so..

..last Sunday, I wrote an update.. hadn't saved and my computer crashed - all was lost! =(

Ronnie's rash had gotten nice and crazy by last Friday (August 20-something-eth). I was at work. He was at work. Then I got a phone call from my "mom-in-law". Since I didn't answer my cell-phone while at work, I got a text message from my "sis-in-law". I received the call & text around 11:45 - both messages said he had checked into "ER a couple hours ago". I told my teamleader and signed out for the day. I called Gale as soon as I got outside the building. He had left before 10am and no one had heard from him since. He hadn't come back, and his cell phone was turned off (normal protocol for a doctor's office or hospital).

By the time I got to Northridge ER he had already checked out - they weren't very nice about it either (I would expect people to be stressed when their loved ones are in ER - a little sympathy would be nice..) I drove to Ronnie's work - Gale had called me while I was on my way there. He didn't do a whole lot of working (Fridays are slow days for him anyway) and stayed in A/C'd offices as much as possible. Then we came home and spent the whole weekend inside the cool dark house (of course, it had to be the hottest weekend yet of summer).

Monday morning came way too fast.. back to work.. the grind stone.. slave labor.. I had a babyshower to go to. I had found out on Friday (before leaving work) that I had been UNinvited to the baby shower. I told 2 friends, who told my boss, who talked to her boss (the hostess'.. not the guest of honor) I received a text message later Friday that everything had been worked out and I was still able to go to the shower. It still wasn't the happiest of times. the hostess was still giving me the cold shoulder and giving me dirty looks - but I wasn't there for her, I was there for Brittanny. I didn't take every gift that I'd planned to give.. just didn't have enough hands.. and it was a surprise shower so I couldn't be so "big" and cumbersome.. I kept part of the gift here, it will have to go to another person that has a girl.. probably my other friend who's wife is due in January. The only other girl I know that's pregnant is due in November but they don't want to find out what it is. I can't give a bunch of girl clothes, then she'll end up having a boy.. just because of me. =)

Brittanny's last day was Wednesday - that is the first day I started helping out there - to help take over where she left off, so I could keep track of her progress. It was fantastic to finally have work to do again. Every day is a busy day. Every day is no question of my schedule... don't have to keep track of every second of my day, every moment of my time.

Ronnie and I just worked our way through the week.. looking forward to our 3-day weekend. well, things weren't as nice as we had hoped. Thursday, Ronnie hurt his shoulder helping his mom with a new tv (both shopping, and installing). took a pain-pill before bed. 1 a.m., he woke up with another rash.. again.. ((not that the pain pills were to blame)). Today he went to the doctor (finally, a real General Practitioner). They determined that he didn't give enough time for the medication to clear his system. They are claiming that the antibiotics - Cephalexin - that is what he is allergic to. He had gotten prescription Benadryl (dephinhydramine) and a steroid (prednisone) after the ER last Friday. Today the doctor extended his prescription for the steroid, and we will get the benadryl from Walgreens. We will just have to double up on the benadryl - the over-the-counter will be half-strength.. and the new diphenhydramine is half-strength too.. so it will be 4-times-a-day, instead of 2-times-a-day. that way it can be consistent in his system - not 2 big doses, but 4 smaller easy-peasey doses. So this is our life until the doctor gives him the all-clear. I'm hoping to still go camping in a month and a half - it will be nice to get away from it. It is for Ronnie's birthday and I know he needs a break from it all - if even for just a weekend.

the weekend part 2

so, things got worse.. spreading down his legs, and his upper lip swelled up over night.. on a comical note, he looks like a Simpson character.. but the internet says that it is an anaphylactic reaction.. urgent care it will be (once they open..).. the big mystery is what the allergy is. Nothing out of the ordinary - normal food, no new soaps, no new laundry detergent or fabric softener.. we thought it was a plant, but nurse-friends are saying 'food, not plant'. there is some strange item growing in our garden & Ronnie was pulling veggies on Friday.. will still need to determine what that strange plant is. we feared it is/was poison oak, but too young to tell.. all the pictures we found are mature plants..

update: doc's diagnosis is allergy.. either an allergy to the cephalexin.. or the eggs in the mayo from our tuna fish sandwiches.. he got a shot of steroid, a shot of adrenaline, a shot of benadryl.. benadryl and staying cool (avoid sweating) - those are the "prescriptions". I'm thinking perhaps, the cephalexin lowered his immunity making him more sensitive to the eggs in the mayo..

oh.. what a weekend..

I know it's been a while since I've been on last.. the night before last Tuesday (over a week ago) Ronnie was incredibly nervous.. so we didn't get much sleep. Then that night, we didn't get much sleep because he was in such pain and discomfort.. I can't believe the doctor didn't give him any pain medicine! He ended up getting some from his friend that afternoon, but by 2am that had all worn off.. so for a whole week he was "getting-by".. oh, and he was still working every day (no chance for recovery time)

in the middle of that week.. last Saturday to be exact.. we had a problem with our fence.. the neighbor's dog split a piece of wood on the fence between us. I had to go to meet my parents for my mom's birthday.. so Ronnie was stuck fixing the fence by himself. He had actually tried calling Mike (busy with family stuff) and Daniel (working) and Doug (no answer) but he was stuck. He left 30 minutes before I did - or so I thought. I went outside and discovered his van was still here.. and, he was sitting behind it, with the crow-bar removing the lugnuts off his flat tire. The man who can barely get onto the ground on a "good day"..  I helped him lower the spare tire from underneath the back of his van. Then he sent me on my way to meet up with my mom who would be irritated with my tardi-ness.

