The return of brain farts...

Aw man!  I was doing so good.  Seems my brain is already on vacation.

Today I wanted to ask the secretary if the new phone books had been delivered (remember that scene in 'The Jerk' when Steve Martin gets sooooo excited about the new phone books).  No, that wasn't me today...I just remembered that and wanted to share that thought.

Anyways...

I walk downstairs to ask her and get way-layed by an employee who has a question about our medical benefits.  Several questions and two minutes later I have continued on my merry way when I spot the secretary in the hallway.

"Hey, Julie, did the..."

Julie walks toward me, head cocked, waiting for me to continue.

Silence.

She waits.

 

More silence.

Damn!

Julie asks, "Did the what?"

 

 

 

"Hold on, I'm thinking,"

 

 

"Forget something?" she askes.

I smirk and nod my head.

She laughs.  "Well, I'm glad  someone else has that problem."

 

GAWD!  What was I going to ask her?

 

 

 

 

She's still laughing.  And waiting.

 

And then it hits me.  OH YEAH!  Now I remember.  Phone books!

 

Getting older sucks!

 

Worse thing about it is, when I was 20 something I (and a friend) often referred to older folks as fossils.  Hey, we were young.  Sure, we knew the day would come when we'd reach that age.  Back then, it seems sooooo far off in the distance.  Time sure flies.

Time it seems has caught up with me.  I am officially a fossil.

A fossil with brain farts.

Yipee.

 

 

 

Sweet Dreams

Raided the Dove stash at lunch.  Today's message -

Smile before bed.  You'll sleep better.

Good point.  I'll have to remember that next time I have trouble sleeping.

 

Can't Sleep

Rascal Flatts :Me and My Gang :'What Hurts the Most'

Outside my window the coyotes are yipping up a storm.  We live smack dab in the middle of the city and yet share the neighborhood with coyotes, pheasant, deer, rabbits, hawks, skunks, raccoons, turkeys and even a golden eagle.  Ah yes, life in the city.

I'm tired...physically and emotionally...drained.  Vacation is a couple of weeks away but not soon enough; Sam and I are taking one week off and heading south with friends and our RV trailers.  I haven't had two weeks off since 1998; tried once in 2003 but had to cut it short and return to the office to handle a problem.  My workplace has me giving serious consideration to the idea of looking elsewhere for employment...more of the same and its never good; Sam would like nothing better than for me to go somewhere else as he's been wanting me to quit for the past seven years.  Last week my boss announced she's resigning as she accepted a different job, no real surprise since everyone knew she was looking.  She always told me her goal was to leave the company before I did; looks like she reached that goal. 

Blah, blah, enough about that.  It's boring, but the bottom line is my mind is preoccupied on many things and I'm lacking inspiration to write, either in my journal or comments in others.  It seens I've lost my muse; temporarily I hope, but each time I sit down to write my thoughts slide away from me, evaporating into recesses of my mind where daily thoughts once flowed with life.  Feeling numb and untouchable...outside myself and yet living within something all too familiar.  Went off the cymbalta a couple of months ago when I started feeling vibrating sensations every time I moved.  It was a little too scary so I told the doc no more medication.

I've taken lots of photos the past few weeks but have little time to post them or upload them to Flickr.  This is a busy time of the year for us and good luck finding us home on weekends, which is why I haven't done an Easy Sunday entry...I'm just not home to do it.

I've been up long enough and need to get some sleep.  Tomorrow's not a day to be dragging, as always I need to be bright and alert, whether I feel that way or not.

 

Going Topless...

The mercury is climbing so the top is coming off...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

it's a Jeep thing.

What?  Were you expecting a photo of me?

 

A friend of mine keeps a bowl of candy on the counter in her office and lately she's been stocking it with Dove Dark Chocolate.  I've always been a Milk Chocolate kind of girl, but on a whim I decided to try one of the Doves.  That first bite and my...oh...my!!!  I think I've been converted!  Not only is the chocolate fantastically smooth and creamy, but printed inside the wrapper are little messages...a good for the soul kind of thing, you know.  The last one I had read "Laugh uncontrollably...it clears the mind."

Can't argue with that logic.

