Unsettled and Unsure ...

Do women have mid-life crises? (plural of crisis ... don't know proper spelling and too lazy to ask Webster) If so, I think I may be on the cusp of one ... I've been through enough in the past 4 years, you'd think I'd have already surpassed it, but I don't think so. If I could describe how I feel right now, it would be ... unsettled. The job I'm in right now, I'm purely doing it for the $$, not because I totally believe in it. I don't particularly enjoy it, but then, who ever said we get to enjoy our work? Where did I come up with that idea, anyway? I don't loathe it .. it's "just a job". Being a nurse, I don't like feeling that way. As a nurse, I like to know that I'm making a difference in peoples' lives. Unfortunately, the economy is dictating things at this point.

If you follow my blog, you know I was looking into a Hospice job a few weeks back ... I interviewed, and was invited for a 2nd interview, so feel the job could have been mine, but ... I balked and backed away from it. Reason 1) turned out to be a PRN position, not full-time (though with the promise of becoming full-time eventually). Reason 2) it didn't feel right to me. SO, I'd decided to just pursue a relief position at my old hospital for extra money and stick with my current job and "make the best of it". I was OK with this ... till yesterday.

Went and filled out my new-hire paperwork at my old hospital ... I'm a "re-hire", so was able to forego a lot of the new-hire hooplah. Sat down with my old Supervisor, Ms. L, and she nearly broke down in tears, she was so happy I was back in the picture. Things on our floor have been declining over the past year, which I knew about, but apparently worsening over the past 2 months ... to the point where 2 of our busiest Surgeons have asked for a meeting with Ms. L to figure out what's going on and "what can we do to help?" ...

Now here's the part where I sort-of toot my own horn a bit. I've been gone for a little over a year ... when I worked there as the Charge Nurse, we had a pretty good flow ... the docs had faith in me .. the nurses had faith in me .... now, don't get me wrong, sometimes I felt like locking myself in the bathroom and crying, it was so busy and seemed unmanageable, but for the most part, it was good. Another Charge nurse stepped up when I left .. she was OK, but the staff and docs didn't like her as well ... she was abrasive at times, and actually refused to "go that extra step" for the nurses, as she felt that I spoiled them. Well, she left back in August to try the travel nurse thing ... since that time, it's been a disaster on that floor. Even the Hospitalists are complaining about our care. The times I've visited, I've noticed the low morale amongst the nurses. For the first time, I noticed it yesterday in Ms. L.

Everyone was glad to see me, and even more glad to hear I was returning, even if it was just 1 day/week. Ms. L asked me what it would take to bring me back on full-time ... I gave her an hourly range and she will be presenting it to her supervisor. I got caught up in the moment and really forgot my whole reason for being there ... to make EXTRA money ... if I go back there full-time, and they give me the least of what I asked for, I'll be making about the same $$/month as I'm making now ... now, I know I could pick up an extra shift/week, but we're talkin about another back-breaking 12 hours ... BUT approximately another $400/shift (after taxes). I would be working three 12s/week (36 hours) ... with most likely the option of the additional shift, if I wanted it. Not bad ... again, comes back to the money. But also, involves working only 3-4 days/week (and home by 8pm daily!) ... 36-48 hours/week ... My goal is to get these damn credit cards paid off within 5 years.

When I got home and actually thought about things, my thought was to, again, stick with my current job and make the best of it ... do 1 shift/week at the hospital, which would be around $250/shift (after taxes) and just be faithful about working on the debt. This would mean working 5 days/week (four 10s at current job, one 12 at hospital)... 52 hours/week. So .... I'm UNSETTLED. UNSURE. But thankful to have options. Just wish I knew exactly what to do.

Sorry for the long rant about work stuff ... when I started this post today, I had no idea it'd turn into such a long one! Good to get it all out, though. Actually helps to read it and see it in black and white.

As always, any input is welcomed. Happy HumpDay to ya'll. :)

Luggage is safer than patients?

Ahh ... Monday .... wet Monday. We are getting another soaking rain today, with the threat of severe thunderstorms later in the afternoon. I'm doing a bit of OT today (agreed to 10a-4p) ... let's hope my connection cooperates! The grass and shrubs are looking devine! Here's a couple of shots of what it looked like as the storm approached last Friday.
We spent some time in the closet Friday evening, at my urging!!! I swear, Marty was willing to ride it out on the front porch with the camera ... not ME. I hear sirens, and it's automatic for me ... no dilly-dallying around!!! You would think I had a firecracker in my drawers ... I'm OUTTA there.

