The Real Reason We Need Men

Tuesday started well. Work was the normal pain in the neck, but more reasonable than usual; topped off with a semi-good hair day, a mediocre healthy lunch, constant ramblings about the long weekend and other small talk about the office.

In-between all of this having my best friend call me to discuss more details of a long sizzled out friendship we had the hope of rekindling (for the sake of her wedding) causing more problems again. More like, the girlfriend of the ex-friend causing those lovely problems again.

But my day after work was planned, and it was going to be fantastic! I found a new vehicle that grabbed my interest while searching through the web the night before. Being that this new venture of mine has now begun, I needed more reliable transportation (and I have GREAT credit…and want a pretty car…with keyless entry. Too much to ask?) and definitely easier access to the trunk where I’ll be lugging everything out.

The Suzuki SX4 Crossover, was a cute and practical choice. I didn’t want to blow my credit sky high, but I do want a good investment.

I begged my roomie to meet me there, because let’s face it, a lone young lady walking into a dealership equals a horrible deal and arrogant macho buttholes. So I figured strength in numbers would do the job. And I was wrong.

As soon as I arrived at said dealership, I was approached by a “nice” older gentleman. Immediately he started in on how great the vehicle is and how many good reports it has gotten (it does, I checked the consumer reports)…blah blah blah. I reasearch and analyze everything before ever making a decision, trust me; I did my homework on this car. I knew the disadvantages and the possible problems it could have. I just wanted to LOOK at it.

 My roomie and I walked up to a 2008 model, I liked the color it was nice shade of blue. Checked the interior (black) as we were discussing the colors the man stated “It’s our best seller for our female drivers”. I felt my eye twitch slightly and but refused to comment and continued on my venture to check out the car. Suddenly the man ran around the side of the car and decided to read, out loud, the features. I asked him if he could pop the hood, his response? “Naw, we don’t need to do that.” The response to my glare was a crooked smile.

Once again, I said nothing and he began to insist on test driving it. Which I did, and it was ok I suppose. A bit jumpy on the gas and brakes but overall it was comfortable. As soon as I parked he herded us inside, to see exactly what my payments would be. I gave him the figure I couldn’t go over. And off to work they went checking out my car to determine the trade in value. Remember if you will I had bad gas and though the treatment has long been put in the check engine light is still on. I told them this, and they nodded and smiled stating they understood. After a few minutes of small talk to mechanic came back and stated my air did not work. And the following then ensued:

Me: “It doesn’t work? But I just used it the other day!”
Mechanic: “Yeah I checked everything, I guess you will need a new system”
Me: “Uhm, sir, did you turn the thermostat from heat to cool?”
Mechanic: “Turn the wha…oh.”

Should have been my sign right then, to just walk away. But no, my interest was still held by the car and I waited. They came back with the numbers and said they were only giving me two grand for my trade in. And finally I called foul. I didn’t lose my cool, but as stated above I research everything. I knew my car was worth nearly five grand. After a few more minutes of squabbling with them, I was sick of it. And wanted to leave. Isn’t it amazing how many people suddenly want to help you when you don’t buy a car? Guys were coming out of the woodwork to change my mind. One even stated “Well if you get a co-signer it will drop the apr a bit” how much is a bit?  .1%. Yeah, I don’t think so. 

Next time, I’ll be sure to have my step-father with me. 

OH, and of course the first thing I notice when I get into my car to leave? My inspection sticker went out on Monday. Awesome. And I can’t get it done until the check engine light is gone.

Welcome to my world.

Much Love, 
K

Makes you think…

I am a very rational person, definitely a realist. I very rarely lose my self control, during emergencies I can usually be found calming others and helping the best I was trained to do. I keep a cool head…most of the time.

Picture if you will this scene:
Driving down a flooded street (thank you remnants of Faye) trying to keep control of your car, everyone around you clearly losing their minds not knowing how to navigate through the ankle/calf high flash flood water. Suddenly your cell phone is ringing off the hook, but if you take your hands off the wheel it is a guarantee that you will lose control and end up in either the ditch to one side of you or what once was a creek that is now a raging river on the other side of you. So you keep driving and wish you had activated that nifty blutooth gadget. After the 3 solid minute of the ringing, you finally answer it and your panicked mother says this to you- “There is a Doppler tornado heading straight for you, get off the road…NOW!“

 Shall we take this into perspective for a moment? These are the exact thoughts in my head when she said that sentence to me.

