Chicago Bound

I am leaving today for the Windy city on business.  I will try to update while I am gone but can’t make any promises.  I will return Tuesday Night.

Talk to everyone later.

Bathroom Etiquette

So, I walked in the bathroom at work the other day.  There are three stalls.  I walk in and two of the stalls are taken.  I go into the middle stall and I hear one of the girls talking.  I assume she is talking to the girl in the other stall but then I realize that no, she is one the phone!  Tinkling and on the phone!  Flushing and ON THE PHONE!  Am I the only one that sees a problem with this picture?  I don’t particularly care for other people to hear me doing my business.  I really don’t care to do it with other people in there but certainly not on the phone.

Do I need to post Bathroom Etiquette rules?

Hair Appointment

Yesterday I had an appointment to get my roots colored and get a hair cut. It has just been 4 weeks since my last cut and color but according to my hair stylist (Hair Girl) I apparently had a hair growth spurt. I am leaving Friday for Chicago for a business trip and you know, you have to look your best. Thank you Hair Girl for helping me look my best.

Hair Girl and I reminisced last night about how long we have known each other. We met when we were in 6th grade. That was *ahem* in 1977. Yes, I know, we are old. What makes you feel even older is the fact that we were the first graduating class of our high school. Doesn’t that just sound old? However, we did have certain perks like naming our mascot, picking out the school colors and placing the school sign in the front of the school. Our class picture was framed and placed in the hallway at our school. I wonder if the kids at that school now look back at our picture and think how loooong ago that was and how old we must be. I ask, because I used to do that same thing looking at the class of 1942 at my school as a freshman (at a different school).

Anyhoo, Hair Girl does a terrific job on my hair. Unfortunately I forgot to take an “after” picture. This one is a before. No, Hair Girl, I was not going to post the one with color in my hair for all of the Internet to see. Do you think I am crazy?

If you are ever in my area and looking for a hair stylist, I will give you Hair Girls name.

(Hair Girl leave me a nice comment after you read this.)

April Fool’s

Traditionally April 1 has been know as April Fool’s day.  It is a day that when you were younger you couldn’t wait to pull pranks on teachers, friends and family members alike.  Although I can not remember any specific pranks (I have slept since then) I know I was part of some growing up.

Now, I have kids those same ages who just love April Fools day and are always dreaming up pranks to pull on their friends.  I remember last year Drama Queen telling all her friends that her dad was being transferred out of town and we would soon be moving.  I was sworn to not give it away and go along with the joke.  Well, anyone that knows me knows that I never want to move out of town so this was a major thing for me to agree with.  Her friends were so upset and were calling the house to ask her Dad and if it was true.  It was a good prank and most people fell for it.

Also last year Drama Queen got me good.  One Sunday afternoon SouthernGent was taking the girls out somewhere as I had a meeting at church to go to.  They had just left the house and I was picking up the kitchen before I had to leave.  I was turning on the faucet to rinse some dirty dishes and when I did I got SPRAYED by the hose.  I screamed and jumped back and stunned so that it took me a few seconds to realize what was happening and get enough sense about me to turn the water off.  By that time I was soaked.  She had placed a rubber band on the hose to hold the handle down so that when you turned on the water it automatically came out of the hose.  I then started laughing and picked up the phone to call them on the cell phone.  Of course they played dumb and tried to act like they had no idea what I was talking about.  I then had to quickly go and change my clothes before I could leave.

Who taught my children to be so devious?

