I'll vote.

AthensTX for President.

Except for that 'soap opera' thing. I still watch one or two (or five) of them. I wouldn't want them to be outlawed.

Wimps and Prudes.

Remember this?

Here's what I got tonight when I clicked the video link. Uhm, by accident of course.



Pompous bastards. Unless of course it was the participants that complained.

Is it wrong to say...

... that I want one of these?


Seems to me it might be the only way to solve this problem. You know, if it were necessary.

Blowing off...... steam

And nothing else.

1. Our office is moving on Friday. Three buildings over and one across. The company is splurging on "movers" (only to keep us from getting hurt and suing their asses, would be my guess), so no problem there. But there will not be enough furniture for all the people in the office. It's a bigger office because we'll have five, count 'em, five more people. I've suggested THREE different places to buy furniture necessary, including stock numbers and prices (including shipping/delivery) and have been turned down. Each time. The line is "We'll order furniture as we need it, when we need it." Cheap bastards. Three or four of the desks we have should be trashed, and even if we don't trash them, we are three short, we are short four chairs, and two computers.

1(a). I told them what day we could have the new space, but "they" didn't schedule the phone company to "move" our phone system and T-1 line, so it had to be pushed back an additional 15 days, because the phone companies need 30 days to schedule. And they are bitching about the price of this service.

1(b). They are bitching about the cost of the extra outlets we needed, because I was told that our office was the "go to place" in case of hurricanes over on the gulf-coast (where our corporate office is located). So much so, when it was all said and done, I asked TheHusband to go in with me this Saturday and install two or three extra (no charge for labor here....)

1(c). I've asked for All Hands On Deck this Friday, as I can't be in both buildings at once when the movers are there. Someone needs to be in both buildings, one to say "Take this, take this, don't take that" and one to say "Put this here, put that there, and put that other thing over there". Everyone is trying to find an excuse to NOT be there. Two Project Managers have a meeting with a client, the two Salespersons have "meetings" where they MIGHT get a check, and our two Service Tech's say they'll be there (this one I actually believe), but in service, you never know if you will be sent to a service call.

1(d). I've told everyone to remember to pack their own desks (providing boxes), as once the movers pick up said desk, all papers and chatchke inside of said desk will be tossed around inside. If they don't want to clean up a big mess inside their drawers, they ought to be proactive about it.

2. Whenever we get a new employee, I give them all a new company coffee mug. I tell them "I've just washed it, so it's clean. That will be the last time I wash this mug. If I find it in the sink, I'll toss it in the trash. I am not your wife, your girlfriend, your mother, or your maid. Please keep this in mind." Then I tell them that I've already tossed out three mugs, and I'll be happy to do it again. This usually gets a giggle out of anyone around listening, but it's the truth.

3. Yesterday, I went into our conference room and noticed that someone (one of the salespeople) had been working in there. She had left marks all over the table from the little feet on her laptop (you know, little lines where she'd dragged her laptop over it for a few inches, worked a bit more, then pushed it back away a bit. Little zig-zag marks). This is not the first time, but I get tired of people leaving little messes for me to clean up. Also, there was some spillage from food and drink. I assume she left them too. So I cleaned it up, and sent out an email to everyone in the office, reminding them that they should clean up after themselves if they use the conference room for client meetings, training, or office collaborations and/or return any equipment used during said sessions to where they belong. I wanted to make it general, so I wasn't pointing fingers.

This did nothing, as I had to clean the table off again this morning before our daily 0830 office-wide meeting.

4. A new Service Technician started today. He is a homo. I wonder if anyone else even noticed.

That last one is just me saying it for the record, and not really a bitch.

Happy Gay Days!!!

I think the official start is today, with most of the bigger events over the weekend.

Yes, I'm in the picture above, but I've disguised all the participants to protect the guilty. If you live in the Orlando area, you might know more than one of the people present. It was taken five years ago, the last time I participated in ANY of the events.

Of course, I remember when it was started as "Red Shirt Day" by a bunch of members of a local bulletin board, you know, before the proliferation the Interwebs. We were pretty much all locals back then... and nobody outside our group knew about it.

I think it was better.

Construction Zone

TheHusband and I recently had our house evaluated for a refinance.