1. Doppler tornado, that means there is rotation and they can’t tell where the funnel will come down. Awesome!!

1. A) Shit…they can’t tell?!

1. B) OMFG a tornado!!!!

2. I’m no more than 3 minutes from my house, and the dogs are in the back…I have to get them somewhere safer.

3. I have to call Mim she can NOT be on the interstate right now. (this is where the cell was projected to cross over)

So I call Mim, telling her to stay put at work until it passes. And she tells me “But I’m at home.”  You never really know fear for another person until you hear a good friend of yours make that statement. She lives on the 3rd floor…and that particular storm with all of that lovely rotation that no one knows if it will or where it will drop a funnel is heading directly for her. So what would you do? I handled the situation with screaming at her to get somewhere safe, yeah not so cool and collected at that point. The logical place? My house.

She doesn’t live far from me and I didn’t want to be alone no more than she did if this really did happen.

So as I waited for her to arrive, I scrambled to get the comforters and pillows into the hall way. Slamming doors to the bedrooms and bathroom, hustling animals into the front part of the house, and finally closing the french doors and immediately started to pray.

I walked out onto the front porch and stared at the sky, everything was still. It wasn’t raining anymore there wasn’t any thunder or hail. Just quiet.

 And then I saw the twisting, the sky was literally swirling inside of itself. I’ve never seen anything like it before, and it made me sick.

Not even a few seconds later Mim walked through the door, and the news channel announced the cell had dissipated and the warning was no longer an issue.

The fuss was over nothing, though three tornadoes touched down in counties all around us. And one unconfirmed in the lower part of our county. The “Bubble” had held up and kept us relatively safe again.

And I’m so thankful for it.

Much Love,
K

Song of the Day:
Just for you Mim. Lol. Just because we were talking about it last night.

Just another day…

 After playing a game of Scrabble, har har, with my best friend on pogo the other night we began to talk about relationships…or my lack there of. Most of my friends are married (read as about to be married/are currently married) and are starting their families and all that mushy crap. I almost felt desperate enough to call up some old dates, you know the ones that weren’t up to the standards you set at the time?  However, they seem fairly promising considering my recent dry spell of a few months now.

To get right to it-I’m tired of being lonely. I’m tired of family asking me when I’ll find someone because everyone else has someone. And I’m tired of when friends stop inviting you to come out with them because their significant others will be there and they’re trying to not make you feel like the third wheel. Warms the heart doesn’t it? I’ve tried to be constructive and subjected myself to a few dates that went awry or people who just weren’t emotionally stable. I found plenty of nice guys that I was attracted to but they all seemed to have baggage or the victim syndrome some even had both, lovely I know.

So I’ve hit a whole new low in my life, I actually joined a dating service online. I’m not really looking, but at least I have something to tell those who question my want for companionship. Common Question: “So if you’re so lonely, why haven’t you gone out and found someone?” That would be because I’ve gone to the bar scene and had friends do the ‘blind date’ thing. Not a damn one has worked for me. So I figured why not jump online browse my options and if I don’t like them, they never have to know I existed. Right? Yeah, it’s insanely stupid but what could it hurt?
When you have dreams about becoming the crazy cat lady, it’s time for a change. I definitely do not want to be the elderly lady sitting on the front porch screaming at kids for being on my lawn…80 cats staring out my window and driving an astro van from the 70’s that smells like God only knows what.

Love vivid imaginations don’t we?

So what is everyone’s opinions? On dating, On-line dating sites, etc.

And here’s a special treat…say hello to Spike my squirrel buddy…

 
See and you all thought I was kidding.

Have a great week!

Much Love,

K

Song of the day:
I have a wedding to attend this weekend. And this is NOT towards that couple at all. Just like the song. And I was nice and got the censored one.

