In or Out! (And I don't mean the Burger)

"You all stay in or out but stop your running back and forth"

That's what my Daddy used to yell say every time we would use the back door like a turn-style and run in and out of the house. He was so good at saying that statement that our own children got to hear it over and over again!

See these two?

  Annie & Jake.

See this Doggie door?

 It has a magnetic clip on it to keep it closed when not in use. That magnetic clip makes a clicking sound every single time they go through it from the livingroon to the outside deck.

All day and evening - until bedtime - we hear that CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. Over and over again as they do this:

IN

 

OUT

CLICK, CLICK, CLICK......CLICK

They go out to survey the back yard, to bark at whatever needs to be barked at and to do their business. They come back in to walk the house, take a quick nap, eat a bite, or just to say "Hey". Then it's back through the doggie door they go.

I catch myself yelling telling then to stay IN or OUT! But just like we were as kids...they don't listen either!

CLICK, CLICK, CLICK, CLICK......

Peace

Getting Hosed....

I have a love/hate relationship with pantyhose. I love to wear them because they keep my legs warm (which in turn prevents the hair on my legs from growing when they get cold...it's true). I'm also pale-skinned so they make my legs look a bit better when wearing business clothing for work, and they prevent my thighs from sticking together (gross)! What I hate about hose is that it's hard to find a "natural" color so it sometimes looks like I jumped in the tanning bed and only got my legs. I also hate that any slight movement, bump or worse...when I pull them up... I get a damn run in them!  You would think that after 50 years of hosiery making that the powers that be can make a panty hose that will not run - or at least run after the 10th use and not on the first! In the past 2 days I have run two brand new pairs of hose!! AND the kicker is that they cost 3 times the cost of a gallon of gasoline! That, my friends, is no lie and it sure does suck!

Now, I could easily solve the hose issue by wearing pants to work. True...true. But I've always felt more comfortable in a skirt or dress. I feel more ...feminine in skirts and dresses. Plus, I'm vertically challenged so finding dress pants that are the right length for me is just impossible!

I know what you are thinking....solve the problem and just ditch the hose altogether or stop whining about it. (Didn't think I heard you right??). Well, going bare-legged at 45'ish, in the winter months, is not a pretty sight on some people and I happen to be one of them! My legs get blotchy, nics from daily shaving, and pasty from lack of sun. Bleck! Bleck! And double Bleck!!!

Okay...that's my rant and post for the day. I need to 'run' (get it?) and see if I can find some clear nail polish in my car to fix the run in my black hose before it makes it to my knee and in plain sight!

Peace!

Rambling Rose...

I haven't really blogged lately. I'm not sure why...just haven't. It's not even as if there is nothing happening in my life to blog about; there's a few things, but by the time I finally sit down to write a post I realize the moment has passed me by.

So, here are a few random ramblings for your reading pleasure:

1. Food Chain Friends - They are Friends...They eat each other...It's complicated! Kelley bought this for my great-niece recently. Isn't it just about the coolest, yet freakiest thing you have ever seen? What kind of mind came up with this idea? Stuffed animals that "eat each other", Food Chain style!

2. Rich & I have enjoyed our 'empty nest' life-style! The benefits are endless: Sleeping with our bedroom door open. Having a beer and popcorn for dinner? Sure why not. Let's even throw in a bowl of cereal into the mix just because. Then there the easy cleaning for 2! My cleaning days no longer consist of cleaning an extra bathroom or washing dishes for many! Now I pace myself as I dust and vacuum - takes me a few minutes because Rich and I generally pick up after ourselves and clean as we go. Then there is the benefit of not feeling (self-imposed) pressure to hurry right home or staying home just in case we are needed. When someone else is living in our space we tend to feel like we have to 'tend' to them. And let's not forget that we can (kids close your eyes) have sex whenever we want! Plus, we know it's annoying to live with Us!

3. I finally had a talk with my boss and shared my feelings of frustration and desire for more meaningful work. The discussion went well and I should expect some additional projects and responsibilities to come my way in the very near future. I think the most satisfying from the conversation is that I'm not in danger of getting RIF'd any time soon! I have also accepted a strategic volunteer role within a local HR organization that I anticipate will help me in with networking and with my professional development.

4. We are still hitting the gym a few times a week. Well, we have slacked a little bit over the past week but it's all good!

5. Rich and I have put up a calendar at home and have begun to fill it with events and travel plans that we are looking forward to this year! This is the year that we get out of the house on the weekends and hit the road! We want to do some camping, hop on the bike for some riding, and take in as many golf trails, winery trails & restaurants from "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives" as we can.

6. I'm heading to St. Petersburg, FL the end of next week to help my Aunt through knee surgery and recovery. I love a road trip and I love her!

