Playing Around

j0151069,
originally uploaded by ssnyder03.

A Beautiful Fall Day

This is a beautiful fall day. Crisp, cool, but sunny. Most of the leaves are off the trees, but that's okay - just means I can see the wild animals better. The birds are coming to the feeders and the squirrels are being silly. It's been fun to watch.

I actually slept in this morning! wow! I can't figure out why I was so tired, but I slept including the extra hour. Too bad it's only one day...

I worked all day yesterday and that wasn't fun. It was a pretty productive day, but my e-mail program was down until late afternoon. That wasn't good. I called tech support and they told me they were rebooting their mail servers. Seems they have more trouble... At any rate, it finally worked before I went home. Got quite a bit done without interruptions. It's nice to get something accomplished!

Dear Co-Worker

I am going to hunt you down and give you a painful wedgie.

You called me this morning to ask if I could do a special thing for you - yes, it would take a little time, but I can. You did a happy dance and thanked me... then proceeded to tell me they would be sitting in the field waiting for me to send the data to you. Thanks for all the time you are giving me to do this. Tell me... what were you going to do if I couldn't do it? You are awfully cocky to think I'm that good. I am, but that's beside the point.

Then, you had the nerve to call back for two more!... oh, and needed within the hour.

Kissing up will get you nowhere.

Ohmmmm Ohmmmm

It's not working. I'm trying to be calm. I'm trying. REALLY. I see that skeptical look on your face, but I am giving it my all.

Yesterday I did not spew loud, nasty words all over my computer or co-workers when my printer drum cartridge gave me the message it was going to need replacing, then proceeded to stop working 30 minutes later. I have a large, high-end printer that is usually very well-behaved and gives me lots of time to order supplies (which I usually always have an extra stored for just such occasions). This time, no go. Okay... I'll call the lovely woman in the home office who is in charge of such things. She thinks it will have to be ordered. She'll have them overnight it. It should be here, in my hot little hands, oh...about 2 hours ago. It's beginning to look like overnight to them and overnight to me are two different things. Now it's becoming a critical issue. I'm going to be printing the backlog of stuff I've done for two days for two more days straight just to catch up! Arrrggghhh!!!

I'm usually such a patient person. (I told you to stop looking at me like that). This is not making me happy. Not. At. All.

To top it all off, I went to bed last night at a decent time, went right to sleep, then woke up WIDE awake two hours later, only to sit up for three hours trying to make myself sleepy. Woke up a few minutes before the alarm went off to pouring rain and now socked-in with fog again. My brain feels as if the fog has penetrated. All I really want to do is sleep... or hit something. I'm torn.

Dear Satellite Guy

I feel like I'm the bitch from hell. Why? Because all of a sudden everyone is annoying to me. Especially you. You, who told me back in February that DISH network was coming out with a new i-net satellite system in April for the new house... that we still haven't gotten. Not that it is your fault, you tell me they haven't followed through. Okay, but when I call you a week ago and ask you to see about the other providers because we really, really hate dial-up and where we live we only have those two choices...and you tell me you will look into it and call in a couple of days... Let's say I'm not happy.

On a lighter note, your cousin (in spirit) Repair Person has called me back to tell me there are switches in the back of the fireplace remote control that can change the frequency so it will no longer turn on the upstairs one when you try and turn on the downstairs one. Nice to know some people really do follow through...

For some reason, the satellite guy we had before you turned out to be a total waste of time... too busy helping his kid get famous as an Elvis impersonator. I kid you not. Is it something in the genes? I thought you were different...

Wet Newspaper

That's what it's like outside today. Gray and messy - so foggy there is no form at all. I think the site level is something like 1/8 mile. I know I felt blind creeping into work. Not bad enough it's still dark out, but then the fog on top of it. You never know what's going to come out at you. By the time I got to work I felt like I'd used up all my stress muscles for the day... now just feel like jello. Ugh. Guess it's got to be about Halloween - this is that kind of weather.

Call of the Wild

I'm so excited! The coolest thing happened this evening! It wasn't dark yet and my husband was home and yelled at me to come look out the window. There was a HUGE buck standing across the creek from our house. DH thought it might have been at the salt lick I put out. I put it out a year ago, and have seen no evidence of anything using it, but then the timber and brush have been so thick this summer who could tell? The trees are losing enough leaves now you can actually see it.

