Blogger doesn't listen

I told it THREE TIMES to make those pictures small!

I've been looking so long at my pictures of you

Finally D is starting to email our trip pictures to me!

Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip

I'm in allergy hell. Seriously bad allergy hell. I can not breathe. I'm stuffed up with a runny nose. I've taken a ton of Benadryl and Sudafed and Alka Seltzer Plus and whatever that shit in the medicine cabinet here at work is. I've inhaled out of my new "Clear My Head" inhalation jar I got from the Spa Box (got a gift cert for my birthday from my favorite tea hag!) Nothing is helping!
I called Dr. Yummy's office and they're going to call in some Singulair and some Flonase but I can't pick it up until after work. This so sucks.
Oh and get this shit...I've been gaining weight, about 8 lbs since my vacation and was FREAKING OUT about it because I'm tracking my diet at Spark People and I'm staying well within the recommended calorie range to LOSE weight on most days and yet I'm still packing on the pounds. I was getting really upset about it and so I thought "what's different, what could be causing this" and I did a little Googling. Would you believe it's the Benadryl? Which, I've been taking daily since the start of our vacation. Son of a Bitch! So, no more freaking Benadryl for me!

Clipboards

We have a wall of clipboards in the breakroom where the guys all keep their time sheets. Sometimes I have to attach messages or envelopes to their clipboards. I'll reach up and grab the clipboard and invariably a pencil falls out and sometimes their eye goggles (which they should be wearing) fall off, too.
It really pisses me off that no matter how many times I try I can not successfully manage a clipboard without dropping a pencil.

I wanna hear you scream.......

Saturday morning D had to go into work at 3 am. He decided to come kiss me goodbye but waited until he was right over my sleeping self to say anything. I screamed bloody murder.
Guess that answers my question about whether I'd be to paralysed to scream if anyone ever attacked me in my bed.

Was that an apology?

Last night N left her W-2 with a note saying "I'm sorry. I should have just let you do my taxes to begin with, I love you"

I guess she's sorry she accused us of stealing her tax refund.

Should have expected this

Nothing ever goes as planned. Sugar hates the new cat and keeps attacking her. The new cat keeps hissing at Ricky and has the bizarre habit of rolling around in the cat box which gets cat litter everywhere!
Hopefully they will all learn to at least accept each other's place in the house. I was sure hoping they'd get along better.

Cricket

Yesterday, D and I went out in search of a new cat. I thought that I'd never want another cat when Huevos died but amazingly, I wanted one almost immediatly. I have so much kitty love in my heart and need kitties to give it to. D really wanted a kitten but I thought a little bit older would be easier on everyone. I hope I made the right choice.
We went to Petsmart and looked. I really wanted this one cat that had an eye problem and needed surgery but my budget wouldn't allow that. I did pay an extra $20 to help with her surgery. Then we found Cricket who licked both me and D on the hands when we petted her. Her foster mom said she'd never done that before. She'd only been in foster care about 10 days, before that she was on the street and had gotten hurt on her leg but she's better now. We didn't her then, I had to go to my hair cutting appointment and work on D. After the hair cut he was ready to go, he even said she could sleep with him! (she didn't, she slept with me, of course).
So far she's very loving and sweet to me and D but not so much with the other animals, it's going to take her awhile to adjust and for them to get used to her. I hope her and Ricky and Sugar will learn to be friends. Ricky's been really lonely since Huevos died and Sugar really misses Patchouli so hopefully Cricket can fill the void for both of them. But, if not, that's ok because she's filling the kitty shaped hole in my heart.
If you can't tell from the picture, she's bluish grey and peachish tan, very unique coloring.

Why I haven't posted pictures from my trip yet

D used his work camera to take the pictures. We don't have the d/l software at home, he has it at work and he hasn't emailed me the freaking pictures yet! I'm going to beat him up about it and see what I can do.

Ya'll are my dearest friends, right?

So you promise not to laugh at me when I tell this story, right?

Yesterday I wore to work the same shirt I wore to the fondue restaurant we took N to for her bday the night before. (OVERPRICED). Apparently I had dropped a glob of swiss cheese on the front of said shirt and didn't see it until yesterday afternoon. When I did see it I thought "oh, I'll just pick it off" and proceeded to try to get the dried up cheese off my shirt. Only one piece flew up and hit me in the eye!! My good eye, too. If it had blinded me my mom would have been pissed as hell but what am I supposed to do, wear goggles all the time?
Would have been a funny story to tell at blind school though.

