Out of Town

I'm headed out of town for the long weekend!

I'll write more when I get back!

I love the beach!

Wordless Wednesday - My First

Fresh from the bath!

Not a creature was stirring...NOT EVEN A SCORPION

I am not a big bug person. In fact there are few people I know that truly like bugs. There was that one weird guy in high school that thought he could make a career out of being in love with bugs….but again he was weird.

It is no surprise that here in the greater southwest we have bugs. Most of them don’t fly or bite….but those that do fly or bite are pretty nasty. The ones that have always scared me the most are scorpions for several reasons:

1. They come in all sizes….extra small to extra large
2. They hide in all the WRONG places, my shoes, under my desk, in the back of my cupboards
3. They sting and it hurts
4. They sting and it hurts….is there more a of a reason to be scared of them…

Anyway, the office building I work for has an exterminator come over every month. He sprays the inside and outside of the building. Because we have this monthly service we generally don’t see a lot of bugs. Occasionally we will see a roach or a cricket, but those are easily killed. However, for some reason this summer has left us with a bigger problem……scorpions in the office. They are all over the place and usually emerge about a week to ten days after the bug guy comes. Now by the time they start crawling out of the walls they are just about dead, but the problem we have is that they crawl into the deepest darkest places they can find to die.

This morning, my boss found one in his shoe that he took off for 10 minutes. Went to put it back on and there was a scorpion in his SHOE people….HELLO that is just wrong. The about 10 minutes later I was picking up something that had fallen on the floor and I look under my desk and there are three more. I freaked out…hit my head on my desk, said about 15 cuss words and screamed like a little girl. I would not go back to my office until some man decided that the coast was clear.

The right after lunch, the receptionist and I are talking about a project and going through a stack of envelopes that were in the storage closet. In the bottom of the box are two more dead scorpions. At that point I had had enough….I called the exterminator and told him in no uncertain terms that if he wanted there to still be a business to come to on a monthly basis he better figure out how the hell to get rid of these creatures.

Then I went to my boss's office and said the exterminator is on his way to deal with the creature problem…I’ll be back tomorrow. He was not happy, but I was thinking OK, six sightings in one day….next time I will probably sit or step on one…NO F-ING way! So, I’ve been home breathing into a paper bag trying to get my wits about me.

You want to know how badly I hate scorpions…..well, read Slick’s post about spiders…and that is how badly I hate scorpions…only difference between Slick and I is that I’m a girl….and he just screams like one!!! (love you buddy!!!)

I am tired...Nice to meet you...I'm Lisa!

Today was the day from hell at work. I am worn out. I am not even sure if this post will make sense.

Just so you know....keep me in mind the next few weeks. I am thinking about quitting my job. More details to follow.

Right now I want a large drink and a soft bed.

Until tomorrow!

Trip to the Dentist

It has been years since I had a cavity filled.....to be honest I really thought that cavities were something that only children got and once you became and adult you were exempt from having them again....apparently that is NOT the case. About two weeks ago I went to the dentist and he found a cavity on one of my upper left molars. OK, I can handle that...a cavity…… just a filling right...Yes...OK....got it. Well, I get there this morning for the appointment and I am nervous. I am not someone who gets nervous easily...and here I was just about to crawl out of my skin. I hate that feeling.

Get back to the chair....three shots of Novocain later and I feel like my face is going to fall on the floor. My lips are so numb that when I try to say something to ANSWER the questions the dentist is asking my left side of my mouth doesn't move...then I feel the weirdest sensation in my nose. I'm like OK...what the hell is that...I need to sneeze and when I did and I went to wipe my nose I couldn't feel it...MY NOSE WAS NUMB...OMG.

Ok I can deal with that. An hour later filling is done tooth looks great. I am talking to the receptionist and I think I am doing well when a long spittle of drool crashes on the desk....can you say OMG EMBARASSED BEYOND BELIEF. Moving past that I scared the crap out of a little kid on my way out of the office because I tried to smile at him and apparently I was pretty nasty looking when I smiled because only 1/2 my face worked. I smiled....he screamed and told his Mommy he didn't want to go see the bad man. Way to help the dentist out!

Then I get to the car and look in my review mirror...and my left eye won't blink...it just won't work. I try and tell it "blink" and it just sits there...and my eye starts to water and I try to blink...nothing. I freaked out...I looked like I had had a stroke...1/2 my face didn't work anymore.

Luckily about 2 hours later feeling was coming back...but it is still a little numb. Eating lunchy was fun. I went to a local sub-shop to get some tuna to go...not on bread. I spent 45 minutes trying to hold my mouth closed while I ate. Needless to say I smell like tuna and have a huge mayo stain on my shirt!. Now 6 hours later..……can you believe that...6 hours and I am still feeling a bit numb.

I guess that is better than feeling sore.

I hate the dentist!