Please call me sometimes

Saturday Hurricane A ran away from home. It all started when we are getting ready to eat dinner. We were having Tacos and Mexican rice. She said she did not want rice because she did not like it. She has been on this kick lately of saying she does not like pasta and rice which she has always liked. So I said to her “If you don’t like pasta and rice, you are not a part of this family.” obviously as a joke. Well the sensitive self that she is did not find that too funny. She runs up to her room almost in tears. I follow her telling her that I was just kidding and how much I love her and want her to be in my family. You know, to make her feel good. Nothing doing, she was not having any part of it. She told me to go away. I told her a few more times that I was just kidding and to come down and eat. She didn’t so I went on down to finish my meal before it got cold. Drama Queen goes up to see if she could talk to her but still no luck. The next thing we know she has appeared downstairs carrying a packed bag, her pillow, her jacket and she is dressed in her PJ pants and a shirt. I notice that she is not wearing any shoes so she runs back up to get them. As she heads to the back door she exclaims that she is running away. As she is preparing to leave I grab my camera and ask her if I can take a picture of her to remember her by. She quickly turns from me so that all I get is her back. She walks out the door and down the front steps. As she get down to the street I tell her to please remember to call me every once in a while to keep in touch. She just grunts at me. SouthernGent, Drama Queen and I are doubling over in laughter. My stomach is hurting I am laughing so hard. I take pictures of her along the way. When she gets to the stop sign at the end of the street she turns right as if she is heading to her friends house. She takes a couple of steps and turns the other direction as if she changed her mind and is going to her other friends house. Again, she takes a couple of steps and then changes directions. We are rolling because she can not make up her mind! Drama Queen then says that Hurricane A had told her that she was just going to the end of the street and then coming back home. So I told them that maybe we should go inside because we are obviously ruining her plan. We step inside to watch her from the dining room window. The next thing we know she has turned around and is running as fast as she can back home! Could this get any funnier? We are howling! I walk to the front door and asked her if she has forgotten something since she was coming back. She says “No and don’t touch any of my stuff because I am not a part of this family!” So, I said, “Okay little girl, we happen to have an extra bed upstairs because our little girl ran away form home and we are having dinner right now and could give you some food.”

Funny things is…that little girl has the same attitude as my daughter. Hmmm.

Grateful to be employed?

Conversation between me and the girl working the drive-thru at Burger King:

Girl:  Mwhaksjl Whopper nkfska  adsndk jdajj?

Me:  I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear what you asked me?

Girl:  I said “WOULD YOU LIKE THE WHOPPER WITH CHEESE MEAL TODAY?”

Me:  Yes, that is actually what I was going to get.  I would like my burger with Ketchup, mayonnaise and lettuce with a Diet Coke please.

Girl:  mhweljfh mnldakh cheese adklsad diet hajwof. cndkseu djalkdjw first jdaksdj.  msfhjkdfisy tisifh  khdf $5fjsdfhid.

I drive up to the first window.

Me:  I’m sorry, Five what?

Girl:  (with a big groan) $5.35!

I hand her my money and she hands me my receipt and a straw.  I take it from her and put my wallet into my purse and then notice my cell phone on the seat.  I put in my purse (while I am waiting on my food).  When I finish I look up at the window and the girl is leaning on the counter with her chin in her hand and staring at me as if to say “Lady, how long are you going to take just sitting there?”

Me:  Oh, I’m sorry. (Realizing that I was supposed to drive to the second window)

Girl:  Gives a weak smile (as if saying “Yeah whatever”)

I want to know something from you, the wise internet, whatever happened to people being nice to the customers and being grateful that they have a job? Could she have not just said “Ma’am you can pull to window two to get your food.”?  That’s all I’m saying.  Very simple.  I had to bite my tongue not to tell her to cheer up and act like she is enjoying herself.  When I was that age and was working retail or fast food restaurants we would told to always be nice and that customers were always right.  If you did not act properly with customers you were reprimanded.  Today’s generation has not been taught that.  No one wants to work anymore.  It’s pitiful.  I am going to teach my children to respect others and be grateful for the things that you have.

