HIS Loss!!!

So a couple months ago, my fiend and I attended an "All Class Reunion" Brunch that was being held by my high school's Class of '85 (which was the year before ours).

We're there...everybody's having a good time yuckin' it up and whatnot.

After a couple hours, in walks this guy, good looking, who hasn't aged a day since high school.

We talk with him for a while, he's pretty cool, and we ask if he's on Facebook. He wasn't. What?!? Someone OUR age NOT on Facebook?!? What's up with THAT???

He tells us that he's going to create a page soon and we say, "Cool. Once you do we'll send you a friend request." He liked that idea.

A couple weeks later, he sets up his page. My friend had pretty much been watching for it DAILY, so when his page was up, she told me and we both sent friend requests.

More weeks passed by and last Wednesday she sends me a "Breaking News" alert that he had FINALLY accepted her request. Really? Hmmm. That's interesting. He hadn't accepted mine.

Then she told me that he had been accepting people (because again...she'd been stalking his page, so she could see his friend count increasing), and she wasn't sure what took him so long to accept hers.

In that instant I already knew that he wasn't going to accept mine. I know his type. I sent a friend request to another former classmate years ago, and he too just sat on the request...never accepted. Why? Because these dudes have "standards" and they only allow a certain "look" on their page. I don't fit that standard, so neither one accepted my request.

So...just as I did with the other guy years ago...I will now go in and CANCEL my request for THIS new guy. Facebook friends a great, and I really like (and actually KNOW) 99.9% of mine. But the last thing I care about is WHEN will this dude (or ANYBODY) will accept my request, or why they haven't already. I guess we'll never know since I'm cancelling the request.

Sometimes Facebook can really feel like kindergarten. *sigh*

Anywhoo...Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you have folks you've sent requests to and they're just sittin' on them? If so, will you just leave the request there, or will you cancel it at some point?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Starting Over

I've seen many sad sights in my lifetime, but I what I saw today really hit me.

I was driving home and had to stop at a light. As I was at the light I heard loud cussing and screaming.

I looked to find where it was coming from and the source was two cars to my right.

Shortly after the cussing and screaming, I saw the passenger open the door, get out, and start walking. The passenger was a male dressed in a black prison jumpsuit. Living around the corner from a courthouse, I'm VERY familiar with that jumpsuit. Prisoners are always walking the streets of my neighborhood as they are released with no one to pick them up.

This particular guy had a ride, but the ride wasn't going too well.

Now I don't know who he was, or what he was in for, but it made me a bit sad to know that THIS was how his ride home was turning out. And he couldn't have been out for too long because I was in Compton, not far at all from the courthouse. So this ride could not have been more than 5 minutes long (assuming that they left DIRECTLY from the courthouse).

I kept thinking about how this young man had completed serving his time and he gets to re-enter society with screams and cussing. What a GREAT new start! NOT!!!

Again, though...I don't know the whole story. Heck, I don't know the story at all. I was just going by the 30 seconds that I witnessed.

I just hope that he finds his way and that this world is kind enough to him to offer him another chance. If not...he'll be back in those "prison blacks" as soon as he gets out of them.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: What are YOUR suggestions for inmates who are recently released from prison trying to make their way back into society?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Reflecting

At this time last year, I was sitting by my Mom's hospital bedside waiting for her to "come to" and regain consciousness.

She'd been admitted to the hospital on September 17th, and had her leg amputated on September 25th. She hadn't been conscious for any of it.

As the days went on, we wondered how she would react once she realized what had been done to her leg. We didn't think she'd be too pleased, but it was the decision that HAD to made. Her leg was dying and as a result, her body was too. The leg HAD to go.

Those were some really sad days for me. Probably the saddest of my life.

Seeing the woman who was always such a spit-fire and strong-willed, now relegated to a bed and unable to speak. It was all too much.

Whenever I think of those days, my heart gets extremely heavy. I can hardly believe that it's almost been a year. Time certainly does fly...and not just when you're having fun.
During those moments of sadness though, I always remind myself of where she is now...IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD...and in that, I IMMEDIATELY find joy.

My Mom has no more pain, sadness, anger, sorrow, disappointment...no negativity WHATSOEVER. And that sometimes makes me just a wee bit jealous. My Mom now dwells in the place where I am striving to get to. My Mom has MADE IT! That place is now her PERMANENT residence! And I am simply overjoyed by the thought.