We watched the buck meander down the creek a bit, then he crossed over to our side and followed the edge of the field until he was out of sight. DH said he would probably be back, as it appears to be a good way for the deer to move through, along the field edge and creek - lots of cover for them.

As I was watching the deer, I noticed another odd shape on a tree which started moving as I watched and turned out to be a racoon! Don't usually see them, just the tracks. Had lots of them before we moved in, always getting into my birdfeeders and so forth, but after we moved we didn't see so many. Now it looks like they may be coming back.

I just love it here. Wish I'd win that lottery so I could stay home all the time!

Sleepless in...Iowa

Four a.m.

DH starts talking to the cat. Why? Because he's awake and he's been scolded for talking to me at that hour of the morning and waking me. Yeah, I know.

I'm awake now laying in bed and trying to ignore him in the livingroom watching TV, making coffee, banging around in an intense effort to be quiet.

The alarm goes off. I've tossed and turned for two hours for what? The sky is full of lightening. It's thundering. It's raining! No drizzle-fog-crap today. It's a downpour. Good. The garden and trees need it. My vehicle can use the rinse. The guys can use a break today.

The only thing that could make this day better is being able to crawl back into bed. Oh, well... you can't have everything...

Dear Repair Person

I really do appreciate the fact you came when you said you would and you didn't charge me for the trip, since, in effect, it was something you should have taken care of when the house was built. When I have a fire in the fireplace, it's nice to actually see the fire... before you came it was merely a small blue glow, but now! Now it is a roaring fire - as it should be. I really hate to mention the small issue with the remote controls. It seems when you turn on the fireplace in the lower level, it turns on the fireplace on the main level! Wow! It doesn't turn it off, just on... so... will you please come back and fix it? I've left a message... Waiting for your call...

Here Comes the Sun...

Sing along everyone!

What a glorious day! I can't believe how beautiful it is today. The sun is shining, the wind is just a slight breeze, and it's WARM... in the 70's! Wow! To make it even better, I'm home! Yeah, I'm cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, all that 'fun' stuff, but I'm in my beautiful new home doing it, so life is good.

Have to take a moment and say 'thanks' to everyone who was sending good thoughts for my Dad. Talked to him this afternoon and he's going to get to go home tomorrow! Sure, there will be several weeks of recovery, but he's in a good mood and looking forward to the next one in January. Kicking himself (and if he wasn't going to, I was) for not doing it sooner. Why is it the older our parents get the more like little kids they are? <sigh> I'm just so thankful it all went well and he's getting along so well. Hopefully he'll be good for Mom.

What a good day...

Nocturnal Musings

Why am I awake?

I'm soooo tired these days... and yet...I'm awake. Now.

Going back to bed. See ya in the morning.

Thanks to the Powers that Be

Just a quick thank you to the Powers that Be for protecting my dad through his operation. He came through fine and raring to go home. Hope he feels that way when the pain meds wear off! My aunts and uncles were there for my Mom, too, which I didn't know earlier that they were going to be there, so I feel much better about not being able to be there myself. I was able to talk to my dad right before he went into surgery, and that made me feel a little better, too. Wanted him to know I was thinking about him even though I couldn't be there.

I've had a relationship with God throughout the years that I feel is a good one. He/She is very much a part of my life, although DH and I don't believe in "organized" religion. We've both had bad experiences with that and have felt the people part of organized religion is what ruins it. We've raised our children without benefit of organized religion, but have tried to impress upon them the 'Golden Rule' and the basic tenets of the Ten Commandments. I know there have been times over the years when I have tried to make religion a bigger part of my life - in effect giving the church another chance, but every time I do I get burned, so think I will just keep my relationship with God a private one... well, as private as sharing with you all can be...

At any rate, just wanted once more to affirm that I am a believer and do thank God for watching over me and mine again.

In a Fog

We've been in a fog here, literally, for two days. It's depressing. Every morning when I get up it's dark (it's that time of year) but the sun never comes up and it never gets very light all day. It doesn't exactly rain, it doesn't dry up - just this drizzle and fog. Gray. I don't know how people in say, Seattle, do it. They are supposed to be notorious for this kind of weather. Would drive me bonkers.

