Random thoughts

Rant on todays parents

2006-09-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

So a nearby school district has fired an Art Teacher. Apparently she took her students on a school approved trip to the Dallas Museum of Art and the children saw a nude statue. Some parents raised holy hell and she is out on her ass.

Mind you, the district approved the trip, parents signed permission slips - I don't see the issue. Instead of having a talk with a 10 year old about the possibility of seeing a nude and how to appropriately behave in that situation, they scream and cry and point fingers at the teacher.

As a childfree adult, I have noticed a huge shift in the last 5 years in regards to parenting trends. Almost everything is geared towards protecting children, keeping them safe, etc. I live in a suburb with a very low crime rate, good schools, mostly upper middle class soccer mom type of household. Everyday these moms line up on the street outside of the schools for 30 minutes or more waiting to pick up their kids. Yes, they block the street completely and run their vehicles. Talk about a waste.

These people pay very high school taxes and feel entitled to complain about everything to do with the school. If they feel their child is being wronged or a situation isn't being dealt with to their satisfaction they yank the kids out and home school them. I know several people who have done this because their child wasn't recognized as a genius or the school didn't understand that Billy is an active child or whatever their reasoning is. I wonder how long the home schooling trend will continue.

It's amazing. I understand their fear about weirdos, perverts, etc but a mom I somewhat know told me her kids do not leave her sight - ever!!! I fear for this generation of coddled kids. When will they be able to make mistakes to learn from? When will they learn self reliance and gain independence? Will these parents continue to schedule kids every waking minute until they go to college?

I guess only time will tell. Wait about 6-10 years and we'll see if these kids can fend for themselves or if they will just implode when given a little bit of freedom.

I'm not even going to delve into a sub-rant about the ridiculous puritanical evangelical thought process of the majority of my area. Only in America would a statue of a nude human cause an uproar and a teacher to lose her job.

Goodbye to Dad

2006-07-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

Dad's memorial service was Monday June 26. It was a beautiful service. We had a table with lots of photos, Dad as a kid to an adult. We had his High School diploma, his personalized license plate from the mustang, his wedding photo album and so much more.

Judy read the Eulogy. We gave her some of our thoughts and memories, and she wove them together in an amazing way. She brought tears and even laughter to all us when she said that Dad thought a "well, hell!" took care of most frustrations. That was his favorite phrase, and she sounded just like him. Her husband Mark did a scripture reading and Father Lough did a fine job of remembering the soul of a gentle man whom he did not know personally, but understood that he was a fine man with faith, just not a churchgoer.

Dad's ashes were placed in his plot next to his wife. In a few months, when the pain is not so close to the surface, we plan on having a memorial dinner at our favorite restuarant Old Germany, and having a glass of wine in his honor.

I love you Dad, and we miss you terribly.

Update Part IV

2006-07-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

Wednesday June 21 - summer solstice

G spends most of the morning with Dad. Dad is now not responsive to us. His eyes are open and track back and forth, not focusing on anything. His breathing is fast and shallow. Nurse tells us that is common, especially with liver disease. He can still hear us, but not see us. He is no longer feeling hot or cold, or bodily function needs. I feel that today is the day. M does not, she plans on making dinner for us tonight. We have been eating fast food for the past few days, and not on a regular basis. I think she knows that this is it, but cannot admit it to herself.

Friends visit briefly and leave. The hospice nurse arrives around 5 and tell us the shallow breathing is a dying process. I can't remember the name for it. She tells us he is "actively dying" and that there will be a nurse by his side from now until the end. We don't ask if she has a timeline for us. It's me and G, M and her hubby and Cousing Judy. We are around his bedside, holding his hand, I'm stroking his forehead. The nurse leaves to call the Dr for a morphine Rx to help relax the breathing. His breathing slows down, I run down the hall to her. She just finished talking to the pharmacy, they will deliver the morphine. We return and his breathing just slows down, with each breath taking a little longer than the one before it.

