Last Train To London

Electric Light Orchestra
Last Train To London courtesy of http://lyrics.rare-lyrics.com/E/Electric-Light-Orchestra.html
It was 9-29,9-29 back street big city.
The sun was going' down,there was music all around
It felt so right.
It was one of those nights,
one of those nights when you feel the world stop turnin',
you were standing
There, there was music in the air.I should have been
Away,but I knew I'd have to stay.
CHORUS
Last train to London,
just headin' out,
Last train to London,
just leavin' town.
But I really want tonight to last forever
I really wanna be with you.
Let the music play on down the line tonight.

It was one of those nights,
one of those nights whenYou feel the fire is burnin',
everybody was there,
Everybody to share,
it felt so right.
There you were on your own,
lookin' like you wereThe only one around,
I had to be with you,
Nothin' else that I could do,
I should have been away,
but I knew I'd have to say.

Repeat Chorus
Underneath a starry sky,
time was still but hours
Must really have rushed by,
I didn't realize
But love was in your eyes
I really should have
Gone,but love went on and on...Repeat Chorus

Hi world how are you?! Voice is still raw but doing OK here. WAAAAY outa control at work but am getting used to it. Now I know how mommies can calmly drink tea in the midst of kid-bedlam. That, folks, is pretty much my job, with much older babies who control my income. But it's all good.

Got lots done today and won't bore ya with the details. Much laughing/teasing was done. It is great to see the kids opening up and learning (man they're fast) and even the ones who DON'T work with us are becoming more fun types too.

Hey here is a good one. It's NBG's birthday (and another of the guys' bd too) on Monday. I noticed that and spread the word. Lou, crazy lady that she is, decided to have us all go to a restaurant and meet M and NBG there. The official reason to get NBG to go to the restaurant (it'll be a surprise) is that M has a personal problem to discuss with him and it has to be out of the building (NBG HATES touchy-feely stuff). This is gonna be good. We were killing ourselves laughing about the little hints about this 'meeting' that we're going to drop for the next few days. Like that it should be outside of the work building at the request of the staff. Things like that. If you have any ideas let me know before Friday, OK?

Man I"d hate to have me for an employee. Brat. All three of us.

Have any of you out there, btw, tried watching DVD's of kids' movies? I bought Cinderella, and turned it off after five minutes of the cat trying to get the mice. Guess I'm a grouchy grownup?

Hope you caught NCIS, it was great tonight!

Tons of hugs, Bridg

Spamalot!

Just felt like a Monty Python day, world. Woke up and for the first time since I"ve been sick, it was miserable weather. Weather warnings, in fact. ICE/FREEZING flipping rain. OK got into work early. As in good parking spot, as in that never happens but what the hell.

NBG is going nuts giving out orders (and I mean orders). M is not in and is very late. His usual is 9:30. Today he wasn't in at 10:15. Oops. At least there weren't any meetings. But lots of stuff flying around. Yes still have the f'in cold--the sinus part anyway. And meetings up the ying-yang. NBLady is back. She wanted M's office (remember, he's colossally late?) and was sitting in it. So we chatted until he got in and then I helped him move to Ice Queen's office. Ice Queen is gone on assignment until June.

NBL mentioned that NBG thinks that I was getting frazzled like she did. He thinks it's workload. It isn't. He is doing my job and M's job and NOT doing HIS job. That is what is freaking/stressing me out. Key decisions aren't being made, hence we are directionless. NBL is looking to leave (prospective bosses are calling her). Frankly I"m torn. I love the kids, like the field of work but can't stand being ordered to do things.

Am sure that NBG has no idea of what he's doing to people.

Have to find a way to talk to this to him. M can't do it, they don't have a relationship yet. Plus he's more prone to listen to women. Honest.

So leaving THAT aside, bought Kleenex, more Coricidin and a few odds and ends of food on the way home, got the car full of gas and washed it.

The.garage.door.is.broken.

Really.

There's an expression in French that doesn't quite cut it in English: Il ne manquaient que ca. It was missing ONLY THAT (sort of like 'that's the last straw').

Most repair places didn't answer their phones. One did, could come fastest tomorrow mid a.m. Yah right that's gonna go over well at work. Called another guy, he came right away and just left (2 hours' work) and charged $90. Low by local standards. He did a lot more than I asked him to and gave me great door maintenance advice.

Still have to go back there tomorrow, though. Ain't looking forward to it. Kinda like report card day.

Sigh.

Tell me that one of you had a great day????

Bridg

Ya Gotta Have Friends....

> Friendship Between Women:
>> >>>> >>A woman didn't come home one night.
>> >>>> >>The next day she told her husband / boyfriend that she had slept over> at
>> >>>> >>>> >>a girlfriend's house.
>> >>>> >>The man called his wife's 10 best friends.
>> >>>> >>None of them knew anything about it>> >>>> >>

Friendship Between Men:
>> >>>> >>A man didn't come home one night.
>> >>>> >>The next day he told his wife / girlfriend that he had slept over at a
>> >>>> >>buddy's house.>> >>>> >>
The woman called her husband's 10 best friends.
>> >>>> >>Eight of them confirmed that he had slept over....>
> >>>> >>... and two claimed that he was still there!

Ho Hum

Hola and buenos noches or however you spell it, world! Not much to report here, spent the entire day inside, got dressed at the crack of dawn (somewhere)--4:00 p.m. Am going to go to work tomorrow but am definitely not better.

Ran out of Kleenex, Coricidin II and Imodium. Man, talk about better living through chemistry! Mom called today to see how I am, bless her heart.

Had the strangest dreams (not like WC's) last night...that I was still living at home and was being kicked out, that Murray was going to help me find a new place to live (which was a relief) then I realized in the dream that he was dead and couldn't help, that my (late) dad was driving the family in a station wagon with me and my brother on the HOOD of the car and I had to argue my way off of it, and it goes on and on.

No honest, never did drugs. Now you know why!

Wish me well tomorrow folks. Hope to have something more interesting to post....Bridg

Sunset at the North Pole with the moon at its closest point Thanks Peter M

Stolen from NYM

Here's a really easy meme stolen from NewYorkMoments.
The rules: simple. list or write an entry about five of your guilty pleasures.

1. Girls' night out at the movies
2. Excessive book/gem stone purchases
3. Red hair. Can't help it.
4. Nacho cheese Doritos for dinner
5. Sleeping in and laying about on sunny Saturday mornings with the Most Spoiled Cat In The Universe next to me

You don't even have to tag anyone else. Enjoy!

Almost Heaven

I know the real title's "Take Me Home" but was only thinking of the 'almost heaven' part of it.

The @#$% cold is slipping away thank Heaven (and about time I am running out of Kleenex)! It's still here but is breaking up. For one thing, I can HEAR now. Since I"m allergic to cats (yep and will never get rid of them either) and dust--and haven't vacuumed/dusted in ummm a while-- decided to do vacuuming and get rid of some of the layers of cat hair, thinking it'd help me breathe.

Well it did, big time, but am feeling/sweating as if I'd run a marathon. This is ridiculous! At least breathing's much easier. Most Spoiled Cat In The Universe is very confused ("Mom what the HELL are you DOING??") and the place looks a lot better not covered in long grey fur. Hmmm. Learn something new every day.

Drank an entire pot of tea. Now, it's bad enough that this was the highlight of my day due to its salubrious effects (except the vaccuming sweat-fest), but I'm guessing not just fluids, but warm fluids is good for you? Seemed to be.

Don't get sick very often, esp. colds, since this heart/bp junk started up about 2 years ago. Am making new discoveries every day like the warm fluids thing. Glad not to have taken that Buckley's stuff. Know it works but (YAY) there's a blood pressure warning on its labels. Have any of you ever tasted that stuff?? It does work but I"d rather be sick....oops I said no more joking about being sick.

So looks like it'll be back to work after all on Monday yahoo! Haven't seen the gang in most of a week although M kept me up to date.

Isn't that a dumb thing to think of on a Saturday night??? Just realised it.

OK, YAHOO am not (so) sick anymore!!!

Hope all of you avoid this plague, it really sucked big time!!!

Hugs, Bridg

Along Came Jones

Subject: Toooo funny!!


A successful rancher died and left everything to his devoted wife. She was a very good-looking woman and was determined to keep the ranch, but knew very little about ranching, so she decided to place an ad in the newspaper for a ranch hand. Two cowboys applied for the job. One was gay and the other a drunk. She thought long and hard about it, and when no one else applied she decided to hire the gay guy, figuring it would be safer to have him around the house than the drunk.

He proved to be a hard worker who put in long hours every day and knew a lot about ranching. For weeks, the two of them worked, and the ranch was doing very well.

Then one day, the rancher's widow said to the hired hand, "You have done a really good job, and the ranch looks great. You should go into town and kick up your heels."

The hired hand readily agreed and went into town one Saturday night. One o'clock came, however, and he didn't return. Two o'clock, and no hired hand. He returned around two-thirty, and upon entering the room, he found the rancher's widow sitting by the fireplace with a glass of wine, waiting for him. She quietly called him over to her.

Unbutton my blouse and take it off," she said.

Trembling, he did as she directed.

Now take off my boots." He did as she asked, ever so slowly.

Now take off my socks." He removed each gently and placed them neatly by her boots.

Now take off my skirt." He slowly unbuttoned it, constantly watching her eyes in the fire light.

Now take off my bra." Again, with trembling hands, he did as he was told and dropped it to the floor. Now," she said, "take off my panties." By the light of the fire, he slowly pulled them down and off.

Then she looked at him and said, "If you ever wear my clothes into town again, you're fired...........

Another Cool Blogthing

You Are a Prophet Soul

You are a gentle soul, with good intentions toward everyone. Selfless and kind, you have great faith in people. Sometimes this faith can lead to disappoinment in the long run. No matter what, you deal with everything in a calm and balanced way. You are a good interpreter, very sensitive, intuitive, caring, and gentle. Concerned about the world, you are good at predicting people's feelings. A seeker of wisdom, you are a life long learner looking for purpose and meaning. You are a great thinker and communicator, but not necessarily a doer. Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Blog/Wild Thing

You Were a Giraffe

You are a high achiever - able to reach things others can't. A great communicator, you are good at getting past superficialities.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

Thanks, Poppy Cedes!

The Movie Of Your Life Is An Indie Flick

http://images.blogthings.com/ifyourlifewasamoviewhatgenrewoulditbequiz/indie-flick.jpg"> You do things your own way - and it's made for colorful times. Your life hasn't turned out how anyone expected, thank goodness! Your best movie matches: Clerks, Garden State, Napoleon Dynamite

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

You Crack Me Up

Hola world! Hope you're feeling better than I am tonight! It looked like great weather all week (sunny, clear) but I was inside on the couch with Kleenex et al including tonight. Went to a local clinic and found out that I was right about the UTI (and it's a bad thing to wait 2 weeks to see a doctor about those) and that I have a cold so far (as the dr. put it).

