Tammi's World

UnFlippin'believable....

I'm all about branding. No - not the burning of animal flesh to show ownership - the Marketing kind of branding.

Branding is the cornerstone of sales. For example - if I say OJ, what product comes to mind? For me, it's Tropicana. And for a while there a full 1/3 of all consumers in the NE thought that Tropicana when ever you mentioned Grocery. That's HUGE.

It works with anything. If I say news - what do you think of? Me, it's FOX. Because it's what I watch. I say Mattress - most people say Serta (those damned sheep). And so it goes.

So I'm tooling through google and see this headline: Brand news day: Al-Jazeera up there with Ikea. (subscribtion required) You know I gotta read that!

Results are based on a survey of 2,000 of the top advertisers, marketing and branding managers. Al-Jazeera is now the 5th most influential brand. OVER ALL. I'm amazed. Honestly confused, and actually kinda sick to my stomach over this.

What are the brands that come in the top 4 spots?

1. Apple
2. Google
3. Ikea
4. Starbucks

I don't know why this bothers me so much - ok, yes I do, it's Al-Jazeera for cryin' out loud!! What is this world coming to????

He's just got to do it different....UPDATED

So yesterday I did the Music Meme that's been going around.

I see where Teresa has her post up now. Good One!!

That 1 Guy got his list up pretty quick.

Harvey tells me it's on his ToDo list. **UPDATE: Harvey's List is HERE. Very Interesting!!!

Koolaid is busy right now dealing with some new, stupid gun law being proposed in Washington (state, that is) so we'll give him some time. **UPDATE: Here's his list!

Bou has been a little busy - plus I hear she's been tagged a couple of times - so we'll give her a bit of time also.

Knowing LeeAnn - she'll have something up soon. And it'll be good.....

That brings us to Ogre. Ogre, Ogre, Ogre. You have GOT to go over and read his response to this little game of tag. Honestly, I laughed my ass off.....Dude - you have a gift. Well, it's either a gift or a curse, not sure yet!!! And yes - you do make me smile! Now get me that list - sans the Llamas!!!

Kind of on the personal side...

Yesterday was kind of a "icky" day for me. Had so much on my mind, on many fronts. I didn't feel good. Not one bit.

Since I've spent so much time whining and complaining the past few months - I'm going to put the rest of this post in the extended entry - that way I've got it out of my system and you don't have to look at all that "grunch".

It's kinda personal.....

I'm just not happy. Not at all. And I'm stuck. Frozen in a place I don't want to be. Not just logistically and professionally, but spiritually, emotionally, physically and intellectually. Yicky - huh.

I've pretty much figured out what I need to do about the first two issues. And I now realize WHY I'm so unhappy in those. I hate working alone. Hate it Hate it Hate it. I am a people person. I get my juices flowing from the give and take of teammates sharing ideas. I need to be able to discuss situations - FACE TO FACE with others that really GET it. I love the freedom, but I know there is a balance that can be found. Believe it or not - a plan is being formulated. Honestly. Just got to work out a few details.

Spiritually I'm struggling. I always start my prayers out with praise and thanks. Just like I try to do with any conversation. I make sure my gratitude is expressed.....but right now there's not so much (on a personal level) that I'm grateful for. Oh, my friends and family. The fact that I've been safe on the highways and biways. I'm grateful for a job. But I just don't feel the JOY. I don't know where it went. I'm looking for it.

Emotionally I feel like I'm in a dark cave. I don't laugh so much. Hell - I don't even tell jokes like I used to. OK - let's just be honest. I'm lonely. Plain and simple. I miss my friends. Oh - it's great that I get to talk to them on the phone. LOVE THAT!! It makes my days most times. But.....I'm a people person. I like face to face contact. It feeds me. I like to have people over to my home (ok, that's happening real soon!) and I like to go and visit. I need children around me.......they give me hope. They shine a light in this dark cave with their joy and curiosity. Not a lot of that lately.

Physically - I am a mess. Since those damned hurricanes I've put on more weight than I've carried in 15 years. I'm miserable. And it's spiraling out of control. I have no energy, so I don't walk. But I know if I walk I'll have more energy. I'm hoping Mac will help with that. He will HAVE to be walked, no choice there - not a big fan of puppy messes in the house.