The Bank came in a bit low with their bid, based solely on the paperwork. Our agent suggested that we have it physically appraised. He didn't see why anyone that was actually onsite would come in lower.

So we paid for the appraisal. It came in not just lower, but woefully low.

The appraiser suggested that we change the two-bedroom house BACK into a three bedroom. (The owner before us took three bedrooms [in this split-planned house] and turned it into a two bedrooms. Something that originally attracted me to this house... the HUGE master bedroom. On this street, NONE of the bedrooms are very big... cookie cutter houses, all of them, all of them VERY small.)

So, TheHusband came up with a plan. Re-create the hallway in the entrance of the master-bedroom, and add two doors and two closets for a total of three bedrooms. One weekend, maybe two, and about $200, and we were done. Once complete, we'd have it appraised again, and we were In Like Flynn. Then we'd take down the walls and be back to business as usual.

Yeah. It's been four weeks and more trips to the Home Depot than I can count. I'm thinking that we are probably over budget, too. And temporary? I don't think so. Too much spackle, 2x4s, and gypsum board to think that. And folding closet doors times four. FOUR!!

The plan has changed, of course. Now, he says that the closet will ACTUALLY be a pass-through, which will make the room one, if they are both open.

We've taken to calling the third room the "baby room". Of course, it would be fine if we could adopt a child in this state.

He is going out of town for a bit next week... so he better finish soon.

I made this tonight:

Monkfish was on sale at my Publix. (Monkfish is called "poor man's lobster", although it's almost as expensive, so I don't see why...)

I didn't use tomatoes, because of what I made last night.

I thought I had chick-peas, but I didn't. So I substituted mushrooms.

I made this for dinner last night.

I suggest you do the same.

Damned good.

Don't cook? Doesn't matter. You can do this.

Just to review:

African-American:

Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt




Not an African-American:

Dear Mr. Vernon

"Dear Mr. Vernon:
We accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong. But we think you're crazy to make us write an essay telling you who we think we are. You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, in the most convenient definitions. But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, a princess, and a basket case, and a criminal. Does that answer your question?

Sincerely yours,
The Breakfast Club"

Paul Gleason
b. May 4th, 1944
d. May 29th, 2006

Wonderful in "The Breakfast Club" (showing my age, here), even better as a spoof of that character in "Not Another Teen Movie". Same character, same lines, funny as all get-out.

Candy dish

I have a candy dish on my desk.

Typically, during my Sunday grocery store visit, I buy mini-candy bars and put them into the dish on my desk throughout the week. The guys at work expect it.

Last week, as I mentioned, I was sick. So I hadn't been to the store. Monday came and there was nothing in the dish. Tuesday, I was there for less than 45 minutes, Wednesday I didn't show up, Thursday I was a bit dizzy, but Friday, I was back to normal. But there was still no candy in the dish.

Someone may have pointed it out to me (my supervisor...), and I had only one reaction.

I picked it up and tossed it into the trash can. I was feeling better, but good grief, I had an excuse. Ha Ha Ha... funny funny funny... move on.

This weekend, I bought more candy for the dish, as per usual.

Of course, I forgot to REMOVE the dish from the trashcan, so I have no place to put it.

Do NOT Piss off the Oprah-god...

... lest you be served. Eh... via email, for what that's worth.

Support for Mal and Robbie abound, unless of course, you are a certain blogger with an affinity for "reporting" on White Parties.

Everything is okay, again.

Back to work, and more importantly, back to life. I felt like I'd never been sick.

I'm not sure if it's because I am HIV+ or simply because I am getting older, that it took so long to get back into the swing of things.

I have to assume it was because I am HIV+. That would be the appropriate thought. After all, EVERYTHING is blamed on HIV, when you are positive.

Sometimes you have to wonder. Sometimes the Flu is just the Flu. Maybe this was JUST bronchitis. Sometimes bronchitis is just bronchitis.

Then again, if I weren't HIV+, would I have succumbed to "the bronchitis"?

Screw it. And hand me my breather-thingy.

I got my wish

Shortly after posting the previous message, my temperature went up. And up. And up.

Sometime during the night, I awoke to 102.1.

The last time this happened was two years ago. First the cough, then the fever, then the chest pains in the middle of the night. Hilarious trip to the ER ensued. Laughs for everyone...