Fake Rocks

Have you ever thought about landscaping with artificial rocks? At Artificial Rocks Factory you can buy rocks molded from actual boulders which bring to life fake rocks that weight about 50-60 lbs but look and feel natural. They are made from construction-grade cast stone--not fiberglass or polyurethane which have been shown to have unfavorable wear/tear track records.
I was thinking about putting some of these fake rocks in my landscaping in my backyard. I think a few fake boulders would be a great addition to my backyard plans because I wouldn’t have to pay the huge prices of having actual real rocks/boulders brought in…I could move them with the help of another person without the help of heavy machinery. They also have rocks that you can put you address on and set out by the street. I think this is just another one of my fantasy home improvement projects, but hey, if I can use it to get things done….bring it on.

I think at the end of the day it is all about placement and in AZ it doesn’t have to be real….just look real. And take a look at some of these rocks on this website and tell me they don’t look real.



Artificial Rocks Factory
This has been a sponsored post.

DraMa and Augs

DraMa and Augs both posted pics on their blogs yesterday of the storms that they were having in their area. OMG...it scared me just looking at the pics. I was going to post a pic here today for the both of them of snow on the Supersition Mountains that is not far from my house from a couple of years ago....and wouldn't you know it...I can't find it anywhere. I'm going to stop by work to see if I perhaps put it on that computer.

Until then.....here are some pics of the chance of rain today!

I am 11 going on 18

My eleven year old daughter is such a fashion-ista. She loves clothes, shoes, fashion jewelry, and make-up. Granted she will be twelve in like 6 weeks, but that doesn’t make it any better. She would love nothing more than for me to drop her and her friends off at the mall and come back in 8 hours to get them…unfortunately for her…NOT GONNA happen!!!

Her and I were chatting the other day and I asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday party this year….do you know what this girl said to me….????....!!!! Mom, I want a fashion party at this place in the mall….I can’t remember the name…you can make your own jewelry, your own makeup…have your hair done…and it is only like $40 a person….and she wanted to invite 12 girls….let me see $40 x 12 = $480…so NOT GONNA HAPPEN!

Retirement

One of my favorite places to visit in AZ is Sedona. I love the red rocks. I love the shopping, the hiking trails and the overall peaceful feeling you get when you visit there. You can’t help walking away with a renewed sense of sprit and understanding.

I recently thought it would be fun to see how much arizona real estate would go for in that area. I found a gorgeous home nestled in the red rocks…for a whopping $1.8 Million dollars….OMG can you believe that? I mean 1.8 million dollars for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house that I would RETIRE to….I mean it is beautiful – see below – but I think my whole retirement would just be living in that house!

Headache Center

A lady I work with gets headaches all the time. Mostly I think it is from stress she puts on herself, stress her kids give her and just day to day life. I really think she could benefit from some headache treatment because this lady will get a headache at the drop of a hat. The other day she was just sitting at her desk and I walked up to ask her a question and there are tears in her eyes. I asked what was wrong and she said something about her son doing something and that she just had a headache from all of it. Then she proceeded to tell me that she gets headaches from eating chocolate. Anyway, I really wish there was something more I could do to help her.

OMG...The MEN!

Augs comment yesterday makes me wonder if he has a brother and if so...does he need a wife...LOL.

DraMa...You are a very lucky lady!

Augs wrote:

I accept the challenege!!! I'm not scum! I'm not sure how the challenge works, but all I can add is that I work all day long. I come home cook dinner and lately have been putting both kids to bed at night. The wife has more than enough quiet time to do her school homework. I do all the grocery shopping by myself early on Saturday or Sunday morning. I keep the outside of the house maintained and and I make a mean blueberry cobbler.Git R Done!!!

Now Lioux and Brian...man you guys stink...Brian you admitted that you are not the man...LOL and Lioux made his female co-worker comment for him...SLACKER!

Augs you saved yourself...but the rest of the male race is still on the SH*T list!!!

Quibblo

Ever wonder where everyone gets these online quizzes or funny polls on their websites? Look no further than Quibblo. A friend of mine uses this website to put all sorts of funny things on his MySpace page. This website seems to have a load of different quizzes that are already available or you can create your own. I am not that creative, but maybe you are, if so go check them out. If you come up with something interesting let me know and I'll stop by your website!

This has been a sponsored post!

