Cold, Cloudy, & Tiny Little Crock Pot

I got brotherman a "one-person" type crock pot for Christmas, because he broke his not too long ago. He doesn't think you can make anything but soup in this little thing. I disagree, as I just made that "chicken stew/chowder" stuff in it and got at LEAST 4 bowls worth as far as quantity. So, I kept it, with the promise that I would get him a bigger one soon. PERFECT! I'm planning to make 1/2 batch of chili in it next, while the weather is still below 50. It really IS perfect for single living. I WAS tempted to just give brotherman my full-sized one, but I need it for when I make stuff to take to work.

Anyway, today was cold, rainy, and cloudy (which I LOVE), although it didn't add to my attitude. It incenses me that some people can get paid to fuck off and play on the internet and text message with their friends all day while the rest of us are busting ass, picking up the slack, and struggling to keep our heads above water. I HATE working weekends because I have to pick up the slack. It's one thing when you WANT to...another when you NEED to. 'Nuff said.

Got some cute/cool pics to share. Always the shutterbug, and love every minute of it:

I'm gonna go finish watching The Green Mile. LOVED the book series, and LOVES me some Tom Hanks.

Happy Hump Day!

Tuesday Blues...

Monday sucked big time, but even though it was crazy hectic, it was still peaceful. I'm so behind on my work from covering the front desk AND the warehouse for two days it's not even funny, and I'm sure the receptionist is still going to be in "vacation mode," so I'll have to pick up the slack there, too. (Not unlike any other day, really.) I've already resigned myself to the fact that I'll probably have to go in one day this weekend to play catch-up. I really want to take a couple vacation days but can't until I get shit done. At least I've been making a nice dent in the mountain of filing that's accumulated. Piles of paper drive me crazy and make me more claustophobic than I already am.

Did anyone catch Heroes? I know, stupid question. It was AWESOME, again. They really need to make it longer, though. The suspense is killing me.

Happy Tuesday...is it Friday yet?

ZEN, ZEN, ZEN

I must say, this was one of the most perfect weekends I've had in a LONG time. Not only did I get a Friday at work without drama and disruption, I got to spend a nice night in, and cooked for the b/f! Yeah, halfway through my meal I realized I didn't take pics for you guys...shrimp over linguini with alfredo sauce (oh, yeah, I MADE this):

Saturday was spent with b/f & his mom, and I must say it turned out better than I expected. I got a little sick beforehand because I was so apprehensive (EWW) but I sucked it up (not the puke, you sickos) and got thru it. We even had a nice lunch together. All's well that ends well on that end of the map.

I traded in some books and such, and ended up getting a new game. STUNTMAN is the ULTIMATE! I can't wait till I get used to it so I don't crash so much. I also got some movies I've been wanting to own: Under the Tuscan Sun, Trading Places, and Grumpy & Grumpier Old Men. GOD I am such a chick. Excuse me while I go run my stuntcar off of a cliff or something...

Sunday I made something like a chicken chowder-like thing, just threw some stuff together in the mini crock-pot (the dumplings I made were do DIE for):

I also talked to Hitman J!!! (Those of you who've been around remember him, right?) He's doing well, but said he doesn't really miss blogging. He sounded great, and is happy building his life, bustin' caps and breaking knees up there. Hope it's all good, but I told him y'all said "hi" and ya miss him. Personally, I miss "WV:TG." I'm tempted to just do it for the helluvit when I come across that shit.

Meanwhile: Weekend AZ sky pictures...

Doesn't that last one look like it has a "signature" in the lower right-hand corner? I'm seeing "Naamba" or "Niaambaa" or somthing like that. Weird. Just plain weird. I SWEAR I took that with my camera phone. It wasn't raining. It wasn't even as COLD as it's been. It actually hit 70, but it's supposed to dip down by Wednesday and rain. One can only pray for that in the desert.

Happy Monday, chillens! It's gonna be a crazy-gotta-go-in-early-cos-I'm-covering hum-dinger, but I'll have NO drama, no i-poddedness, no disruptive mountains-out-of molehills bullshit, so I'm looking forward to it, for a change. It's amazing how ONE person's absence makes an atmosphere SO much better. I heard it from SEVERAL people on Friday. Hmmmm...