*****

I took Hurricane A to the doctor this morning.  She has had a rash on and off for a week and a half on her hands and arms.  For about a week before that she had a rash on her cheeks.  A friend of mine mentioned that it looked like she had Fifths Disease.  I got home and looked it up on the internet and sure enough that is exactly what it sounded like.  According to that information once you developed this rash you were no longer contagious.  The rash on her face appeared for about 2 weeks and went away.  Shortly after that she developed the rash on her hands.  I assumed it was something different since there was a couple of days in between them.  What was so strange was that this rash would come and leave as quickly as it appeared.  For instance, I made her appointment this morning and then went to wake her up.  The rash was not there and I even reconsidered taking her today.  She took a bath and then I rubbed lotion on her hands.  As I am rubbing in the lotion it is appearing on her hands.  By the time we get to the Dr. it is gone again. When the Dr. comes in it is very faint on her hands.  You almost can’t see it.  While we are looking at her hands and arms we see one developing in the bend of her arms and then down around her wrist and then on her hands.  It is truly weird.  The doctor said that she felt it was still consistent with Fifths disease and that this could continue for a couple of weeks.  So, if you were around my child oh… a month ago, I am truly sorry. 

Black Beauty

The Family

Originally uploaded by klyeaa

This picture was taken on Easter. I am posting this because I want you to check out the shiner that SouthernGent is sporting. He has been telling everyone that he got elbowed playing basketball. I am here today to set the story straight. I had listened to his backtalking for too long so I had to just set him straight. I just sayin!

We are being Cursed

I am in the process of trying to figure out how to post pictures correctly in my blog.  I am having bit of a time.  So, I am posting a post from my old blog.  It is still one that has me curious.  Maybe some new eyes can shed some light on this. 

I wanted to post about something today that has me slightly curious. One of my next door neighbors are Chinese. They do not speak English very well so I do not have much contact with them. I have always been friendly and smiled and waved and said hello when I see then outside. The lady is not very friendly and will always duck her head down and not look at you even when she passes you on the street. Well this summer I had a run in with her completely by accident. I was dog sitting my parents dog while they were out of town. They have a 5 lb Yorkie which I also have. However, mine looks more like a Chihuahua. Anyway, they are both very small dogs. I do not have a fenced in backyard so I take the dogs out on a leash to do their business. On this particular night, the husband was in the backyard playing frisbee and the wife was in the front working in her flower bed. I was taking both dogs out to potty on 2 different leashes. As we were going out the dogs got all tangled around my legs. Reecie, my parents dog saw then man next door and immediately started barking and started to run over there at the exact time that I was trying to change hands with the leashes to untangle myself. Needless to say his leash flew out of my hands. I began to run over there calling his name. The man had his back to us and when he heard me running and calling his name and with Reecie barking furiously the man turned around. He got this really frightened look in his eyes and started jumping around back and forth. He appeared then to be laughing ( I imagine to hide his fear from me). I kept calling Reecie and told the man that Reecie would not hurt him but he thinks you want to play. The man just looked at me and smiled and I apologized profusely and told him what had happened. I pick up the lost leash and apologize again and turn to head back home. About that time I hear his wife yelling and turn to see her running around from the front of the house and realize she is yelling at me! I said “Excuse me?” She said “What are you doing? Are you trying to scare my husband? ” (in PERFECT English, I might add) I said “Are you talking to me?” She said “Come on, dare me!” I noticed at this time that she was carrying a long tool with a wooden handle and a metal pointy thing on the end to hit and break up dirt in your yard. She raised it above her head while she is yelling this at me. I apparently was very dense because I the time I didn’t understand what she was meaning. I again said “Excuse me?” She said “This is my property, why are you on my property? She was pointing at the dogs while she said this and was looking at me with her shoulders thrown back like she was daring me to fight her! Her husband kept putting his arm around her shoulders and saying “It is okay.” he would try to turn her around to walk away but she would just throw her shoulder back to get his arm off her and kept ranting and raving the same thing to me. “Dare me, just come on and dare me!” I was just dumbfounded and kept saying “I am sorry. Your husband is fine and everything is okay.” Well it was obvious that she had literally flipped and was not going to let this go. I was starting to get mad because I was trying to politely say that I was sorry and it was an accident but she wasn’t going to let it go. I finally looked at her and said “Thank you for being such a nice neighbor! I have done nothing to you to ever deserve this treatment from you and I have apologized to you. So, forget you!” I then took my dogs and went home. The whole time she is still yelling at me. I got home and was so mad that I was shaking. I called my husband who was upstairs and missed the whole exchange. I took him into our bedroom and closed the door to tell him about this. Our bedroom happens to be on the side of the house that sides up to their house. The whole time I was telling him we could hear yelling coming from their yard. We would look out to the backyard but could not see her. My husband was getting mad while I told him and wanted to go over there but I would not let him. I continue with my story and we start to hear yelling again. This time we looked out the front bedroom window which looks out in our front yard and we can easily see her driveway. Now, remind you, we have come inside and no one is out there. We look out the window and she is standing in her driveway looking at our house and screaming something in chinese at the top of her lungs while throwing her hands around wildly. Her husband is nowhere around. I look at my husband and said “She is Psycho!” I really believe that. This went on for about 15 minutes. Later that evening my husband took the dogs out to potty and the whole time he was saying loudly “Go potty dogs, go potty.” Not long after that the lady comes outside in her backyard and paces her yard with her arms folded across her chest and just glaring at my husband and dogs. I really believe this lady has flipped and is psycho. Anyway, on Halloween they put a picture in the window of a black cat crossing a moon. I have posted the picture above. Halloween came and went, decorations put away, Thanksgiving decorations have been put away and Christmas decorations have been put away. Yet, this picture still remains in the window that looks to the side of my house. Does she have some kind of hex on us? I don’t know much about the Chinese culture but I find this kind of creepy. Surely they haven’t forgotten that it is in the window. I notice the blinds being opened and closed daily. Is this meant for us? If you know anything about Chinese practices or can shed any light on this or just any thoughts, let me know.