Wait. Maybe that was tonight's episode of Will and Grace.

Anyway, I saw the signs coming-- so I went to work Tuesday morning, informed everyone that I was not staying, grabbed the deposit, went to the bank, stopped at the drugstore for an EXPECTORANT cough syrup, some Tylenol, and an inhaler (for the impending bronchitis) and then straight home. Back to bed for me. I stayed there for just about 36 hours, then got up on the couch for a few more, but at least the fever had gone away.

Two days away from work is always too much for me to bare, so against TheHusband's objections, I returned this morning.

54 emails. Only one voice mail. Of course, this COULD be because I thought to forward my phone to my supervisor before I left. He didn't even notice. Two people at the corporate office were fired, one was hired.

I was dizzy the entire day, but no fever.

Tomorrow will be better. Thanks for all your well-wishes. I'll get back to reading all your blogs this weekend. Please tell me you all had lives.

Blech.

I've been ill this weekend, including today.

No fever. No headache. Nothing I can put my hands on.

Mostly a cough, and intermittent bouts of clammy sweatiness. It will last for a few hours at a time, then go away (except for the cough) for a couple of hours, then start all over again.

On my way home from the store I bought some cough syrup. I forgot to grab the one with the expectorant, so it's pretty useless.

I looked at some blogs this morning, and finished the rest of my daily readings when I got home from work.

I just wish I'd get sick, feel bad, and get over it, or it would go away.

My Day

Someone was supposed to show up and give me a check for an order (between 0800 and 0830).

We had a new person starting, so I had to have paperwork ready for her to sign. But not until the afternoon.

Standard morning meeting at 0830.

The Phone company representative would call sometime after 0930, but before 13:00 to talk about moving our office down the road.

The furniture company person would call, sometime during the day, to talk about our "needs" for the new office.

The owner of the company was in the office.

The Director of the South Florida office was in the office.

Goofy Sales Guy was supposed to be in the office, but wasn't.

Pre-arranged teleconference at 13:00 to talk about PAR levels of equipment.

--[End of "normal day" scheduling]

Nobody calls before 11:00. Neither does anyone show up at the office. Except the new girl.

So I'm eating lunch, at my desk, and the phone rings. And rings again. While I'm on the phone with one, I see three other people calling. (Having thought about it later, EVERY time someone got me on the phone, I would see three and four people waiting on hold for me...)

While all of this is going on, the person who was supposed to show up early this morning finally shows up, without a check. He has cash. $10,000 in cash. This is not a cash business. I am lucky to make change for him. Then the guy calls about the office furniture. Then it's time for my conference call about PAR levels. Then they guy from the phone company walks in the door and wants to discuss our needs.

At this point, I still haven't gone to the bank, and am feeling nervous. My desk is in the outer office, and I have no way to lock it up.

The 15 minute meeting about PAR levels went on for more than 1-1/2 hours. Mostly because the man running it mumbles. He's a nice guy, but he mumbles. Also, he rants on and on pointing to his computer as if we can see it, because, once again, it's a teleconference.

At this point, I'm still trying to get to the bank before 14:00, and given up. So I re-evaluated, and decided it just had to be before I went home for the day... I was SO not gonna hold onto that over night... and tried to walk out the door. At this point, I got a call from the "home office" saying they wanted me to fax the "hire" paperwork of the new girl to them. I hadn't even "checked" it yet, to ensure she'd filled it out correctly - as I normally do.

I am not comfortable faxing paperwork like that. Typically I don't. I send via overnight UPS, and don't keep a copy. I don't need a copy. And I don't need to "fax" it to a machine that has no one overseeing it. Any one could pick up the info. So, I scanned it all in, and e-mailed it. Tomorrow, once I know they've received it, I'll delete the info.

Then, after I hit "send", I was walking out he door to go to the bank (finally), and the phone rang again. It was someone from A/R. I chose not to answer, fearing a call wondering why I hadn't been to the bank yet.

When I got back from the bank, safely placing the company earned money in the company account, I stopped answering the phone.

Finally, I felt better.

Dave's PSA

... for those that work in the retail industry.

Tomorrow? Lesson 2: The difference between "Shrink" and "Shrinkage".