The lake this weekend is lookin great as well ... the water has nearly made it back into the cove and our neighbors' dock is actually floating again! I had a great time watching them with their 3 dogs this weekend. Looks like they have a couple of Golden Retreivers and 1 terrier-sort dog (tail curled up on it's back) Those dogs sure do love the water! We got our bed set up and the kitchen/living room painted (for the most part ... still have a bit left). It's lookin good! Built a fire Saturday night and after dinner, we all sat around singing, dancing, and laughing.




Yesterday, Kayla and I went to see "I Love You, Man" ... it was OK. The funniest parts were shown in the previews. Came home, threw some chops on the grill, and sat out on the deck and drank a beer and munched on some leftover cucumber salsa. Just a really laid-back weekend. :)

Good Lord ... on GMA just now, they did a little clip on hospital patient safety, and compared it to flying ... did you know that a piece of luggage at an airport is safer than a patient in the hospital? Have you SEEN how luggage is handled????? How it sometimes gets lost and doesn't make it to it's destination????????? Ooooohhhhhhh .... scarey. But, unfortunately, I can see it ... *shaking my head*

Happy Monday, folks ...

Introducing ...

I'm about to make a batch of my famous Cucumber Salsa ... to see a recipe, please check out Maizie's blog! She's such a sneaky puppy!! heh heh heh

BIG thunderstorms, hail, tornadoes heading our way ... hope they fizzle out as they move across Georgia!

Tossin it around

Happy Good Friday!!!

I've been reading a lot more blogs lately ... and am pleasantly surprised to find all these talented blogging dogs! I am sure Maizie has some writing talent, if I could just get her to slow down long enough. She still has quite a short attention span, unless it involves human food, then she is FOCUSED. Perhaps she could start her very own recipe blog. Hmmmm ... she may be on to something here.

Toilets and a Ceiling

I got this email yesterday at work and thought it was worth sharing here ...

Awesome Toilet
THE LADY IS GETTING READY TO ENTER!!
This is a picture of a public toilet in Houston

Now that you've seen the outside view,
take a look at the inside view....

It's made entirely of one-way glass!

No one can see you from the outside, but when
you are inside it's like sitting in a clear
glass box!

Now would you... COULD YOU....???


BATHROOM
PAINTED FLOOR!!!

IMAGINE YOU ARE AT A PARTY .

Tenth floor of a hi-rise building.....

AND THEN YOU HAVE TO VISIT THE BATHROOM....

You open the door...
NOW, REMEMBER THE FLOOR IS JUST A PAINTED FLOOR !

KINDA TAKES YOUR BREATH AWAY.....
DOESN'T IT?

Scroll sloooooooowly.
.....


Would this mess up your mind??? Would you
be able to walk in To this bathroom???


THIS IS A CEILING MURAL IN A SMOKER'S LOUNGE.



Happy Humpday, ya'll ... :)

I love this ....

Georgia Gumbo

Well, wasn't too time consuming throwing this together ... I'm gonna let it simmer all day long, then we'll have it over some rice tonight. Smells delicious!

Gumbo Sunday

**UPDATE** I dislike how the order of photos are displayed here ... they post them backward from what you upload them, so ... to see the progression, please view from the bottom picture upward.
Trying out a new recipe today ... One of my patients (at work, we refer to them as "members") who lives in Louisiana told me how to make it the other day ... let's hope Quality Monitoring weren't listening to THAT phone convo ... anyway, I'm gonna try it today ... there are many different "meat" variations (*snap* minds outta the gutter) for this recipe, but today I'm gonna use chicken and polish sausage. I'm a bit unclear about the roux, though, but I am gravy-savvy, so .. surely I can figure it out! Will let ya'll know how it turns out.

Yesterday, we finished painting our bedroom at the cabin and Marty laid the carpet ... in the pictures, you'll be able to appreciate the contrast of "before and after", as the former renters were big John Deere fans, as you can tell by the current colors of the kitchen. THIS will be changing as well. Any suggestions for colors? Next weekend, we'll get our bed at Round Barn and get the bedroom finished, then start on the kitchen/living room area. We're all planning a big cookout up there next weekend, complete with a big, nice fire to celebrate Springtime and the lake levels being better this year.

Gumbo time!

