It's Christmastime in the Small Town

I'm back in Kansas for my family's annual Christmas celebration. I've only been here for two days, but boy, what a two days has it been!

In the past two days, I've twice, with my nephew in tow, made the trek to the nearest Wal-Mart, which is 25 miles away. I have once become extremely frustrated that there's not a store open in town past 9 pm (apparently I've been gone too long and forgotten what it's like to live in such a small place). I've baked, I've cooked, I've wrapped presents, I've talked to my mom endlessly, I've beaded, I've had a major blowout with the world's biggest jerk, and I've tried to rest, but sleep has, for the most part, been quite elusive.

Tomorrow, however, is the truly magical day - Christmas. I love Christmas. I love the joy and happiness of the day. I love the sounds of ripping paper and the delight in my nephew's eyes as he opens his gifts. I love the time I spend with my family. I love the food - the special things that we, for some reason, make only once a year. I love everything about Christmas - even the craziness the precludes the holiday.

There are people I would love to be able to see tomorrow who, alas, won't be part of my day for a variety of reasons. I'll be thinking of them and hope that they know that they'll be here with me in my heart.

I've still got much to do yet this evening - a stocking to stuff, presents to wrap, gifts to arrange under the tree, and a cheesecake left to bake. Amid all of the hustle and bustle, though, I wanted to take the time to wish each and every one of you a safe, happy, wonderful, merry, joyous, and beautiful Christmas.

The Company You Can Trust? Not a Chance!

While playing on the Internet this afternoon, I came across a story that I thought had to be false -- a dog in New York had to have his tongue amputated because it was injured while he was playing with a toy. This toy, a Pimple Ball by Four Paws, had a defect that, in essence, led to this dog's loss of his tongue.

I did a little more investigation and found out, via Snopes, that this story is, indeed, true. You can follow Chai's story here: http://www.thechaistory.blogspot.com/ I will warn you, however, that the videos will break your heart. I literally cried.

I'm a proud dog mom -- Tess means more to me than pretty much anything in this world. That's why I'm going through her toy box tonight to see if she has any of these toys. I know that she did in the past, but I'm not sure if she still has them; if she does, she doesn't play with them, but I'll be getting rid of them because Tanner plays with her toys when he comes to visit.

Four Paws, the manufacturer of this ball, bills itself as "The Company You Can Trust." Like hell! They just finally, after many months of fighting it, issued a recall of sorts for these toys. I'm with Chai's dad, though, in not believing it's a very stringent recall -- a quick google search led me to sites where I could purchase this ball. I'll be boycotting this company and encourage each and every one of you to do the same.

I can only imagine how I would feel if it was Tess (or Tanner, Cooper, Gwyneth, or any of the other dogs I love) who were in this situation. I'm sending healing thoughts Chai's way and will be writing to Four Paws. Let's make our purchasing power, or lack thereof, known to this company and hit them where it hurts the most -- the bottom line.

Losing Faith, Gaining Faith

I'm one of those fools who got up well before the crack of dawn yesterday to do my Black Friday shopping. I had a list of things that I wanted to buy, some of which were on sale for fabulous prices, but there was nothing on my list that I felt was worth killing over. Unfortunately, some shoppers at a New York Wal-Mart didn't agree with me. A store employee was knocked down and trampled by hordes of hateful shoppers. He died on that floor beneath the feet of greedy, hateful, awful specimens of humanity. Is the X-Box 360 with Guitar Hero for $199 really worth taking the life of someone over? I think not. I hope that, on Christmas morning, when the people who helped take this man's life present their precious gifts from Wal-Mart to their loved ones, that they can tell them, "Here, honey. I love you so much that I killed a man to buy this for you." Oh, and several other people also were injured in this same incident.

Two men also were gunned down in a Black Friday melee at a Toys 'R Us yesterday morning. Some reports indicate that it was due to a long-standing feud between the two, while others indicate that the deaths were due to an on-sale toy. No matter which reason, it's a miracle that no children were caught in the crossfire.

My faith in humanity is more than a little shaken by these incidents. Are we really so horribly greedy that we don't care if we kill someone over a good sale? Is the price of human life that worthless?

Luckily, I had a little of my faith in the world restored this morning when I popped open my laptop to read the day's news. Recently in Wichita, Kansas, a young girl and her mother found $7,000 in a Salvation Army. With no questions asked, they immediately turned it in and helped track down the owner. In a grocery store in Washington, a carry-out/bag boy found $10,000 in cash on the floor of the men's room during his break. Without hesitation, he turned it in -- and in the ensuing interview I watched this morning, said that the money would have been nice to have, but that his reward was in knowing that he did what was right and knowing that it'll build his character.

So, maybe...just maybe, for all of the horrible people out there in the world, there are at least a few good ones. That's what I'm telling myself because otherwise, it would be really hard for me to want to wake up and face the world each morning.

Sitting in a Laundromat...

I'm sitting in a laundromat this evening, just about eight blocks from my house. Somewhat unbelievably, I'm actually able to pick up the wireless signal from my house, but, I digress.

Why am in sitting in a laudromat? I needed to wash my comforter and wanted a jumbo-sized washer to do the job. So, much like in college, I decided that the washers and dryers might find a comforting backdrop for me to work. I packed up my laundry stuff and my laptop, and here I am. And, yes, I actually accomplished some work before I turned to blogging.

For some reason, laundromats bring back good memories for me. Yes, they, like this one, can be kind of scary, but still, the good memories are there.

