Only a couple weeks until Election Day and I haven't said anything political for a while....I bet you're all secretly glad, huh? 

Well, for those who have missed my political rants, here ya go......

Nah, just kiddin...I can't seem to get real fired up about this one.  Just vote American, will ya?  If they're FOR America, vote for 'em.   If they're for strife and scandals, power struggles and impeachment, commissions and finger pointing - get 'em out of there.

Oh, and one more thing...for all that is good & holy, get Teddy Kennedy OUT of there...My God, 44 yrs...hasn't he done enough damage?  Please, Massachusetts, fire that jackass.

Ok, now I feel better.  

Well, my life is continuing down the boring highway that it has been on for the past....um....several....uh.....years.    Nothing happening.  No phone calls.  No park visits.  Snow mixed with rain.  Ho hum.  Ok, TT called last night but I just refused to even pick up the phone to hang it up *g*  I am so done with him, why does he keep calling? *L*  Oh boy.

Glenn.  Was that his name?  I guess I should have thought to give him my home number when he said the cell phone number didn't work for him.  But the cell works for everyone else so.... I really think that I might have just imagined him and then wrote stories about him here so you'd all think someone was interested in me.  Sorry, I'll try not to do that again.      Well....better to have dreamt than to have had nightmares, huh?

Byetta is up to 10 mg now.  Now I see why they don't start you at 10...I finally got mostly used to the 5 mg when it was time to change up...today I thought I was just going to pack it up & go home, I was that sick this morning.  I hope it doesn't take me long to get used to it, I hate to see a grown woman hugging the toilet without even a drop of Tequila passing her lips first.

It is, however, helping me in my quit smoking program....  When even the smell of cigarettes makes you want to hurl.....you know.

Ok, it is painfully obvious that I got nothing.  You kids have a wonderful evening ~ You know I will!!!  

Be it ever so humble,
there's no place like home!!!  *g*

Val  beat me to the pictures...I should have made her swear not to post them for 4-1/2 hrs *L*  Here's one of her:

She's so cute *g*  And just as nice & fun in real life as she is here.  We had the kid in the restaurant take one of us together but mine had some kind of flash malfunction & it's way over exposed or whatever that's called...But Val has a decent one at her place.

Ok, I'm pooped and have things to do before I can go to bed, so you kids have a lovely evening - You know I will!!!  

Ok, you know what?  It's time for me to be brutally honest with myself.  The rest of you can come along for the ride if you wish.

Pam is not a snob.  I have never met a woman with money that is less of a snob than Pam.  I am a snob.  Yeah, that's right, me.  Well, snob isn't the correct word.  It's more like self pitying asshole.  Yeah, that's it.  Pam's husband is one of three partners in an accounting firm and he works his ass off to be able to have a summer lake home & to winter in Florida.  He has worked for years for this.  Pam puts up with Mike.  They deserve what they have and what they will have.  Period.

I have never in my life been the type of person to get weird when my friends get a head.  I have always been happy for them and have been proud of them for their accomplishments.  As it should be.  

I could have had these things but I made bad choices for the "partners" in my life.  Ed.  Need I say more?  So now I am aging, my friends are aging, and they have plans and are looking forward to retirement, while I am working my ass off just to maintain what I have and retirement?  Please.  That word is not in my future.  Because of MY choices.  If it touches a nerve in me when someone who is 10 yrs older than me tells me of their retirement plans it's certainly not their fault that my plan is to try not to have to eat cat food in my 60's.  I am so ridiculous.

Ok.  Just needed to get that off my chest.  I WILL visit them again.  Big dumbass.

My friend, Sissy, has me pegged so bad *L*  When my cousin was coming for the weekend I was talking to her "I don't know why they're coming for the weekend, they've never done that, I don't know how to entertain people for an entire weekend, blah blah blah".  Sissy says "You know, you're such a freak.  You ALWAYS do this...you're suppose to go somewhere and an hour before hand you're freaking out, why did I say I'd go, what am I doing, blah blah blah.  And you go and you always, always have a good time.  Just stop it".  How can a person be so shy and so outgoing, all at the same time?  No wonder I'm such a basket case, my head don't know what's going to happen next with me *L*

So...the wedding reception.  Yeah.  It was fun *L*  I can never go anywhere without making a couple friends, why then do I always dread things so badly?  I spent probably 2 hrs talking to this man & his wife about everything from politics to diabetes.  They even asked for my email address.  Sheesh.  What is wrong with me?  And will I ever recover from it, whatever it is? *g*  Its a good thing that I don't act like I feel before I go to these things or I'd be sitting in a corner drooling for the entire event.  Good God Almighty, please make me stop that.

