Wednesday, February 25, 2009

TAKE A LOOK....BREAST CANCER AWARENESS....

cindi, over at WISHING FOR MY TURN (http://wishingformyturn.blogspot.com/2009/02/challengei-dbl-dog-dare-ya.html) is doing a fantastic challenge. she asked me to post something directing each of my readers to her blog to enter this challenge. now i know that some of my readers have had breast cancer, and this may be a little sensitive for you. but if you feel you can, please visit cindi's blog and enter the challenge. she is trying to bring about more awareness for this dreaded disease.

thanks to each of you for reading this, and i hope you will TAKE THE CHALLENGE.

oh, and hey guys, you can do this one toooooo!!

hugs to all.........

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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

LOSING YET ANOTHER AND A TARDY AMBULANCE

well, i guess this ole blog will soon be non-existent. i have noticed that i have LOST another follower. and i am like the skinny person who cannot afford to lose another pound..........i cannot afford to lose another follower. sigh...........

i worked today, but nothing major happened as far as drama. but something bad did happen.

i went to lunch around 2:15 pm. i brought my lunch so didn't need to go out to eat. i sat in the breakroom the whole time, 45 minutes. not once did i hear of anything happening out front. but when i started back to the register, there was something going on out in front of the door. i rushed up to see, and was told that an elderly woman was coming into the building with a younger woman, and the younger woman had opened the door and held it for the older woman, but the older woman tripped on the curb and hit head first into the door. she went down and stayed down. they called 911 immediately and they didn't arrive until 25 minutes later. there were 2 people trying to keep the woman calm, comfortable, and down on her back. an independent ambulance service must have heard the call and rode by to see if a county ambulance had arrived yet, and when they hadn't, she stopped to offer assistance until they did. DD asked me to go and get a bag of ice, so i did. RC asked me to have all customers go out the side door, as well as enter there. i had a volunteer brace open the side door for entrance into the store. the ambulance finally came and took her to the hospital. i tried to get a look at her, but she didn't look familiar to me. poor thing. i just hope she doesn't sue. sigh. but as long as she is ok, i guess that is all that matters.

DD was pacing the floor, not knowing what to do. you could tell he was afraid that someone was going to sue. we got through it all. and the big wigs came today, i guess without warning. they had the CS guys move all the hanging signs from the ceiling to an even line. i call it busy work, lol.

AD's daughter, L'il K. brought her little 8 month old chihuahua today. i don't usually like chihuahuas, but i really bonded with this little one. she is a little pudgy thing, and when i took her in my arms, she snuggled up into my hair and tried to go to sleep. i carried her around like that while i worked, for a little while. she followed me when i put her back into her box. i had to put her back again and close the inner office door. every time she saw me, she would run up to me and beg me to take her. i couldn't resist.

then, one of the CS guys finished his time there, so went home, got his pomeranian, and brought her up there. of course, i had to hold her too, lol. she smelled like a dog, though, l0l. she wasn't as friendly either.

so i guess i dog sat today, l0l. it was fun.

well, i am not feeling well. i have a horrible headache, and for the last 2 days, every time i get a horrible headache, i have a nose bleed. so i am going to go and lay down. the presidente is talking, but i ain't listening.

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Monday, February 23, 2009

PEOPLE NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME....

i figured today would be a dull, quiet day, being monday and us not having any sales at work. man was i ever wrong.

RC worked with me again today. we get along most of the time, and did so wonderfully today. but she did something again today that truly shocked me. now, the RC stands for Resident Christian. she can do no wrong, and never does.......humph.

things were going well in the morning. there were numerous customers milling around, looking at things, talking amongst themselves. one of my favorite customers, P, was there when we opened. shortly after we opened one of the CS guys brought up a brand new DVD player with remote. he placed it on the table up front with the TV's and VCR's. P walked over and said she would like to get that DVD player, as soon as someone priced it. i told P that if no one bought it during the day, i was going to buy it. RC walked over and said she hadn't seen it before, she would take it to the back in a minute and have Miss S. price it.

P walked off and continued shopping. another customer walked up and picked up the DVD player and asked me how much. i called RC over and told her someone else was interested in the DVD player. RC said again that she didn't have any idea how much as she didn't know anything about it, that she would have to take to the back and get a price. in the meantime, one of the 3 women that were together shopping brought a beautiful floral centerpiece over and asked how much. i knew already since dozens of folks had looked at it, but thought it was too pricey. i told her it was $19.99. she went off. omg, no way that is worth that. i made mention that at the craft store where i used to work, one like that would sell for $59.99 or more. she haughtily said, "well send it back to _ _ _ _ _ where it belongs and someone will pay that for it". she then continued to gripe about how high the prices were on things. when RC came back over to the register, i told her that everyone thought the price was too high on the floral piece. well, RC then said "well i am sorry, that is what i was told to price it at, since it is well worth more than that". then the customer said "i guess i am just going to have to stop shopping here, things are too expensive". RC said, "well, if you feel that way, maybe you SHOULD shop somewhere else". well, then all 3 of the customers that were together started mouthing off out loud across the store to each other about how rude RC was. of course, RC took offense since she can do no wrong, and bantered back with them, telling them if they didn't like the prices or the people, they should shop elsewhere...................ruh roh. then, one of the women asked again if anyone was going to price the DVD and RC grabbed it up, took it to the back and got Miss S. to price it. she came back with it priced at $19.99, which, for a brand new DVD player with remote "ain't bad". the woman went off again about the price, and then P came over and told me she would buy it for me and give it to me if i wanted it, and i told her no, i didn't need it. the 3 women started up again.

one woman said she could buy a brand new one still in the box for that price (which she couldn't, unless it would out of rufus's trunk on the corner up the street). RC told her it WAS brand new still in the box, and the customer said "how do you know it was in the box? where is the box?"

ok, this is where RC went off. she said it was in the box in the back, but we don't put out boxes with the merchandise. and if she didn't like the way we priced things, it was best for her and her group to leave. double ruh roh.

the 3 women walked away, got over in a corner and were talking amongst themselves. RC just happened to have to go to that same corner to place some merchandise out, and the women were talking loudly ABOUT RC, but not TO RC. RC wheeled around, said something nasty to the 3 women, and one spoke up and said "i wasn't even talking to you, you need to just shut up!"

