sun covered the tops of the mountains and the cold shadows of the winter's oncoming darkness enveloped the "canyon". If I hadn't packed the camera into the suitcase, I could have snapped a couple of shots. Oh well, maybe tomorrow on the way home-
(half hour later)-
Man, what a curvy assed road! It's all I can do to keep writing! I have this lap version of a desk,just a bit bigger than a legal pad and a pillow base. A very handy gadget and it's much better than a clipboard because the pillow is helping to keep me warm! It became dark enough that even my little book reading light wasn't helpful and decided to watch for deer jumping out onto the highway. I've seen some crazy pictures of deer and vehicle collisions on emails sent to me, and know people who have hit deer. They can sure jack your car up. We were down to a crawl stuck behind an eighteen-wheeler loaded down with poultry products from Tyson. My guess is he's headed to one of the distribution centers in Russellville. He's doing pretty good navigating the highway, I figure he's done this a time or two. Ahh! Going down hill, wheee!
After a stop in Dover to get out and stretch our legs, we headed onto our destination. At the Motel 6 we checked in and then decided to go check out the club. The first snag of the night is when we went inside, there was another band scheduled to play by alternating the sets between them and Quinntalkin. Problem was "Off The Wagon" had to set up around QT, with OTWs drummer without a place to set up. All was resolved when lead singer Jeff Quinn came in and together both bands worked out the issue. In the meantime, we finished our beer and walked a few feet to "CJs" a burger place, fresh made burgers with whatever you desire on it, home fries and a drink.
I will have to finish my story another time, I just found out I have to work in the morning and at the latest I can get up is 5:00am in order to be there on time (6:45). A co-worker's father in law is very sick and is not expected to make it through the night.
(It's 4:30 in the morning on the following day)
So, far, Steve's father-in-law is holding on, but he's not doing too well. Day at work wasn't a nightmare like I expected it to be- on to my story!
First person who stood out was Todd Clark, the bass player, short spiky hair, and squinty eyes, with a perpetual smile. "Dude!" he shouted to Alan. I think he may have been in Bill and Ted's great adventure. Next to stand out was the lead guitar player, Marty (sorry can't remember the last name!) big ol' boy and lots of hair! Then Jeff, also a good sized character and all about the business. I liked the chin beard (what is that called?) goatee thing. After Alan had another beer, we went to the room and got ready for the party.
We came back around ten or so and the crowd was into an electric slide, lights dancing, twirling and blazing above and around us. We missed OTW's first set but we would be able to check them out later in the third set.
Odd, never have been to a gig where the bands alternated sets, each one 40 minutes long, then the DJ for twenty. That meant each band had an hour break between sets, I don't know if that's a good thing or not so good thing. Nice break for the guys, but how many beers (or whatever) during that time?
The coolest thing about North Forty in addition to it's spaciousness and six pool tables was a huge wagon wheel which hangs over the dance floor, note the picture. (The ladies in the picture, sorry, but I kept it because of the silhouettes against the lights on the wheel.) The dance floor is wood and surrounding it is a rail where patrons may lean against it and watch the dancers. There are two bars plus a beer wagon to assist folks in becoming pleasantly numb and beyond. There were folks dressed up for the New Year, a promise of a nice purse for the winner of the costume contest scheduled for later that evening. I tell you what, seeing all of those college kids running around made me feel rather mature. Although, I did not have four or five buddies running with me to the bathroom, laughing and giggling. It made me realize that women in their twenties still acted like school girls. Ah, youth!
AN HOUR FROM MIDNIGHT
Quinntalkin is on the stage, way cool, they have a country thang going, nice and slow to start, good sound. By the way, Todd and Jeff's wives also are active with Quinntalkin running sound and the lights, very nice ladies. What I thought was also cool was Jeff broke a string and they took it off stage and replaced the string, go girls!
Support our troops! We just met a kid back from duty in Iraq, Chris Hayes who came home in October. What a great thing to see him smile when we all clapped for him! Way cool! He did confess he did not get to see much action, I say lucky for him! Wish him all the best!
Off the Wagon now playing, their style a little more contemporary. The drummer toured with Black Oak Arkansas, I think he said for about nine years. Both bands are really good!
I may be a bit biased, but I think Alan could be an asset to either band! Sorry again, but what can I say?
