Ever have one of "those" children ...

Well let me preface by saying there is this girl in my daughter's Girl Scout troop that is well ... satan incarnate! Sadly, she's also the troop leader's daughter so there's not much we can do about her actions. She's the kid that's the bully, loudmouth, interrupter, pushes, shoves, yells, cries when she doesn't get her way... etc well, you get the idea.

I knew after the first meeting for the troop she was going to drive me nuts so I figured I'll drink a margarita before I go ... and sure it made her antics not quite so annoying the next time but sadly didn't deliver when she started screaming through the loud speaker .... *sigh*.

Well they had an outing to the zoo last weekend and she was so bad my husband has sworn he will never go on an outing with the troop again because of her. Sadly, that may keep my daughter from going on a few of them as I'm not always able to attend the outings. Apparently, many parents feel that "outing" is some code word for ... "troop leader and other sucker parents babysit our kids day". Subsequently, that's what the other parents did... they dropped off their kids one by one and it ended up being the troop leader and my husband in charge of 10 or so 8 year old girls. That right there is enough to give anyone a acid reflux :P Then you add in the "satan child" and you have a real mess on your hands.

I've always been one to be honest about issues especially the big white elephant in the room such as this problem. Meaning, I would normally come right out to "satan child's mom" and tell her that her child is so disrupting, disrespectful and unruly during meetings and outings that I cannot subject my daughter to her presence anymore. However, I'm torn... if I do that my daughter will possibly miss out on many fun activities not to mention some of her best friends are in that troop. So for the sake of my daughter I've not said anything.

The double whammy is that "satan child's mom" is also pregnant. I don't want to put any more stress on her than she already has daily. I thought I'd vent a bit .. :P Feel free to chime in your thoughts.

~S~

Ok Martin I took the bait :P

You're supposed to BOLD the ones you've done.:
********************************************
smoked a cigarette
crashed a friend's car
stolen a car
been in love
been dumped
shoplifted
been fired
been in a fist fight
snuck out of your parent's house
had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
gone on a blind date
lied to a friend
skipped school
seen someone die
had a crush on one of your internet friends
been to Canada
been to Mexico
been on a plane
purposely set a part of yourself on fire
eaten sushi
been jet-skiing
met someone in person from the internet
been moshing at a concert
taken pain killers
loved and missed someone
made a snow angel
had a tea party
flown a kite
built a sand castle
gone puddle jumping
jumped in a pile of leaves
gone sledding
cheated while playing a game
been lonely
fallen asleep at work or school
used a fake id
watched a sunset
felt an earthquake
touched a snake
slept beneath the stars
been robbed
been misunderstood
petted a reindeer/goat
won a contest
run a red light/stop sign
been suspended from school
been in a car accident
eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
had deja vu
danced in the moonlight
liked the way you looked at least at one point in time
witnessed a crime
been obsessed with post-it notes
squished barefoot through the mud
been lost
been on the opposite side of the country
swam in the ocean
cried yourself to sleep
played cops and robbers
recently colored with crayons
sung karaoke
paid for a meal with only coins
done something you told yourself you wouldn't
made prank phone calls
laughed until some kinda beverage came out of your nose
caught a snow flake on your tongue
written a letter to Santa Claus
been kissed under the mistletoe by your boy/girlfriend
blown bubbles
made a bonfire on the beach
laughed so hard you pee your pants
cheated on a test
been kissed by someone you didn't like
gone skinny dipping in a pool

******************************
Just for the record I can neither confirm or deny when the above occurred :P
It's been a wild ride... can't wait for the next one OoOoOooOoOooO hehe.
~Z~

Women's Rights in danger?

I don't know about the other 51% of the population out there that are the women but with no women to be on the supreme court I'm feeling very uneasy. Abortion rights and other important rights we women have not to mention minorities could be repealed. Why is it so many years after women's suffrage that our Congress, House and Court do not reflect the population? Women make up 51% of the population yet our voice is so little in our government. Women should be very worried and very vocal! Our mothers and grand-mothers before us often made hard choices so that we their daughters and grand-daughters could do the things we do today and take for granted.

If you get raped and they repeal the abortion law or the morning after pill, what will you do? What if this happens to your daughter or family member. Statistics have shown that nearly 50% of all women have been sexually attacked if not raped at least once in their lifetime.

It's bad enough in our country as it is, few women CEO's, few women in VP positions. Women are not encouraged and are discouraged from going for these professions. This happened with Harriet Miers and I'm sure she was threatened in some way. The "Good Ole Boys Club" didn't want her and hell be frozen over she was or any other women to get in while they're alive. Women really need to wake up and smell the coffee beans!

There was a movie not too long ago "A Day without a Mexican" that was supposed to show the people how much of a unspoken contribution the Mexicans make to America. What about the women! We need "A Day with Women". At first I'm sure the guys would laugh at this prospect but when you realize the implications the world could nearly come to a halt.

Chores that would go undone for both the stay at home moms and those that are working yet still expected to do the majority of house work. The children that would would not get taken care of and be wandering, existing aimlessly. The many key jobs in a company women typically do as jobs i.e. Executive Secretaries, Receptionists, Administration Assistants etc. would be without their key people. Often the receptionist is the first impression people get about the company. Why do they usually typecast this? A beautiful, young, sweet woman? Because A: Sex Sells, B: She will often be very nice on the phone when clients call, C: Very easy on the eyes etc.
Ok lets put a big harry, sweaty, guy up front with a gruffy voice. Wonder how that would affect business, guesses are it wouldn't be that great.

Well I could go on for hours but the bottom line is, Ladies be wary! Keep Alert because this could be a very bad era for us and our kind! Yes, we're a slightly different species (you know Men are from Mars women are from Venus). Men can't possibly know what is best for women as they are incapable due to not being a woman. Find me a man that has periods each month, gives birth to a child and deals with weight gain, societal pressures etc and I might not be so upset with an all male justice. Until that time we need to ensure more women become judges on the supreme court!

It's a very sad day for us ladies and sadly I'm not sure many are aware.

~S~

Rude Driver Database

I want one... anyone know if one exists?

If not we should start one! They have ratemyprofessor.com, ratemyapartment etc lol.

I want a ratemydriving.com !!! Bad Drivers beware, kind of like a registry for BAD drivers. They have one for sex offenders!

After my multiple, recent experiences of RUDE drivers I may look into this. I'm curious if it's legal. Would it be slander? Course to verify if the claim was true or not that may be difficult :P Photos ...