Moles and Interviews

Marty's moles are shaved/biopsied ... they did 4 instead of 3 ... told him, "If you don't hear from us within 2 weeks, give us a call." HEALTHCARE ... in what other business could you get away with this kind of practice?? Say, your car is "clanking and clunking" .. you take it to the Mazda dealership and they agree to take a look at it ... "if you don't hear from us in a couple of weeks, just give us a call." UH NO, YOU CALL ME AS SOON AS YOU KNOW SOMETHING, @#$#@!. Ahh, in a perfect world ... and I'm in the healthcare field.

Interview Monday was very informal ... the gal liked me, I liked her ... couldn't quote me a wage, but could tell me it would not be what I'm currently making, but felt confident that the paid mileage would "more than make up for the difference". Hmmmmm ... also, "they" were only allowing her to fill a PRN position (as needed/relief) with the hopes of it morphing into something more steady. Again, hmmmmm ... I already have a PRN-of-sorts job in the works at my old hospital. I have since been called by the gal for a 2nd "formal" interview, but have not completely decided for or against moving forward with this. The hesitancy, which is also my gut-feeling, is a sign ... over the years, I've really learned to pay attention to my gut, and will most likely call her today and decline the 2nd interview. In this ecomony, it's reassuring to know that there are options for a nurse ... thank god I went to nursing school, that's all I've got to say. For now, though, I've got to "cowgirl-up", or as my daughter puts it, "put my big-girl panties on" and settle back into my current job and find a way to make it work for me. It's a good job ... pays very well ... I'm able to work from my own home ... and I'm good at what I do. So, there it is ... :) OH, by the way, the audit this week at work went well ... we represented our company in a very professional light, so the supervisors are breathing a sigh of relief yesterday afternoon, as were we. Who would have thought that RNs could actually save the day!? (can you tell I'm punchy today?)

OK enough ranting for the moment ... Kayla is home from work w/ flu symptoms ... even though she's 21, she still wants her mamma. :)

Ya'll have a good day!

Finally, I'm seeing the sun ... it's been DAYS. I was beginning to think I'd fallen asleep and woke up in Seattle. My parents, who live in SW Kansas, are dealing with 6 foot snow drifts! Glad I don't have to deal with THAT anymore!

Tonight we're having spaghetti and meatballs ... I met a friend in Atlanta for lunch today at Chili's (as if I don't go to ATL enough as it is!) Had to get a few clothing items, so we made a lunch date out of it.

Tomorrow's my interview at the hospice place. I say "my interview" ... the director asked me to come in to fill out the application, which must be done on the in-office computer, and she is going to "try" her best to be available to talk with me. We'll see what happens. I'm not getting too excited about it, as I have a distinct feeling the pay is not going to be what I need, so I'm probably going to have to find a way to refresh my outlook on my current job. :) If you haven't figured me out yet, I like to do this .... I set myself up for disappointment, so that when I get disappointed, I'm not shocked or ... well .. disappointed ... and if it goes the other way, well ... bonus! I know ... I'm twisted. ;)

Marty has to have 3 moles biopsied Tuesday ... he's worried as he has a history of cancer (leukemia as a child, and thyroid cancer 4 years ago) ... we were really hoping to make it to the 5 year mark for "cancer-free", which is a GOOD thing when you're looking into life insurance ... so, please keep him in your thoughts, if you would. :)

Tonight, we're watching "Nights in Rodanthe" ... last night, Marty and I watched "Australia" and "Twilight" .. both decent.

Mmmmmm spaghetti time!

Adam and A Fork in the Job Path ...

OK ... not sure if this is short-lived or not, but I have a new found love for Adam. He is by far proving to be the most original, versatile artist in AI history. I'm not overly fond of his screaming rocker voice, but he definitely can sing ... absolutely loved him last night.

I am possibly approaching a job decision this next week ... I have been fairly dis-satisfied with my current job for some time ... even though I "work at home", this translates out to "we-still-watch-your-every-move-virtually" ... and I am a nurse ... I take care of sick people ... I take care of people who NEED me ... yes, some of these people need ... something ... motivation ... a little bit of education ... but they, for the most part, don't call for me ... I'm calling them ... intruding at all hours of the day into their world, expecting them to be as excited as I am (yeah right) about this program which, when it comes right down to it, will save their insurance company money in the long-run if they take my wonderful advice. *deep breath* Another bottom line (and I don't know why this surprises/bothers me) ... these corporations don't really care about people ... they care about numbers ... especially the ones with the "$" in front of them. I don't give 2 shits about numbers anymore ... I just want to make a difference in folks' lives, like I used to in the hospital setting ... sure, I don't miss the aching back, throbbing feet every night when I get home, but ... I miss the respect and appreciation (for the most part), and the sense that I'm actually doing something good here ... I miss my relationships with fellow nurses and doctors.