Work is still insane. The computer is still giving me stupid error messages about every other e-mail I try to send. Gave up calling tech support. Just seemed to get me nowhere. Someday I suppose I'll have to deal with it, but not now. My anti-virus is still goofy, too. Norton won't "Live Update" and I have to somehow manually update. ugh.

I had a guy call me today with the nerve to ask if it was the lab that was the holdup or me. I told him if I didn't get so many frigging phone calls asking for old shit to be processed I might get to the new stuff faster. He is a particularily annoying offender. It blew right over his head. I didn't say it exactly like that, I said it nicer...he just doesn't get it. I'm going to work on a self-reporting form for them to fill out to request old information so at least I won't have to (hopefully) take so many phone calls and maybe, just maybe, they'll think about what they're requesting so I don't end up with dumb stuff as often. A girl can dream... Will probably do that on my day off on Sunday. I have so much spare time these days...NOT.

Would sure be nice to see the sun...

No Day Like Today

I love "RENT"... I've got that music ringing through my head ...

Went to it for the third time. It wasn't as good of a cast as we've seen previously (went with two of my kids who love it, too), but there were some outstanding performances. Had good seats and a great audience who apparently had seen it once or twice before, too. Not sold out, but still a good crowd for a weeknight. Will probably go the next time it's in town again.

The show always makes me thankful for what I have. I live a very sheltered life, here in the middle of the country, and although we do have the homeless and less fortunate than ourselves, and yes, I'm not going to deny we have AIDS here in the Heartland... neither of those things is anywhere near the epidemic proportions they are in other areas of the country. My heart goes out to those less fortunate and I feel incredibly blessed to have family and friends who have their health and a roof over their heads.

Beautiful, touching music...something to think about.

Family Moment

I'm having a bit of a frustration right now - not only with work, but with family. Not my immediate family - they're great. No, I'm having elderly parents vs. only child syndrome. My parents aren't all that old - early 70's. In the past couple of years, however, my father's health has deteriorated quite a bit. Mostly due to the need for a hip replacement - really, both hips. He's been having trouble with pain, losing his balance and falling, and as stubborn as he is, this isn't good. He's growly on a good day, let alone when he's in pain. He's also very independent and hates to have anyone fussing over him. He falls, then won't let anyone help him get up. He's 6'5", so that's a long ways to fall, and a lot of man to get up.

When I was younger but living away from home, my mom would whisper into the phone "Your Dad's not feeling very well today. He has (insert ailment here). He would have a cold, or a touch of the flu, or occasionally something worse, but God Forbid he should want me to know about it. It was a secret that had to stay between my mother and myself or else Dad wouldn't tell Mom anything. Weird, I know. Welcome to my world.

At any rate, he's been having trouble now for a couple of years with his hips and has been in quite a bit of pain. After several doctors telling him he needs this surgery, he's finally agreed to it. I'm guessing the pain has gotten so severe he can't live with it anymore and we keep telling him if he doesn't do something soon he'll fall and break it and be forced into the operating room, or end up in a wheelchair. Part of this I think is fear. He was in the hospital about 4 years ago for some tests and told us then that it was the very first time he'd ever been in the hospital - he wasn't even born in a hospital!

I'm frustrated because it's so hectic at work right now and I won't be able to get off to go be with them. The surgery will be a day and he'll have to be in the hospital for about 3 days at least, and it's a good day's drive away from where I live. I'm feeling guilty because I'm not there, but know if I were there it would probably just make him more uncomfortable. Oh, I don't know... right now my brain is just fried. Too tired to make any sense of anything except I feel badly for Mom, glad Dad is finally getting something done. Hoping it's going to bring him relief, and wishing it was over.

Just having a family moment. Thanks for listening.

Apologetic Thoughts... Or Not

I'm grouchy. I admit it. This time of year I turn into a Bitch - yea, with a capital 'b'. I get pulled in too many directions and have too many interruptions. I'm feeling sorry for losing my temper. Okay, I'm not feeling THAT sorry... in fact, the more I think about it, I'm really not feeling very sorry at all.

