Adventures in a Lifetime

Wow! It's been a long time!

read2educ8 — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 05:30:19 GMT

It is hard to believe that it has been three and a half years since I have posted anything here at LiveJournal on my blog. Maybe it's time to begin again? More later. Perhaps.

A sibling's gift from the heart!

read2educ8 — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 02:27:09 GMT

In celebration of Christmas this year, and in keeping with the idea that the season is about spending time with loved ones and not so much about what you get, Jenn and I set out to make a special stocking for everyone. As these would be a part of their gift Jenn made it her task to design all of them while I took care of the necessary supplies.

We started off with over-sized stockings for everyone. While Jenn's part of the gift giving was designing and decorating the stockings, Mr.D and I were in charge of filling each stocking. Each stocking was filled with a special gift, small personal gifts, and lots of treats. Since this felt more like a Christmas from times past, we included fruit and nuts as part of the stocking stuffers. We had fun shopping for everyone and were able to find lots of great deals and stay within our budget.

Though I had volunteered to help Jenn with decorating the stockings, she reminded me that this was her gift to her siblings and Mr.D's children. She put a lot of love into making each one special. After she had completed the stockings they were set aside until Mr.D came to celebrate the first part of the holidays here with us. When he arrived we decorated a stocking for Ryan and Jenn and filled the ones we needed for those visiting here in NC.

We would deliver the remaining stockings during our visit to see Mr.D's children in GA. They were all excited to see us and enjoyed Jenn's personalized artistic gift, and to compare the goodies inside. It was too funny to watch them make deals for each others candies as we tried to mix them up a bit. The "Pop Rocks" seemed to be the most popular candy.

Even Pamela managed to sneak down for a visit earlier in the month before the festivities to spend a Christmas celebration with us. It has been several years since she was able to spend any holiday with us and it was such a nice visit. She was the first to get her special stocking which was filled with a photo collage, scarf and glove set, and lots of other treats. The collage personal photo collection for her new apartment. Jenn is hoping everyone will keep their stockings for years to come. Thank you Jenn, for making this an extra special year for everyone!

Visitors of all kinds ...

read2educ8 — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:18:26 GMT

I never would have imagined spending the holiday season with surprise visitors, but we had one that would be really special or at least take special care. On Christmas eve afternoon I arrived home with a lost puppy. Well he wasn't lost now, or at least not according to Jenn. As soon as she opened the door, saw his cute little face, held him in her arms, she was sure he was coming to stay not just visit.

Apparently someone was missing this little fellow come Christmas morning, and we had placed calls to all of the necessary places should the owner call looking for the pup. It's only been two days but if they do not call before we head to GA on Saturday, a neighbor has agreed to watch him for the week. Jenn wanted so badly to keep the pup, but after two nights of getting little sleep due to puppy potty breaks, she realized a puppy is a lot of work. The nice thing should the neighbor adopt him is that we can always visit him. Someday Jenn wants to get a Husky of her own, just not right now.

So, what did you do for your birthday?

read2educ8 — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 05:37:19 GMT

Let's see. Last weekend I managed to sneak away for some quiet time with my boyfriend. We watched movies, went shopping, ate dinner at Ruby Tuesday's, and enjoyed each others company. It was a sweet getaway but not nearly long enough.

Then Saturday, December 20th which is my birthday, I worked from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., went grocery shopping, came home to bake a sweet potato casserole for an FFA Christmas party Jenn had to attend, did laundry, and then picked Jenn up from her party around 10 p.m. later that evening.

Today we went to my parents for the afternoon for some cake and ice cream. She had fixed a marble cake with chocolate icing; yummy! She said she had a special helper; my nephew Cameron, ice the cake. Thank you Cameron and Mom! All in all, this was a great birthday!

PS A special thank you to both my friend Sue in MA for the sweet and funny birthday e-greeting, and to 'Mr.D" for a quiet but fun filled getaway!

Birthday Flowers, How Sweet!

read2educ8 — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 03:24:31 GMT

This coming Saturday is my birthday, and today I received a bouquet of flowers. They are beautiful tiger lilies and white mums mixed with fern leaves, all arranged in a vase with red wire and red decorative balls. What makes this gift different from any I have already received or may receive for my birthday is that they came from my employer. It's true.