I really wish I could blame PMS…

I really wish I could blame my bad attitude and general sense of being pissed off the last few days on PMS. I don’t know what has caused it, but PMS ain’t it…because Aunt Flo has come and gone and PMS isn’t due for at least another 2 weeks. I just really don’t know why I want to literally rip off anyone’s head that comes within 10 ft of my person. The only exceptions to this rule are my two kids….they can come and love up on me or just be general brats and I’m cool with that….but everyone else better watch out…

I think most of my irritability can be blamed on work. If I could just get the MEN in the office to actually think for themselves and do something other than assigning tasks to the two women in the office I really think my life would be less stressful. I really believe that the men in the office don’t know how to use a phone and if they do they don’t know how to call for bids on different jobs. Case and point see Exhibit A:

A male co-worker has decided that a mailer needs to go out to a neighborhood in which we are developing property. The reason for this mailer is to let them know of the upcoming changes and general feel of the development that is going to be taking place. There are about 1900 residential units that need to be informed of these developments. Getting a mailing list is easy enough and even putting together a letter with colored maps and diagrams can be done by this man. However calling a local printing company for a bid is out of his realm of possibility….how do you call and ask for a bid? OMG…you pick up the damn phone, you dial the GD number and you tell them I have a 5 page letter that needs to be sent to 1900 residence, how much would you charge? Think he could do that…NOT A CHANCE IN HELL.

Still not enough for you, well let’s see if I can give another example – Exhibit B:

I wake up this morning to my internet, cable and phone all out of service. Not a problem on a typical day, but my daughter is coming home is afternoon to be by herself for about 2 hours. We have an alarm system, but it does nobody any good if it can’t alert the police/fire/emergency without a phone line. A call to customer service answered by a MAN leaves me feeling like a fool because guess what NOBODY else in the area has an interruption in service. I’m told to call back later because it is early here in AZ and they may have others calling in soon…WTF? I call back and literally rip the person’s head off that answers the phone. I know that it is not his fault HE (again a MAN) has nothing to do with the first phone call, but OMG customer service sucks.

Again, need another example – Exhibit C:

My ex calls with a request to find out how far one location is from another location, sounds like a math problem to me. No it’s not a math problem but a job issue. Apparently he has two new job offers and wanted to know from his home how far they each were. He was not near a computer and apparently his wife couldn’t help him so he calls me…..again WTF? So I give him the information and the A**Hole has the audacity to ask me to PRAY for him. I mean really the man has no faith, no religion and laughs at my faith ….OPENLY….and he wants me to PRAY for him. Oh I’ll pray all right…..but not for his job…

So I am sending out a challenge….for one MAN to come to my website and redeem the whole male race. Slick has put out the challenge to all women to try and beat him in guessing who will win college football games this season….I put this out there as a rival challenge….make me believe that not all men are scum…that they can do something besides scratch their heads and their balls….and make me once again want to believe that there is a good man out there…..that DOESN’T need a woman to do everything for him…Slick this is for you man!

Ladybug….who is off to find some damn chocolate!

Memory Walk

This October I am sponsoring an event that has been near and dear to my heart for several years – Alzheimer’s Associations Memory Walk. You ask if this is a paid post and I have to say yes, but I have to say that I would sponsor anyway regardless of whether or not I was paid to do this post. Every year I give to the Alzheimer’s Association because I have had at least two people in my family diagnosed with the disease and several others that probably had the disease, but never got diagnosed properly. It is a dreadful disease that takes away loved ones minds long before their bodies are ready to leave this planet.

This year I will be sponsoring a local walker. She is local to my area and I am so proud that I can say that I know her and I know she is making a difference in regards to this disease. She was recruited by her Team Captain at work. The lady that is serving as her Team Capitan didn’t think it would be that easy to be a team leader. However, it is quite easy to sign up to be a Team Capitan just go to http://clk.atdmt.com/TGA/go/pyprpalz0030000037tga/direct/01/ and follow the links to sign up. Some of the requirements to be a Team Captain include:

• You have to recruit at least 9 friends to participate on the team
• You have to register your team and set fund raising goals
• You have to coordinate team meetings, keep the team inspired and keep them updated on dates and times of important events
• Overall have a great attitude, be an inspiration and encourage others

In order to be a Team Captain, you need to sign up early to make sure you have enough time to build your team and recruit members. You also have to design a logo for your team and you will want to give yourself plenty of time to come up with an interesting logo.

So please take a minute to visit: http://clk.atdmt.com/TGA/go/pyprpalz0030000037tga/direct/01/ to find a walk in your area. Go to the local walk website and sponsor someone you know or someone you don’t know. Even the smallest donations are greatly appreciated and bring us one step closet to helping those we love stay health in body, mind and spirit.

Thanks again!

Cups

Our church gives away personalized cups and water bottles (depending on the time of year) to new visitors each week. We don’t force them to take the items, but leave them out on a welcome table for the guests to see when they arrive/leave. It is just our little way of saying thanks for stopping buy and remember us as you look for a new home church.

Recently, we were shopping for a new supplier and got several samples from different suppliers all over the nation. As a bonus, we each got to pick our favorite sample and take it home with us (at least those of us on the committee). Now I am the proud owner of several mismatched coffee mugs that have our church name/logo. However, the best part of this is that I get another 4 days of not washing coffee mugs because nobody else in my house uses them…LOL

Office Desks

I just got word that we will be moving into a new office in about 3 months. I am excited about it because I will get a new office complete with a new office desks, chair, book case, file cabinet and credenza. It will be nice to get out of a stuff office with no window and into something a bit more spacious.