When I was a young child and the lines for our washer were blocked or frozen or something (god only knows - we lived on a ranch and were forever having problems), Mom would pack up the laundry on a Saturday afternoon, and me (Jill usually stayed home with Dad), and we'd go to the nearest town to wash the clothes. It was just a tiny laundromat -- probably only had like eight machines, and I'm sure that it wasn't fun for her, but she always made an adventure out of the day. I usually took along my ubiquitous stuffed rabbit, Ben, and she would let me push him around the building in one of the laundry carts. We'd play games she made up and she'd tell me stories. Sometimes, I'd bring a book and she'd read to me. I was just a tiny kid, but I still remember those afternoons. Looking back, it probably wasn't that often that we went, but my mom always turned it into an adventure.

Perhaps it makes me sound like a hick or a child who had nothing that I found trips to the laundromat with my mom fun, but that's not the case. Those trips were simply stolen moments of time from my childhood -- fun times that I'll always remember having with my mom. I just wish that she were here tonight to help entertain me!

Keep Your Death Wish to Yourself, Please

This evening after work I decided to run over to the edge of the city to pick up a couple of items that I needed at Garden Ridge and Hobby Lobby. Great idea, but it seemed like several people around me had a death wish.

It all started when I pulled up to get gas. I was standed there filling my car and minding my own business when a car rattled up and shuddered to a stop at the pump beside me. A teenage girl emerged with a cell phone in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. Oh, and she also left her car running. She proceeded to begin filling her car, all while talking and smoking. The brain cells that girl must have! I almost said something to her, but I didn't feel the best, so I chose not to, out of concern for telling her what I really thought. Truly, if she's got a death wish, I'd say all she needs to do is continue fueling her car in that same manner and it'll be just a matter of time. If she manages to make her wish come true, I'm relatively certain she'll receive a Darwin award. Just please, don't take me down with you.

I go to the city, buy my items, and am on the way back when I am nearly forced out of the left lane by a small red SUV. The SUV whizzes around me and then yanks right back in front of me. As I continue to follow this driver, the car slows back down to a crawl, so I feel the need to pass. I pull around into the left lane to pass and discover that there's ONE person in the entire vehicle - the driver. She's on the phone, eating something, and looking at her GPS, all while a movie plays on a portable DVD player on the dash in front of her. Seriously? I'm the first to admit that I often talk while driving, and yes, frequently even eat. I've been known to text, and in emergency situations, send e-mail while driving, but I'm very cognizant of what's around me. This woman scared me. I passed and went on down the highway and before I knew it, she was flying by me again. All I could think was that I hoped that I got off of the highway before she killed someone.

Oh, and then you have the little white car that literally straddled the line between the lanes pretty much continually.

If you have a death wish, keep it for yourself. I like life.

Is It Really Fall?

As I was driving home from the gym tonight, windows down, sunroof open, and thermometer in car indicating that it was 74 degrees at nearly 6 pm, it finally dawned on me that today is November 20. Weather like this makes it feel like late September, not a week out from Thanksgiving!

As a child, we always had apple cider to drink during the fall months. There's nothing quite like the tang of chilled cider. For the past two years, however, I haven't had any because of the carbs. I still haven't had any this year, but just a few minutes ago, I decided I wanted a drink to help me relax. I found a bottle of Lindeman's Lambic Belgian fruit beer in my refrigerator that I bought about six weeks ago. I'd forgotten I'd purchased it. I love their raspberry flavor, but had decided to take a chance and try the apple flavor. I was more than a little cautious as I uncorked the bottle tonight, but immediately upon taking my first sip, I was hooked! This stuff is like appled cider for grown-ups! I don't think that anywhere in Hell Ghetto carries it, though, so I'll have to pick some up in the city this weekend. Good stuff -- I recommend that you try it! Oh -- and "fruit beer" isn't anything like it sounds -- it's more like a rich fruit wine that's not cloyingly sweet.

Anyway, even though it's still pretty warm tonight, I've got a pot of soup simmering on the stove, a Lindeman's in my hand, and am getting ready to start a fire in my chiminea, assuming I have some wood. Life is good!

How Must it Feel?

All of my life, I've known that my mom loves me. Even during the sometimes tumultuous teenage years, I've knew that she loved me unconditionally, although I'm sure there were plenty of times when she wanted to throttle me. (My father's a different story, but I'm not going into that here.)

So many people don't have that unconditional love, even though a parent's love is supposed to be a given. As I read about the children who have been given up (or abandoned) under Nebraska's Safe Haven Law, my heart just breaks. For these children and parents, it often appears that the love is conditional, which is horribly sad.

Under Nebraska's Safe Haven Law, any "minor" can be left at a hospital if the parent feels as though he or she can no longer care for the child. The problem is that there is a major loophole in the law -- the word "minor" was not defined; thus, as of today, 31 children have been abandoned at hospitals -- children of all ages, up to and including 18. One father abandoned nine of his 10 children. I completely understand the rationale behind these laws that many states have -- they're to prevent parents from just throwing away babies, as they're typically designed to protect infants.

I can only imagine how these children must feel. The infants and small children probably won't remember being left, but what about the older children? How must it feel to have your parent actually say that you are unwanted, and in some cases, truly unloved?

Some argue that these children now are able to be in a better place, which might be the case in some instances. Hopefully that's true. Hopefully these children now are in a place where they are loved, cared for, receive counseling, and know that they have a happier future. Hopefully these children will eventually know unconditional love.

This just underscores that I'm a very, very, very lucky and blessed person. I know that I am loved and can rest warm with that thought tonight. In fact, I think I'm going to call my mom and tell her how much she is loved.

Thy Name is Greed

I read an interesting article this evening: http://www.propeller.com/story/2008/11/12/rush-limbaugh-gives-caller-a-new-suv/?icid=100214839x1212526438x1200860963

Essentially, Rush Limbaugh, king of conservativism and controversy extraordinaire, decided to give a woman who called in to his radio show a gift -- a book and a brand new car. Pretty cool to be given a brand new free car for just calling in to a radio show, but I won't go in to how you would have to give me a lot more than a free car to listen to just one of Limbaugh's episodes!