Don't remember EVER taking as many meds at one time as I am now. The real issue is the high blood pressure. Can't take decongestants with that because apparently they raise bp pretty high. Was tempted to do it anyway until I saw the doc today.

Nothing much else going on here, just a lot of sleeping and TV (hey no eating either, things are fitting loser!). Hope this doesn't graduate into something worse, I'm still new on the job.

Oh speaking of that, M called today (or rather, he returned my call). Pretended to be Mr. B at first when I picked up the phone, then gave up saying "it's pretty hard to sound like an asshole" ---hence the title of tonight's post.

Mom's doing fine (i.e. hasn't caught this cold/virus) and the kids at work are doing great too. Gee wonder what a week on a beach somewhere would do to this thing? Yah, that's the cure! Wonder if OHIP (provincial med plan) would pay for it? Nahhhhh..

Hope to catch up with you later...am downing orange juice by the gallon (thanks GWB and tshsmom for the advice).

Hugs (from a safe distance), Bridg

Poppa Jeans Blues

Hi world....am under a cloud of flu, so haven't been around for a few days. Can't even type! Will catch up with y'all as soon as I get out from under this messy stuff...bridg

Poppy Cedes Tag

The rules:

The tagged victim lists 8 different points of their perfect lover/partner, mentioning the sex of said partner.

Tag 8 victims to join this game & leave a comment on a post letting them know they've been tagged.

If tagged before, no need to contribute.

The meme:
The sex of my perfect partner is of course male. My Perfect Partner:
1. Loves dogs (and cats but prefers large dogs)
2. Loves me
3. Is a secure guy ('comfortable in his own skin' might be a better way to phrase it)
4. Is taller or equally tall to me (5'8")
5. Has a sense of humor
6. Is kind to/considerate of everyone (waiters and big shots alike)
7. Is smart. Not Mensa/arrogant smart, but smart/practical.
8. (thanks for counting tshsmom. I have the flu and it's in my brain) likes people.

Taged: WC (sorry WC I pick on you a lot but I like your answers); drinkjack; tshsmom; blondegirl; Kris; NYM; Flea; and kitkat. Picked some of you you so you'd learn about yourselves; others of you so that I could learn more about you. If you prefer to just email me your answers, visit my profile for the addy.

This Kiss

Hola world hope you're having fun tonight? Just voted. My Mom and I live at opposite ends of a medium length street (it would take me 10 minutes to walk there) and we had to go to different polling stations. Hmmm.

Here's a goodie I got in the mail about today's doings in Canada. Not sure that I know the alleged author enough to have a view on him, but the note is funny....(if you don't want to bother with the political joke just skip the black font):

"Oh, Canada -- you're not really going to elect a Conservative majority on Monday, areyou? That's a joke, right? I know you have a great sense of humor, and certainly a well-developed sense of irony, but this is no longer funny. Maybe it's a new form of Canadian irony -- reverse irony! OK, now I get it. First, you have the courage to stand against the war in Iraq -- and then you elect a prime minister who's for it. You declare gay people have equal rights -- and then you elect a man who says they don't. You give your native peoples their own autonomy and their own territory -- and then you vote for a man who wants to cut aid to these poorest of your citizens. Wow, that is intense! Only Canadians could pull off a hat trick of humor like that. My hat's off to you.

Far be it from me, as an American, to suggest what you should do. You already have too many Americans telling you what to do. Well, actually, you've got just one American who keeps telling you to roll over and fetch and sit. I hope you don't feel this appeal of mine is too intrusive but I just couldn't sit by, as your friend, and say nothing. Yes, I agree, the Liberals have some 'splainin' to do. And yes, one party in power for more than a decade gets a little...long. But you have a parliamentary system (I'll bet you didn't know that -- see, that's why you need Americans telling you things!). There are ways at the polls to have your voicesheard other than throwing the baby out with the bath water.

These are no ordinary times, and as you go to the polls on Monday, you do so while a man running the nation to the south of you is hoping you can lend him a hand by picking Stephen Harper because he's a man who shares his world view. Do you want to help George Bush by turning Canada into his latest conquest? Is that how you want millions of us down here to see you from now on? The next notch in the cowboy belt? C'mon, where's your Canadianpride? I mean, if you're going to reduce Canada to a cheap download of Bush & Co., then at least don't surrender so easily. Can't you wait until he threatens to bomb Regina? Make him work for it, for Pete's sake.

But seriously, I know you're not going to elect a guy who should really be running for governor of Utah. Whew! I knew it! You almost had me there. Very funny. Don't do that again. God, I love you, you crazy cold wonderful neighbors to my north. Don't ever change.

Michael Moore"

Heh heh heh love that governer of Utah bit. Well, on the non-political side, everyone around up here seems to be sick (with a cold). M was away today, and most of the folks who came in were ill. Including me (sore throat). But got stuff done fast. NBG is funny, he has to put his oar in everything. Which is OK, the guy is brilliant and knows the biz like no one else. The other thing that you can count on is for him to have a reaction, then a thought. I like that about him, it's how I am or rather used to be. M too. It makes him human. One of the 'indispensables' in the part of the org I just inherited was offered a demotion in an area she wants to go into, effective immediately. Part of her desire to leave was to do different work, which she is going to be doing here anyway but didn't know about. So we chatted today. She wants to be staffed in a way that I don't think that we can do but I'll check it out. Hope it works but don't want to be held hostage or set a very bad precedent.

Ran it by M at home and he agreed with me. So did NBG. Whew. I have the feeling that she's going to leave, though. Once you've bothered to apply and get a job, you're pretty committed. But we'll see. Also bet M a lunch on the outcome of the election. I am in extreme denial and know I'm going to lose but the hang with it. We only get sandwitches anyway. Not that it matters a heck of a lot.

OK back to reality, Mom was making noises about where she'd vote next year 'if she is around'. I asked her if there was any particular reason for saying that (answer: no) but she is frail. Looks more like her mom every time I see her (who died at 94). Am.just.not.ready.for.this. But if it has to happen, want it to be when M is around (to lean on). Oh hell don't want it to happen at all. You know what I mean!

Only one other thing on my mind. It's a hoot (to me anyway). Have you ever noticed the 'crawls' that most news shows use now? They're the bands of text that 'crawl' across the tv screen at the bottom with news items in them. Today one of the national a.m. news shows had a crawl that noted that 'drawing pictures or swear words" (an exact quote) on ballots is a federal offense.

1-How the HELL could they know who did that if voting is anonymous and

2-It tempted me to do just that. BADLY.

Wouldn't you be so tempted? What the heck kind of drawing could fit on a ballot? Porno? Beastiality? I mean really.....this is hilarious.

Next time I'll give it a shot.

Happy Monday night, world!

Bridg

So They Say

So They Say
Soul Attorneys
Courtesy of: http://www.lyricsdownload.com/soul-attorneys-so-they-say-lyrics.html

Chorus:
So they say that you can't make it. So they say, so they say
But I say that they mistake it. But I say, but I say
And the whole world seems to be leaning on you
And you tell me you don't know what to do
They don't know what I know. They don't know what I know.

Wanting to come out is the world you hold inside
Afraid they are for the world outside you will divide
For they don't know what I know, they don't know what I know
So I pray that you can make it
So I pray, so I pray
And your mind they'll try to break it
No later than today
You let them and soon you will be on trial
Give them and inch, yes they'll steal the mile
For they haven't flown where we've flown
You know the road I speak of and the road that lies ahead
Don't give up, don't give up they all must be misled
For they haven't flown where we've flown,
no they haven't flown wherewe've flown

Chorus

And the game they'll think you've played it
Their foolish way, their foolish way
But I'm tellin' you soon they'll see you've made it
And your game is what they'll play


Hola world, how goes it? Had a billion things to do myself, having been snowed in for the last 1.5 days. Did fit in dinner with Mom, who is looking frailer and older every day. I know that she doesn't want to be older than 80 or so but she's my Mom!!! Am not ready for a world that doesn't have her in it. She's my best friend, and my mom. Tonight I had the feeling that my father was in the room with us, telling me he was there to bring her home. I argued with him in my head that he had her for a long time and now it's our time. His response was that she has a (after) life to live.

Yikes. Have I been watching too much Ghost Whisperer or what? But it was a very real feeling. I delivered food for her cat and the same kind of boots that I showed you in an earlier post (the ones with truck-like treads). She decided they'd make great indoor slippers!!! The doctors told her not to wear slippers anymore (not enough foot support, which these things have in spades). Hmmmm.

Had several (for the first time) hot flashes in the last few days because I'd run out of my herbal stuff days ago and hadn't had a chance to stock up. NOT fun. So got two bottles of everything today. Had read that the antianxiety thing I take, Paxil, prevents hot flashes. Not quite. You need the herbal stuff too. Remember being very ticked off when I was 12, had my first lets-not-go-there, and my mom informed me that boys didn't get anything that corresponded. And it continues into old age!!!

Ah well such is life. Have any of you been following the ads for the Canadian Prime Minister election going on up here? Some were on the NBC Nightly News tonight. There are a lot of things that P. Martin can't say. Like his former boss was likely the main character involved in the boondoggles referred to (couldn't have been Paul, he wasn't PM). Like he's done more to clean up that situation that his former boss (the last PM) would have or did do, and he was WELL aware of it before retiring. OA few more things I've got to get off my chest:

1-Saying that you're not P.Martin/Liberal is hardly saying who you or or what you plan to do,
Mr. Harper. Your ads arguing for change may as well be talking about underwear. They
contain no ideas, no vision, just "I'm not them". Big flippin deal. I'm not either. Maybe I
should campaign if that's all that's needed?

2. What's the big idea bringing in B. Muldoon's advisors and Tories from the failed Common
Sense Revolution (Mike Harris) goon squad? Trying to learn from failure? Repeat the
excesses and arrogance of the past? This doesn't bode well for any government that, Heavens
fofend, you may wind up forming.

Paul Martin never got the chance to govern. And I'm damn sure that you don't have a clue how to if you're taking advice from the two biggest failures in recent conservative history.

God help us all on Monday.

and Paul, fire you advisors. They're high school kids and just not up to the sharks who are in the water now....

Bridg

Sorry for the politics folks. It won't happen again.

Laughing

"ha ha ha ha ha ha!
ha ha ha ha
are you laughing at me?"

Should be--the joke is definitely on me! It went from warm-need no coat last night to what looks like more than a foot of snow! It's 2:13 p.m. and Tony & Sons is nowhere to be seen, especially not my driveway.

Not that I care. The sun's out now and it looks like a perfect day to goof off, stay home & hibernate.

Will check in with you later, world!