Last weekend (Christmas) he went to Rogers, "Tony C's" a club, (near Springdale/Fayetteville) and got to sit in with QT, and the reason we drove to Russellville was so Mark could check Alan out since he was not at that gig.
Another first for us! We just found out this place is open until 4:00 am! I am with the understanding that it used to stay open until daylight. I am also with the understanding that however, after 1:00 am no one else was allowed inside. (Thought I might mention this, don't need anyone getting into trouble.)
It's nearing midnight and the North Forty is starting to gear up to the big moment, more people dancing, laughing and yelling. It's funny how a few drinks can turn an ordinary, quiet girl into a yahooing, cartwheeling, invincible thing until she throws up on the dance floor. (At this point it hasn't happened yet, but I'd place money that it will)
I think we are less than a half hour from midnight. As I continued to marvel at its size, I think half the town of Green Forest could fit in here and not see the same person twice!
Okay, perhaps I jumped the gun. There's been a gal who keeps circling the outer edge of the dance floor, I've seen her several times (must be looking for somebody) so I guess it's not that big.
NINE MINUTES TIL MIDNIGHT!
Horns blowing and those little noise makers you twirl around are becoming commonplace. Champagne is being pored. Oooh cool! A champagne fountain and food at another bar near the back where we are sitting.
IT'S 2008! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
First gripe in 2008- My feet are killing me! First pair of heeled shoes in a long time and standing is not an option. If I had only worn flat heeled shoes! I look good though! (LOL)
I still suck at dancing! I'm about as stiff as PVC pipe, made my feet feel real good :( !
Finally after five beers and untold amounts of champagne from the cool fountain, I am beginning to feel "cozy", hey, my feet don't hurt anymore and I'm a dancing fool! (It must have took awhile for the burger and fries to get completely saturated with alcohol.)
Both bands are playing at the same time- Oooh a fight! Security to the rescue! Good God, those bouncers don't mess around! (According to my source, he informed me he's seen the front door a time or two and open it with his head, ouch.) I'm not sure what happened, my guess: A misunderstanding escalating into an ass-kicking because someone looked at someones woman.
Anyway-
Both bands played at the same time. You see two lead singers doing it, two lead guitarist doing it, rare for two drummers, and rarer still, two bass players jamming together. I must admit I was impressed at how smooth that went! Not many bands can go that on the spur of the moment! The bass player brought out his stand up and jammed on it (Check out the Pic), sort of looked like Ozzy Osbourn!
LATER IN THE NIGHT/MORNING
I'm not sure at this point what time it was, past two at least. Alan finally gets to get up and play! (Only two songs though, I'll uh, keep my thoughts to myself on that.) He decided he wanted to jam on OTW's drum set. Although it was not miked that well, he jammed pretty good. I tried to tell him he needed to beat on 'em harder, but of course, they weren't his drums, no sense in putting a hole in the guy's drum heads!
Thanks to a nice gal, Trisha for buying beer and a shot of Tequila for Alan. He thought she was a waitress! She was merely being nice and is a big fan of Quinntalkin.
Hell, last call already! Man this night just flew by! Alan and I couldn't believe time flew by so fast! We bade our farewells and hit the sack.
9:30 THAT MORNING- FOUR HOURS LATER
Ugh! What the hell is Alan doing up? Oh my god, my feet! Ouch my head! I go to the bathroom, of course there is always a huge mirror in these motels somewhere in the room, this one happened to be in the bathroom. Oooh turn off the light, what was that staring at me! Alan left to get coffee and took the camera with him so I slept a few minutes more. With a couple of cups of coffee, I managed to climb out of the bed and grab a shower, that helped immensely! Before we left Russellville, we stopped at Dixie Cafe and ate, breakfast had come and gone but we stuffed ourselves on rolls, salad and fried mushrooms and cheese stix. I know there is a Dixie Cafe in Harrison, we may have to check and see if their food taste just as good. A bit pricey, but we could have done without the appetizers, not!
We stopped at the Arkansas Grand Canyon to stretch our legs and get some fresh air. What a spectacular view! We didn't hang around too long though, there was a stiff, cold wind knocking us around and plus the food was beginning to make us drowsy. We actually made good time coming home, and was I glad to get there! I missed my cats and dogs, my bed. Didn't even bother to unpack, just went to bed......ahhh! No place like home!
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