I'm SO Outta Here, Yo...

I was sitting on my couch, relaxing, after a kind of stressful Saturday with the b/f and his mom and some other claustrophobic shit (b/f has his funny ways of distracting me in elevators and in crowds).

Anyway, here I'm just watching chick flicks. Got the rest of the weekend to myself. LOVING it. All of a sudden, POP-POP-POP!!!!! TWICE! DOWN! DOWN! DOWN! I pulled my dog off the couch and we hit the floor like crumbs from the bottom of a bucket of KFC.

What the fuck, is this a DRIVE-BY??? In MY neighborhood? This is supposed to be the HIGH end of town, YO!

Neighbors came out their doors, my dog went OFF, running around like a five-year-old on a chocolate milk binge, and I smelled smoke.

Then...nothing. Either there was a murder-suicide nearby, or someone really needs a tune-up. OR, I've just developed a fear of firecrackers. GREAT. ANOTHER phobia to confront. FUCK.

I didn't hear any sirens, so I went back to my kleenex-fest. Thank GOD I don't have the dreaded chickflickaphobia...nor do I have the fear of the "F" word.

FUCK I hate shit like that. And I can't wait to get the hell out of this place.

Covering

FIRST: If I see that "So long, farewell, blah blah blah" car commercial one more time, I'm going to set myself on fire. "The Sound of Music" USED to be one of my favorite movies growing up. They always showed it around Christmas time. Christmas is OVER, you DICKHOLES! Seeing these idiot car salesmen wannabe's dancing like that makes me want to kick a box. Or learn to kickbox one of them. One of the two.

Onward.

I'm covering the front desk Friday and Monday, kiddos, so time is of the essence. I'll do my best to get up earlier, since I have to be in the office early, but UGH! There's always some time over the weekend to catch up, although Saturday is pretty full and I'm seriously thinking of going in on Sunday to catch up on MY work. And here I said I wanted it all to myself.

NOOOOOOO!!!!!! I'm becoming my mother!!!! (she and I joke about that all the time. Believe me, it's a GOOD thing.)

Apartment hunting can wait...AGAIN.

Not that I'm complaining! I'll be shining like a brand new penny and loving every minute of the peace I'll be getting from not having the energy SUCKED OUTTA me like the blood from someone trapped in a leach-infested river. No listening to incessant beatles, billy joel, and god knows WHAT female sickass depressing artist on the front desk ipod (which, by the way, if I have to ask one more fucking time to have her turn it down I'm going to get a river rock and crush the fucking thing AND the speakers), no incessant tic-tic-tic-tic-tic from the IM and 'net typing. AND, no more listening to the "buzz" of her cell phone and hearing the "smack!" of her closing it after text messaging all fucking day. If only for two days, it will be refreshing, no matter what gets thrown my way. For two days, I won't be praying for a valium, or for a meteor to drop on me and put me out of my misery.

Living HELL has been given a reprieve. THEN, I'm gonna take a few days off. Maybe just two. Don't get me wrong. I love my JOB. I LOVE this COMPANY.

I just need to bite the bullet.

Hope everyone has a great, safe weekend. Smooches!

Elephant Wrestlers

There I was, after a pretty rough day at the office, having just finished some leftover comfort food, trying to relax and watch some psycho bitch on American Idol (I SWEAR I only caught it because I was flipping channels and it cracked me up because at one point during the day I really felt like flipping out like she did).

Anyway. Miss Mads is curled up on my feet, being nice and mellow, the phone was off, and all was getting right with the world. Ohm......

All of a sudden, the sky was falling. I KNOW the ceiling was about to cave in, because my neighbors had a herd of wild elephants running around. They were up and down the stairs outside. They were in every room of their apartment. I think they must have been charging admission for some sick elephant mud-wrestling competition. The thought was unnerving, and I almost called animal control. Seriously.