Randomness

I have just little bits and pieces today.

• Easter is this weekend and I still need to find shoes for the girls.  We have dresses and I took Hurricane A this past weekend to shop for shoes.  We did buy a pair but when we got home I realized they would not look good with her dress.  So I need to take both girls to buy some in the next couple of days.  My problem…where to buy cute shoes.  Hurricane A wears about a 1 but not many places carry children’s shoes.  Especially dress shoes, they are hard to find.  Drama Queen wears about a 3 which I believe is about a 5 in ladies shoes.  The problem there is finding shoes that are suitable for teens but don’t look too grown up.  Where do you find children’s and tweens shoes?
• Drama Queen has another sinus infection.  She just got back from her Youth retreat and was not any better.  Hubby took her to the doctor and she has an infection.  We are trying a new antibiotic because she is absolutely unbearable when it comes to taking medicine.  First dose was okay, the ones to follow?  Well, we will see.
• Tomorrow is Good Friday.  I know it will be unbelievable how slow it will be.  So many doctors are probably closing their offices tomorrow.  I hope we get off early as we have in the past.  Do you get Good Friday off?
• We are still on lock-down here at work.  I have heard more unsettling things about this guy today.  Like when he had shooting practice with his gun, he used his bosses picture.  Deranged, I say!  He called the office this morning to talk with another guy he worked with in the back.  He told him that he had not told his wife that he had been fired and was just out driving around.  That makes me nervous because that is more time for things to go through his mind and make him mad and who knows what he could do.  So far, nothing has happened and I hope it doesn’t.  I am glad that my company has taken steps to protect us all.

That’s it for today.  Happy first day of spring.

We are on lock-down

This world is truly becoming a very scary place.  People are CRAZY!  My office is now on official lock-down following an exchange of words between one of the guys in the warehouse and his boss where there were threats made to the boss.  The guy was asked to leave and then management told us to lock all entry doors and no one is allowed to exit the building through the back without letting management know about it.  The police are here now getting statements.

The other scary part is that this guy came back to our area earlier today and asked if we heard any yelling coming from back there.  The warehouse backs up to our wall and we can usually hear them when they raise their voices.  Luckily the girl that sits behind me and against that wall told him that no she didn’t and she did not need to know about it.  Thinking back we are glad she said that because we would not want him to know that she heard threats (she didn’t). People are also saying that he owns guns and that he keeps one in his car.

I just want to know what is happening to our world?  Why are people so angry and bitter?  Maybe the whole world DOES need to be on Prozac.  I’m just saying.