If anything I'm starting to take photos of license plates of people who are driving erratically, try to run me off the road, cut in front w/out turn signal or much warning. Or people who are just plain rude and try to go around you while you're backing up as you try to gingerly make your way out in order to not hit a working crew that are fixing/building something where you're trying to get out of. Really, what is wrong with people today?

Do they think we're not in a hurry too? Everyone is busy! Deal with it.

Stop being rude or You're going to be posted with pics ... Your fame will be that you're a jerk. Enjoy.

I fuzzed out the license plate: Pic
Better hope I don't see your car again on my street. Good thing my daughter wasn't playing there like many of the kids that live on the street do, they'd of been hit from this speeding driver, among other rude things he was doing.

~Z~

Credit Card Minimums to Double!!

News Article

Ok now that I lost what I just typed . Go to spell check, TY pop up blocker !!! and then it wipes what you had when it reloads /sigh.

On for try number two:

The article says as many of my close friends have that our credit card minimums are soon to double. This is supposedly stemming from the recent bankruptcy legislation passed to encourage Americans to get out of debt more quickly. What does all this mean for the average credit card holder?

Well if you have a balance of $4000 you're required to pay around 2% of the balance now which is roughly $80/mo. When this goes into effect (and they're trying to get it through by next month) you'll now be required to pay $160/mo. When the average household has something like 5 credit cards with around $4000 balance that's an increase from $400/mo to 800$ without much warning. Good luck paying that along with increased gas /fuel prices as of late.

In my situation my student loans are coming due next month which will already add $200 more a month to what I have to pay out. Granted their interest is fairly low but still that's a lot more per month than I currently have available funds.

Do I agree with what they're doing? No, and this is why:

I'd like to know why they aren't able to do some kind of graduated increase say 2.5 at first then wait 6mo to a year and go up to 3.0 and increase .5 every 6mo-1yr until they're up to the 4% they want to eventually be at. I agree behind the main principal that they wish to get Americans out of debt faster. Fine! But don't shove it down our throats when our wallets are already over stretched! It's salt in an already oozing, gaping wound! Anyone feel like a tea party? I'm starting too.

How many of you actually look at how much you pay in taxes to the federal and state government in taxes each paycheck? Add in sales tax etc. I'd bet that you're probably only seeing 30cents or less of each dollar. The other 70% goes to fed/state/local government. Do we really need all those services? I mean come on! What happened to the reports of the "fleecing of America" the NBC news used to do. How about you give us back more of our money then talk about doubling our CC minimums. We wouldn't have nearly so much on the CC's if we had more in our bank accounts.

Go talk to your legislators .. or start thinking about Mexico... that country is starting to look more appealing every day!

~Z~

Bug bites

well being that I've gone nearly the entire summer without mosquito bites I guess having some at the end isn't too bad.

But ....

They itch, and ITCH!!! You can put the anti-itch stuff on it .. but it still
ITCHES lol.

It's still in the 90s here wru COLD FRONT. It's about time the cold weather hit Houston.

Well class is to start soon so I guess I'll head on over there.

~S~

How to lose a crazy car chasing man

Imagine you're driving down the road it's night already so all the highway lamps are on overhead. Everyone is still trying to get home from a long day at work. People driving home at 7pm at night are usually the work aholic type and already tend to be the type "A" personalities which can make for some interesting nightly drives home. Well imagine you're in the far right lane and start to make your way to the middle lanes because the 2 right lanes veer off and turn onto another major freeway.
So you're going maybe 40mph and then right ahead of you in the middle lane that isn't turning off people are "stopped" right there where the other 2 lanes head off to the other freeway, slowly, trying to usurped their way in front of all the other poor drivers who sat in the long line of traffic. So they "sit" there in the lane, refusing to give up as if they have some God given "right" to push in front of all the other people who patiently waited. You are unfortunately behind one of "those" such people so you turn on your blinker and patiently wait to go into the lane to the left of you.
Whizzing by people go past you well above the speed limit. Patiently you wait, and wait until finally there's an opening. Now you're blinker has been on for well over 30s+ you pull in to the lane and you hear "HONK HOOOOONK". You turn you look to your left and some guy who was very far back in the lane you turned into sped up when you turned in. You think to yourself "WTF is this guy trying to ram me?" So you slow down as most people's reaction would be in such a situation with so much traffic whizzing all around you. The crazy man pulls along side of you to your left and veers into your lane as if trying to push you into the cement median. At this point you're pretty freaked out thinking "Ok, this guy needs some serious help". So you move into another lane to get away from the freak. What does the freak do? He pulls up along side of you and then speeds up, cuts in front of you and slams on the breaks causing you to move over into another lane. By this time you're getting pretty ticked off so you figure WTH ... fine 2 can play this game. You slow down, switch lanes get in behind him and beam your high beams.
You're in a nice tall Explorer and the freak is in a small white sedan, needless to say you're high beams are going to be QUITE the annoyance. So you figure maybe the freak has learned his lesson. No! So the freak decides to be a jerk again and do what he did again erratically driving trying to get you in an accident. So, you pull up speed up, move in front of him and slam on your breaks. He tries to helplessly high beam you. "Ha Ha" you laugh, your nice high vehicle saves you from his pathetically low lying high beams. So for several miles he stays behind you, in vain, thinking he's obstructing your view of the road. Meanwhile you get in your turn lane to get on the major freeway and long drive to your house. He turns with you. Getting a bit annoyed and maybe a bit worried you slowdown, change lanes and get a good look at the "Crazy guy" that's chasing you. He's a man in his mid 20's, business casual attire driving a small white sedan fairly new. He doesn't look outwardly angry maybe just a bit crazy but not angry. Thinking to yourself this is odd that someone would be following you just because he didn't see your blinker was on and act that way he must not be mentally stable.
Now that he's followed you onto the major freeway obviously not where he's intended to go originally you think hmm, ok time to lose this bastard. So, you drive really fast and try to lose him in the plethora of vehicles on the freeway. Nope, he patiently "if he's been patient at all" wades through the sea of cars and gets right behind you again and attempts once again in vain to high beam. You laugh a bit and think ok this is just funny. You break fairly hard, he struggles to break and continues to pursue you. By this time he's been following you about 20 mins and you think hmm, well the tollway is coming up "OHH IDEA" you look in your rear view mirror you see he doesn't have a tollway pass. You know the things that allow them to speed through the toll lanes because it gets your information from the small square you put on your winshield. Well you're in luck you have one he doesn't. Quickly, you switch into the turn off lane that goes to the Tollway going the opposite way of your house. He, seeing where you're going gets a bit panicky, he slows down and stays in the lane that goes straight on the freeway. You continue onto the tollway and "LAUGH".
You drive until the first free exit, exit off the tollway, do a U-turn and you're stuck in a bit of traffic but this is ok because that makes him all the farther away. About 10 mins later you get back on the main freeway towards your home and you eventually arrive, no crazy jerk in tow.