It's a gloomy day here. Drizzle. Cold. Not really a rain that will bring things to a halt, just enough to be depressing. My phone is still ringing off the hook. I am still way behind. I am trying to figure out if I ignore certain people what the repercussions will be. Just kidding. Actually, I've had a brainstorm of sorts. I am going to work on a request form that the plant managers will have to fill out to send to me. This will take care of a couple of problems. One, I won't have to take the time to fill out that paperwork. Two, they may actually have to THINK about what they're doing to the extent that they either decide they don't really want it, or they really do and if they do, they are truly knowledgable about what it is they are wanting. Not just throwing stuff out there and making me come up with some of the information that they
should be providing.

I know. This is clear as mud. Just remember the part: This will take care of a couple of problems. That's a good thing. Now I just have to come up with the time to do the form in an electronic way, and write "instructions for dummies" they can follow. There goes my Sunday...

I am back in the land of the cell phone accessible. After forking over large quantities of money, I am now the proud owner of the same cell phone...only the dry version. Had to take a new picture of DH to use as my opening screen. Not as good as the first one. Wish I had thought to send the first picture to my desktop before I drowned the phone. I don't have very many pictures of him.

That's it for now.

Dear Co-Worker

Every time you call me on the telephone and ask me if I've gotten anything done for you... or if any results for your plant have come from the lab... or any other meaningless question, you slow down the entire process and I have to stop what I'm doing to look for the answer. Interpretation: all the information you are in such a huge RUSH for gets further and further behind due to your interruptions. Dumbass.

SS Phone Home

SHIT DAMN FUCK (repeat)

Would you believe I went for a walk on our timber land this afternoon and took my lovely digital camera along to take photos of the leaves changing and all that good stuff. I was walking down in the almost dry creek bed when I had to go over a dead stump to avoid the water that was in the creek. I was being very careful not to damage either the digital camera or myself. Wouldn't you know it? My frigging cell phone fell in the creek! Yeah, in the water. Totally submerged. They don't like that. What is really pissing me off is that I had just gotten a new one and really liked it - hadn't even gotten the rebate sent in for yet! ...and, I, of all the members of my family (which there are several) is the only one without cell phone insurance...because I am the careful one. Go back to the beginning of this post and repeat.

Joy to the World...

I think I'm on a theme here...

It's gray and gloomy and cold today. This brings me to More about Christmas.

I've always put up decorations early. This isn't to say I put them up before Thanksgiving, because I think Thanksgiving has to have its due. However, my older son has an early December birthday and my goal is to get the decorations up in time for it. I always thought that, along with the snow, made my birthday special. I like to do the same for him. My older daughter has her birthday just two days after mine, so hers is already decorated by then, too.

I love the smell of the real trees, but can't handle the mess, the fire hazard, and frankly, the short time you can have them up. I do the fake trees, then light evergreen scented candles along with my other Christmas-y candles and you can barely tell. I was very lax last year as we had started packing for the move to the new house. Originally planned for a January/February move, we didn't get into the house until June. Anyone who has built tells me I was being overly optomistic when I was packing in November. At any rate, because so many things were packed I didn't even do a tree last year and we went to my older daughter's home. They'd just bought a house over the summer and were very excited to have the family come.

This year I'm so excited because not only is it Christmas, but we're in the new house! This means I have lots more room (more than one tree, perhaps?) and more ideas. I also have fireplaces which I haven't had before. My folks always had a fireplace, but until this house I've not had one since living at home. I do love fireplaces... this will be the first year the stockings will have a real place to hang!

I may have to break down this year and decorate early. As the kids get older and married, engaged, or have 'significant' others, I find I have to share them. I've heard a rumor that they may have Christmas obligations, but I think they may all be at my house for Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll have to break my normal rule and decorate even earlier...? Anybody have thoughts on that?

Sleighbells Ring...

...just kidding. I AM starting to get the itch for Christmas and snow, however. Thanks to GB who put that thought in my head.

I have to explain. My birthday is a week before Christmas. Exactly. Same day, one week early. Back in the old days (yes, I am that old) there was always snow for my birthday and Christmas. I'm not just talking a few inches, either, but feet. It was terrific. School got cancelled, nobody left the house - except, of course, the kids who couldn't be kept in the house!