Have a good one....Bridg

Sour Suite

This is a sweet song world, hope you like it too. The Guess Who recorded it, Burton Cummings wrote it (courtesy of http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Sour-Suite-lyrics-The-Guess-Who/54D03D61C0CD3ABF48256CE9002E512E). Yep as usual, it's an oldie:

". . . Whatever happened to images cause now they’re gone
And worn-out phrases just keep a hangin’ on
Whatever happened to homes as opposed to houses?
And conversation sings as the evening drowses?
It’s just like 46201....It's just like 46201.
Whatever happened to early morning open skies
And broken faces, half with melting eyes
Enough of riddles that just play with time
Cause I’m still here and I can’t beg a dime
I’m back here in 46201......I’m back here in 46201.. . ."

Hola world HAPPY FREAKIN' FRIDAY YAHHHHHOOOOOOOOOO!!

Today was a flipping freaking GOOD DAY in a major way! The kids (as in offspring, not disparaging) that I manage are the best, the brightest and most open creatures I've ever been around!

One of them, A, comes in this a.m. bright and chipper as usual. She's 5'6", has long bouncy curly hair and one of those faces that lights up with smiles and on top of that she's smart and quick. So A says that I'm M's right hand and she wants to be mine. GREAT I say! Then I assign her a cool task that she can get her teeth into, and BOOM she's into it with ideas and stuff to do. "Don't worry, I gotcha covered" she says, and damn if she doesn't do just that. WOW. She's also hiding from her soon to be ex boss, who is driving her crazy with myriads of demands in a panicky way because soon to be ex boss is leaving soon and briefing M and me today (A gets to put the material together). Then P walks in with questions about a task. A doesn't leave, they're all buds and they start to yack after we take care of biz. Marc walks in next (a) to say hi and (b) to ask about a task. They are ALL yacking at this point, me included, but not for too long.

Man these guys are tops. T-bird comes in with questions and we settle into it, this will be long. She's done sterling work. So has Marc. The two of them are just wonderful, and the others will be too. There is one more I haven't talked to yet. She's painfully shy. We'll get to her later in this story.

Just before the briefing, M and I are racing to choke down lunch. A runs by with her arm full of binders, sticks her head into M's office and sort of shouts "I hate her! I hate her! I hate her!" into the door of M's office (referring, I hope, to her soon to be ex boss whose office is almost across from M's).

The briefing goes well except for Evil Witch, who tries to take over a project M has been working on with NBG. No sale, we all ignore her. She leaves early. Then the Ice Queen, left on her own, turns into a nice, warm and open human being!!! This has happened once or twice before, but it was very very obvious in this meeting. NBG is astonished. M noticed it too. I"d seen it before but guess the guys hadn't. Part of the briefing is that the painfully shy person, V, needs to be staffed and promoted quickly. She's been offered a job at a lower level somewhere else but it is in a job category that she wants. We could do that, and at a higher level and had planned to anyway. So I thought M should meet with her. NBG says no, YOU go Bridg, and go alone. Two folks at once is intimidating. He also joked that if he saw her with tears running down her cheeks that he'd know who to blame ( ha ha ha!).

I went to V's office. Introduced myself again, explained what my priorities are (staffing, because my first job kept me on temporarily for four years and I vowed never to put anyone through that again). Her eyes actually filled with tears. I said that she is first on my priority list, and that means Monday morning I'm on the job. A is second. And then we talked about work a bit. But she was warm, open, very friendly and welcoming. Did my best to be the same. Think it went really well. Then thanked her, left and got her position description and sent it to HR (this was at 4:00 on a Friday). Told M, then called NBG to tell him how it went. He said 'that's how you make everyone feel, Bridg' in a very warm voice. I told him he'd made my week. And it was the frickin' truth!

M was happy that we got stuff done, I'd had the troops put material together for him that he had exactly in time to give to NBG. Done very well, bless their hearts. I'm telling you, I love them all, dammit. Every beautiful one of them.

Can't remember much else of the day, except that both M and I felt a HELL of a lot better today than the rest of the week, and that today made up for the rest of the week. Oh yah, he wore in a new sweater that I told him he can't wear anymore. Too good looking. I asked him to consider wearing a garbage bag someday, but he'd probably look yummy in that too. Awww at this point it's just a joke.

Lou and I went to dinner (at 6:30) and left at 10:40. To my great surprise, only had one margurita and 3 waters. Oh yah and food.

How can you top that?

By sleeping waaaaay in!

May your day have been at least this good, and may your tomorrow be even better!

p.s. they're forecasting 15 cm of snow. HA it feels like 5 degrees above zero out there now....

Hugs, Bridg

You're So Vain/Dumb

Hey world how are you tonight? Is it as warm where you are as it is here? We are having the freakiest weather.....it's above zero now. Lots of ice....

Today work was even worse than yesterday (didn't think that was possible). Two mix ups about who is doing what, computer systems refusing to delete meetings, 9 versions stored of one document of which 8 were blank, and the computer froze every time I tried to read one of them.

Lovely.

And the work is piling up very fast. The kids are keeping up with it, bless their hearts. The problem is that there is only one of me to teach and at the same time I'm taking over some very complicated and screwed-up things. How can I teach four people and learn the tricky stuff at the same time? Yah right.

M, I and Marc were in an 'animated discussion' (read: argument between Bridg and M with Marc as an innocent bystander) today. Lou came in with yet another thing to be done that needed some thought (mine) added to it. I looked at her and said "I quit!", only half kidding. M jumped in and said "Oh no you don't. You're not leaving me here!". Marc is laughing his ass off. Anyway we cleared things up but that's what it's been like.

Not that it's a bad office, it isn't. There is just too much to be done at the same time. And NBG likes to keep his hand in the details. That's right, there is NO control and everyone's doing the tekkie work. This.is.fun. NOT.

Oh well, sooner or later we'll either get used to it or leave.

We are getting stuff done. Good stuff. It's just not only in one field, and it's ummm about 100 times faster than we're used to. But people are happy with us/the approach.

Want to hear something funny? I think that NBG thinks that I am genuinely (maybe too) nice to people. I am not. I'm polite, very facilitating, but if someone is giving me an unduly hard time, being a bully, or is just plain stupid, I'm the last person they'd want to be around! Pauly says that I don't suffer fools gladly. M says that I let stupid people know that they're being stupid. NBG says that I'm a lot more patient than he is.

Why did this come up? I"ve inherited two ladies who are both very willing and bright from EW. They've been micromanaged, insulted beyond bearing, and bad-mouthed by Evil Witch to her boss, NBG. I've told NBG that I like both of them and that they're worth keeping (they've both been kept on temporary status for at least 6 months, partly to have some element of 'control' over them. Isn't that despicable?). NBG checked with M as to whether I really like them or not, and his own views of them. Now, if they're as incompetent as EW said that they were, why did she keep them on for months? Yah right. If they were stupid, I'd be the first person to say so. This is kind of funny and kinda sick.

OK enough for one night. For some reason, The Most Spoiled Cat In The Universe will NOT shut up tonight, so I have to go. Will visit tonight or tomorrow.....Bridg

One Toke Over The Line (p.s. I don't smoke)

You're A Passed Out Drunk

Drinking gives you that warm fuzzy feeling, until you're thrown in the back of a police car...

What Kind of Drunk Are You?

Mel's Tag

Tagged!
1. Hum a jingle of which you know all the words: "I'm lovin it"
2. As a kid, you played a board game over and over. And you cheated you little bastard. What was the game?: None. I never ever cheated. That's what got my siblings fighting (ewww)
3. What is the name of the song that you have been singing the incorrect words all these years? What were you singing? What should you have been singing?: "Sad Sweet Dreamer'--which I thought was "Stanley Steemer". Could never understand why someone would write about a boat. Or here's number two: "Light is Life". I thought that originally was "Life is Scheiss" and again was puzzled about a really upbeat song about "Life Is Shit".

4. What is the most embarrassing childhood story that your parents drag out just for their own private amusement: I bet my brother (he was 5 I was 7 and going to catholic school) that if I threw up a rock and stood under it that God wouldn't let it hit my head. Bro didn't buy it, so I got the biggest rock I could find (a 7 pound lump of granite), threw it up, stood under it, and learned something about religion. And first aid.

4 Jobs I've Had:receptionist, clerk, engineer, righter-of-wrongs

4 TV shows I heart:NCIS (duh), 24, medium, ghost whisperer

4 Places I Have Been On Vacation:St. Thomas, Puerto Rico, Bahamas, Mexico

4 Web Sites I visit daily: there are at least 15, but 4 are Homeschooling our tourette's kid, Wandering coyote, ocean of reality, zombieslayer, poppy cede, raven, 123ILoveYou, insaneasylime and drinkmorejack. (OK so there are 8) THIS IS UNFAIR!! I read at least 15 a day!

4 Favorite Foods:traditional thanksgiving dinner, pizza, nacho cheese doritos (it can SO be dinner!), spaghetti

4 Places I Would Rather Be Right Now: in a jacuzzi anywhere, on any caribbean beach, on a horse farm/collie bording place, egypt.

4 People I DO NOT heart: my ex, Mr. b, b. blackburn, evil witch

I tag bsoholic, poppy cede, wandering coyote and lime

Nausea, Heartburn, Upset Stomach...Hey Pepto Bismol!

Don't you believe it world, the lifesaver is Imodium! Not that the nonsense has gone away but at least it's sort of under control.

Thank you all so very much for your good wishes, and in Zombieslayer's case, for the pun (bummer)!!

Spent the last few days dragging myself through work (took Monday off) and no I'm not getting THEM sick, they got ME sick but what the hey we're pretty much all related anyway! There is more work than anyone knows what to do with. Could not understand why NBG is giving us such specific direction until I realized tonight that he's never had managers to deal with before (our colleagues and predecessors are nice folks but not really managing/making decisions--he's had to do it all).

NBL is coming back on Friday but not as boss. M is trading offices with someone else and will profit by the deal, and I"m moving closer to him/the gang (my office is large but far away from them now). It kind of creeps me out, him being in NBL's office (I keep being worried that cancer is catching somehow. It probably isn't and this defies reason, but I can't help it. No she doesn't have cancer, her daughter does). So this is good all around.

Get this--Evil Witch drove one of her staff (now my staff) nuts working on a project. It's being done about as incorrectly as you can do that kind of work, and someone nominated EW for an award for this sh*t!! That's right! Not the person who's being yelled at all the time trying to get the work actually done, but the one who told her to do it the wrong way. Amazing.

Restores your faith in bureaucracy, doesn't it? No, NBG had nothing to do with it. He's angry about it, because it's part of her everyday work.

It iced overnight. Driving in was a treat. Left an hour early, actually the driving part was fine. The PARKING LOT, however, was another thing entirely. Swear that some idiot kept watering it all night, and it's built on a slope. No salt on it this morning either. Glad I got in early, didn't have far to walk.

Finally got laundry, dusting, polishing and even some vacuuming done over the last few days (energy came and went, mostly went) and right now feel like there's a boulder in my tummy (have not eaten yet). Whatever this is, hope you all escape it. Yuk.

And kept dreaming about work. Double yuk. I mean, if you can't be racy/imaginative in dreams sheesh......