So the moral of the story is boys and girls. A) Don't be a self serving bastard who thinks women can't logically deduct anything for themselves. B) Don't assume you can chase us home either that's what We've got mace and a shoe for. We're not afraid to use them either.

Still you laugh, as you're driving down the street thinking "A$$h..." testosterone is the debil. If you men out there ever catch yourself playing the "crazy" role in the situation above please consider castration.

This has been a public service announcement brought to you by *Zelli*.

~Z~

Exam postponed ...

Well with all the Rita buzz and closings my University closed last week and will reopen for students Thursday the 29th. That pushed our exams that were supposed to be last week to this week :(. You'd of thought I'd of had more time to study ... nope. My weekend was filled with my mother-in-law her 6 pets she brought, cooking, keeping the kid occupied, taping the windows and cleaning. We were "hunkering down" getting ready for Rita to hit us. Thankfully it passed farther to the east of us than expected so most of that preparation was for naught. We got some nasty wind and a bit of rain but nothing too exciting.

On a side note... Any of you have a "flaky" friend? You know that person that's never on time, the person who changes subjects like the wind changes direction. Well I "had" yes had this friend we'd been good friends for a long while. She was one of those people you could say something and it would take her 5 mins to register what you said and finally reply. Now I'm still not sure if that was a mental thing or not she got light therapy and seemed a lot better. She had one pupil that was WAY larger than the other after that lol. Anyhew back to the flakiness :P She had the worst problems with men ever! Basically she had intimacy issues after being raped :( and really couldn't seem to get over them. After several years and her not being able to get close to man I figured hey I'll buy her a dildo and see if that helps. I figured after 6 + yrs she at least might be ready. She never really said much about it just laughed and seemed somewhat interested. (no this isn't going to turn into a Dear Playboy ... so stop wishing).

Anyhew... she was one of these people that when other people treated her badly she did the same thing to you ... took it out on you when you had NOTHING to do with it. She had bad timing too usually when I was stressed out from class/family/work etc. Well I'd say in spring of this year I'd had enough she'd been doing it to me or over 2 yrs (yah I'm pretty patient when I think people are hurting). I'd noticed with her new "friends" she'd become quite shallow and not so close to her faith in God which she often threw in people's faces saying how close to God she was. Her actions did not support what she said though. I called her on it one day and basically told her to "stop" the crap and told her I was tired of being her punching bag etc. Ever since that time I didn't hear from her much I know she was mad/sad or otherwise. She needed a wake up call and MAYBE it wasn't her mom why she was having so many family problems. Start with yourself! You might just find the solution starts and ends with yourself. She failed to recognize this. We got together maybe 2 x after that and all seemed well as she and I usually made up quite quickly. Well one day out of the blue she messages me and says she no longer wishes contact. I was like lol hmm ok. She said she'd met some "guy" and that they were going to move in together and that I "wouldn't understand". I'm thinking ... someone really is afraid of hearing the truth aren't they. See I'm one of those people who'll say it like it is regardless if you want to hear it or not. If you're wearing a bright lime green dress and you're pasty white and about 100 lbs overweight I'm going to tell you the dress looks like crap and suggest changing it :P

The main point is ... don't push away your friends just because you can't handle the truth. If you're in that situation you have bigger problems. Get therapy! Truly I'm concerned about her and worry and all I can do is pray for her and leave it in God's hands. Everything happens for a reason and fair weather friends aren't worth the brain cells. Don't just be an acquaintance ... if you don't care about me don't be in my life. Don't waste my time. Thanks!

So I'll stick to my online friends who have been dear to me for the past 11 years, not screwed me over, great in person and great to hang out with. Sad sometimes you have to look half a world away for "true friends" because the people around you are far too shallow or petty for any meaningful relationship. Not sure if it's a southern problem but I sure don't remember having this issue when I lived up north.

Rant off for now.. I've got a few about my current place of employment but since they've "attempted" to remedy their bs ! I'll not go on the soap box about that right now :P

ciao!

~S~

Exam week!

Well as the title suggests it's our first exam in class! Taking Unix Systems Admin, my last class to graduate with a BS :P Not to mention I have to apply for graduation tomorrow (keep forgetting to do it). Needless to say between the new house, school and work I've been fairly busy (why I've not updated in a while).

Our daughter is in soccer now with practice on Thursdays, Soccer clinic on Fridays and games on Saturday. She really wanted to join the Girl Scouts (yes, I was in them and I loved it) so I signed her up for that as well. It hasn't started yet but it'll be one more time consuming thing to do each week. I might just add as well good lord the uniforms are expensive! Ouch. I guess between those and cookies that's where they make all their money.

Reading Martin's Blog I've really got the urge to go find some ancient photos of me :P I'm at least FAR happier with the body I USED to have (ladies you know what I'm talking about). So I'll see what I can't dig up here in a while :P

Well I'm supposed to be working from home right now .. and I've done quite a bit but there's always more to do so I better get on it :P I also need lunch so ... as promised Martin here's the update hehe. Same ole same ole :P

caio!

~S~

Zelli's Top 7 Fav Websites :)

This list is subject to change but a few I frequent and often enjoy!

1. Cocklefighting - Addictive yet fun!
2. Ge Imagination - I LOVE this site :) They've updated it now it's like a SUPER doodle site
3. SETI At home
4. Musical Starstreams - Great Ambient music station streamed on the Internet
5. Frequence 3 - Web radio station and lots of fun to listen to
6. Homestar Runner!
7. Adiago Teas - Check out their tea information listings

Ok I was going to do 10 .. but I'll have to add on more later :P

Personality... Bah Humbug :P

I haven't done one of these in a while so I figured why not :) We do change as we get older and my personality tests through the years reflect that point.

Enjoy a giggle or two :P

IPIP-NEO Narrative Report:

This report compares Zelexis from the country USA to other women between 21 and 40 years of age. This report estimates the individual's level on each of the five broad personality domains of the Five-Factor Model. The description of each one of the five broad domains is followed by a more detailed description of personality according to the six subdomains that comprise each domain.