I am just not taking the time for the little things either. Let me give you an example. I am a freak about my hands. I'm kinda vain about them. I've always had great nails, never did anything special - just kept them painted and trimmed. Heck, in my modeling days (and before all the stupid scars and age took their toll) I was a hand model. You never saw me with less than a perfect manicure (always done by moi). I actually ran stores this weekend with my nails broken and chipped and the paint peeling off. THAT NEVER HAPPENS. Now, part of that is from setting up beds in one of the stores, but I have to be honest - they looked like shit when I left the house. Who IS this woman?!?!?

Intellectually I haven't pushed myself at all. Hell - I haven't read a book since before my mom's heart attack. I don't have the time is my ususal excuse, but to be honest - I have no desire. None. Don't want to. I don't even watch movies. Oh there are a few I want to see, but I guess not enough to do it.

I'm the only person that can fix this. I've got to get my head back in the game. I know I've posted before about much of this, and I'm ashamed that I haven't done much to fix it. I've got to. Planning for the Family Reunion and looking forward to seeing all these wonderful people that have become such a part of my life is a big help. Every time I start to get complacent I think of that and it gets me going. But I can't let it end there. I've always, always said if you don't like something don't just bitch about it......change/fix it. Well, Hello Tammi! Listen to yourself for a change. Damnit woman - get your head out of that dark place it's been residing and get 'er done.

If you followed this mess......damn, thanks. I don't expect any answers. I just really wanted to get this all out so that I now HAVE to do something. Once something is exposed action has to follow. You see, I hate wasted effort.

This You HAVE to Read

I was over at Smoke Signals and found a message that I HAVE to share.

It is an email that the Smoke Eater recieved from Darrell Ankarlo. The message recaps a conversation he had with his son, who is serving in Iraq. Darrell's son is a member of Charlie Company that lost 31 heros in the helicopter crash last week.

I want you to go and read this. I'm serious. This is the price of freedom.

God Bless Our Military.

Let's Keep Our Fingers Crossed

This is going to be a very big month for me - socially.

We've got the Bad Example Family (and Friends) Reunion coming up in just under 2 weeks. I. Can't. Wait. Oh, and I can pretty well promise it will be a hot topic of discussion here at the Road Warriors site.

But I have another big meeting coming up. I saw a post over at Beth's site that she and John were going to be in the Orlando area. Well, you can bet I posted a comment that I'd love to meet up with them if they're available. Nothing is set in stone, need to call Beth today - but it looks like it's going to happen.

I get to meet She Who Will Be Obeyed and The Armorer!! That is VERY exciting.

I've been lucky enough to meet several bloggers and it has been a wonderful gift. But I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. I'm actually pretty shy. Really. If it's not work related I struggle with social situations - especially meeting new people. Meeting bloggers makes it easier since I've read the thoughts that they have shared, I feel like I know them a bit. Beth just posted her 100 Things About Me list - and it is very interesting. I had no idea she is as artistic as she is!! But I'm still nervous. Beth & John! Wow. I read their sites for a year before I ever posted a comment. Wow. And I get to meet them.

So keep your fingers crossed for me. It would be very cool to get a chance to meet this couple that I've admired for so long.

That Damned Song

So I'm toolin' through the blogroll checking who posted over night or early this morning. I stop over at Laughing Wolf's to see how his weekend went.

BTW - if you haven't been popping over to see his Friday Wolf posts - you're missing out. Great pictures.

Yeah - LW - you need XM or Sirius. Seriously. Even if you were closer to Indy - the music selection is somewhat limited. I feel your pain.

THEN I get to the next post down. And Freeze. WHAT!!! My dear friend, the person whom offers such rational conversation, one of the people I turn to for support and comfort - has that DAMNED LLAMA SONG POSTED!! AND....if that weren't bad enough, he's also linked to The Badger song!!

LW, LW, LW........now I've got to worry about you and Ogre. **shaking head** MEN.

Son of a Gun

My deepest apologies. In my zeal to delete the over 400 spam comments (and I do check regularly) I accidently got a couple of "good" comments. They are gone.

I'm sorry.

The good news is I realized what happened before I blacklisted them! Whew!!