Mom's doing just fine, Most Spoiled Cat In The Universe is very happy (thrilled to bits when I'm home), Sis is OK but overworked too. That CAT is almost human. She was 'gazing with disfavour' on her ultra expensive good cat food the other night. I saw that and said 'if you eat this now, I'll give you your old food for your next meal'. Damn if she didn't sit down and gobble it right up.

Weeeeird.

Don't talk to me about brothers for a while. I realize that some of you out there ARE brothers, that's OK. Mine I"m a little steamed at but it'll pass.

Will visit tonight and tomorrow to catch up on all your doings....

Missed you guys!!!

(((((sanitized for your safety hugs)))))), Bridg

Holiday Road

Hi world! Know I've used this title before, but am too out of it to think. Have flu/cold/whatever goin' on ALL DAY and am definitely not with it.

Sis and her partner went over to Mom's and cleaned up a storm and took Mom out to brunch (hugs!!!). I am so sorry I wasn't there but believe me would have been BAD to be around. Didn't get dressed, taking NeoCitran and Imodium like mad. Hope whatever this is goes away by tomorrow. They (NBG) want to talk to the staff about the org changes and I'm worried that they won't do it if I'm not there (and those poor ladies have been up in the air long enough).

Have not done much here, lemme tell you. WANTED to do plenty but just can't. So this is going to be a very short post, will catch up with you again in a day or two.

Hugs (from a safe distance), Bridg

Stolen from Red (TY!)

Your Element is Water

Your power colors: blue and aqua Your energy: deep Your season: winter Like the ocean, you evoke deep feelings and passion. You have an emotional, sensitive, and spiritual soul. A bit mysterious, you tend to be quiet when you are working out a problem. You need your alone time, so that you can think and dream.

What Element Are You?

Kiss On My List

Hi world, hope you're OK wherever you may be...

Well, yesterday I typed something about no snow. So today it sunned, rained, freezing rained, then snowed, then winds began--it was hard to hold the car on the road (it's a new Civic, but a pretty big one). The wind blew the gas cap off of my car and it was resting at the rear windshield-trunk junction (pretty protected area).

Meant to stay at home relaxing but realized that I"ve got a LOT of laminations that have been overdue for two weeks. Got the most important ones today (the place is not open on Sunday) and MAN they did a beautiful job. Bashed the bathroom wall good when I put one up but will fix (sigh) 'later'. Also needed to go to Sears for unmentionables. I can always find what I want there although I can't stand the store and the parking lot is downright scary (seniors and others closing their eyes and flooring the accelerator is not my definition of 'fun'). Anyway, got in and out with a fair bit of pain (lines for checkouts were unreal--VERY long). Turns out it's 50% off weekend and half the population of O town is in Sears. The poor salesclerks.

Got SOME house-ish work done (downstairs dusting, polishing, plant watering). Next is upstairs but that'll be tomorrow if the laminations don't bonk me on the head overnight. Got groceries so will also cook tomorrow. Got car filled with gas too (the scary light came on and it took forever to find a gas station). Need to wash it though, the poor thing looks like a racing car with all the salt water streaks on it.

Usually do cooking on the weekends, when I have the most energy. Then freeze it. Problem is that I am always trying new recipes and don't label them (the food when it's cooked, I mean). So am never too sure what the really good ones are lol. Actually most of them are pretty good.

Have any of you seen pics of Star Jones lately? She's lost 150 pounds! Won't say how but man does she look infinitely better. http://conversationsfamouspeople.blogspot.com/2005/04/star-jones-is-looking-rather-slender.html

Hmmm inspiring (a bit).

Getting sleepy...off to blog hop. Hope you liked the humor, found it irresistable!!
Nighty night world
Bridg

Not Hy's!

courtesy of theoldfella@snap.net.nz

Laugh

Thank you Peter M for these!!!

Yes, it's that magical time of the year again when the Darwin Awards are
bestowed, honouring the least evolved among us. Here then, are the glorious Darwin Award Winners for 2005:

1. When his 38-caliber revolver failed to fire at his intended victimduring a hold-up in Long Beach, California, would-be robber James Elliot did something that can only inspire wonder. He peered down the barrel and tried the trigger again. This time it worked.

And now, the honourable mentions:

2. The chef at a hotel in Switzerland lost a finger in a meat cutting machine and, after a little hopping around, submitted a claim to hisinsurance company. The company expecting negligence, sent out one of its men to have a look for himself. He tried the machine and lost a finger.The chef's claim was approved.

3. A man who shovelled snow for an hour to clear a space for his car during a blizzard in Chicago returned with his Vehicle to find a woman had taken the space. Understandably, he shot her.

4. After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped. Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers the menta lhospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.

5. An American teenager was in the hospital recovering from serious head wounds received from an oncoming train. When asked how he received the injuries, the lad told police that he was simply trying to see how close he could get his head to a moving train before he was hit.

6. A man walked into a Louisiana Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter, and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer,the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer...$15. (If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, is a crime committed?)

7. Seems an Arkansas guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. The liquor store window was made of Plexiglas. The whole event was caught on videotape.

8. As a female shopper exited a New York convenience store, man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately, and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied, "Yes, officer, that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."

9. The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan, at 5 a.m., flashed a gun, and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away.

A 5-STAR STUPIDITY AWARD WINNER!

10. When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find a very sick man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his siphon hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake.

The owner of the vehicle declined to presscharges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.

On The Radio

Happy Friday the 13th, world!! Hope your luck was strong and good!

Got to work EARLY today (and got 'slammed' right into work. It's kind of like a roller coaster there). Gave more work--two more jobs--to T-bird (the female of the 'kids' I manage) and she grinned ear to ear! I can't believe that woman, she's just like me. Wow. And it was a job I hated. You just never know. Marc did his usual sterling work. These kids are so good and eager it's humbling. I was NEVER like they are.

And we got MORE work to do but it's OK.

Did I mention that two others want to join our group? They work for Evil Witch and her apprentice, Ice Queen. IQ is going away for a year, and her staff (the ones who want to join us) and mandate are being transferred to me as of Monday. Good thing too because the calmer of the two said that she was going to leave (and the other one too) if I and M had not started working here. You would not believe what these two have been through. They can't be seen talking to each other/socializing with anyone or they get hauled over the coals. They aren't told what they're supposed to do, then catch hell for not doing it. And worse.

So they've been dropping into my place (when they think that the coast is clear) to let off steam and just get comforted (did mention the mothering stuff I do, right? Kids I didn't give birth to?). Anyway, the reign of Ice Queen is over as of Monday and I"m soooo relieved for them. M and I were just planning the introduction this a.m. and found out about the transfer last thing today.

The big meeting (1 of 2) was at 3:00. It went great, thank heavens. I and a colleague are going to lead the technical part of the work, the other group is going to provide input which we two will or will not use. But it's up to us. That's a huge relief. And the mouthy idiot isn't going to the meetings anymore (as I predicted, this wasn't news to her boss). Went back and debriefed NBG, who was quite happy with what we did.

Then I got to take M for his birthday dinner. Lou couldn't make it, so it was the two of us off to Hy's. He loved it. Loved the ambience--it's an incredibly comfortable (and luxurious, but not intimidatingly so) place. They gave us a fantastic and quiet table.

I chose the wine (M made me do it). Picked a really good one (didn't know it at the time--it's bottled for Hy's. Sonoma somethingorother.). Best wine I've EVER had. We both ordered exactly the same thing, spinach salad with steak oscar (med rare) and basmati rice.

HOLY COW everything was perfect. Not overspiced, wonderful taste--the rice was so delicate and fragrant, and the spinach salad was warm and made tableside (they put cognac in the sauce? Plus beurre blanc, onions, mushrooms, a hint of garlic and either basil or thyme--magic). I don't even remember what we talked about, a mix of memories of childhood, past work lives and a little current work, but it was fabulous. M liked it so much he clinked glasses almost every time he picked up his wineglass. And they brought him a candle in a slice of incredibly rich chocolate cake with vanilla and chocolate sauce drizzled over it. Wow. He set a date to go back on my birthday. Said that if he wouldn't let me give him a present, wanted to be sure he got a damn good dinner (lol). He'd heard good and bad things (it's expensive) about the place but loved it. Felt it was all good and I sure did too.

Advised he'd better take his wife here.

He sent me a 'thank you' note from home tonight. That's to let me know that he made it home OK. I always worry when we've been drinking (no matter over what period of time, they live in the country and it can be tricky out there).

So work is done for the week. My house looks like a hurricane hit it, but the cat's fed and the roof's still up there so it's all good. Am sleeping in tomorrow, thank heavens. Bro didn't take the damn tree down. Said that Sis should do it because he doesn't know how it went together (rolling eyes). Can I call it or what? Hope poor Sis is OK. Turkey Bro.

We got a HECK of a lot of work done this week, including today. We are all learning at the same time (well, our group anyway, NBG knows everything and everyone!).

Turns out that HIS boss DOES remember me from my previous life. OH OH big time. He stuck me with a monster job that turned out OK (he came in for the end part) but only because I stayed up all night including 2 hours on the phone to the other coast to get the info I didn't have (and he did). MAN. In addition, I was burned out (95 hour weeks for 4 years will do that to you), and had a boss who didn't like me at all. Found out when I left that her bosses had chastized her severely for the way she acted with me, and told her to offer me the job permanently. I said 'no thanks' and went to work somewhere else. It didn't leave the best taste in my mouth. Did have fans there but who knows what this man has in his head as impressions of me.

Will just keep doing my thing. Do have a (good) name in the field, so...should be OK.

Can barely stay awake now but it's just the wine...anyway, have a great weekend, world. Will blog-hop over the weekend....night!!!

Bridg

Na Na Na Na, Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Yah, Goodbye!

Hey world! Hope you're doing fine?

Today was yet another stampede of emergencies but stuff got done. Problem is I was late (9:20) for the second day in a row and got caught by NBG at that. He says that he doesn't care about that kind of thing but I think that he does.

So got handed more hot items, they got done (by those fantastic kids) today. Had more insane meetings with not too with it folks (from the same org that started WWIII with me earlier this week). Things are moving very fast which is good but I hate feeling out of control. And this is with M here!!! This place needs two managers, and it only has 4 (needs 8) people in it. Weird but true.

Lou and I are taking M out to dinner tomorrow night for his birthday. Should be fun. We keep mooing at her now (don't worry, she retaliates. Big time!). I'm going to buy her another foam cow/bull to keep hers company. M says I'm awful but that's because he knows what positions I'm going to put the bovines in.

Well, better not. She's NBG's exec assistant, he'd be bound to notice it.....

Boots came today. The high ones (i.e. higher than a shoe). Leave it to me, it's raining cats and dogs out there, the snow is disappearing (not really common for O town this time of year), it's warm out AND it turns out that they're sports boots (snowmobiling etc.). Oh well. They won't 'go bad' waiting a year or so to be worn and at least they fit, which is more than I can say for the boots I have. That hurts like hell, especially when you've got arthritis in your feet (wearing too small footwear, I mean).