A note on terminology. Personality traits describe, relative to other people, the frequency or intensity of a person's feelings, thoughts, or behaviors. Possession of a trait is therefore a matter of degree. We might describe two individuals as extroverts, but still see one as more extroverted than the other. This report uses expressions such as "extrovert" or "high in extroversion" to describe someone who is likely to be seen by others as relatively extroverted. The computer program that generates this report classifies you as low, average, or high in a trait according to whether your score is approximately in the lowest 30%, middle 40%, or highest 30% of scores obtained by people of your sex and roughly your age. Your numerical scores are reported and graphed as percentile estimates. For example, a score of "60" means that your level on that trait is estimated to be higher than 60% of persons of your sex and age.
Please keep in mind that "low," "average," and "high" scores on a personality test are neither absolutely good nor bad. A particular level on any trait will probably be neutral or irrelevant for a great many activities, be helpful for accomplishing some things, and detrimental for accomplishing other things. As with any personality inventory, scores and descriptions can only approximate an individual's actual personality. High and low score descriptions are usually accurate, but average scores close to the low or high boundaries might misclassify you as only average. On each set of six subdomain scales it is somewhat uncommon but certainly possible to score high in some of the subdomains and low in the others. In such cases more attention should be paid to the subdomain scores than to the broad domain score. Questions about the accuracy of your results are best resolved by showing your report to people who know you well.
John A. Johnson wrote descriptions of the five domains and thirty subdomains. These descriptions are based on an extensive reading of the scientific literature on personality measurement. Although Dr. Johnson would like to be acknowledged as the author of these materials if they are reproduced, he has placed them in the public domain.

extroversion is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extroverts enjoy being with people, are full of energy, and often experience positive emotions. They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented, individuals who are likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's go!" to opportunities for excitement. In groups they like to talk, assert themselves, and draw attention to themselves.

Introverts lack the exuberance, energy, and activity levels of extroverts. They tend to be quiet, low-key, deliberate, and disengaged from the social world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted as shyness or depression; the introvert simply needs less stimulation than an extrovert and prefers to be alone. The independence and reserve of the introvert is sometimes mistaken as unfriendliness or arrogance. In reality, an introvert who scores high on the agreeableness dimension will not seek others out but will be quite pleasant when approached.

"I'm more of a busy Introvert IMO! I greatly dislike large groups of people, parties etc as they physically give me headaches often. I prefer being alone 9x out of 10."

Domain/Facet........... Score 0--------10--------20--------30--------40--------50--------60--------70--------80--------90--------99
EXTROVERSION...............40 ****************************************
..Friendliness.............8 ********
..Gregariousness...........2 **
..Assertiveness............95 ***********************************************************************************************
..Activity Level...........73 *************************************************************************
..Excitement-Seeking.......71 ***********************************************************************
..Cheerfulness.............29 *****************************
Your score on extroversion is average, indicating you are neither a subdued loner nor a jovial chatterbox. You enjoy time with others but also time alone.

extroversion Facets Friendliness. Friendly people genuinely like other people and openly demonstrate positive feelings toward others. They make friends quickly and it is easy for them to form close, intimate relationships. Low scorers on Friendliness are not necessarily cold and hostile, but they do not reach out to others and are perceived as distant and reserved. Your level of friendliness is low. Gregariousness. Gregarious people find the company of others pleasantly stimulating and rewarding. They enjoy the excitement of crowds. Low scorers tend to feel overwhelmed by, and therefore actively avoid, large crowds. They do not necessarily dislike being with people sometimes, but their need for privacy and time to themselves is much greater than for individuals who score high on this scale. Your level of gregariousness is low.

Assertiveness. High scorers Assertiveness like to speak out, take charge, and direct the activities of others. They tend to be leaders in groups. Low scorers tend not to talk much and let others control the activities of groups. Your level of assertiveness is high. Activity Level. Active individuals lead fast-paced, busy lives. They move about quickly, energetically, and vigorously, and they are involved in many activities. People who score low on this scale follow a slower and more leisurely, relaxed pace. Your activity level is high. Excitement-Seeking. High scorers on this scale are easily bored without high levels of stimulation. They love bright lights and hustle and bustle. They are likely to take risks and seek thrills. Low scorers are overwhelmed by noise and commotion and are adverse to thrill-seeking. Your level of excitement-seeking is high.

Cheerfulness. This scale measures positive mood and feelings, not negative emotions (which are a part of the Neuroticism domain). Persons who score high on this scale typically experience a range of positive feelings, including happiness, enthusiasm, optimism, and joy. Low scorers are not as prone to such energetic, high spirits. Your level of positive emotions is low. Agreeableness reflects individual differences in concern with cooperation and social harmony. Agreeable individuals value getting along with others. They are therefore considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, and willing to compromise their interests with others'. Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy.

Disagreeable individuals place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally unconcerned with others' well-being, and therefore are unlikely to extend themselves for other people. Sometimes their skepticism about others' motives causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly, and uncooperative.

Agreeableness is obviously advantageous for attaining and maintaining popularity. Agreeable people are better liked than disagreeable people. On the other hand, agreeableness is not useful in situations that require tough or absolute objective decisions. Disagreeable people can make excellent scientists, critics, or soldiers.

Domain/Facet........... Score 0--------10--------20--------30--------40--------50--------60--------70--------80--------90--------99
AGREEABLENESS..............18 ******************
..Trust....................7 *******
..Morality.................71 ***********************************************************************
..Altruism.................14 **************
..Cooperation..............44 ********************************************
..Modesty..................30 ******************************
..Sympathy.................31 *******************************
Your score on Agreeableness is low, indicating less concern with others' needs Than with your own. People see you as tough, critical, and uncompromising.