However, with this move comes with a lot of downers. The new location is about 10 minutes further from my house. It is not close to any good eateries for lunch. There is no place to shop on my lunch hour and my office faces west….into the afternoon sun….

Think they are trying to tell me something?

California Dreaming

I was reading online the other day about the housing market in the US and how it has not made a come back as quickly as hoped by financial analyst this year. I guess here in AZ the housing market hit a slump about 18 months ago and the number of people refinancing also declined. This made me think of all those other states that are probably also experiencing a slow comeback of the real estate market.

I know in California the value of real estate continues to climb, while California mortgage refinance numbers are low. I have a friend that lives in the San Francisco Bay area. She and her husband are in the process of trying to have a baby and just refinanced their home to help pay for the IVF treatment. However, she did not cash out all the equity in her house because between what she paid for it and what it was worth was a huge number.

I can’t imagine what is going to happen with the going mortgage rates, but I’m glad that I have a house that I am somewhat happy with and that I can stay in for a long time if needed.

Miracle Burn

I got this assignment that I have to write about and it made me laugh when I saw the keyword of Miracle burn….OMG I had to laugh. Before I even went to the website to see what it was about I thought who would want to use a product with a name like that. Apparently, my mind was in the gutter that day. Miracle burn is a diet supplement that actually helps you burn fat. OK, I can jive with that. However, you have to admit that the keyword is funny…..maybe I can give this to my Mom with her other diet pills and the clock can rewind to 1965 when she was young, hot and thin?

Protein Drink

I haven’t been to the gym in months and months. Everyday when I think that I might actually make it in…I talk myself out of it. The problem is that the gym is full of trainers, and trainers make it their job to make you feel bad about your body. Therefore, you will buy lessons from them and they can make major bucks off of your low self esteem.

In addition, they try and sell you supplements and muscle milk just to boost their overall sales commissions. I mean come on people…..I feel bad enough about the way I look and you want me to take pills and drink nasty stuff and PAY for it. No thank you!

I’m sure there is an easier way to do things than to feel bad about going to a gym…I just don’t know what they are right now!

Bar Stools

Is it just me or do any of the rest of you watches old programs/shows when they are on early in the morning or late at night? One of my favorite sitcoms to re-watch is Cheers. Not because it was the best or funniest, but I just loved the way the regulars came and sat on their bar stools and everyone knew who they were. I mean there were Norm, Cliff, Woody, Sam, Diane and Carla. Later in the show, Diane left and we got Rebecca….and who can forget Fraiser…which later spun off into its own show.

Man I miss that bar…where everybody knows your name!

Pulse-Ox Stat

Pulse-Ox Stat

One of my favorite shows to watch in the morning or at least have on as background noise is ER. I was an avid watcher of this show when George Clooney and Anthony Edwards were regulars. However, when they killed off Dr. Greene’s character (Anthony Edwards) with brain cancer and Doug Ross (George Clooney) left his pregnant girlfriend behind to go find himself, I lost interest. Yes, Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle) was cute, yes I loved Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle) was a great actor, but with the leaving of Dr. Ross and Dr. Greene (not in the same year mind you) I left the show behind as well.

However, TNT has it playing in the mornings and I have it on as I get up. They use such long medical terms and codes that I just get lost. I need a pulse ox stat, give me a CBC, chem. 7 and a rapid urine dip….OK…I have no idea what any of that means, but the one I do know is pulse ox….which is measured by a pulse oximeter….that tells you how much oxygen you have in your blood.

Now don’t you feel smarter?

Britney

As most of you know I am an avid celebrity watcher. I have a three year auto-renewal subscription to People, US and Entertainment Weekly. These are like my bible on celebrity news. In addition, I check all the hot celebrity gossip websites on a daily basis. I will admit that I have a little bit of a problem with being a semi-celebrity stalker….but hey without people like me these magazines would fail to exist.

Therefore, I think I should do something for all of us suffering from Britney overload. I know she just got out of rehab, but I think she needs to go back and have some addiction treatment. Maybe we could go together…..I could get treated for celebrity addiction and she could get treated for drug addiction. Throw in Paris and Lindsey and I’m sure a group discount rate applies…LOL

This has been a sponsored post!

Blinds

In my back room I have a large arcadia door that opens (slides) I guess to the back yard. This is the only window in my house that has vertical blinds and I hate them. I would love nothing better to tear them down and put up something different.

I have a friend that did some window treatments and got some newer vertical blinds that are not as hard to adjust. I think I would be interested in doing something like she did, but then again it would mean getting off my lazy butt and doing some sort of home improvements….and right now…my butt is just too lazy!