Am mentally/emotionally exhausted from all the negotiating and tomorrow's going to be the worst/most intense yet. So won't be a long post. Thank God for M is all I can think (or as I put it, "so f'in glad you're here!").

Sorry for being MIA in blog-visiting. Will be back in shape after the weekend (I hope). Doesn't mean I don't love ya, do. Big time!!

hugs, Bridg

Who Do You Love/Where Do You Work?

Thank you Peter!!!

YOU MIGHT __WORK__ FOR THE GOVERNMENT IF....._

You understand the rationalization of an acronym comprised of acronyms.

You know that the location of a meeting is directly related to its importance: a meeting across town requires a subordinate or a contractor, but the same meeting in Banff requires your personal attention.

You work for an acronym, on an acronym, and your job title is an acronym.

You've been at the same desk for 3 years and done the same thing for 3 years, but have had 3 different business cards.

The process is more important than the product.

You don't see anything wrong with attending a meeting on a subject you know nothing about.

You feel you contributed to the meeting just by being there.

You realize that a paperless office is impossible. Actually, you believe it is possible...just not in your office.

You keep documents/manuals on projects that have been long since cancelled.

You stop raising issues/problems because you know you'll be the one who has to answer them.

You fly across the country to attend a conference with 100+ people to discuss the fact that the project does not have enough money.

Your biggest loss from a system crash is that you lose your best jokes.

Your supervisor doesn't have the ability to do your job.

Fun is when issues are assigned to someone else.

Communication is something your group is having problems with.

You see a good looking person and know it's a visitor.

Food left over from meetings is your main staple.

Sick days are just extra vacation days to be taken whenever.

You're already late on the assignment you just got.

Your relatives and family describe your job as "goes on trips to meetings"

You can name more people that used to work with you than people who do.

Sick Notes

Ummm thanks Vic. Glad I don't live in Tennessee.....

The notes from parents, numbers 16, 12, 18 and 15 are a real riot.

These are REAL notes written by PARENTS in a Tennessee school district...

(Spellings have been left intact.)

1-- MY SON IS UNDER A DOCTOR'S CARE AND SHOULD NOT TAKE PE TODAY. PLEASE EXECUTE HIM.

2-- PLEASE EXKUCE LISA FOR BEING ABSENT SHE WAS SICK AND I HAD HER SHOT.

3-- DEAR SCHOOL: PLEASE ECSC's JOHN BEING ABSENT ON JAN. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 AND ALSO 33.

4-- PLEASE EXCUSE GLORIA FROM JIM TODAY. SHE IS ADMINISTRATING.

5-- PLEASE EXCUSE ROLAND FROM P.E. FOR A FEW DAYS. YESTERDAY HE FELL OUT OF A TREE AND MISPLACED HIS HIP.

6-- JOHN HAS BEEN ABSENT BECAUSE HE HAD TWO TEETH TAKEN OUT OF HIS FACE.

7-- CARLOS WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE HE WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL. HE WAS HURT IN THE GROWING PART.

8-- MEGAN COULD NOT COME TO SCHOOL TODAY BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN BOTHERED BY VERY CLOSE VEINS.

9-- CHRIS WILL NOT BE IN SCHOOL CUS HE HAS AN ACRE IN HIS SIDE.

10-- PLEASE EXCUSE RAY FRIDAY FROM SCHOOL. HE HAS VERY LOOSE VOWELS.

11-- PLEASE EXCUSE PEDRO FROM BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD (DIAHRE, DYREA, DIREATHE), THE SH**S. NOTE: [WORDS IN ( )'s WERE CROSSED OUT]. (Love it! :-) )

12-- PLEASE EXCUSE TOMMY FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD DIARRHEA, AND HIS BOOTS LEAK.

13-- IRVING WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE HE MISSED HIS BUST.

14-- PLEASE EXCUSE JIMMY FOR BEING. IT WAS HIS FATHER'S FAULT. {You know, this could be legit! ;-)

15-- I KEPT BILLIE HOME BECAUSE SHE HAD TO GO CHRISTMAS SHOPPING BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT SIZE SHE WEAR.

16-- PLEASE EXCUSE JENNIFER FOR MISSING SCHOOL YESTERDAY. WE FORGOT TO, GET THE SUNDAY PAPER OFF THE PORCH, AND WHEN WE FOUND IT MONDAY. WE THOUGHT IT WAS SUNDAY.

17-- SALLY WON'T BE IN SCHOOL A WEEK FROM FRIDAY. WE HAVE TO ATTEND HER FUNERAL.

18-- MY DAUGHTER WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE SHE WAS TIRED. SHE SPENT A WEEKEND WITH THE MARINES. {I absolutely LOVE that one!}

19-- PLEASE EXCUSE JASON FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD A COLD AND COULD NOT BREED WELL.

20-- PLEASE EXCUSE MARY FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. SHE WAS IN BED WITH GRAMPS.

21-- GLORIA WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY AS SHE WAS HAVING A GANGOVER.

22-- PLEASE EXCUSE BRENDA. SHE HAS BEEN SICK AND UNDER THE DOCTOR.

23-- MARYANN WAS ABSENT DECEMBER 11-16, BECAUSE SHE HAD A FEVER, SORE THROAT, HEADACHE AND UPSET STOMACH. HER SISTER WAS ALSO SICK, FEVER AN SORE THROAT, HER BROTHER HAD A LOW GRADE FEVER AND ACHED ALL OVER. I WASN'T THE BEST EITHER, SORE THROAT AND FEVER. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING GOING AROUND, HER FATHER EVEN GOT HOT LAST NIGHT.

NOW WE KNOW WHY PARENTS ARE SCREAMING FOR BETTER EDUCATION FOR OUR KIDS.

Tee Hee Hee!!!

Don't know about YOU world, but I need a giggle or two. Thanks for this one, Adrian!!

Students were assigned to read 2 books, "Titanic" & "My Life" by Bill Clinton. One smart ass student turned in the following book report,with the proposition that they were nearly identical stories! His cool professor gave him an A+ for this report:

>> Titanic: $29.99
> Clinton: $29.99

>> Titanic: Over 3 hours to read
> Clinton: Over 3 hours to read

>> Titanic: The story of Jack and Rose, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe.
> Clinton: The story of Bill and Monica, their forbidden love, and subsequent catastrophe.

>> Titanic: Jack is a starving artist.
> Clinton: Bill is a bullsh*t artist.

>> Titanic: In one scene, Jack enjoys a good cigar.
> Clinton: Ditto for Bill.

>> Titanic: During ordeal, Rose's dress gets ruined.
> Clinton: Ditto for Monica.

>> Titanic: Jack teaches Rose to spit.
> Clinton: Let's not go there.

>> Titanic: Rose gets to keep her jewelry.
> Clinton: Monica's forced to return her gifts.

>> Titanic: Rose remembers Jack for the rest of her life.
> Clinton: Clinton doesn't remember Jack.

>> Titanic: Rose goes down on a vessel full of seamen.
> Clinton: Monica...ooh, let's not go there, either.

>> Titanic: Jack surrenders to an icy death.
> Clinton: Bill goes home to Hilary...basically the same thing.

Retirees' Gloat

The Story of my Working Life

My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned...couldn't concentrate.

Then I worked in the woods as a lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the ax.

After that I tried to be a tailor, but I just wasn't suited for it ...mainly because it was a so-so job.

Next I tried working in a muffler factory but that was too exhausting.

Then I tried to be a chef -- figured it would add a little spice to my life, but I just didn't have the thyme.

I attempted to be a deli worker, but any way I sliced it, I couldn't cut the mustard.

My best job was being a musician, but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy.

I studied a long time to become a doctor, but I didn't have any patience.

Next was a job in a shoe factory; I tried but I just didn't fit in.

I became a professional fisherman, but discovered that I couldn't live on my net income.

I managed to get a good job working for a pool maintenance company, but the work was just too draining.

So then I got a job in a workout center, but they said I wasn't fit for the job.

After many years of trying to find steady work I finally got a job as a historian until I realized there was no future in it.

My last job was working at Starbucks, but I had to quit because it was always the same old grind.

SO I RETIRED AND I FOUND I AM PERFECT FOR THE JOB!

I Got The Music In Me

"When something gets in my way, I go round it
Don't let liiiife get me down
Gotta keep my feet
Firmly on the ground...."

Hey world how are you? Soaking wet if you were here. It freezing rained, then rained. So all the ice now has a deceptive sheet of water on it. Didn't have salt, the corner store's out of it, so I put kelp fertilizer (use on cedar hedges) on the ice and guess what? It worked BETTER than salt OR sand!

For those of you who happen to have kelp fertilizer handy...heh heh heh

Hope your day world, was as good and productive as mine. M, I, M's wife, you name it--everyone I know of involved in that mess of a meeting yesterday went home upset. It occurred to me on the way into work this a.m. that NBG would not stand for the positions taken yesterday nor for our continuing to participate in such a sham. He called me first thing in the a.m. to discuss something else. He happened to mention something unethical that was right in line with The Meeting From Hell, so I described what happened. He asked that we include him in meetings (to lend his considerable weight to our directions, not to supervise), supported my position--backed me up to the hilt. This guy is very powerful, his support is very critical (besides he's my boss' boss).

M came into my office as we were hanging up. M had come to (surprise ha ha) the exact same conclusions that I had, and was very excited about NBG's reactions. So we met, gave him the fuller story, he again backed us up. We made the appropriate calls, which sparked more calls (to me) and the decision machine sprang into action: I and my counterpart from another org must chair this effort. The current chair can't (we are ummm assessing him, he can't tell us how) anymore. Deviations from this mean that we quit and will do our own study. And we can. They know it. If M and I (relatively respected names in O town in this area) pull out, that will signal everyone who matters that something stinks big time. That will create huge problems for the current chair, and there is $300K immediately, and some millions in about a year, riding on this.

Meeting's Friday. Should be very interesting.

We are all thrilled to bits. Is another 'fix the screw-ups (of someone else)" meeting tomorrow which should go quite well too. Oh by the way, both I and the friend who dragged me into this thing were sitting next to each other in The Meeting From Hell, and M said that both of us were rolling our eyes, making faces, etc. during the meeting and that others were too. I wish you guys could see the faces I make, honestly they're both funny and (if you're the one not making sense) scary. Don't do that very often anymore but it was soooo bad yesterday I had to. It was either that or say something kinda devastating (put someone in their place) and I hate hate hate that. M does it better than I do anyway.

This is almost looking good. Definitely miles ahead of where we were yesterday.

Mom's boots from Utah arrived today at my house. Even they wouldn't help her with the ice today tho. I even took her trash out tonight...no way she could even get down the sidewalk (as if I'd let her try!). I was lucky to make it across the parking lot into work this a.m. and got M to drive me to my car (he was parked on the street) tonight.