I sit on G's lap, he's sobbing. M is sobbing, knealing by the bed with her head on it. C is trying to comfort her. Judy is on the other side of the bed, rubbing Dad's back. I'm crying, but trying so hard to be brave for everyone. I keep saying "we love you Dad, we love you, its OK" over and over.

His breathing slows, and right before he took his last breath, his eyes focused on the wall behind me, he smiled, and died.

I know that he saw Carolyn waiting for him. Nothing will ever make me doubt that belief.

And then I have a mild panic attack. I left the room, went to the bathroom to splash cold water on my face. My legs were rubbery, and I couldn't make myself go back in the room. He wasn't there anymore, he left with his wife. I saw them leave together

Update Part III

2006-07-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

Tuesday June 20

Dad was a little more responsive, and he let us know he was thirsty so we gave him water using a straw, like you do with babies. G stayed with him a long time and just gave him water over and over. It wasn't a lot, maybe an ounce or two total. but more than he took the last 3 days combined.

We all discussed about how the dying often rally for a short time, communicating where they couldn't before, right before the end. It was apparent that this was the case.

I made sure that all of the immediate family members had time alone with him on Tuesday, to say whatever they wanted to say or just spend quiet time with him.

I told him that I loved him very much, that he was my Dad too. I thanked him for welcoming me into his family from the first time I met him. I thanked him and his wife for raising such an amazing man that I call husband. I told him that it was OK to go, OK to meet up with his wife, who was surely waiting for him. I told him we would watch out for his grandson, our nephew. I told him we loved him, and we would be OK.

Update Part II

2006-07-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

M is visitng every other day or so, doing his laundry, etc. Everything seems to be OK status quo.

We drive up on June 17 for Fathers Day weekend. On Saturday the 17th Dad is not real responsive, tired, wants to sleep. He told the nurses his stomach was upset, and they told us there had been a stomach virus going round the home. We visit a few times that day, the center is mere blocks from M's house. He is sleeping a lot, but able to open his eyes and say "hi"

The next day, June 18 Father's Day he is not really responsive. His vitals are OK, its like he's drawing inward. He's not eating or drinking at all. Again we visit a few times, and the 3 of us kids talk about what we should do next. During a visit in the early afternoon, a nurse recommends that we place him under hospice care. This would mean he would have a visiting hospice nurse to coordinate his care, in addition to the center's nurses. They would take charge of his meds, drs visits, etc. This sounded agreeable to us, so we signed the paperwork. M wanted to know about the mechanics of dying, and the steps involved. At that point I had to step out of the office and have a good cry. The fact that he has stopped taking in nourishment is a sign that he is ready to go, but we're told it can take up to 2 weeks if he continues to refuse food and water.

By this time it was almost 5pm, and facing a 2.5 hour drive home we opted to spend the night and drive back in the morning. SO thankful we made that decision. M called Dad's former lady friend who he had not spoken with in a few years and told her. She decided to visit Dad the next day.

On Monday June 19 about 8:30 am the center called us and said the Hospice Nurse was there and wanted to discuss Dad's case with us. Rushed to the center, and she started talking but all I heard was buzzing. She started talking about the mechanics of dying again. I stopped her and asked when she thought the process would start and she informed me very gently that it had already started. Apparently that is what she was saying, I just couldn't comprehend it.

Cousin Judy was there, and such a support to us, even in her own grief. Dad's friend visited him, and he was a little agitated, but the hospice nurse stayed with them to make sure he wasn't too upset.

Monday was spent making phone calls, talking to family, Dad's friends,etc. I really don't recall much. G and I stayed at the nursing home until about 11pm.

Dad was in a double room, and the center staff were wonderful. They moved his roommate to another room so we had privacy. They brought in extra chairs and a couch for us.

Update to everything

2006-07-15T08:26:00.000-07:00

Well, things got crazy, and then I was just avoiding the blog because I simply didn't know how to update and catch up - not that I really wanted to anyways.

We placed Dad in a really nice facility in May. Not approved by his insurance, so we agreed to use his assets to cover the steep cost. A few weeks after that, M called me crying that Dad was being rushed to the hospital - his vital signs were really weak, and the paramedic said he was dying as his heart rate was in the 30's.