So, what bothers me about this? Jealousy? Nope. It's the fact that the woman was given this car because she was lamenting about how she and her husband are worried how they, as small business owners, are going to afford to live under an Obama presidency. Said woman then proceeded to pick out a brand new, fully-loaded $58,000 Chevy Tahoe. Maybe it's just me, but if I truly was worried about money and was given a brand new car, I'd probably pick something a little more economical. The tags, taxes, and insurance on that thing probably won't be cheap, and while the cost of gas has decreased recently, fueling that thing definitely could break the bank - especially if gas prices increase again! I guess she must not be as worried about being able to afford to live as she claims.

There IS Change

Earlier today, I heard a couple of people talking about if the world today had changed from the world it was yesterday. Both individuals agreed that they felt the world was unchanged. Initially, I thought they were right, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that they, and I, were wrong -- lots has changed.

Last night as I watched election returns from the comfort of my couch, under the haze of migraine drugs, I watched history be made with the election of the first minority to the office of the United States President. As I stepped into that voting booth yesterday, I helped cause that change. As I pulled my political signs from my front yard this morning and held the Obama/Biden support sign in my hands, I swear to you -- I could feel the difference in the world right there in my hands.

So, what has changed? I truly feel that there is hope in the air today. There is hope for a brighter future -- hope for a better economy -- hope that there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not naive enough to think that everything can be healed and is totally better with just a snap of the fingers, but I feel like there is hope that we are on the way to becoming a stronger nation.

I'm a true blue democrat and make no secret of that fact -- never have; never will. HOWEVER, I think that it's time that we, in this country, put aside our political affiliations and our biases and work together in a bipartisan manner to make our country as strong as she can be. Would I feel this way even if John McCain had won the election? Yes. I might not be as positive about the fact that change has been made, but I would still feel like it's time to pull together to fix what ails us.

Peace, love, and happiness -- that's all I want. Oh, and a stable nation. I think we're well on our way!

Why I Love Dogs

Read this and then tell me that dogs don't make the best friends:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081026/od_nm/us_animals_odd

Horrifying

I've spent an incredibly lazy weekend at home. As such, I've watched a lot of crap on TV, while lounging on the couch and playing with my dog. Earlier, I came across a show I've heard of before, but never really watched: "My Big Redneck Wedding." I'm slightly horrified by what I saw.

Back when I was in high school, the idea of "rednecks" began to surface. I always believed that a redneck was someone who grew up in the country and maybe just didn't understand typical social norms -- not necessarily trashy. Instead, people have seemed to embrace redneck as a culture -- and have turned that culture into something they seem to think is funny -- poor, stupid, trashy, and oftentimes, toothless. I just don't understand it.

Anyway, so this show was on and it was so bad that I couldn't seem to make myself change the channel. The couple, and all of their friends and family, were proud of the fact that they had each been married multiple times. They seemed to revel in the fact that they were missing teeth and that they were "redneck". Yeah, that's it! Let's celebrate the fact that we act like idiots. I truly was embarassed.

Just because you grew up in the country and don't have a ton of disposable income doesn't mean that you have to act this way. Trust me -- I know this first hand.

Simplicity

I want to be a kid again. I want to not worry about anything other than if I'm going to make mudpies or play on the swingset. I want to go back to a time when I didn't know that other people judged me. I want to be able to sleep at night without the aid of a prescription; on the nights when I can't sleep, I want it to be because I'm excited about going on vacation or because it's Christmas Eve. I want to not feel a difference between weekdays and weekends because both are equally fun.

I just want life to be simple again -- where I don't have to worry about what other people think of me, the economy, gas prices, pollution, poverty, paying bills, keeping a home, and everything else we deal with as adults. For one day, I just want to have no worries.

I want to feel the mud squish between my toes, listen to the falling leaves crackle in the wind, dance in the rain, and feel the sun on my face. I want a hug from someone I love to cure everything that's wrong (well, that actually pretty much still works for me).

That's all that I want right now. Simplicity and happiness. Since I know that I can't be a kid again, I need to find something child-like to do. Maybe it's time to make mudpies or crunch through the leaves again. It IS time to go for a very long drive (without worrying about gas prices) with the windows down, the sunroof open, and someone important beside me -- all with no destination in mind.

I just don't want another day like today.

It Makes Me Miss You More

This past weekend I made a flying trip up to Wichita. Friday night, I crashed at Matt and Tree's house (Tree is my best friend) and then I spent all day Saturday (and into Sunday morning) with my mom. While shopping with Mom, I also ran into my very good friend Misty. I had such a wonderful weekend!

There is only one bad thing about spending time with some of the people I love most in this world -- I've found that seeing them makes me miss them even more when they're not around. I am the one who made the decision to move to Oklahoma more than three years ago and I don't regret it one single bit. And while I do miss my family and friends, it's usually not too bad because of phone calls, e-mail and sporadic visits. For me, though, I always miss them more right after I see them.

At least we have fabulous technology and ways to keep up with each other! If all we had was the Pony Express, I'd so be screwed.

Seriously? Again?

I'm apparently a jinx when eating out. I met up with a good friend and her daughters this evening for dinner and a little quick shopping. Everything was going great...until I looked down in my water. There, right next to the slice of lemon, was a bug doing the backstroke. I couldn't tell for sure, but it appeared to be a small mosquito. They apologized and immediately brought me a clean glass of water, but still....

First IHOP and now this. Interestingly enough, this was the friend with whom I had the buggy breakfast at IHOP. I think, perhaps, that we shouldn't eat out together anymore. We're one jinxed set of friends!

