When it rains II

Aw geez. Got the furnace, then there was water in the basement. Assumed it was this nasty water pipe that been dripping now and then ever since we moved in. Has the plumber who installed our water heater replace that. Then there was more water. This time I could see it was running down the pipe that the sink drains into the sewer. I ran upstair and turned on the water. Water started spraying out where they ran the condenstate tube into the sink drain pipe. I called the furnace company, figured they were just going to plop more silicone on there. That guy took out the condensate pipe, patched the hole drilled by the other installers with a coupler and a bunch of glue. The clear tube has a brass end on it that screws into the pvc sink drain pipe. After all this was done, ends up that the connection to the sewer is blocked and that got to get rooted out. The people were supposed to come today to do that, but their truck broke, and the appointment that was before ours turned into one of those unforeseen nightmares. So hopefully they will be out tomorrow. If you ever want to get anyone a housewarming gift for their first home, give them a vat of vaseline.

My friend from school called today, she is definately taking the job in Georgia. I already figured she was. She's done all she could where she's at, plus this new place offered more money. Gotta love that! Plus there are murders occurring too close to where she lives, she can't get out of there fast enough.

Work is work. Crazy person I work with flew off the handle because our supervisor told her she was unorganized. Kinda nice to see her squirm for once. It was quiet for a while too. I went home for lunch and Cosby Show was on. I forgot how good a show that was. Back then I didn't like it in the end, I thought it was too goody-goody. I usually argue the beginning of the decline of our modern-day so-called civilization started when Roseanne knocked Cosby Show out of the ratings. I actually liked Roseanne better back then, I thought it was more true to life. Now I watch Roseanne and I think "what a bunch of mouthy ungrateful bastards". I got to open up the Holy Grail of cell phones yesterday. This phone is in such demand, stores don't carry it, it's available only if you have it ordered for you. They run about twice the amount of a car payment, and a little less than a house payment. They all break, people. Just because it's the newest with all the excessive bells and whistles doesn't mean it ain't gonna break. Break as in not working right, not falling apart. Here's a hint: If your phone is really acting possessed, you bounced it off the pavement too many times or you dunked it in water. Or it's a piece of crap, and there are about three models out there that make me go running for the hills.

I put some Christmas lights outside and my wreath on the door. There more to go, but at least I got a start. Pictures to come soon...

Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Today we had a nice feast at my parents' house with my husbands parents. I brought my dog with us too, and he and my parents' dog behaved well together. So did the parents! My sister could not make it because of the weather. I called her, so at least we got to have a nice chat. I made greenbean casserole and pumpkin pie. The casserole was very good, the pie was burnt.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends, I'm thankful fate brought us together.

When it rains...

Sigh! Got a new furnace under the belt, and now a water pipe in the basement is leaking. So the guy who put our water furnace in is coming tomorrow morning. While he's here I'm having him see if he can get the hot water faucet in the tub to shut off. It just slows to a trickle, but never off. Only problem is I have to be in Kalamazoo tomorrow morning when he's going to be here. Mom's coming to let him in and control the dog.
All the service techs have to go to the main office tomorrow for a meeting. Drive an hour, sit for 45 minutes, drive and hour, go to work. At least donuts are involved.

Gotta go, Little Dog is in the bathroom whining to get his ear cleaned.

Nothing much to bitch about

Friday I went home early because I had a migraine. I had shooting pain out my right eyeball. I figured my neck was a bit out of whack. Was it ever. Saturday morning the chiropractor was open, and he asked if I slept on my stomach. I sleep whatever way is comfortable. I had a vertebrae that was way out of line, about behind my ear. That cracked so loud when the doctor adjusted it, it was scary. I was sore all the rest of the day. I slathered up with Bengay and slept on my back. Sunday I was good as new and cleaned the house.

I never thought I'd like the job I have, working with the public and all. I still dislike the job itself a lot, running into brick walls every time I ask questions to do my job or better yet, can't get the tools to do it. So I just slog along. Every once in a while we have customers that come in and just visit. I like that. There's lots of good stories, and they sure make the time pass by quicker. There's the National Guardsman who came home in the middle of the night with no fanfare, and his first stop was Starbucks. When two old ladies who were standing nearby figured he just came home, they both ganged up on him and bearhugged him. Then they wanted to pay for his coffee. There's the seasoned hunter, a salt of the field, if you will. He came upon a real young kid on his property chasing a deer who's leg he blown off. He procedeed to teach the kid the importance of knowing how many rounds he shot, what was in his rifle, and how to be upwind when field-dressing a deer. Also an important lesson was knowing who's property he was hunting on. And of course there's the guy from Jamaica who dropped his phone in the toilet. That in itself isn't that funny, but the guy's laughter is priceless. It gets everyone laughing.