Garrick rushed from work, I was at work trying to stay calm and make a list of things to do to center myself. I went home, started throwing clothes in the suitcase, etc when Garrick called and said the ER dr said he had a massive infection, but they didn't feel he was in danger of losing his life at that point.

I drove up the next day, and we spent most of the weekend at the hospital. He was so thin, and somewhat coherent. I was really concerned that he had a small stroke. Two days before M had dinner with him at the nursing home and he was speaking clearly, eating fine, etc. Now, he had difficulty swallowing even water, and the hospital had him on a pureed diet. Also the left side of his face was not symetrical to the right - classic stroke symptoms. I spoke to a nurse,and expld that he was normal just a few days ago - she was under the impression that he had been on pureed foods for some time.

Anyways, we never saw a Dr that whole weekend, just nurses. We never did feel satisfied that they even addressed the posibility of a stroke. Dad was in the hospital for about a week and then was discharged to the nursing home, where he was able to eat regular food again.

X-Men 3

2006-05-29T20:45:00.000-07:00

We saw X-Men 3 today. I love the XMen, and this movie did not disappoint! Lots of surprises and a few plot twists that I didn't see coming.

Kelsey Grammer was wonderful as Beast, Storm takes on a new leadership role and Wolverine...well Wolverine kicks ass as usual.

Went to the new Harkins Cine Capri in Southlake - easily the nicest theater I've been too. I loved Harkins when we lived in AZ, so glad they're here! The Cine Capri is the largest screen in Texas - bigger than Imax even. Buy the souvenir cup for $4 - you get $1 refills all year long.

I'm feeling decadent...

2006-05-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

I just bought a Dyson vacuum and I'm feeling a little decadent, a little yuppie-like. $479 for a vacuum is simply ridiculous, but damn does that thing work!

My old Hoover just sucked - or more accurately it failed to suck up anything except large leaf chunks. I guess it hadn't been working real well for quite some time.

Hubby was still suffering sticker shock when he fired that bad boy up. "Honey, look what it got out of the living room carpet!!" The canister was full and he wasn't even halfway done with the room.

He vacuumed the whole house and was just amazed at how well it actually worked. His case of sticker shock subsided a bit, but I still feel weird about spending that much on an appliance.

Test

2006-05-01T21:31:00.000-07:00

This is a testRead more! to see if I coded this correctly

Times they are a-changin

2006-05-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

Well, so much for my effort to keep this updated. Too much stuff going on, especially now.

Hubby's dad has not been the healthiest the past 2 yrs. In the last 8 mos or so he would have episodes where he couldn't walk - his legs just didn't want to work, and then a day or so later he would be OK.

Two weeks ago he was ill and went to the ER. He was diagnosed with liver failure after a few days in the hospital, multiple random seeming tests and hours of waiting.

Liver failure. That's... serious. I mean really, life threatening serious. He has to cut out almost all salt from his diet. No prepackaged foods - just fresh meat, fruit, veggies, eggs. Nothing to drink but water or coffee in the am. Even with the special diet, this disease will be the eventual winner in this fight

I'm scared for him. I always said that if I had to choose a way to go, good food and wine would be it. But that opinion changed quickly once you realize that a plate of german fried potatoes and a beer can put Dad back in the hospital or worse.

He's back home, resting. We are trying to get him into a facility to help him regain some strength and mobility, so he can hopefully return home. Hubby is spending a few days at a time up there, helping him, cooking for him, and hopefully just being with him.

I'm scared for myself, that I will not be strong facing what is the eventual decline and end to a gentle soul. My only other experience with an illness and death was when I was 11, and I feel guilt about that situation to this day. I need to be strong to support Hubby and Sis-in-law when they need it the most.