Here’s an idea…

I made a sad realization yesterday (with the help of my boss) the excitment in my life now comes from  stupid situations that would embarrass normal people.

A list of my dorkiness:

1. I can beat the computer at Scrabble on pogo now using both the House Rules and Normal Play Rules. My winning words: Za and Xi and Zinger.

2. My life consists of going to work and going home. With the occasional stop to feed my parents animals or going to the grocery store/gas station.

3. As I’m playing Scrabble at my desk and looking out the window in deep thought; I found that I have a new squirrel friend that eats the paint chips off of the porch. There’s a huge hole and exposed brick thanks to that lovely little guy.

4. The clear coat on my car has began to come up on my front bumper. My roomie calls it horrible and thinks I should get a quote for a new paint job, I say it gives my car character and I’m too much of a tightwad to do that.

5. I have mastered the art of running into the side of a wall/door jam/coffee table/cube wall and still look completely graceful.

6. On Friday nights I’d rather stay in and watch Law & Order SVU, Monk and Psych than go out. And I’m ok with this…

7. I watch specific channels so that I can avoid horror movie commercials.

8. I really have nothing else to put right here….I just like the number 8. Part of my OCD.

 

So there you go. Go forth and feel normal.

Have a great weekend!!

Much Love,
K

Song of the day:

Bare?

I’ve been staring at this blank page for a couple of days now. I have so many thoughts rambling through my mind and not one is sensible enough to make it onto this form.
I wish I could blame this on the lack of happenings in my life, but that isn’t completely true. The things that are going on I can’t write about yet. It’s so close to a reality I can almost taste it. The ideas are coursing through me and my giant notebook is nearly filled to the brim. And the excitment has finally hit me, not to be confused with the fact I’m still terrified the shit will hit the fan with nothing coming from it. But the light at the end of this droning tunnel is becoming brighter every day.

Onto other news, my check engine light came on yesterday. And guess what it was…again. You got it, bad gas. I wasn’t really sure yesterday if I should be relieved or start getting a complex. But before I became vendictive I took the situation as a whole into perspective and wonder if anyone else is starting to find this happening more and more. This of course is after my step-father warned me to start putting the treatment in my car everytime I fill up because of the competition between gas stations. There’s really no telling what extent the owners will go to when they’re bringing down the prices. So beware folks, I’m putting out the warning and am advising to start using a gas treatment every fill up or at least twice a month. I know I will from now on.

I will also be puppy sitting this weekend! Mim and her hubby are leaving for NY Friday, so I get Mr. Ozzy for the weekends to play with the roomie’s dogs. Yay! I’m sure there will be pictures for you all to enjoy. There’s never a dull moment with the three dogs together. Hehe.

Have a great day!

Much Love,
K

Song of the day: OH high school memories…

Good/Bad

Good: Hiring someone else to mow your lawn.
Bad: Hiring someone else to mow your lawn because your lawnmower was stolen.

Good:Dressing professional and getting compliments from the VP in your department.
Bad: Wearing heels. Curse you heels!

Good:Moving your room around to better fit your lifestyle.
Bad:Forgetting how much crap you have and no where to put it.

Good:Having the house to yourself
Bad:Having the house to yourself because your roomie’s work is full of morons who can’t go a day without her being there which in turn is causing her to become sick again.

Bad: Calling your roomie’s boss and cussing them out because of the above statement.
Good: Having your roomie’s boss call you back and completely agree with you and promising to fix it.

Good:Downloading music to your ipod to get you through the day.
Bad: The computer crashing because you’re computer stupid and did it wrong.

Good:Having a crush on a guy at work.
Bad: Everyone BUT him knowing that.

Good:Singing in the car on the way home to relieve stress from the day.
Bad: Pulling up beside of a firetruck full of hot guys still singing and not realizing it until it’s too late. I’m awesome, I know.

Good:Having cheesecake because it makes everything better!
Bad: Forgetting you’re lactos-intolerant…again.

