Miss Independent

Ya know...it's kinda interesting, the things that you learn when you actually have lunch with your co-workers versus eating in your car and listening to talk-radio.

Today I did just that.

And in dining with them we somehow got on the subject of television and how old my set is, blah blah blah. Then we talked about streaming movies and I mentioned how I had recently tried to do that through my Wii, as I had once done before but for some reason, now it won't work.

We tossed around what some of the problems could be and eventually someone suggested that I get a Roku.

A who ku???

A Roku.

I wasn't sure if such a new-fangled device would work on my 10 year old television set but said I'd look into it.

So I check with my cousin who's into all this Roku stuff and he told me which one to get that would work on my set.

Right after work I headed over to my local Best Buy and whammo bammo...I picked one up.

Now that was the easy part. The tougher task was actually setting it up, which for my non-techy self was gonna be quite the feat.

But I was up for the challenge, so I took it out of the box, read the instructions, and about 30 minutes later, I was in business!

Go ME!!!

And I am sooo excited.

More than anything, I am excited about the fact that I can stream whenever and whatever I want to on MY OWN account.

I've recently had two friends offer to add me as a user on their Netflix account. And I greatly appreciated those offers. I was actually *this close* to doing just that. But I knew that I didn't wanna watch Netflix on my small computer screen so I had to find a way to stream it to my television. And since I wasn't able to do that, I never added myself to either of their accounts.

But I think that was actually for the best. Although both of these folks are really good friends, I would've felt a level of dependency on them, or would've wanted to contribute to the payment of their account...or something.

Or what if things went sour down the road, and the streaming service that I would come to enjoy would come to a halt by a mere password change. Who knows? Anything can happen.

So by being forced to get my own device and stream from my own Netflix account, it has created a level of INDEPENDENCE that I know I need. And THAT'S a good thing. So all in all...it worked out perfectly.

Well that's all for now...I gotta a movie to go watch...or SOMETHING! But before I go...

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you use any streaming devices or services? If so, which one?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Well Wha'da'ya Know?!?

Isn't funny how you can hear something, or read something, or watch something and develop your own thoughts about it. Then you speak with someone about the same thing and come away with a completely different perspective.

That happened to me today.

My masseuse and I somehow got into a discussion about our "Gemini men".

At one point she had me nervous because she was describing my "Joe" to a tee. Finally, she told me her guy's birthday and I think she even let his name slip a time or two and I was able to exhale.

One of the things that both our guys have in common is the way that they are like light switches...almost "Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde-ish". The moods switch on and off IN AN INSTANT. Although Joe and I have been friends for 13 years, it's only been over this past 13 months that I've discovered how to handle him and the mood switches. Now that I know how he operates, and how I should react, things have been sooo much easier...and better.

As she and I continued the discussion, she says, "You know, there's a song about a woman who's in love with a man and he's like two people in one body. It's old skool."

I said, "Do you mean that 'Two Lovers' song?"

"YES! That's the one!!"

Wow, I've heard that song so many times and never realized that the "two lovers" are the same person. Now that I've read the lyrics, it makes TOTAL sense, and it most definitely describes me & Joe.

Here they are in case you're curious:

Mary Wells - Two Lovers

"Well, I've got two lovers and I ain't ashamed
Two lovers and I love them both the same

Let me tell you 'bout my first lover
He's sweet and kind and he's mine all mine
He treats me good like a lover should
And makes me love him
I really, really love him, oh I love him so
And I'll do everything I can to let him know

But I've got two lovers and I ain't ashamed
Two lovers and I love them both the same

Let me tell you 'bout my other lover
Well, you know, he treats me bad, makes me sad
Makes me cry but still I can't deny
That I love him, I really, really love him, oh I love him so
And I'll do everything I can to let him know

Darlin', well, don't you know I can tell
Whenever I look at you that you think that I'm untrue?
'Cause I say that I love two but I really, really do
'Cause you're a split personality
And in reality, both of them are you, baby

Well, I've got two lovers and I ain't ashamed
Two lovers and I love them both the same
Two lovers and I ain't ashamed"



How 'bout that!?!

Now, Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you ever heard a song that you thought meant one thing, only to later discover that it meant something completely different?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Blow the Whistle!

I love my job.
I love my job.
I love my job.

This is what I tell myself everyday. Perhaps if I say it enough times eventually it will be true.

As it is right now, I am thankful for my job. It pretty much ends there.