Home Theater Seating

I have a small family room. This is also the room that is used for most of the home entertainment. Our TV, stereo, DVD and VCR are all located in this front room. The room is about 20 X 13….imagine a rectangle with a door and that is pretty much my family room.

Now my husband has been dying to get a big screen TV for one wall…yes the size he is looking at would take up the entire wall where our current TV resides on a stand. He figures while we are at it we may as well install home theater seating, surround sound and special lighting.

You know what I say……poo on you…let’s buy a masseuse!!!

Plasma Cutter

Growing up my Dad taught vocational welding at the local High School. During the summers, to supplement his income he would do side jobs welding fences, building barns, or repairing farm equipment. I never really learned how to use any of the tools he had on hand at any one time because I was a girl and girls didn’t do that …..according to, well, according to ME.

Part of being the vocational welding teacher at the high school is that you had this huge shop to work in since you would have anywhere from 12-25 students in a class. My Dad always had one type of project or another going. I think at one point his senior class of 1993 (my grad year…WOO HOO) built a 4 horse trailer. I don’t remember exactly how big it was or how much metal it took, but I do remember a piece of equipment that was kind of cool…it was a plasma cutter and it cut through metal like a hot knife through butter. I could just sit and watch this piece of machinery work for hours and man it was so neat.

Anyway, there is really no point to this post….just needed to write a Sponsored Post!

This is for Slick

My good buddy Slick always talks about how great his golf game is and how much of a champion player he is compared to the likes of his sister and um…yeah that is about it. I’m pretty sure that most of the time when they are playing she LETS him win..LOL.

Anyway, Slick this sponsored post is for you because, hells bells Margaret, I don’t think anyone needs help with their golf game more than you do…LOL (I’m just poking at ya!) Now when I talk about golf equipment I am not talking about your male tubular appendage as much as you would like for my blog to host a post about such matters…LOL. But I’m thinking you need to check out this site and see about getting your golf game up to par…ha ha. I mean they have cool little toys like these things: I have no clue what any of these is for or what they do, but I’m sure that if you had them you could knock at least two strokes off your game! I mean even the website itself is called World of Golf…HELLO it is just calling to you…can’t you hear it…(Slick…oh Slick come and visit us).
Although I think you are grounded from spending since your last big purchase of an Xbox 360…right???
Ok, this post has become as sick and twisted as I can allow it to become…

Love you Slick!!!! I just couldn’t resist a poke fun at you!

Diet Fads

The women in my family (mainly on my mother’s side) have always been obsessed with their weight/figure. Growing up, my mother was always on some sort of diet or taking some sort of pill that was going to return her to her pre-child/pre-40 body. The one where she could once again wear that itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny yellow polka dot bikini…LOL. Needless to say, she never got there and I was always her diet partner. I hated that more than anything else. It mostly started when I was a teen and I was a little rounder than most girls my age…not fat, but I had a “bubble butt” and I guess that was enough to make my mother think that I needed to go on a diet with her.

Anyway, she has now come to me with a new diet drug called ionamin. I have no idea what it does or how it does it, but I guess it is supposed to help you lose weight fast. I am glad that she found it and I really hope it works for her. I just don’t know about taking it because the last time I took a drug she gave me I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. However, if I can get these last few pounds off….it may be worth a look-see!

Remodel – Maybe?

As most of you know from previous posts I have been getting the new home bug. While I can’t really afford it right now I am thinking there are a few things I can do to help me feel like the house I am in right now is LIKE NEW. I am been contemplating a kitchen remodel…but not like a complete overhaul…just like new appliances, flooring and range hoods. When this house was built about 8 years ago I opted out of the microwave/range hood combo because it was like $500 more in options that I just could see spending at the time. Now however, I regret that decision because I would more than anything love to have my microwave over my stove. I’m thinking that I just need to get a move on with this project….once I start I know that I’ll be happier than I am now…then again…that means work and I really would rather not DIMY (do it myself…LOL)

Sunglasses

This weekend found me at the mall with my oldest daughter and a couple of friends doing some back to school shopping. We went to several stores and got lots of cute new clothes, shoes, and accessories. One of the places we stopped as we were leaving was the sunglasses store. Now I am not one to spend a whole lot of money on sunglasses because I am just too hard on them. I sit on them, I run over them with my car, I lose them in the movies etc….I just buy cheapies because I don’t want to have to worry about keeping up with them.

However, we stopped because one of the girls had a $100 gift certificate from a birthday party for this store. She wanted to get her Dad some Wiley X sunglasses. I was like OK, what does that mean? I guess he races motorbikes and these glasses are the best kind because they have like a strap that keeps them in place or whatever….$129 for a pair of sunglasses. I about fainted…..needless to say the girl didn’t get them. However, even the cheapest pair of sunglasses for a regular person like me was like $75. I mean really people I can’t be spending $75 every two weeks when I lose them or break them!