Agreeableness FacetsTrust. A person with high trust assumes that most people are fair, honest, and have good intentions. Persons low in trust see others as selfish, devious, and potentially dangerous. Your level of trust is low. Morality. High scorers on this scale see no need for pretense or manipulation when dealing with others and are therefore candid, frank, and sincere. Low scorers believe that a certain amount of deception in social relationships is necessary. People find it relatively easy to relate to the straightforward high-scorers on this scale. They generally find it more difficult to relate to the unstraightforward low-scorers on this scale. It should be made clear that low scorers are not unprincipled or immoral; they are simply more guarded and less willing to openly reveal the whole truth. Your level of morality is high. Altruism. Altruistic people find helping other people genuinely rewarding. Consequently, they are generally willing to assist those who are in need. Altruistic people find that doing things for others is a form of self-fulfillment rather than self-sacrifice. Low scorers on this scale do not particularly like helping those in need. Requests for help feel like an imposition rather than an opportunity for self-fulfillment. Your level of altruism is low. Cooperation. Individuals who score high on this scale dislike confrontations. They are perfectly willing to compromise or to deny their own needs in order to get along with others. Those who score low on this scale are more likely to intimidate others to get their way. Your level of compliance is average. Modesty. High scorers on this scale do not like to claim that they are better than other people. In some cases this attitude may derive from low self-confidence or self-esteem. Nonetheless, some people with high self-esteem find immodesty unseemly. Those who are willing to describe themselves as superior tend to be seen as disagreeably arrogant by other people. Your level of modesty is low. Sympathy. People who score high on this scale are tenderhearted and compassionate. They feel the pain of others vicariously and are easily moved to pity. Low scorers are not affected strongly by human suffering. They pride themselves on making objective judgments based on reason. They are more concerned with truth and impartial justice than with mercy. Your level of tender-mindedness is low. Conscientiousness concerns the way in which we control, regulate, and direct our impulses. Impulses are not inherently bad; occasionally time constraints require a snap decision, and acting on our first impulse can be an effective response. Also, in times of play rather than work, acting spontaneously and impulsively can be fun. Impulsive individuals can be seen by others as colorful, fun-to-be-with, and zany.
Nonetheless, acting on impulse can lead to trouble in a number of ways. Some impulses are antisocial. Uncontrolled antisocial acts not only harm other members of society, but also can result in retribution toward the perpetrator of such impulsive acts. Another problem with impulsive acts is that they often produce immediate rewards but undesirable, long-term consequences. Examples include excessive socializing that leads to being fired from one's job, hurling an insult that causes the breakup of an important relationship, or using pleasure-inducing drugs that eventually destroy one's health.
Impulsive behavior, even when not seriously destructive, diminishes a person's effectiveness in significant ways. Acting impulsively disallows contemplating alternative courses of action, some of which would have been wiser than the impulsive choice. Impulsivity also sidetracks people during projects that require organized sequences of steps or stages. Accomplishments of an impulsive person are therefore small, scattered, and inconsistent.
A hallmark of intelligence, what potentially separates human beings from earlier life forms, is the ability to think about future consequences before acting on an impulse. Intelligent activity involves contemplation of long-range goals, organizing and planning routes to these goals, and persisting toward one's goals in the face of short-lived impulses to the contrary. The idea that intelligence involves impulse control is nicely captured by the term prudence, an alternative label for the Conscientiousness domain. Prudent means both wise and cautious. Persons who score high on the Conscientiousness scale are, in fact, perceived by others as intelligent.
The benefits of high conscientiousness are obvious. Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve high levels of success through purposeful planning and persistence. They are also positively regarded by others as intelligent and reliable. On the negative side, they can be compulsive perfectionists and workaholics. Furthermore, extremely conscientious individuals might be regarded as stuffy and boring. Unconscientious people may be criticized for their unreliability, lack of ambition, and failure to stay within the lines, but they will experience many short-lived pleasures and they will never be called stuffy.

Domain/Facet........... Score 0--------10--------20--------30--------40--------50--------60--------70--------80--------90--------99
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS..........89 *****************************************************************************************
..Self-Efficacy............78 ******************************************************************************
..Orderliness..............92 ********************************************************************************************
..Dutifulness..............31 *******************************
..Achievement-Striving.....89 *****************************************************************************************
..Self-Discipline..........84 ************************************************************************************
..Cautiousness.............75 ***************************************************************************
Your score on Conscientiousness is high. This means you set clear goals and pursue them with determination. People regard you as reliable and hard-working.

Conscientiousness FacetsSelf-Efficacy. Self-Efficacy describes confidence in one's ability to accomplish things. High scorers believe they have the intelligence (common sense), drive, and self-control necessary for achieving success. Low scorers do not feel effective, and may have a sense that they are not in control of their lives. Your level of self-efficacy is high. Orderliness. Persons with high scores on orderliness are well-organized. They like to live according to routines and schedules. They keep lists and make plans. Low scorers tend to be disorganized and scattered. Your level of orderliness is high. Dutifulness. This scale reflects the strength of a person's sense of duty and obligation. Those who score high on this scale have a strong sense of moral obligation. Low scorers find contracts, rules, and regulations overly confining. They are likely to be seen as unreliable or even irresponsible. Your level of dutifulness is low. Achievement-Striving. Individuals who score high on this scale strive hard to achieve excellence. Their drive to be recognized as successful keeps them on track toward their lofty goals. They often have a strong sense of direction in life, but extremely high scores may be too single-minded and obsessed with their work. Low scorers are content to get by with a minimal amount of work, and might be seen by others as lazy. Your level of achievement striving is high. Self-Discipline. Self-discipline-what many people call will-power-refers to the ability to persist at difficult or unpleasant tasks until they are completed. People who possess high self-discipline are able to overcome reluctance to begin tasks and stay on track despite distractions. Those with low self-discipline procrastinate and show poor follow-through, often failing to complete tasks-even tasks they want very much to complete. Your level of self-discipline is high. Cautiousness. Cautiousness describes the disposition to think through possibilities before acting. High scorers on the Cautiousness scale take their time when making decisions. Low scorers often say or do first thing that comes to mind without deliberating alternatives and the probable consequences of those alternatives. Your level of cautiousness is high. Neuroticism Freud originally used the term neurosis to describe a condition marked by mental distress, emotional suffering, and an inability to cope effectively with the normal demands of life. He suggested that everyone shows some signs of neurosis, but that we differ in our degree of suffering and our specific symptoms of distress. Today neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings. Those who score high on Neuroticism may experience primarily one specific negative feeling such as anxiety, anger, or depression, but are likely to experience several of these emotions. People high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive. They respond emotionally to events that would not affect most people, and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long periods of time, which means they are often in a bad mood. These problems in emotional regulation can diminish a neurotic's ability to think clearly, make decisions, and cope effectively with stress.
At the other end of the scale, individuals who score low in neuroticism are less easily upset and are less emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable, and free from persistent negative feelings. Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers experience a lot of positive feelings; frequency of positive emotions is a component of the extroversion domain.

Domain/Facet........... Score 0--------10--------20--------30--------40--------50--------60--------70--------80--------90--------99
NEUROTICISM................56 ********************************************************
..Anxiety..................68 ********************************************************************
..Anger....................94 **********************************************************************************************
..Depression...............51 ***************************************************
..Self-Consciousness.......57 *********************************************************
..Immoderation.............52 ****************************************************
..Vulnerability............1 *
Your score on Neuroticism is average, indicating that your level of emotional reactivity is typical of the general population. Stressful and frustrating situations are somewhat upsetting to you, but you are generally able to get over these feelings and cope with these situations.