How can one relax with such ruckus going on? It's bad enough that I have to ask the receptionist to turn down her music 50 times a day and pray that her disruptiveness isn't out of control, so when I get home, god dammit, I likes me some quiet time. What the hell? I'm not trying to be an uptight bitch, just deserve a little respect, is all. I don't go beating on my ceiling for the hell of it, right?

This went on for a good hour or so, long enough to get the dog all riled up and barking her head off. NICE. I was going to run up and just knock and say, "step lightly, please!" But one of the elephants must have taken the championship and got a trophy full of peanuts or something, because just as I got my shoes on, the stampede stopped.

I'm running a nice, hot bubble bath as we speak, to at least TRY to get to the Zen I was feeling a little while ago. Those elephants better behave, too, or I'm getting the fucking tranq gun.

Kickin' Ass & My DOG, the GOOB

I kicked ass at work today. KICKED IT GOOD. I got so much done, and actually feel like I'm getting caught up. I was damn PROUD when I left there. I was exhausted when I got home and only made a measly piece of garlic toast with leftover spaghetti sauce for dinner (not even worth a pic, Cork, didn't even bother with pasta...sorry), but I was PROUD, dammit.

I am determined to RELAX this weekend and not worry about taking care of a cold, a headache, going into work to battle the filing monster, or the job-costing monster, or any OTHER monster that's been piling up as a result of my own bad luck, health, and all "other" [non]contributions to the shit at work. 'NUFF. I'm HOME now. Besides, it all comes out in the wash, right?

Meanwhile, my dog is a complete GOOBER. A GOOD one, since I forgot to put the garbage up before I left for work and the house was still intact when I got home. GOOD GIRL! So she got extra pets when I walked in.

The "goobness:" I took her out for her "last call" of the evening, sat down to watch some repeat CSI (original), and she comes BOLTING out of the bedroom like, "AAAAHHHHH!!!!! I just HAVE to be in the living room because where the FUCK is my squeaky TOY???!!" I mean, she was RIP- ROARING around the carpet, running in circles, barking her fool-head off looking at me, frantically searching. She finally finds it, brings it up to me on the couch, I reach for it, but HER take was, "NOOOOO, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!"

At this point I'm like, "look bitch, I'm too tired to chase you, so either fess it up and let me throw it somewhere for you to go running after it, or it's all over." Normally I'm all over that shit, but tonight...huh-uh...

She'd have NONE of that. I ended up chasing her all over the apartment for the better part of 30 minutes, giggling MY fool-head off. I'd do it outside, but it's dark, and it's fucking cold outside. Shag that noise. Hey, we had some good fun in here, I laughed my ass off at her antics and got some exercise. Queensland Heelers really are an AGILE breed. Mix it with the excited, barking cute face of a beagle (not MY face, smartasses), and you got yourself a winner. They don't run into shit like I do, and believe me, I DID. I'm sure the bruises will show tomorrow, but it's worth it. I really should post a picture, but she's as tuckered as I am.

NOW I'm going to finish my drink, watch the rest of the damn show, and go to bed so I can tackle the rest of the monsters in the morning.

Happy Hump Day, peeps.

Pure Comfort

So the muscle soreness due to accident stress went on as the day did, but I was able to drive without shaking too much, and made it through the work day.

HAD to have some easy comfort food when I got home ~~ a different take on the infamous tuna casserole, made instead with some canned chicken...hopefully these pics look better than the tamales I subjected you to:

AND, instead of potato chips for the crunchies on top, I used those French's french fried onions. It turned out DELISH! I DO need to say, that's a "little plate" above ... objects in the picture appear larger than they are. REALLY! I likes me some comfort food, and admittedly I could have eaten the whole damn casserole, but everything in moderation, right?

I sure felt better once I ate and had the heating pad on my shoulders & back. Not to mention that HEROES is back on (woot!), and, of course, I was left wanting more of THAT. This season looks to be pretty interesting!

By the by, it SNOWED here in the valley for the first time in a LONG time on Sunday! I couldn't believe it! We're supposed to get another "hard freeze" overnight. LOVING IT! Everyone keeps getting sick because the weather's so wonky, but it's SURE beating the summer temps I'm always bitching about.