One of the things they strive to maintain is the feeling of a family owned business. It's one of those things that makes our work place special. One top of birthday flowers and a lunch, we've even experienced a day off to go to the beach to do some shopping (included in this trip was lunch and a limo ride). How many other employers do this kind of thing? I'm not sure, but it does make things nice at times. For now, I will enjoy the flowers; they smell so good!

PS Thank you M & G so much for the thoughtful gift!

"We The Kings" Concert

read2educ8 — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:25:52 GMT

This past Tuesday night, Ryan and two of his friends enjoyed the acoustic songs of an up and coming band known as "We The Kings" in Jacksonville at Hooligan's. BOB 93.3 was hosting a free concert to area fans who brought in canned or non-perishable foods for the annual holiday food drive for the radio station. Since Ryan had won tickets to meet the band, he and his two friends headed down early that afternoon to spend time with the guys. Here are some photos from their adventure. Enjoy!

Upgrading a Mac PowerPC G3

read2educ8 — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:23:51 GMT

Do anyone of you know if you can upgrade a Mac PowerPC G3 computer to OSX? I have one that has 28GB and it works great for the most part, but technology has left me behind where Flash, and other applications are concerned with this model. I am having a really hard time finding what I need to know. Any suggestions on upgrading my Mac?

Comments appreciated!

Time for an Ally?

read2educ8 — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 01:20:18 GMT

Dealing with ex-husbands and trying to conquer the war on weight are not that much different. Why? It oftentimes takes an ally or alli to help you stay focused on your goal to win your battle with unwanted weight. When I got divorced I felt like I had lost 250 pounds, but alas he is still finding ways to annoy me. His most recent attempt to undermine me as the custodial parent has included his live-in girlfriend's tasteless, unintelligent remarks on MySpace which are directed to me.

Why can't more couples be like Demi and Bruce? They seem to be among a very small group of divorced parents who have successfully managed to remain civil for the sake of their children. They even include Demi's husband, Aston in on family events. The curious thing is, if your ex was that decent a guy, why is he your ex? I've not discouraged my children from having a relationship with their father, but I have encouraged them to hold him accountable for his actions that effect their well being. If that means they want nothing do to with either his girlfriend or him until they get their act together, so be it.

Someone once told me that there is safety in a multitude of counsel. If allies are needed, we got plenty of them!

Happy Thanksiving! Where is everyone?

read2educ8 — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:06:23 GMT

Today was an unusual Thanksgiving celebration, but a wonderful visit with family. Why was it unusual? Each year that my children and I have gone to my parents for the days events, all of my brothers and their family members end up stopping by during our visit. We figured it was probably due to commitments to make their rounds to the other side of their respective families. "Mr.D" had come with us, and we had a nice time with Mom, Dad, and my oldest brother, Greg.

We did see Steve, Tracy, and Ashley as we loaded up the van to take Pamela to Wilson to meet up with her ride home to NJ. They were just in time to say their goodbyes to Pamela. She had visited with them for a few minutes the day before at their home. She'll be back next month, so we'll make sure everyone knows or we can make a special trip to visit everyone while she is here.

Pamela's friend had called last night and asked if we could meet him in Wilson around 5:30 p.m. in order for them to get home before midnight. I'm glad she got to come down, but like her, I wish it could have been a much longer visit. She called earlier to let me know they are on schedule and that she will call me when she arrives at her house. She says she is going to sleep the whole way back, but I suspect she will hit the town and go see her friends for some fun. After all she needs to get back on schedule, goodness knows us day people didn't help in that regard.

We managed to get home at a decent time, and are settling in for the night, awaiting Pamela's call of a safe arrival home. Goodnight and "Happy Thanksgiving!"

Change in Plans for Pamela's Thanksgiving Visit

read2educ8 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:41:16 GMT

Just when I thought Pamela's trip down for Thanksgiving was going to come off without a hitch, I got the call. Apparently one of the guys from the restaurant where she works in NJ was coming to NC to visit a friend about business. He is willing to give Pamela a ride to a city about an hour and a half away from my house, so I will need to meet them there to pick her up and bring her home with me. She will give me a call around midnight to let me know what time they expect to be at our meeting spot.