If you don't know already, finish your college degree and you won't have to worry about it.

Brilliant.

Via a link I received from my other brother, I found this. It's about six minutes long, so click play ONLY if you have the time to watch.

The Evolution of Dance.



I thought of only one missing, did you? (I'll leave it in the comments, did you think of it?)

Finally:

"Dear MiKell:

I miss you, I'm sorry and I was wrong.

TheHusband."

Answer:

"That's all I wanted and needed, thank you."

Did it have to take a week?
(I might have waited a few days before posting.)

Oh my goodness...

... they've named it.

I've just noticed this evening that I've been promoted:

I'm a
Wiggly Worm
in the
TTLB Ecosystem

Of course, I don't really know what that means.
------
UPDATE: I don't think it's five minutes later, and it's changed to this:

I'm a
Crunchy Crustacean
in the
TTLB Ecosystem

There must be something going on.

Fugly

Did you ever think that the American craze for this vehicle:



Mixed with the American craze for this vehicle:



Is what created the "need" for this vehicle?



Though I briefly flirted with the idea of buying a PT Cruiser, I'm glad I thought better of it. I held out for two more years and bought my current little sports car.

Besides, I was 37 at the time, and I had that whole Mid-Life Crisis to look forward to. Am I supposed to be looking for a Trophy Husband or something?

Does Anyone still watch TLC?

I stopped watching when Trading Spaces fired Paige Davis.

But recently, I've started watching again.

This show tugs at my heart. Tonight episode really got to me.

I'm still sorry that Trading Spaces hasn't changed their minds. And that show hasn't been the same, since.

Tuckerville: that's got to go. Awful.

Bird Flu hits Florida Trailer Park!!

E.R.ror

Let me just say this about that.

If ER doesn't stop showing episodes that have to deal with Darfur, I'm going to stop watching.

Really, am I not one of the few people still watching the show?

It's supposed to be about the relationships between the people who WORK in the ER. What does Darfur have to do with it?

Leave the political stuff to the people 3000 miles away.

They can screw it up all on their own.
--
Of course, I say this before tonight's episode is shown.

The Sin of Omission...

... is the worst one to deal with.

Tell me the truth, though it might hurt, and I can get over it.

Tell me nothing, and when I find out, I have a hard time getting over it.

Got that?

Catfights and Caviar

Ok. Join me in the Lilly pond.

At first, disappointed. I figured I hadn't made myself very clear. Then, following the links, I decided I was no longer disappointed. I realized I was angry.

Of course, I was angry to begin with (because of what I had ORIGINALLY INTENDED to post about, but that has to take a back seat), so that may have had something to do with my reaction, below.

Follow the links.

I posted this.

Then read the anonymous comment. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Then read the comment above the anonymous comment.

Which was written by this blogger.

Then follow this link.

Where he typed the following:
"Those were all tacky settings. Speaking of tacky, I just the following on some gay guys blog, and although I imagine it's been making the rounds, I'd like lots of people to visit his blog and be mean. He is no student of Jonathan Swift. Or even swift. His blog can be found here, and this is what he wrote:

In honor of the rally planned for tomorrow[...]"
Here's a screenshot of the post:.


At this point, he reprinted the letter in my post. Once again, I DID NOT WRITE IT. I just published it, via Blogger. It should be QUITE obvious that I didn't write it, since I live in a state that does not ALLOW me to adopt children, and I have HIV, so therefore I won't be having children the natural way in the next few years. Another thing that bugs me, he says " I just found the following on some gay guys blog..." .

As if he is not "some gay guy".

MaryEllen, please.

Who was on my must-read-every-day list but not yet on my add-to-my-blogroll list.

Can you say "Peter"?

I thought you could.

But as I said in my comment addressing his asshole-comment, thanks for generating additional traffic to this site.

So, in conclusion:

Welcome readers from Republic of Dogs!

Of course, I had planned on posting about how mad I was at TheHusband, and why. But now, I can't.

Hey, Peter, can you do that? Uhm... no?

--UPDATE 23:15: It just occured to me, and I loathe to use a blanket statement such as this, why do people who don't live in this country, will never live in this country, feel the necessity to comment on what we are doing in this country?

Really.

Shouldn't they be more worried about what their own country is doing, or in fact, NOT doing?