I work for a good company, and I work hard.

From the minute I walk in, til the minute I leave for the day, I am GLUED to my chair. The phone rings constantly, the emails come in continuously, and between the phone and emails, there are a slew of other things to be done. Getting all of that completed in a "normal" work day is a task in itself. Oh...but factor in covering someone else's desk while they are out, in addition to maintaining my own, and well...you can figure out the rest.

Yet and still...I am thankful.

One thing I've been thinking a lot about lately though is how many "good jobs" I've had in the past. And even though none were "perfect", there are things that I can take from each that would ultimately make up "the perfect job"...at least from a "corporate" standpoint. My absolute ideal job has nothing to do with the corporate sector at all.

Today I couldn't stop thinking about my previous position at Epson. I worked with a FANTASTIC group of people. The company was GREAT. My position within the company however...not so great. A telemarketer I am not, and a telemarketer I will never be. Telemarketing was what I did during my stay there at Epson, and everyday was like trying to jam a square peg into a round hole.

One thing that I really enjoyed there though, was that at 4:00 everyday...and not a minute later, I was OUT. And the company was ok with that. They actually preferred that we leave "on time". There was no need for overtime. It was quite easy to get everything done that needed doing within an 8 hour period of time. And that's exactly what I did.

At my current job, things are much different. We work an 8 hour 30 minute day with a 45 minute lunch. Most days I am there for much longer that 8 hours and 15 mins and often feel bad on the days when I actually do leave on time. Like I'm a "slacker" or something. I'm definitely not a "slacker" yet I also know better than to stress myself out to the point of hair loss again (yes, I've lost my hair before due to stress at a job).

So...that's pretty much how my workday goes. How 'bout yours?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you work much overtime at your job or are you O-U-T when the whistle blows?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Amenities

It was so hot today...

How hot was it?!?

Honestly, I couldn't tell you because I stayed inside my office ALL day. But if the temperature when I left at 6:00 pm was any indication of how hot the temperature had been earlier...then it was HECKA HOT!!!

As much as I love being home, I dreaded coming home this evening because I live in an upstairs apartment and the heat just stays TRAPPPED.

But I'm here now, and as expected...it's sweltering in this place.

So I imagine it's as they say, "Desperate times call for desperate measures" and dag-gonnit...I'm desperate to get cool.

AS a result of my desperation, I've had to break down and turn on my cooling unit. It really does a good job, but my only issue is that it only cools my kitchen and a bit of my living room. Where I need it most, is my bedroom. No such luck though. I'm still gonna use it though, even if for only an hour at a time. Not trying to have my electric bill skyrocket. Although as uncomfortable as my place has been, the increase will be worth every penny for a little bit of relief.

Last night I placed two fans in my room and tried to create a "cyclone" effect. All I really did was end up blowing the hot air around the room, and didn't get ANY

sleep.

Tonight I'm thinking of taking a different approach. Might leave this cooling unit on for a while and just camp out in the living room. I mean after all...it's MY place...I can sleep where I want to. Right? One thing I know for sure is that I'm getting some sleep tonight!

How 'bout you? Let the DIALOGUE begin: Is there a heatwave in YOUR neck of the woods? If so, what desparate measures have YOU taken to stay cool?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Thoughtfulness

This evening I went to visit my Dad in the hospital. He's been in and out quite a bit lately. Not many people know because I keep so much to myself. Heck...folks didn't know about my Mom for weeks after she'd been hospitalized. I'm just not one of those folks who shares every waking thought and moment with the world. Here though, for some odd reason, I don't mind sharing.

So I go to visit my Dad, and although I knew I needed to be there, I hated being there at the same time. It's the same hospital where my Mom was before her last days. It's the same hospital that I drove to when I got the call telling me, "Your Mom fell, and she's in the hospital."

I made my way to the hospital only to find her in the Emergency Room, sedated, on life support, and with tubes coming out of everywhere. All this because of a fall?

Turns out that my Mom had fallen as a result of many things. She had a stroke, heart attack, kidneys failed, and had a severe clot in her leg that was pretty much cutting off circulation from her knee down to her toes.

The day that my Mom fell at home and was rushed to the hospital, was the last day that she ever walked.