5 hours later, my friend told me that Doug was meeting up with him to fix the fence. 2 hours later I came home because the guilt was getting to me. the fact he was working alone was more of an issue to me than it was to them. He and Doug were just working on the fence. I found out that the "flat tire" incident was worse than I thought. Not only was the tire flat, but the spare tire was flat.. and he had to pump it up with a bike pump.

This week, he was finally feeling better, no more antibiotics, no more pain and sensitivity. Life was finally getting back to normal. Then this morning, all changed again. He woke in the middle of the night, itchy.. in the morning, major rash! lots of research but no self-diagnosis. was going to go to urgent care but decided against it.. put calamine lotion on, and took some Benadryl.. left to help a friend as planned. 8 hours later, comes home and it had spread!

well, 2 seperate diagnoses from friends said it's food allergy reaction.. more calamine and cortisone-10-plus.. it seems to have gotten better.. oh, and an epson-salt bath..

let's see how tomorrow ends up..

"terrible two's-day"

so Tuesday - not much out of the ordinary.. I did actually have work (which was awesome! - the having of work, not the work itself) I kept getting interrupted by the lady I used to train.. she's allowed to ask me question still, whenever she wants.. but yesterday's questions were of a different nature.. 2 were on errors she'd made that she wanted me to help fix.. 3 were on computer-troubles that she wanted me to help fix.. I'm quite sure my boss is going to start rethinking this ask-questions-whenever-you-want "dealio"..

today however, I'm already out of work - so I got a new project, that I'm all confused about.. and lady is still asking me strange questions.. someone asked her a question yesterday and she wanted me to answer for her - excuse me? I have my own research questions to answer.. she's gonna have to learn to handle her own 'stuff'.

former co-worker starts Monday but he'll be in a different area than I thought. he's not in my old job, or my new job.. so I have no clue what he'll be doing..

yesterday, also.. a girl ordered Avon from my 2 weeks ago.. I received it that weekend and brought it to work last Monday - she was out on vacation all last week.. so I emailed her this past Monday to let her know I still have it at my desk. I emailed her around 2:30.. but she responded at 7pm (I leave work at 4) if I could please bring it by Tuesday when I'm leaving work.. I went to her building and called from lobby up to her - she wasn't at her desk.. I waited and called 2 more times - still wasn't there. So I took her stuff home with me, and brought it back to work today.. I emailed her at 3:30 I still have her stuff - tried to bring it by but she wasn't at her desk when I called. I also said that I would bring it by again around 4, but would call first to be sure.. called at 4:03 - she wasn't there again..

and again.. yesterday, got the mail from mailbox - found a whole stack of mail from previous tenants (in front unit) who moved out almost 3 months ago.. some was new mail, some was stuff I'd already returned.. how is the post office not understanding "not at this address".. this time I wrote "DOES NOT LIVE HERE" and put back in mailbox.. I'm about to trash the stuff - is that a Federal offense?? I've tried to return it, but the USPS isn't listening..

aarrgghh!!

so back to Manic Monday..

Monday morning is always slow in my new job.. so, like last Monday, I sat and sat and sat. Last Friday, I had given my numbers to my "new" boss. Last week was, of course, small productivity in my new job.. Today she said my numbers are too low. She had me scheduled as Monday & Tuesday with my new job giving me a productivity quota of 60 loans - I did 13.. If I don't have 60 loans, how can I say I did 60 loans?

Okay, not liking this job so much anymore.. it doesn't give me enough work..
Today I didn't get any numbers again - so, I won't meet my 30-per-day quota, again..
Also, my last week's loans.. just following up on those whenever the closers decide to close their loans..

is it Friday yet??

Wednesday & Thursday, I was in a funk.. wasn't feeling so well at work, at all..wasn't the kind of thing to take off work for though so I had to just stick it out and bear with it.

things at work were definitely going much better. my new job has been slow and my old job has been busy, so I was back to helping out the old team.. I will continue with that tomorrow at work, until I get my "new" work in the afternoon..

Friday was a pretty boring day.. just work, work, work, and loads of laziness.. then came home and attempted to accompish something productive - cleaning, lundry, organization.. that sort of mumbo jumbo..

Saturday morning was shopping and then pool party at a friend's house. that was "LOTS" of fun.. I never actually went in the water (just put my feet in twice). lots of talking and mingling and socializing.. it was a good time, can't wait to do it again. came home from the pool party to a stinky house. took out the trash, and watched you-tube videos.. then off to bed..

got up this morning and it was still stinky!! looked around for what could be the problem. finally found it..

we had gone to the asian market "Island Pacific".. what did we buy? geeze, what DIDN'T we buy?? beef bones, fish, shrimp, spices, herbs, veggies.. I think there was lots more to it.. I just know we had to un-pack the fridge, re-arrange the fridge shelves, and re-pack the fridge to fit a lot of it in. That's when we left for the pool party..