BBQ

On the way home from North Carolina, we stopped in Memphis and had some BBQ at Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ. It was some of the best I've ever had! The baked beans were beyond good.
So, now I'm craving BBQ. I think I'll make it for poker night. Maybe I can talk D into smoking a pork roast for me so I can make pulled pork?
Anyone have any secret bbq sauce recipes to share?

20 Second Kiss

There was a post on one of the message boards I belong to about how kissing for 20 seconds can help renew the passion in your marriage. Always game for more passion D and I tried it last night.
The first kiss, I started laughing my ass off while kissing him and trying to count to 20 on my fingers behind his back. The second kiss I had to stop and tell D it wasn't supposed to be tongue Olympics, just a kiss, which cracked us both up. And the third kiss, D started laughing because he was thinking about the tongue Olympics.
Laughter is good for a marriage, too, right?

Medicine saves the day

A nameless friend gave me some Zofran for nausea and I took it last night. Within an hour I was much better except for a headache. I've gotten chils/hot flashes all night. I wonder if I'm sick or starting menopause?

Ever been here?

Medieval Times Home Page

N's been wanting to do this for her birthday for a couple of years. Anyone ever been?

It's back

I've been doing well with the tummy issue, even through the stress of the trip I was only sick 1 time and I ate a TON (gained 6 lbs). So, I thought maybe the gastroparesis was going to disappear.
I just threw up the soup I ate 4 hours ago. The pureed vegetable soup that should have been well digested by now. I hate this shit.

Monday

The Monday after a vacation always sucks. It's an unbreakable law of the universe. Even though my boss was also on vacation there's still a TON of catching up to do.
Of course, I really don't feel like working, neither does he. We spent about an hour chatting about our trips. He LOVED the gift I got him, which is a good thing since it was expensive. I got it in Wilmington, a brass and word card case, made with all the exotic woods we use here at work and then some. He was also pleased that I enjoyed the book he lent me for the trip so much that I bought and read the sequel so now he can read it, too. (Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes and 'Tis, they ROCK, especially if you're an Irish alcoholic like me).
I was sick yesterday. I'm not sure if it was allergies combined with stomach bugs or if I just cried so much I made myself sick. I cry every time I lie down. I hope it gets better soon.
I'll write about my trip and post pictures as soon as things slow down at work. My computer at home is on it's last legs and pictures might kill it.

