My Weekend

My weekend went very well. I got to be with the Love of My Life almost all weekend. We just hung out and enjoyed one anothers company. I asked her if I could take some pictures of her, and to my surprise, she agreed.

Here is my favorite picture of the ones I took.

To quote Stevie Wonder, "Isn't she lovely?"

Sick Again

I really hate being sick. More than anything in the world, I hate being sick. I would rather have a gunshot wound to the head than to be sick.

So imagine my chagrin yesterday when I called in sick to work, because I felt like I had been beaten with the business end of a tree.

I went to Krogers and got me a bottle of Nyquil and took 2 cupfuls of the stuff, which I was to find out later to have been too much!

Then I passed out for the rest of the night. I still have some of the symptoms, but I no longer feel like I have been beaten up anymore.

Apparently I had about 3 adult sized doses of Nyquil, so needless to say, I was loopy....lol!

Ah well, time to move on to new topics. Hopefully the rest of these pesky symptoms will go away soon and I'll be back to my "normal" self again :)

Stealing Again!

I have stolen an idea from Ms. L. I am going to have a trivia game on my site like she does hers.

Starting after this post, if you look over to the right in the links section, you'll see a link to my trivia game. It changes every day, so be sure to play daily :)

Thanks ms. l for having such a great idea!!

Taking Responsibility

I have an issue with a news story I read on CNN.com today. Basically, a 6 year old boy fell to his death from a ferris wheel. Below is the actual article from the site. I am going to explain my issues with this after I allow you the opportunity to read it.


For any intereted, here is the link:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/20/ferris.wheel.death.ap/index.html


A 6-year-old boy plunged 90 feet to his death from the top of a Ferris wheel while his mother watched from below at the San Joaquin County Fair, authorities said.

Ruben Castillo was riding alone in his gondola, which was near the top of the 100-foot Giant Wheel when he fell Sunday afternoon, authorities said.He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

California Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials, who are investigating the incident, were told that the boy tried to climb out of his seat, said spokesman Dean Fryer. It was not immediately clear why he climbed out or whether he was properly secured in the seat, Fryer said.

The fair's rides have no age restrictions, only a height requirement, which Ruben met for the Giant Wheel, said Forrest White, the fair's executive director.

The ride was operated by Fairfield-based Butler Amusements Inc. and had a valid permit, which was due for its annual renewal next month, Fryer said.

"We are extremely sorry this tragic accident occurred," said Butler Amusements spokeswoman Mary Castel. The Giant Wheel will remain closed until the investigation is complete.

There is also a video on the site in which his mother says she has cried so many times, yet doesn't look as though any tears have been shed. She also goes on to say that her and her husband had wanted their son to go in a "car" that had more people, but that the ferris wheel operator let him go into a "car" alone. She is now calling for stricter safety guidelines for amusement park attractions. She suggests locks on the doors of the "cars" and having smaller children ride with a bunch of people instead of alone. The last thing she states in the video is that "something has to be done. He didn't deserve to go like that".


You know, I am in agreeance that amusement park rides "do" need better safety regulations, and that something should be done. However, in this particular case, I blame the parents for this accident.

That's right, I blame the parents, and I'll tell you why. First of all, the boy was 6 years old. A 6 year old boy has no business on any kind of adult ride by himself. His mother states that the ferris wheel operator should not have let him go alone, but what about her?

Why the hell did "she" let her son go alone on the ride? She specificvally states that she wanted hi to be seated with other people, yet blames the operator of the ride for letting him sit alone.

I'm not saying that the operator is guilt free on this. He should have taken the initiative and made sure the boy wasn't alone. However, that isn't his responsibility. That should be left up to the parents. She says she didn't want him on it alone, yet she let him go. Don't expect the operator of the ride to do your job as a parent and monitor your child if you can't!

The thing that really gets me about all this is that she blames safety regulations instead of the real culprit....herself.

It seems so easy to take the easy way out in life anymore and lay the blame on some other poor soul when someone screws up. However, it is unacceptable.

This happens all the time with people blaming music, video games, television or movies. These things may act as a stimulant, but they are not to blame. They are what they are, and its up to the parents to actually get up and do their jobs.