This morning.. nasty smell.. still made Ronnie nauseous.. I started desperately searching for where the smell was coming from - finally found it on the kitchen island - grocery bag with 2 produce bags inside - inside those "produce bags"? large shrimp & medium shrimp - nasty smell!! now the dumpster trash can stinks.. thankfully WM comes tomorrow.. but it's 90-something outside.. those rotten shrimps are cooking out there! ick!! =P

really not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow - why is work never fun? i really wanna home job so I can do my job without dealing with office politics & office drama..

I can totally hear again these days.. all is normal is again.

one of my friends that is getting canned - he has an interview tomorrow 10am in my area.. not sure where exactly the openings are.. I don't know if he'll be with me.. or with my friend Ben. it just so happens that in his department, everyone (yes, everyone) got laid off.. they have 2 weeks to find something, or they end up on unemployment (after their severance money runs out).

yesterday was a very boring day at work.. we get the new weekly report on Monday afternoons so I always have to occupy my time until then.. 5 hours of ??? yesterday the report didn't come so that was 8 hours of ??? at 3:20, I got a list of loans to help someone else out. but i have no clue what he does, so i wasn't much help.. then today, i got another stack of 'wait' loans.. yep, still waiting on those too. tomorrow, I finally get real work - 2 days of nothing is not fun.. i miss my old job. stressful, yeah.. but always busy!

boy, where did the weekend go?

saturday was kinda busy.. garage-saling in the AM.. subway for "brunch" then home for a nap. off to Walmart we went for shopping.. then tomato sauce and pizza for dinner.

today, Ronnie did oil changes on both cars.. then he worked on the gate.. I went to the beach with Michelle and Dougie with the doggies.. that was fun.. a little awkward at times, but fun. Target for some fun shopping.. and then the weekend was gone =(

so.. today.. let's see..

Ronnie woke up early to get to the valley early.. so I woke up alone =( ((he was still home, but already up and ready to go)) so I got up and got ready on my own.. cleaned Lillie's water.. gave kitties and 'Nona water too.. fed the kitties but didn't have time to feed 'Nona. ran out the door and off to work.

pretty normal workday/Friday most of the time. Left for lunch and saw "HUGE" smoke cloud to west.. there was some big fire on the 118 freeway (or by the 118 freeway).. came home to spend time with my babies.. then back to work..

oh.. in the morning, my cubicle-mate told me that 1 department in the buiding is "closing". they gave them 2 weeks.. they have to be re-hired as contactors (instead of Legacy-Countrywide employees that "merged" over to Bank of America). so all day I meant to tell another co-worker.. but kept forgetting.. so around 2:30 she called me because she'd heard the sad news. I didn't specifically know of anyone that was canned but worried of who might be.

so found out around 3:00 that my nephew (actually Ronnie's nephew) was given 2-week notice yesterday (w/$7000 severance pay). then found out another good friend was also given 2-week notice (don't know about his severance package). attempted to email both, but my nephew wasn't at work - told my friend we have/had an opening in my area. he should call my manager & teamleader to try for 'em. i then emailed my manager, she said there are 2 open requisitions. I emailed him back for his resume.. got it at 3:56 and forwarded to her at 3:57.. she's already signed off for the day =P

but, oh well.. got home to try to organize this house.. that of course didn't happen (when does it ever?) went to bank after money for spending cash.. then straight home to look up garage sales.. I researched 'em all, planned out what's where.. mapped it out.. stupid sucky printer won't work.. so i'll try again in a.m.

I can hear a little bit now.. some of my hearing came back.. but I can still feel "gunk" in my ear so I still have to keep up with the drops..

ok.. so on Monday night, I tried my friend's suggestion - rubbing alcohol w/vinegar - Oh-Em-Gee!! it burned!! I was literally almost crying (I was saying "ow, ow, ow!".. but no tears).

imagine this - you have a cut.. you put lemon juice in it.. now keep pouring lemon juice on it.. what does it feel like now??

stop!! why would your torture yourself so!?

well, that was me, pouring rubbing alcohol and vinegar in my ear.. not just 1 drop, not 2, or 3, or 4.. but 5!!! and I had to let it sit there for 30 seconds!!! I couldn't take it anymore.

I tipped my head the other way and stuck the corner of a tissue in there, hoping to suck up this evil liquid.. pull out the tissue, little streaks of drops of blood - yes, this vile liquid was making my ear bleed!

so yesterday at work (yes, when I should have been working..) I researched more remedies.. copied several weblinks, and emailed 'em back to myself at home..

there were 3 I found intriguing (but would they work??):
1) tip my ear sideways over a humidifier
2) steam shower to loosen the 'gunk' in my ear
3) heat an onion in the microwave - let the onion steam loosen the 'gunk' in my ear (supposedly works with garlic too)

I came home and pulled out our ancient humidifier, filled the tank with water, and plugged it into the only available outlet in the entire house. sat there for what felt like 'forever' with my head tweaked sideways.. melted off most of my face, neck, and shoulder.. it finally got too hot so I had to stop (it's been relatively cool here lately.. but I'm still overheating on a "good" day)

didn't work - scratch that plan. I shuddered at the thought of enhaling onion steam.. so I skipped that 'remedy' but opted for the steam shower (I needed one of those anyway).