ok, it was time for me to go to the back and get something more to drink.........and tell the director that he might want to go up to the front. he said he knew about the situation, that RC had already told him about it. ok. chicken doodoo.

i went back to the front and all 3 of the women came up to me and asked me the "rude" woman's name. well, even though i know they were sorta in the right, i didn't want to be the one to give out her name. so i told them they would have to talk to the director, and i would call him out there if they wanted me to. they did. so...........i called DD on the intercom, asked him nicely to come to the register, and RC walked out of the office where DD was, said he was in a meeting, and did i want her to come assist me with something..............HELL NO, you are the problem. sheeesh. i gave each of the women our business card with our director's name on it and told them they would just have to call him and talk to him about the situation. they all bought something, treated me like a queen, patted my hand and thanked me for being so kind and helpful and they would be back, but only because of the nice way I treated them. whew..........

so once again, it was not ME that caused a problem, it was the one employee one would never think it could be.

sometimes i wish i could find another job, but it would be something as bad or worse no matter where i went. i am just glad to have a job............

oh, by the way, during the melee about the dang DVD, i went over and grabbed it off the table in front of DD, RC and P, and said i would buy the dang thing for the full price on it, for it was well worth it. so when things quieted down, i asked RC to come ring me up for the DVD and she said she was so sick of that dang DVD that i could have it and don't ever mention it again...........

SO I HAVE A BRAND NEW DVD PLAYER AND FOR FREEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

now i have to get some DVD's, lol. i don't have a single one, lol.

the rest of my day went very well. actually, my whole day went well, lol.

thanks for letting me rant and rave over my job. i know you are all tired of hearing about it, but you know, this is my way of venting, and even if i don't get any comments, or only a couple, at least i won't go and kill somebody or something because i did vent and got it out of my system.....

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Sunday, February 22, 2009

WHAT THE.................???

I would be remiss if I didn't ocassionally report the atrocities at work. So, briefly, this is what happened on Saturday.

RC, Miss S., and MW were at work with me. RE, a volunteer who comes in later in the day if he doesn't have to work, loves the Georgia Bulldogs and usually gets all the shirts, caps, belts, etc. that come through the store with the Bulldogs logo.

There is a customer who is a bit pushy about "giving" her things for free or at a greatly reduced price. She and RC are usually close buddies, having been to lunch together numerous times, the customer, Mrs. J. usually buying. Mrs. J. doesn't like MW at all, and vice versa.

Well, Mrs. J. came in, and brought a Georgia Bulldogs jersey up to the counter to show me. It was white, with red accents and the GA Bulldogs logo. It looked brand new, but was the regular shirt price instead of "new shirt" price, so Mrs. J. was ecstatic that she found it. She also found a little breath freshening kit in the back of the store in a little bin where we keep lotions, mouthwashes, etc. She said she was going to buy that and give it to DD, our boss, who we all have to admit has really bad breath.



I was working the register and Mrs. J. was talking to me about different things when RC came up to the register and noticed the shirt. She glared at me (black-eyed glare) and asked why on earth did i think it was right for me to sell that shirt or even offer it to anyone. Mrs. J. was standing right there. I told her that I "didn't offer it", that Mrs. J. said it was on the shirt rack with the other shirts. RC took it away from Mrs. J. and told her it wasn't for sale. I was appalled. If I had been Mrs. J., I would have insisted that I be able to purchase the shirt or there would be H to pay. I had several customers after that, so turned my back to the situation between RC and Mrs. J., but after I finished with my customers, I turned around and apologized to Mrs. J. She shook her head and said she didn't realize she was doing anything wrong. I told her she wasn't, that if an item is hung out on the rack and has a colored tag in the neck, IT IS FOR SALE!! Then Mrs. J. told me that RC even took away the little mouth freshener kit. She said it was in her drawer in the back and she didn't know how it got out on the floor. Sheeeesh!

There has been talk about RC and the male volunteer, RE, having a fling. RC is a hoity toity "Christian Lady" who lost her husband several years back and says she will never love or marry again. Now RE is a whole different ball game, lol. He is a sexual deviant (of course, it is mostly kidding around, but he does love his sex) and though he claims to be a Christian, one can sometimes doubt it. He and RC go out to eat alot, and when asked if they are an item, they say they are just friends. But after the way RC reacted to the new GA Bulldogs shirt which she planned on giving to RE, I have to wonder just what is their relationship. Of course, it is none of my business.............even though RE sends me all the really funny and um, dirty, emails. I know, I shouldn't be that way.

Well, back to work tomorrow to see what else is gonna happen. I am over the flu, but there is a little faery sitting in the back of my throat with a feather, constantly tickling the back of my throat. I wish she would move on...............




Hope everyone out there has a great week.

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Friday, February 20, 2009

PEDIATRICIANS, HAILSTORMS AND VIOLINS

yesterday morning (wednesday) i was watching willard scott do the birthdays of those 100 and over, and just as i stepped into the bathroom, i heard a name that sounded familiar. Dr. Leila Denmark. now, why is this a special name? well, you see, first of all, the woman was 111 years old yesterday. and...........she was my pediatrician. yep, MY PEDIATRICIAN. they announced her name on a nationally syndicated morning show, and she WAS MY PEDIATRICIAN. and she resides in a small town about 10 miles from here. to make this more amazing, about 20 years ago i was in a opthamologist's office in atlanta and i saw a door on my way in that said "Dr. Regina Gabler, OBGYN. Dr. Gabler had been my mother's OBGYN back when i was born in 1954 and was still in practice. i haven't checked lately to see if she is still practicing. the picture they showed on tv of Dr. Denmark showed a woman who was old, but earned every wrinkle by taking care of sick children for nearly 75 years. i was just so elated to see she was still alive.