Good:Getting new hair supplies that you love.
Bad: Finding out that you are apparently allergic to said hair supplies by having a lovely facial rash so that you can’t wear make-up. (it’s gone now, btw)

Bad:Having to take corporate pictures while not being able to wear make-up and seeing said crush at the same time.
Good: Folks falsely telling you that you’re still pretty even without make-up. Lies I tell you LIES!

 Happy Wednesday! It’s half way through the week!!

Much Love,
K

Song of the day: It’s never too early in the morning for Gerard Butler. Yum.

On a happy note…

Here are some candid shots from the other events of the past weekend:

It’s the diaper cake my mom made! Isn’t it cute?!

Baby shower shot- This bag is infamous throughout my family. I bought it for my cousin’s daughter’s birthday. But they were going to throw it away. It was freaking $7 for it! So I am going to use it at every family function.

 

Yes, she knows she’s cute. Oreo just before being tossed off my bed during the moving my room around process.

Barely finished…please note the ‘dead’ kitty on the bed…even though I had moved her twice.

I’m not finished with my room, but it will work for now. The room is such an odd shape it’s hard to maneuver everything around.

Have a great day!

Much Love,
K

P.S. We have to go completely corporate at work today, ye freaking haw. Oh my love for suits is unbearable. *cough cough*

Oh yeah, I went way back with this song today. Song of the day:

Never Underestimate

Apparently I have too much hope in humanity. The thought of walking outside your home with the constant fear of being mugged or raped, never really crosses my mind. I live in a fairly safe neighborhood, the classic suburbia and I have those super nosey neighbors you read about in books. Cracking blinds if they hear noises and standing on porches if someone’s music is blaring as they fly down the road. The screeching of tires, the threats of gun fire and the drug sales are not part of this area. So please imagine my surprise when I walked to my garage Saturday morning to find something of great value was missing, my lawn mower! 
 
At first, I thought perhaps my step-father had taken it to do an oil change or sharpen the blades (he does that from time to time). After a phone call to him, panic raced through my veins. It was an impossible thought to comprehend. I refused to believe the obvious, and in disbelief I dialed the phone to inform my roomie.

We were the victims of a theft.

So after a call to the police department, I found myself sitting on the front porch feeling more violated than if I had just went for a yearly check up at the OB-GYN. An incredible mix of emotions ran through me, I was thankful the thief targeted the garage and not the house, I was pissed someone had the audacity to come onto my property and take something that did not belong to them and overall I was seriously freaked out.

After the officer arrived and took my statement and spoke with the neighbors, he admitted he didn’t have much to go on. There really was no way to know when it was taken, the last time either myself or my roomie saw it was on Monday. It’s not exactly something you expect to happen or feel a need to check on until you’re about to mow the lawn. The thief rummaged through other belongings, but the officer said it was apparent it was a young person. They left the $200-$300 bridal doll (my grandmother had willed to me) and a few other high priced items including the gas container, most adults would know the value of and would have gotten the money for.  They found track marks where the walked away between our house and our immediate neighbors beside the garage that lead to the parking lot of the church directly behind the house. But no fingerprints, no foot impressions just nothing. Like it walked itself away. I felt horrible because in reality it was my fault, I should have locked it up like I normally do.  But when I last used it the weather turned ugly quickly so I just hid it in the open part of the garage behind the mountains of stuff and thought nothing of it. Want to know the worst feeling in the world? Call your step-father to tell him the lawnmower he spent $400 on was stolen and you have no idea when it happened.

Now I know how stupid it may seem to get that upset over a lawnmower but it isn’t the fact that they took anything that upsets me. It’s the fact that someone came onto the property unbeknownst to myself or my roomie

and they could have broken into the house. That terrifies me. What if they did this while we were asleep, what if it was happening when I was leaving for work one morning. I’m blowing it out of proportion but maybe I’m not. I should not have trusted my surroundings so much and I have started using the security system which I thought I would never need. And it saddens me.

I will post the baby shower and other things from the weekend tomorrow. Today I think I will just reminisce about the little chunk of innocence I lost this weekend: My trust in those around me.

Much Love,

K

 Song of the day:

 

 

Friday: Scatterbrained

Bullet post! You know you love them.