She had originally said she was going to drive herself down, and that she would have to leave around 11:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving day to return home in time to get ready for work. At least now I don't have to worry about her driving alone during the night, her friend will do most if not all of the driving. She is not sure when they will head back from here to NJ on Thursday, but we'll take it one day at a time. For now, I am happy to be seeing her sweet smile, and giving her a great big hug!

Why Argue Methods?

read2educ8 — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:36:56 GMT

It's probably no surprise when you have an office full of women who want to lose weight, that there will be a myriad of ways to do it. So why argue over who had the best plan, or what exercise works best, or even which are the most effective diet pills if none of these women are going to stick to any of these methods, long enough to see any real results? We are just weeks away from the next tax season, and last year we must have put gained about 100 pounds collectively, if not more! So, what are we going to do about this coming year? If the two of us who are working other jobs can maintain the working pace, we might lose it from staying in motion most of the day. Thus ending any argument from at least the two of us. As for the rest of the office, well, they are on their own. One thing is for sure though, the more we talk about it, and the less we do to correct our methods, the less likely it is for those excess pounds to ever be shed!

It's back to work as usual tomorrow ... thank goodness!

read2educ8 — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:36:08 GMT

Yesterday at 8:45 a.m. I reported to the courthouse to join somewhere between seventy-five to ninety registered voters to await selection to serve as juror in a local trial. By noon we had been instructed in what was about to occur, how to process the items offered for evidence, and how to deliberate and come to a unanimous decision of guilt or innocence.

After breaking for lunch, we returned to the courthouse for jury selection at 2:00 p.m., followed by two more hours of selections and questions, then finally, we had the twelve jurors. I wondered if my answers would excuse me from serving, but alas, no such luck. The trial began with opening statements, and the presentation of evidence to the judge and jury. An hour later we recessed for the day. The District Attorney had advised us that her hope was to finish up the trial by 3:00 p.m. on the next day.

Then today we listened to more evidence, closing arguments, and deliberated for over an hour before handing the bailiff our verdict. After it was read, the jury was polled to insure that the verdict was unanimous. It was done. The judge thanked all of the jurors, and then excused us from the courthouse. Oddly enough, we didn't get to stay to hear the sentencing. Perhaps they had "bigger fish" to catch, and perhaps our verdict was just what was needed to pursue that catch. We'll never know.

Verbal Intimidation & Cyber-Bullying

read2educ8 — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 06:22:09 GMT

Last week my daughter came to me to tell me about a female student at her school who was cursing at her, threatening to beat her up over the student's ex-boyfriend. According to Jenn, this student was angry with her, accusing her of being the reason for the break-up of their relationship. Did Jenn know the young man? Sure. They are fellow marching band students and friends. Was she friends with the female student? No. She knew of her, and knew that her friend was "going out" with her, but had nothing to do with the ending of their relationship. Let's face it, at this age, young men and women alike change their feelings about who and what they like quite often.

I don't know how many of your remember high school, but most of the teenagers I knew would "go out", "go steady", or "date" on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. It's that time of your life when liking someone of the opposite sex is ever changing in an effort to learn more about what you like and are looking for in a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. The only thing that made a break-up of a relationship more difficult then, and I suspect it still does today, is when physical intimacy is introduced into the relationship. As adults we understand what that means for a relationship if it is entered into before the timing is right. I am sure it is more difficult for teenagers.

Still, if the connection didn't work out between the two, then either one or both of your might have been heartsick for a time, but normally got over it and moved on. So what has changed? How are things different today than even 10 years ago? Why are female students more aggressive than ever before, to the point of bullying other female students? Where are the these students learning to disrespect each other in this manner?

Today, teens have added to the normal face-to-face communications, technological means for staying in touch with each other. In and of themselves these avenues are not bad, but often lack the personal touch that is required to really connect with the other person. I'm talking about text messaging, instant messaging, blogs, and comments shared on the Internet on a open forum like FaceBook, MySpace, and Xanga, and even email accounts. All of these means of communication allow teens to share information and photos with their peers both publicly and privately. Sometimes students will lash out or be disrespectful to other students they don't even know, or make threats to others, resulting in what is known as cyber-bullying.