Leila : The Life, Accomplishments, and Philosophy of Dr. Denmark : The Story of an 89 Year Old Pediatrician Who Is Still Practicing Medicine
Starring:
Leila Denmark Format: VHS

(this was published 22 years ago)

we had the most amazing thunder/hailstorm last night. it was so intense it even brought the downstairs neighbor and me together. i heard the tornado warning sirens downtown. there were 2 of them. one at 6 pm and another 15 minutes later. i knew what was coming next. about 3 minutes after the last siren, the hail started. it pelted the window air-conditioner and the windows, as well as the tin roof. i walked into the kitchen to get something to drink when the wind started blowing sideways. there is already a crack across the lower portion of the window above my kitchen sink, and i was afraid it was going to blow right out into the middle of the floor and hit me. it leaked, but never broke again. the lightning was bright and seemed to be right over the house. i looked downstairs to the front door and there stood my downstairs neighbor. i walked down and we went out on the porch and watched the rain, the wind, the hail, the lightning. after the storm ended we could smell the broken evergreens nearby. the scent of pine needles and sap was amazing. i just soaked up the smell. i also caught the scent of something else. burning wiring. it was coming out of the neighbor's apartment. i went in and checked it out, but nothing. we went back to our own units and that was that. i hate i didn't have my camera with me. the sky was pitch black within seconds of the beginning of the storm, but there was one cloud that hovered over the church across the street from us. the lightning made the cloud dance. it was as if the cloud was a scrim and the lightning a disco light going off behind it. it was a amazing. the picture below was taken by someone living in Fayetteville, about 15 miles to my west. see how big the hail was there?



i would also like to take this opportunity to thank one of my friends, nelishia, for getting me hooked on freecycle. today i picked up a really nice white wood bathroom cabinet that i plan on using in my kitchen, as well as a unique and beautiful amber colored all glass violin lamp. it is exactly like the one pictured below. i haven't purchased a bulb for mine yet, but it is the same as this one.



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Tuesday, February 17, 2009

THE DANGER OF GRANDCHILDREN

one of the numerous new acquaintances i have made in the poetry club i joined is a wonderful irish widower, named shaun. not only is he a very smooth, eloquent and talented poet, he has a hilarious wit about him. he has given me permission to re post a blog entry he made on the poetry site about his day out with his grandson. anyone who has grandchildren and has spent a day out with them will fully identify with him. of course, i am still awaiting the day i will be blessed with grandchildren to spoil and send home. so, please read, and ENJOY!!

The Danger of Grandchildren ( Based on the adventures of Jordan F. )

Having spent two hours shopping in town, I decided to find a cafe where I could relax with a cup of coffee. Against my better judgment I had taken my grandson with me, which was the ultimate reason for the following chaos. Eventually finding what I thought was a suitable place, we went inside and took our seats at a table which had steel chairs fastened to the floor. Why anyone would want to steal these chairs was puzzling, but the fact that they were quite low and two feet from the table raised a question. Was it possible I had perhaps taken a table exclusively reserved for tall portly midgets? As I pondered the situation, nearly ten minutes passed and I began to think that the only way to find a waiter in this establishment would be to hire a private detective!

With all my attention focused on the service counter, I did not notice that my grandson had decided to relieve the boredom by opening a tiny plastic cup of milk which obviously was for the coffee. Unfortunately he had opened most of them and had his side of the table looking like a lake in the middle of winter. He had also opened the little packets of sugar and was now creating what looked like ice crystals on the frozen lake.

Before I could do anything, a youth with an acne scarred face and staring eyes arrived in front of me, looked at the table and asked if we would like anything. I was tempted to say that I would like to be served preferably by someone of my own species who had scrubbed their fingernails that morning, but I resisted the temptation. The alien waiter produced two paper napkins, a plastic knife and spoon, one paper plate and retired to his spaceship with an order of coffee, biscuits and diet coke.

Looking around the cafe and wondering if I had entered another dimension, I suddenly heard the sound of something tearing. My grandson had taken possession of the plastic knife and was proceeding to render the menu card into the smallest pieces imaginable. Now there are two basic types of plastic knife, one of which is blunt and the other serrated. Occasionally the manufacturer gets it wrong and the serrated knife is much sharper than it is supposed to be. No prizes for guessing which knife my grandson had!

The pieces of sliced card had transformed into miniature boats and were now assembled as a flotilla on the frozen lake he had created. Grabbing a plastic knife from a child of three was possibly the biggest mistake I made that day, apart from walking into this cafe. With a squeal that could be heard two streets away, he withdrew the knife blade from my hand, cutting my index finger and I think, narrowly missing a vein in my wrist. Drops of blood joined the boats on the lake and the table now resembled a modern art painting which I attempted to clean with the paper napkins. I do not know how the napkins were manufactured, but it certainly had no effect on the rain forest as they were about two microns thick. I tried in vain to clean the table and smiled softly at the other customers as I squeezed the little hand until it dropped the bloodstained knife.

Soon the alien waiter arrived with the order. As he looked at the table his mouth dropped open, fortunately reminding me to make a dental appointment the next week. He then asked if I would need some more napkins to clean up the mess. I wondered if the cafe would have about ten thousand in stock, which would allow me at least a few centimeters of paper to mop up. Thanking him for his assistance and having done my best to clean the table, I decided with a sense of foreboding to try the coffee. Forgetting that my grandson had destroyed all of the sugar, I promptly emptied two small packets of salt into my coffee and stirred vigorously. As I swallowed the first mouthful I realized there was something terribly wrong and called the waiter. Looking at me through reptilian eyes, he said no one else had any complaints and the coffee was always fresh. With this useless piece of information ringing in my ears he then made a quick getaway. I though perhaps this was a bad dream, I was not really in a cafe, but inside an alien spacecraft with peculiar seating.

I was suddenly brought back to earth as I noticed some dark brown fluid dripping down the back of a customer at the next table. My grandson had obviously developed the art of propelling diet coke through a straw at high velocity. Trying to remain calm in this clear and present danger, I forcibly removed the straw from between the tiny clenched teeth. My grandson having lost the straw was now determined not to lose the glass, which he seized with both hands, spilling the entire contents over the table and unfortunately my trousers. The glass, which now seemed to have a mind of its own, bounced off the table, and smashed into thousands of pieces against the far wall.

