Has anything exciting happened to you lately?

Ever feel like your life is just plain dull....yeah you laugh and you seem to have fun but it seems like the same old thing every day? That is me with this blog LOL -- I just can't think of anything fun....life is just that...life...nothing exciting. You get up, work out, go to work, come home, work in the yard maybe, work in the house, make dinner, do dishes, hang out in front of the TV watching something you DVR'D, maybe read a little, put your mask on (oh wait a minute, that is MY thing LOL), go to sleep and get up and do it all over again.....

We did go to a great cookout on Saturday...we laughed until we cried. I sit there thinking, great, we finally have a bunch of very fun people, who accept us as we are. They are all a few years younger than us but D looks very relaxed and seems to be enjoying herself. I am happy. She generally hates people so finding people that we both like to hang out with that are NOT family is not easy. I think to myself...by golly I think we found it...until later the next day when she tells me that she feels disrespected by them....they really have potty mouths (as do I btw)and tend to say whatever is on their brains at any given moment...they don't filter so when they are thinking that a guy they work with is a faggot, they say it. They don't mean it to be disrespectful, they just don't filter just because we happen to be there. I take that kind of crap in stride, but D was offended. I thought it was funny when all the married guys said they were lesbians....really funny...D did not. So all my dreams of having these great friends to hang out with...maybe not as great as I first thought. She may still go to a gathering now and again and then again, she may get over it completely and see it my way. Who knows? Should we be offended?

Weird how this didn't post hummm?

Wednesday, August 05, 2009
It has been a very, very, very long time since I posted something....no good excuse...I have been spending most of my free time on facebook, reading, working, playing evony, spending time with friends and family....I stopped blogging because I didn't have anything good or interesting to say - at least that anyone was interested in reading - and the things I did have to say would hurt people's feelings or come off as gossip....This has been a very strange year to say the least...everyone is afraid for their jobs, the world has become a harder place to survive in for most. D's company has had many layoff's and shortened worke weeks...my company is very, very, very slow. We now have 5 guys working (from over 15 a year ago) and a couple of them may be laid off this coming week. The plant manager has also been laid off...how weird is that. I know that I can keep myself pretty busy so I am hoping that my job will hold out until things pick up again -- notice I said until and not if...positive thinking :).

I am still trying to get the most out of my grocery shopping if for no other reason than to stick it to the man LOL....last nights grocery run (after nearly a month of not doing a good shopping -- meaning only fruits, veggies and necessities). My entire order was $196.77. My savings were $68.81. Out of pocket was $127.96. I also got 6 $5 coupons to be used on my next shopping and $4 of my next 20 gallons of gas....so all in all I got $196.77 worth of groceries for $94 -- for a nearly 50% savings....I know that the goal should be to get as close to zero as I can but I don't have the patience to cut the shopping into 3 orders and I needed meat and fresh fruits and veggies for which there are few coupons :)

Anyhew.....if anyone still reads this -- talk to you soon.

Apple hoity toity

D & I got free 16 gig I-touch's in August using CC points....love, love, love the thing. My favorite thing is downloading free podiocast books from itunes and listening to them in the car or while cleaning the house. Today, my earphone jack stopped working....I can hear if I hold the jack in very tight. Not a quick, I can fix it kind of thing. Call a couple of local apple resellers and they won't repair it so I have to go to an actual Apple storefront about an hour away. I call them and ask if I can just ship it in -- they could transfer me but THEY only have a 90 day phone support (I am still under 1 year warranty) and will charge me to talk to me even though they will not technically be providing phone support as there is no way "I" can fix it even with their help. It requires soldering or some other such type of repair. So now I have to make an appointment at their "Genius" bar (okay think alot of yourself dontcha?). The email comes from concierge@apple.com. So I plan to walk in and ask where the darned valet parking is.............Can you imagine? Why can't you just give me an address where I can ship the darned thing, you can repair it and ship it back. Easy Peasy....that is how you know that some Tech companies have gotten way to big for their short, suspendered britches.

EDIT: I went and I conquered. They never even checked it -- just gave me a new one -- okay why couldn't they just save me the hour trip and do that over the phone -- it is obviously an KNOWN issue....We enjoyed the trip in any case -- HUGE nice mall that I had never been to and will go to again when I feel like spending money. But got me a brand spanking new itouch although I lost everything that was on it but most I should be able to get back easily.

More fun shopping

Friday night on my way home from work, I thought I would stop by Walgreens to use up a $5.00 register reward that I had received before it expired. I went in to purchase some Lady Mitchum (I have tons of FREE deoderant but I still was stinky so decided to pick up what actually works for me while it was on sale). I got three deod. (normally 3.99 each) for $.99 each...Walgreens had a $2.00 coupon and I printed out a $1.00 coupon for each of them....THEN, I noticed that some of the Revlon make up was on clearance so I got two items that normally are $9.99 each. They were clearanced for $2.59 each and all Revlon makeup was B1G1. With two coupons -- one for $2 and one for $1 -- they paid me $.50 to take it out the door. All told, I paid $2.56 for $31.95 worth of product. On my way out the door, I realized that I forgot to use that $5 RR so went back in wondering what to spend it on. I settled on gum since we needed some (D goes through a lot of it LOL). The extra gum was on sale for $1.19 each (from 1.59) and there was a coup for 3/.99 so I got six of those and some trident packs that I coups for....so for $11 worth of gum I paid $1.15. The kid looked up at me with a smile and said "you are some kind of shopper" LOL....it was fun -- been a little while since I had done that well.....and all last minute with no planning.

