Alpaca fest

Today I went to Springfield to see an alpaca fest/competition. I didn't actually go for the "competition" part of it, but because I think they are beautiful animals and I thought it would be nice to learn more about these gentle creatures. :) My aunt went with us and bought a beautiful cape made out of alpaca fur, which was reversible, burgundy on one side/charcoal gray on the other. She really jewed the guy down in price, which is something I can't do because I'm a pushover and terrified of rejection. :)

Yesterday one of the band members of Skeleton Crew passed away. It was sudden, so it took us by surprise as he was only 47. He was the hippiest hippy I have ever met with his long hair, round specs, tye die t-shirts and converse tennis shoes he sported every time I saw him. :) R.I.P Bob...you will be missed! <3

Its been so long

I have not updated my blog for quite some time, have I? If anybody is still following my day to day updates which have turned in to a once a month update, thank you. If you aren't, well that is my own fault and shame on me....

Well, since my last update not a lot has happened. I did find myself getting attached to a adorable stray cat that found his way to my house. He was a sweet and dosile fur baby that was also very neglected by his owners and very ill!! I didn't realize how ill he was until the day after he found me. Long story short- After two vet appointments, an antibiotic shot for an ulcerated mouth sore, a steroid shot, $204.00 in vet bills nd my broken heart I made the decision to have him put to sleep because my vet said he looked to have feline leukemia. I was so sad for this precious kitty because he didn't have a fair life. I had him creaated and they spread his ashes in a prairie like area where other animals were creamated. Hopefully his after life (if there is one) will be filled with love and nurture instead of the former life he had, which was neglect and abuse!

I will be going back to work with the IRS in December. As you may know, this is the seasonal position I have worked since 2008. I really enjoy working here, but after the 2010 tax season I'll be seeking a position elsewhere that is permanent. I not only need it for monetary reasons, but its equally important for the mental stimulation and self worth I get from being employed year round. Besides, I can't continue to rescue sick animals if I'm only working 4 months out of the year! :)

Results

I called the doctor to get the results of my p.e.t scan today and everything is A-Ok! I am good to go until my next appointment, which is in December. Very relieving to say the least!

Last night I went to Scarlet & Gray Cafe in Columbus to watch Terrapin Moon play. Every Sunday this place has what they call "Grateful Dead End" (I think its called this) and they schedule Grateful Dead Tribute Bands to play for the evening. Last night was T-Moon and it was a good time! Maybe too good, though? I have spent a lot of time today thinking about last night and hoping I didn't say or do anything overly stupid!

I went and visited my aunt today and met her German Shephherd, Tiki. Tiki is a real sweetie and wanted to come home with me. :) She is a small German Shepherd and very timid. Not a great watch dog, but a great companion. :)

Pumpkin painting

On Saturday my brother's family came over for the evening and brought my sister in law's twin nieces with them. Having 4 kids under the age of eight over, certainly brings many smiles! My 8 yr. old nephew has the Justin Beiber hair thing going on, which fits him well. My 5 yr. old nephew is very passive and quiet and isn't bothered by anything. The 6 yr old twins are identical, but I honestly have no clue who is who. I call them both sweetie so I don't let it be known I can't tell them apart. :)

We started off the night by painting faces on pumpkins. I'm not sure what happened, but the paint on the faces didn't stick AT ALL! It was like colored water that just ran down the pumpkin fronts... :( Cheap paint? Too much water on the brushes? Regardless, it was a visual nightmare, but the kids didn't seem to mind. :)

After that we made quesadillas in the quesadilla maker, which were yummy! Lastly, us adults just yacked it up while the kids played the playstation and watched a movie. It was a good time!