As customers dived for cover, the cafe staff having decided I was a reformed lunatic still under psychiatric care, offered more coffee and coke at no charge. The plan was obviously to get me and my demonic grandson out as soon as possible, thus reducing the possibility of bodily injury to innocent customers, not to mention multiple lawsuits.

I declined the offer in fear of what might happen next and decided to leave, as I was not in a financial position to completely refurbish an entire cafe. Making my way past the terrified customers I stopped at the cashier to pay the bill. As I fumbled in my waterlogged trousers for money I quickly learned a scientific fact that not many people know. Diet coke has an incredible shrinking effect on trousers and I was unable to put my hand into my pocket, which now appeared to be about three inches wide. I explained to the suspicious cashier that I had money but it was difficult to produce at this moment. With a sneering grin she replied, “They all say that”. During this embarrassing explanation the problem was quickly resolved as my grandson inserted his hand into my pocket and pulled out a fistful of coins which he then scattered on the floor. Using the best excuse I could find, I informed the cashier that I had a bad back and she could keep the change.

My normal disposition had now suddenly changed to a mixed mode of embarrassment, humiliation and nervous exhaustion. Grabbing the tiny hand, I left the cafe and walked quickly to the car, wondering if this child in future years would become a world renowned painter or demolition expert. As I proceeded with the best speed possible in wet trousers, my grandson attempted to escape from my hold. This he succeeded in doing and as I bent down to catch the elusive hand I unfortunately walked into a telephone pole which some stupid company had obviously put in the wrong place.
Stunned and brought to my knees but still holding the tiny hand in a death grip, I was surrounded by onlookers who enquired about my state of health. As I was unable to speak clearly, a debate began on whether I was epileptic, diabetic or drunk. The biggest insult came from an elderly lady who remarked that I was obviously incontinent!

After a few minutes begging the bystanders not to call an ambulance, I got to my feet and reached my car. However, the person who decided I was drunk in charge of a three year old child was not satisfied and called the police. How I hate cell phones!
The police duly arrived to find me sitting in the car with a large bump on my head, wet trousers, a cut finger and near to tears. After being told to blow into a breath analyzer and walk in a straight line, I replied I could do neither, due to mental and physical injuries, but the police insisted they would have to “look into this”.
As I had only one nerve left and everybody was getting on it, I replied that some workmen were digging a hole in the ground nearby and why did the police not look into that! Within two minutes my car was locked and my grandson and I were conveyed to the nearest police station. I was accused of not providing a breath sample, attempting to drive a car under the influence of drink or drugs and the possibility of child abduction. Following legal representation, medical examination and two finger sutures, I was released without charge. The police against all my protests gleefully telephoned my wife to collect my grandson and what was once a normal human being who had now lost the will to live. When I arrived home I looked into a mirror to examine my head injury. I immediately recognized the face, but I could not remember the name.

Husbands and wives sometimes have different opinions, but on this occasion I totally agreed with her when she said “you will never take this child into town again!’


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Thursday, February 12, 2009

A VERY AMAZING DAY

i had a truly amazing day today.

after having a severe toothache on last thursday and friday, then coming down with the flu friday night and keeping it full strength till tuesday afternoon, i feared today was going to be extremely tough on me. i sat, totally lost, this morning, trying to decide what medicines to take with me to help ease my discomfort while at work today. it all wasn't necessary.

usually after the flu you are debilitated for at least a week, possibly more. you are weak, hungry but have no desire to eat, and feel like you are living your life under a sea of jello.

that was not the case today. i got up 30 minutes earlier to insure i was going to be able to get everything done and to work on time. i was showered, dressed and sitting at the computer 35 minutes too early to go to work. sigh.............

when i got to work i saw that only MW, EJ, AD, DD, and YO were working today besides me. that usually means that EJ wouldn't be there until at least 10 instead of her scheduled 9 am. MW would be barking at me and everyone else all day because that is just her mean spirited way. DD would hide from everyone all day by "running errands", "taking important calls" (on his cell phone). YO would still be sore from having her gall bladder taken out just a few days ago so would be barking at everyone as well. and it was intake day, which is the only day each month that we accept calls from the general public requesting emergency help with their mortgage, rent, utility bills, medication, etc. so the phones would be ringing off the hook and AD would be assisting them. i almost turned around and left, saying i suddenly didn't feel well, lol.

for starters, i arrived at the same time DD did. he walked me into the building talking niceties to me, asking how i felt, and telling me about his recent vacation cruise to haiti and around that area out of the keys in florida. once inside, i noticed one of my favorite community service workers was there (she is preggers), so that was a plus. YO spoke, asked me how i was feeling, and we talked about her surgery, all in a friendly manner. so far so good. MW came out and she spoke. she mentioned that there wouldn't be anyone to help me with long lines since there was only the one girl, but we would be able to get through it all ok. mmmmmm. then AD came in and hugged my neck, asked how i was feeling and showed me her horrible spider bite that has her right arm swollen up in the bite site really bad. not long after, EJ showed up for work.........not on time, but not an hour late, either. things were looking up.

i told my boss i would need to have my chair back at the counter for i would be very weak and would need to sit a lot. i think i sat down maybe 3 times all day. i had an abundance of energy, never once felt any "flu-like" pain and coughed very little. my customers were very nice, some said they had missed me and no one seemed to fear that i might pass on the old flu bug to them. i assured them i was no longer contagious.

i only had one small problem with a woman who "walked in" to see AD for an appointment and we don't take walk-ins. i tried to explain that to her, and she started getting an attitude. she said she had called for the last hour and no one answered. i told her that for some reason one of our lines was offline, so we only had the one line coming in, and that AD was taking all those calls, and when the money ran out, it was gone. she huffed, said it wasn't fair, demanded to see AD and looked like she was going to go off on me, and do me bodily harm. now i realize where she probably was. she was more than likely about to be evicted or have something shut off or both, but rules are rules, and i was told by AD herself that she WOULD NOT TAKE WALK-INS. i sorta feared the woman would turn around and attack me. some of the CS guys were standing around, so as the woman neared the door, i said sorta loudly, BODYGUARDS!!! BODYGUARDS!! the woman left and the guys just laughed at me. some help they were, lol.