• To help remind me of how much of a loser I am, I rearranged my room last night. Don’t worry I’ll change it again in a few weeks.
• I also bought new curtains to go in my room. But I don’t like them. The color is only a shade off from my bedspread, but I can’t stand it.
• Did I mention I forgot to get poles to put said curtains up? That might be what annoys me the most.
• Anyone else spend money they don’t have when they’re feeling sorry for themselves? Happens to me! Enough so this past week that my roomie actually yelled at me yesterday.
• I’m so sick of seeing these political ads. Mud slinging should be outlawed. This morning alone I have seen 6 commericials downing Dole.
• Speaking of commericials: Anyone else notice how stupid they are getting now? I blame it on the original GAP ads. They were cute…then the snowball effect took place.
• Keep my love for football to yourself. But, uh, I’m shocked Favre was traded to the Jets. What the hell were the Packers thinking? (Repeat and I will deny I ever said it.)
• NC is finally coming out of the horrible heat wave we have been in for the past few weeks. The cool snap brings us all the way down to…87 degrees. Yeah. My thoughts exactly.
• Yesterday when I came into work there was another mass email. About the Momma Duck. The CEO had been kept out of the loop for a reason. She called Animal Control to have her taken away. I was pissed until I was leaving for lunch and saw Momma duck and then Daddy duck and then a reinforcement duck coming in for an aeriel attack. Animal Control had taken the egg I placed back in the nest. And Daddy wasn’t happy. At all. Did I mention myself and my boss were the only ones he didn’t go after. So I take it as I did the right thing by putting it back.
• My cousin’s baby shower is tomorrow!! Yesterday she came up to my desk and made me feel her huge baby bump. You could feel his hands and toes. That boy is going to be a big one. I promise pictures will be here. Her c-section is scheduled for (of all days) Sept. 11th, unless she has to go in early. A beauitful thing coming from a horrible day in history if she lasts. And we’ve started a baby pool at work.
• I asked my mother and step-father to get me a new camera for my birthday/christmas gift (talking about the Canon Rebel, retail price $899). They laughed, that’s promising right?

 

Much Love,

K

Song stuck in my head today: I found this cd after it being MIA for years! Love this song.

The circle of life sucks

I really can not recall if I have written about my company’s new mascot yet. And I’m too lazy and sad to go back through to see. A female and a male duck (yes it is an insurance company and yes…these were ducks, har har) had made a nest at the edge of one of our flower beds behind our building. We’ve adopted them as our own. And even left food for her as she laid her eggs and settled into her new little space.
Everyday we’d look in on her to make sure she was still there and the eggs were doing alright. And she would let us, she trusted the majority of us who would stop and check.

Sadly, this morning as I was crossing the street to come into work I noticed she was standing outside of where her nest was. Quacking, flapping her wings and causing a fuss. After I came in and began to prepare for the day, I decided to glance in on her to see if she was still out there.

She was still pacing. And I noticed something at her little webbed feet. An egg. At first I was confused. Why would she lay the egg outside of the nest, better yet, how did she get the egg out of the nest? My boss pulled up as I had began to walk towards her. We both slowly made our way to check the nest and the egg. We found both of her eggs on the ground, one was completely halved and crushed. The other at her feet was still whole but leaking. The sad realization that she and her nest had been attacked by an animal last night washed over us as she quacked at us helplessly.

I picked up her egg and looked at it. There was a puncture on the side, and I could not decide what to do. Should I put it back? Or should I take it away?

Ultimately, the decision to put it back seemed like the right thing to do. Momma duck watched me as I layed it back into her nest and backed away. And she waddled back into the plants to assume her position of caring for the egg.

So, I guess sometimes deceiving mother nature is not that bad. I still feel horrible for the momma duck and question if I did the right thing by making her think the egg was still ok. Though I’m sure she’ll figure it out soon.

 

Much Love,
K

Update: Momma duck did figure out something was very wrong. And is currently sitting outside on the curb quacking at all who pass her by. We’re still not sure what type of ducks they are, but here’s one similar. I didn’t bring my camera to work today.