I love my readers...

You guys rock. Just wanted to let you know that a weekend makes all the difference. I got some good rest, got to spend some quality time with the family, and got a nap....

Have a lots of new topics to write about and a whole bunch of paid posts that I got to get out this week.

I'll be here writing this week....I love you all...YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!

Thanks and a Break

First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you who commented on my boring post the other day. I got some really good suggestions, really good advice and a great kick in the tush (Thanks Matt).

But most of all I want to take a chance to thank Andrew! He drove a lot of traffic to my site in the past two days and I really appreciate his kind words on his blog about my current writer’s block/boring-ness. I really do appreciate the shout out!

Slick you make me laugh so hard!

With that being said, I’m taking a blogging break. I may be back in a few days or I may be back in a few weeks. I don’t know, but I need to recharge. I’ve also decided to take time to really focus on what I want out of life, what I want to do with my life and how I’m going to get there.

I think a change in career may be in order and that is going to take time and effort. However, at this point any forward movement is better than staying where I am right now.

Again, THANK YOU all for your kind words, your support and also your swift kick in the pants. I will still be reading and commenting on all the blogs I normally visit. If I've added you to my blogroll, expect a new visitor!

Love you all!

Ladybug

I'm Boring

I've decided I'm boring. I don't have any hobbies. My job is boring. My life is not all that. I have run out of interesting things to say. I'm out of topics to blog about. Maybe I should just quit. I don't know....I've been racking my brain thinking trying to think of something to write about and came with NOTHING.

My youngest had three teeth pulled today. I got my teeth cleaned. I came to work. After I'm done here I'll go home. Probably watch some TV, check the kids homework, eat dinner and go to bed.

That is pretty much my day to day life. I don't have anything interesting happening to me. So why am I still here writing this? I have no idea.

My friend EC gave me a writing job lead. I took it and did a few articles for the guy and I haven't heard back from him. I guess my writing just isn't good enough. I guess that would explain why my comments have gone to pretty much zero. I know I have visitors, but what I write is just not interesting enough to keep anyone around.

If you need me....I'll be belly up to the bar.....drinking margaritas and singing with the mariachi band....AY YI YI YI......I need another margarita!

When Mosquitoes Attack

The time of year has come in AZ when mosquitoes are in full force. They wait outside for you to come out to play and attack without warning. They are smart little suckers (pun intended). I mean they really wait and I think they know that ladies taste better than men and that little girls are the best of all.

I have a few bites, my husband has hardly any, but my kids have bites all over their legs. I have sprayed them with OFF, Skin So Soft and many other things to keep them from getting attacked. However, these bugs are relentless and will kamikaze into my girls just for one sweet taste of their flesh…..

Anyway, just a word of warning….if you see a minor nuclear explosion in the western part of the US….It’s just me….blowing up my house….to get rid of all these damn creatures….

Ladybug….off to get the calamine lotion….

Open Letter to my Mother-in-law

I need to preface this letter by saying that I don’t hate this woman. She is medieval in her thinking about what a woman’s place is in the home, but I don’t hate her personally. I really do despise the actions that are described in this letter and just needed to let you all know that this entry was done in the hopes that lashing out at this computer screen would keep me from lashing out at her in real life.

That being said….enjoy!

Barbara,

I am writing regarding your phone call to last week to request money once again for your 24 year old daughter that can’t seem to get her life together. It is not that your son and I don’t want to help with this situation, but our feelings are that you and your husband are doing her no good. Enabling her to continue to live a dead-beat lifestyle while she is has four children (by two men that you loved and now hate) is not teaching her any lessons. The fact that your husband is working no less than two jobs at a time to support two households because you want it seems very unfair.

Your daughter has made bad choice after bad choice in her life and yet you continue to support her and the behavior that put her in the position she is in right now. She got pregnant at 17, and you allowed her boyfriend to move in with you. She got married shortly after, and you allowed them to live in your house not for a little while, but for 3 years. You finally build up the nerve to have them out because you have asked them to, you turn to empty nest crazy lady. Wanting them to come back and all but begging them to let you raise their child.

Then we get to the holidays about 3 years ago, when she has cheated on her husband, is pregnant by another man and you want us to be accepting of this. You want us to just allow it to happen and not have an opinion. You loved and supported her with this new guy because he did all the things her husband (and he is not even an ex YET) would not do. You basically told us to shut up or get out of your house because she was having more babies and you didn’t want to upset the chance that you might be able to see those children. Has it not occurred to you that you are basically raising those kids because she CAN’T and WON’T take responsibility for what she has done with her life?