Anyway, Jenn and I talked about her situation and I suggested she talk to an administrator at school in order to get to the bottom of the situation and nip it in the bud. Well, she let it slide for a few days and by weeks end this student had bragged to another student about her plans to kill and dispose of my daughter. Then last night this student sent Jenn a message asking her why she was being so rude to her by not accepting her invitation to be friends online. Jenn told her she had no interest in having a relationship of any sorts, and asked that she stop threatening her. After a couple more disrespectful comments made Jenn signed off her account, and headed to my brother's house to talk to them as I was at work. She was really upset, but they managed to calm her fears, and comfort her.

When I arrived home Jenn was still awake so we talked about the entire situation. Then today, I went to the high school to talk with administrators and to find out what could be done about the threat and bullying. They spoke with both girls over the course of the afternoon, and though the other student admitted to what she had said and done, there are legal matters to consider now. This isn't like life was 40 years ago, when someone would threaten to "kick" someone's butt, you'd stand up to them or ignore them, and then it would blow over. There were the time where it didn't blow over and you either laid low or had a black eye, bruised ego, or both. Most of the time it was between the male students and not so much the females.

What is the most likely way of resolving this situation? We have in place a system know as "Teen Court" in our area which is utilized by the school systems to resolve such conflicts. The court is solely made up of high school students who serve as Judge, Court Reporter, and Bailiff (you get the idea). This court system is in place to hold accountable students who break the law but are not old enough to be charged by the law as an adult, most are first time offenders. In the "Teen Court" setting, students are afforded a trial, and their peers get to decide if they are guilty or not, then determine their sentence which consists of community services, and an opportunity to be a juror in a future case. Community service allows the student to give back to the community in a positive way.

The "Teen Court" has been very successful in straightening out first time offenders, and has earned the respect of many of the area teens and community leaders. What happens next is up to the parents, school administrators, and both students involved in this case. My hope is that by getting involved, and by standing her ground, Jenn will have learned that she is a stronger person. As for the other student my hoe is that she realizes it doesn't benefit her lash out with anger, or to hold on to someone who has moved on. Hopefully she will realize in time that the right person for her, will be there for her, when she has grown and is ready for that type of relationship. High school relationships come and go, friends come and go, but being yourself, and being true to what is right will help you succeed in life beyond your senior year.

Beautiful College Landscapes!

read2educ8 — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:59:42 GMT

Choosing a college is not always an easy task but Ryan has already decided where he will attend college next fall. The college that Ryan wants to attend (as soon as he receives his acceptance letter) with two of his best friends is only an hour away from home. We had the opportunity to take a private tour yesterday and wanted to share some of the photographs we took during our visit. The landscaping is beautiful, I can hardly wait to see it in the spring. Enjoy!

Arts & Science Building

The photo on the left is of a statue in the entrance area of the Arts & Science building pictured above. The photo on the right is of a fountain in front of the Admissions building pictured below.

Ryan and Mike visit Admissions to meet with their assistant for a private tour of the campus.

There are three points of interest in the middle of the campus, a Chapel, a Gazebo, and a plaque in honor of William P. Kemp and his family who donated so much time, money and effort into the campus beautification projects.

I wonder if this is the same W.P.Kemp Jr. that I used to work for in the furniture business?

The Library

We will be making an additional visit when Ryan receives his acceptance letter. We'll be sure to take more photographs to share with everyone. Stay tuned for updates!

Helpful Hints for Taxpayers

read2educ8 — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:14:48 GMT

As the next tax season fast approaches, it's time to start considering all the information you'll need to collect for yourself or to assist your tax preparer with your 2008 tax returns. Some of the most common items to you'll need to have or bring with you beginning in January 2009 are listed below.

If you itemize deductions on a Schedule A the following are just some of the most reported deductions and will need documentation:

Medical Receipts or Statements used for documenting all expenses paid in the year 2008 to include co-pays, eyeglasses, contact lenses, doctor bills, prescriptions, and medical miles (mileage to and from doctors, medical facilities, and drug stores to pick up medications). Most pharmacies and medical business offices will print a free statement of all payments for the year.
Personal Property & Real Estate Tax Statements used for documenting taxes paid on personal vehicles, boats, and similar property for the current year. If you have paid a previous year's tax in 2008, or will be paying your 2009 tax before January 1, 2009 you can deduct them in 2008.
1098 Mortgage Interest forms used for documenting amounts paid for interest and real estate tax for the current tax year.
Charitable Contributions Statements & Receipts used for documenting money donated to either your local church or non-profit organization, either will print a free copy of your annual contributions. If you donate items other than cash, you are required to keep a list of those items with a fair market value for each item. You can pick up a list at your local Salvation Army or Goodwill Foundation Center. For more about charitable contributions visit the IRS web site. *If you end up not being able to utilize the Schedule A for deductions, you can still put these contributions on the schedule to lower your NC taxable liability. Check with your preparer to see if this is true in your state too.
Unreimbursed Employee Expenses such as job travel, union dues, job education, etc.