Happy Tuesday, kiddos.

You Have GOT to be KIDDING...

Headache: Still there.

Work: Still there, but promised I would go in this weekend so we could get caught up.

Car: FUCKED.

I got up SUNDAY, no doubt, EARLY, with every intention of going into work. I was ON MY GAME (well, for the most part). I even baked some brownies to drop off for the b/f on my way in, being the sweet pea that I am. yeah, yeah.

Went out, got in the car, and rrr...rrr...rrr...click click click. rrr...rrr...rrr...click click click.

NOOOO..... !

Called brotherman, who was quite uh...well, let's just say he was not happy about the whole "early" dealio. Turns out my battery was deeeeeeeead! I'm clueless to a lot of car stuff, so I would have had NO idea. Hell, I'm like, "WTF? I just replaced that thing two years ago!" Brotherman's laughter could be heard all through the land.

Got a new battery. Brotherman was not happy about the looks of my air filter, so doot-do-doot, back up to the auto parts store we go, and IT gets replaced.

I went back home, warmed up, then determinedly got back out, and am on my merry way to the office...and...

WHAM!

Dude runs a red light while I'm making a left hand turn and rams my car. We exchanged information, but he conveniently switched papers so I ended up with my own phone number.

BAD DAY.

Luckily, the damage isn't more than a dent by the right tire. But MAN I'm pissed off.

Hopefully this week will go better than last.

Attack of the Killer Migraine

If it's not one thing, it's another. My natural optimism is dwindling, and quickly.

Yesterday I woke up with a HUGE fucking headache. I'm not talking the usual, "ah, damn, I need some aspirin" kind of shit, but my head felt like it was going to explode out of the left side behind my ear. IMPLODING might have been better. DARK and SILENCE were my only friends.

I thought I was stroking, and I don't mean in the GOOD way, if you're a guy.

REALLY.

I called my boss to tell her I was gonna lie down and try to make it in by lunchtime.

FIVE hours and probably a zillion brain cells later...

I called work to tell my boss I wouldn't make it in by lunch, after all...spent FIVE MINUTES on LOUD hold waiting for her to pick up. This was around 2pm. Got nothing, so I hung up.

Receptionist calls me at home TWO HOURS LATER to say, "oh sorry, I 'totally' forgot you called earlier." Typical. I won't EVEN get into that.

Saving grace? B/F brought me Taco Bell cos' he knew I didn't have it in me to either cook or go get something myself. PLUS he knows it's comfort food for me. What a guy.

Today the pain is down to a dull roar, but I'm going in to try to attack the filing monster that's been growing the last couple of months and try to avoid going in over the weekend, even though I could use the hours so I don't eat up sick time for a stupid debilitating headache.

AND my dog shit on my carpet last night. Where do you get bait to catch a BREAK these days?

I'm borderline burnt-out right now. I feel a serious vacation coming on...

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Long Day, and Rock Bottom

Today was a long day. Meaning Wednesday for me, and Thursday for those of you who read in the mornings. Went in an hour and a half early, but I can really use the OT right now. If I can't get a dent into my filing by Friday, I JUST might go in on Saturday, too. Hey, the intentions are good NOW, right? ha

The future looks pretty bright career-wise. I feel sincerely lucky to have gotten aboard this company when I did, and I'm really lucky I'm not in certain peoples' shoes in the next few months, that's for sure. Sure would be nice to fuck off all day and get paid for it. I care, so I bust ass and take the initiative to get stuff done, and not half-assed. If ya want something done right, do it yourself. DAMN. I HATE having to re-do shit. 'Nuff said.

Got some new benefits, meaning getting some new docs and hopefully some alternatives to last year's dreaded surgery fiasco. Cross your fingers!

Anyway, haven't been around much lately, still catching up on "spring cleaning" around the office and preparing for the "big move" at home. Hell, I STILL haven't made time to get the office Christmas decorations into the attic, but at least they're down and "sorta" out of site for the time being.

