Weird Days

This is a strange time of year here in the office. Kind of like the Aztecs used to believe. The days between the winter solstice and the new moon didn't really exist. Somehow, these days were considered evil. They would creep around trying not to draw the wrath of the gods. And if a human sacrifice was needed, little boys with double crowns were considered especially helpful in appeasing these same gods.

I'm sure I don't have all my facts 100% correct, but what Im getting at is this place is dead. All our 2005 projects are winding down and the 2006 ones haven't kicked in yet. The phone seldom rings, I have fewer e-mails and if I lie low, I never see big bro. (Thank you, God!)

Although it seems to have started early this year, it's been this way ever since I can remember. I'm sitting here looking at next years assignment sheet and see (12) renewals and (7) new stores staring me in the face. And that doesn't include all the special projects that no one else will work on. And what about hurricane season next year? As I've said, I'm too stupid to say no, and I always give service with a smile. (Whose logo was that?)

I know I'm gonna get slammed! In the mean time, there's not a thing I can do to get ahead. I've cleaned out my file cabinets, cleared my desk and here I sit. But at least I look busy.

For you readers out there "Aztec" be Gary Jennings is a great read.

CONUNDRUM

How many of you out there have read anything by CS Lewis? Our Monday night Bible study group is reading “Mere Christianity.” I’m having a really hard time getting anything beneficial from it.

Not that CS Lewis didn’t have anything to say, I just have a very difficult time deciphering what he is trying to say.

I’m a reasonably intelligent woman, read extensively, attend church regularly but my brain apparently functions on a different wave length than his did.

If you want to jump out the attic window, why is it necessary to first jump off the roof, run around the block 4, 5, maybe 6 times, wiggle in through the basement crawlspace, run up the stairs, and twirl about until you‘re falling down drunk ? Then, and only then can you leap from the intended window, if the wind is in the right direction, the atmospheric pressure is just so and you haven’t changed your mind.

What am I missing here? Perhaps someone can please clarify for me.

Soapbox Monday

I rented the “Passion of Christ” this last weekend and watched it without interruption. This in itself is unusual for me because I’m generally doing ten other things while I “watch” a movie. But I felt it was worth the time.

I don’t know how historically correct this epic film is, but it certainly makes you think. What we normally see and here about the Crucifixion is so sanitized. Even in the church, the cruel punishment of Christ’s own people and the Romans is glossed over.

Do they think that people will be turned off if they get too graphic? Are the church leaders afraid if they tell it like it was, people will go away and not come back. I don’t want to be screamed at in church, but don’t feed me milquetoast. And if people go away, what about the budget?

Are we there for the potluck lunches, the volunteer opportunities, to show what good Christians we are or…fill in the blanks. Why do you go (or don’t go) to church?

Maybe that’s a good question for the so-called Christians who thronged Wal Mart in Florida and Michigan causing fist fights and trampling fellow shoppers.

And while I’m ranting, what happened to saying “Merry Christmas” in this country that was founded, “One nation under God”? That’s not Buddha or Mohamed. We are so frigging afraid to offend someone that we don’t stand up for our own rights.

Oh yeah, did you hear about the animal right’s group that was demanding some town back east change their name from Hamburg to Veggieburg? Their beef (pun intended) was that Hamburg conjured piles of dead and decaying animals? That's beyond stupid!

Okay, I’ll step down from my soap box, but I’m not gonna go away. MERRY CHRISTMAS to all and to all a good night.

GROAN

No, not really. I've learned not to heap my plate with a mound of food and then try to stuff my face and look like the turkey. We went to Jimbob's brother's along with 20 something other people. It was a lot of fun. Except four hours of enforced football about did me in.

I see some of these people once, maybe twice a year. The others neither of us had ever met before. I'm not the outgoing type and really have little to say under normal circumstances. No, that's not true either. I have lots to say, I'm just not comfortable in large gatherings. I'm more apt to sit in a corner and watch. Maybe that's why I like to blog.

In my writing I can be eloquent, or at least chatty, without feeling awkward. I know a lot of that comes from my father who thought kids should be seen and not heard. By the time I was an adult, it was too late. And so you see, I'm a social retard.

On a sad note, a good friend called yesterday afternoon to tell us they had buried Maggie. Maggie was their 13 year old German shepherd who they both adored. They don't have children, and Maggie and Georgia May are an integral part of their lives.

I'm sure anyone who is not an animal lover will not understand, but those who are please say a prayer for Doug and Jill who are grieving this morning.

New Kid on the Block

This is Herald ( named by the SPCA). He's Jimbob's new baby. And this is the man who never really liked cats. He now has a new appreciation for little Miss Tinkerbell.

Sorry I have to hurry, my internet keeps cutting out.

HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT THANKSGIVING. And a special wish and prayer to those men and women protecting our country this holiday.

I need it BAAAAAD

I'm off today and going to spend the day with a friend from church. We're going to a craft/decor place we both love and then have lunch. Jimbob bought me a gift certificate for a massage and I'm going later today.

This week at work was from hell and then some. I can't say I'm always right, but I just wish big bro would check things out before he assumes I'm guilty. Yesterday, was a real shocker. The boss', boss' boss went into the hospital for triple by pass surgery Wednesday afternoon (of course he didn't tell anyone at work). You've probably guessed by now, he never woke up.