Income you have earned during the year is reported to the IRS on one or more of the forms listed below. Some of these forms must accompany your return, so remember to have them or bring them with you for your tax preparer.* W2 Forms used for documenting income from work performed by an employee. You should receive this form from your employer before January 31st of the calendar year.

W2-G Forms used or documenting income from winnings received during the year. Remember you are only allowed to deduct your losses up to the amount of your winnings.
1099-INT Forms used for documenting income from interest earned during the year from financial institutions such as banks, investment brokers, and credit unions.
1099-DIV Forms used for documenting income received from dividends and distributions from financial institutions such as banks, brokers, and similar businesses. Both the 1099-INT and 1099-DIV can also be displayed on a statement from such institutions.
1099-Misc Forms used for documenting income received from miscellaneous work you performed during the year, such as operating a business, contract work, rents from rental property you own, and other miscellaneous income. Don't forget to maintain proof for all costs and expenses incurred to earn the income in order to lower any tax liability.
1099-G Forms used for documenting income from unemployment compensation received during the current year.
1099-R Forms used for documenting income from distributions from pensions, annuities, retirement or profit-sharing plans, IRAs, insurance contracts, etc.
SSA Benefits Statements used for documenting income from Social Security benefits which may or may not effect your taxable income for the year. If it does effect your taxable income, going forward, you can voluntarily have SSA withhold federal and state taxes.
State & Local Refund Statements used for documenting your refund from the previous tax season. You begin reporting this income the second year after you begin using a Schedule A on your federal return.

If you or your dependent are in college remember to bring in the following information to lower your tax liability:

1098-T forms used for documenting payments received for qualified tuition and
related expenses in the current year.
Receipts for educational expenses you purchased at the campus bookstore such as books and software which are required for your course of study.

For more detailed information about the Schedule A and any the forms listed above visit the IRS website.

Hope this helps! : )

Tasks, tasks, and more tasks!

read2educ8 — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:51:06 GMT

As many of you know I am now working three jobs, one as a bookkeeper, one as a cashier, and one as a writer. Now how in the world do I do it all? Determination. At my daytime job as a bookkeeper we are gearing up for the 2009 tax season. What does that mean for me? It means a lot of little jobs like boxing up the promotional pens for distribution to our offices, going through last years rejected bank products to see if any of them have been paid during the year, fine tuning our website, and various other tasks.

Friday I spent the day updating our website with what's "New for 2008" and added a section for taxpayers with helpful hints on what to remember to bring with them come January 5, 2009. It seems like just last month that I was performing these simple but necessary tasks, and the women I work with said that the year would pass faster than I could ever imagine. They were right! In less than two months it will be time to file your 2008 tax returns. Are you compiling your information yet?

Wow! Can you believe it?

read2educ8 — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:18:47 GMT

Senator Barack Obama becomes our 44th President Elect on this day in 2008! What a race! What a quick decision! All determined by 11:03 p.m. as Senator Obama was projected as the winner of California and several other western states collecting 297 electoral votes. What a day in history! Congratulations to all who supported the idea of change. We have proven as a nation that our votes do count. May it truly be a decision that benefits our nation as a whole!

Now is the time to keep the momentum going forward to make the changes we need in our country to get back on track. Senator McCain graciously accepted his defeat in the race, and encouraged his supporters to join him in supporting this great country and our new president. He ran a good race, he fought a good fight, and he earned respect from many for his determination to do what is right for our country.

What will these next four years bring with a Democratic presidency? Hopefully change for the better, but only time will tell. :)

An Early Merry Christmas!

read2educ8 — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:11:21 GMT

Today was payday for my regular job, so during my lunch break from my part-time job I ventured down the street to pick up my check. When I arrived one of my coworkers was leaving for lunch so she asked that I lock up after I finished in the office. As I picked up the envelope from under my calculator I noticed it felt a bit thick and upon closer examination there were two checks, one marked Merry Christmas!