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2009. Finding witty interesting things to talk about has been very difficult lately. I don't even have any major gripes or anything to bitch about either. Congrats to my sis and her family for finding a new home in SC. Can't wait to come down and visit. Happy Birthday to my two loves, D & Hannah.
Other than that, what can I say. I am feeling blue, the winter blues perhaps, stress perhaps...I have not pinpointed it but in any case, I find it hard to smile most days and most people who know me know that I love to laugh and smile. Work is steady, nothing major there. Home is good and warm, nothing major there. I do miss my family ALOT. Spent Christmas with Mom...it was fun for me in any case. Not sure how she felt about it. Seems I might have kept my home too cold for her but not sure as she didn't tell ME that and I did show her how to turn it up if she was cold. I haven't scrapped or made a card in months -- I usually really need that creative outlet but I am not doing it. Have no idea what the heck is wrong with me.

What I DO do lately is read....alot. What are you reading these days? What have you read this year? I think I will keep track of my books read on my side bar....so far this year I have read (physically LOL) "A Fortunate Age" by Joanna Smith Rakoff. I read this for the "First Look" Bookclub on Barnes & Noble where you get an advance reader copy of a novel and discuss it with others including the Editor and Author. It isn't a bad book for her first novel, but the writing style does take a little getting used to. I have just finished "The Heretic's Daughter" by Kathleen Kent for my IRL bookclub. I also read Secret Vampire (a Young adult book by LJ Smith), One Silent Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon (have to keep up with this Dark Hunter series -- completely hooked), A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison (Rachel Morgan Series). I have also listened to the following audiobooks and/or podiobooks (loving the free books on itunes-- can't remember the last time I actually listened to the radio in my car). The four Heaven seasons by Mur Lafferty, Guilty by Karen Robards and am nearly done the Seventh Son Book 1 podiobook by J.C. Hutchins. I am currently listening to "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams and "The Forsyte Saga" by John Galsworthy. Why am I listening to the last two? I recently found the list of 1001 books to read before you die. So rather than buy some of these older classics, I will listen to them. Forsyte Saga is LONG to listen to -- 42 hours or something so I am doing that one in spurts....this book was also mentioned as a favorite book in "A Fortunate Age" so I thought it would interesting. Don't know how far I will make it on this list but I will give it the old college try in between the books I have to read for book clubs and those I actually WANT to read. My upcoming books to read are "Story of Edgar Sawtelle" (David Wroblewski), "Second Glance" (Jodi Picoult), and "Brave New World" (Aldous Huxley). I have on my nightstand "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. My ebook has "For a Few Demons More" by Kim Harrison.
So tell me what are you reading? I am part of www.goodreads.com -- join us.....is there a book you are looking for that I might have to lend you? LMK -- I'd be more than happy to share....I have tons from classics to Nora Roberts to Vince Flynn and other political/military thrillers to the erotic vampire/fantasy books.....some are digital but I must have hundreds of REAL books so............Also, can someone tell me how to format the book list to put on my sidebar? I have tried what little I know and it is not working.........

Wine Rack Part Deux

Does anyone remember this little fiasco?

HOLY COW

That was way back at the beginning of the year -- we have been looking for the perfect wine rack/cabinet for a particular spot for over a year now. Well last week, we were at the furniture store returning a perfectly good twin sleeper chair that just didn't fit in the space we wanted to put it in (after measuring twice and going to the store 3 times mind you). We decided on a Queen Anne Recliner for the room and an air mattress for mom to sleep on and as we turn around, low and behold, the PERFECT wine rack. It wasn't there just 4 days earlier....just think if we had decided to keep that sleeper we wouldn't have found

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday, enjoying food, football games and family (not necessarily in that order). I am grateful for my family although most of my direct family is so far away. I miss you all and love you. I am grateful for music and books both of which have allowed me to venture into worlds far away. I am grateful for Dakota (my cat) who constantly keeps me in my place. I am grateful to have a job that is secure and a home that is warm, inviting and full of love (well most days anyway). I am grateful to have my friends both in real life and in cyber life...you keep me on my toes and educate me every day. I am most of all grateful for D who loves me "Flaws and All". I heard this song yesterday for the first time and loved it.....and really it describes me to a T.

I'm a train wreck in the morning
I'm a bitch in the afternoon
Every now and then without warning
I can be really mean towards you
I'm a puzzle yes in deed
Ever complex in every way
And all the pieces aren't even in the box
And yet, you see the picture clear as day.

I don't know why you love me
And that's why I love you
You catch me when I fall
Accept me flaws and all
And that's why I love you [3x]

I neglect you when I'm working
When I need attention I tend to nag
I'm a host of imperfection
And you see past all that
I'm a peasant by some standards
But in your eyes I'm a queen
You see potential in all my flaws
and that's exactly what I need.

Happy Gobble, Gobble everyone!!!