We stayed that Christmas and held our tongues despite the fact that we had misgivings about a 40 year old man being with a 22 year old woman. We decided that if you wanted us to support it we would, but it would be from afar. We had a feeling in our guts that told us this guy was a creep. However, you told us time and time again that he was a good guy. Now what do you think of your daughter’s choice in men, drugged out, lying, into all sorts of malicious acts and you still want to be there to support your daughter in all the decisions she has made.

I understand she is your child. I understand unconditional love, as I have children of my own and I have parents that showed it to me growing up. However, there is a difference between unconditional love and enabling. You can love your daughter and all that she is without running to her rescue all the time. You can love her babies and be a part of their life without having to be their life. That is her job. It’s her job to make mistakes and learn from them….mistakes that she has not learned from because YOU have not allowed her to learn from them. Are you ever going to allow those consequences to come home? Are you ever going to cut those ties and allow her to be an adult? How will she learn to make ends meet if you are always there with a check and a handout?

Do you realize for the past 5 years my husband and I have not gotten a Christmas, Birthday or Anniversary present from you guys? Do you realize that my children have not gotten any sort of presents for their special occasions? Yet, when it comes to your daughter, you both go above and beyond. Present galore and why is that? Why do these kids get all the glory and our children get nothing, except maybe a card. We don’t want your money or your gifts, but I have to explain to my kids why their grandparents care more about one set of grandkids than the other. I don’t’ want that to change, because as far as I’m concerned I am fine with them not getting anything from you and your family.

I hate having to see the look of hurt on my husband’s face when his birthday comes and goes and there is no phone call, no card, nothing….but disappointment. Disappointment is something that your family can never give us enough of on a yearly basis. I can’t be everything to him, I can’t be a mother/father/sister/brother. I can’t make myself all those things to him….and no amount of my overcompensation will make that hurt heal. That is a hurt only you can heal, but you choose not to…ever.

So, at this time I want you to know that neither I nor my husband will be taking your phone calls any longer. There will NO MORE money. The bank of TRUST has been tapped out and I will no longer allow ourselves to be drawn into this mess. Maybe one day, when you run out of patience and time, you will see your daughter for what she really is…..then again maybe you won’t.

Go ahead and delude yourself in to thinking that she is the victim here. Go ahead and make yourself believe that the things you are doing are for the kids. Go ahead and continue to live with your head in the sand thinking you are protecting those kids…guess what your not. Your enabling their mother to continue to do what she does best fail.

We will not be a part of it any longer.

Sincerely,
Ladybug!

Garage Storage Cabinets

I wish that I could have some garage storage cabinets installed in my garage. Right now everything is either in piles on either side of the garage or in plastic containers that are piled so high that I don’t know if it is even safe. Add to that that I keep telling myself that I’m going to have a garage sale come fall (yeah right) and the mess just keeps piling up. I wish I could have some of these cabinets. At least with these cabinets I would have storage to put all the tools that we never use and probably store some of our holiday decorations. I would highly recommend checking out this website ---> garage storage cabinets.

This has been a sponsored post.

Coming Soon....

An open letter to my mother-in-law!

Stay Tuned!

Are Diamonds Really A Girl’s Best Friend?

Recently a friend and I were out having dinner and we starting talking about anniversary and birthday presents. Her 10 year anniversary was fast approaching and she had asked her husband for a new piece of jewelry. They went and looked at diamond rings and several other different pieces of jewelry. She really had her heart set on a 10 year anniversary band. As the date approached she got more and more excited about the upcoming celebration. Her husband was hinting that the gift he got here was really good and she would love it. The big day came and he gave her….a necklace with a beautiful ruby stone….but it was not her diamond band that she wanted……I guess diamonds are not a girl’s best friend….I’m not sure her husband is out of the dog house yet….LOL

Poker Tables

Recently I have gone to the local casino a few times to play blackjack and just have some down time. I really got into playing blackjack and thought it would be fun to try a new game. I tried poker and man that is a confusing game. Sitting at the poker tables I was very confused and there were people on either side of me raising, calling and betting. At one point I just had to walk away and back to the blackjack tables. I guess poker is just not a game for me.

The Jungle Store

A family I work with just recently had a new baby. It was a little girl named Ashley and she is so cute. She was actually born on my birthday and I thought that was super neat. Anyway, I went to the couples home to drop off some food and baby supplies mostly as a gesture of kindness, but also so I could see the new bundle of joy. While I was there I got to see the nursery. The mother had done such a great job decorating. She did it in polar bears and had all of these gund animals that she got from an online site called The Jungle Store. I went and looked at the site last night and it was so neat. There was a lot of exotic animal merchandise. So if you are looking for a unique gift or something exotic….check them out.

Realtor

Are you looking for a realtor? Looking for a new house? If so, these realtors are ready and willing to help. I went and did a search of the houses in my area and was surprised at the number of homes available for sale. I would love a new home, but right now it is not in the budget. I found a couple that I would love to check out, but I’m not sure that it is a wise move right now. But if you are looking for a home, check it out and see if there is something there for you!