So now I'm back at the hotel in a T-shirt and underwear, enjoying the peace & quiet.  Tomorrow I meet Val.  Oh my God, why did I say I'd meet her?  What will I talk to her about?  Why oh why do I commit myself to these things?  I can see us now, nothing to say, dead silence at the table.  Val wanting a cigarette, even though she doesn't smoke.  This will probably even drive her to have a drink.  She'll never meet another Xanga person as long as she lives...My gosh, she might even stop blogging.  What have I done??????????????

~laughing~ 

Have a good evening, Kids!!  

You know, there is something wrong with me.  Seriously.  I think I am becoming/have become a hermit of some sort.  Maybe I'm just a freakin weirdo and am just now becoming aware of it, who knows. 

I am in my room at the Valparaiso Super 8. (Indiana)  All I have been thinking since I arrived here last night is why am I here and how soon can I go home.  I mean really, how many people do you know that will drive over 300 miles, 6 hours, to a wedding of a person they've never even met?  To spend an afternoon/evening with God knows how many more folks that you've never met.  And do it alone.  Sheesh.  This is craziness.

Ok, I do have to deliver the quilt.  There is that.

Here is some reinforcement of my weirdness.  If more is needed.  When you are going on a trip, do you spend the hours before leaving cleaning your house?  ~raises hand~ I do.  Yesterday I got up at 6, went downstairs, started laundry & cleaned the bathroom.  Went back upstairs, did the few dishes in the sink from the night before, washed the bird cage, swept the house, cleaned the bathroom, changed my sheets, washed Sadies blanket & put it back in her crate.  Then I took my shower, packed & left the house around 11:30AM.  What a freak, huh? 

Stopped in Paulding, Ohio and visited with Pam for a couple of hours, talking about their Summer Lake Home and how they will winter in Florida, then we met her husband at The Country Club and had dinner.  (Yes, The Italics are said snootily *L*)  When did my friends become so....upper class.  No wonder she had such a rotten time with me in Virginia...I'm so....horribly lower middle class.  Well, since going back down to one income I reckon I'm more upper lower class.  *L*  Yikes.  It was good to see them both, but I doubt I'll ever make that trip again, I'm just not in that "crowd".

This morning I woke up at 4.  My time...3 Indiana time.  And could not go back to sleep.  So I showered, went downstairs to get coffee, got in my car & looked for somewhere to have breakfast.  Found a Round the Clock not too far from the hotel and had a nice breakfast there.  Then I hit the little strip mall across from the hotel, Bath & Body Works and Yankee Candle, got a few things I've been wanting.  Now I'm back in my room, drinking warm Aquafina and waiting for 3:00 *L*  It's a little after 11 now. 

I keep forgetting to blog about this so I think I'll do it now since it's on my mind.  Remember Ed had moved out of Uncle Charlies place and no one knew where he was & I assumed he had met & moved in on some girl.  Well, a few weeks ago, the last time I saw Glenn as a matter of fact, I drove past Uncle Charlies and Ed's car was there so I stopped in to give him that cd of his daughter..and yes, to see where he'd been. 

Well!  He was in a deep dark black mood, if looks could kill I'd have dropped right there in the kitchen.  He walks past me to the outside door, goes out & kind of motions with his head for me to follow him.  We go out on the deck & he doesn't say a word to me, just looks at me.  So I told him I just wanted to make sure he got that cd back & I asked if he had moved out.  Grunting yes he gives me more black looks.  I said I figured you found a girlfriend and boy, did I get a black look for that one!  NO, I didn't meet a girl, I moved in with a guy from work.  So I say, hmm, I guess that didn't work out?  And he say's No, and neither did the job, they phuckin fired me.  Well, after another black look at me I just said, Alrighty then, I'm outta here.  Take care. This all took about 3 minutes...seriously.

So, his friend always comes into my work for me to notarize titles for him and he came in Thursday and yes, Ed is living with a girl. (Jeff's words were a skuz, or something like that)   A girl with 5, yes, FIVE SMALL CHILDREN.  Visions of Ed drunk, throwing shit at me, trying to strangle me flash through my head and I say to Jeff, Jesus, he doesn't need to be around small children when he's drunk!  And Jeff say's, well, this is really sad, but they're probably safer with him drunk then they are with their mother, who is also a drunk.  Of course they met at a bar.