Vroom-Vroom-Vroom

Since very early Saturday morning, I have been listening to the incessant growling and grumbling of a go-kart engine. Apparently my neighbors (two houses down) decided that it would be a fabulous idea to buy a go-kart for their children. I'm not a scrooge -- I swear -- but for the love of all that is good, I would love nothing more than some peace and quiet, even if just for a few hours. Perhaps someone needs to remind them that gas still costs more than $3 per gallon!

Making a Difference

I'm setting a goal for myself. This time, my goal's not necessarily for personal improvement or personal gain. I'm setting a goal to do something to make a difference to someone at least once a week.

Surely I can find ways to make a difference in the lives of others through relatively simple means. I know that, at least to me, the things that make me the happiest are not always costly.

So, the search is on for this week!

Old Friends

When friends move apart, they always swear that they'll be friends forever. Unfortunately, that's not always true. It's usually not intentional, but it does happen -- we get busy with our jobs, our families, our friends...we don't forget those people, but communication falls by the wayside. Sometimes, though, you have that one friendship that never changes. It doesn't matter how far apart you live, and you maybe don't talk as often as you did when you lived close to each other, but you always can pick back up right where you left off. I'm so lucky to have a couple of friendships like this.

Back in college, during the second semester of my freshman year, I met a fellow freshman who quickly became one of my closest friends. Today, 12 years later, I truly believe that we're as close as we were all of those years back. In fact, I truly believe that we're closer. Because of careers (and my desire for something other than what I could find in Kansas), we now live several hours apart. When I moved, I was afraid it would change everything. Nope. Within a month, she was on my front doorstep for a weekend visit. In fact, she helped me unpack and clean my house. To be totally honest, when she had her first child, I was afraid that we would drift apart. Quite the opposite. I'm Aunt Meg to both of her children and love them as though they were my own. With every bump in the road of life, be it joyous or unhappy, she is one of the first people I call. I do have to admit that I really, really miss her!

After completing my first semester of grad school, I decided that I wanted a "real" job. I applied for one in Pratt, Kansas, of all places. When I was asked to come for an interview, there were two people who interviewed me -- the woman who would become my boss and a future co-worker. My interview was over, and my future co-worker took me on a tour of town and bought me lunch at one of Pratt's original restaurants. We spent a couple of hours together that day and I knew from then that a solid friendship was going to be formed. I've moved a couple of times since leaving Pratt, but she has always been there for me. Anytime I've needed a listening ear, a professional opinion, a kick in the butt for whatever random reason (and believe me, there have been plenty!), or a Halloween costume made, I've always been able to call her. I miss her and haven't seen her for about a year, but I know that next time I do, we'll pick right up where we were last time we saw each other.

Today, I've got a very good friend who I've met since moving to Oklahoma. I know that she's getting ready to move and it's really killing me because I don't know what I'll do without her. I know that moving is what's absolutely best for her and her daughters, though, so that helps. I believe, deep in my heart of hearts, that she and I have a friendship like this. I can't imagine that we won't talk constantly and that we won't see each other frequently.

Friends truly are a large part of what makes life worth living. I know, I know....I'm being ridiculously sappy today, but I just want these people to know how much they mean to me.

That's NOT a Green Bean!

Word of warning: this is disgusting!

Yesterday morning and friend and I were eating breakfast at the IHOP in Moore before a very stressful morning. I normally don't eat carbs, but decided to splurge and order their whole grain pancakes. HUGE mistake.

I had eaten quite a bit and was basically done when I saw what appeared to be the end of a green bean in my food. I used my fork and dug it out and soon learned that it wasn't a green bean -- it was a bug that was nearly twice the size of a pencil eraser. I headed straight for the bathroom where I promptly lost my breakfast. I gave the bug to our server on my way.

IHOP's response? They NEVER apologized! They went ahead and took my food off of the bill, but still made us pay for my drink and my friend's food. The manager treated us as if we were dirty, nasty crooks. He never said he was sorry and never offered to make anything right. Instead, he acted incredibly put off about removing a $6 charge from our bill.

Tonight, as I sit here, it still makes me incredibly nauseated. I have contacted the Cleveland County Health Department to file a complaint and request a restaurant inspection. I also have contacted IHOP's corporate offices, but have yet to receive a reply.

I'm relatively sure that this was an isolated incident (the bug), but I will NEVER return to that IHOP again. In fact, I'm going to be hard-pressed to return to any IHOP.

Lessons learned -- first, don't eat carbs; second, inspect food obsessively before eating.

Hey! You Used to be....

On Monday, I had a meeting over in the city with a woman who I first met a little more than three years ago. To her credit, I hadn't seen her since then, but when she walked in to meet me, she apparently remembered meeting me back in 2005, because she said, "Hey! I remember meeting you several years ago! You used to be fat and have dark, curly hair!"

Wow. I'm not sure if I should be flattered that she remembered me and now apparently thinks that I'm not fat (which I'm still overweight, but not that glaringly fat any longer, due to the 70 pound drop) or be amused by her lack of tact.

I thought about saying, "Hey! I remember you, too! You were kind of obnoxious then and it looks like things haven't changed much!", but I refrained. I deserve a medal.

Political Games

As a woman, I'm very pleased that John McCain announced Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate today. Not since 1984, when Geraldine Ferraro was Walter Mondale's running mate, has a woman been in such a major race. (And, yes, I remember the 1984 election, but barely...that was back in the day of the "Weekly Reader" in elementary school and they had a mock election for kids between Reagan and Mondale.)

All of that being said, I can't help but feel that this is a continuation of McCain's political games. I don't know that much about Palin yet, so I can't judge on if I feel that she's a qualified candidate. I can, however, say this: I think that McCain picked her as an "in your face" type move because Obama did not choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate. It's no secret that some of Clinton's supporters are not happy with the choice of Obama -- if for no other reason than that he is not Hillary Clinton. I think this is a desperate cry by McCain to try to persuade some of Clinton's supporters to support him instead.