I'm scared for my husband and his sister. They have lost their mother, and this is just so hard. M is staying brave and taking care of business, with the insurance company and the drs. She got a little weepy for just a few moments, and then moved on. She is dealing with this by taking care of day to day stuff. Hubby is, well I'm not sure. He's only been home a day here or a day there, so we really haven't talked about it. He tends to bottle stuff up anyways, so I really have to work hard to pull it out of him.

The prognosis is unknown. Honestly the drs just don't know - if he abides by the diet, if he tolerates it, if this if that. Pffff - Dad could outlive them all. Or not.

Google fun...

2005-11-03T18:32:00.000-08:00

This might be the best timewaster ever! Got this from my favorite boards at Find a Grave - just Google "your name needs".

Michelle needs your help
Michelle needs her own reality show
Michelle needs a home that can accept her limitations as mildly retarded

and the best one:

Michelle needs to learn to be more careful with her Voodoo

OK Mysterious Glow & Loving Twilight - I want to see your results!

Blog help..

2005-11-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

Does anyone know how to create the CSS skin template thingy? I have the the backgrounds I want to use, I just don't know how to import them. Obviously I am not a tech-head, so baby steps and language is necessary. Or if you are a hot dog designer and willing to create it for me at a reasonable price, let me know.

Paranormal weekend

2005-11-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

I spent this past weekend at a wonderful B&B in Calvert, TX - The Calvert Hotel with Kira & Michelle D, fellow members of Mystic Ghost and other fellow ghosties for a Victorian Haunting.

I had a great time, & I even read tarot cards for several people when Kira was overwhelmed by the crowd. I think at one point there were 8 people waiting! Very odd, but Kira told me that the energy was so good there was no way I could go wrong. Everyone said that I was on target, so hopefully I won't endure any cosmic retribution.

We had a great time, and the guys at the Hotel are amazing. Ron's cooking is incredible, Nelson is one of the sweetest and best hair stylists, and John's hospitality is unparalled. If you are in the area, I highly recommend their hospitality. Calvert is a small town about 45 minutes from College Station/Bryan, and the town is very open to paranormal researchers, as long as you don't make an ass of yourself.

The 3 of us left knowing that we have to visit again soon - maybe after the first of the year.

A time of magic

2005-10-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

Fall has finally arrived, my trees are rapidly changing color and while not necessarily crisp, the air has a different feeling to it.

Fall is my favorite season. My allergies aren't as bad, so I physically feel much better. I fell in love with my husband in the fall, and we also got engaged in the fall. But there is so much more to my love of fall, more than even those compelling reasons.

Fall is magical - I can feel the Earth changing, preparing for a long sleep. Gathering her resources, simplifying, casting out the unneeded items. Remembering what is important - truly important, vital to survival. A time of reflection, when I like to sort through the year and figure out if I have learned anything, if I made a complete mess of my life, did I treat my friends and family the way I wanted to.

Enjoy the autumn, and welcome the changes of the year.

Hades...

2005-09-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

Can anyone tell me why it is still close to 100 degrees on Sept 21? This is ridiculous! I am actually looking forward to getting the remnants of Hurricane Rita here in North Texas - cooler weather, rain and wind.

Geez, I'm having flashbacks - think I'm living in Phoenix again!!

Wal Mart to the rescue

2005-09-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

I am not a fan of Wal Mart - I don't like their business practices, treatment of workers, support of GOP, etc.

However, I am very impressed with their enormous cash donations to the Red Cross and the Bush/Clinton Katrina funds. I am even more impressed with their donation of needed items, and organization before the storm.

Apparently they pre-position canned goods, water, diapers - bare essentials in several warehouses in strategic points in the SE, prior to each hurricane season. Due to this exeptional foresight and organizational skills, they were rolling semis to affected areas within 24 hours and passing out items FREE to the needy.

If a major retailer can think ahead and have this level of disaster preparedness plan, why doesn't FEMA or Homeland Security rent a few warehouses in the hurricane regions?

Kudos to you Wal Mart - you showed compassion and charity above and beyond the average corporate mission statement.

Idiot Officials...

2005-09-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

Pres. Bush has admitted that he wasn't satisfied with the size or speed of response. Thank you! I appreciate you recognizing and admitting this. Why can't the heads of FEMA and Homeland Security admit they screwed up?