My parents... a long story we won't get into now... did one thing right when I was growing up. Okay, maybe more than one, but the one thing they did really well was to keep my birthday separate. It was not lumped together with Christmas, and except for my cheap friends (you know who you are) they always made sure I had a full batch of gifts for each. We never did what some holiday people do and have 'faux' birthdays in June, or some such thing, they just made sure it was a terrific day on its own.

I know there are people who live in areas of the country where you have never ever seen snow... or, you have to go up into the mountains to see it at special times. You may not understand my obsession with snow. I'm not saying I like to a.) drive in it b.) walk in it c.) live in it, but I love being in a blizzard with a full pantry, a fire in the fireplace and no place to go. It's my idea of heaven.

Now I have that song stuck in my head... thanks, Grump...

(This is only part of the blog I lost. I can't remember what else I wrote, but I'm sure it was really really good.)

Blog Hell

What happens when you create a new post, hit the publish button, but you get a "this page cannot be found"? Does it go to Blog Hell? I don't see it anywhere... waaaa....! Will wait. Maybe it will show up later? It's all Grumpy Bunny's fault. She got me thinking about winter and I wrote all about it... then it went POOF! Hmmm...

God Bless All the Little Children

I'm calm now. I am still getting the error message from hell, but it appears to be sending my e-mail and I've not gotten any phone calls from people demanding to know where their stuff is at. I went to Symantec's website and figured out how to fix my LiveUpdate that I suspect tech support screwed up when he was here. I have not had lots of calls today and it's raining! Yippee!

I wish I could go home and crawl back into bed - for about a week.

It's supposed to keep drizzling here today and get really windy and cold this afternoon. We've been lighting the fireplace in the evenings and it's felt really good. I like it when the weather is lousy and you have nowhere to go. Unfortunately that's not going to be the case for some time - until about December. Ugh.

Just letting those who care know that I'm feeling at one with the world again...

Very Interesting

...said in an evil voice.

Would you believe the tech support guy (different one than the one in person) suggested I send him an e-mail. Mwaaaahhaaaahaaaaa... Yea, I'll send ya an e-mail, sucker! He swallowed his gum. I'm sure he did. I heard it. Then he said, "Your e-mail just shut down two of my servers!"

Me.Innocently: It did?

To those of you who immediately think VIRUS (yes, we do yell that one), the answer is NO! I do not have a virus. I am a sanitary computer user. I am clean.

Turns out after another two hours of phone tech support, that someone at their end put a semi-colon in my user name? Huh? That meant I had e-mail going to some e-mail hell somewhere. Okay... just fix it. Well, we have to change your e-mail address. UH UH. NO WAY. Do you KNOW how computer illiterate the people are I work with? Do you KNOW how fucked up they would be if I add ONE number to my user name? Do you understand how many phone calls it would take to make them understand?

Okay, delete my e-mail account and put it back in. That works. Thank you.

Hmmm... I'm still getting that annoying message when I try to send e-mails. The one that was supposed to go away. My mail IS going through though? Well, I guess I can live with this.

Do you ever feel like you've just wasted two days on NOTHING. I'm not much better off than I was a couple of days ago, except I'm four hours of down time and highly frustrated. Must think happy thoughts ...

Dear Tech Support III

You lied.

My e-mail is not going out, I'm still getting the same error message, and WTF!?! did you do to my anti-virus update? I call you. You are in a meeting. I called you 5 hours ago. Some meeting. Is alchohol involved?

My office mate is afraid. I just threatened to hit someone. I didn't specify.

Dear Tech Support II

It was nice to meet you today. You are pleasant. You speak English very well. I'm impressed.

You looked at my internet and said "Oh, My!" with a concerned look on your face. You brought in your computer to talk to mine. You then proceeded to talk to others.

A phone call was made.
Another was made.
A new antenna? Oh, how lucky we are!

You are rushing now, breathing hard, working up a sweat. You sit at my computer and make clickety-clack noises on the keyboard. I hear a ding. Then another. You leap to your feet and race out the door, only to return with a box. Parts.

This isn't fun anymore.
I want to go home.
You are still here.
You are showing no signs of going away. When it gets dark will we curl up in little pill-shaped balls around the edge of the room and bemoan the fact we have nothing to eat? ... or will you go to wherever you t.s. types go and talk about all the pain-in-the-ass customers you've had to deal with today?