I just know one day I'm going to open the Akron Beacon Journal and Ed's face is going to be staring out at me under a headline about abused children.  Holy Moly, I feel for those children.

At least now I feel that I've closed that chapter of my life, for good.  I should have 2 yrs ago, but I know I've let it stay open for some reason...probably because I didn't have another chapter to open yet.  But there's nothing wrong with starting a chapter with just me in it, huh?

And that's about all I got I guess.  Cathy just called to see if I was coming for the wedding (1:00) but she said it's going to be really short and then there's a big gap between that & the reception (3:00) so I said I'd just come over around 2:30ish since I have that quilt to give her.  My invite say's 3 so that's when I was planning to go over anyhow & I don't want to go for the wedding & then her feel she has to entertain me...this is her day, not cater to Terri day.  But I seriously cannot wait till I can go to bed tonight because then when I wake up I can go home *L*  After meeting Val for lunch, of course, and THAT I AM looking forward to *g*

You kids have a lovely weekend ~ You know, despite all my bitching, that I will!!!  

Oh, by the way....18 lbs gone....bought a sweater & pair of slacks for this wedding...both are a size smaller then before.....Yeah, I'm a happy camper *g*  Now if I can just keep this going!!

After writing the previous, whiny entry, it suddenly occurred to me that this is October 18th.

Two years ago today my baby was blown up by an IED in Ramadi, Iraq.  I cannot even begin to express my thankfulness that God decided to spare his life and let him come home to me. 

 Thank you, Lord.

Lifted from Gneiss Guy's blog. Pretty accurate, I must say.

I can't wait till the elections are over...I get so sick of all the negativity, it makes my head hurt.  These campaign ads would be funny if they weren't so stupid.  They act like we are a bunch of children who don't know how to research their claims and find the truth.  I guess they know that a lot of us can't be bothered to find out anything for ourselves.  Baaaaa, Baaaaaa.

I'm having a very blue-sy week, not really sure why because I don't normally indulge in depression or being blue.  As a matter of fact, I really have to work to be depressed, ever.  Right now I am living a Bruce Springsteen song (one from before he became such an ass).... it goes somethin like this:

I get up in the evening
And I ain't got nothing to say
I come home in the morning
I go to bed feeling the same way
I ain't nothing but tired
Man, I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby I could use just a little help

You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark

Message keeps getting clearer
Radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I check my look in the mirror
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man, I ain't getting nowhere just living in a dump like this
There's something happening somewhere
Baby I just know that there is

You can't start a fire
You can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark

You sit around getting older
There's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
I'll shake this world off my shoulders
Come on baby the laugh's on me
Stay on the streets of this town
And they'll be carving you up all right
They say you gotta stay hungry
Hey baby I'm just about starving tonight

I'm dying for some action
I'm sick of sitting 'round here trying to write this book
I need a love reaction
Come on now baby gimme just one look

You can't start a fire sitting 'round crying over a broken heart
This gun's for hire
Even if we're just dancing in the dark
You can't start a fire worrying about your little world falling apart
This gun's for hire

The bold, italicized lines I can really relate to at this time of my life.  So...understand the sigh? *L*  Holy Moly.

So, the activities of the past week....This past weekend my cousin & her husband from PA decided to come & spend the weekend with me.  I don't know why, this is the very first time ever that one of my cousins came to my home.  She wanted me to spend a night with them when I vacationed at my parents, but it didn't work out because my Mom really just wanted me to stay with them.  Anyhow, they arrived late Friday night and left Sunday morning.  We didn't "do" anything, just sat around, talked, relaxed.  Saturday evening my sister's family came over and I threw a couple roasts/potatoes/carrots in the crockpot and we had a nice meal together.  And a lot of laughs after my sister put the rolls in the oven and then proceeded to shut the oven off    Who knew what all those dials on the front of the stove were for?  hehehe

This weekend...I am taking Friday off and driving out to Valparaiso, Indiana for a wedding on Saturday.  My favorite travel companions will be going with me....Myself & I.  They are always glad to tag along, even when no one else wants to.  On the way there I am stopping in Paulding, Ohio to spend a couple hours with my friend Pam (Virginia Beach ruiner, Pam), the wedding is on Saturday and then hopefully on Sunday I will meet up with our very own Valreads  for a late lunch on my way home.  The wedding is of a girl I know only on the phone & through email that I work with on the Living Legends Team of Soldiers' Angels.  I'm not real excited about going to the wedding as I don't know anyone, including the bride really, but I'm committed and I have to deliver the gift that our team got together for her, so....I am, however, excited to meet Val.   