So yeah...this time last year wasn't a good time for me AT ALL. But when I look at the outcome...not so much that my Mom is no longer here...but the fact that she is finally where she always wanted to be...I can truly say that I am all right...and it is well with my soul.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: What were YOU doing on this day last year?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Longevity

Today I spent the day in "school". I was at work, but today was the day for some of the newer folks like me to get an in depth overview of the company and various departments.

One thing that struck me with many of the folks we met with was how long they had been with the company. 29 years. 23 years. 19 years. 14 years. THIRTY TWO YEARS!!!

As I listened to them tell their stories of how they joined the company and moved up within it, I did some calculations in my mind and thought back to where *I* was 32, 29, 23, 19, 14 years ago.

I've been a lot of places and have had a lot of jobs.

Two of the people mentioned how their resumes made them look a bit "career unsteady" when they interviewed because they hadn't stayed with jobs for long. Well...that was 29 & 32 years ago. Once they got THIS job, it was a wrap!

Then I wondered if *I* would be with the company for 29 & 32 years. Heck, at this point I've only been with the company now for FOUR months. 29 years seems like FOREVER...and would definitely make the this job that I would retire from.

I dunno. It's made me really think about my career path and what I really want.

It also made me realize how wonderful it must be to get in on something at the beginning. That's when opportunity is the greatest. Sure...I can work hard to move up as well, but no one can tell me that that process won't be exponentially more difficult than it was for the folks I met with today.

I'm sure that they are all GREAT at what they do...I just know that TIME

has been on their side.

Oh well.

Overall it was a good day and I'm glad that I got to know more about the company I work for.

Just left me with a whole lot to think about...a WHOLE lot.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: How long have YOU worked at YOUR job?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Allow me...Or not.

Are you the type of person who is always ready to jump in and help, even when it's not solicited?

I am.

And that annoys "Joe".

Yesterday, he was trying to do something and it took everything in me to not do it for him. But I knew better.

So I kept my nose in the book I was reading and patiently waited...and waited...and waited.

Finally, I heard, "How do you...?"

I didn't get up and go over to do it for him, I simply told him how, and he did it himself.

For me...that was huge.

Yet by doing that, things flowed so much more smoothly than they typically do.

I don't know if I've been alone for so long that I just don't know how to let someone else do "anything", but I one thing I know for sure is that most men (especially Joe) don't want women doing things for them. Instead, they need to "be the man" and figure it out. That's exactly what Joe did yesterday. He figured it out, as I knew he would.

I'm learning. We're growing. And that's a good thing.

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Are you one to jump in and help without anyone asking, or do you patiently wait for help to be requested?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Don't Eat the Meatloaf!

So I have this friend whose nails are always nicely done, although long, curved and a bit pointy.

I keep my nails fairly short and squarely rounded.

The fingernails brought back a memory of an incident that took place with a coworker years ago who invited a bunch of us to her house for dinner.

We get there and she had decided that she'd throw some burgers on the grill.

As I'm in the kitchen helping her prepare, I noticed her doing something to the patties that almost made me THROW UP.

She had long fingernails and the meat was getting stuck underneath.

I'm sure that you can guess what happened next, and you probably wanna throw up now too.

But just in case...let me help you out.

She scraped the meat from under her nails and mashed that stuff right back into the patty. HOW GROSS WAS THAT?!?

Needless to say, I only and chips and dip that night and passed on the burgers.

As a result of that experience, I have always advised my kids to NEVER EAT MEATLOAF MADE BY A WOMAN WITH LONG FINGERNAILS! Of course, this goes for hamburger patties too...but there's somethin' extra special about meatloaf and how you really have to get your hands all in it when making it. So yeah...meatloaf...no thanks!

Now...Let the DIALOGUE begin: What's that grossest thing you ever saw someone do while they were preparing a meal, and...if you are a woman...do you wear your nails curved or squared?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Night Clothes

Tonight I thought we'd talk about something light.

Pajama bottoms.

I just don't get 'em. I mean, I do...but I don't wear 'em...at least not to bed.

My oldest daughter however, loves them...and sleeps in them every night. Even in the summer.

I just can't.

I feel like wearing pajama bottoms to bed is like wearing PANTS to bed...and who can sleep with PANTS on? I certainly can't. I won't tell ya what I do sleep in ('cause that's just TMI), but it's definitely NOT pajama bottoms. Too hot. Too constricting. Just too much.

Now I will wear pajama bottoms around the house, during the day. But to bed? Nope. No way. No can do.

How 'bout you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Are you the pajama bottom wearing type?

Talk to me!

Til next time...