I started up the shower as hot as I could get it.. washed all of me faster than I ever have in 36+ years.. then stood with my ear catching all the steam it could find.. waited and waited and waited, until the water heater couldn't give anymore - then gave up.. again.

strike 2..

tonight I tried peroxide. 5 drops in my ear for 15 minutes - lots of crackles and pops, but unfortunately I still can't hear on my right side.. strike 3

fortunately life isn't a baseball game.. I'll just keep trying

we are being overwhelmed with baby spiders here.. he killed a black widow on our brick wall.. we had seen the white "stuff" not knowing at the time what it was.. but it was baby black widows... ronnie went out and killed 'em.. but there were a few he didn't kill that came in with him =(

so i've made it through one day with my ear blocked. it's got some pressure to it now.. not quite a headache yet.. think of altitude change, like with an airplane, how your ear gets pressure, and you just wait for it to pop.. yeah, that's what i'm feelin' - it just won't pop.. an old classmate gave me a suggestion of rubbing alcohol & vinegar (1:1 mixture) for 30 seconds.. I totally have to try that.. I can't see it being bad, as long as it's good.

oh.. and with my swimmer's ear, I got a sunburn for free..

last week (no wait, actually, the week before) a friend sent me an email about 2 kittens she has (+1 they are keeping). "litter box trained, eat food on their own, and very sweet and playful. Mom is an orange tabby and dad is a blonde tabby." how can anyone resist this adorable bundle of cuteness!?!?

then i had another friend at work that was interested. her son's cat disappeared almost a year ago, and they've been wanting to get him another for his birthday. so i asked for more pictures (per her request). she sent me a cute picture of 5 babies in a basket (all 5 are still up for adoption - the other people backed out on her) - 4 blond tabbies and 1 orange tabby.

so now my friend says - i can't see all their faces. I want to see all their faces. can you ask for more pictures - seriously!?! they all look very much alike. i can see the orange tabby in front left, and all others are blond tabby - what more is there to see? they are cute as all heck! I'D take one if i could (i'd take 'em ALL if i could). so now i gotta bug my friend again for more pictures..

today another friend at work, her friend rescued 2 puppies from the Devore Shelter - both girls, around 3 months old. possibly mastiff/lab or pit mixes.. also extremely adorable.

do these people know what they do to me?? if i had more room, i'd be taking every puppy and kitty that were ever emailed to me.

i've had the hardest time finding ANYONE to adopt anything.. my last foster baby was the luck of timing, they had just put their previous cat down 3 days before for old age. and with the recent foster, i bamboozled a friend. he came by, i shoved the kitty at him. that purring & snuggling bundle of fluff stuck in his mind, and he came back 20 minutes to bring him home (after just saying he couldn't take home another).
people always say babies are easier to find homes for - the cuteness factor wins 'em over every time. but my mother-in-law and sister have cats they are trying to find homes for. both around 4 years old - they are still adorable and (again) i'd take 'em if i could

i would love for my job to be puppies and kitties all day - but they do grow up into grumps and moody-monsters.. heck, my (2nd) job used to be puppies all day.. and they 'growed up' and became 70-lb puppies - that's a little bit harder to deal with.. but when you get 20 minutes of freedom, you tend to be crazy at it. i still love (and miss) every single one of them.

hmm.. yesterday - not much happened. we went to Hometown Buffet for breakfast.. a little garage-saling, then picked up Andy from his mom's. then I just stayed home and did some light housecleaning.

today, still not sleeping in =( but we went swimming! it was fun! I got sunburned! ..but it was fun! then about 1/2 hour later took a shower and my right ear completely clogged up - completely.. can't hear anything.. I'm stone-deaf on my right side now =( how will ever I get through the week??

we went grocery shopping.. that was fun.. got some essentials, got some "luxuries". now we are back home. Ronnie made the weekly salad - shrimp and crab meat with tomatoes (it has a name but I can't recall..) - yum yum! next is pasta for dinner..

he planned to ride his bike to liquor store for white wine.. goes to the bike rack and our bikes were covered in newly-hatched baby spiders, big momma right in the wheel well. he grabbed the bug spray out of the shed - it refused to work. he used ant/roach spray instead but that only killed the babies and made the momma mad. so he smashed her with an empty planter pot. she was a big 'ol creepy crawly black widow!!

he walked to Paul's liquor instead. got a nice white wine, pasta is cooking on the stove. Dougie and Michelle stopped by on their way home from the beach, so they went to the store to get a side dish to eat with our shrimp scampi =)

wow..

.. i haven't been on here since Feb 13?? so I completely missed Valentine's Day, my Birthday (woo! woo!), Easter (hiking), camping/fishing (awesome!!), Memorial Day, 4th of July (UFO sighting!!)

I am amazed by how much of a blogger I am not.. or maybe I haven't had the inspiration other people have had.. I have tried many times to blog.. I just never had enough to talk about.. even though my life isn't an empty shell. I wonder half the time if the stuff I could write about would interest anyone at all.