I'm particularly upset about this because it was a very tragic accident that could have easily....easily been avoided. If she had gotten on the ride with him, he would still be here. If she had said that he couldn't ride alone, he would still be here.

Lady, I am truly sorry for your loss, but don't look for the scapegoat in this. Take responsibility for your inaction. Learn from your mistakes. Honor the memory of your son by admitting your faults instead of going after somoene who should bear less responsibility in this than you. Be an adult.

I know some of you may see this as harsh, but I do strongly feel that she is to blame. She had the power to stop it. Granted, she didn't think this would happen, who would have? Better yet, who would have wanted to think these thoughts?

I truly hope her son rests in peace, and God will let her learn from her mistakes.

Massages and Feet and Feet Massages!

Who doesn't love a good massage?

I know I do, but this isn't some pointless rambling trying to get one.

This is about how I love to massage.

The Love of My Life loves massages. She loves all kinds of massages, and whenever I just barely touch her shoulders, arms or feet, I'm always ending up giving her a massage. This proves to be beneficial to the both of us, as I love massaging her, and she loves being massaged.

She gives her best friend in the world massages. I must say that she does give a good massage...I speak from experience and her friend would attest to this as well :)

The funny thing about her massages on her best friend is the noises her friend makes. Sometimes you can't tell if it hurts like crazy or not, but you can definitely tell when it's feeling real good...lmao!

You would almost think.....nah....not gonna go there....hehe!

Now, the Love of My Life loves a good foot massage.

Let me say this again to clarify. She looooooves a good foot massage. She loves having her feet massaged more than any other part on her body I think.

I recently found a cute little thing about The Love of My Life when I last massaged her feet.

I was using some kind of sweet pea lotion to massage her feet, and I was working the massage action pretty good on her sexy feet and I accidentally scratched the sole of her foot. She jumped a little and got the cutest look on her face and said "Owwww". Reading about this reaction does it no justice, as it was one of the cutest damn things I have ever seen.

To be sure if this was what caused the reaction, I did it again, and much to my delight, the same reaction occured again. I was loving it!

I kept doing it and her reaction changed a little, as she could tell I was doing it purposefully to see that look and that certain expression. She was still saying "Owww" in the cute, hurt voice, but she now added "Stop it" to it too, which made it even better.

I had great fun that day discovering that, and now, when I massage her feet, she kind of looks at me suspiciously, and still reacts the same way when I scratch the sole of her foot.....and it's still cute as ever!

Customer Service

I rarely rant about certain things, but this one needs to be addressed.

Where in the hell do customer service workers get off being rude to people???

I work in customer service. I know that the customer is number one priority as far as my job goes, and their satisfaction is above no other.

So why do I see all these other customer service type people being rude. This has turned rapidly into a major peeve of mine.

Example. I am sitting in the drive thru line at McDonalds for my soda. I get to the window, and the cashier asks if they can help me. So far, so good. I place my order, and then they tell me my total. After that I say thank you before I pull through. About 95% of the time, the cashier doesn't say anything to my thank you. This irks me like crazy.

Then, and this has happened on way more than one occasion, I pull to the window after my thanks was snubbed. The cashier takes my money and hands me my change. I say thank you again. What do I get....a blank stare. Then I pull up to the second window. The worker hands me my food, often never speaking because they are either incapable, or forgot how. I say thanks yet again and......blank stare.

It's very rare that I have ever been thanked after thanking someone in this type of situation. I know these workers are mainly kids who are working and going through school, but to me this doesn't matter. If they are gonna take the time to put on the uniform, then they need to put on the right attitude to go with it, and not giving good customer service cannot be tolerated in a job like that. Ever.

Example. I go into Wal-Mart a lot. It's open late and has fairly reasonable prices. I like the fact that I don't have to face the senior citizen rush after I leave work. (no offense to you senior citizens out there, but you do seem to congregate in stores before midnight on a daily basis for some reason.)