around lunchtime my downstairs neighbor came into the store. she spoke to me first, seemed very happy to see me, and started talking up a blue streak. it was as if she had never stolen from me and we had never had words. i actually was happy it turned out that way. she saw a blouse she liked and asked me if i thought it was her.........i said yes, and told her to try it on. then EJ came up and relieved me for lunch so i didn't see my neighbor again when i got back.

i went to mrs. winners for lunch and enjoyed my fried chicken wings. i came back to work and the rest of the afternoon went very smoothly.

we closed at 5, i finished up counting the drawer, putting up the money in the safe, and i clocked out and went home. when i pulled up to my house, there was a tractor part of a tractor-trailer rig parked directly in front of my driveway. i sat behind him for a few seconds, then blew my horn. he sat there looking at me out his window like "WTF do you want?". i kept blowing till he finally got the message and moved up. i pulled into the drive. i had decided before leaving work that i was going to do something nice. my neighbor hadn't bought the blouse, so i took it home to her. i pulled around back to see if she were home and she walked up from around front while i was at her door. i gave her the blouse and she said that was such a sweet gesture. she HAD tried it on, and it was a little snug. but i told her to do with it whatever she pleased, it was hers.

we stood there leaning on my car for about 30 minutes "catching up" on all we have missed by not talking to each other. she was very nice, and i was too. she mentioned how she has grown less and less fond of our landlord, the mayor, and how she wished she had never let him bully her into getting rid of her kitty. i thought maybe she had found out about my kitty and was trying to get me to confess. but it was only because all my wild kitties were gathering around us while we talked waiting to be fed by me. it made her miss her kitty.

i explained to her about the way the landlord tried to get me to pay the $60 gas deposit again, and she needed to check her own bill to see if he tried to do it to her as well. she thanked me.

we finally ended the conversation because she was headed to church. it was actually nice. i still don't fully trust her, but it is a great start.

now, i left this part of the conversation out so that i could add it separately. this is rather funny. part of our discussion was about ghosts. she is really spooked (no pun intended) about strange noises she cannot explain. first of all, she knows that i believe that the landlord's mother, who died in the downstairs hallway, is still here with us. so, my neighbor asked me if i ever hear things. i told her i do, but i usually can explain them away. she told me this funny story.

she and her grandson were in the kitchen saturday evening after dark fixing something to eat. suddenly she heard someone say "OHHHHHHHHH". she couldn't tell if male or female, and it was not really a ghostly chanting, but just like someone in the room was sighing from being tired or sick or something. she said the hair on her arm stood up and she turned to her grandson, who i believe is near 10, and asked him if he had heard something. he said yep, he had. she asked what. he said it sounded like someone said "OHHHHHHHHHH". she said she knew then she had heard a ghost or something. that is why she was in such a hurry tonight to get to church to ask her pastor about it. being Christians, why were she and i experiencing ghosts?

i didn't say anything to her about it, but when i got back up to my part of the house, i sat and thought about what she had heard. what could it have been.........in other words, what normal occurance could it have been? then i remembered that on saturday i was hurting soooooo badly from the flu, that when i went into the bathroom (which is right over her kitchen area) and sat on the porcelain throne, i "OHHHHHHED". the pain from going from standing to sitting and crushing my fever-inflamed organs together was so intense, i had to yell out. now........this may or may not have been the sound she heard, but i am willing to bet the 2 cents that i have that it was. i am just going to sit back and enjoy it.

oh, i hate the fact that she smokes so heavily at night and it comes into my apartment. she told me tonight she was trying to quit, and was down to 1 pack a day now. she also asked me not to mention to the landlord that she smoked. i am sure he knows it, since it reeks of cigarette smoke down there.

i have more stuff to relate, but i am tired, sleepy and have already written a book, so better sign off.

nite nite.............

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

DO I HAVE TO???



i don't WANT to go back to WORK!!! you can't make me!! this is illegal, put me down, let go of me............i WANT to be lazy!!!! i am USED to being lazy!!!!

it is official, i go back to work tomorrow. my fever is gone, but now the coughing has started. i guess i am not contagious, but i HAVE to go back to work. i have to feed, clothe, and house myself. well, i could depend on another, but that wouldn't be fair either.

anywho, for all of you out there (you know who you are) who have sent me comments and emails of well wishes, thanks so much. i just haven't been THAT sick for many years.

just remember, one never knows what tomorrow holds, so hug and kiss someone you love tonight and tell them you love them (BUT WEAR A FACEMASK!!!).

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A ONE DAY REPRIEVE


(i'm feeling well enough for a date!!)


slowly but surely i am beginning to feel human again. today i took a chair out on my little back porch and sat in the sun for about an hour. my wild kitty, gray, came up and graced me with her presence, in need of something to eat. she had been in a fight lately, for the scars were showing on her side. she is such a loving little thing, i wish i could tame her and afford to take her to the vet and have everything done to make her a housecat. but i am sure miss coatie wouldn't care much for that. so, hopefully, gray will be smart enough to avoid fights in the future.

sitting in the sun made me feel better. my temps still ran in the 100 range, but i didn't have the really achy feeling i had been having. and i am starving, which is a good sign. all i could think about today was getting some of those almost orgasmic onion rings my friend brought me at work that day. but i knew greasy food wasn't what i needed. and i am still not strong enough to get in the car and go get them.

i called my boss on his cell today and got his voicemail. but he never called back. i found out later that he still wasn't back from his vacation and didn't have a signal. i then tried to call RC around 7 to see what she thought i should do about tomorrow. i need to work, and i know they need me, but if i am running a fever and still have the flu, i am endangering everyone around me, and we have a lot of elderly customers. RC wasn't home. so i tried calling my boss again and got him. he wasn't even aware i was out of work on saturday with the flu, lol. he said not to come in if i was still sick. a little while later, RC called me back and told me the same thing. she also told me that MW was going to go and sit down with the boss tomorrow and tell him that KW, the newest employee, wasn't worth a dang, and she needed to go. see what i miss when i am not there?? all i know is that she didn't seem the least bit concerned about me being sick when i called in that saturday. just miffed she would have to pull more than her share of the load. RC said that she went home early today saying she had gone to the dentist and things didn't go well so she wasn't coming back in today.

so, i guess i better get my act together before wednesday, for i will have to work 4 days in a row to make up for time off.

i think i am going to actually try to drive to sonic tomorrow and get me something to eat and drink. i might even go over to uncle sam's and get some of those orgasmic onion rings, lol.

thanks to all who have offered me words of encouragement during my illness. you just don't know how much it means.