I live in a teeny tiny small guest-house (650 sq ft!), cool landlord but crazy neighbors.. we have an awesome garden, and would LOVE to have a farm with land (give me land! lotsa land! with the starry skies above! don't fence me in!) .. a 650-sq-ft house doesn't come with a whole lot of land, and most of it is un-useable for gardening. CA isn't the best place for farming land, not unless you are in an un-incorporated section.. and then we both have jobs (duh!), so "un-incorporated" wouldn't be very economical.

past blogging was always about the trials and troubles of past guys in my life.. liking this one who could care less about me, being liked by another who I had no interest at all in.. now that I have a happy relationship, how do I find it so hard to find things to talk about?? and then, I could write for the sheer satisfaction of venting and releasing frustration (I do have lots of that, despite my happy relationship) but then if someone I happen to know, comes across my blog - this could start wars!!!

so, here goes.. weapons - alert!!

the neighbors.. huh, that's a rough-n-tumble topic.. so the old neighbors.. mr kick-the-dog punch-the-wall couldn't work (disability) so his girlfriend had to support them, plus their baby.. but after a year, they moved to something more affordable.

they told us the power was getting shut off May 6th cuz that's when the last guy was moving out (oh yeah, his brother lived there too) so we'd have to change electric bill into our name.. when we paid our May 1st rent, the landlord said not to worry.. the electric is in his name - ERROR ERROR ERROR. May 6th - zero power!!! however we didn't find out about it until 4:30, at which point SCE was closing and couldn't send a tech out (believe me - we tried, the landlord tried). so we wanted until dark for the next neighbor to get home. landlord hooked up an extension cord from their pool-pump to our elec box.. then we had our fish tank connected to the refrigerator outlet - yay! food and light! it made for a very long weekend, I was never so happy to see Monday.

June 1st the landlord had a guy move in so the house wouldn't be vacant & exposed to "whoever". wow, and I thought mr kick-the-dog punch-the-wall was bad. he is there maybe 2 or 3 days a week.. there is no furniture in the house.. 2 weeks later, a girl shows up with a dog.. she comes through our gate, apologizes, then says "sorry I'm friends with Tom in the front". say wha?? the dog is still there.. I think he is the one that is house-sitting..

since then, another girl came into our gate a few weeks later.. she realized early enough that she was in the wrong place and left before causing a scene... BUT just this past week, a girl came into our gate (we were in the house) and asked if she could use the cell phone.. we said no, so she tried to come inside to apologize! you don't just walk into someone else's house! where do you think you are? WHO do you think you are?? oh -and the landlord said the guy's name is Steve. where was "Tom"??

we bought a lock for the gate, but the brilliant braniac landlord made this gate.. it isn't a standard size.. doesn't fit a standard deadbolt.. we're going to have to rethink this whole situation.

at work I started a new job.. it's still the same department but a whole new job entirely. I didn't really know about it. my boss just moved me there. I thought it was just temporary to help them out.. nope, permanent. I like it though. it's the next step after my old job.. so some of it is really making sense now. some of the 'lingo' is still confusing however.. that part I still have to learn.

oh, and we have a new 'baby'. march 11th - 2 fluffy kitties.. adorable!!!!! our friends Daniel and Lori took one (a boy) a week later and we still have the other one (a girl - who we thought was a boy). she is the cat I always wanted (although I'd prefer short-haired, and not black). loves attention & very playful (she's just barely 6 months old) with big golden eyes.

we also built a music studio in our house.. rearranged some furniture to fit it all in. once again, we have wall-to-wall furniture =P

this week was as normal as could be expected

how did I not post anything last weekend?? yes..the germy girl, and yes.. the projects at work.

Last Saturday, time definitely flew by. We did grocery shopping, and we went to Chinese buffet (Panda One).. there quite possibly could have been other things but they escape my mind. ocassional laundry, random garden-weeding. All led up to dinner out at Pho 999 for Jessie's sweet 16.

Sunday was SuperBowl. Daniel and Lori came by with puppy-patrol.. hot wings and burgers.. chips with salsa.

at work, I have had crazy problems of my computer just deciding not to work anymore.. It's totally random so I'm NEVER ever prepared..

I have 2 IBM screens, 5 internet screens, 4 or 5 Excels + 1 Word..

but before my day is half over my Adobe Acrobat stops working, and in the process takes 1 (or all) of my Internet Explorers. It used to last to almost 3.. then it was 2.. then it was 11:45 (just in time for lunch!) but now it's way way earlier.. =(

SO.. I get to deal with that this week.. and I will be training, so we'll see how well that goes.. =P

the cousin-in-law came over Friday night until this morning.. so no bike ride ever occured.. but we did have rabbit stew with dove. very tasty.. very very tasty.

in sadder news, Ronnie majorly hurt his ankle.. so that's pretty much all that occured this weekend.

just 4 more days of work.. and then I get a 4-day weekend =) ((yee-haw!!))

the world is a germy germy place.. and some people don't try to change that..

there is now a new girl at work.. she's a chatty girl (not part of our group) who seems to be in "training" - being that she prepares the training manuals.. either that, or she is perfecting the procedures and such already in place (?) her favorite word seems to be sporadically.. she uses it multiple times every day.

she lately has a cold as well, so coughs and sneezes multiple times every day - and never covering her germs.. Thursday nite/Friday morning, somebody put a box of tissues and hand sanitizer on her desk.. at first she sounded offended, but then played it off pretty well. that didn't stop her from still spreading her germs every where - she still doesn't cover when she coughs or sneezes..

it wasn't such a bad weekend..

Friday was a lazy day at home (once I got home that is).. I worked until 5:30.