This is all very intriguing to me. Since I turned 18 and became eligible to vote, I have followed political races, but never before to this degree -- at least not for the president/vice president. I'm eager to see the turnout of this race and, as many of you probably know, am proudly supporting the Obama/Biden ticket.

No matter the outcome, one thing's for certain -- history will be made with this election.

"The Hoff"

When I was a kid, I absolutely loved the TV show "Knight Rider". I didn't know that the star of the show, David Hasselhoff, was a total and complete idiot. I suppose it wouldn't have mattered -- I still would have loved the show. Today, however, I think that he's pretty much an idiot.

He's so cocky that he's now created "Hoff Space", a social networking site that's supposed to be similar to MySpace. His reasoning? "... decided to start a network where people from across the world might come together and get a conversation started over me. " Apparently, he thinks he's so cool that everyone wants to talk about him. I honestly just laughed when I first read this.

A couple of nights ago, I was watching "America's Got Talent" while I did some work -- I swear that it was because there was nothing at all on TV! Anyway, I did a complete and utter double-take when I heard him tell someone, "You're as American as the Olympics!" Ummm...I think I get what he meant, but seriously, get a history lesson, you fool! The Olympics didn't originate in the USA!

He's a food. I don't think he's necessarily a bad person, just a bit of a moron.

One Feisty Lady

This lady is my HERO! I want to be like her when I'm a little old lady. Well, either her or Grandma Mazur from Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series.

Link to the coolest little old lady in the world: http://newsok.com/armed-85-year-old-woman-makes-intruder-call-cops/article/3285696/?tm=1219175456

Ingenuity at its Finest!

As many of you probably know, the building in which my office is housed (and, my office and office suite) has been under construction since the middle-end of May. Things have been insane, to say the least. Dealing with horribly loud pounding, banging, hammering and shouting on a daily basis has gotten really old.

We all became extremely frustrated when they took the doors off of all four bathrooms in this building. We had to walk across campus to be able to use the restroom, which seemed like a total waste of time. Well, last week, they finally hung a door back on the smallest of the women's restrooms. The following is a photo of their handiwork:

Yes, you're seeing that correctly. They hung a door that contains a window on the women's restroom. Someone, in a stroke of genius, decided to put tape over the window to provide us with some privacy. So what's the rub? The tape is on the OUTSIDE of the window/door. Any fool could walk up and peel it off. A good faith effort? Yes. Successful? Nope. I'm still walking across campus.

Ah, the intelligence that's out there!

It's a Little Thing Called Karma

I'm a firm believer in karma. I've seen it firsthand several times, the most recent of which was so very deserved and made me feel a lot better about something that had happened to me.

Right now, I'm so incredibly upset over something that happened today that I'm ready to throttle someone. What's keeping me in check, though, is the knowledge that karma really will come back to bite this person. And when it does, I'm gonna bit sitting there...waiting, watching, and savoring the sweet, sweet flavor of my buddy karma.

An Open Letter to the El Reno Subway

Yesterday, I swung through El Reno's Subway to pick up a late lunch. The following is an open letter to the employees who were working at 1:30 pm yesterday. No, I haven't sent it to management, but I just might.

To Whom it May Concern:

I stopped in your store yesterday to grab a late lunch and was appalled at the way that you were treating your customers.

First off, I'm sorry that you felt as though it was hot in the store. It really wasn't too hot, but considering that it was 106 degrees outside, everyone was hot. You're going to be hot. I'm going to be hot. Accept it and move on.

Second, remember that guy who was in line in front of me? You know, the one you were rude to and yelled at and looked at like he was a total moron? Well, guess what....he was HEARING IMPAIRED! Could you not see the large hearing aid on his ear? Could you not tell from his tone of voice that he's hearing impaired? You should never, and I mean NEVER, treat ANY customer like you treated him. He was looking down when you hatefully muttered your question regarding what vegetables he wanted on his sandwich. He apparently could NOT hear you! There was no need to snap your fingers and yell at him and there was definitely no need to treat him like he was a total idiot when he told you what kind of dressing he wanted on his sandwich. It's his choice...not your choice. It doesn't matter if you like it or think it sounds gross. He's eating it...not you.

I seriously suggest that you consider some hard-core customer service training. If your employees are too dumb to understand the basic tenets of customer service, then perhaps they should go find a job where they don't ever have the opportunity to interact with anyone.

Hug Those You Love

This past weekend, I attended a memorial service for a sister of a friend. As with all memorials, it was difficult and heartbreaking. I feel so badly for the family and all of her loved ones.

So, tonight, while I'm thinking about her family, please do me a favor. Go hug your loved ones. Hug them and pull them tight and close to you. I'm going to see my family this weekend so that I can hug them and show them how much they are loved.

For everyone I love: I'm thinking about you and hugging you from my kitchen. Please remember that I love you all very much.

You Forgot? Seriously?

So, right-wing nutjob Sally Kern (an Oklahoma state representative) is at it again. First, earlier this year, she went on an anti-homosexual crusade and compared, if I remember correctly, gays to terrorists. Yesterday, she "forgot" she was carrying her handgun when she went into the state capitol. Sure, she's got a concealed carry permit, but that's not the point. I can understand forgetting that you have your cell phone in your purse or forgetting that you have some other lightweight random item inside, but a handgun? Seriously? I'm thinking that's not really possible.

A Study in Contradictions

Well, okay, so it wasn't a study in contradictions, but rather, just something that made me laugh this past weekend.

On Saturday, Jason and I decided to go see The Dark Knight. Well, it was sold out and while we were standing in the lobby of the Warren, he pointed something out to me that made both of us laugh.