Great Weekend

Have a great weekend. I don't know if I'll be here or not this weekend, but if not see you all on MONDAY!

Intervention

Tonight one of my favorite shows comes on A&E….Intervention. If you have never seen it I highly recommend watching it at some point. It is basically about people who are addicted to different drugs, alcohol, sex, gaming, whatever and their friends and family do an intervention to get them to go to drug rehab. Now most of the time they end up going, but there have been a few episodes where the person did not go.

One that I can think of that I saw recently was when a lady was put on a plane with her boyfriend to go to detox in some other state. There was a lay over at an airport they were in and they just took off in that state. I mean WOW the nerve of them just taking off after their family and friends wanted to help.

I don’t know how I would react if I had to do an intervention for someone I loved, but I do know that if the time came I would do it in a heart beat.

My half side of beef (well more like a quarter) but whose counting

Yummy to my Tummy! I grew up a redneck girl. I mean I was part of one of those families that Jeff Foxworthy makes fun of during his “You Might be a Red Neck if…”part of his stand up routine. Therefore, since I was raised on a farm or at least my grandfather owned one I was brought up to appreciate what it takes to get the hamburger from the cow to the table.

I remember when I was about 11 and my Dad told me we were going to slaughter a beef and have fresh meat. I knew what slaughter meant, but what I didn’t know is that the “beef” he was talking about was a heifer I had named Bessie in my grandfather’s pasture. Now as traumatic as it was for me to somewhat witness that event (I didn’t see them actually take the cow down) I fell in love with red meat shortly there after. I didn’t know that a cow named Bessie could taste so good. Ribs, steak, hamburger and roast became objects of love and affection. I got to the point where I would just crave red meat.

Fast forward about 10 years, I am married with a small child and my grandfather asks if I want some beef from a cow they were going to slaughter and butcher (yes, we butchered our own and that is another story, walk in cooler and everything). I was like sure, how much can I get from you. He said about a quarter. I was very excited about that because I didn’t know how much a quarter of a cow really was, but I knew that there would be ribs, steak, hamburger, and roast.

The meat arrives about 10 days after the slaughter and I am amazed at the amount of meat. I mean this is basically for two people because my daughter was too little to eat it. We had beef coming out of our ears forever. I didn’t think it was possible to get tired of beef….let me tell you it is….

Fast forward again to about a week ago and a guy I work for tells me that they have a quarter beef that is available….what did I do…..

I went and bought a new freezer….

Come on over…..Beefs on ME!

I signed up...you should also!

payperpost

I’m a newbie or a new Postie as we are called at PayPerPost. I am so excited because unlike other sites that pay you to blog you get to choose which posts you want and which you don’t want. So if you are not interested in blogging about auto parts or fishing tackle, you don’t have to. You can choose what you want to blog about and if there is an opportunity to blog about something you love, then you take it and run with it.

Currently, PayPerPost is looking new Posties. It only takes about 10 minutes to read through all the website stuff and sign up. I wish I could give someone credit for referring me to this site, but I can’t….I actually found the site via a Google search. I was looking for a place to be able to make a little extra money per month and did a Google search and found this place at the top. So I clicked and was instantly surprised by the layout and easy way the website was laid out. Then I took a chance and signed up thinking I would be able to get a few writing opportunities a month, well I was wrong. I currently have about 5 that I need to finish and there are tons more out there.

I haven’t taken the opportunity to try and meet any other Posties yet, but I will soon. There is a community area where you can chat with others. I love that their help desk is called Customer Love. I have learned that there are great advertisers out there that just want you to review and look at their website. That is the greatest thing is that you can look and if you don’t want to write a post, then don’t, but if you find something amazing…then talk it up.

Anyway, just thought I would let you all know about this new place and why my site will have new content….have a great day!

80 banks statements in one day

I work for a Company that owns about 800 different parcels of land over about two counties here in AZ. To break it down for you…that is a lot of damn land! Anyway, to keep these parcels safe and secure we bundle them together based on location, size, value etc into LLC’s. Now this would be great for most places and the smaller real estate investor, but for a company that owns 800 parcels of land that means about 40 different LLC’s. Now when you break down the math that is only about 18 parcels per bank account right? But, you have to remember that some of these pieces of land are 100’s to 1,000’s of acres.

Recently, it was brought to my attention that we would be purchasing some land out of state. OK, great we are opening ourselves up to new opportunities I’m all for that….but guess what…it is about the same as before…and now instead of 40 bank statements to recon…there will be 80…..

It takes me about ½ a day now to recon all of these bank statements because of the system we use and I can’t recon them all together because each LLC has it’s own file with the accounting system….Anyway, I don’t really have a point here….except to say that when 80 bank statements come to your desk in one day it can be quite overwhelming!