My boss has been giving me different projects the last few weeks. the last project she had given me ended Thursday afternoon at which point she had determined from the VP that she had told me it wrong so I corrected that first thing Friday morning. Then I was out of work (what? me? out of work?).. so I told her I needed more, and she mentioned she had another project. Then at 12:00 they pulled the whole department together and told us they had a mandatory 1099 project. we "all" went to lunch 12:00 to 12:30.. then sat around until 1:15 when they gave us the project with a 3:00 deadline - then the list-makers had a 3:30 deadline to get everything sorted and compiled together.

So, we boogied our butts from 1:15 to 3:00 at which point they told us we did it wrong =P so 3:00 to 3:30 was correcting what we could from there on and sending to our designated list-maker. I was a list-maker so I stopped once I got my first response... I ended up being at work until 5:30 sorting and compiling my list.. so I worked 7-5:30 with 1/2 hour lunch.

Then I came home and did nothing.. yep, nothing.. that's what I did. I tried to vacuum but both vacuums weren't cooperating. And then I just gave up. I was on the computer, had the tv going.. and just sat around instead..

Saturday, that was the "big" day. got up and watched tv for a bit.. sat at the computer for a bit.. but then got dressed and planned the day. Ronnie and I left at 10:00-ish. drove Angela to Brewster to C-street, to Sycamore. then LA to the wash by green acres.. then drove all through the wash - across Sequoia, across Tapo Canyon, Tapo Street, to Hidden Ranch.. then down LA to Rory, cut through mobile home park back to the wash and continued on to Kuehner.. down Kuehner to Rocky Pointe then through to Katherine Park through Katherine Street all the way to Cypress then cut across to the train tracks, and "rode the rails" back to Hidden Ranch..bike trails through the wash again to Sequoia.. then down Sequoia (techically "up" though) to the end.. cut back through neighborhood from Appleton to Watson, Fitzgerald to Sycamore, home.

Lots of ups and downs.. but 16 (?) miles in 4 hours.. and I survived it. I can't WAIT to go again next weekend!!!

Afterwards we went to a bbg up the street that's when it started getting cold.. and today it rained.. today we did a few errands and came back home to relax.

The weekend flew by.. Saturday was busy, tiring, and invigorating.. Sunday was a do-nothing, lazy day.. just how I like 'em! =)

okay..

alright, so there is this girl at work that's been giving me a bad case of the "irks".

it started out that she'd be on the phone about 7 hours of the day.. and passing off work to other people.

management talked to her and things got a bit better.. now she's always opening her mail (still passing work off to other people) and she comes in when she wants (leaves the same time as everyone else).

management talked to her last Thursday (or was it Friday?).. she wasn't too happy about that.

the boss was out yesterday and she seemed to be "free" again.. but another employee complained about her so today management asked for my opinion on yesterday..

management talked to her again today.. she wasn't happy again..

so this weekend was a wee-bit better

well.. to start on Thursday.. I've been exercising every day walking at lunch.. walking 'nona for 20-30 minutes.. even had a dvd I was doing.. I was doing level 1.. I had a whole schedule planned out including playing piano. but it was already "normal".. Toni give me a new dvd last Monday that I used the first time on Thursday ..that was the end of "normal"

Jillian Michaels is killer.. she IS the toughest trainer. She says you're not supposed to stop.. and I know me, I'll stop for anything. So, I told myself I can't quit when the going gets rough. I made myself keep going.. so much to the point that I was really in pain. My legs were really hurting. All those jumping jacks, and jump ropes, and squats - my legs were dying. Then she had us doing crunches.. cross your legs, and criss-cross crunch up and down.. then switch sides.. she did 5, I did 1.. she did 7, I did 1.. she did 10, I did 1.. then switch sides.. I tried to do 1 and I was in agony. My arms were going numb, my legs were going numb, I couldn't breathe.

I had to sit there (lie there) until my legs started working again. Of course, if you exercise and "rest" your muscles freeze up.. which of course happened. I was there for 20 minutes, and as the night went on, I got more and more stiff.. by Friday, I was in agony. No walking Friday, no exercise of any kind. I wish it could have been the same for Saturday, but I went bike shopping.. which meant bicycle test-driving.

It also was my first time on a bike in 15 years.. it was very scary, but at the same time something I've wanted for a long time. I tried out 3 at a bike shop across town. The first one was too scary for me to really enjoy. Then I treid a 2nd one, that was a little easier.. it was a comfier ride, but I was still on edge - worried of cars in the parking lot, turning too tight and taking a fall. Then I tried a 3rd one.. also comfy, but felt like someone else's bike.. #2 was feeling right.. off to 99c store to think it over.. but as I got across the street to 99c, Ronnie and I decided to continue our quest.. to Rick's where there was no selection ..continue across to the other end of town to the other "popular" bike shop. I found 2 more I liked. I've never chosen my own bike so I had no idea what to look for.. #1 was nice, as nice as #2 at the east shop.. but #2 at west shop was awesome! that was the one!

We then went to pick up Kane & Abbie.. the fun time of the weekend had begun. They were here from 5:30 Saturday until 11:30 Sunday. They were much better than the last time they were here.. Abbie is awfully "barky" but she definitely made it through the night a lot better. I'm sure Jessie will hate me forever; she seemed really short-tempered this time around =P

Sunday.. once the puppy patrol was gone.. I was more relaxed. I was too nervous of what they were getting into, how much they would be tramatizing my Jessie-pie. I let the Lillie-bird out of her cage, watched tv while she wandered herself around the house (then magically appeared back at the top of her cage!) Not a whole lot else went on all day.. watched TV.. read some emails (and responded too) a trip to Big-5 at 3:30.., then to Walmart.. then home for a 1/2 hour bike ride on my new bike.. I was very self-conscious about where every car was, every pot-hole.. it was a tiring trip but definitely worth it.

