And you think your life stinks?

OR -- When the metaphore becomes literal.

OR -- You're not really dumping that here, are you?

OR -- Into everyone's life a little poo must fall.

This morning started off as one of those "dumped on" days. You know the kind: nothing seems to be going right, life is throwing frustrations at you right and left.... basically, the world drops all of it's poo on your head at once.

What poo on my head, you ask? Well, job stress... or losing job stress. I still don't have "official" word on it. School stress... I've GOT to get out of school! I've had a cold for what seems forever. Basically it's just normal life stress compounded by the fact that my 37th birthday is in two weeks and I'm contemplating life and what I've got to show for my life and what I've done with my life or haven't done and where I thought I'd be in my life by now that I'm not ..... you know, just the normal middle aged stuff. (I guess I am really middle aged since the US Census includs the category as 35- 44 -- ugh.) If I were rich and could afford a mid-life crisis, I'd have one. Unfortunately, I'm not.

So, I come to work this morning a bit down. Start doing my daily work stuff and look up to see a big truck backing into the space in front of my office door. It is hauling what looks to be "natural fertilizer." (Um, yes, that would be natural cow poo fertilizer... ) The truck drove by a couple of times then literally backed within 6 feet of my office door and stopped. Curiosity got the better of me, so I went out to see just what was going on! It's the landscapers for the office complex are here today and since my office is "centrally located" we get the honor of having the mulch/fertilizer dumped right in front of our office. Since it can't be in the fire lane or the hadicapped spot, it is RIGHT in front of my office door.


To be honest, I couldn't help but laugh because as I sat here, I watched my metaphorical poo dumping become literal. I guess, metaphorically and literally speaking, you've got to spread the poo before the flowers can grow.

The countdown is on...

Okay, my birthday is coming up, but more importantly so is spring. It is 30 days away. At something like 11:58 March 19, 2008, my favorite season of the year starts. I don't have any big plans for spring. Summer either, for that matter. But it is such a pretty time of year. We get lots of sun here in DFW, the temperatures generally are in the 70s to low 80s in the early spring. That means the winter doldrums will be over. (Yes, it's really hot in the summer. I know, I know.... but that is another post.)

It is just a gorgeous time of year. Colors are prettier. Flowers start to bloom. The trees start to bud out and turn green. I think this year I will go to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens. I think I will go there for my birthday this year. They're having a butterfly garden from March 1 through March 30 and that sounds like fun to me.

Oh, and in case anyone who is reading my blog isn't family.... my birthday is March 16.

This post is rated R for language

I got called a "stupid fucking cunt" tonight. Yep. I was called "that" word.

I went to the grocery store after work. After I shopped, I got in my car to go home and there were people behind me that were waiting for someone to pull out. They weren't moving and no one was in front of me, so I pulled through, waited for a car to go by, and was about to pull out when this guy comes flying (the wrong way, I might add) up the aisle to pull into the space I was now sitting in. When he saw me sitting there, he flipped me off and called me a "s-f-c"!! (It was actally quite easy to read his lips... ) I must have totally looked like a deer in the headlights because I was shocked.

I couldn't believe it. I mean, I know that in the Vagina Monologues there is a whole vignette about reclaiming the C-word as an acceptable term for female genetalia. I totally understand that the Vagina Monologues is about empowering women and was created to stop the violence against women and girls. I agree with that goal -- even support it, but that is one word I honestly feel is just flat-out vulgar and violent. It has always been a vulgar word and is, I don't think, "redeemable." That word is always and will always be a threatening word to me.

I got out of there and came home and locked the door!

And today I share the love

It's Valentine's Day. Nothing reminds me more of those Valentine's Day parties at school as a kid more than conversation hearts. I still love the little bits of sugary goodness even though they really don't have much flavor. The sayings on them these days make me laugh, though. "Fax Me" and "E-mail Me" make me laugh because they are so modern on such an old-fashioned candy. This year, Necco went with weather related sayings. (from their website) The 10 new weather and nature-inspired sayings, such as “Melt My Heart,” “In A Fog,” and “Chill Out,” capture the day-to-day frenzy of forecasting changing weather patterns and pay tribute to Americans’ ever-evolving affections. Other new weather and nature-inspired sayings include: “Cloud Nine,” “Heat Wave,” “Sun Shine,” “Get My Drift,” “Wild Life,” “Nature Lover,” and “Do Good.” This Valentine’s Day, love’s in the forecast, come rain or shine, sleet or snow!

To be honest, I don't really do much for Valentine's Day. Okay, the being single probably has a bit to do with it, but even when I'm dating someone, I don't expect much for the day. Then again, it's been so long since I celebrated Valentine's Day with a boyfriend...