Fixed? I'm fixed? REALLY? Promise? <Doing happy dance>

We'll Resume Regularly Scheduled Programming

I need a day off.

I know, today is my day off - sort of. It's my day off from my 'paid' job. This is the day I get to do all the things that have been neglected around the house for the last week. Normally, I would get a Saturday and a Sunday to do this, but during this time of the year all the rules go out the window.

First, I worked all day yesterday trying to dig out of the hole I'm in at work. Partly because of the internet/upgrade/hell I've been going through, and partly because this time of year it is just hard to keep up.

Then, DH is in the field. This means the "meals on wheels" must still continue, as well as extra baking (must have treats, you know!) and the laundry becomes that much more dirty. So, today I'm baking, cooking, doing laundry, cleaning, watering new trees, flower beds, and cleaning dead bugs off the porches. On top of that, I DID get my blinds up in the bedroom (whoo hoo!) and the curtains up in the livingroom! I must admit, youngest daughter did most of it - I supervised and cleaned up.

I need a jammie day...badly. Can't wait for the first blizzard!

Bar Happy

Tonight DH and I went to a bar to celebrate with our youngest son and his girlfriend. It was her 21st birthday and she was wanting to celebrate with family and friends in a small town bar about 45 miles from our home, but very close to her hometown.

First we had to find it. Not an easy task in the dark, but seeing as the town population is about 200 and the bar was the one thing in town lit up with cars and Harley's sitting outside, it was a pretty good guess that this was the place.

Small towns are funny. You walk in, and immediately all conversation stops and all heads turn toward the door to see who is coming in. If they know you, loud whoops of recognition fill the air. If they don't, the 'stare-down' begins until you either state your business, find the people you came to see, or leave. On first glance, the people we were looking for weren't there - but the car was outside. Come to find out they were in a back room where (thank goodness) we found them quickly.

Once word spreads through the local crowd that you are with someone they know, you become one of the bunch and suddenly find yourself hugged, kissed, and back-slapped to death. Oh, and did I remember to mention the slopped beer, chewing tobacco spit, cigarette smoke and fried food odors that all immediately saturate every pore of your skin meaning when you get home, before you will touch one thing in the house (God forbid the BED!) you will be standing under a scalding hot shower - for the second time today.

All in all, we had a great time. DH had previously met the girlfriends' parents and many of the other relatives and friends in the bar at the race track. For me, it was a meet and greet. I found a couple of things interesting. One, my YS made the comment to the girlfriends' brother when speaking about me: If you sit down and talk to her, pretty soon you realize how much alike Mom and (insert girlfriend's name) are. Allrighty then! My youngest daughter thinks her fiance' is just like my DH, and now my youngest son is saying his girlfriend is just like me. Hmmm... For all you analysts out there - is this a good thing, or a bad thing?

The second interesting thing I found was that the entire time my DH and the girlfriends' dad were sitting across the table from me (a very large round table), every time I looked over at them the dad was staring at my chest. This was rather disconcerting. I mean, I had just MET the man, and I was chatting away with his wife, his sister, and his daughter... ahem! What's up? I asked DH later and he said he'd noticed it too, now that I mention it. I was curious about that since DH has been known to be a bit jealous and he never thought much about it? Hmmm... I asked him what was going on and he said, "Well, you've got that thing under your blouse kind of drawing attention to them". You mean a BRA? I wear one every day of my life. I am not built not to wear one. Men.

At any rate, I was the good designated driver and watched the people around me get shit-faced, knowing I was going to feel better than they were going to tomorrow. All in all a good time. Fun people.

In Another Universe

...far, far away... are my sent E-MAILS.

Does it matter? YES. Am I e-mailing someone important? YES. Is this work-related. YES. Is it time-sensitive? YES. YES. YES. Am I happy. NO.

Am I impressed when I call the internet provider and I find out a.) I'm getting him out of the shower and b.) he knows my voice without me even saying my name. <sigh> No.