Now it is time to go back to work again =( where do the weekends go??

a rather uneventful weekend.. depending on your point of view..

so last week was a full 5-day-week of work.. I hate 5-day weeks.. I think I'd feel a lot better if I could work from home.. to satisfy my day, I need to keep busy. And once I start on something, I'm pretty capable to filling my time, and keeping busy.. but there are certain people that distract me - then time ticks by very very slowly. But if I could work from home, I know I'd never be interrupted (okay, so, maybe not "never".. but very very rarely..)



Friday, I was very ecstatic to be free for 3 whole days.. do what I want, when I want, where I want. Saturday morning - laundry, so more organizing of stuff.. some laziness (hey, it's my weekend - "what I want, when I want"). Then waiting on friends to hang out.. we went hiking in Hope Town.. yeah, it was kinda dark, but awesomely fun..



Sunday, more hanging with friends. We had originally planned to go to Frazier Park to play in snow.. but then determined with the 70/80 degree heat we'd had, there probably wouldn't be much snow left.. We went to the park to feed the ducks.. very fun, but very stressful. Whinona would not listen.. she walked up to a husky (luckily he was very friendly), she walked up to a Chihuahua (rather, it ran up to her) and she walked up to a pit-bull (not a good thing). I have no problem with pit-bulls. I don't stereotype them as horrible vicious creatures, not normally.



Whinona starts walking up to the dog, I called for her, but she ignored me.. The guy yells, "he will attack".. so I ran to get her.. he's kicking her away, he's yelling for me to come get her.. I did, oh, I definitely did. I grabbed her back kicking and screaming.. (yes, kicking.. and screaming).. put her leash on her and tied her to the bench. The guy walked by.. his dog was pulling on the leash, squeezing out breath, growling.. Whinona whined but I told her she was being punished.



Why would you bring an unsocialized dog to a park? Yes, Whinona should have been on her leash (that's my fault), but why would you bring an unsocialized dog to a public place where there are so many other animals and kids everywhere?? I can only hope and pray that the couple with the Chihuahua had her on a leash if they crossed paths.. because that would have been fatal if they didn't..



Monday, was another 1/2-do-nothing day. I washed dishes from our bbq the night before (oh yeah, after the park we had a bbq with short ribs, tri-tip, sausage, garlic bread), I also finished cleaning the bathroom from Saturday/Sunday (yes, it takes me 3 days to clean the bathroom) and vacuumed the living room. Then my sister Toni came over and we sat and talked for about 1/2 hour. She brought me some 2.5 lb weights, and an exercise DVD. She also brought a box of clothes from our sister Karla up in Larkspur (up by San Francisco).. then we met our sister Sab for lunch at Chipotle. It was yummy! I'd never been there before. I know I will definitely be going back again. I had 3 carnitas tacos, flour tortilla, mild sauce, guacamole, sour cream w/a cup of water. After lunch we walked around the mall for a bit so Toni could go shopping.



After that came home to control my mind for going back to work today :( I made dinner, a new recipe of pasta w/sausage and bell pepper. It was okay.. Ronnie loved it.. the sausage didn't sit too well with me (or rather the combination of jalapeno cheese with the sausage) and the onions were very overpowering (..for my taste)



Ronnie and I found a condo-listing for sale Sunday night. I scheduled an showing appointment for Monday afternoon 4:30. I was speaking with the realtors assistant from 12:30 on.. at around 3:45 he said that the listing agent would need to have the homeowner there because they have a dog so we can't just enter the property. So the meeting was scheduled for today 4:30.. then he called today 2:45 that the listing price is incorrect. The homeowner is doing a short sale and they need to meet fair market value with Chase for short sale to be valid. so, the listing price will change sometime next week when market value is determined.. =(

January updates

I'm trying to find a flat magnet (or weight).. kind of rectangle shaped.. I looked on JoAnn's website - they have round magnets.. Michael's has nothing =( tring to "fix" the curtain on our laundry shed, it always just flies wide open, then the rain and wind get in.. I suppose the round magnets will work..

We are also going to recirculate (re-circulate? is that a real word?) our emergency rations.. We had planned it during the week.. buying new supplies and donating the "old" ones to a local food bank. Well, yesterday, while shopping at Smart-N-Final, we were approached by an organization that sends care packages overseas to the military.. so we decided to donate our "old" supplies to them.. and then we can refill the storage bins with new canned goods. There is a list of "please sends" and "do not sends", so whatever is not allowed we can still donate to the food bank here in Simi..

we went back to work last week.. that's always sad when the holidays end, and "real life" begins again. things at work are going good. my boss has been giving me lots of research stuff and other work, letting me prove myself and expand my skills (as well as fully use other skills I have learned but not had the opportunity to really use)

We got another new procedure, plus an addition on an old procedure.. took a bit of time to adjust to the whole new routine. But now it's just common nature.