Across the lobby stood a guy who appeared to be a semi-bad ass motorcycle man. He was dressed in full leathers, with no shirt beneath his vest, and had a shaved head and tattoos. He looked like he could be tough...until you looked down his arm and saw the 1990s-reject hair scrunchie around his wrist. Luckily, he had an excuse in that his girlfriend/wife was standing next to him, but still...it was pretty funny.

While laughing, I asked Jason if he would wear a scrunchie around his wrist for me (if I was out of style enough to still use them). He told me that he would consider it, but only if i had no arms or prosthetic arms. Then again, he said, there wouldn't be much use for it then because I couldn't pull my own hair back if I didn't have arms.

Funny stuff.

Lazy and Relaxed

I had a great weekend. You just sometimes need those weekends when you do basically nothing but be a bum and spend time with one of your favorite people in the world. There's just nothing like it. :)

IQ Tests

For the past several years, I've said that I thought you should have to take an IQ test to work at Wal-Mart (aka The Mart of Darkness). As of a few minutes ago, I've revised that thought and decided that most employees are okay, but that you should have to take an IQ test to shop at Wal-Mart.

With the exception of the idiot kid who nearly ran over me with a pallet and a pallet jack, the employees were pretty good this evening. The other shoppers, yeah...not so much.

Ugh. I'm advocating IQ tests for all. Let's put the morons in a controlled environment and keep them away from the rest of us.

Brent Rinehart for Commissioner?

So Brent Rinehart is running for Oklahoma County District Two County Commissioner. From what I've heard of this guy, he's an ultra right-wing, conservative nutjob. He's currently being charged with a felony for campaign finance issues with his previous run for this office and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This is a comic book that has been created in support of his new run for office. Nice. I won't even comment on tha atrocious grammar and the horrendous drawings. Just see it for yourself.

I'm so glad that I don't live in Oklahoma County.

Mo-Hell

When I was a child, I loved nothing more than going on vacation and staying in a motel/hotel. It's was such an exciting adventure for me! With (usually) a pool on site, an ice machine down the hall, and the anticipation of going somewhere fun (for example, Silver Dollar City or Worlds of Fun), I was incredibly happy.

Now, it's a different story.

Hotels still can be a fun escape from the ravages of everyday life, however, I've watched way too many episodes of Dateline NBC and know some of the tricks that these places pull to save time and money on cleanliness. There still are places that don't appear to be disgustingly dirty (recently stayed at the Courtyard Marriott and felt that it was very clean), but for the most part, I'm very distrusting. I refuse to drink out of glass drinking glasses and typically either fold the comforter/bedspread at the end of the bed or throw it on the floor.

Fast forward to this past Sunday. I was in Tulsa for a conference and we stayed and what's supposed to be a pretty nice little lodge. The beds were incredibly comfortable the linens were crisp. I was impressed to see that the bed was covered with a fluffy duvet. Before I went to bed, though, I folded that duvet across the end of the bed, anticipating that I wouldn't use it. I also tossed the cute little decorative roll pillow on the floor because it wasn't in a case and I didn't want to think about what all might be on it.

Apparently, in the night, I got cold and pulled the duvet up. I didn't think much about it until late last night when I returned from our awards banquet. I sat down on the edge of the bed to send some e-mail and something caught my eye. I realized that there was blood across the duvet -- right by where my face would have been the previous night. Obviously, it wasn't my blood because there was a great deal of it and I hadn't bled at all.

After flying up from the bed, washing my hands in scalding water, and managing not to vomit, I called the front desk and requested a new comforter. The woman who answered asked me why I wanted one, so I honestly told her. Her response? "Well, is it your blood? It has to be or else it's got to be a stain." Well, I didn't look at it that closely, but I've never in my life seen a blood stain that was that large and still that dark after washing. Someone brought up a new comforter, but I still had a really hard time sleeping last night. Then, add to that the fact that there were plastic tags that hold price tags on clothing strewn across my floor (and I hadn't taken any new clothing with me) and crushed crackers under the edge of the bed, and I was sufficiently disgusted.

Luckily, I'm pretty sure that I did not come into contact with that dried blood, but I don't know for sure. I'm crossing my fingers that I didn't touch it and won't wind up with some funky and nasty disease.

This was another definite wake-up call for me. I won't even go into the time that I checked into my room at a different hotel in Tulsa and walked in to find that it hadn't been cleaned. Instead, the bed had just been made up and the towels were still tossed haphazardly on the floor.

Ew. Yes, I'll stay in hotels again, but I guarantee you that I'm going to be a lot more picky and will NEVER leave a comforter on the bed again. In fact, I think I'll start taking my own pillows and maybe even my own blanket.

A Sign of Intelligence

Spotted today on an Arby's sign in Tulsa (around 21st and Sheridan):

Buy Now
Roast Beaf and Chedder
On Sale 2 for $4

I don't even know what to say. Oh -- and the letter N in both now and on was backwards. The opposite side of the sign was correct.

I wish I would have had my camera, but unfortunately, it was in the trunk. Speling aint that ther harde. Lern some gramer rulz.

And You Seriously are Going to Help Choose our Next President?

I had my first session of physical therapy for my poor sore knee today. Let's just say that I'm in more pain now than I was before, but I know it'll get better. Anyway, I digress.

While I was waiting on my therapist to call me back, I was leafing through a magazine and casually listening to and participating in coversations with other patients and employees. I heard a guy bring up the subject of politics, which is something I typically avoid. One of the other patients brought up the fact that Jesse Jackson recently made some rude remarks about Obama when he thought that his microphone had been turned off. He said something along the lines of, "I can't believe that Jesse Jackson would make remarks like that about another negro -- you know, that Oback Barama guy." Someone went on to ask him who he planned to vote for and he said, "I don't rightly know. Probably that Barama guy."