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Sunday, February 8, 2009

THE CAVALRY ARRIVED TODAY



yippee, the cavalry came today............

i called my daughter to ask her if she would bring me some fried chicken from Mrs. Winners. i had already eaten the few things that were easy to fix in the kitchen, and was down to stuff i had to stand and cook, and knew that wasn't going to happen. she said she would be glad to.

when she arrived an hour later, she had the chicken AND 2 boxes of flu meds, one for daytime, one for nighttime. and i didn't even ask her for meds.........but she brought them AND wouldn't let me pay her for anything. seeeeee, she did listen to me when i was raising her. she is a good kid, really. and i truly love her. we just went through some hard times for about 4 years.

i am finally sweating (i know, WTMI) so i guess that is good. i have been fighting 101.9-102.6 temps all day. and i only have one more day off work, so i gotta get to feeling better. if i don't get rid of this fever, i AM NOT going to work. i cannot even stand up for more than 5 minutes, and today is the first day i have been out of the bed for more than an hour at a time.

hopefully i am on the mend.................

i need a hot toddy........

Saturday, February 7, 2009

I'VE BEEN BITTEN

well gang, the old flu bug has taken its toll. my temp earlier today had shot up to 101.9, which for me is 4.3 degrees of fever. i am taking ibuprofen, and have some other items to take before bed, but i cannot even sit up long enough to write anything, and my hands are typing something entirely different than what my fevered brain are telling them to. so not sure if i will be around tonight to post or read and comment. if my fever breaks and i feel better, i might see you. otherwise, goodnight for now...............

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzz

FLU AND PICTURE POSTS

just wanted everyone to know how miserable i am..............you know, misery loves company!!

i have the flu. first time in 43 years. and i know where i got it.......from work.....grrrrrrrrrr.

i also wanted to let you each know that i have posted 2 blogposts with some outstanding and amazing pictures. the entries are:

http://apageunturned.blogspot.com/2009/02/gods-amazing-creatures.html

and

http://apageunturned.blogspot.com/2009/02/northern-lights-and-ice-crystal-rainbow.html

if you haven't already visited, i would suggest taking a peek.

ok, off to bed i go..........i have to get up early to call in sick to work............then back to bed........

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Friday, February 6, 2009

PUBLIC TOILET SEATS

the following is not of my own writing. it is something i found back in 2004 on a joke site and couldn't wait to post it to my then journal, SEDUCTION OF LIFE. as i was looking over some of my older entries, i came across this and decided it was high time to share it again with my new readers. so if you have seen or heard it before, forgive me. i feel it is well worth a second or third read, as it not only is hilarious, but so very true...........enjoy.



my mother was a fanatic about public toilets. as a little girl, she would bring me in the stall, teach me to wad up toilet paper and wipe the seat. then she'd carefully lay strips of toilet paper to cover the seat.




finally, she would instruct, "never sit on a public toilet seat, for a bad lady might have just used this toilet." and then she would demonstrate "THE STANCE", which consisted of balancing over the toilet in a sitting position without letting any of your flesh make contact with the toilet seat. by this time i would have peed down my leg, and we would go home.




that was a long time ago. i've had lots of experience with public toilets since then, but i am still not particularly fond of public toilets, especially those with the powerful red-eye sensors. these toilets know when you want them to flush. they are psychic toilets. but i always confuse their psychic ability by following my mother's advice and assuming "THE STANCE."




"THE STANCE" is excruciatingly difficult to maintain when one's bladder is especially full.
this is most likely to occur after watching a full-length feature film. during the "movie pee" it is nearly impossible to hold "THE STANCE."




you know what i mean. you drink a two-liter cup of diet coke, then sit still through a three-hour saga because, for goodness sake, even if you didn't wipe or wash your hands in the bathroom, you'd still miss the pivotal part of the movie, or the scene where they flash the leading man's naked derriere.




so, you cross your legs, and you hold it. and you hold it till that first credit rolls and you sprint to the bathroom, about ready to explode all over your internal organs.




at the bathroom, you find a line of women that makes you think there's a half-price sale on mel gibson's underwear in there. so, you wait, and smile politely at all the other ladies, also crossing their legs and smiling politely. and you finally get closer. you check for feet under the stall doors. every one is occupied. you hope no one is doing frivolous things behind those stall doors, like blowing her nose, or checking the contents of her wallet.




finally a stall door opens and you dash, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall. you get in, to find the door won't latch. it doesn't matter. you hang your handbag on the door hook, yank down your pants and assume "THE STANCE." relief. more relief.




then your thighs begin to shake. you'd like to sit down but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "THE STANCE" as your thighs experience a quake that would register an eight on the richtor scale.




to take your mind off it, you reach for the toilet paper. might as well be ready when you are done. the toilet paper dispenser is empty. your thighs shake more. you remember the tiny napkin you wiped your fingers on after eating buttered popcorn. it would have to do. you crumple it in the puffiest way possible. it is still smaller than your thumbnail.




someone pushes open your stall door because the latch doesn't work and your pocketbook whams you in the head. "occupied!" you scream, as you reach out for the door, dropping your buttered popcorn napkin in a puddle and falling backward, directly onto the toilet seat.




you get up quickly, but it is too late. your bare bottom has made contact with all the germs and life forms on the bare seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper, not that there was any, even if you had had enough time to. and your mother would be utterly ashamed of you if she knew, because her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because frankly, "you don't know what kind of disease you could get."




and by this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused, that it flushes, sending up a stream of water akin to a fountain and then it suddenly sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged to china.




at that point, you give up. you're finished peeing. you're soaked by the splashing water. you're exhausted. you try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket, then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.




you can't figure out how to operate the sinks with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past a line of women, still waiting, cross-legged and unable to smile politely at this point.




one kind soul at the very end of the line points out that you are trailing a piece of toilet paper on your shoe as long as the mississippi river. you yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand, and say warmly, "here, you might need this."




at this time, you see your spouse, who has entered, used, and exited his bathroom and read a copy of war and peace while waiting for you. "what took you so long?" he asks, annoyed. that's when you kick him sharply in the shin and go home.




this is dedicated to all woman who have ever had to deal with a public toilet. and it finally explains to all you men why it takes us so long.