Neuroticism FacetsAnxiety. The "fight-or-flight" system of the brain of anxious individuals is too easily and too often engaged. Therefore, people who are high in anxiety often feel like something dangerous is about to happen. They may be afraid of specific situations or be just generally fearful. They feel tense, jittery, and nervous. Persons low in Anxiety are generally calm and fearless. Your level of anxiety is high. Anger. Persons who score high in Anger feel enraged when things do not go their way. They are sensitive about being treated fairly and feel resentful and bitter when they feel they are being cheated. This scale measures the tendency to feel angry; whether or not the person expresses annoyance and hostility depends on the individual's level on Agreeableness. Low scorers do not get angry often or easily. Your level of anger is high. Depression. This scale measures the tendency to feel sad, dejected, and discouraged. High scorers lack energy and have difficult initiating activities. Low scorers tend to be free from these depressive feelings. Your level of depression is average. Self-Consciousness. Self-conscious individuals are sensitive about what others think of them. Their concern about rejection and ridicule cause them to feel shy and uncomfortable abound others. They are easily embarrassed and often feel ashamed. Their fears that others will criticize or make fun of them are exaggerated and unrealistic, but their awkwardness and discomfort may make these fears a self-fulfilling prophecy. Low scorers, in contrast, do not suffer from the mistaken impression that everyone is watching and judging them. They do not feel nervous in social situations. Your level or self-consciousness is average. Immoderation. Immoderate individuals feel strong cravings and urges that they have have difficulty resisting. They tend to be oriented toward short-term pleasures and rewards rather than long- term consequences. Low scorers do not experience strong, irresistible cravings and consequently do not find themselves tempted to overindulge. Your level of immoderation is average. Vulnerability. High scorers on Vulnerability experience panic, confusion, and helplessness when under pressure or stress. Low scorers feel more poised, confident, and clear-thinking when stressed. Your level of vulnerability is low. Openness to ExperienceOpenness to Experience describes a dimension of cognitive style that distinguishes imaginative, creative people from down-to-earth, conventional people. Open people are intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty. They tend to be, compared to closed people, more aware of their feelings. They tend to think and act in individualistic and nonconforming ways. Intellectuals typically score high on Openness to Experience; consequently, this factor has also been called Culture or Intellect. Nonetheless, Intellect is probably best regarded as one aspect of openness to experience. Scores on Openness to Experience are only modestly related to years of education and scores on standard intelligent tests.
Another characteristic of the open cognitive style is a facility for thinking in symbols and abstractions far removed from concrete experience. Depending on the individual's specific intellectual abilities, this symbolic cognition may take the form of mathematical, logical, or geometric thinking, artistic and metaphorical use of language, music composition or performance, or one of the many visual or performing arts. People with low scores on openness to experience tend to have narrow, common interests. They prefer the plain, straightforward, and obvious over the complex, ambiguous, and subtle. They may regard the arts and sciences with suspicion, regarding these endeavors as abstruse or of no practical use. Closed people prefer familiarity over novelty; they are conservative and resistant to change.
Openness is often presented as healthier or more mature by psychologists, who are often themselves open to experience. However, open and closed styles of thinking are useful in different environments. The intellectual style of the open person may serve a professor well, but research has shown that closed thinking is related to superior job performance in police work, sales, and a number of service occupations.

Domain/Facet........... Score 0--------10--------20--------30--------40--------50--------60--------70--------80--------90--------99
OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE.....40 ****************************************
..Imagination..............1 *
..Artistic Interests.......71 ***********************************************************************
..Emotionality.............44 ********************************************
..Adventurousness..........99 ***************************************************************************************************
..Intellect................84 ************************************************************************************
..Liberalism...............2 **
Your score on Openness to Experience is average, indicating you enjoy tradition but are willing to try new things. Your thinking is neither simple nor complex. To others you appear to be a well-educated person but not an intellectual.

Openness FacetsImagination. To imaginative individuals, the real world is often too plain and ordinary. High scorers on this scale use fantasy as a way of creating a richer, more interesting world. Low scorers are on this scale are more oriented to facts than fantasy. Your level of imagination is low. Artistic Interests. High scorers on this scale love beauty, both in art and in nature. They become easily involved and absorbed in artistic and natural events. They are not necessarily artistically trained nor talented, although many will be. The defining features of this scale are interest in, and appreciation of natural and artificial beauty. Low scorers lack aesthetic sensitivity and interest in the arts. Your level of artistic interests is high. Emotionality. Persons high on Emotionality have good access to and awareness of their own feelings. Low scorers are less aware of their feelings and tend not to express their emotions openly. Your level of emotionality is average. Adventurousness. High scorers on adventurousness are eager to try new activities, travel to foreign lands, and experience different things. They find familiarity and routine boring, and will take a new route home just because it is different. Low scorers tend to feel uncomfortable with change and prefer familiar routines. Your level of adventurousness is high. Intellect. Intellect and artistic interests are the two most important, central aspects of openness to experience. High scorers on Intellect love to play with ideas. They are open-minded to new and unusual ideas, and like to debate intellectual issues. They enjoy riddles, puzzles, and brain teasers. Low scorers on Intellect prefer dealing with either people or things rather than ideas. They regard intellectual exercises as a waste of time. Intellect should not be equated with intelligence. Intellect is an intellectual style, not an intellectual ability, although high scorers on Intellect score slightly higher than low-Intellect individuals on standardized intelligence tests. Your level of intellect is high. Liberalism. Psychological liberalism refers to a readiness to challenge authority, convention, and traditional values. In its most extreme form, psychological liberalism can even represent outright hostility toward rules, sympathy for law-breakers, and love of ambiguity, chaos, and disorder. Psychological conservatives prefer the security and stability brought by conformity to tradition. Psychological liberalism and conservatism are not identical to political affiliation, but certainly incline individuals toward certain political parties. Your level of liberalism is low.

Slow week

First week back after vacation and you'd think there'd be a billion things to do. Nah! Kid started school this week so she's tired and just wants to do homework then sleep. Not much going on at work, sure we have projects but nothing pressing. It's the lull in between months with vacation days. As I sit here contemplating "Do I really want to start this next project?" reading demotivational posters off www.despair.com (I love that site btw) somehow I just don't feel motivated to do much lol. Possibly a corresponance there? Meh :P

So along with the slow week we've got this House warming party this weekend where it's probably going to mostly be family as most people seem to be busy Saturday. Either they're truly busy or people just don't like free food /shrug. At any rate it'll be nice to have a quiet get together with whoever shows up. Really I don't care who comes and doesn't we don't have any close friends so truly it's not a loss lol. Most of them I'd just assume not come less boring conversations I have to endure :P Everyone else lives too far away.

Maybe I'll take a nap :P

~S~

Life after Vacation

Bleh!

Where are you late mornings where I can sleep in?
What happened to the fuzzy slippers until 1pm?