But......I think I've got most of those buggers now..........well for now. Damn, this blogging thing is becoming more and more like yard work. Gotta keep pullin' those flippin' weeds!!!

Tag - I'm It!

I'm sure you've seen that Musical Meme that's been going around. It's been interesting to me to see everyones answers. In fact it even inspired the Saturday Question for this week!

Noble Eagle posted his turn on Friday and passed it on to BloodSpite, Teresa and ME! Yeah!! Somebody picked me!

I read NE's and BS's, still waiting on Teresa (tap, tap, tap) but she's been very busy!!

Anyway - here are my answers:

Random Ten Albums:
Bonnie Raitt - Luck of the Draw
Van Morrison - Greatest Hits
Marc Cohn - Marc Cohn
Toby Keith - Greatest Hits 2
Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company
Santana - Supernatural
SHeDaisy - Sweet Right Here
ZZ Top - Deguello
Boston - Boston
AC/DC - Back in Black

1. What is the total amount of music files on your computer?
None. I just pop in the cd or listen to the radio. Plus, I'm technically challenged, not sure how to do that. :-(

2. The last CD you bought is:
Sound Track of "Pure Country" - had to prepare for the wedding!!!

3. What is the song you last listened to before this message?
SHeDaisy - Come Home Soon

4. Five songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.
Come Home Soon - if you haven't taken the hint - go listen and watch the video. It touches me on levels I cannot begin to explain.
Allison Kraus - When You Say Nothing At All (can't help it - hopeless romantic)
Kenny Chesney & Uncle Kracker - When the Sun Goes Down
Martina McBride - Independence Day (my mantra)
Mercy Me - I Can Only Imagine

5. Who are you gonna pass this stick to (five persons and why)?
Hmmm........I'd like to see what Harvey has to say, LeeAnn, KoolAid , T1G, Bou and Ogre. Actually there are about 10 other's I'd like to stick, ummm I mean pass this along to but I'll hold it to 5. ;-)

I am Humbled

I've been awake most of the night. Still working on my presentation and trying to get reports caught up. While I work I have FOX News on, keeping an eye on the elections.

This is what I'm hearing as I watch FOX News. I cannot find a link but these are the notes I'm talking as they talk. I just heard there are 800 - 1,000 people waiting in line in Fallujah. 800!! In Fallujah! That is just incredible. And I know we are a little sceptical about exit polls but right now they are saying 72% voter turnout! No kidding folks - that brings tears to my eyes.

Then I read Ali's account of his day. His excitment, the memories stirred, the joy. Incase you don't know, Ali lives in Baghdad and runs Free Iraqi - HERE is his post from Saturday, talking about the building excitment and nerves. HERE is a short post writen just before he went to vote. But it is THIS post that humbles me. I'm a patriot. I love my country. I cherish my freedoms, my choices. But I have to be honest. I've never experienced the emotions he describes as he participates in Iraq's day. I'm humbled.

They are talking about one of the voting places just outside Baghdad. There have been suicide bombers. But it isn't stopping the people from voting. They just walk around it and keep coming. I CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE IT!!

There is just over an hour left the polls close. It will be days before we have any concrete results. But today - today is a day to celebrate. I can't say it any better than Ali can: I know it seems impossible when it comes to those who lost their beloved ones but I hope they know that theie sacrifices were not in vain and that they gave humanity the most precious thing a man has, his life.

Yeah - I'm humbled.

Puppy Blogging

I had mentioned while I was in Vegas that a friend had a puppy for me. WooHoo, was I excited. Well, it seems that the person who owned the puppy changed their mind and now....well no puppy.

But Wait! You should realize by now that when I set my mind to something I make it happen.

I'm going to Waycross GA next week for meetings. Seems there is a breeder about 50 miles away that has a puppy for sale. He's a Shihpoo (combination Shih Tsu and Poodle). The price is right and, well, since I'm going to be "in the neighborhood" I'm gonna pick him up Thursday afternoon.

I'd like to introduce you all to Macadoo. Mac for short. Ain't he just about the cutest thing you've ever seen?!?!?!? I. CAN'T. WAIT!!!!!

Anyway - I'm late leaving, but had to share this!!! WooHoo.....I think it's gonna be a pretty good day!

PUPPY POWER!!!