For Vic, Chris, Beth, James & Mathew...and Louise

Back to back entries of loss and remembrance.  While catching up on e-mail messages I was saddened to learn my sister Chris and her family recently had to make that heart-wretching decision to ease the suffering of a four-legged family member.  Ruff was their crazy, loving black & white Spaniel who gave them fourteen years (if my memory serves me right) of furry nuzzles and endless affection.  For all my days I will remember the Easter of 1992 and watching him sliding across the hard wood floors of their home on those long black hairy puppy legs.  What a bundle of fur he was.  I know you all will deeply miss Ruff, but you gave him a truly wonderful life.  He was one great dog.


Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.  There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.  There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers.  Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

For Jackson...

Courage comes in many sizes...
Minutes ago I learned of the passing of young Jackson Baldwin, a local ten year old boy who bravely fought his own war against cancer. 

Jackson Baldwin's Pay It Forward Foundation

On this day...

Remembering the women who came before us...

It is a time to honor and remember.  This time of year takes me down an emotional road with four consecutive events.  It begins on April 24 with my birthday...on that day each year I pause for a moment and remember her.  Exactly one week later my sister Chris celebrates her birthday on May 1...again I pause and reflect back in time, smiling...remembering.  One week later the calendar falls on my mother's birthday, which is always followed by Mother's Day.  Three women, four weeks.  Each unique.

Happy Mother's Day...to angel mothers everywhere!

Older...smolder...I'm having too much fun!!!

Okay, I am a wee bit mean, and I've been called wrong a time or two. So without further delay, as mentioned and promised in the previous entry...

From Baby D and her parents:

Love the plaque; it is perrrrrfect for the kitchen.  And the eldest daughter made the other gift; a spiral bound desk calendar.  Each page is two-sided, with one side decorated in scrapbook style ready for photos and the other contains a monthly calendar grid covered in write-on/wipe off acetate (April is shown).  How clever is that?  A perpetual calendar I can personalize with my own photos (which is exactly what I was doing last night)!  Love it, love it, love it.

From Kari:

She knows I love candles!  Who doesn't love candles?  And these are scented with one of my favorites, hazelnut.  I'm a huge fan of hazelnut flavored coffee, creamer, syrup...and now candles.  :)

From Sam's mom:

A little something to greet the visitor's...errr, make that a really big something...a really big lady bug.  Is she not the coolest guest greeter ever?  I've got my very own iron lady bug...so much better than an iron butterfly.  ;)

And, last but definitely not least...all I wanted was a zoom lens for my Olympus camera.  That's all I really wanted.  Sammy had something much better in mind...
 
I got the zoom lens alright, with a brand new Canon attached to it.  This camera is amazing; it does so much!  I have to pack the book with me so I can figure out all the nifty features.  Nifty...nifty...nifty.  I love that word.  And I am so happy with my new zoom lens.  See the words 5.0 and 12x on the lower left of the box?  My Olympus is 4.0 megapixels, with only a 3x zoom.  Oh yeah...we are talking serious zoom on this baby!!!

Best part about all the gifts was the element of surprise!!!!!  I didn't know what anyone planned to give me so it was like finding treasure.  Knowing what you're getting is so boring...I love being surprised, it's so much more fun!

So, now you know why I've been a bit absent...I've been out playing with my new zoom lens.  :)

 

Okay...Kelly?  Do you still think I am so mean? 

Birthdays on the brain

Speaking of birthdays, someone got more than she wanted for her birthday.  :)

 

More to follow...

 

 

 

You'll see. 

The spirit of the ego

First things first.

  

(belated)  Chris!  Hope you enjoyed your day :) my dear sister.

 

Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear but around in awareness.  --James Thurber

 

At a recent staff meeting a co-worker and I engaged in a short debate.  My co-worker made the observation that "People are instinctively led by their ego and make their decisions to suit themselves.  That's how the world operates and that's how people are."

At the sound of those words, a discordant string snapped inside me.  "I disagree.  It is the spirit that leads an individual; after all, if you crush a person's ego the person can and will carry on...they are not defeated. Their spirit will take it from there.  But crush a person's spirit and you take everything away.  They are more likely to feel defeated and just give up."

This wasn't necessarily a who is right or wrong discussion but rather two very different perspectives based on two completely different backgrounds.  But now I'm curious; anyone else care to weigh in?