Last week, an 18-year-old kid living in a northern state (Minnesota, I believe), attempted to auction off his vote in the upcoming Presidential election. Of course, he was caught, the auction was yanked, and he's in some pretty hot water.

I'm continually surprised about voters who are quite uneducated about candidates and issues or don't care about their right to vote. To me, it's pretty scary that we have people voting out there who know very little about candidates; some just pick a random person. It also bothers me that there are people who choose not to vote. I realize that, as an American, it's your right to choose not to vote. I can respect that, as we're a free country and you're welcome to do (within limits) what you please. I just can't imagine not wanting to vote.

Sigh...politics intrigues me, but in ways, it also scares me.

Lessons Learned at the Lake

After spending a week at Grand Lake with some of my favorite people in the world, I feel as though I've learned several new things. So, without further ado, here are some of the lessons that I learned:

Face your fears and you'll find something fun. (I was a little scared to hop on a waverunner, but once I did, I wished I would have done it a lot sooner.)

You don't have to go a million miles away for a great vacation.

Total relaxation is possible -- especially if you turn off and leave off the BlackBerry.

Just because you take a camera with an empty flash card and a ton of batteries, doesn't mean that you'll remember to take pictures.

No matter how inconfident you feel about how you look in your swimsuit, you always look better than at least one other person somewhere on the lake.

Some of the best food in the world can be found in tiny, out-of-the-way diners in little bitty towns.

Turning 30 doesn't have to hurt.

Everyone should watch fireworks from a boat on the lake at least once in their life.

You don't have to worry about doing your hair or wearing make-up when you're at the lake because no one cares.

Sitting on a swaying dock at night, looking at the stars and moon, beside someone who means the world to you, is a wonderful experience.

I can't even begin to put into words how much I enjoyed the past week. Good times were had by all and I can't wait to do it again.

Peaceful, Easy Feeling

I'm sitting on the deck of a lake house on Grand Lake right this very moment. We've been here since late Tuesday night and I knew that I needed a vacation, but I didn't know how badly I needed one until I got here.

Since we arrived, I have done basically nothing of any consequence. We spent several hours cruising the lake on Jason's dad's boat Wednesday morning/afternoon, which I found to be absolutley wonderful. Previously, I'd always kind of wondered why people enjoyed cruising around the lake on a boat if they weren't skiing, tubing, or fishing. Now, I totally understand.

Anyway, I'm sitting out on the deck and enjoying the gorgeous weather, watching the boats cruise by, soaking it all in, and...listening to the crappy loud music the guy across the cove has been blaring for two days. We all really wish he wasn't so determined to play it so loudly, but hey, whatever works for you. My only worry, and goal, if you will, is to relax and have fun.

I Know Why They Named it That!

Today at lunch I treated myself to a pedicure, which is something I don't do terribly often. I went for several reasons -- first, I can't bend my knee well enough to paint my own nails; second, I'm leaving for vacation tomorrow and want decent looking nails, and third, I had a super-stressful morning and needed something to help me relax (I thought this was a better option than vodka).

After my pedi, I was hobbling back out to my car when a truck pulled up in front of the little strip mall where I get my toes done. A guy hopped out of the passenger seat and his kids (well, I'm assuming they were his kids) hopped out of the backseat. The three of them were walking into the nearby Cricket store when I heard the youngest child (probably around five years old) giggle and exlaim, "Hey! That's why they call it Cricket! Look at all of the crickets on the ground in front of their door! That's so funny!"

I had seen the crickets when I walked by earlier, and there was, indeed, a pretty big pile of them, but I didn't think of things that way.

I about fell over laughing. Both her mom and dad were laughing, too. It was absolutely great! What an adorable child...kids can be so stinkin' funny, if you just listen to them.

The Truth is Out There?!?!

Okay, so I never did watch the X Files of whatever cheesy show had that as their tagline, but I do still remember it. But something happened the other day that made me laugh and think of how insane some of the "alien hunters" (for lack of a better word) would go if it happened to them.

First off, let me preface this by saying that if there is, indeed, intelligent life on other planets, I don't believe that they are little green men in spaceships who waste their time flying around making crop circles and sucking out the brains of unsuspecting individuals. I think it's very possible that there is intelligent life beyond our planet, but if this is the case, then I think they have better things to do.

So, on to what happened to me the other day...I came home from work on Thursday afternoon to find that my yard guy had mowed my yard while I was at work. That made me beyond happy because, while I'd planned to mow my own yard this summer, it's kind of hard to do with a bum knee; plus, my grass was starting to look shaggy and I like to keep it looking neat. I didn't think much about his mowing until later that evening when I went to run errands or some such. When I walked out of the house, I found this:

Okay, so the photo didn't turn out the greatest and it's not as pronounced since it has been a few days, but I have what some people would probably call a miniature crop circle in my front yard. I'll admit that I walked over to check it out because I thought it was just grass clippings. It's not, though. I can't really figure out what it is...it kind of looks like a darker circle of grass in the middle of the rest of my grass...ahem...weeds.

I think it's fully amusing. I do know, however, that there are some people who would be completely freaked out by it. The good thing is that it makes me laugh every time I walk out my door. I've been in need of a good laugh and smile!

I Wish I Would've Had My Camera....

Last Friday, as I was running around town, I saw a woman posting garage sale signs on nearly every available telephone pole. I didn't think that much about it, other than that she was EVERYWHERE I went.

Later that day, I actually read one of her signs and about wrecked my car because I was laughing so hard. Her sign read, "HUGH GARAGE SALE!" Now, either she was selling a garage belonging to a guy named Hugh, or she actually was having what she felt was a HUGE garage sale. Big difference.