Lone Survivor

I was just lying there, petting Ricky, when it dawned on me what a survivor he is. When I divorced my ex we had 3 cats and 2 dogs. Then I got A a puppy so when I moved in with him I had 3 dogs and 3 cats (never get someone you might move in with an animal!)
When I quit my job, sold my house and moved to BFE with A at 9 months sober, I had to finish my last 3 days at work after I moved my stuff. A's only responsibility was to get the animals from where he was living to where we'd be living together while I finished up at work. He had this asshole friend, we'll call him "George" who was supposed to help with that. So, I work my 3 days and drive down to BFE to find that all but 1 of the animals went missing in the woods because George let them out.
The first day, Ricky, Missy (best dog in the world) and Viscous (the pom I had before Sugar) came running to the car. The next day Huevos and Whatcha (puppy I got A) showed up. Fanny, the wild tailess cat I'd gotten to kill mice at my job and who'd gotten fired because she couldn't kill a mouse and she sneeze all over the blue prints, never showed up. When I first got Fanny she was so wild I had to pet her with a fly swatter or she'd claw me. Her tail was missing because she lived in a parking garage and it had gotten caught in an engine and turned gangrenous. When she was rescued they gave her a tailectomy and named her "Fanny Bob". She'd pull all the hair out of her tail and it would mix with her sneezy snot and it was just disgusting. So, she got fired and I brought her home. I had to keep her out in the garage. She was a truly evil cat. I followed the instructions in the book "The Little Prince" on how to tame and eventually she became the princess of the house. My ex had even built some shelves with a cut out for her in front of a window in the house I stupidly sold. It broke my heart when she disappeared. I guess she turned wild again in those woods. I went back every day for months on end but there was no sign of her. There weren't many neighbors (think "Deliverance" or Unibomber cabin) so we never heard what happened.
A few months later Missy was left in a parking lot by a careless groomer, escaped the cage and was killed trying to find her way home. I found her dead in the road. Then we moved back to Ft. Worth and the guy mowing the lawn let Whatcha out and she LOVED to chase cars and eventually, as I was standing there with my sister, crying and screaming and people were swerving and trying to help, a van ran right into her. It took $1400 and 4 days for her to die. Next I got a great dog named Happy, boy she was a sweet girl. When I broke up with A and moved in with D, I couldn't bring the dogs. I let A stay in the house and I lived in a rent house with no yard. A gave my dog to a lady from our group and I hadn't the heart to get her back because her kids loved Happy so much. The lady relapsed and quit coming around. About a year ago she came to the group, drunk, with my dog and Happy didn't even know me. While A was still living in the house, I was trying to sell it and one day either A or the realtor let viscous out and I never found him. We moved here and my sister gave me a sweet cat she had named Willow. Huevos and Ricky hated her. She had a skin condition which made her scabby so D didn't like her much, either. I loved her. One day (when we still let the cats go outside) she ran away. I saw her walking down the street and I said "Willow where are you going" and she gave me a dirty look and was gone. I hope she found a better home.
I got Texas at our AA group, he belonged to a homeless guy who went to jail. We got Banjo at the Humane Society to keep him company. Then D got Sugar for me for Valentine's Day. So we had 3 dogs again and Ricky and Huevos. Then a stray had kittens in the neighbors car. They rounded up all but one and took them to the pound. The extra kitty came into our garage and eventually into our house. He wouldn't let us pet him but he'd sleep in the hall. I named him Smokey. One day I decided to get some exercise and walked around the block. Smokey followed me. The next day I found him dead in the road. I blame myself. I was broken hearted. So my friend R got a kitten for me from her boss. A cute orange and white tabby I named Patchouli. Patchouli got hit by a car and fractured his pelvis and drug himself into the house and healed up really well but Huevos felt like Patch got way to much attention and I think they had a fight because last summer Patchouli disappeared, just like Willow. That's when I finally, much to late, realized it was stupid as hell to let the cats out.
Now Huevos is gone and it's just Ricky and the dogs and D tells me no more pets because I'm too sad when I lose one but I think of all the homeless animals in the world and all the love in my heart and I know I will convince him somehow.

Tears

We made it home last night. I spent a great deal of time crying then D rushed me out the door to play poker with our friends which was probably the right thing to do. When we got home at 3 am I started in with the crying again. Ricky has been meowing non-stop.
Life is completly changed forever.