After many days of sitting by her side in that hospital room, waiting for her to be strong enough for surgery, waiting for her to be prepped for surgery...waiting for her to come out of surgery...waiting for her to be strong enough to breathe on her own...waiting for her to be able to open her eyes and acknowledge me...waiting for her to learn how to swallow again so that she could enjoy a simple cup of water...waiting for her to be strong enough to get out of her bed and into a wheel chair...waiting for her to be well enough to go home...only to realize that she would NEVER go "home"...waiting...

Yes, those are the memories that come to me every time I turn onto the hospital lot, check in at the visitors desk, press the button on the elevator and head toward my Dad's hospital room. THOSE...are my memories...and I can hardly stand them.

Today though, when I pulled into the lot, it was as if God knew that I needed just a little something to lift my spirit. As soon as I parked my car, I saw it...the lovely flower that's pictured here. I got out of the car and it was as though I heard God say, "Look."

There were four flowers. He said, "Look at them all." So I did.

Then He said, "Which one do you like the best?"

And I took a picture of the one that was closest to perfect. I looked at the color, the intricate detail, and was reminded of how creative God is, and how thoughtful He is to stop me before I went into that hospital, so that I could enjoy a few moments of beauty first.

I thanked Him, and then I went in.

As I was leaving, a smile came over my face as I remembered my beloved "Joe", and how loving and caring he was with my Mom when she was there. I will always remember the day that she had her amputation. Before she went in, she was agitated. We could tell. I didn't really know what to do. But Joe...

He always knows what to do.

He got a washcloth, wet it, and gently wiped her forehead to cool her off and calm her down. I believe that should could feel the love in his touch, and in an instant, her nerves were settled. She still wasn't able to speak at that point, but you could see the change come over her face. As if I didn't already love him, my love for him grew exponentially in that moment, with that small gesture.

All in all, I'd have to say that the visit today wasn't all that bad. There were some sweet moments mixed with the bitter.

As for my Dad, he's still there and will probably be moved to another hospital before he gets to go back home. That other hospital is another tough one for me to visit, for similar reasons. That's where we were told that her remaining days were very short...and they were.

Just thought I'd share that. I miss my Mom. Tomorrow will mark the 10 month mark since she left this earth. She came to me in a dream last night. She was her old self. She was healthy, and she was well. I welcomed the visit.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: How do you cope when you have to visit a place that doesn't bring the fondest of memories?

Talk to me!

It Pays to Read!

Have you ever gone through the pockets of your clothes, (maybe as you were about to wash them or give them away) and found money in them that you'd long since forgotten about? Well that just happened to me...sort of. Couldn't find my book club selection through the library so I decided to go ahead and give good ol' Amazon a try. Can't remember the last time I actually BOUGHT a book, my budget has been so tight. But I've gotten tired of missing out on the discussions due to my inability to obtain the book, so I decided to "bite the bullet" and see what I could find.

EUREKA!

I found the book I need...used...for a penny...yes...ONE cent (plus $3.99 for shipping). Not bad. Not bad at all.

As I go to check out I am greeted with this blessing of a message: "Use 4.00 of your $34.00 gift card balance?"

I'm like YES...Yes PLEASE!!!

I had completely forgotten about the gift card that a friend gave me a while back. WOW!

So now...my book is on its way, and I still have some $ left over in case I have a tough time finding any other books through the library. The library will ALWAYS be my first choice, but it's nice to know that I have options.

How 'bout you? Let the DIALOGUE begin: When was the last time you found "forgotten money", and how much was it?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Oh...and just one small thing that I wanted to add about my book club -- we are not REQUIRED to read the book in order to attend the meetings. I just hate being "out of the loop" and need to know what everyone is talking about, so I prefer to read the books before the discussion. That's just me and my quirkiness at work.

Five Outta Five

It's been over a week since my last post and I'm a bit bummed about that.

I've been trying to be more consistent, and this week I would've been if my internet had cooperated. Finally, I now have service at home through an actual ROUTER vs. the little "jet pack" that I had been using. With the router I figured I'm "back in business." Not so much. I'm only "in business" when all FIVE of the lights on my router are SOLID. 90% of the time (at least last week) only FOUR of the five are solid, and of course, it's that fifth light that allows me internet access.

Can't begin to tell you how frustrating that has been.

Looks like things are up and running now though, so I'll see how many posts I can cram into one day.

Please be patient with me folks...I'm only as consistent as my internet service.

Let the DIALUGE begin: Today's question is totally random...What are YOU doing on this lovely day off from work (for those of you who actually have the day off)?

Talk to me!

Til next time...