Lately our cat has been messing with me really bad. I'll be in my bed, nice and snug and ready to fall asleep. Then my doorknob will start to rattle, just like in the movies. Even though I know it's the cat, it still chills my blood. So I'll open my door and see what the hell he wants, and he'll go galloping down hall. He did this last night. After he went down the hall, I shut the door and went back to bed. Then the cat proceeded to pick the veneer off the door. So I got up and left the door open. The little shit then came in my room and starting messing around. When he quit, he jumped up on the bed next to my head. I turned my head to look at him, and voom! He was gone. Then the dog smelled him and got all riled up. It was a circus from early on this morning. The dog's been feeling much better, chasing the cat all the time. His vision is so bad, the cat will slip away right in front of him.

chilled to the bone

I am just freezing my ass off. I had to stay after work for an hour because someone came in because their "blow and go" was acting up. I ended up switching out the unit three times before we just gave up and put the original back in so he could limp it home. The guy only has one more month on the program, and now it's a nightmare. He couldn't leave because the darn thing wouldn't let him, and we were actuall taking turns blowing on the damn thing to get it to start. It's a miracle nobody passed out. I'm definately charging the company for overtime today.
The moral of the story people, drink at home. Word through the grapevine is that these things are going to be mandatory after the first offense.

Let the bitching about the weather begin!

It snowed today. Not the nice fairy-tale fluffy stuff. It was the hard little pellets. The wind has been blowing for about three days straight now. The front door to the store keeps blowing open. I froze my ass off today. At least it wasn't busy. I like a break now and then.
Last night I went to one of those scrapbook supply parties. The lady having the party had it at her friend's house. It was a huge old house decorated with every possible candle holder and lantern you might find in a "alternative teachings" store. I guess that's what you call it, there's one downtown. I know there's a name for these stores, I just can't think of it right now. I like to call them Hoodie-Doodie stores. Candles, incense, goddess figures, candle holders, essential oils, beaded curtains, tie-dye, are all hoodie-doodies. Anyway the lady had a lot of old furniture covered in bright day-glo fake fur and real color fake fur. There was just so much to look at. She also had a Yorkie, a Shih-Tzu, a cat that looked like the cat on Meet the Fockers, and a little white long-hair kitten she just rescued. There were candles everywhere. There were sayings in an Asian script, which language, I don't know. There were a few lamps with multiple lights, whose necks you can bend around. Each light had a different color cover over it. And pictures! Tons of pictures of family and friends. Anyway the parties usually include instruction on how to construct your own creative cards using the different scrapbooking products. I love these parties, because people bring their projects that they are working on, and you get ideas how to use stuff that you would never dream of. Pop-tops off of beer cans, for example, can be a decorative buckle. Just weave a ribbon in and out of it, and voila, you have a buckle for your card or scrapbook. I'm meeting new people all the time and learning different stuff. Not just about scrapbooking, but about people's work experiences and medical knowledge. I've learned a lot. I haven't worked on any projects since I started working. Now that I have the basement all moved around, there's a corner down there that's just calling my name inviting me to create.
I took my cards that I made last night to work to show the crazy woman I work with. She really liked them. She wants to make personalized cards for a few of our favorite customers. One guy in particular, I want to do something special for. He comes in on a regular basis just to shoot the breeze. He's originally from Jamaica, and I can listen to any accent all day long. He likes to tell the story about dropping his cell phone in the toilet while he was sitting on it. Then he just laughs and laughs. Then I laugh listening to him. One day he called asking if Crazy Woman is busy, he wanted to know if we got the lastest and greatest model in. Then when I realize who's asking, I ask him if he's been keeping his phone out of the toilet. Then it goes quiet for a second, followed by outrageous laughter. I want to make him some sort of card with a phone popping out of a toilet. I think he would get a kick out of that.

I shopped while hungry

Today I cleaned the gutter in the front of the house. I knew it was loaded when the leaves were falling off the tree in front. Thought it would be just the area under the tree had to be cleaned. Wrong. The whole gutter was loaded. When I was done I dragged the ladder to the back of the house to take a peek. I figured there wouldn't be much in there because there is no trees directly over that gutter. Wrong. It was loaded. So I put the ladder back in the shed and figured I'll do the back gutter some other day. I was tired from the wind whipping me around up there and a little hung over too.

Last night husband and I went to dinner with some friends and their kids. We all had a good time, and husband had everyone staring at him because he was laughing the whole time. We shared the most humongous pizza I've ever seen in my life. It was the size of one of those huge oval serving trays.

I went shopping today and I was hungry before I left. Husband was marinating steaks, I figured they would be done before I got home. He didn't even light the grill until I got home. I bought a ton of fruit juices and breakfast stuff. I'm so sick of my usual stuff. I bought a couple dry hot cereals and a box of dry cereal. I'm good to go for a long time.