I suspected a long time ago that this internet provider was kind of a 'mom and pop' operation. Every time I called, I got the same person and the same tech rep called me back (when he remembered to call me back). I didn't have to guess what state I was calling, or from what state he was calling me back. I can probably drive to the house. I'm suspicious this company is being run out of a basement somewhere between here and OZ.

Him: I think there is a problem with a server
Me: Is it holding my out-bound e-mails again?
Him: I don't know
Me: Can you check?
Him: I'm going to re-set the server over the weekend while you're gone
Me: Where am I going? We work on the weekend this time of year. All weekend.
Him: Oh.

I'm not sure if this means he's going to fix it, or if I'll just have to wait until I'm gone for it to magically repair itself. I'll be gone tonight from 6 until 7 tomorrow morning. Do you hear that, tech support?

Dear Restaurant Manager

You did the right thing. Of course, it was your screw up in the first place, but at least you groveled appropriately and gave me free food. I will be back to your establishment. Thank you for your good service. Don't fuck up again. It wasn't fun.

Explanation:
DH called up late this afternoon. Due to unexpected circumstances (machinery breakdown) he was going to be done working at a reasonable time tonight and he would "cook". That sometimes means he does cook food in my kitchen, but more often than not it means he will pick up take out. Works for me! So, he was so sweet he even offered to go to the grocery store with me on the way to pick up the food (two birds with one stone and all that). We call in the food order. We grocery shop. We go to pick up food order. I sit in the parking lot for 15 minutes. When he finally appears, he tells me he has been drinking free beer because they gave part of our order to someone else and had to re-make it. Okay, fine. They gave him that part of the order free, also. Good for them.

It gets ugly. We get home and open the five boxes of food and find only one of them is right. The one he waited for. WTF!?!? The rest weren't even close to what they were supposed to be. I think someone else got the entire order, not just the one thing.

So, phone call to the restaurant. Talk to the manager. Told him I was coming back for the right food. 20 minutes? Okay. Did I mention we live 20 minutes away? See? This is not an uninvolved excursion.

To his credit, when I walked in the door he was waiting with my bag of food, plus a gift certificate for the value of the food we already had purchased. Apologetic as all get out, he was very nice and we will be back.

As for my quiet, relaxing evening at home....I wish DH would have just let me cook. It's the thought that counts. Love ya, hon.

Dear Tech Support

I know you think you beat me. I felt that smirk on your face as you listened to me bitch about your upgrade. I caught that chuckle as you explained I appeared to be the only one having trouble. I refuse to accept that. In fact, I would like you to prove that to me. I want to see your call log and you show me that not ONE of the calls is related to the problems yours truly is having. Dare ya.Double dare ya.

And in other news:
I'm FINALLY back on track after the past couple of days of work-day hell. No nicer way to put it. Now that I'm kind of dug out of the hole, I can start on the pile of new stuff that has collected while I've been digging. May the Gods of phones please just give me a break!

When is an Upgrade Not an Upgrade

Now. This minute. I have am in upgrade hell here, people, and the only thing that can save me is alcohol - or a coma. Short of that, I'm finding out when people say you are upgrading, they don't always mean it is a good thing.

I have found a glitch in the software I use every day, all day long. I wish I could blame Bill Gates, but I can't. I wish I could wave a magic wand and I could have my old version back. I can't. I wish I could scream my bloody head off and say very foul things that would have my male co-workers blushing at the fervor with which I say them. I can, but I wouldn't be working here long.

Remember my oh-so-productive Saturday? It's history.

The glitch which has interrupted my daily flow is an insidious one. You can't see it in any obvious fashion. No, it hides and then jumps out unaware when your calculations don't come out the way they should and you hunt and hunt for the reason and never find it. Until today. I found it. It can no longer hide from me. Unfortunately, some of the damage is done. All the work I've done in the six weeks must now be re-done! Oh, and did I mention it must be done FAST?!? Yes, for this is the urgent time, the window of opportunity in which these calculations must be used and for only a few weeks will this window be open.

Someday I want to go to this magical place where they do these upgrades. I want to sit next to the great computer programmer as s/he figures out what changes are going to be created for this version. I want them to tell me why this is a good thing to change. How is it going to benefit ME. Yes, I'm starting to be a bit selfish here. Yes, the "Only Child Syndrome" is rearing it's ugly head. What was wrong with the last upgrade? Nothing. Not a darn thing that I could see. It worked really well. It worked better than any of the other upgrades had worked before! I was pleased with that upgrade. I used that upgrade for a whole year with pleasure. I don't think this upgrade and I will be bonding in the same way. I'm sure of it.