One of my old nurse friends took a job about 1.5 years ago with a local hospice company. We've kept in touch and she loves it ... she called a few weeks ago and told me they had an opening. After a very tough week last week, I decided to throw some bait out and dropped my resume off at the office in Athens ... got a call yesterday from the director asking when I could come in for an interview. It's happening Monday. Hospice ..... hmmm ... something I've never really done (one experience, needs a post of it's own). I'm such a sap and tend to get attached to my patients fairly easily ... we will see. Hopefully the wage is comparable to what I'm making now. I guess maybe the bottom line for everyone these days is $$.

Cemetary experience & Maizie's friends

Cemetary visit was interesting ... went well. We ended up walking through the entire grounds, which was good because we had just consumed a meal riddled with carboyhdrates and fat! (good ol Georgia BBQ!) Saw some interesting graves ... I noticed that the oriental folks adorn the gravestones with what I think is the deceased's "favorite things" ... saw some little matchbox cars on one ... saw an opened Heineken beer on another ... saw a lemon pie, which had been removed from the box and placed on top of it on another aside an opened can of root beer. A common item I saw was a bowl of fruit. (I did not take pics, as ... not sure it was respectful). Sure did make me wonder.





Maizie had a fun visit from Zoe. She is much more aggressive and forward than Miss Zoe, however, so I think Zoe was done with the visit much sooner than Maizie.





Maizie has a new friend who has been coming to see her daily ... I know he belongs to someone, but his tag does not identify him or his owner. We have named him "Mr. Shitz". He comes to the gate and we let him in ... if dogs had a WWF, Maizie would be a champion. Poor Mr. Shitz gets rolled often, but doesn't seem to mind it. They chase each other to the point of exhaustion. So funny ... at first glance, Mr. Shitz is cute, but up close, not so much ... and he appears to possibly be blind in one eye, but not sure. He could have used some doggie braces at some point, as his underbite is significant! His tail sure wags when he visits. The first time, he was constantly trying to mount poor Maizie, but he doesn't try anymore ... she moves much too fast for such nonsense!(good for you, Maizie!!!)

Ahh Monday ... well, today will be spent in my office ... I have some things due today. We have an audit at our company by one of our big clients, and I am on the dedicated team for that client, so ... we have to make things look pretty for their visit (3/31 and 4/1). The days leading up to and the days of are very stressful. I will be glad when it's behind us.

Blowin in the wind ...

Happy Sunday!

I had to work yesterday, so after that, we met in Commerce, GA at Longhorn for a celebratory dinner for my friend, Brenda and her husband, Merle ... married for 40+ years. (she's my friend who was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and bone cancer) A good time was had by all! OH and Brenda and Merle are stopping by in a few minutes with their white miniature schnauzer, Zoe ... Maizie loves Zoe! I should have some good pictures for later.

Today, Marty, Erin (my step daughter) and I are headed to Atlanta to have lunch with Marty's mom and step-dad, then we're going to Marty's dad's gravesite. Marty has not been since his dad was buried 24 years ago. I asked him why it's been so long ... he doesn't know, just hasn't. I guess it's been quite a while since Marty's mom has been also. It has been several years since I've been to my Mom's gravesite (she died when I was 12 from cancer). Even when I go "home", I still don't make a point to go "out there" ... and I now have a few friends "out there" as well, but I still don't go. Recently, I made a decision (and told Marty, because I don't have a Will) that when I die, I want to be cremated. I don't want people feeling guilty for not coming to my gravesite. I want to be everywhere .. in the wind ..... in the trees .... in the water.

Time heals all wounds ...

Things have settled .... time is a wonderful thing. I probably over-reacted a bit ... Mom responded to my email by assuring me they are planning to come to Georgia in late-fall ... :)

Glad I didn't send that hateful email to my brother .... sure did want to!

Thank you all for taking my side ... ya'll are GREAT!

Throwin a pity party ... ya'll are invited.