We agreed to just take each other to dinner on our birthdays, starting now. OK so I'm taking him to the fanciest, nicest steak house in town on Friday (heh heh heh). Haven't been there in years but it's famous. WC, I"m talking about Hy's.

I'm starving. Gotta go do dinner--just rushed in here to tell you all what happened as soon as I got in.

Oh yah, none of my laminating is done yet. I am one frustrated little Bridg. But they gotta get here sooner or later.....Next week allegedly. Am trying not to think about it.

Stay dry y'all!!!

Bridg

p.s. Lou finally noticed that I turned the plastic cow she has on top of her monitor upside down with its butt facing her today. She called me during a meeting and called me a bum for doing it. So now I moo at her every time she phones me. She's NBG's executive assistant, so she calls a lot.

moooooooooooooooooo

ppss.

Big Shots meeting cancelled. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Life In A Northern Town

The Dream Academy
courtesy of: http://theacf.com/dreamac/lyrics/life_in_a_northern_town.html
Life in a Northern Town
A Salvation Army band played
And the children drank lemonade
And the morning lasted all day,
All day
And through an open window came
Like Sinatra in a younger day,
Pushing the town away
Ah -(Chant) Ah hey ma ma ma
Life in a northern town.
They sat on the stoney ground
And he took a cigarette out
And everyone else came down
To listen.
He said "In winter 1963
It felt like the world would freeze
With John F. Kennedy
And the Beatles."
(Chant)Ah hey ma ma ma
Life in a northern town.
Ah hey ma ma ma
All the work shut down.
The evening had turned to rain
Watch the water roll down the drain,
As we followed him down
To the station
And though he never would wave goodbye,
You could see it written in his eyes
As the train rolled out of sight
Bye-bye.
(Chant)Ah hey ma ma ma
Life in a northern town.
Ah hey ma ma ma (make it easy on yourself)
Life in a northern town.

How are you tonight world? It didn't snow here today (big news!)!! Here is more big news--yesterday was M's birthday AND I FORGOT. What an idiot!!! Just called him at home the minute I realized it to apologize. OH MAN (booting own butt). OK tomorrow for dinner but also have to find something appropriate as prezzie...

We had a disaster of a 3 hour meeting at the end of today. M said he's never been that frustrated/angry, I got so mad I didn't remember what I said (M said that it was obvious that I was angry but I was very polite) and Marc just laughed afterwards and said 'awesome, I've never seen you mad before'. GRRRRRRR!

First, there was no chair for the meeting. There were 3 people there in charge of that function, none of them did any chairing. One very inexperienced but pontifical person decided to teach all of us how to do our jobs (and it was clear that she is a novice), spending/wasting 20 minutes per point, and usually repeating points raised by others earlier and dwelling on them at length.

Later in the meeting, she decided to teach one of the world's leaders in his field how to do the basic elements of his job. It was so embarrassing and unprofessional that M and I called him afterwards to apologize for her behaviour. The chair should have stopped the pontificating, and certainly should have stopped her boorish behaviour, but didn't. One of the co-chairs decided that I would raise issues that he identified. Since I hadn't seen them prior to the meeting, I declined. Boy was I glad I did. His comments were unsubstantiated and frankly just wrong. I was so annoyed (read: burned up) by then that I corrected him right at the meeting.

Up to that point, Marc and I had been working on a task that we were asked to do by the group. We did a draft, asked for comments, got some by e mail, the rest at a subsequent meeting. At THIS meeting, the co-chair asked me to justify what we'd done! I responded by asking exactly what he was fishing for, and he came out with a laundry list, another one, of things he wanted changed. Some valid, some not.

So why ambush me/us with this at a meeting and waste 3 hours? I'm certainly not afraid of criticism, being among the stronger people in the field. I do object to the ethics, morals and tactics tho. This person is of an ethnic group that does not usually highly value females. Am not sure what, if any, role this played in his behaviour. Did explain to him why I felt ambushed at the meeting, and that I know he's a good person despite it. Am also quite sure that he didn't understand a word of it.

One of the other co-chairs felt that we (I) had not invested enough time in this projects, saying that it took them 6 to 9 months to complete a similar exercise using a consultant. In my business, we call that 'incompetent' and 'milking the client'. I can do one of those (sometimes more) a DAY. At pretty high standards.

So yah, I was pretty ticked. So were we all. M, S (a colleague working with me on this project), M and another lady (colleague of Mouthy Bitch) were ALL rolling our eyes at each other, exchanging agonized looks, and yet the chair did nothing to shut her up/gain some control.

For.Three.Hours.

M is going to write a 'rules of engagement' notice back, covering the redraft of the project (it's just a diagram really), stating how he expects meetings and work to be conducted in the future. Great idea. He will also talking to the manager of Mouthy Bitch about her embarrassing and inappropriate behaviour. When the manager discovers WHO (the world famous guy) she tried to teach, he will be very upset. You don't lecture the Pope how to say the 'Our Father'. Usually.

On the domestic front, my Mom is now claiming that it was MY idea to take down the damn Christmas decorations, not hers. I quoted her back to herself...she sort of accepted that she did start insisting. Am quite worried that this is a mental short circuit. Or very creative shit-stirring, not sure which. Her phone is now restored, guess Rogers did its homework and found her payment. She is still switching to Bell in a few weeks. Thank. The. Lord. I don't have another of those weekends in me.

And the meeting with the collective Big Shots is tomorrow. NBG is going to do the presenting, THANK YOU GOD, because HIS boss, the Pres, can be quite disconcerting if you're not used to his style. Well, that's just what I need after a day like today, lemme tell you. On the plus side, the slides are perfect, the stuff we worked on is solid, and M's job description is done like dinner. No sign of NBL today either (I say not till Feb).

Feel very beaten up. M stuck up for me, once he got over his anger. UPS tried to deliver something to me, naturally I was at work being beaten up, so couldn't get it. They will try a total of 3 times. It's an order of shoes for big ole feet.

Way my luck's been going, I'll be......







Night world! Avoid meetings with morons, if you possibly can....Bridg

When We Dance

Hi world, sorry for the repeat on the post title but am obsessed with that song! Can't get enough of it. Hope all is well with you?

It snowed buckets overnight. Which led to very slow traffic. Fortunately I had (ta DA!) a good night's sleep, woke up on time, left on time (early) and was only 15 minutes late. Took 1.25 hours to do a 20 minute trip. But with Sting blasting, who cared? Not me.

Until I came home to an unplowed laneway. THAT I care about For $325 a season, Tony's F'ing Snowplowing could manage to get me plowed in 12 hours. Had to call and remind them for the second time this season to do my driveway. Fortunately the lady who handles the phones, Diane, is the sweetest soul on earth.

Work went fantastically!!! Got lots done, the troops are well, enthusiastic and plowing ahead. I so love those guys (the ones I don't work with too except Evil Witch (EW) and Ice Queen--who works for EW). EW was in my office twice today about my presentation--with nothing much to say except that the work that Ice Queen was supposed to do (and didn't) wasn't her fault. Then she scrambled to get it done. I'm sure it will be done upside down and backwards but who cares? I won't need it anyway.

NBL was not in today, as predicted. We had no where for her to sit anyway. NBG was in, his usual charming, brainy self. Got everything he asked me to do done by end of day.

Picked up food for Mom's cat (she hasn't asked but will) and for the Most Spoiled Cat In the Universe. Can you imagine Seafood And Tomato Bisque cat food? Man these two have it made.

M was his usual gorgeous, smart self. Caught him giving me the eye several times today. Hmm. He left early too.

Have back-to-back meetings (10:00-4:00) tomorrow which should go OK. M's at all of them. Am determined to get at least some of the house stuff done tonight. Actually I have to, can't fit any more clothes into the hamper.

I take a fair number of herbs, including some that cause (head) hair growth. No I'm not kidding. It costs $64 a bottle but works very well, everyone notices the results. Why do I take it? Because a lot of the heart stuff I take causes hair loss, as I was horrified to find out plus dying it wreaks havoc with hair also. Had to get more tonight so got to visit with someone who's got to be the nicest shop keeper around. Unfortunately, before that got ignored at the (real) drugstore until I asked if I should come back. They ignored me for 7 minutes straight (I timed them, and there were 2 of them and no one else waiting originally).

So all in all a balanced day. Bell for some reason needs 10-15 days to switch Mom's phone. Thank God she has the cell. Thank God she's OK health wise.

Is this any way to run an airline? Holy crabfish!

Have a lovely evening, world! It's supposed to snow here all week.

California dreamin'.......lol!

Bridg

p.s. teee heeee heee am rolling on floor laughing. The snowplow got stuck in the snow in my driveway!!!!!!!

Precious and Few

Hi world, hope you're doing fine?

Today was allegedly warm but felt cold. Went to Canadian Tire, got Mom several sets of screwdrivers (she lost hers) with multiheads (I mean like the $79 variety), a bunch of see-through plastic storage bins, 4 60 watt energy saving light bulbs guaranteed to last 5 years each, and I can't remember what else.

Then got to her house and finally got that @#$% globe off of her lawn light, changed the bulb and also changed the one next to her door (it was so dim that she couldn't see to open the door yesterday). Then took down most of the Christmas ornaments except the flippin' tree (Bro can do that) but did bring the box upstairs. Took her 60 piece punchbowl downstairs (heavy!). Took off most of the outdoor lights but stopped when I broke the second bulb. Guess you're supposed to take those off first, right? Oh well. Sis can finish that.

Then ordered dinner in, so I know Mom ate dinner. Fed her cat--TWICE--we all had noticed at Christmas that he was/is very skinny. Mom didn't believe me until the others said it too. Sigh. Filled the humidifier again (it emptied itself overnight, so she hadn't filled it in quite some time), took her trash and recycling out (again). Then went home to peace and quiet.

But explained first that I work very hard during the week, that I need rest, and that everyone gets weekends off except me and that this has to change. She agreed. Also explained that I really hate packing up Christmas ornaments and that this was the second year in a row that I had to do it.

I'm not p*ssed anymore, but AM going south next year. There are times that I feel like the family pack mule--they all assume that I have time to do all of this stuff because I'm single. Actually being single gives me less time but none of them listen. So my bills wait for attention (not all of them can be done by computer/auto deductions), my laundry languishes, don't even TALK to me about housework let alone other stuff like socializing. The only way to get through to these folks is just not to be here, so next year I won't.

Looked up in my handwritten journal from last year, and I"d written the same damn stuff. OK next year, it's on.

But for now the essentials are done. Mom can actually SEE her front door, everyone else can see it too, and most of the clutter is gone. For now. I'm sure in a week it'll be bedlam again.

Oh yes, forgot. Tomorrow have to call and make sure that Bell takes care of her phone.