Shit

I can say that, right? I mean, this is sort-of private property and I can say anything? Okay, I'm saying SHIT. Remember the lovely day I was speaking of...was that only yesterday? Well, it's gone. It's dead. I can't remember it. I've fallen into overload hell and now have to pay the price for my lovely day.

I went to work and found 43 e-mails in my inbox. 43. I repeat. Forty-three. You have to understand. On a bad day I get 6... so WTF?!?!?! Did everyone lose their minds but me? I mean, it RAINED...DUH! You can't DO anything today outside so why are you calling, leaving messages, and e-mails? Oh... you think you'll be able to do something Monday so, by GOD, you MUST HAVE THE INFORMATION TODAY.

I must explain something. I work with all men. Not just in my physical location, but throughout the entire company. There are a few token women in the home office who do 'girly' stuff (I hope I haven't offended any of you 'girly-girls' as I was once one). Now, however, I do not deal with any of them. Ever. I only deal with men. Macho men. Stressed-out, disorganized, frustrating pigs. Okay, they aren't that bad. They are however rather lost most of the time. They do not plan well. They decide at the last minute that they have a crisis and must have me do something for them, only to call back (after the said job is done) and find out they had it all the time - when I told them I did it a month ago, I really DID do it a month ago and if they'd just pulled their head out of their ass long enough to look around they would have seen it. I'm doing it again. I'm getting a little, what would you call it? It isn't road rage, but...office rage?

At any rate, due to the rain and my supposed 'day off', I am working like a fiend today. All for Monday is done. Some of the backlog is getting caught up, and some things I need further info from other people. So, I've done all the damage I can do for today.

me! 

A Day of Rest

It rained here... <doing happy dance> and it was a great day to stay home! I really do love cold, nasty weather. It makes me feel so secure to be in a warm house with a fire going in the fireplace and bread baking and stew in the crock pot.

I know why diets never work for me. I find food too sensual. I love tasting it and cooking it and smelling it cook. It just never tires for me. I like most everything, even the weird stuff that most people don't. When I was a kid my mom used to make stuffed beef heart. I know that sounds disgusting, but it's really very good. I even had her make it once for my special birthday meal. I was, and still am, rather fond of liver and onions. I evidently had a bad experience once as a child with popcorn, however, as I really hated it until I got into my late 20's. I figure at some point I probably over-indulged and we all know what happens when that occurs. Since I can't remember, I probably blocked it from my mind - it being such a painful experience. At any rate, there are very few things that I won't eat and don't love.

Mid-afternoon the wind came up and the leaves were blowing across the lawn in such a mass - it looked like snow! Won't be long and we won't have many leaves left and then we'll lose some of our privacy. We have a timber and a creek that is between our house and the road and in the summer you can't even tell our house is here! In the winter when the leaves fall off the trees you are then able to see our house. I planted some Blue Spruce fir trees near the road to someday protect our privacy in the winter, but it'll be many years before they are big enough to make any kind of a difference.

I love fall. Walking outside you can smell the leaves as they are crushed beneath your feet. You feel the cool, crisp air on your face as you finally cuddle up in your fleece you've been waiting all summer to get back out. You smell the woodsmoke from fireplaces and leafburning and the sun goes down earlier so you find yourself walking in the dusk when you get home from work. When I was young I used to have to walk across several blocks across town to get home from band practice. The schoolbus would take us from the elementary school to the high school for practice, but afterwards you had to make your own way home. We lived in a smaller college town then, but still in Iowa, and I had to walk across campus to get home. I used to love walking across town in that fall dusk and look inside the houses all lit up for suppertime. When you would go past a lit window you would make up stories about the people you would see and what was going on...something to keep your mind occupied on the journey. The fall always reminds me of those long walks home - how peaceful they were.

Today was a good day. I got a lot done at home, but didn't feel as though they were chores today. It just felt unhurried and peaceful to fold warm laundry and bake bread.

Too bad I have to go to work tomorrow to make up for it...