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GOD'S AMAZING CREATURES

Do you know what these are?? They surround this boat with their beauty, like golden leaves that have fallen from the tree into the water..................



These are Golden Stingrays. They are in migration.





Amazing, aren't they??
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NORTHERN LIGHTS AND ICE CRYSTAL RAINBOW OVER YUKON, CANADA

ice crystal rainbow (over yukon, canada)


northern lights














beautiful displays of God's handiwork.
hope you enjoy!
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Thursday, February 5, 2009

COLD!!!!! AND POETRY

hello everyone..........you are going to hear something i have never said before (well, maybe only once or twice in my lifetime, lol)..........I AM COLD!!!

i always brag about never turning on my heat because i like the cold AND i like to save money. so, last night it was going to be a very cold night. the forecast was temps in the middle teens, with very high velocity winds making it a wind chill factor of near zero. i like cold, but i am no fool. we went to bed with the gas furnace set on low (i usually just use the pilot light for heat) and curled up under the bunches of cover. coatie was on her heating pad and wouldn't budge from that spot. i fell asleep quickly (i sleep better cold) and awoke near dawn. i rolled over and went back to sleep and when the alarm went off at 8 am, i bounced out from under the covers and my naked feet hit the hardwood floor and MAMA MIA!!!!!!!!!! i thought my feet were going to freeze to the floorboards. i jumped up and grabbed some warm clothing and house shoes and ran to the bathroom. now i only thought it was cold in my bedroom. the bathroom was worse. my fanny froze to the toilet seat. when i went back into the bedroom i felt something wasn't right. usually the pilot light on the furnace keeps it a decent temp in the room, even on cold nights. an example: if it is 15 outside, it is usually 28 inside. so if i want it to be around freezing or higher, i have to turn the furnace from pilot to 1 or 2.

i went to the furnace and reached around back and turned it up.........nothing happened. so i looked at the front and there was no pilot light. ok, how long had this been out?? obviously after going to bed. it was on when i went to bed. i don't know how it would do it, but since the wind was so high last night, maybe it caused it to blow out or sucked it back through the line. not sure, but either way, it was out. i didn't have time to relight it (a feat i haven't mastered). so i tried to shut it off completely and wasn't able to do so. so i cut it down to off so that it wouldn't feed gas into the furnace.

i worried all day that my cat would be asphyxiated while i was at work. when i got home i was glad to see she was fine and the place hadn't burned down or exploded.

i was going to relight the furnace after i ate supper, but got out another electric space heater and set it up in the room in front of the furnace, so with the 2 heaters going, it is fine in here (around 48 degrees). when i go to bed i will shut off the 1 in front of the furnace and keep the 1 next to the bed.

i worked today and there was some drama, but not enough to worry about. i did have a couple of customers that came in and wanted me to put a sold sign on a piece of furniture and when i told them i couldn't do that unless it was paid for, the mother (around 70) said ok, she would do that, but her daughter (around 45) said i was being rude and they shouldn't buy anything. it was too high priced anyway. i just ignored everything the daughter said and kept being nice to the mother and other customers.

there was a rocking cradle for sale and the daughter and the mother asked me about it. they wanted me to come down on the price since the daughter said that piece of furniture had been there for months. i told her it had just come in the day before because i helped put it together. she started to argue with me so L'il K went over and looked at the date on it, and it was the 3rd, yesterday (hahahaha). they bought it and i called community service guy R up to help them put it in their car. i was telling him how to dismantle it, and then i thought he was one of the ones who helped put it together yesterday, and when i asked him if he had helped put it together, the daughter haughtily and loudly said "i thought you said YOU put it together!" i looked her in the eye and told her "no, i said i HELPED put it together". B*TCH!

i found out later that she had asked L'il K if i was the manager. and she had asked R who i was and that she didn't like me at all. ok, sweety, the feeling is definitely mutual. my favorite part was when she came up to the counter and asked me where i was from. i told her i was born and raised in georgia and lived there all my life. she just humphed. grrrrrrrrrrrrr. she thought she was going to get to say "oh you are from the north, no wonder i don't like you" lol.

community service guys, R and S, hung out up front with me most of the afternoon because MW left to go see a house she wants to buy (second time she had left the premises for over an hour) and EJ left for lunch, leaving me there by myself except for the 2 cs guys. 2 suspicious men came into the store so i asked the guys to stick around. R would have taken them both out if i had asked him to. S might have run, lol. i ended up not having any trouble out of either of the men.

i had something really interesting happen to me online tonight. the poetry group that i have been talking about sends out emails for every time someone makes a blog entry or comments on someone's poetry/prose. i had an email marked "FOR REGINA". i was sure it was meaning me, but i opened it to see. a guy from the group who lives in pennsylvania had written me a poem. it was really sweet, but very inventive, since he doesn't know anything about me, lol. i asked him why he had chosen to write ME a poem and he said he thought i had wanted him to. not sure where he got that idea, other than i comment on how well he writes poetry. it was still nice, though.

i must go and catch up on blog reading. i am not really sleepy, so might get it all caught up with tonight. keep warm my friends.
Get This from CyArena.com


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Tuesday, February 3, 2009

A TALE OF ONE KITTY

it is late, i am tired and sleepy, but before i forget, i have, i HAVE to relate this story.

as most of you know, my kitty Coatie is treated like a princess. if i see something at work that i think she will like, or even in the retail stores, if i have the money i will buy it for her.

recently a little foam bed with a sheepskin cover was up for sale at work. i grabbed it, thinking my baby girl would love to curl up in it due to it being small and would surround her nicely, making her feel secure. ok, i found out that MW from work had purchased (yeah, likely story) the bed, took it home for her dog, a pompom, who wouldn't have anything to do with it, so she brought it back to the store and put it out. she claims to have washed it before bringing it back, but it still smelled terribly of cigarettes.