I get there, and most times it seem that the only person even doing their customer service job correctly is the senior citizen greeting at the doors (I love those people, they are soooo cheerful)

I usually go there to get my check cashed, maybe visit my LCD HDTV set that I can't afford yet, pick up a movie and maybe some groceries.

Most people in the other departments are there and will be glad to help you, but you have to find one. The ones who really get on my nerves in Wal-Mart are the ones who work the service desk.

More than a handful of times I'll be waiting in the unusually long line for the desk and I'll be the next in line to be helped. Great...it's almost over!

However, as one person clears out of the way, and I wait for the obligatory "Can I help the next person" line, all I hear is silence. I know I'm next in line, so I look toward the cashier, who either has her head in something on the register, or who, 9 times out of 10, is staring blankly at me, as if willing me to either hurry and move forward, or to go home.

I get my check cashed and go on my way without so much as a thanks. Great customer service indeed!

The point to this rant is this: If you are one of the many, many people who work in the customer service industry, then by God, show the customer some service. Impress your customers with your extraordinary skill at making them feel important, because to some, you are all that they have. Believe me, and I speak from experience, if you make your customer feel like they are number one, even if you don't think they are and even if your experience with that customer isn't all that great, your kindness and manners will definitely have made a big part of their day.

End Rant.

Chuck Norris!!!

I don't know why, but people have a strange fascination with Chuck Norris. I think it's funny, and in light of Chuck Norris, and as a tribute to the many fans of his, I present this link:

Chuck Norris Facts

"Why"

I heard this song and absolutely loved it. Not a real appropriate song for my scenario (well...the past couple of weeks...mayyybe...lol), but I love it anyway.

I think I'll definitely be singing this song in karaoke too....lol.

As always, parts of it remind me of the Love of My Life, because let's face it....she's never not in my thoughts.

Without any further delay....Jason Aldean's "Why".


"Why"

It's 3 AM and I finally say
I'm sorry for acting that way
I didn't really mean to make you cry
Oh baby, sometimes I wonder why

Why does it always have to come down
To you leaving
Before I'll say 'I love you'
Why do I always use the words
That cut the deepest
When I know how much it hurts you
Oh baby why, do I do that to you

I know I'd never let you walk away
So why do I push you 'til you break
And why are you always on the verge of good-bye
Before I'll show you how I really feel inside

Why does it always have to come down
To you leaving
Before I'll say 'I love you'
Why do I always use the words
That cut the deepest
When I know how much it hurts you
Oh baby why, do I do that to you

Why do I always use the words that cut the deepest
When I know how much it hurts you
Oh baby why, do I do that to you
Why do I do that to you

Making Headway

As previously blogged about, I have issues with my paranoia being extreme. I have been looking into it with some research, looking for some sort of alternative to drugs, because I don't want to take drugs to be better. I think with the right amount of time, and the right therapy, I can defeat this and still be drug free in the process.

I'd like to think I'm stronger than that.

Today, my paranoia has been more under control than it has been in weeks, and I feel much more like myself than I have in months.

I think that finally admitting that I had a problem was definitely a giant first step to beating the disease. I no longer say that I'm not being paranoid, because more than likely, I am.

I may try, depending on how successful this is, to apply this thought process to other aspects of my life that also need work, and see how they turn out. Who would have guessed that admitting you have something wrong could be so uplifting....lol.

Wish me luckin the coming months to be able to have the strength to maintain a positive attitude about it all. For those of you who know me personally and have to suffer with me, I'll apologize in advance. I know I'm not easy to deal with, but I a trying to get better :)

Single Digits Finally!!

I have had my Ford Explorer for a long time. At least it seems that way.

I have also had a lot of cars in my day, and I've never really had to pay one completely off before. I did have 1 new car before....brand new...but it was crap, so I let em have it back....lol.

The Explorer is my first SUV, and it is also the first automobile that I had to make installment payments on that I will be paying off fully :)

With that said, I am happy to say that after next week, I will be down in the single digits with how many more payments I have to make.

Ah, to be so close makes me yearn for it to be already paid off so I can start paying other things with the extra cash.

Perhaps one day my goal to be debt free will actually come true. We'll find out in about 9 months, maybe sooner if I can swing it.