Oh my goodness.......what a random and B-O-R-I-N-G post this is!!

I promise something more insightful and interesting will come soon!

Peace!

Does This Count?

I have a problem.

Well, not a problem...but a 'problem'.

Not really a 'problem' either...

I count!

There I said it. I am a counter! I count everything..utility poles on the side of the road, stairs when I'm walking them, windows on/in a building, ceiling tiles, chairs in a room. Sometimes I just c-o-u-n-t for no reason at all. I count my crochet stitches even though there is not a reason to do that when I'm doing a repetitive stitch. This morning at the gym I even counted the number of pull-ups some random guy was doing! How freaking weird is that? The bad part is that I know that I'm doing it but do it any way! I don't feel 'obsessed' that I have to count every thing, but I just find myself doing it for no particular reason.

I even googled it this morning to see if this oddity is linked to anything weirder. There's no linkage but I did find that a lot of people do this! Whew...I'm not alone on my self-imposed island of misfit toys!

Isn't that weird?

Peace!

Don't Judge Lest Ye Be Judged

0415/4:15am - Get up from the warm bed to get ready for the gym.

0430/4:30am - Rich and I get to the gym and begin out 1 hour workout.

0545/5:45am - Back home. Showers and getting ready for work begin.

0630/6:30am - Finished getting ready for work, sit down to a bowl of Raisin Bran for breakfast.

0650/6:50am - Rich stands in kitchen doorway watching me as I make my coffee-to-go, grab a banana for mid-morning snack, put on my coat and grab my purse. 

0651/6:51am - Notice the chocolate chip cookies on the counter that we bought in a moment of weakness at Publix last night.

0652/6:52am - Shove a cookie in my mouth

0652. 30 seconds/6:52:30 - Look at Rich, with the cookie hanging out of my mouth... "Don't judge"

~ Peace

You are NOT Bella and He is NOT Edward!

Geesh...some people drive me insane! Take the Twilight frenzy...for example. Rich and I had not seen any of the Twlight movies until recently. (As a matter of fact we've not seen any Harry Potter or Lord of the Ring flixs either, but that is a completely different blog).

After Christmas we decided to go ahead and watch all of the Twilight movies, to include going to the theatre to catch the latest and greatest film. I will admit that we really did like the movies...very well done and the story line was not too shabby. While the last film held a huge cliffhanger in the air we were not inclined to go out an get the book just to see what will happen in the next movie - we can wait. And..to answer the burning question..we did NOT join either "Team".

So, what's my deal-i-o? Grown ass people who do not separate fact from fiction...a script from real life. In fact, GROWN ADULTS (in their mid-late 30's) who refer to each other as "Bella" and "Edward" in person and on Facebook! First of all...YOU are NOT Bella and He is NOT Edward! Your names are "XXXX' and "XXXX". Grow the hell up and play in the real world! These folks even had their 2011 Christmas ornaments designed with their fictitious names! When I see Him refer to her as Bella I feel the bile rising in my throat. A recent post between them "Bella loves her Edward" and the response "Edward loves his Bella" just about had me one itchy trigger finger away from hitting the 'unfriend' button - or at the very least, losing my lunch! In the end I just 'unsubscribed' to their nonsense so I can't see their ridiculous posts.

Maybe I see the whole fantasy-role-playing all wrong and maybe they use their sudo names as foreplay to some freaky, wicked romp in the hay. If that's the case..then rock on Folks! Whatever works between the sheets for you! Then again, maybe to pretend to live in and get lost in the seduction of vampires and wolves is better than facing a mundane existence (not accusing here..just saying). To each his/her own I guess.

It's just a movie..or series of movies Folks! Just sayin'!

Peace!

Taking off the Cloak of Grief

Saturday I went to get my nails done and a pedicure! This was a true treat for me because I had been putting it off for months because I was just too busy with holiday stuff. "Pick a color" is the first thing the nail tech tells me after finding out what service I want done. I browsed around at the smorgasbord colors - I usually zero in on go with a red for my toes and something ultra subdued on my nails; so not to draw attention. As I reached for a neutral (depressing) color my hand stopped in mid-reach.

In  the blink of my mind's eye I saw myself as I have been for 2 years. I spent the first year after Mom and Dad died and  Rich was deployed, just existing..not wanting to be noticed because the pain I was in was just too great. I got rid of my 'before' clothes, (the ones that reminded me of life before they died and before Rich left for War) - because I was no longer the same person as I was 'before". I was a changed woman - different. I had become empty, lonely, grief-stricken and ultimately broken. My wardrobe became filled with varying shades of grey and black with a splash of white thrown in. My rainbow of life had lost it's color. In my head I just couldn't brighten my clothes when I felt like I was still in mourning...it just didn't feel right.