NBL is supposed to show up to work tomorrow. This should be interesting. She doesn't want to be director (and won't be) and is only going to work a few hours. I have difficulty seeing her come in at all.

Am making a presentation on the big done-by-Christmas project to all the bosses in the org. Scared to death about it. But hell, how much scarier can it be than the weekend, lol?

The Most Spoiled Cat In The Universe is glad that I'm home, and I am too. Love my Mom/family, but desperately need rest.

Night world, get some sleep!!

Bridg

Rogers SUCKS!!!

Hey world happy Saturday night!!

It's (guess what) snowing here still but little stuff. Adding up to 10 cm which the snowplow guys will of course ignore.

Sigh.

Had a wonderful dream last night that I was on a date with a much younger guy (that was not the good part) and that for some reason we had to drop into a physics lab at a university on this date. The prof turned out to be Robert Redford, who knew me and kept hitting on me and damn if it didn't (finally) work.

That's all I remember. No really sexy stuff but hmmmmm. Hope I have THAT dream again!! So many of them seem to take place in universities. Maybe I should have paid more attention (gone to class) when I was there in the first place?

Mom got into trouble with her phone today. She kept her Rogers account (bad move) when I switched back to Bell months ago. Although she paid her bill through her bank, Rogers said that she hadn't and cut her outgoing service off. For a 77 year old heart attack and stroke survivor, this is NOT funny/good. No one knew until I called at 2:30 to see how she was doing. Frig. So now she's moving back to Bell and of course Bell doesn't have weekend hours (sigh again) so I filled out an application to transer her service to Bell over the Web. Thank God for the Web and cell phones (Mom has one that I bought her. Of course it wasn't charged but is now --I recharged it-- and connected a headset to it).

Sis is quite sick with yet another sinus infection and since Mom's prone to pneumonia, couldn't have helped.

Got her a pizza and stayed there to make sure she ate it (of course I did too). Also attached some of those carbon tipped thingies that you add to boots to keep you from slipping to her boots while we were waiting for the pizza.

Aging is complicated. Now I know what the Who meant when they wrote "hope I die before I get old" in My Generation (p.s. I know that they didn't mean it that way at the time). Yikes.

And Sunday (tomorrow) I'm supposed to go over there and take down all the Christmas decorations/tree/lights and try to replace all the burned out light bulbs on her outdoor fixtures which my brother has forgotten every week for a month to do.

Not. happy.

There are times when work is a holiday compared to being at home. This is one of them.

Sorry to be a bummer, world, it's just frustrating. Can't get two days in a row off ever, it seems. And the worst thing is that it's no one's fault.

Hope tomorrow's better, hope your day was MUCH better!!

Bridg

Don't Blame Me For This One...

Thanks Bob for this one....

Archaeologists were digging in Norway. They discovered a large statue ofthe Norse god Thor. The statue had two large gemstones for eyes. Such astatue had never before been seen. The two leading archaeologists bothwanted recognition for the find. They began to fight over who made thediscovery. The other archaeologists gathered to watch. Eventually, thelead archaeologists called a truce. As they walked away, anotherarcheologist said, "That was clearly a fight for Thor eyes."

Playboy for Geeks

Sorry gang, just had to share...

http://www.funnyjunk.com/p/0391-jpg.html

OOOOPSIE!

http://funzines.com/weirdpics.htm

Kids Just LOOOVE MICKEY MOUSE

http://funzines.com/weirdpics.htm

End of the Line

As you can probably tell from these titles, world, Pal Jery gave me the Travelling Willburys CD for Christmas. How is THAT for great? Never get sick of that kind of stuff...

How are you tonight, world? It's pretty darn cold here lemme tell ya. Snowing on top of that but it's a nice slow snow (small flakes).

Had a really good day. Stuff is moving along, our troops are learning very quickly, and both M's office and mine are becoming drop in centres for disaffected (picked on) staff of others. Not in a 'bitch and moan' sense, more like a 'thanks you guys for the advice and for listening' sense. I'm VERY glad that they're not put off by the fact that I"m either in M's office or he's in mine. It usually has to do with work, which quite often deteriorates into smart-ass comparisons or insults. Which all of them like. There is so much laughter that the Ice Queen across the hall from M has started shutting her door every time I"m in M's office.

Got to meet with NBG and it was great, of course. NBL is back on Monday, in theory. She doesn't want the/her old job back, the one M is acting in, right away. We do have stuff for her to do, but we need a place to put her. I think that they have that figured out. She won't be back full days either for a while.

M's cool, I'm flexible too. The thing is, the Ice Queen (Evil Witch's right hand person) was to leave now to a new job. That deal fell through. Now we're stuck with her for a while, and I'm supposed to be heading up her function. Over her dead body, I think. So for now, M and I are in the same group (which works amazingly). We had some informal stuff to do today and it went like silk. Niiiice.

Had to leave early ('early' meant 5:15) and meet an old friend who has what has to be the most frustrating job in the world. She's the only working level person in a small group of managers who are all senior, most of whom do nothing and the ones that do aren't qualified to do what they're supposed to do (communications). Consequently Ds is a pretty angry person (she's a hard-worker bee and a BEAR for detail, almost anal). Oh yah, and she's married to an abusive little guy who hasn't worked in roughly 10 years. The good news is that she's losing her 'victim' approach to things (understandable though that would be) and is now becoming much more assertive and and feisty, even at home. THAT is wonderful and long overdue. So most of the talking wasn't done by me but it was great to see her and let her vent. She liked her Christmas and (late) 50th birthday presents (gemstone necklace, dvd of Practical Magic, Trailer Park Boys T shirt and a ladybug pin--she loves ladybugs).

There's a very cute waiter at this place who keeps making a big fuss over me (I'm there a fair bit, and this happens every time I go there). He did it again tonight. Can't tell if he's just friendly (from 'down east' where friendly is law), is flirty (c'mon, I'm old enough to be his mom and scary-looking!) or if I left an obscenely big tip the first time we met. Last time I was there, I said that he was flirting with Pauly.

Ds said who cares, he's cute.

lol gotta love that. He is cute. And smart and attentive.

Well folks I am falling asleep. Not that you aren't the best company in the world, but it's late and I'm tired from not sleeping all week (except last night yahoo!).

Catch up with you later?

Happy weekend, world!
Hugs.
Bridg

Most Spoiled Cat In The Universe

Bridg's Internet Boots

Bridg's Boot

Pump Pump Pumps Your Blood

Pump, pump, pumps your Blood (as sung by Potsie on Happy Days)
courtesy of: http://www.bloodbook.com/pump_your_blood.html

The right atrium’s where the process begins,
where the CO2 Blood enters the heart.
Through the tricuspid valve,
to the right ventricle,
the pulmonary artery, and lungs.
Once inside the lungs,
it dumps its carbon dioxide
and picks up its oxygen supply.
Then it’s back to the heart
through the pulmonary vein,
through the atrium and left ventricle.
Pump, pump, pumps your Blood.

Pump, pump, pumps your Blood.
The aortic valve’s where the Blood leaves the heart,
then it's channeled to the rest of the bod.
The arteries, arterioles, and capillaries too
bring the oxygenated Blood to the cells.
The tissues and the cells trade off waste and CO2,
which is carried through the venules and the veins
Through the larger vena cava to the atrium and lungs,
and we're back to where we started in the heart.
Pump, pump, pumps your Blood (repeat a million times)

Hi world how are you? I have the above stupid song in my head and thought I'd pass it on to you.

You're welcome.

heh heh heh

It's still snowing here but not really interesting snow. It's the kind of small tiny snow that comes down like rain and drifts across roadways like sand. Still lots of cars going off into the ditch, but I leave work late enough to miss all the excitement except for the tire tracks.

And it is even less cold than yesterday. All I wore outside was office pants, gloves and a sweater. Wasn't the least bit cold (oh yah and my internet boots). Hey speaking of that, want to hear something SMART? Well, ok how about READING something smart? I ordered shoes from another company last night (Internet). They sent me an e mail telling me to call my credit card company, verify exactly how much I was being charged on my card for the shoes (tax etc. included), then to call them back in 5 days with the info. If I don't, the order won't go through.

Is that clever or what?

Also a bit of a PIA, but definitely someone's got their thinking cap on (for those of us who remember Tom Terrific and Manfred the Wonder Dog) at that place.

Work went great today. Got a huge lot done. One project's taking forever but that's how it is sometimes. M is catching right on, dove into the deep end and is taking on/doing great work. I love working with him, T bird and Marc. They are just the limit. D has the flu and is overloaded. I think her bod's objecting to her insane workload and hours, but she's at that point where 'it just has to get done'. Oh oh. Well, the flu will fix that, I am sure. Not that I wish it on her, she is TERRIFIC but.... ya gotta listen to the bod.

Also got a good joke from Pauly (forgot to send it to myself at home, will post later) and follow up jokes from S. Killed myself laughing. One of them involved a tin foil hat...Love those guys, miss them too. A lot.

Got some great dirty jokes today which most of you probably got via e mail. If not, send me your e mail addy and I'll put you on my distribution list. I get some of them from other lists...most from my insane friends.

Here's one: What's the worst thing you can say to a man who's complaining about his wife being frigid? Answer: "No she's not!".

Tee hee hee

The meeting with the Evil Witch was really funny. She talked for almost an hour straight (thought she'd run out of breath at one point). I should have timed it. Had decided not to say anything but of course I did, most of it updating her (old) info. M chimed in here and there, just enough to ummm block some moves. It was funny. Really funny. I love watching him do stuff like that. He's so classy/good looking, well dressed, and does the most obnoxious things (but only to mean people) with an innocent smile on his face, and what he does is very subtle--makes it impossible for them to do underhanded things. It's really hilarious. Sounds awful but it's funny to watch the reactions. The body language alone....man. And when someone's being nice, polite and pleasant...it's tough to be mean to them. I almost feel sorry for the victims, but there aren't many. This one has chased away dozens of good people because she's so condescending, unsupportive and rude. Unfortunately she's also extremely smart, spoiled and married to a millionaire.

That's right, independently wealthy.

Oh well. Can't have it all, I guess.

I'm off to blog hop and then go to bed early. Oh also to find a pic of those boots for DMJ.

Night folks! Keep warm!!

Bridg

No More Cloudy Days

Eagles
No More Cloudy Days
courtesy of:http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=%22I+believe+in+second+chances.+I+believe+in+angels+too%22&meta=

Sitting by a foggy window
Staring at the pouring rain
Falling down like lonely teardrops
Memories of love in vain
These cloudy days, make you wanna cry
It breaks your heart when someone leaves and you don't know why
I can see that you've been hurting, maybe I've been lonely too
I've been out here lost and searching, looking for a girl like you
Now I believe the sun is gonna shine
Don't you be afraid to love again, put your hand in mine?
Baby, I would never make you cry
I would never make you blue
I would never let you down
I would never be untrue
I know a place we can go where true love always stay
There's no more stormy nights, no more cloudy days
I believe in second chances
I believe in angels, too
I believe in new romances
Baby, I believe in you
These cloudy days are coming to an end
And you don't have to be afraid to fall in love again
Baby, I would never make you cry
I would never make you blue
I would never turn away
I would never be untrue
I know a place we can go where true love always stays
There's no more stormy nights, no more cloudy days

Just heard this song on the way home (through a MONSTER snowfall BTW) and LOVE it. Very pretty song.