B/F and I are AGAIN on the mend, hopefully this time for good. Time will tell. Last Sunday he took me to a place called Rock Bottom for dinner. WOW. The food was fantastic (LOVES me some crab) and we really seemed to reconnect. A LOT. Like I said, time will tell, so that's all I'm saying about that. I think the aerobics after dinner did us BOTH a lot of good, too.

We joked: "sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to get back on the right track."

Not at all untrue, in all aspects of life...

Happy HNT, readers.

Tired...and Sore...

Sorry kiddos, I didn't have it in me to post on a Monday MORNING, and I'm still sore from moving boxes last Friday (darn this ol' back o'mine, anyway!), not to mention other things.

I really have a lot to say about my weekend, though. I'll just say it was fantastic. I should have worked, and I DO feel guilty for not going in. I'm still behind as hell, but the only comment I have is:

It was totally worth it.

Happy Tuesday, and Happy Birthday to my li'l bro!

I'll be around soon!

I WAS Supposed To Work Today...

And I did, for about an hour, at home. I got up with every intention of getting my ass in there...then I played with the dog, got some OJ and coffee, and looked at the folders brought home Friday and should have gotten organized last night. I ended up falling asleep on the couch at 8:30pm, getting up at 11pm, shuffling to bed, and tossing and turning till 8am this morning.

NOT cool. If I don't get some SERIOUS relaxation/sleep time soon, I'm gonna have a nervous breakdown. HOW do you shut your MIND OFF?

Anyway, I got up this morning, got the folders organized so I could get in there today and get my shit done and just said, "fuck it." I NEED today for ME. I NEED ONE DAY OFF. It's SATURDAY, for crying out LOUD.

So I called my boss and told her I would go in on Sunday. She had NO problem with it.

WOO HOO! So NOW what do I do? LOL

Happy Saturday, people! One of the happiest in my life, I must say...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!

Yesterday marked two years for me at this job. First thing yesterday morning, my boss came up to wish me happy anniversary. VERY cool. I'm still happy, and still going strong, although there are still some kinks to be worked out. I was SO pissed this afternoon that I HAD to get out of the building at lunchtime, even though I brought food. Just to get some air ~~ I ended up coming home, crying a little, and playing with my dog.

For ten minutes.

It did me a WORLD of good. I won't get into the heartburn I got from eating at my desk when I got back, but really. I felt better just getting the hell out of there for awhile. I might just do the "walkabout" at lunchtime again. The sun and the air (if ya don't count the snowbird pollution, which isn't really bad right now) this time of year are REALLY wonderful. Yeah, I know you all think I'm high or something, but winter in AZ is nothing short of AMAZING. 50-60 is a little chilly, but hey. I'll take THAT over 120 ANY day. More on that in another post, I guess, with more cool pics. ha.

Anyway, when I got back and got thru maybe 1/3 of my Lean Cuisine, my boss's BOSS came to tell me "happy anniversary." I felt warm and fuzzy, and all was right with the world, for the most part. Like I said, there are kinks that need to be worked out, but I felt appreciated and even got a really nice gift - dinner "on the house." I've been craving seafood OUT for a long time, so...hmm...oh yeah, those wheels are a-turnin!

Onward. Nonny, you're gonna kick me outta the hammock for this one, but I am LOVING BETA now. And WTF ~ you busy or just ignoring my silly waffle-ass?

I digress about the BETA. I resisted. I got pissed off with that whole "green template" thing today and not knowing how to change it, but I didn't take the time to really get acquainted. WOW. Let me tells ya...it REALLY makes life a lot easier on you, once you embrace the changes. NO more messing around with all that HTML shit, although I REALLY enjoyed learning a new "language" and will probably start fucking with my template when the wild hair takes effect. (And you ALL know it WILL ~ that's just my style...ha ha!) Seriously. It took me longer to write/edit this post than it did to set up the new template.

Now if you guys will excuse me, I'm going to eat some tamales with green sauce and cheese and TRY to shut my brain off...

I Don't Know How to FIX This...

...and don't know that I ever'll be able to.

This is a matter of the heart, and will be the last time I will air anything like it on this blog.