MoeFest

Yesterday Steve, my aunt and I went to the Moefest Music Festival at Zane Shawnee Caverns, which is in Bellefontaine, the middle of nowhere. :) Skeleton Crew played from 5-7 and my aunt had not heard them play before so I was glad she could go. She seemed to have fun and enjoy the music. :) Next I want to get her to a Terrapin Moon gig because I think she would enjoy them, too. :)

Tomorrow morning I am having a routine P.E.T scan just to make sure the melanoma I had removed in April didn't do anything bizarre like spread somewhere else. I hate not being able to eat breakfast and not being able to drink my coffee in the morning, so I'm going to be unbearable in the morning. I know I need to just suck it up because its one time and it could be a lot worse!

During the scan tomorrow I can't wear anything with zippers or buttons because the machine might blow up or something, I don't know. Anyway, I was searching my wardrobe for pants that didn't have buttons or zippers and low and behold...all my sweats and wind pants have tiny little metal rings around the pull strings!! So, my boyfriend has graciously agreed to give up a pair of his pajama bottoms for my appointment tomorrow. I have a choice between Homer Simson or Stewie, which I love equally so decisions decisions! :)

Myspace

I have been going through some staffing changes here; therefore, I am in the midst of adding some nursing assistants to my case. Well, when I advertise through the odjfs website that I'm looking for nursing assistants my case manager automatically forwards the e-mail responses she receives. When I receive them, I then google their names to get the "inside scoop" on them through facebook, myspace or whatever social network site they might have a profile.

Well, I got a response from a nursing assistant today, who had a myspace page. I am amazed that people who are actively looking for employment are dumb enough to have a myspace page filled with trash talk and vulgarness. I immediately knew I didn't want this woman working for me! She had a terrible attitude! She told her life story, talked about the mistakes she has made in her life and how it's nobody's business, talked about how her bad attitude intimidates people, talked about her 3 beautiful children, the 3 beautiful baby's daddy who slept with the cousin's wife, she dropped F bombs every other sentence and then followed all that up with feeling blessed by God!!! OMG!

On the bright side, the girl that started today did a great job and picked up another day! Woot!

Visit was great!

Our tiny trip to Pennsylvania was nice! We brought the doggies to the park and I learned Buddy is a true blue lab and will go in the water. :) I have never had the occasion to get him near water before, but while at the park he was determined to get in the river by the park. I got a little nervous because he was so persistent, but otoh I'm glad he likes the water. He runs the other direction when we get the hose out to water flowers so I wasn't sure. It evidently has to be on his terms and nobody elses! :) Anyway...the weather was nice for the most part. We sat on a dock by the river and ate hoagies from Claymont Steak Shop. Hoagies from the east coast don't even compare to what we get here! There is so much meat on the hoagies I can't open my mouth wide enough to bite in to it! It's amazing and messy! :)

Tomorrow a new nursing assistant starts working for me. I hope she works out because I really like her. There are instances when I just get a good feeling about somebody and then there are those instances I'm not certain about somebody...well, I have a good feeling about her. :)

I am going to stand now and watch dancing with the stars. Good night!

Wedding Shower

Today I went to a wedding shower for one of my bestie's daughter, who is getting married October 16th. I only knew 4 people out of the 25 or more who were there and was a little uncomfortable because of it, but it was a good time. :)

Tomorrow we are going to PA. to visit Steve's dad. It's a 4 hour drive each way so we will only get to stay for a couple hours, but his dad loves our visits so much. Seeing the joy it brings to him is very much worth the long drive and short visit. :) We always bring the doggies with us and go to a park close by.

I will close now. Have a great weekend!

Weird kind of day

Today has been an off day and I'll be glad when its over! It seems like nothing is going smooth and when this happens I get disgruntled!