Saturday Question of the Day

Every Saturday I'll try to come up with some "out there" question that just makes you stop and think about something not so important. Think of it as a mini vacation. If you have any ideas drop me a line and we'll throw it in here. Who knows, it might be fun.

OK - Here goes

You've been told that you can only listen to ONE genre of music. One, only one for the rest of your life. You have to choose. What's it gonna be?

For me that is as close to an impossible decision as I can imagine. I've mentioned before that I studied music for years, actually started out to be an opera singer, then switched to theater. I sang in a new age band for a while, back in the early/mid 80's. My singing career started out as gospel, I sang in revivals and church gatherings starting at the age of 10. At this stage of my life I've discovered my voice has changed. I'm more comfortable singing jazz and blues and, well all things ballad. I usually listen to heavy metal when cleaning the house or driving open roads. It keeps me going. My CD changer in the car for most days is loaded with country music. I really enjoy that. BUT....while relearning to play the piano I find I'm enjoying playing classical again.

My oh My! What a choice.

But.....if I could only choose one genre of music to listen to for the rest of my life I would have to choose Country. Sitting here thinking about what I usually stop at while scanning the radio stations, it's country. It's got variety and it's as close as I can find to capturing everything I love. Almost.

SO this is my question for you today.....if you could only listen to one type of music for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Hmmm...this changes things a bit

I don't know how I feel about this. P & G (Proctor and Gamble) is buying Gillette. P & G is already huge in the consumer products world. Now...they will be the LARGEST consumer products company in the world. That's good for P&G, it's good for Gillette. Not so good for people like me.

Let me explain. I work in consumer products. I love it. Love, Love, Love. I enjoy the study of demographics, consumer spending patterns, retail execution....all of it. I especially love that realm of consumer products. Quick turns, meaning that the product sells quickly, and is bought often. You buy a lot more Tide than you do mattresses. It's exciting, it's competitive, its, well....fun.

I really would love to get back into that side of consumer products. I miss that competition, I miss that excitement. I've applied at P & G. Can't get an interview with them.

They often recruit directly from college campuses. They require a college degree. I've had to suspend my education. I'm in my senior year, and can't really work at it right now, given my location and my work schedule.

This makes the playing field much smaller for those of us that want to be in this particular game.

Well shoot. I'll have to keep my eye on this.

Hee Hee

This is funny. This is really funny.

Citizens United has purchased a few billboards. Nothing unusual there.

They simply say Thank You. Actually a really sweet thought.

Hee. Till you see them.

Yeah, these little Thank You Notes will be seen along Sunset Blvd - after all we don't want the people we're thanking to miss them now, do we?!?

I can not WAIT to see the reaction in Hollywood the these. Think I'll go make my popcorn now.

I Got an Email

I just recieved an email from Spirit of America......I thought I'd share part of it with you.

Greetings,

All the best,
Jim Hake and the Spirit of America team

So.....you know you'll be checking in to see how things are going, now just make sure you have C-SPAN on the list of places to check.

I know that's what I'll be watching when I get back from my training class. As I keep saying, this is important.

Very Cool

Today is GreyHawk's daughter's birthday. She wrote a post that will, well....if you can read it and not get at least a little misty eyed there's something wrong.

Happy Birthday Littlest Notgreyatallhawk. Your parents have every reason to be proud of the wonderful young lady you are. And your folks are pretty special too!!

A Must Read

Ocean Guy has one of the most touching stories I've read in a long time.

As most of you know, yesterday was the anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz. The story he shares is a moving glimpse into what it was like in France at that time.

Go. Read. Learn. Remember.

Thank you Ocean Guy. Thank you for sharing that.

And So It Begins....

Today is the day.

Across the world Iraqi's are voting. They have a choice, for the first time EVER.

This is huge. This is SOOOOOOO important.

It's very probable that this will be a violent, ugly weekend. We don't know what's going to happen. Not just in Iraqi, but where ever Iraqi's are voting.

75% of eligible Iraqi's are registered to vote in that country. At the risk of their very lives. They are willing to risk EVERYTHING for the opportunity to choose their leadership, to have a say in their government.

Yeah, this is huge. I will be praying extra hard this weekend. I ask that you keep the Iraqi's and our Military in your thoughts/prayers. It's the least we can do.......