So, being the grammarzon that I am, I went driving around town to find her other signs to see if she had made the same mistake repeatedly. She did. With the price of gas right now, normally I would've considered driving around pretty much aimlessly a waste of time, but I was in desperate need of a good laugh...and her signs were provided that laugh. I didn't go look for all of them, but I did check about three places that I had seen her hanging signs.

I really wish I would've had my camera. Things like this need to be documented.

Stupid Menis-CUSS

So, like the graceful and talented woman that I am, I've managed to tear the medial meniscus in my left knee. Let me make a suggestion to those of you who have never torn yours -- DON'T! It's incredibly painful and being in such a huge brace is beyond annoying.

As best we can figure, I tore it slightly about three weeks ago at the gym. It hurt like no other, but after a few days, felt better. I continued on with life, including going to the gym, until I was in the Kansas City last week. When I got out of the van when we arrived, I felt another burn and a pop. My doctor thinks that I probably tore it more extensively then. So, when we got back home, I went to the doctor. As a result, I'm in a ginormous knee brace for the next two weeks, and if I'm not totally better then, I have to go have an MRI and see an orthopod. It's a very good time.

The pain is bad enough that I'm frustrated, and also very cranky. I'm doing my best to kick the crabbiness, even though the pain doesn't seem to want to abate, but am not being very successful. Suggestions for improving my disposition are certainly welcome! Until then, I'm going to sit on the couch, with ice both under and over my knee, and stew in my grouchiness. Perhaps I should go live in a metal trashcan like Oscar the Grouch.

Crossing Party Lines

I don't often discuss politics with anyone...friends, family, and foes included. So, you can consider this to be a first.

I'm a proud democrat; generally, my beliefs are best aligned with the democratic party. Thus, most frequently the candidates I believe will do the best job are democrats, too. I will admit that I've never intentionally voted a straight-party ticket. I simply vote for who, in my eyes, will do the best job.

While I consider myself to be a relatively political person (in case you don't know and haven't figured out, I'm beginning to feel the political bug myself), it's rare that I'll come out and endorse a particular candidate. I've never before placed a campaign sign in my front yard...until now. I never thought that the first political sign I would place in my yard would be for a republican, but that's the case.

Since I've placed her sign in my yard, you can consider both that, and this blog, my endorsement of Shelley Dickerson for Canadian County's County Clerk. I know Shelley from Leadership Canadian County. She's a wonderful person and, I believe, will be a wonderful County Clerk. Shelley is a long-time employee of the County Clerk's office and strikes me as an extremely competent and intelligent person. More information for her can be found at www.shelleydickerson.com. I encourage you to check out her site and see if you feel that she'd be the best candidate for the job.

Like always, I'm not telling anyone who to vote for this fall. Rather, I'm urging you to do your civic duty and vote. And, if, like me, you happy to think that Shelley's the best candidate for the job, I encourage you to vote for her! (Obviously, only registered Canadian County citizens can vote for Shelley!)

Oh -- and in case there's any chance that I could be breaking any election rules by writing this blog, I do need to tell you that Shelley has not asked me to write it and knows nothing about it. I've written this blog, and am showing my support for her, of my own free will.

Pro-Heart 6

I'm a dog mom to Tess, a crazy little terrier mix. About five years ago, when I took her to the vet for her annual check-up, my vet suggested that we change Tess's heartworm preventative. My vet (former vet, located in Kansas) wanted me to try a six-month injection -- Pro-Heart 6. I wasn't particularly sold on the idea, but after much discussion and debate, the vet finally talked me in to trying it for Tess. Very bad idea -- I've regretted it ever since.

Part of the reason that I was so hard to convince of the value of this injection was because it had killed or significantly sickened several dogs. My vet convinced me that it was an extremely small number of dogs and that they all had either been very sick or were elderly. Well, by the time I got home from work the night that she had the shot (about four hours later), Tess was completely lethargic and seemed miserable. I called the vet; they assured me that her lethargy was probably from the immunizations and not the Pro-Heart 6. They told me she'd get better. Within a few days, she did -- sort of. Within two weeks, she was back at the vet's, where she was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. My little dog nearly died from this infection. They never concretely admitted it, but danced around the fact that they felt it most likely was caused by this injection. Essentially, they admitted it without saying it. I have been told that this infection very well may shorten her life.

Less than two weeks after she recovered from her pancreatitis, I received a notice in the mail stating that this injection had been pulled from the market because of the death and disabilities it had caused in pets.

Fast-forward to today. I'm in Kansas City for a conference and I opened my complimentary copy of USA Today and was greeted with a story that this drug has been placed back on the market! I cannot believe it! The story discussed the fact that this was considered a dangerous drug, but the makers kept denying that it was dangerous. Somehow, they've managed to get it back on the market.

To all of you dog parents, I offer this: DO NOT USE PRO-HEART 6 for your pet! Remembering to give your dog a heartworm preventative pill once a month is not that difficult. Do NOT make the same mistake as me. My laziness in getting this injection nearly ended Tess's life, and as it is, may have shortened it. I can't imagine my life without my dog and don't want anyone else to have to imagine their life without their pets.

Welcome to Meg's Pink Sky!

I've been an avid Myspace blogger for a little more than a year now. While I'll probably still continue to blog there occasionally, I decided that I wanted to try a different forum.

So...why pink sky? Well, it goes back to a comment that I made yesterday on the drive to Kansas City for a conference. A friend was teasing me about something and I told him to leave me alone because the people who live in my world like me. He replied by asking the color of the sky in my world; I, of course, responded, "PINK!" So, pink sky...my own little world.

Now before you think something bad about me, please realize that I don't live in a different universe and that I'm not in an altered state of reality. Pink sky is just my way of discussing what's going on in my world, or rather, my own little corner of the world. You shouldn't expect anything too Earth-shattering or profound; I just have thoughts, and life events, that I want to share with others.

So, welcome to my pink sky!