This morning I got an offer by e-mail to come back to work the 2010 tax season for the company I have worked for during the past two seasons. I had been waiting for this e-mail invite, so when I received it I wanted to get the ball rolling. I had to first fill out my I-9 form, which needed to be notarized. I went to the bank and got that done to realize my state id expired in October of 2009. I thought to myself OH F%*$ing wonderful! So, I went to the BMV across town! I got out of the van and realized they only take cash, which I didn't have. F%*K!! I went to the bank across the street and spent $22 to get $20 out (hate bank fees) and went back to bmv. Got there, got waited on immediately because it was empty and they asked for my ss# and birth certificate. Birth certificate???? I don't carry that around, WTH?? I asked her if I could please go ahead and get the photo taken, the card started and me bring the birth certificate back in 30 minutes. She said No, they would need the certificate first. I felt so mentally drained. I had a meltdown....

I came home and found my certificate, but didn't have time to go back today and get my id. I am honestly embarrassed though and don't want to return tomorrow!!

Hopefully I will get everything done tomorrow that I wanted to do today! Have a good night!

Happy Labor Day

Hope everybody is enjoying your Labor day! I have never known what the meaning behind Labor Day is, so I did a google search and here ya go...

History
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

So, you're welcome! :) heehee. Anyway... Yesterday I spent the day with my friend Leslie and her little sister (through big brother/big sister) and had a good time. Her little sister is 8 yrs old and absolutely adorable. First, we went and had lunch at Applebees, which left a lot to be desired because the potatoes and side dishes were cold. Afterwards we took a quick trip in to Walmart to get a few things and then we came back to my house, sat outside, talked and entertained the dogs with sticks and a ball, which later got punctured by Lady's teeth, unfortunately. :( It was a pretty day to sit out and catch up on each others lives, though. :)

Both Steve's bands had gigs at Nelson Ledges yesterday, which were back to back. He was glad about both bands playing back to back in the same day because the music festival was a 3 day event and he really didn't feel like staying over and roughing it if the gigs were scheduled on different days. I'm surprised he didn't want to stay the whole weekend because Mickey Hart, one of the drummers from Grateful Dead, will be playing today. Anyway....

Have a great day and week!

Friday

Hello! Another week gone by already. :) Not a lot has happened this week, which could be a good thing, right? :) The music festival in Troy was a boat load of fun last Saturday and there were some really good bands that I would like to hear again. Besides Terrapin Moon, there was The Clark Manson Band, SOL, a girl who sang solo and a few more that I totally forget their names. Hmmmm? Anyway....

Yesterday my friend and I went to mutual friends of ours Kathi and Terry Zellers who have horses, dogs and oodles of kitties, one with only 3 legs...Thumper. :) Thumper was the little kitten that I had hoped to adopt awhile back. Thumper is growing like a weed and has totally earned the name Thumper! When he runs his back end thumps to the ground and its more obvious now that he is taller. :) Such a cootie petootie!

Sad night

I went to the music festival today and had a great time! When I got home though, I learned that Nugget, my betta fish, had passed away earlier in the day. Steve found him, but didn't want me to know until we got home. I am so sad over this! This little guy kept me company when I was on my computer because his tank sat right next to my monitor. When I would look over at him many times he would be looking right back at me. :) Now I look over and the only thing there is his betta food, blood worms, his antibiotics and a bottle of bettasafe we used to neutralize his water after tank cleanings. It's empty now, just like my heart!! :( Steve thinks I should good another betta, but my heart isn't agreeing right now.

Thursday

Well another week is all most behind us again. Before we know it we will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas shopping and making resolutions for 2011. :( Anyway...

Monday we went to the Darke County Fair for the day. It was fun eating the fair junk food, watching people ride the rides/play the games and rolling around the colliseum shopping and talking to people. :) I went to the grocery store and the dentist today, which are two things I detest most in life. :) Thankfully, I don't have to go back to the dentist again for 6 months. Woot!

This weekend is the Miami Valley Music Fest in Troy, which I have been looking forward to all summer. Tomorrow night Skeleton Crew will play at 11:30 and Saturday afternoon (at 1:30) Terrapin Moon will play. I think they both have 1 hour slots. I have never heard of the other bands that are playing, so I don't know what kind of music they play.