**Update** in response, Boo, I brought up a long weekend, but my Mom insisted that "if we're making the trip out, we want to stay all week", which I was fine with ... that conversation happened back before she got sick. After my thought, I emailed my mom, telling her how happy I was that she's feeling good enough to consider traveling again ... and reminded her that the offer to bring them out here still stands. No point in her knowing how I'm feeling about this, as I don't want to damper her mood and excitement. Now, I'm fighting a BIG URGE not to send something hateful to my brother ... I know nothing good would come of that that would be worth the few moments of satisfaction I'd feel ... :)

What started out as a decent day went south earlier ... I'm sure once I put this all down in words, it's going to seem less significant than it feels right now ... here goes.

I've been trying to get my parents (from Kansas) out to Georgia for a visit since I moved here, which was over 3 years ago ... my dad is retired and my mom retired this time last year. Timing was an issue, so several times when it looked like I could get them out here, something always came up that made it impossible. Also, my dad plants a huge garden every summer and it completely occupies his time from mid-May through mid-September ... also, until my mom retired, her job kept them from travling much. Well, once she retired, they agreed that Fall, 2008 would be when they would visit .. we talked about it at length, made pre-plans for how many days, what all we would do, etc ... then she got diagnosed w/ Rheumatoid Arthritis w/ an extreme depression component ... there were days when she couldn't even get out of bed. My dad, consequently got depressed and started drinking more ... well, with lots of med adjustments, she is now on day 10 of "having a great day" .. I am so happy and relieved about this ... looks like she's on the upswing of things and she's so excited. I'd held off mentioning anything about resuming our plans for a trip out, just to make sure that this was for real, and was honestly waiting for them to bring it up.

Called them this morning and she was so excited to tell me something .. asked me if I'd spoken to Ron, my brother, lately .. told her no (which, when I thought about it, was a bit odd). Turns out my brother has offered to fly my parents out to Vegas in May. While I'm glad she feels good enough now to even consider traveling, my feelings are hurt. I've been trying to get my brother out here as well, but he always tells me he travels enough for his job, doesn't wanna do it on his days off, blah blah blah .... yet he sure doesn't mind going to Vegas "on his days off". Granted, Georgia vs Vegas is a no-brainer, but I just feel they are all being inconsiderate of me. Please don't get me wrong, I'm struggling with how I'm feeling right now ... very thankful for her feeling better .. very thankful that my brother is so generous with them to take them somewhere nice ... just feel kinda left out in the wings here.

OK .... I'm pitiful ... just read back what I've written. Plus, Marty just called and I told him and he doesn't really understand why I'm so hurt. Maybe it's hormones ... maybe it's more.

Gonna go shower and do some thinkin ... if anyone wants to tell me what a selfish person I'm being, have at it ... if anyone can empathize or has advice for me, I'm open ...

Name Game ... this was fun!

1.Your rock star name (first pet, current car) - Maizie Mazda

2.Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe) - Neopolitan Flip Flop

3.Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal) - Blue Dog

4.Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born) - Jane Hugoton

5.Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name) McGma


6.Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink) - Pink Corona

7.NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers) - Ernest James

8.Dancer name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) Mambo Laffy Taffy

9.TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Calvert Chicago

10.Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower) - Fall Gardenia

11.Cartoon name:(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now) - Green Grape Sweatpants

12.Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) - Nothing Yet Magnolia

13.Movie (or porn) star name (first pet, first street where you lived) - Tiger Jefferson

man I WISH I looked like this!

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home sweet home

Just got in from Norfolk ... man that is a long drive ... 8 hours. Kayla makes that drive about every other weekend ... she must really love him, that's all I hafta say. It rained ALL day yesterday and today.

Found a funny website ... thought I'd share my find!

Hopefully I can figure out how to get it here!

Adam who?

I consider myself a very good judge of music character ... I can usually pick-em early on (audition stage) every year ... this year, I have my pick ... but I simply don't get the hype over Adam ... I mean, yeah ... he has a very unique look ... and when he's not SCREAMING and wagging his tongue like Gene Simmons, he's not a bad singer ... but I just don't get it. The judges loved him Tuesday night ... WTF??? ... apparently, America doesn't mind him either.

My pick? Danny ... not just because of his story ...

pic of back yard

Poppy, I have, somewhere, a whole folder of pics of my back "yard" at different times of the day/year ... think I can find it? NOPE ... this is the best I can do for now, and it's limited ... there is a huge hay field behind our house with a thick treeline in the background ... the trees pretty much stay green year-round ... the hay grows, the neighbor brings his tractor in and cuts it, then places random round bales ... that's my FAVE look. WAIT, if I can find my wedding pics ... ok might have a good one to post yet!