Year two rolled around and eventually Rich came home. I added some green and a red sweater here and there so I didn't look as morbid. With my husband's help my closet began to brighten up some, but I still resisted to come out of my mourning clothes. I WANTED to...I longed to.

But, something happened when I reached for that little bottle of nail polish. I knew at that moment that I wanted to mourn no more. No matter how much I wish..or grieve, they are dead and will be dead tomorrow. I have to find a peace about it and force myself to move on. For some reason I still mourned for Rich while he was deployed although he came home to me - for the year lost that I still can't remember or get back. Standing there in that nail shop I realized it was time. Time to leave my self-imposed exile and give myself permission to live, to laugh, to breath, the feel the sun on my face, to accept life again. I knew it was time to throw off my mourning clothes and take in the colors that represent beauty, rebirth, love and life..I'm scared (so scared) but ready to find the part of myself that enjoyed every single day "before".

I passed over the dark red, the neutral browns..I found a happy feeling, peace in a bottle that my fingers picked up and handed to my nail technician:

It looks purple in the picture but it really is Blue.

It's a start!

Peace!

Just Thinking Out Loud to Myself

So......

as I've stated before, I feel very under-utilized at work. It's been a tough year trying to find meaningful work to do on a regular basis - and it's been tough to keep my professional ego in check because of it. Throughout last year I noticed that whenever there was a transition of duties (whether through reduction, retirement, or resignation), my supposed equal co-worker would be given additional responsibilities and I would be handed a very teensy tiny role. I've sucked it up and swallowed my frustration because..hey, I need my job. But today I found out that this particular co-worker was once again given a major responsibility role and I obviously wasn't considered. It's frustrating to me because I HAVE experience in this new role and 10 plus more years of experience over my co-worker. So I have to ask myself:

• Is it because I'm female?
• Is it because I'm Caucasian - yes, I just went there?
• Is it because I don't sit in our boss's office numerous times a day to get a personal level?
• Is it because my co-worker is working on an MBA and I hold 2 B.S. degrees?
• Is it because I could be sitting in a lay-off position at some point and my boss doesn't want to give me added responsibility?
• Is it because of my age - and that my co-worker is 10 years younger?

I don't know but I am going to find out! As an EXPERIENCED HR professional I am frustrated...and hurt. I've worked very hard to get where I am today and quite frankly, disappointed that I haven't been able to gain the experience I need to classify as a Sr.-level professional in my field. I had hoped to be a little further along by now and each time an additional responsibility is pass off to my co-worker I get further behind in my career.

My choice of actions are:

1. Aggressively look for another job
2. Suck it up and see what happens
3. Talk honestly and openly with my Boss

I'm taking Option #3!

Holy Working-Out Batman

After 2 weeks of Holiday-season madness, Rich & I hit the gym again on Tuesday! It was like starting all over again - except with 8-10 pounds of wine, beer, cookies, cake, and eating-out strapped on! Ugh! So for 3 days we have hit the gym hard, sworn off booze until the weekend (when we may or may not drink moderately if at all), and have file-13'd the sweets left laying around.

In our gym world we arrive at 4:30am!  That's A.M. - as in 'after midnight'...as in it requires getting up between 4:00-4:15am...as in it's soooo soooo damn early! 

And it hurts!! I am still feeling the effects of the workout I did 3 days ago! Today I am just exhausted and there is not one part of my body that does not hurt in some way! (I think I just broke my resolution to complain less!). This too shall pass in time but daaaaa-aaamn!

I found this little diddy on Pinterest..and I like it. A Lot! I need to WILL read this over and over and over again every single day. Several times a day!

Peace!

It's a New Year

2012!

WOW!

When I was a wee tot I remember playing with a calculator that I stashed into my my little girl purse that I carried to church with me one day. I sat on the pew next to my sister and every so slightly; so not to catch Daddy's eye (he was a deacon and sat behind the pulpit), I plunked out numbers to calculate how old I would be in every-how-many years. This was back in the mid-70's so years like 1990, 2000, even 2010 seemed like I was talking about life on a different planet. Sooooo far away that I just could not comprehend that I would actually be alive to see years with such BIG numbers!

At that time in my life I was wondering when I would get boobs, what year I would turn 16 and if Mama was going to make Taco Salad for Sunday lunch! I couldn't help but let my young mind visualize the craziest things, like flying cars or teleporting like on Star Trek had to be in the future.

But here I sit 35 years later in the year 2012! I've seen 8-track tapes be replaced by cassettes then CD's. The birth of the Microwave. VCRs become DVD players. console TV's be replaced by hi-def flat screens with 3D capabilities with REMOTES! Pagers transitioned to cell phones, and the Commodore 64 grow to the laptop I am using now!

So, 2012!

I'm 45, a wife, mother and Grandmother. My, how life has changed!!