Highpoint Music Fest

Last night I went to the Highpoint Music Fest in Bellefontaine and listened to Terrapin Moon, Rumpke Mountain Boys and two other bands (I forget the names) play and had a lot of fun. The weather was perfect, which made it especially nice considering the event was held outside. :) One band was from Yellow Springs and played Reggae...I would like to listen to them play again.

Today and hopefully a lot this coming week I am organizing drawers, cabinets and closets so I can donate stuff to the Lupus Foundation/or throw it in the garbage. Its scary how fast junk gets accumulated and how much I throw away. :(

On Monday my nurse and I are going to the Darke County Fair barring no rain and thunderstorms. We try to go every year. My favorites at the fair are the waffles, funnel cakes and the animals. :)

Manic Monday

Hello, I'm back! I guess I haven't posted in a while, but that is probably because I didn't have much to share?? Not a lot is new... :)

This past weekend was busy with a music festival on Saturday night and a Richard Marx concert last night. The concert last night was to benefit Cystic Fibrosis, which is a lung disease that effects 30,000 children and young adults in the U.S. I learned last night that people are now living with the disease up to their 30's (age) where it used to be people passing away in their early 20's. So, progress has been made and hopefully in the upcoming years much more progress will be made until the disease is non existent. :) Unfortunately, my friend Leslie's son died at the age of 23 in 1998 from the disease.

The festival Saturday night was in College Corner and both Terrapin Moon and Skeleton Crew played late in the evening. It was a late night, but definitely a good time. :) This festival was a little different as there were a handful of people (both male and female) expressing their "right" to bare themselves to the world or at least to everybody at the festival. I guess if people are comfortable enough with themselves and their figures to let it hang out, good for them....I otoh am not that comfortable with myself and wouldn't even entertain (poor choice of words) the idea. :) There is a festival in Bellefontaine this Friday and one in Troy August 28 and that will be the end of the summer festivals I think.

Great week

Family leaves in the morning after a fun filled busy week. On Sunday we went to our friend's house so the kids could ride one of their horses, named Star. Thank you Kathy and Terry!! When we first got there the many barn kittens were the main attraction. After the kitties began to get boring, each one took their turn riding on Star as he walked around the yard with them. :) It was a good start to their week long visit.
On Monday I had plans to volunteer at a community living expo at the access center in Dayton. The kids also went and found little things to do to help out vendors. They were a big help as they handed out bottles of water, greeted visitors and help clean up. We ate lunch there and came home and had a quiet evening, besides the kids played dogopoly with Steve. On Thursday we went to Kings Island. This was probably the highlight of the visit. They swam, went down water slides, rode roller coasters, ate greasy pizza and rode more rides. :) It was fun! :)

Family comes today

Steve's Mom, nieces and nephew will be here today and staying until Friday morning. We don't have a lot planned, but will plan each day as it comes I guess. My friend invited us over tomorrow so the kids could ride horses, but its suppose to rain. So, we will see what happens. :)

The visit with the family this week has come at a good time. Things have not been easy around here for a number of reasons. We need family time to focus our attention on fun things....kids, games, watching movies, maybe the fair. After they leave next week, that is another story! Until then... :)

A couple weeks ago I posted about my bf's ghost white legs. I know it may have sounded mean, but I was joking... he knew I was joking. After I posted it I thought about what an ass I may have come across as when I wrote that post. Here I am making fun of his paleness, but I'm the one who had melanoma removed in April because I'm obsessed with having a sun kissed glow!!! So, on that note, thank you for not cussing me out and calling me names! :)

Happy Friday!!