Uh oh ... can't find THAT folder either ...... did find a random shot that shows a bit of what I'm talking about, though ......

Beginning of a new habit??

**UPDATE** By the time I finished this posting, the sun is glaring and I'm having a difficult time seeing my screen regardless of where I relocate myself out here ... is there some sort of ... shield for the screen for situations such as this?

OK so ... did not really plan to enjoy today. I worked in Atlanta yesterday, so didn't get home from work till 10:30pm last night (job is not going so well ... if I can bring myself to talk about it, I may post) ... Kayla was waiting for me ... DVR remote in hand, TV frozen on Ryan Seacrest's face ... he was mid-sentence, "THIS ...... is Amer ..... ican Idol!" Watched that (totally agreed w/ the vote-offs), then we had to chat for a while .. Kayla is really wanting to get a different job ... I think it's silly w/ the job situations as they are everywhere, but .... she's 21 .. what do I know? Anyway, didn't get to bed till 0100 this AM. I knew I had to get up and have Maizie at the Vet for grooming between 7:30 and 8:30am today. I rolled out of bed .. put a pot of coffee on ... even managed to load and start the dishwasher, take Maizie to the Vet (15 minutes one-way), and am now back home (it's 8:35am) and decided to take my cup of coffee and laptop out on the back deck ... have my favorite Atlanta radio station playing in the background ...

I am LOVING this. It's a bit chilly, my fingers are not functioning at 100%, but the air is fresh ... before it got completely sunny out, I hear the neighborhood roosters doing their thing ... I think in the coming weeks, the mornings won't be quite so crisp and I won't have to stop and hold my coffee cup for thawing purposes. I've been looking for a new habit ... I may have just found it. I have always loved the view from my back deck ... everything is getting green ... YES!

*Note to self: get insulated coffee cup from top of cabinet so coffee stays hot longer than 5 minutes.

Happy Thursday, everyone ... don't think I mentioned it, but Marty, Kayla and I are headed to Norfolk, VA tomorrow when they get home from work ... Kayla's boyfriend, Drew, is putting in new kitchen cabinets and asked for Marty's help ... Kayla and I will spend the weekend ... well ... doing what we do ... eating ... shopping ... ;) We'll be sure to bring the guys some food here and there! Maizie's going, also ... that is unchartered territory for her . . LONG car ride. Hope she does OK.

Change of habit?

Here's what I've been thinking that I'd like to develop ... not sure what to call it ... habit? ... routine? ...

First of all, I would like to get up earlier (like around 7am) ... thinking of subscribing to either a couple of daily local newspapers (probably Jackson County and Athens Banner Herald), or to the daily Atlanta newspaper. I'm not even sure what it costs, but I'm about to find out. THAT may nip idea #1 right in the bud.

Then, I would start the coffee. I have a fancy coffee maker with a timer and everything, but ... those were not made for procrastinators. They should have put a warning on the box. My idea of a Procrastinator's Cofee Maker has 1 button ... "on/off". Marty had good intentions ... :) Now, I'm fine if HE wants to utilize all those fancy options.

While my coffee is brewing, I would like to either get on my eliptical for 20 minutes or go for a 30 minute walk. Grab the newspaper on my way back up the driveway.

Then, either plop down on my back deck porch swing, or inside in my recliner w/ GMA on for background sound, sip my coffee, and read my newspaper(s).

Let's see, it'd be around 0800 by this time. If I had a personal chef, he would have my breakfast waiting for me when I came in from my exercise, but ... since I am the chef ... screw it ... cereal again, cause I'm now realizing I don't have time to leisurely read my paper(s) AND eat a nice little breakfast ...

Looks like I'll either need to get up at 0600 or stick with my current routine .... sleep in till 0830, get up and put coffee on, turn on TV, fire up laptop, get coffee, sit in recliner, check foxnews website, followed by facebook, followed by gmail, followed by blog. 0930, shower, 1030 work till 9pm. :)

Oh well ... in my next life, maybe I can change my habits.

Marty's birthday pics ... better late than never!

Marty just DID NOT believe that I had nothing to do with Logan's staff embarrassing him with a "YEEEEHAWWWWW!!!"



Kayla and her liter 'o beer!!


Marty was thrilled with his DVDs ... "Wild Hogs" and "Tommy Boy / Black Sheep".

If you look closely, you will see "what could have been" had Marty and I reproduced ... turns out it's a GOOD thing we can't!!! We named him "Cletus" ... LOL