Here is a quote from Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security, courtesy of Reuters:

Defending the administration's response and disaster planning, Chertoff said the hurricane and flood in New Orleans were "two catastrophes" that presented an unprecedented challenge.
"That perfect storm of combination of catastrophes exceeded the foresight of the planners and maybe anybody's foresight," the homeland security chief said.

Riiight..... All last weekend on The Weather Channel they were stating that if the storm was a Cat 4 or 5, they were expecting flooding and possible levee breaches.

In 1998 the powers that be in Louisiana decided that they needed to come up with a plan to shore up levees, the pumping system, etc. The plan was called Coast 2050 and was developed by engineers, scientists, etc.

There was an article in Scientific American in 2001 about it - here is a followup piece by the same author.
National Geographic also had an article in Oct 2004 about the issue - you can read it here.

So Mr. Chertoff, don't tell me that the "perfect storm of combination of catastrophes" was unforseen by anyone, or that you didn't realize the magnitude of destruction. You have cable just like I do, and the destruction was broadcast 24/7 starting on Sunday.

I call bullshit, sir.

Story of rescue and friends....

2005-09-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

Today I am posting an email in its entirety from my online friend Deirdre. I have never met her, but she is involved in cairn terrier rescue with me thru Col Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue. Deirdre and her husband moved from Phoenix to the New Orleans area a month ago to be closer to her 2 sons and daughter-in-law. Deirdre and her husband were out of town when Katrina hit, but the kids stayed behind with 7 dogs and 2 cats. This what happened next....

***********************************************************************

Today my friends at Col. Potter Cairn Terrier Rescue saved our family.

Scott finally got through to me at about noon Wednesday.He had had to walk about two miles to find a phone that worked. He sounded desperate, stressed and tired beyond belief. He said his house had stood up to the hurricane just fine. He and his wife Kyle, their two dogs and two cats and our five dogs had spent hours in a closet as the wind and rain battered their home, but the house he built and loved had held them tight and fast as he had been sure it would. Than ten hours after the wind stopped the levee broke and the water started to rise is our neighborhood. (Our home was only three blocks from Scott & Kyle.)

When the water was about 12 feet high, up to the top step of the brick front porch on his upstairs apartment they knew they had to abandon their home to save their lives. He saw a boat that was at his neighbors house and swam to get it. "Mom" he said... We left with all we could carry.. which was the two cats and Honey" (Honey is our handicapped Cairn Terrier)
He said they took a back pack with dog food and a roll of toilet paper. Kyle had the foresight to slip her grandmothers ring on her hand as she left.

They got in the boat and rowed/swam to a Church which was on higher ground. They, and a lot of other folk, broke the door down and went in to get shelter. He said the Coast Guard came and took them to a safer place. "It was like Dunkirk, Mom" Scott said. "Every boat in New Orleans was put into action to rescue people" They, with all seven dogs and two cats... were taken on a bus to Thibodoux Louisiana. There is a State College there and 3000 refugees were evacuated to that location.

There was no electricity, no phone, no air-conditioning and no place to shower. But they were fed and housed in the Catholic Church on Campus. They had a clean mattress on the floor to sleep on and they were alive. "Mom, you have to get us out of here.. I can't carry Honey any further" he pleaded. He had left Kyle and the animals to walk until he could find a working phone. He said he had eight dollars and the clothes on his back and he was in a really desperate condition. I promised him.. I gave him my word as his Mother....that I would find a way to get him out of there... I told him I would do this.. that he could count on it....that failure was not an option.

Since he was at a pay phone at a gas station with no electricity and no way for me to call him back.. I told him to call me again in about an hour. I hung up in tears and shaking... my thoughts turning to rescue..and to Col. Potter. But I was so upset I could not remember Judy's last name or the town she lived in. I could not recall where Colleen worked. Danielle has an unlisted number and my phone box was under many feet of water in New Orleans... My mind clicked in and I remembered that Susan M. worked in the Library at the University of Vermont..and even though I didn't have a clue where that was I called directory assistance and got the number.
When Susan answered the phone it was the beginning of the rescue of Scott, Kyle and the animals.