Wow! I wasn't expecting it so early, but my coworker said that we always get them in November. Last year just happened to be an off year. This will help with the bills for the moment, and we'll worry about Christmas later. It bites when you receive such a bonus and you have to spend it on bills, but in a lot of ways, that is a gift in and of itself!

Now if all the other resources pay out on time things will be looking good!

New Exotic Idea?

read2educ8 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 22:54:12 GMT

Having provided shelter to a ferret which was lost, found and then returned to its owner this week, I wondered if there were businesses in our area who were capable of providing overnight or extended shelter services for exotic pets. Even their owners need to go on vacation, have to serve on jury duty, or just need a break for a day or so. Who do they get to watch their loved ones? If there isn't one in our area, then why not consider opening an exotic pet kennel services for owners of ferrets, birds, rabbits, and maybe some reptiles? What a great new idea for a franchise opportunity! After all, just because you don't own a traditional pet, shouldn't you be able to have your loved one properly cared for in those times when you are unavailable?

I can see it all now ... birds flying around wildly, snakes wrapping themselves around the lop-eared rabbits, ferrets swinging from the curtains … all right, so maybe it's not a great idea, but it was food for thought.

Seriously, it could be done! ;)

Ferret Rescue

read2educ8 — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:56:57 GMT

It was nearly 10:30 p.m. last night when my cell phone rang, it was my coworker Joann. She asked what I was doing and when I said nothing, she asked if I wanted a ferret. I asked why and she went on to explain. Her son and his fiancee have just moved into a new house, and as they arrived home late yesterday evening they spotted a rodent which looked like an opossum inside the garage. Try as she might, she was unable to persuade her son to open the garage door, let the rodent out, and go back to bed. Instead he insisted that his mother come see the rodent and help him figure out how to get rid of it. His fiancee asked if she could just spray it with bug spray, but Joann advised them again such action.

When Joann got there they planned out what to do next. They are three climbed up on the car with their feet safely on the hood and opened the garage door. The alleged opossum came running out and then right back in as it was cold outside. When Joann saw the little critter she busted out laughing, it was a rodent indeed, but not an opossum as her son had previous thought, it was a ferret. The animal was about eight inches in body length with a five inch tail. Not the scariest creature by far!

Though I had told Joann that I was not interested in having a ferret, I did tell her I would take him home with me for the night. Before coming over I had checked with a friend who once owned a pet ferret, but they had given him away and were not interested in owning another one. I was able to get some pointers on how to care for the little fellow until we could find its owner or a new home. After Jenn and I got the kennel set up and the fuzzy little guy in safely, we carried him home. When we arrived home Jenn showed off the ferret to her half asleep brother while I equipped the kennel with better bedding, a litter box, and some food and water. All it took for him to drift off to sleep was a blanket over the kennel.

This morning I arrived at work just minutes before Joann and unloaded the kennel into the office. Joann got on the phone to one of our bookkeeping clients to ask about his taking the ferret since he runs a pet store. What luck! Phil chuckled as he told Joann that not two days before, a young lady had called looking for her pet ferret. He gave Joann the woman's phone number and in short order the owner was in our office to pick up her missing ferret.

His name is Bandit, and apparently his owner Christina had left some friends at her home to watch him as she ran out to the store to get litter for his box. I guess they missed his sneaking out the door as they came in and out of the house. She might need new sitters. Thank goodness Bandit wasn't a small child. Bandit is eight months old and his owner was so thankful to have him be found safe and sound. She gave us both a hug which was all the reward either of us wanted in return for his being reunited with his owner.

It was a fun rescue, but no matter how cute that little face is, I don't think I'd ever own a ferret. If I had not seen it with my own eyes I never would have believed it, but this little fellow scared three adults, a pit bull, and two cats. It's a wonder he made it through the two nights outside without being eaten or maimed by a larger animal, or being hit by a car when he crossed the streets. He was found about 4 blocks from his home, and though that may not sound like a far distance, when you are less than 12 inches long and you have really short legs, it is!

Good luck Christina and Bandit, we're happy you two are safely back together!