But since today is a day for sharing the love, I want to tell those who read my blog how much I appreciate you sharing little bits of my life. I hope you can take away something useful or a bit of a smile from my trials and adventures in life. Anyway, since this is a day to share the love, I want to do just that with my blogger friends. So, I created a bit of blog bling using the Acme Heart Maker. Yes, you can make your own conversation heart and share it with the one you love.

So, Julie at Causes Rats... I give you bling because I totally love your pictures. I do have to say, I'm jealous of your new camera!!

Moma, I give you bling because I would not be the person I am today without you!

Sis C, you are were my sister first and have become my friend. I know that sounds kind-of cliche, but it is true. I'm glad. (And Sis A, you too, but you don't have a blog for me to give you bling! hint, hint.)

So, you three, today I give you bling for your blog. For everyone else who reads my blog on a regular basis, or if you've just stumbled across it today. Thank you for reading.

I've been tagged!

So, it seems Julie from Causes Rats in Laboratory Cancer has tagged me with a meme. I kinda like this one and I know who I'll tag first... who else but my librarian sister! Maybe she'll do it at work!

Okay... here are the instructions:

1. Pick up the nearest book ( of at least 123 pages).

2. Open the book to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people. and post a comment here once you post it to your blog, so I can come see.

The book is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrye Neffenegger. (I very highly recommend it and have to thank my sister the librarian for pointing me to it!)

My attention drifted.

"Read that once again, child," says Grandma.

"Twenty down. 'Monkish money.' Eight letters, second letter 'a,' last letter 'n.'

So, I tag:

The Librarian Sister at Blue-Eyed Bookworm
The Moma at While You're Up
My Catty Friend, Erica at Young & Beautiful
My Cousin's Wife at Bein' Franklin
A fellow North Texan at All Things Michelle

There are some days you should just get a do-over

Yesterday was that day.

It started out as any other day starts out... I was running late. Now, generally this is my own doing and yesterday was no exception. I'm just not good with mornings and sometimes find myself sitting on my bed or on the couch or sometimes just standing and not moving for minutes on end. It's like someone hit a pause button.

I made it to work *just* in time and that is where the day started to go wrong. It wasn't wrong because I was at work, but because the powers that be gave me a two-day project and less than 24 hours to get it designed/corrected, supplies to print and bind it, and overnighted to the appropriate locations.

Here's what happened: Wednesday, The Boss walks into my office and states that he has a presentation that needs to be finished, printed and overnighted for delivery on Friday. I immediately ordered supplies from our new Office Supply Company (OSC) so I would have what I needed. Now, generally, The Boss is pretty good about getting me stuff in advance, so I figured I would have the final approved draft by fairly early Thursday morning, early afternoon at the latest. At 11:00 he calls to say that they haven't started working on it yet but that he'll call me when they've approved it. Hours go by... OSC still hasn't delivered office supplies, The Boss hasn't called. AAARRRRGGGGGHHH!!!!!!!!

Panic starts to set in a bit. I make some phone calls to see where the office supplies are... Customer Service assures me they'll be to me within the hour. Called The Boss and got no answer so I left a message. An hour and a half goes by and still no office supplies, but finally got a call from one of the other Boss-type people saying that it was almost complete, would I make these changes, but don't print it yet because it isn't fianl yet.

By this time, it's 3:30. I get off work at 4:30. I finally get final approval at 3:35 to print. It's a 30 page presentation and I have many, many copies to print and bind. At 4:00 I asked my co-worker to go get paper from OSC, he got back, I got started printing and life sorta started looking okay again.

(Yes, I did get it all done and shipped, by the way.)

Through it all, I kept thinking, It's Miss A's birthday, I have to call her. Finally, at 8:37 last night (after work and school and everything was done and I had a second) I called A and asked if Miss A was still up. She was just going to bed, so I got to say goodnight and happy birthday all at once. The day, through all the stresses and trials ended on a happy note. Except... I can't believe she's five!! So, here's a few favorite pics of Miss A...

As Winter drags on...

Blah.. blah... blah...

That about sums up my mood lately. I don't know what to do to make me feel less blah. The past couple of days have been beautiful, but I just haven't had the time or energy to DO anything.

I guess I did something yesterday.... I watched the Super Bowl along with nearly 100 million households. It's hard to imagine 100 million of anything, much less 100 million people doing the same thing at the same time. Ah well, the team I wanted to win, won the game. Yeah Giants!!!!

Since I need a smile... I thought I'd share a summertime one...