I got through to Danielle and with tears streaming done my face I told her I needed help. An hour later, when Scott called back I was able to tell him that Joan Aycock, a Col. Potter volunteer in New Iberia Louisiana, about 80 miles from him, was in the process of getting hold her sons four wheel drive vehicle and would be on her way to get them by about 4 pm. He told me to tell her not to expect to be able to get gas anywhere nearby as the electricity was out and the pumps didn't work.

Scott set off to walk back to his wife and animals and I set out to wait. Joan called my about 9 pm. She said her son had told her he and his wife would do the driving and she should stay home and cook so that there would be a hot meal ready for their guests. She said that they had Scott, Kyle and the animals and that they had just stopped at Walmart to get clean undies and a few other necessities.

I talked to Scott about an hour later. He said that when they were in the boat abandoning their home he had told Kyle that he thought their best chance for help was the Col. Potter network.

Over the last several years Kenneth & I have driven not a few miles for Col. Potter and we have also donated a dollar or two. Today, every mile driven and every dollar given were repaid a thousand fold.

Our family will NEVER forget what our Col. Potter family did to save us today.

Deirdre.

Deirdre, it was amazing watching this unfold on the list. Thank you for making Katrina real to me in such a personal way.

Can we handle a National Disaster?

2005-09-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

Looking at things in New Orleans, I think the answer is a resounding "NO!" We have spoon fed since 9/11 that we are much better prepared, that the feds have it under control. We have plans, and a color coded terror alert chart, and promises that we are safer than ever.

I guess we no longer need to fear terrorist attacks - apparently Mother Nature will be our eventual downfall.

Seriously, why isn't the military being sent in to restore order and assist with rescues? It's great that the Red Cross, Salvation Army and various churches are helping, but where the hell were they when the mandatory evacuation order came out? Why no assistance in removing people before the disaster strikes, especially when we have warning?

I think we need a paradigm shift - instead of coming together to help after, we need to it before the emergency, when we have warning.

Looters and Whiners....

2005-08-31T21:58:00.000-07:00

Looting.... I can understand some looting. If I was there, and out of water, food, etc I would probably help myself to survival supplies. Take care of you and yours, and worry about repayment later.

But if I see one more asswipe walking down canal street with boxes of Nikes, I will puke. Same goes for the guys with TVs and stereos.

These people were told on Saturday it would be a bad storm - and on Sunday told to leave. I understand that a lot of people don't have the means to pack up and leave for a few days - I really do. But why didn't they plan? Why did they go to the attic and not have shoes on, or take some water and food? At some point, shouldn't basic survival instincts kick in?

What does it say about society as a whole, that a civilized city can de-evolve in 2 days? 48 hours and now lawlessness is the norm.

And I don't want to see any more women complaining on TV about the heat, their hunger, etc. Shut up and deal with it. Everyone else in your area is dealing with the same problems. The woman who was screaming "Get me out of here now!" at the superdome - you aren't helping anyone by throwing a fit. You are not a pampered princess, you are now a refugee. Get used to it. At least you aren't on top of your roof, waiting to be rescued.

God damnit, I am so sick of the "I am owed" attitude of the lower economic class nowadays. I grew up very poor when I lived with my mom - no extra money at all, mac and cheese for dinner, no brand name clothes. I worked hard, got an education and enjoy the fruits of my labor. Never once did I think someone owed me anything. I simply don't understand this attitude at all. The beauty of this country is you can always make more of yourself, you can always do better then the previous generation if you work hard. And if you lose everything, you start over with resolve and determination.

New Orleans on my mind....

2005-08-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted anything about Katrina or New Orleans, simply because I don't know what to say. I am horrified at the devastation, worried about distant relatives, and selfishly concerned about my planned vacation to the Crescent City in December.