What was I thinking?

read2educ8 — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:17:05 GMT

When I started my second job I thought, no big deal, I've been sitting all day, now I'll just stand for a few hours. What was I thinking it would be like? After a seven hour day it's hard to pull another seven hours at a second job. My legs were screaming at me, my feet were begging to be put to sleep, and I was exhausted. Still it all wore off by the next time I had to pull a double shift.

The new manager told me when he hired me, that full time positions come open from time to time, and they hire from within. I'm looking forward to that opportunity although I might enjoy my current position better, and I might enjoy the part time hours until tax season arrives. One thing is for sure, cashier work is hard work. The good thing about working like this is that your time flies by. There isn't time for anything when you are on a register. Thank goodness for breaks and lunch times!

Today I worked from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and was glad to be getting off early. Not so much because I was tired but I knew I had laundry to do when I got home. Since the kids have been as busy as I've been this week, I am the one elected to keep things going. Jenn should be home tonight after her competition. She's been busy with drivers ed, and color guard, and classes, and Ryan has been busy raising money for his trip to Indiana for a week at a convention with his fellow FFA friends.

I'm just hoping things settle down some for them in the next two weeks so I can get a break!

Go to bed already!!!

read2educ8 — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:46:56 GMT

If either of my children were home tonight they would be telling me to "go to bed already" and be complaining about the hall light. Ryan is in Indiana this week at the National FFA Convention, and Jenn is down at her cousin's house for the night. Since I had to work until 11:00 p.m. tonight (I mean last night now) I didn't want her here alone. She is sixteen now but she doesn't like being in the house at night by herself, and I don't blame her.

If I keep up this pace with the two jobs, I won't have time for an exercise program much less a diet. Hey, maybe I won't even need any of those weight loss pills I keep seeing on the infomercials on at this hour of the night. I weighed myself tonight and I am down 2 pounds already. So perhaps this two job schedule will help me curb my appetite after all. All right, I'm heading to bed. I can hardly keep my eyes open ... zzzzzzzzzzz ... goodnight everyone.

I hear that getting more sleep helps in ridding your body of those unwanted pounds; so I'm off to snooze away ugly little buggers!

How's the new job going?

read2educ8 — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:58:04 GMT

Yesterday was my third day on my new job at the grocery store. It seems like they were trying to warm me up to long hours, and boy was I exhausted by the end of my shift last night. They are currently cleaning house of all dead weight within its employee base. I got a first hand look at what was going on last night.

I had wondered why I was getting more customers than usual, and when I looked around I could see that all of the other cashiers had left their registers. I guess that's one way to get the trainees to learn on their own. My boss also stopped by to encourage me to get very familiar with the register so she could start training me on the Customer Service desk.

Enough about work, Jenn is calling, it's "Dancing with the Stars" night and we always watch it together. After that, it's off to bed!

Help, I'm Lost! ... Maybe Not : )

read2educ8 — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:45:15 GMT

My boyfriend works at a company that designs and manufactures precision parts for automobiles, buses, and other vehicles. He's a chief engineer who works tirelessly to make sure things are always running for production. What does this have to do with my being lost? Well, he has been working on the new Garmin GPS systems and we were hoping to test one out soon.

It's not that I get lost that often, but I have been known to make a wrong turn on the Interstate and have had to turn around several miles down to correct that error. If I had a unit like this it would be easier to navigate my way through some short cuts around town. For now I'll have to depend on those attendants in the gas stations. We all know how accurate they are!
Of course with any GPS system, they are always better utilized with a navigator on board. Want to volunteer "Mr.D"?

Celebrating Life's Special Events

read2educ8 — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:20:57 GMT

This weekend our family celebrates two events that are special; Jenn's birthday and "Mr.D's" and my fifth anniversary. Jenn's older sister Lisa is here for the weekend and they will be doing things and spending time together as part of her present. I think they are going shopping, and what teenage girl doesn't like to shop?

"Mr.D" and I will celebrate our fifth year together as a couple, and it just keeps getting better! I'm hoping to get to see him later on today, since everyone else plans on being busy with their special visit. So far it looks like it's a good possibility that we will have an evening together. Each visit brings us that much closer to each other. We are looking forward to the time when traveling will mean we are going to see our children, or that they are coming to visit with us. ;)