Wanna see the gift?  Hmmm...let's see....

Front  of quilt:

Back of quilt

We have a lady who works with the Living Legends team, she makes wallhangings for the children of our fallen Heroes.  We asked her if she could do a quilt for Cathy for her wedding and this took her only 3 weeks.  It's beautiful and Cathy will be thrilled.  If you'd like to see the wallhangings that she makes they are in my photo's in the Living Legends Album.

Well, that's about all I got for today.  I should get some work done around here, I suppose.

You kids have a wonderful Wednesday!!  

Oh, and lost 1 more pound...for a total of 18!

~sigh~

    "I'm ashamed for my country."
   
http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/09/29/film.oliverstone.ap/index.html
    - Oliver Stone

Me too Oliver, but for probably much different reasons from you.

I'm ashamed that my country has become a Balkanized collection of  Hyphenated-Americans demanding special treatment because of their pre-hyphened identities.  We've become a collection of nations within a nation unable to present a united One-America front to people who wish for our destruction.  People want to re-create here the failed societies they fled.

I'm ashamed that the citizenry of the greatest representative republic in the history of the world may be so shallow in thought that an entire election could turn on the sexual perversion of a single member of Congress.   Possibly putting in charge of our country people who resort to such a political tactic because they lack the ideas and intellect required to solve our nation's problems.

I'm ashamed that someone such as you would say that our President has set the country back 10 years, but lack the courage to make a similar comment about the people who wish to turn us and the rest of the world back to the 7th century.

I'm ashamed that one of my country's major political parties would run a political ad about promises broken to Veterans and be as ignorant of our Military as to use in the ad a picture <http://michellemalkin.com/archives/006073.htm> of a Soldier from another country.  I can't think of when I've been more ashamed of and insulted by a political party.  These people tell us they would do it better, but always fail to tell us what it is.  Maybe they intend to out source our defense since they chose the picture of a Canadian Soldier for their ad.

I'm ashamed Oliver when people with the means to help solve problems, such as you, point out all of the world's tribulations, blame them on others, then insist that someone else solve them.  You make millions of dollars and point your finger at poverty and disease asking why someone else hasn't fixed that.  I suppose when you point out a problem for us, you've fulfilled your societal obligations and can feel good then to return to self-worship.

I'm ashamed that people who claim to be patriotic citizens of the United States of America will stand embracing a troll like Hugo Chavez while calling our President a terrorist.

I'm ashamed that I must spend hours reading dozens of versions of the same story in order to collect most of the pertinent facts.  All because there are no media sources I can trust to give me the complete picture.  Reading or listening to the news nowadays is like reading a 9th grade term paper.  The writer or speaker tosses out everything except the one fact that supports his or her position.  I'm ashamed that too many of my fellow citizens accept your words or the words of those who fail to report the whole story to them as the complete truth.

I'm ashamed when our system and our people elect a government and then watch helplessly as the minority party spends every waking hour ensuring that the majority party fails while never considering the impact their idiocy has on common every day people.  Neither the political persuasion of the parties, the needs of our country nor the desires of our people determine what they do, only their minority or majority status does.  I expect it'll take a catastrophic event of proportions most of us can't comprehend to change that.

I'm ashamed that we've killed millions of babies in our country and call it freedom of choice.

I'm ashamed because we've lost common courtesy and respect in our country and we are bringing up an entire generation to act that way.  When is the last time you read a news article referring to the President as something other than a last name, or practically anyone else who has earned a title for that matter?  We wouldn't call our family doctor by his or her last name, but it's OK for our President, Congressman, or whomever.  That's how our children are learning to show courtesy and respect.  When you're child mentions Jones, you may have to clarify whether it's the school principal, your elderly neighbor or one of his buddies.