I think the dog is having eye trouble again, I can bet he cornered the cat and the cat took a swipe at him. He can't see very well at all now, even without irritation brought on by the cat. He barks in general directions now and not at anything specific. My dad said I got to get him a little white cane.

69 is the new 74

Nothing much new here. The humidifier makes the house feel a lot warmer. We keep it at 68 during the day, 69 to heat it up in the morning. Then after I get my shower and dressed, I put it back at 67. It's real quiet too.
Yesterday the woman I work with overhead a phone conversation I had with my husband and heard me saying something about going somewhere for my birthday. When I got off the phone she asked when's my birthday. "Last week". She just went into some squeaky tirade, can't believe I didn't say anything, blah blah blah. On Halloween she asked me if I wanted some candy, then she grabbed the bag from me. You don't do that to a chocolate fiend. So when she wasn't looking, I grabbed a piece. She hit me on the ass with her shoe! I told her I figured it would be a shoe across the back of the head for my birthday. So that's why I didn't say anything. She said I must think she's a real asshole. I didn't say anything.

I drove all the way to Sister Lakes to buy meat

Out in Sister Lakes they have a little po'-dunk grocery, but they have the best meat around. I'm willing to bet the cows are walking around out back, that's how fresh the meat is. That's where husband's friend buys the steaks that he brings over here to cook.

Today I'm a proud owner of a new furnace. Hooray for financing! Since financing was available, I sprung for new air conditioning also. My mom stayed in the house while I went to work. When I came home for lunch, she asked me if the previous owner of the house owns a red truck. I said yeah, why? Some guy in a red truck started to pass by, then slowed down, then stopped and just stared at the heating and cooling people's truck, and our old a/c unit and furnace in the driveway. He must have had some sentimental feelings toward that furnace. The old unit was actually too big for our house, and the blower on it was too weak. The back bedrooms were freezing. Last winter in the coldest months, the bill topped out at $200. After that, I definately did not have any problem considering a new one.

Ahhh....Shopping Therapy!

A couple weeks ago I saw an outfit at Lighthouse Place that I wanted. It's weird, I find something that is so ugly, then looking at it closer, I find it's cool. I eyeballed a jacket that is a pea-green color made of fabric that belongs on an old couch. Along with this is a similar colored chenille sweater, and a white button-up shirt. So today I husband and I went there and he waited patiently as I tried it all on, and he even got me a different size jacket from the rack. I got to check-out, and the woman says the sweaters were on sale, buy one get one half off. Husband's eyes glazed over. He knew it would be a while that I find something else. I let him go frolic outside with the other smokers, and he was happy. I found another sweater quickly, but it took forever at the check-out because everyone in the store made it there before me. Then we went to the gourmet food store and spent a lot of time in there trying all of the samples. We left there and went to Shoreline Brewery. That was awesome. They had really good food and make an oatmeal stout that is better than Guinness. I had a shot of Absolut Peppar, which was good by vodka standards, but the pepper in it made my face red.

It was a good time, and I can't stress how it all was needed. I feel so much better today!

Fall fell today

We had a little rain today, and that pulled the leaves off the tree. It wasn't that a leaf here, a leaf there business. It was raining leaves. It's actually thundering right now. It's warm out, though. It's been in the 60's. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if it stayed like this until spring. Maybe a little snow to cover the ground Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as long as it stays off the streets.

I'm moving crap around in the basement so we could have our furnace put in Monday. I'm one of those weirdos that collect empty boxes. There's an area in the basement dedicated to empty boxes. I keep them in case I ever sell anything on eBay. Does anybody out there need a couch? We got three in the basement free for the taking. They would be perfect for a basement, garage, or smoking room. If you have allergies, I don't think these are for you. I would like the space. I fantasize about taking a chainsaw to them.

Mtv been playing Beavis and Butthead a lot lately. They are selling the shows on DVD's, complete with the videos. We bought the Time/Life ones a few years ago, but they did not have Beavis and Butthead making fun of the videos. That's half the show right there. As stupid as the show is, I get a kick out of it. I like Beavis and Butthead better than South Park. Maybe because they are not hiding children in discarded appliances.

Tomorrow is for cleaning housing and a little more junk-arranging downstairs. The side lawn is completely covered with leaves, maybe I can finaggle a leaf-blower out of somebody.