YES this blog is BACK. I hate (Sorry, Akedla) the COLORS, but I will continue to write, no matter what. Blogger just doesn't allow me to bring back the cool template I once had. Oh well. Everything happens for a reason.

I love a man. Our families don't exactly coincide, but that is beside the point. Let's face it, they just don't get along. Big DEAL. WE DO. Well...it hurts for me because I'm so close with mine.

Anyway, I digress, as I am apt to do.

There was a major disfall (if that's even a word) between us, and his words have put me back in bed(minds out of the gutter, please,) as I have been in bed with flu and awful medicinal reactions. The silent treatment was broken tonight, although I'm not sure that anything can be salvaged of what we had begun to build over a little close to two years. I fucked up, y'all, but so did he...

We'll see.

That said, can you EVEN BELIEVE that JAMES BROWN hasn't been BURIED yet? They've still got him in some reFRIGERATOR. JESUS. The dude's been dead since CHRISTMAS DAY, for the love of PETE.

Hmm. I guess they CAN preserve SOME things.

AHHHHHHHHHHH!

man oh man. i GOT pissed at someone and just deleted. I'm a dork, and a weak, worthless GEEK.

forgive me.

The Warehouse Princess and the Pallet Jack

Once Upon a Time, it rained and got very cold, cold, "jacket/sweater/cold" on the desert and a double carriage rolled down the road...I won the powerball, the man of my dreams showed up and...

RIGHT.

The deceptionist is playing on the internet and writing emails to the VP of OPS and text messaging on her fucking cell phone, and the fucker KEEPS DEFENDING THE BITCH...

WHEN THIS EIGHTEEN WHEELER starts backing in. SERIOUS BUZZKILL.

OH, SHIT.

He says he has SIX pallets to unload.

FUCKING SHIT and BLOODY HELL. And Okay, Let me just diddley deal and figure out what I need to do. Breathe, and adapt and overcome. Breathe. It's only pain, T. YOU CAN DO IT.

"Okay," I say, no big deal, let me just go get the pallet jack. Mind you, I've NEVER used one of these things in my life. It's not motorized, so I had to try to maneuver this thing like a 5-year-old trying to ride a two-wheeler with no training wheels or anyone running behind them for the first time. I ran into so much shit! It was quite comical, and I was by myself! I laughed my fool head off.

I finally got the thing into the back lot, and the driver started bringing these pallets to the back of the air-lift on his truck.

"OH HOLY SHIT. Let me get some of the guys, okay?"

So I ran into the back office and got some of the guys, telling them I really didn't know how to use the pallet jack. "OH COME ON," they said. And they giggled. Being the independent, strong, tomboy that I can be, I wasn't about to let them think all I was good for was to get in the kitchen and make them a pie. I wanted to learn. I might not be the strongest "man" in the WWF, but god dammit, I can at least HELP OUT.

Long story short, these pallets were upwards of over 400 lb. a pop. I watched how to operate the MANUAL pallet jack. While I couldn't pump the pallet off the ground to save my life, I DID, however, manage to PULL one of those fuckers from the back lot into the warehouse by myself. The guys were laughing so hard they were snorting, and at one point, not knowing how to STEER the damn thing, I almost took out a wall. That made them laugh even harder, saying something about "woman drivers" and shit like that. Dicks. They could have told me. Fuckers.

I kicked ass, and I took names of those who laughed and thought I couldn't do it. No pie for THOSE dickweeds. I was Warehouse Princess today, dammit.

If we get a forklift, does that get me "Queen" status? LOL

I don't CARE how sore I'll be in the morning, it got me as far away from the front office as I could GET, and that's okay with me.

OH! Forgot sky pics...THIS happened RIGHT AFTER we got all the pallets indoors. PLUS a pic of one of the pallets I hiked into the building, 3 times as wide as me, and twice as tall..

Damn, it just occurred to me that I should have taken a picture of this thing in the back lot with the pallet jack on it. It really was HUGE.

Oh well, you guys get it, right?

I'll be sleeping on the living room floor with my knees on pillows tonight. ha ha.

Happy HNT and all that happy stuff. Anyone got some muscle relaxers? LOL