Just thought I would comment on that because it makes me happy :)

He Is Returning!!!

Yes folks, you heard it correctly! He is returning, and the definitive date is June 30th.

Who I mean by He is Superman! The newest Superman movie comes out on June 30th, and you had better believe that I will be watching it opening day, even if I have to go it alone.

Superman has always held a special place in my heart because, in a way, he has been a role model to me when I had no male guidance in my life. I adopted the way Superman is as my own, and I still have some of the qualities that he exudes in the comics because of this.

Needless to say, the addition of a new movie makes me very happy :)

I'll have to let you all know how the movie is, without spoiling it for the rest. Believe me, I have been looking forward to this movie for a long time now, even still retaining the hope during the rough times when it almost became a scrapped project that Superman would fly on the big screen yet again.

Now my dreams have come to fruition. Even though the story isn't the one I would liked to have seen, it still looks like it's going to be a good one.

I'd better stop before I get overly excited...that could be dangerous ;)

Working On Myself

I blogged yesterday about my paranoid disordr. I have decided to actually seek some sort of help for this, but it won't be until I can actually afford to go to the doctor.

One thing I am going to try to do is to start with some sort of self help.

I am going to research the disorders of paranoia, the symptoms, and treatments that do not include drugs. I am then going to start to try to implement these things in order to try to beat this disorder.

A long conversation I had with a certain someone special made me realize how far this disorder has set in, and how much I truly need to have it put in check.

I want to say thanks to the Love of My Life for helping me to see how far this has set in, and for talking me into seeking help.

I'll keep you all updated on how it all goes.

So Messed Up

This blog title tonight describes me to a T. I have mental disorders, and I'm not sure what they are all called, but the one I know the most is paranoia.

Ask anyone who knows me to use a word to describe me, and paranoid is sure to come into play. I guess you could say it stems from everything I ever went through in childhood, and has continued through the present.

I went through a period of time where I didn't trust anyone...not even my own mother. I would be expecting a package in the mail, and if I felt that it should have arrived by a certain time, I would tear up the house looking for the mail, even though my parents said it had not arrived.

Unfortunately, some of this paranoia still goes on today. I'll be suspicious of everyone for doing something, even if they didn't, for no reason at all. Sometimes I wake up paranoid, and it's hard to be around me at those times because I ask all sorts of suspicious questions.

I probably need to seek some help for it, but I can't afford to do that.

The ones who know about it the most tell me that I'm paranoid, and tell me I should stop. How does one stop being paranoid though?

I just hope those that matter the most in my life can overlook or be able to deal with this until I can find a solution.

Next time, we may touch on my schizophrenia, which I believe I have a bit of...not a lot though, and how it plays to my paranoia like crazy.

Until then, keep your hands off my mail :)

Close Call

I was on my way home from work last night, obviously not paying attention to my speed, and I passed a cop car with his lights out, lying in wait for unsuspecting speeders like myself.

I was doing about 60MPH in a 45, and as soon as I saw him, I tried to slow down, but it wasn't enough. Out of my rearview mirror, I couldn't see him turning around, but I had a feeling.

I had not been wearing my seatbelt at the time, but that definitely made me remember to put it on at exactly that time.

So, I'm driving down the road, and I see a set of headlights approaching me, and they were coming up quick. It was the cop, no doubt about it.

I held to the speed limit while he tailed me. Apparently, I must have hit the yellow line more than he would have liked because I soon saw the blue and reds.

I pulled over and he did the obligitory cop thing by focusing his spotlight right into my mirror and blinding me while he approached.

He came up to the car and asked for my license, registration, and insurance. I gave them to him and he looked them over, then proceeded to tell me that he pulled me over because he originally had me for speeding, and that I hit the yellow lines a little too often.

He then asked if I had been drinking, and I told him no. He asked where I was coming from, and I told him I had just left work. Then he asked if we were still busy, and what time I went in, and what time I usually get off of work.

I answered his questions, and he said he didn't smell any alcohol on me, and said he would let me off with a warning, and for me to slow down.

I thanked him and went on my way. That's what I call a close one.