Monday afternoon, I was feeling good. The city weathered the storm, and things looked good. I talked to Hubby and we felt that the trip was still on. Monday night, and flooding occurs. Well, we stay in the Garden District, which is quite south of the lake, and the Quarter is higher than the rest of the city, we should be OK.

Wednesday morning, and mass destruction. Society has completely broken down - mass looting, shooting at police officers, etc. New Orleans will need quite a bit of time to recover from this. We cancel the trip.

I have a distant branch of my Rotherham family who have been in New Orleans since 1850. I have never met them, but a cousin and I have been working on our shared genealogy off and on for about 5 years. We have spoken on the phone, and email. We missed each other my last trip to NO in 2001, so I was really looking forward to this trip. She and her hubby had just built a new home in Metairie, near the country club. That's in Jefferson Parrish, which was hit with more flood waters than NO. I haven't tried to contact her, since the power and phone lines are down. I hope she is safe - but I have a feeling that they didn't leave NO completely. Her husband is an Insurance agent with (I think) State Farm, so he will be busy and needs to be there.

I work with Col Potter Cairn Rescue, and another volunteer Karen lives in Biloxi. She has become a guiding voice for me in regards to animal behavior and dog training, and she is just a great woman. She and her husband bought a pretty Victorian house 2 blocks from the beach, and they have spent several years restoring it. They just started opening it on the weekends as a B&B. I understand that they wanted to eventually open it full time. They basically sunk everything they had into this - money, time, passion, etc. We got word yesterday that the house is still standing, and is either the only one left or only one of a few left on her block. It is damaged, but it still stands. Another doggie rescue friend in SC rented a truck and is on her way to Biloxi with basic building materials, supplies and cash. Just a group of online friends taking care of one of our own in need. I gladly sent $50 to the effort - it's neat to feel that a donation has a personal impact, rather than being used to buy 10 of 100,000 water bottles or something.

Speaking of donations, I know the Red Cross is the grandaddy of them all. Personally, I'm not fond of them. Local branches have too much autonomy and corruption. May I suggest you donate to the Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army or Noahs Wish.

Good luck, Gulf Coast residents. I look forward to seeing you in 2006. Laissez les bons temps rouler then!

Hump Day!

2005-08-24T17:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I did make it to the new job, and so far I am enjoying it. My desk is still barren - no computer, phone, etc so I am using the desk of a girl who is sick with.... strep throat! Irony, no?

The mortgage business is very cyclical - the end of month is nothing but semi-organized chaos, as every borrower wants to close at this point in the month to avoid an "extra" rent or mortgage payment. Just a hint, gentle reader: next time you buy a new home, ask to close mid-month. You will have a smoother closing, and you will have the luxury of a week or two to move by month end, instead of closing and then trying to get all of your crap to the new place in a day or two.

Anyways, it's crazy at the office, I don't really know what I am doing since they use different systems (but still fairly easy to pick up) and I'm an extra body without a permanent assignment.

Each month end there is one day that everyone stays til 9pm. They bring in dinner, raffle off prizes, etc to get as many loans into closing as possible. That day is tomorrow. I am not looking forward to it, simply because I am still not 100%. But I will muddle through as best as I can. What a team player! LOL

It is so quiet there - it's busy and crazy, and just so quiet. At my old old job (not the crappy bank I just left) it was so noisy, everyone yelling back and forth. I just need to adjust to the silence. Everyone has headphones for their music, which was a no-no for me before.

What I really like is the management is hands off - they trust that you know your job, and are more than willing to help if you need it, but they stay out of your life for the most part. Wow, I get to be treated as an adult? Way cool....

OK kiddos, off to relax and to bed soon. Doubt I'll update tomorrow or Friday. I need to get some stitching in this weekend too....

Diagnosis... Strep

2005-08-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

Yep, went to my dr (thank goodness he has Sat clinic hours) and I have strep throat. I thought it might be - yesterday when I woke up my throat had a little tickle. After I quit my job I came home and slept for a few hours, when I awoke my throat was killing me!