Huevos, stories of a good cat

When I was 20, I had my own place. It wasn't much of a place, but it was mine. I'd already gotten one cat (Rick) quite by accident when he jumped into a friends car as she was stopped for not having a tail light. About 6 months later, in the middle of the night, I heard a loud mowing at the door. It was a tiny little kitten. Since I hadn't paid the pet deposit when I got Rick, I knew another cat was out of the question. But, being who I am, I let the poor thing in. The next morning I discovered he had some sort of really awful skin condition. My boyfriend's mother suggested we drown him!
Instead I took him to the vet. I had $60 to my name, it was to pay my light bill. The vet suggested putting the kitten to sleep, it was the worst case of ringworm he'd ever seen, but I begged him to do what he could. For $60 he saved that cat. My lights got cut off but the St. Vincent de Paul Society helped me get them turned back on. It was the best $60 I ever spent.
But, I still hadn't paid the pet deposit. I was POOR. When management would snoop, I'd have to take Ricky to Dallas to stay with my sister for a week. I didn't think she'd let me bring two cats over. So, I gave the kitten to my boyfriend who named him Huevos Mi Jefe (Ballls are my boss). Being the typical asshole I dated back then, I ended up with the cat back in short order but the name stuck.
Huevos got a long well with Ricky, in fact, I'm pretty sure they were from the same female cat at my apartment complex. He was a great kitty, doing silly things like once he ate some yams I had leftover from Luby's that were out on the table. He drooled when I pet him and quickly won a place in my heart. Which was a damn good thing because I went through some pretty severe depression around that time and my mother being the genius that she is simply said "if you kill yourself, I will have your cats put to sleep". I didn't kill myself.
I moved those kitties around with me from pillar to post a LOT in my younger days. Once Hueovs disappeared for an entire week in a new neighborhood. He finally came back dirty and tired. I was overjoyed. When I married my first husband, Huevos hid under the bed every time he was around for the first six months or so. I should have gotten the hint.
One move, Huevos did not want to go. I was living in the country with A. and the kitties liked the country. So, when it came time to leave, Huevos escaped. I couldn't find him anywhere and I was freaking out. Everyone else left with my furniture and my mom and I stayed for hours looking for him. Mom wanted me to leave him but I couldn't. Finally, I found him under the mobile home. It was raining (it always rained there) and muddy. Not only that but the sink leaked so there was quite a bit of muck down there. Huevos was not budging. So, I crawled, crab style under the house until I could grab hold of his leg and then I put him on my belly and crawled back out.
After the kitties got older and we couldn't let them go outside anymore, Huevos adjusted well. He made the kitchen table his headquarters. I had to keep a cup of water up there for him. He drank water with his paw, like a raccoon. To call him over to me I'd make a clicking noise with my tongue and move my hand in a special petting motion and he'd come right over. He hated dogs and every other cat except Ricky. Ricky is sociable and always invited other cats to move in. Huevos would get mad and slap Ricky right in the face. My favorite times where when Ricky and Huevos would snuggle up together. So precious my heart would break.
Before we left, I told Huevos it was ok if he needed to go on to Rainbow Bridge while I was gone, I would understand. Part of me does but the rest of me misses him so much it's a physical ache inside.

N

Throughout this entire weekend, N has been taking amazing care of my cat. She's given him medicine, been pee'd on, spent hours petting him and ultimatley, she was the one that was there for him at the end.
Her heart is broken, too. She said it was much harder than she thought it would be. The vet told her what a wonderful thing she was doing, that it was his time and he was ready to go. He didn't even whimper when they inserted the iv and was gone in about 1 second. I cried much of the night and I'm sure N did, too.
N's birthday is on Friday. We are going to try to get her something very special. Her acts of compassion this weekned have erased all the misdeeds of the past to the point I'm considering deleting this blog. I would never want to hurt her if she ever found it by mistake. For now I will leave it up for historical value if nothing else. Just when you think a teenager is a lost cause, they grow up and do something amazing.

RIP Huevos

N is on her way to the vets to have Huevos put to sleep. He has gone steadily down hill since we left on Saturday. I'm amazed and grateful to her for all she's done for him.
I'm also cracking apart at the seams. I wanted so much to be there for him at the end.

Finally getting excited

woot!
I'm going to meet Yo J/Trixie tommorow night! And then ride through Asheville on Sunday to meet a fellow soapmaker and a friend from hs.
Now I'm ready for this trip. (well, except for the part about leaving the cats)

Getting ready

We leave for NC tommorow morning. The laundry's not done, the house is a wreck, we don't know which route we are taking and I'm still not sure N is going to stay the week. I think she plans on just coming by a few times but that won't work. I'm
trying not to freak out about the cats.
Other than that, everything's great!

True Porn Clerk Stories - Improv Message Boards

True Porn Clerk Stories - Improv Message Boards

Make sure you read the one about "Tae Bo"

Wow, that was harsh

Mom emailed me back
"You should be a travel planner...you sure laid a t rip on me!"

Ok, so I called your house a few times wondering where you were. I was worried that you didn't call. I completly understand your explination that you were too busy going to the rodeo with your boyfrined, but to start your email out with a line like that? Thanks mom, way to make me feel like total shit.

Mother, where art thou?

So, yesterday was my birthday. I had a good night. D got me a swing for the backyard, something I've been wanting since Tex and Banjo ate the last one. My older sis got me some bunny stuff I'd been coveting from Cracker Barrell and a cheesecake! We went and ate Japanese again, too with D's kids. (all except the oldest). N got me a card and some white roses and T got me balloons and a card. Little sis called and sang happy birthday on the machine. Even A's wife sent me a card!
But, my mom didn't call. Not this morning either. I'm worried.