My little bubble has been burst

Last night I went out with a friend to celebrate for one reason or another. First choice of restaurants was closed. Second choice of restaurants was closed too. We had to go out of our way to get there, the direct route was blocked by an ambulance and a cop car. So we went to the KITCHEN OPEN LATE bar, and there were two cops inside. They left as soon as we got there. The waiter said we just missed it, two guys, about 28 years old, got jumped leaving there by a couple of 18 year olds. Well, as the waiter put it, age and experience always wins. The 18 year olds ended up getting the crap beat out of them. One got his head mashed into a windshield. I've always felt safe going there myself and meeting friends. Now, I probably won't do that again. The waiter just looked at us with our jaws on the tables, "Yeah, Saint Joe is a rough town". I just can't believe it but yet I can.

On something completely different, my job lead is not going to happen. For some time anyway. It supposedly will be posted at the beginning of the year. I know better than to hold my breath, but I was hoping to be out of this job before the holidays. Wah freakin' wah.

I got some really good news today. It's sad in all reality for me. My bestest friend from school got a job offer in Savannah Georgia. I'm so happy for her, she really can't go any farther in the job she has. She was actually looking at Savannah to search for jobs, but this place that called sought her out. In reality though, I'll only see her around the holidays and we won't have our yearly excursions to the art fair in Ann Arbor, the art fair in St. Joe, and the SOFA exhibit on Navy Pier. She called me at work to tell me. The good news kind of lifted the perpetual funk I've been in.

It smells like fall outside! There are tons of leaves on the ground now, and it doesn't look like half of them have fallen yet. That is going to be a big job. At least all the pretty reds and oranges and accumulated around our stairs. I can enjoy them when the dog is out doing his thing. The dog... well at least he's able to pee now, he's on some sort of steroids for his pinched whatever; but he hates his dog food for kidney stones. So I'm feeding him that mixed with his old food. Just so he eats already. He's diabetic, he can't go on any hunger-strike. Oh yeah, that little leg operation he had? I'm pretty sure it was a waste. His leg started clicking worse than before he had the operation. There's no way I'm putting him through that again. And no money either.

Just call me "Toothless"

Oh brother. I could just scream, but I don't think I'd feel any better. Just when I thought there was a little less stress to grind my teeth about, a phone got stolen from our store. From the storage cabinet in my area. What makes it really bad is that it's something that hasn't been released publicly yet. We figured it was taken between today and yesterday. The cleaning crew was also in last night. Hmmm.

On a brighter note, our fall colors are at peak here. Just over the weekend, everything in our yard turned yellow. The two trees closest to the road are orange, with the exception of one branch, that turned brillian red. The sure signs of winter coming happened within the last week: I wore mittens, and my husband's hot head steamed up his side of the car.

Dear Anna Nicole,

Dear Anna Nicole,
I think you are pretty, even without your makeup.
That is something I cannot say for myself.
This being said, I want to ask you lay off of Iams pet food. We only feed our cat Iams, and he has never had a urinary infection.
The stuff is worth it's weight in platinum.
For all I care, it could be made of aborted fetuses, bald eagles, and baby harp seals. Our cat is healthy and never gained any weight since being neutered.
Maybe you should eat Iams too, as opposed you using that Trimspa.
Thanks.
-GBST

If I haven't been fired by now...

Today the manager who interviewed me dropped in at our location unannounced. That was fine, I was busy doing my paperwork. Then he just kind of lurked around, so I knew he wanted to talk to me. So when the woman I work with went back up front, he said he wanted to talk to me. Aw crap. He asked how I felt about the job, and how long was I planning on staying. I told him at the age I was at, I would rather be somewhere that there was a possibility for advancement. He asked how long was I planning on staying, a year, two years, or until something else comes along. I said when something else comes along. Hey, he asked, I thought I'd give the courtesy of being truthful. My two months is coming up in two weeks, they are either going to keep me through the agency or let me go. He didn't say that, I just figured. I can't imagine them hiring me in after that conversation. The only perk of working for this place is getting any phone I want for $50 and a $10 monthly phone bill. After hearing what everyone got to say about this particular carrier that we specialize in, you can't give me one of those phones for free.

I went to the dentist today. No cavities, but all the teeth-grinding gave me hairline fractures through a few of my molars. So I'll be toothless if I don't quit it. It's not just the job, I think it's a bunch of stuff. The job and the dog with all his health problems. I had to run him to the vet again last week because he was in some sort of discomfort and wouldn't let me pick him up. He either had a pinched nerve or disk. They gave him a steroid shot and pills to get him through it. I think he's better now, he's acting his old self. But last week two people told me I should start thinking of putting him down! These people have never seen the dog, and they are telling me this. Wasn't really ready for it. Between my husband and myself, my parents, and the regular friends that visit often, I think they are the better judges if I'm deliberately prolonging the dog's life for selfish reasons. The dog is getting better, today I got it off my chest I'm looking for another job, I'm starting to feel a little better and haven't ground my teeth as much. Insurance doesn't pay for the teeth guard. Maybe I'll get one from the sporting goods store.