I'm ashamed that during a time when people wish our destruction and are actively trying to fulfill their wishes, when dangerous regimes are actively pursuing nuclear weapons, when American Soldiers are fighting and dying, when inept politicians have failed for decades to free us from dependence on foreign energy sources, when pork barrel politics are bankrupting our country, when. that the leading news story on every 24 hour news source is about a homosexual Congressman who may or may not have cyber-diddled a homosexual page and whether or not that episode will decide who gets to lead our country.  Frankly, Oliver, I found more substance in student council elections during my brief one-year tour in a public school.

Ashamed Oliver?  Somewhat.

Command Sergeant Major JD Pendry, (US Army Retired)

I believe I forgot to mention that I lost 2  pounds last week.  Total = 17.  Yeah me! 

Only 30 more days and my Nate is again a free agent    No recent news from out west, so....yippee!  He's been walking around with big grins on his face lately.  I reckon he's got a new "friend".  I'm glad someone in my household is grinnin, I just wish it were me.

I went to church yesterday.  It was the first time in a couple months.  I enjoyed the services and my sister & family were there so I wasn't sittin all by my lonesome as I usually do.  I reckon I'll go back next week.

Worked my arse off yesterday weeding the garden that lines the drive.  My drive isn't that long.  I have 2 huge contractor trash bags filled up & sitting on the curb.  Shit-load of weeds!  Now if only Nate would mow.

We've had 3 days (including today) of beautiful blue skies and sunshine.  Not many more days like this left in this year.  I am now trying to figure out what I can do on my lunch hour when it's too cold to go to the park.  If I sit here, I work...for free.  I'm sick of being a non-profit organization.

I really have nothing else.  You kids have a lovely evening ~ You know I will!!  

 I'm in a melancholy mood.....

It's a beautiful, beautiful day in Akron, Ohio....This is what I see from my back porch

This tree in my neighbors yard has always been one of my favorites.  So beautiful every Fall.

This is what I see in my driveway

Look at that happy, smiling face!  

Have I ever told you all how very much I love that kid?  

I've been way busy at work and at home the past couple of weeks.  My boss in going to be gone Monday & Tuesday this coming week, so I'm hoping to be able to catch up with some of MY work since I won't have to do his.  Oh wait, yes, I do have some of his work to do...such as go to the job meeting on Tuesday and do battle with the Architect.  Somehow I have become the mouth piece of the company.  Probably because I am the only one with any balls.

And the only female...how's that work?? 

Home - I've been cleaning up the gardens in the front yard, trying to get ready for Winter.  Everything is such a mess from the whole summer of neglect.  Oh well, no sense crying about it now.  It works out pretty well, I have about an hour of sunlight left when I get home from work, which coincides with the hour it takes for the pain to start down my leg.  Everything has a way of working out, huh?  *L*

Today I've been up since about 7ish.  Dyed my hair, did a few loads of laundry, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the birdcage and vacuumed.  I figure I'll be done with housework in plenty of time in case some surprise phone call comes asking me to do something tonight.  So...if any of you want to do something tonight give me a call at 1-800-call-4fun.  I believe it is as likely that I would hear from one of you, using that number, as it is that I will ever hear from Glenn, using my real number.  

I don't know why God tests my patience...he has known for a million years that I have none.  Sheesh.

Speaking of phone calls....I'm still getting them from the toothless truck driver, who shall be known as TT from now on.  The guy is a glutton for punishment, I swear.  I no longer feel any need to be "nice", so he gets fired upon pretty regularly...and comes back for more.  I guess he figures as long as I pick up the phone, he'll call.  Man!  I finally just told him about the teeth thing...you know me, Ms. Tact - "Jim, how are you gonna go out and meet a woman that you want to date and not have a fuckin tooth in your head??".  So, of course I am shallow because I expect him to be vain enough to worry about teeth.  Whateva, Man.    Teeth are not a luxury, they are a basic...how could he not know that.  So, I only pick up the phone every other day, and sometimes not even then *L*  Yikes.

I placed a call this morning to a man who lost his son in Iraq barely 2 weeks ago.  I was secretly glad when I got his voice mail.  I don't usually call the parents of the Fallen Heroes, but he requested a call, so I screwed up my courage, grabbed a few Kleenex and made the call.  All I can hope is that when he calls back I can keep myself together, listen to him tell me about his son, and not bawl my eyes out.  Sometimes my "jobs" are so overwhelming...sometimes I wish I could stick my head in the sand and ignore everything to do with this war.  But.  I can't.

So, I want to get a few more things done around here so here I go, doing them.  You kids have a marvelous weekend ~ You know I will!!