How are you world? Man it's hard going back to work, even to a job and boss I adore, after 11 days off. But it was damn nice to see M and the kids when I got back to work. And they missed me too!

Sigh. This is wonderful. NBG is off till Friday, till then the Queen of Mean (EW), who's acting for NBG, is being ....herself. Which is not pleasant, but then fish don't fly (what do you expect?).

Wore the 'internet boots' (the ones I ordered through the Net) for the first time today and MAN are they COOL (I mean great not cold). Fit, really the nicest-looking boots I've ever had and the tread is unreal (good). Very happy. They're Soloman's (the ski binding guys).

This'll be short because there are a lot of comments to go through. Love you guys, keep the comments coming in....stay safe tonight!

Bridg

What He Said!

from: http://wackocrazy.blogspot.com/

Here Comes The Swiss Army!!

courtesy of: http://wackocrazy.blogspot.com/

And Now We Return You to Our Regularly-Scheduled Program

Heh heh heh bet you thought the title would be "And Now For Something Completely Different", right world?

Back to the normal stuff.....took today off. Glad I did, given the other night's non-sleep until 6 a.m. Had a normal night's sleep (i.e. started around 2 a.m., woke up at 10:30). Good thing I got up when The Most Spoiled Cat In The Universe insisted on it, because the FedEx guys showed up with boots that I ordered over the Internet (YAY!!) half an hour later, followed by a call from M from the office. Not that there was trouble at work, he had a question or two that was easily handled.

Then got to read two days' worth of newspapers, spend time petting/spoiling TMSCITU, put up a suet pack I'd been meaning to put out for a week, pick up some groceries and leave some photos for 'blowing up' (and laminating if they turn out OK--for the office). Did this at Costco. Have never used their photo place before, so we'll see how well it turns out.

Then it was 4:00 and here we are. Not much accomplished except some fine relaxing.

Don't know if I mentioned it in this blog before but the stores in O town basically suck. It's hard to find decent shoes or boots (or much else if you're female). My sister's partner, Rosie, recently told me about ordering clothes via the Internet. She found really choice clothes at bargain prices even including the exchange. Thought I'd try it with boots and BOY did I luck out. Am estatic. Tried to tip the FedEx guy and he wouldn't let me. I think those boots got here in less than a week. Not.too.shabby.

And it's NCIS night YAY!!!

Mom's doing just fine. Seems to have recovered from the too much wine episode of New Year's Day. Whew.

Off to medicate my headache. Thanks to all who responded to yesterday's post, that was a biggie for me.

Love y'all!!!

Bridg

This Is It!

This post was inspired by an email conversation with a friend earlier. It's about the misunderstood condition of depression. So if you don't like medical discussions, skip this one.

Part of why my marriage broke up, other than my disapproval of my ex's girlfriends, was that he (Steve) said that he didn't know how to handle my depression. Had never heard that term at that time, but I had cried for no reason at all since the age of at least 5, maybe younger. Also being molested by a parent as a child probably doesn't help either. My parents were the type that would have died, literally, before consulting psychiatrists.

There are forms of depression that respond to espisodes, such as a death in the family. Then there's a more ongoing kind of various strengths. The ongoing types are caused by an imbalance among three brain chemicals/hormones: seratonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. There are other chemicals involved, these are just the Big Three. And issues in these chemicals tend to run in families. No one has figured out exactly why yet.

Because the amounts of the hormones involved are extremely low, modern technology can't measure them. The only way to know which chemical is out of balance is to put the patient on a medication, wait three months (that's how long it takes for this stuff to build up to an effective level in your body), and see if there is an effect.

The reactions you can have to the med range from: feel no difference, feel angry for no reason, stop eating, or feel not as rotten. That last one is what you want. These are not happy pills, they just raise the threshold of how easy it is to 'get you down'. The right one makes a MAJOR difference.

The unfortunate tendency is for people to regard depression/dysthymia as mental illnesses. THEY ARE NOT MENTAL ILLNESSES!! at least in my humble view. They are physical illnesses that manifest themselves in behaviour, partly, but also in eating, activity levels, sleeping, ability to concentrate....let's put it this way, are diabetics regarded as 'nut jobs'? I didn't think so. How about people who are deficient in other chemicals/hormones such as Human Growth Hormone? Are they nut jobs? No, didn't think so either.

And on top of this, depression/dysthymia are rampant in society. The National Institutes of Mental Health (see link below) estimate that 9.5% of the U.S. population suffer from it (18.8 million people, and 2 million are over 65). The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that by 2020 major depression will be second only to heart disease as the leading cause of disability worldwide (see second link from the bottom). It is very common for women to be on anti-depressants, especially the one I take, Paxil. Females have higher rates of major depression than males by a ratio of 2:1 (again see second link).

I do not see this as society's attempt to control women, I see it as women being more assertive in taking care of their health, and more directly in touch with their feelings than men tend to be (OK OK it's a generality and not always true). Depression is as common as the cold according to my pharmacist and knowledge of my friends' pharmaceutical histories. And even more prevalent among the elderly.

Why? Think about it. Aging involves betrayal by the body, and often enough, the brain. Serious illnesses that senior bear frequently have depression as a side effect. The loss of friends to death (or worse debilitating diseases) including spouses. Financial worries. Should-I-stay-in-my-home worries. Inability to exercise as a means of stress reduction. Loss of freedom and independence (e.g. driving). And too, usually the elderly suffering from depression are women. Why? Simple survival statistics.

So leaving gender considerations out of it, I have a few questions for you:

If you had a broken leg, wouldn't you get it set properly?
If you were bleeding profusely, wouldn't you get it bandaged?
If you:
-change eating habits (eating much more or much less--your clothes will tell you)
-no longer do things that used to give you enjoyment
-avoid or withdraw from friends and family
-change sleeping habits (sleeping much more or much less than before)

then it's time to see a doctor. FAST.

Because of the three months to see if the meds work time phase, it took me 8 years to finally find what worked. I think that doctors are smarter than that now and can diagnose what's needed more easily. There is a side benefit to the one I take: Paxil. It eliminates hot flashes. Yay.

The violence that one hears about from time to time (e.g. mothers killing their children) I believe have more to do with hormone interplay with depression. They (I am quoting from a doctor here) wind up believing that the world is so bad that they don't want their kids to grow up in it. Now before someone gets to this point, wouldn't the symptoms have been extremely obvious??? But we'll leave the moralizing for another day. Again it could be the shame thing.

The bottom line is that sufferers with other supplement-dependent conditions are not regarded as having shameful conditions. Think about diabetics/insulin. People without sufficient Human Growth Hormone. Seratonin, norepinephrine and dopamine are no different. Well OK they affect different parts of the body, the brain. But the point is that there are so many hormones, chemicals in our bodies, so many systems, that can and do go haywire, why single out one for derision?

I have this pet theory that a lot of drug abuse, alcoholism and other compulsive behaviours such as over indulgence in gambling, sex, shopping, eating, and work all have a common purpose: to make the pain go away. Usually a depression-related pain, I'm guessing. I do know that the 'gambling school' in Ottawa (I attended to support someone else) explained it this way. And that this is why meds alone can't cure a compulsive illness. Meds AND talk therapy are needed.

Why do you need talk therapy as well as meds? Well, the meds take away the physical discomfort (and that's a MILD term for it) associated with depression/dysthymia. The confusion, the lack of energy, the diarrhea, the constant nausea, the trembling...there are so many physical symptoms we don't have room for them here. But they are many and FIERCE. It's hard to think with all that going on at the same time. And ALL those things happen at once. OK the meds eliminate them or control them. Now your body is at peace. You can sleep, a normal amount. Now is the time to think over the experience you're having. What the causes were, how you'd do things differently, what your options are. That's where talk therapy helps. A neutral and trained observer who's seen this before is an invaluable guide.

Meds and therapy can be short term, or if the situation is truly hormone-only caused, well, it's like diabetes (you're on the meds for a very long time with occasional check-ins with the doctor). There are other forms of therapy possible, including self-help (see second link from the bottom). But there are worse fates. Like being depressed! I'd never ever go back there again. Way too lonely and painful.

Here are some helpful links to people/places far more educated than I am on this subject, in case you're interested:
http://www.depression.com/
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depression.cfm
http://www.dbsalliance.org/

And here's a test-yourself site
http://www.med.nyu.edu/psych/screens/depres.html

Here is a Canadian link that has a lot of info on treatment
http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/depression/who.htm

Hope this helped a bit, and thanks Friend (you know who you are) for inspiring this!

Bridg

All Over The World

Everybody got the word! It's now 2006 all over the world.

Lots of hopes off to a running start for you all, prayers too (yes I'm one of those). Sending you angels, light and tons of love.

Well, OK except you idiots driving slow in the passing lane. Am sending a completely diff vibe YOUR way.

Took Mom out to a restaurant for New Year's Day dinner. We had a litre of wine, she had most of it 3 glasses worth, and was plastered. Poor Mom. I got her to the car without her looking silly, and stayed there for what felt like a long time watching 24. She had trouble with her legs. Walking was more like lurching. She had to use her cane in the house, which isn't normal. Even after 3 hours had passed. I tested her for all the other symptoms of stroke (blurred vision, headache, dizziness). None of them were present. Waited and helped her get up the stairs after she'd taken her meds for the night. Checked in again this a.m. and she seems fine except for the walking thing--is slower than normal.

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Guess I was really worried about that and my internet/Norton subscription/microsoft subscription royally messing up my computer (couldn't access internet). Was awake until 6:00, or was it 6:30, (am) fixing it. Had to do a system restore, nothing else worked. THEN went to bed. The Most Spoiled/Patient Cat In The Universe woke me up at 12:55. Think she was hungry, poor baby. Can't say I blame her. Took an hour to get dressed and get to Mom's to give her a ride outside. Exchanged some cat food that neither of our cats thought much of, had to get yet MORE prescriptions filled/picked up, run some errands (forgot a big one), etc. and drove Mom through the neighborhood where we used to live in the late 60s, earlyl 70s. She had a great time seeing the old places, they're in good hands/good shape.

Anyway, doubled the sleep meds for tonight, this staying up all night is insane. Will catch up with the blogs as soon as I can. Have one more day off...

See ya soon.....hugs, Bridg

Handle Me With Care!

Brain Lateralization Test Results

Right Brain (58%) The right hemisphere is the visual, figurative, artistic, and intuitive side of the brain. Left Brain (44%) The left hemisphere is the logical, articulate, assertive, and practical side of the brain

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