I've made myself a little schedule. I played piano Monday, Wednesday, Saturday (Monday was 2 hours because time just flew by.. Wednesday and Saturday were 1 hour), Friday, I exercised 45 minutes (a DVD that I think my mom gave me - Denise Austin's Body Makeover Mix) I thought I had more exercise videos/DVDs but whenever I organize this house I always end up hiding things from myself. So, I'm going to go look for more DVDs to give myself some variety.

After Friday's exercise, my stomach was sore!! thighs as well.. and I thought that Saturday I was going to regret myself.. but no, I was actually okay.

Ronnie and I plan to get out and walk or hike on Sundays so that day is planned. Now I need a new "something" for Tuesday and Thursday.. still walking 1/2 hour on lunch Monday-Friday, and I walk Nona after work Tuesdays/Thursday - so maybe I'll make the Tuesday/Thursday longer walks for me.

christmas stress

has there ever been a christmas that wasn't stressful?? i mean maybe as a child, but even then you're stressing that you did something wrong, and santa won't bring you presents, but might put coal in your stocking..

but as adults.. all bets are off and you're stressed beyond belief.. getting the right gift... getting the right gift, in time.. having the money, to get the right gift, in time.. and then there's the planning and travelling.. again, in time.. what about when you get there?? you're still stressed, even after you arrive..

last year, Ronnie and I stayed home. We had moved in together June the year before (so, 18 months before Christmas '09) and from that August things got progressively worse. ((ya see, we'd moved in together June 25th.. but I told my mom he moved in August 30th)) I couldn't call, email, text without getting a God-fearing lecture.. I LOVE God. ((why do people even put the fear of God into thought??))

I got the lecture that we are living in sin.. I got the lecture that I'm pleasing the devil, and once I get married the devil will sabotage my marriage.. I got the lecture that we should rent a 2-bedroom place.. I got every lecture, every kind of lecture you can imagine.

No matter what I called, texted, or emailed about.. that's the direction the conversation went.. half the time my true original question or concern was never answered.. no way was I going to try again!!

SO Ronnie and I stayed home.. yeah it was only my 2nd Christmas away from my family.. but I was trying to make a point.. and I really truly think I failed. I'm quite positive my mom thinks (and led everyone else to believe) that Ronnie wanted me to stay home. I think she was trying to put the blame on him rather than on herself.. and I don't think she knows she's ever done anything wrong - I mean, heck, she's perfect!

So this year, I emailed family to inquire on their travel plans, and to inquire on their Christmas wishes.. no response.. oh wait, they all said around Thanksgiving-time that "I don't plan that far ahead".. and my dad responded shortly thereafter that his Christmas wish was that he wanted a hug.

So Ronnie and I beat the traffic rush and drove up to Big Bear on Christmas Eve morning.. we arrived after 3 short hours.. then next was a 2-hour hike in the forest with Whinona, in the snow!! ..plus some target practice for me with his new..22 air-rifle :) Then we "bucked-up" and drove across the highway to my parents' house.. and that's where Ronnie stayed.. restricted to the downstairs of their 2-story, 4-bedroom house..

I went to church with my parents at 5:30 (actually 5:00 for the Christmas "concert" before mass) while Ronnie stayed home.. during the concert my dad "oh-so-politely" said that I had gotten wider - what's that you say? whiter? - no, wider.. yay dad, way to notice those 12+ lbs I'm already upset about.. I kindly said 'no, it's probably the winter jacket' =(

I got through mass with the priest's sermon about living the Catholic way and being prepared for Jesus' coming (have you sinned today??).. the music at communion was actually very beautiful.. the choir was preparing for communion so no instruments, just acapella singing, very beautiful.. then mass ended and we prepped for the 'happy' trip back home..

my mom had 3 complaints - the choir was horrible (no choir is as good as hers), they butchered Silent Night (the acapella communion song that was beautiful!).. never did hear her 3rd complaint.. my dad said Silent Night was very good and my mom exploded at him. I think she thought he was being sarcastic to start a fight (she always thinks he's picking a fight, but he never actually is) but he was being serious, and I agreed with him.. which was the wrong thing to do!!

I was so happy to get back to their house and check in with Ronnie.. he was happy in the quiet house (don't blame him one bit.. I totally envied him).. we had dinner, and watched a bit of tv (too much tv rots your brain, don'tcha know) then bedtime.. me upstairs in a very dark bedroom and too-tall Ronnie squeezed onto a too-short non-pull-out couch.. took me about 2 hours to fall asleep, and I woke up 2 hours earlier than planned..

next morning, got up just as my parents were shuffling all the gifts under the Christmas tree. my mom had already informed me that breakfast would be around 10:30 after they got home from church.. so they left at 8:00 for Christmas concert before 9:00 mass.. 10:30 came around, they weren't even home yet. they got home at 10:45, with a friend, and my dad took the solidly-frozen omelet out of the freezer.

that went into the oven and Ronnie and I watched more tv.. omelet came out of the oven at 11:30 and I grabbed a plate of food.. getting ready to walk out of the kitchen and my dad nudged my shoulder *check if it's warm enough* - nope, ice cold still.. so into the microwave it goes.. that 10:30 breakfast was at 12:00..

needless to say, Ronnie and I left at 1:00.. my mom was mad.. I was mad.. he was mad (he actually had to come and rescue me from my screaming/yelling mother)..

..and I didn't get to see my brother and my sisters..
like I said..
..Christmas stress..

next year.. I think we'll stay home (..again..)