when coatie wouldn't have anything to do with the bed on her own, i tried putting her in it. ok, i should have known better. she really hates it now, since i tried to force her into it. so, i figured i would trick her into liking it. i put all her really cool toys into the bed. mice, feathered critters, balls, etc. then i placed the bed on the foot of my bed, right next to the heating pad covered in a sweater and pillow shams where coatie now sleeps. i turned my back to her and the bed, got online to check mail and other things, turned around about 5 minutes later and all the toys were missing out of the little bed. they weren't on the bed or surrounding the little bed and they weren't on the floor. i got up to go over and look for them and noticed the little purple sweater i put over the heating pad was rolled up. i pulled back the sweater and voila......there were all the toys. i didn't believe that coatie had done this on purpose, that it was just a fluke, so i put all the toys back into the little bed and turned away, sneaking a peek out of the corner of my eye. sure enough, coatie reached over with a paw, swiped at a toy, clawing it over onto the sweater. then another toy, then another, until they were all out and on the sweater. then she took her paw and rolled the sweater back over the toys. i didn't have enough battery power in my digital camera to make a little video of this, but took some pics. i haven't downloaded them to my computer yet, but i do have proof that she did this. it was so hilarious. little sneak.

it is cold and windy here in my neck of the woods. it is going to be in the teens tonight and even lower with the wind chill factor. brrrrrrrrrrr. glad i have lots of cover on the bed.

work was usual today..........drama drama drama. MW wasn't even at work today, but managed to come in and stir things up. she was going to meet a real estate lady to look at a house and came by there to "visit". while she was there, AD confronted her about something that was said that pointed to AD being a thief. of course, even though "I" heard MW say it, she denied it to AD.

then, when it was time to leave today, KW, who is always ready to leave right at or right before 5 pm, allowed one of her friends to hang out in the store and call his wife on his cell and have her come up and look at a piece of furniture we had. i had to go and visit MM, a little older woman who volunteers and i had to take her some things that she had to leave yesterday due to walking home. so i told KW i was going to have to leave, and i talked RE in to staying with her. so now, i am sure that KW will not be nice to me anymore due to me having to leave.

RC bought Miss S and me a fish sandwich today. she went to long john silver's. it was good, but made my tummy hurt.

well, i cannot see to type anymore, since i am so sleepy. so better post and run to the bed.

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Sunday, February 1, 2009

MY NEW BIKE........(made ya look)

do me a favor and go to the bottom of my blog page (on the actual blog itself) and check out my new bike.......i hope you like it...........

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all the way to the bottom of the blog page.........

A VERY PLEASANT EXPERIENCE




ok, after this post, i am going to shut up about losing readers. i appreciate all that have visited of late and either did or didn't leave comments. but i know it is time to cease the talk when i have a visit from an italian gal. she left her comment in english, and asked me to visit her blog. when i got there, it was in italian. michael is italian, but doesn't speak it. i know ciao, and that is about it, lol. so, to the lovely young lady who commented, i am sorry, but i won't be adding your journal to my list of must reads. but i am glad you visited mine.



i just heard something i haven't heard in the almost 3 years i have lived in this house......A DOG BARKING! most of the houses in this area are boarding or rooming houses or elderly people live here and don't have a fenced in yard for dogs. if anyone has a pooch, it is an indoor one, and probably a yapper. but this was a deep voiced doggy. like maybe a german shephard. it took me by surprise immediately. it may have been a stray runaway and came across one or two of my kitties and that is why it was barking. it is now silent, so i guess it went on its way.



i had a wonderful experience today. as i have mentioned before, i am a member of the yahoo group, freecycle (thanks ne). today i went to pick up some women's clothing that one of the freecyclers offered me after it wasn't picked up by someone else who wanted it. i pulled up directions on mapquest (which is usually a big mistake) and headed that way a little before noon. the directions had stated that parts of the road were dirt/gravel. after getting there, it was ALL dirt/gravel. once, i was almost run over by a bubba redneck in his pickemup truck. as soon as he got off my tail and spun around me, throwing gravel into my grill, he turned into a driveway of what i guess was his house. now why couldn't he have waited 2 seconds more and not have created a dust and gravel screen? i am a born and raised southerner, right here in the state of georgia, but i still can't fathom the mentality of the redneck.



anywho........i eventually found the house where i was to pick up the items. it was a newer home, sitting way back off the dirt road and having much land around it, part woods and part lawn. there was a really big front porch. usually the freecyclers will leave the items to be picked up on their front porch, but there was nothing there, so i rang the bell. a nice looking older man came to the door and when i told him who i was, he said that would be his wifes department. he then invited me into their absolutely beautiful home. now, you have to get a mental grip on this picture........i was wearing my dead rock star black t-shirt, a black scull cap pulled down over my ears to keep the wind out, and looked sorta like a homeless person, lol. and this wonderful man opened his door to me. now that is either faith or stupidity. either way, i met his wife, she got the clothing for me and i shook their hand, talked to them about someone else i knew years ago that lived on their road somewhere, and come to find out, that very woman and her family lived right across the street from this couple. small world. i thanked them for the clothing and their kindness, and went on my way. it was a really good experience for me. especially since the woman came across as sorta snubby in the emails. after meeting her, i think it is because she doesn't type very well, so doesn't type very much, just what is needed to place the ad, or post it has been taken.



i stopped at taco bell on the way home to get a taco salad and when i got home, i thought about the last one i had back when i ate in candlelight and it was so good. it was daylight, so i couldn't darken the room to eat this one. and sure enough, it wasn't as good. but i know why....i have either a sinus infection or a cold. my head was stopped up and i couldn't taste my food. sigh.



i have been blessed with a fairly steady wifi signal for the last few days. i hope it continues. i still have some problems with the screen freezing and other small things, but all in all, it has been great. i used to have to go through hundreds of emails to empty my box, but now, i can answer them as they come online. i have one waiting for me to read right now.....



once again i have typed too much. i need to get into bed as i have another pickup to do tomorrow of some freecycle items. this one is at least on paved roads, lol.



ciao!





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