Ohh well all of the pleasures of vacation are gone and it's back to work. Nothing like having hundreds of unread/unanswered emails to sift through the first day back. The constant inquiries into how your vacation was to which there is only one reply "I need a vacation from my vacation". That's especially true in this case because since it was our first week in our house we were extremely busy every day. There's still a lot to do and we're having a house warming party this Saturday. I truly wonder if we're going to get it all done by the party o.O.

Slowly,
Solemnly,
I read the emails...
answer the voice mails...
and start the next stint of work months
slowly,
painstakingly,
saving up vacation days for the next vacation.

~S~

Indigo mmm :) I loooove purple it's only fitting

Your Power Color Is Indigo

At Your Highest: You are on a fast track to success - and others believe in you. At Your Lowest: You require a lot of attention and praise. In Love: You see people as how you want them to be, not as how they are. How You're Attractive: You're dramatic flair makes others see you as mysterious and romantic. Your Eternal Question: "Does This Work Into My Future Plans?"

What's Your Power Color?

Signing your life away

Well we finally signed our closing papers today. 10 years to the day Drew and I first met kind of funny how that worked out. I'm really happy our closing costs went down from 800 - 247$ /ponders what else she can buy for the new place.

I don't want to wait until Sunday to move in but meh... have to wait for friends to come help :). Anyone wanna help me come clean lol!

We've still got to repaint the master bedroom, patch up the linoleum put faceplates on the surround sound speaker wire and do some cleaning before we move in. Unfortunately the people still living there weren't able to move out this past weekend because their new place wasn't ready yet. So we have to wait until after Wednesday to start our projects.

It feels good to be through the rough part of buying a house... I just hope I can get over all I gave up to get the house. I mostly wanted it for my daughter so she has a place to grow up in that's hers, a school to call her own and friends she can grow up with. At 8 she's getting to those critical years where stability are key in a child's life. I'd like to say I'm happy but it's just not the truth, crying inside is more like it but I try to look on the bright side. Life is all about making hard decisions, ones that aren't always just about us when we have to consider others. Growing up even near 30 it never ends, becomming more and more the adult and making harder and harder choices. I definately never expected so much heartache in my adult years ... time only moves forward so we must do the best we can with the cards dealt us.

Hope you all have a fantastic week!

~S~

Aliens and asexuality

Ok I'm going to try this again! Being that this was the post I had to re-write.

You're probably wondering what Aliens and asexuality have in common but pull up a chair and read on and you'll hear the interesting storyline that happened between a coworker and I :P

A coworker of mine listens to a radio broadcast in the evenings called coast-to-coast on AM radio. This particular show has a lot of guest speakers on and some of which can be pretty wacky. Anyway, one evening they had on a scientist who was trying to explain why alien encounters all over the world seem to all describe a similar being. There have been scientists who found people with no or very limited access to media ie they've never seen alien pictures of the typical "grey" people describe and yet these people still described very closely the same being. They all seem to describe a genderless, non-featured being that is grey, big eyes and less than 5 fingers.

Well the scientist stated that since the Y chromosome the (male) one was going away in nature in humans that eventually the X chromosome would take over and thusly humans over a million years or so would become asexual and genderless much like the aliens people describe now when they claim to have had an encounter. He came to this conclusion due to the lack of Y chromosomes in humans out there today. I can only guess he means the 52% female to 48% male population.

Well IMO this is due to the fact that since our inception we have hunted, created wars etc and most of the time until recently women have played a small role in these activities. There's at least 2+ wars a year (many more in the world as a whole) this takes its toll century after century. So what do you all think? Are aliens just a future us? Genderless, asexual beings...

Time will only tell :P

~S~

QQ ... another post bites the dust

I really hate it when I write out a nice blog ... it's interesting, funny and mildly wacky and then poof .... it's gone generally due to pop up blocker and then you say please allow and then it wipes the screen !!! >.<

/slap IE /slap MS

~S~

Motivation... or the lack thereof

Well it's Thursday, I took a sick day yesterday to catch up on some sleep.
Got a migraine later that night and took some Imitrex thank God for that stuff.
I was hoping that if I got some good rest I'd come to work today fully ready to actually get something accomplished. I get here, turn on my computer and due to all the "OU" level locking down we can't change our backgrounds, screen savers etc. I immediately just get annoyed and pursue how I can get around these speed bumps.

In the end I just create a local account with administrative rights and use it now instead :P I can have my Einstein inspired background of multiple universes and myAquarium screen saver. I mean really what is the @#$@#$ point to locking things down like a background or screen saver paaaleeese. Stop flexing your @#$@# epeens! No one cares!

Anyhew :P

Well it's 6 days until we close on our house ... the countdown is getting close and much like the feeling of Christmas in July I'm like a kid at night having trouble getting sleep thinking of the millions of things I want to do when we move in, where I want to place furniture etc.

Well back to the lack of ambition at work :P Not sure what my deal is I could have had several projects done by now :P but I just really am at a loss to wish to do them. It's a very lax environment and no one really cares when I get them done but in the past I've always been the one to do the work of 10 people, stay late and come up with innovations. Not really been in the mood here. I'm guessing the lack of good pay have a lot to do with it. Basically there are no incentives for good workers. People GOOD people don't get raises for 2-3 years at a time and that's no joke. So the people doing crap work and the ones doing good work see the same pay regardless. So where exactly is the benefit for working hard?

And this is why government workers, state workers or people paid by the state by funding or otherwise work in the manner they do... and herein lies a major problem. Offer incentives and just imagine the innovations we could see happen in our government, state and local offices.

Just some thoughts to ponder.

~S~

London and the link ...

Soo, The Royal Institute of International Affairs (RIIA) in Britain is saying that Britain's support for the US put them at a greater risk from attacks by terrorists.

I say being a freedom loving, open society opens them to possible attacks. Sure in some part the terrorists are able to justify their bombings due to the British involuntary in the middle east but they would do what they do regardless. These people are filled with hate and religious conviction ... a deadly mix. If it wasn't the war in Iraq they would find some other reason to "justify" bombing innocent freedom loving, enjoying people. They are miserable, and truly do not know God and for this I pity them and pray for them that they find "the one TRUE" God before the end of their days. On the terrorist websites they already said they planned to take the fight to Europe. Many of these nations have nothing to do with the Iraq war but yet they're still a target. IMO the RIIA are grasping at straws trying to make "sense" of this senseless act and set their citizens at ease. Are the US populace at ease after 9/11? No! and for good reason. Forever vigilant must we be for the enemy is closer than ever. This threat is here, among us and simply sticking our heads in sand WON'T resolve the problem. Britain needs to grow some and deal with it... you didn't see US just leaving the Middle east in the fray. They continue to try and make it a better place for the innocents living there and spread hope for a people who's been w/out hope for so long and are now losing more hope than ever.