Hello. Well another week has gone by and its Friday already. This summer seems to be going by very fast, unfortunately. Anyway, I won't wish it away. :-) Tomorrow night my nursing assistant and I are going to the Peace Thru Music Fest outside of Columbus to listen to skeleton Crew play. Hopefully the weather will be as beautiful as it is today. :-)

Lady, my border collie, went to the groomer's for the first time ever today. We decided to get her professionally groomed because of her constant scratching. She didn't have fleas, so I thought maybe she had a lot of dander, dry skin or maybe it was an allergic reaction to something. Well, we dropped her off around 10:00 this morning and picked her back up around 4:00 this afternoon. I was so excited to see her and even felt gitty on the way to pick her up because she has never been away for the day and I missed her. Well, when she got in the car and oh my god she was PISSED! She ignored everything we said and acted like she could take us or leave us. She was just a little snot! That's OK, though. She smelled good. :-) And she hasn't scratched since we brought her home.

I received a disturbing phone call yesterday. It was about this job I have been talking about. When I got home from Chicago I had a message on my answering machine about training. I called the next day and was scheduled for the next training class to start July 26 for two weeks. I was ecstatic. Well, the company supplies their own computers to the agents, which are very generic. They are called thin clients. I was told on the phone yesterday that these generic computers do not have downloading capabilities. This means I will not be able to install my keyboard software, which means I have no way to type and cannot do the job. It seems like this is such a tiny hurdle to jump over, but there is no way around it. Should I look at this as one door closing and another opening? Maybe, but it's hard to be optimistic at this point. I was told I would be contacted to do the IRS position again, which is nice to know that I have something lined up as far as employment...I really need a permanent position though.

Chicago was great

My trip to Chicago is over and I had a great time! We attended the abilities expo most of the day on Friday and Saturday, but spent time afterward exploring Chicago. One evening we went to Rain Forest Cafe, which was so cool. We were seated right next to the aquarium. It was hard not to be mesmerized by the hundreds of colorful fish in the crystal clear water. It was beautiful. The food was great, too. :) The next evening we drove to Navy Pier. It was neat watching the boats go by, seeing the boats docked at the pier, seeing the ferris wheel lit up at night, listening to the spanish band...so different than what we see in Ohio! :) On Sunday we took a tour of Willis Tower and went to the Sky Deck. Good time and had fun looking down, but I could have done without the 60 second elevator rides to the top of the tower and then down again when we were finished....:) Saturday night My nurse and I found ourselves in a huge mall by accident when it started pouring down rain and we went in to Nordstrom's to seek shelter. While pretending to shop we noticed Nordstroms was just one store of many! Unfortunately, they were stores that were way out of our price range, not like Old Navy, Aeropostale or Kohl's. :( While walking to Willis Tower we came across many streets that were blocked because Transformers 3 was being filmed. We saw the bumble bee car (correct?) and another transformer car that is in the movie, which I knew nothing about. My nurse filled my head with the transformer movie stuff because she has taken her daughter to see the movies. :)
Anyway...my trip to Chicago was a great experience!

Orientation

Well, I'm happy to say the 5 day orientation is over and I passed both assessments. I really would have dreaded it if I had to update my blog and tell you I failed and couldn't move on to the next phase! Anyway..I'm glad it didn't work out that way! :)

The job I applied for was cell phone billing agent and the training was going to start September 20th and last for 5 weeks. I got an e-mail today, though inviting me to start training this Monday for a different job and the hours are 9:00 a.m - 6:00 pm for only two weeks. This is for DSL support. I told the trainer I would do that, but I'm waiting to hear back from her through e-mail with answers to some questions I have.

Tomorrow afternoon I leave for my little trip. I'm just about all packed minus a few things I can't pack until tomorrow after I'm finished using them.

I went to the doctor today to get some antibiotics for a urinary tract infection I seem to have AGAIN. Well, before the doctor came in I was talking to my boyfriend, who finally broke out his shorts today. When I was talking to him I was seriously distracted by this irredescent glow that was radiating from his casperly pale skin. I'm SERIOUS! His legs were like glowing. I told him he needed a little color to those legs ASAP as it was hurting my eyes. He agreed and came home and threw the frisbee to Lady outside in the sun. :) I wasn't trying to be cruel, I guess it just comes natural? :( Anyway...hopefully he doesn't burn.