He's lucky I woke up

Last night I had one of those dreams that seem so damn real that you wake up mad.
My friend ST has a friend, we'll call her "rabbit". Well rabbit just got her own bike and ST sent me a picture of her riding. I guess that's what triggered the dream?
I dreamt that a bunch of the guys bought rabbit some new pipes for her bike and that D wanted to buy her some walkie talkies and take them over there himself. I was furious and he couldn't understand why. He was talking to my ex-dh's brother about it and they both thought I was nuts. I got madder and madder and finally decided to pack a bag and go to ST's house. Right then a girl I went to elementary school in NC with (who ironically moved to Texas and ended up living one block from me at my last house) walked in to buy some body butter. Then I woke up.
When I told him about the dream, D said "rabbit is ugly, I'd have to be crazy" and I was pissed because even if she was gorgeous he shouldn't be buying some other woman walkie talkies for her bike. Then he said "well, I didn't know you wanted walkie talkies" hahahaha. D cracks me up.

He ain't heavy, he's my kitty

I'm feeling incredibly worn out today. The cats kept me awake. Huevos meowed every 30 minutes for the last half of the night. I can't figure out what's wrong but since he kept going to the litter box, my guess is it's his kidney's again. I gave him some medicine and D will give him sub q fluids again tonight. We hadn't been giving him any because he's been doing so well. But, we ran out of prescription cat food and they ate the grocery store stuff for about a week before I got more prescription stuff for them. So, if he dies from this, it's all my fault.
Ricky kept getting cat litter stuck in his paws and meowing about that. At this point I'm beyond caring about the germs they are bringing to bed with them. I just want them to sleep (and let me sleep).
I'm really nervous/scared/worried/terrified about leaving them for a week. N is supposed to sleep over every night but it won't be the same for them. They are used to having me there, slaving over their every meow. Ricky needs me there to move Huevos out of the way so he can eat. They both need me there to pet them and love them and be there. I'm just so frightened that they will get sick/die and I won't be there for them to comfort them and help them through it.

Sleep in

Poker only lasted until 2:30 this time. Again, D came out way ahead. I did ok, too. We finally crashed around 3:00 and then D got called into work around 7. I got up at 9 and went with D to our AA group's steering committee meeting. I hadn't been in months. I haven't missed anything, same shit different day.
After that D and D jr. went fishing while my sis and I made soap and watched a movie.
D got home around 5:30 and we both crashed by 6. I was just too damn tired to do anything but sleep. Well, D got called in to work again! He left around 10 pm and I woke up at 1 and got worried. I went into our bedroom (I sleep in a different room because he snores) and there he was, sound asleep. Apparently I slept right through him getting back home. I never sleep that hard. Good thing he wasn't a burglar!
Fell back asleep and didn't get up again 'till this morning.
YAWN
I feel like I could sleep another 12 hours. Poker night is killing me.

What did I do?

Ever open your mouth and say something and while you are speaking think "what the fuck am I saying this for?"
I did it last night. D jr. was visiting again and I said the following:
"Aren't you on spring break March 11-17th? You should come to NC with us"

Holy crap, he wants to come. D is, of course, pleased as punch at this idea. And I don't mind, he can do some of the driving and he's easy to get along with but, damn, there goes my romantic drive up there with just me and dh. I wonder if we can find something for him to do while we stop at casinos? Do casinos have game rooms? He still has to ask his mom but I think it's our year to have him for spring break anyway.

Speaking of his mom, he isn't getting along well at home. His mom's partner is constantly yelling at him, etc. To hear him tell it his life is hell and he wants to move out. Dejavu anyone? Unfortunatly for him, we've already been there, done that with N. D actually told him last night when he called home and got yelled at because they didn't know where he was "Son, if I didn't know where you were until 8 pm, I'd be all over your ass, much worse than they are". I was so proud.

I like my stepson but there is no way I'm going through that mess again. He's doing just fine at his mom's house thank you very much!

Texmasian

D and I took the bike for a ride last night since it was so pretty. We ended up at Chili's. He had citrus fire grilled shrimp and chicken fajitas and I had lettuce wraps. I took some of his rice, onions and green peppers, topped it with some carrots and rice noodles, poured the sesame peanut sauce on it and wrapped it up in lettuce. Viola...Texmasian
A new twist on Asian Fusion cuisine.
YUM

P.S. Crisis averted, D told his sis we are planning to stop at casinos and can't have a kid with us.