Britain is now saying they will try and pull out of Iraq by 2006. Do they really think that will stop the terrorists? Spain played a very small role in the middle east they got bombed anyway. The bombs found on Paris metro tracks may or may not have been set by Al queda we may never know. I was in Paris during the 2 weeks following the Spain train bombings and when the bombs were found on the tracks in Paris. Nothing like machine gun holding police that roam the streets, the metro cars asking if the bag you're holding is yours o.O to make one feel safe. If that wasn't enough the US had to go and pass the Patriot Act and it's IInd part. Sure I feel safer now ... not! I truly hope all of you reading this at least attempt to follow the Patriot act and it's upcoming renewal. If you don't agree with what's in this act WRITE your congressmen/women. You are constituents and you do HAVE a voice! Vote! Participate! Enjoy your freedom that our founders some of them gave their life for!

Anyhew.. 2hrs of sleep don't bode well for me :P There's my 2 cents about the highly ignorant and cowardly statements of the British RIIA. May their citizens have more sense and cahounas .. if you get my drift.

~S~

Packing....

Sifting through the mountain of boxes....
finding hidden treasures left behind after the years....
we struggle to box neatly and label well our belongings....
"FRAGILE" we write in hopes our friends won't break the contents....
Hopeful...
Sore....
Tired....
A sadness overwhelms at times....
to see the place we will leave behind....
then, to see the end in near...
to know that soon a new journey will begin...
Relief
In then end all a cycle come full circle until it occurs again.

Some strange ...or hate for woman?

http://www.thechump.com/neverendingfall.swf
things of this nature tend to turn me off.

First off why is she only clad in a bikini?
Why not a man, animal or inanimate object?

Just because you're having problems with your wife, gf or mom... doesn't mean you have to subject us to tasteless flash novelties.

If I wanted a lady to play with in a bikini I'll get one of those pens from one of the Lillian vernon magazines :P

This guy is semi-talented.. yet definitely having some issues with women. Sophomoric at best.

~Z~

T...G...I...F <3

Finally, we're at the end of the week! A long week for me that's for sure.
Yesterday was busy and solemn as I have some friends that live near London. They're all ok but what is wrong with these people my God!

I absolutely think it's pathetic that people have it in their sick mind that they need to on "behalf of God" create mass desctruction on their percieved threat of an innocent populace. Maybe they need to get out their Quran and re-read the old testament section. I seem to remember God striking down several places, doling out his wrath when he felt like it. Considering he can wipe out all of creation on his own Who T F do they think they are that God needs THEM to do what he could do with a flick of his pinky? So basically they believe they're more able than God? More capable?

Interesting.. considering they are waging this war in the name of God... ironic? you decide.

~Z~

Sugar and Spice...

And everything nice?

Forget everything your family and friends told you ... we women aren't made of all that but what does come to mind is:
bloating.. aching...troubles of the family, laundry, kids and a plethora of other pressing items needing "her" attention. Add in the husband who feels neglected, the pets who didn't get fed until too late again. Parents that pressure "her" and feel she should conform etc etc.

One of the biggest things I was asked after I had our daughter was "So you ARE staying home with her right?" to which I replied for a while yes but after breast feeding I plan on going back to work full-time. They usually gave a surprised look and felt too uncomfortable to continue the conversation. Why must my motherly skills be based on being a stay at home mother? For all they know I could be one of "those" people who stays home, lets all chores pile up, sit on the couch watching soap operas and worries about what Mrs. Hoover is doing across the street while the kid sits on the floor in a dirty diaper.

Just for those reading this ... these are things that were issues for me about 8.5 yrs ago however, I see it still today and just felt like commenting on it :P

In our society as it is ... most families both parents have to work in order to make ends meet. For sure we're in that situation. Between kids, debt, utilities, rent, vehicles etc we're spread so thin it's not funny. Add in the expense of a new house and now you've got that as well. It's no surprise in my area why there are so many houses in foreclosure where the moms in their capris stroll up to pick up their children from school at 2:45pm, toss their hair flirtatiously in the wind and talk of the soaps that were on earlier and how they are missing one of their favorite shows. I say you should have invested in a good after school program, gone to work and maybe you wouldn't lose your Better Homes and Garden perfect house :P. These people tend to really think they are better than everyone else. They feel that since they "sacrifice" a career to stay home they are entitled to be praised for everything. Proove to me you're a GENUINE stay at home parent. One that is actively involved in their children's lives... go back to work when they're in school. I never did understand the fascination with staying at home AFTER they are in elementary school. Ok maybe the first year.. but come on ... until say 5th or 6th grade.

Go to college... get a degree you could do all kinds of things while they're in school.

Soooo a friend wanted some more blooggging.. hopefully this will quell his thirst for a time :)

I'm achy.. I'm uhm.. well we won't get into it atm but if you're a guy be happy you're a guy :P

ciao

~Z~

Expectations ...

It's the 4th!
We got word about our house today. It's ours! After months of waiting and waiting it's finally time to get the paperwork started and sign our life away. I'm relieved, stressed and a bit scared all at the same time.

I'm a bit sad I'll be giving up my personal haven to have one cohesive house but it's completely worth all the trouble. At least Alexis already has an idea of how she wants to set up her room, her game room etc :P She seems to have enough ideas for all of us. Growing up fast and starting 3rd grade soon who'd of believed she'll be nine this December.

Called my mom, my friends, my family and of course they're all excited for us and always have lots of good advice. It will be really nice to finally have a decent place to host the large Thanksgiving dinners I love to have each year :). Something about having all your friends over and family then eating a large dinner, maybe playing a round of trivial persuit or two ... then plopping on the couch completely regretting having had that LAST piece of turkey and lamenting even thinking about the yet to be eaten pies.

Anyhew.. dreams of grand pianos in the formal living room, flagstone patios and granite counter tops will dance through my head as I attempt to find sleep tonight. Also, the stress from the day, the 2 large assignments for my college class I've yet to do that are due on Weds. Sometimes I wonder how I'll get it all done but some how some say they always do.

Boxes ... boxes and MORE boxes I need lots of boxes. Talked to the nice man at Walmart and he told me to speak to a manager and they'd probably put some boxes for me on the side. That's awesome lord knows I need boxes! Just think could save some trees using already used boxes :)

Well enough for the first blog that prob few will read :)

Ciao and have a great 4th!

~S~