The man was not particularly loved, but I sure heard a lot of hypocritical grief. When people said something to me, I told them he never spoke to me in the 5 or 6 years he was in power. I'm sorry he's dead, but it really doesn't make any difference to me.

I'm not cold hearted, but the only change in my life will be in who replaces him. I have my druthers, but I'll stay in my little cubby hole and not hear from anyone unless I do something wrong. Or at least they think I did something wrong.

Now, I'm going to go have my breakfast, get Jimbob's coffee ready to turn on, get my shower, clean out the car (to accomodate all of our wonderful purchases), and go have a girl's day out with a friend.

TTFN

Trauma in the ER

no wait, that was trauma in downtown hell.  I had an e-mail yesterday morning from da boss wanting to know why I had f---ed something up.  (Notice, automatic guilt without a trial?)  That was after I checked my phone messages and he’d left me a terse little missive that I’d done something else wrong and he hoped I’d call in on Monday (not likely on my day off) and get it fixed.

What a way to start the day.  Anyway, I checked to see what had been done about the phone message and he had called someone else to take care of it.  He’d lost something and rather than admit it, he claimed I’d never given it to him.  The boss’ e-mail, I ignored.

Most of the morning was devoted to mopping up all the e-mails from the Gimmies and a few miscellaneous phone calls.  The boss’ e-mail, I ignored.  

And my desk was an absolute disaster, so I HAD to clean it up, do some filing, go for a walk, and get hot tea, a trip to the lady’s room and sundry other diversions.  The boss’ e-mail, I ignored.

Finally, I couldn’t ignore his love letter any longer and I desultorily began to dig out the incriminating evidence, except there wasn’t any.  So I called my kid brother (Not really.  He’s a pain in the butt when he’s around and I miss him when he isn’t.) who heads up that part of the program I needed info on.

Much to my delight, kid bro said he had never given me the info I needed to avoid the wrath of BIG BRO in the corner office.  OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!!  So I passed this tidbit on to BIG BRO.  I never heard another word.

After lunch I turned my attention to the monthly cost tracking that I owed to BIG BRO and managed to finish 4, maybe 5 before my computer suffered major meltdown.  

Well, the IT guy was still working on it by 4:00PM, so I took what I had to you know who and told him my computer wasn’t working.  Can you believe he had the gall to say, “I could turn my computer off too and say it’s not working”.  My tongue is still bleeding from where I bit it.

Other than that, life is beautiful.

Again I’m posting from WORD, so I feel like I should give the time and date.  Maybe it’s not necessary, but I’m sometimes anal.

7:12 AM, Wednesday November 16, 2005

Beginning of the END.

Wow!  My Master Gardner’s class is finally over.  I truly enjoyed it, but it was time consuming.  But, that’s just the first step in getting certified.  I have to do 65 hours of community service to acquire my wings (so to speak).

This coming Saturday, I’ll be spending most of the day at one of the local charities that provides lodging to the homeless.  Their big thing is women with children.  

So, what do they need with gardeners, you ask.  Picks, shovels, roto-tillers, wheel barrows, muscle, gloves, willing hands and so on.  We’re helping to landscape the simi-new facility (the old jail) they moved into about a year ago.  I’ve been told it’s very nice, but the outside needs work.  It won’t be any Garden of Eden, but we’ll give it our best shot.

Anyway…I need to get this off now and try to catch up on the BS I missed yesterday.  Now, I have to tell you that I’m posting this directly from Word.  I have no idea how it’ll look, whether my picture will load or if the time and date will be accurate.  For the record, it’s Tuesday, 7:19 AM.

I'm off to see...

The pumpkin wizard. I spent the morning putting down newspaper and mulch to kill my grass. I know some people think I'm weird, but when they see all my flowers next spring they'll be jealous.

Now back to the pumpkin wizard: I spent most of last weekend cutting up and baking the pumpkins left from Halloween. So it's time to do something with all that meat. I figure a couple of loaves of pumpkin bread and then pumpkin cheesecake will do for starters.

That is between running to the VCR to make sure it hasn't shut off while I'm recording the OU game for Jimbob. I think Jimbob is going to get a new VCR for Christmas this year. One that can be programed and doesn't cut off in the middle of recording. He's the biggest sports nut I've ever seen in my life.

My Dad was kind of bad too. He'd have one game on TV and two others on radios stuck in his ears. I never did understand the mania. Ho hum!

I forgot, I'd better post this before my internet can cut out on me.

I'm So Blue

I just can't seem to get time to do the things I want (like blog). As much as I'm enjoying the Master Gardening class, I'll be glad when it's over. When I go back to work on Tuesday, I usually have at least 100 e-mails from people saying "GIMMIE".

I did get a new toy last week, a scanner printer combo. I'm scanning a whole bunch of verrrrrry old family pictures that I have the only copy of. I have a couple of Britt, my daughter, that I'm going to print and frame to send her for Christmas. I've even scanned some of my Mom when she was in her early twenties. She's 87 so that means the pictures are 60 plus years old. If they're destroyed, that's it.

Time to run. Jimbob and I trying to refinance our house. I swear some of these mortage companies must think we're stupid. There so called good deals STINK. And my damn internet keeps cutting out.