That little voice at the back of my head said "Hmm, this feels familiar - we felt this way earlier this year - yes! we had strep in January!" (Yes, my little voice always speaks in the plural or royal We) so off to the dr I went.

So, I will spend the weekend doing nothing but getting better. I did explain that I start a new job on Monday, so he gave me a shot of penicillin in addition to the oral course to jump-start the healing so to speak.

My life is never dull, that's for sure!

Disaster Alert!

2005-08-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Well, you won't believe what happened. On Thursday, I was relaying to the Loan Officer some information from an underwriter regarding an unusual income situation. He got angry, said that's ridiculous, etc and turned red. I told him not to get angry at me, I'm just giving you the message and call her if you want to yell at someone. Well, that really set him off and he started bitching about underwriters, how they were all just opinionated bitches.

I just lost it... I turned off my computer and went home. And called my new company and told them I would be more than happy to start this Monday! LOL

I went in today at 7am, created a list of all of the files and their current status, and boxed my crap up. Sr management was in a meeting until around 10, and then I went to the bank president and resigned, effective immediately.

I told him that I would normally have given a notice,but I felt with the LO's attitude and the tension in the department, I felt it was best that I just go. He thanked me for my time there, said some nice things about my abilities and that was it. I did tell him that the main reason was the LO, that he constantly raised his voice to me, and the files I identified with potential problems were overriden by him, and were still languishing there.

Of course, the LO found out before I could leave, and he started bitching, telling everyone it was bullshit that I didn't give a notice, etc. Geez, you yell at me, so I leave, then you yell at me for leaving. No way to please that guy. What an ass....

AND, my throat hurts! Aaack, must get better immediately, cannot call in sick on first day of new job....

Mama's got a brand new job

2005-08-18T14:32:00.000-07:00

Yes! The company that I interviewed with has sent me an offer letter - whoo hoo! They want me to start on Mon, but I told them I need to give at least a week notice.

I just have to sign and return the letter, and it's official.

This is a great company, and it moves me back to the wholesale side. I will be underwriting constructions loans, so that will be a big challenge.

I am really dreading giving my notice - I know the jerk I am working with will blow a gasket.....

Almost to the finishing line....

2005-08-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I had my in person interview today and 2 phone interviews. I also had 1 phone interview yesterday. I really wanted to ask if we could just do a big conference call, since everyone asked the same questions! Seems kinda inefficient, but hubby thought that they wanted to make sure I gave the same answers each time. Geez, if I was going to lie I'd at least try to remember and repeat the same lie!

Anyways, all I have to do is wait for a phone call. I think I have a really good chance of getting a position - the VP I interviewed with kept referring to me working there - like "I'll be visiting your office at the end of the month - it will be nice to meet you in person" stuff.

So, I am just trying to chill and let whatever happens - happen. I stress out too much over this kind of thing, and I don't think it helps my nervous natural state at all.

Hello there.....

2005-08-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

Well, since I have several blogs in different spots that deal with different subjects, I decided to just do 1 complete blog. Especially since I can't seem to ever update any of them on a semi-regular basis.

So, this blog will deal with stitching, job rants, home life, my dogs, ghost hunting and anything else that occurs in my wacky life.

Here's a quick update for all you non-existent readers:

Stitching - I have started to get serious about my cross-stitching again. I've designed and started a rotation, organized my charts and stash, etc.

Job: I don't like my current job at all, but it's a job after being out of work for a while. Good news - a large bank/mtg company is interested. I've passed 3 tests (math, logic and writing skills), the background and credit checks. Next week I have 1 in-person and 3 phone interviews. Yes, all with the same company. They are very thorough! Cross your fingers for me..

Home life: Same-o same-o. House is still in shambles, we need a new roof and new ac compressors. Hopefully the new job will allow fundage for these repairs in the near future.

Dogs: Still just 3 - Aislinn & Maguire (westies) and Bowie (cairn). No fosters at this time - life is too crazy at the moment.

Ghosting: No updates. Too hot, other things taking too much time. Hope to fix this soon.

Well, that's it for now...