OK - Follow Me Here....

I have a point, honest I do....I just have a unique path of getting there, so stick with me here.

One of my favorite movies is The Sound of Music. I still remember the first time I saw it in the theater. Anyway - one of my favorite songs in that movie is So Long, Farewell made up of different ways to say good-bye....I don't know why but I just really like it, always have.

Anyway - I'm sitting here watching FOX News, and they are talking about Ted Kenney's little speech Thursday. Yeah, it kind of pissed me off (to say the least). My next thought was that he needs to just go away, get lost - so long sucker........which lead me to the songs So Long, Farewell, and 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover and just how many different ways I would like to tell Ted Kennedy (and a few others) Good Bye.

Here are a couple of ideas I had:

Ted Kennedy - I think an Irish toast is appropriate here:
Here's to you and yours
And to mine and ours.
And if mine and ours
Ever come across to you and yours,
I hope you and yours will do
As much for mine and ours
As mine and ours have done
For you and yours!
Yeah - that about sums my thoughts up there - now Go AWAY!!!!

Howard Dean -
Just wipe off the sheen, Dean.
And shut the hell up.
Arrrgggghhhhhhhh!!!

Barbara Boxer -
Hmmmm....I think this Madonna song almost fits:
Your heart is not open so I must go
The spell has been broken? *Your hair is not combed*
Freedom comes when you learn to let go
Creation comes when you learn to say no
Walk away

*my variation* but it works, sorta

John Kerry -
Oh.....this is perfect......the chorus from a song called Winners and Losers
Are you happy now with all the choices you’ve made?
Are there times in life when you know you should’ve stayed?
Will you compromise and then realize the price is too much to pay?
Winners and losers, which one will you be today?

I could go on and on....really this is getting fun! But I'll end it here with this thought for all those that keep tearing down MY COUNTRY, picking at MY PRESIDENT, and slinging mud at MY MILITARY!

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, GOODBYE

Domestic Struggles

I'm in a bit of a fix. And it's kinda embarrassing - so what do I do? Write about it on the internet to be read by 100 or so people. Yeah, that's the way to handle those types of things.

I have great vision. And I'm not talking eye sight. I'm talking the visions in my head. I've mentioned over and over again that I love making a home homey. If I didn't have to worry about having a paycheck come in regularly (no matter how small) I would be a designer. Honestly.......I have a knack of helping to make a home a reflection of a person. Even if it's not MY style, I can create an atmosphere that truely reflects the person - including all those wonderful nuances that are so often over looked.

I moved into this house in June of 2004. Now, I have been kinda busy, and we did have a few little storms, but I'm just not getting everything pulled together to my satisfaction. I know I can't purchase living room furniture and I don't think I would if I could. I don't know for sure that my next house will have both family room and living room so I don't want to buy something when I'm not sure I'll be able to use it again, plus the landlords set is "ok". Same with the dining room. I have a kitchen table that I love, but am holding off on a dining room table til I know if I'll have room for one in the next house.

I still don't have my bedroom pulled together. In fact - using the landlords stuff for that also. Not one drop of "Tammi" in that room. But........can't find what I like, so until I HAVE to buy something I'll wait and keep searching.

BUT.....I can do some little things. Like hang curtains. Seems simple enough - right. Yeah, well unless you are Tammi and unable to get the ideas from your brain to your hands.

Yesterday morning, before I left for the day I decided to take down the horrible verticle blinds over my sliding glass door and hang the beautiful curtains I have for there. No kidding, it took over an hour to figure out to get the blinds down. A flippin' hour. THEN, I'm sitting on the family room floor reading the instructions on how to install the new curtain rod. It's really not all the complicated. Hell the instructions are complete on one side of a 3"x5" piece of paper.

Now...I had 2 options. I could follow the instructions exactly or just put the damned screws in the wall and go....I choose to follow instructions. So I have to dig out the drill. I've never used one before. I was so nervous I dropped it - on my favorite candle. Shit. Finally, after about 45 mins. I get a hole drilled. One. Uno. 1.

I feel like such an idiot. It really shouldn't be this difficult, and I know that. It's just I have this mental block - there is something that stops the message from traveling from my brain to my hands. I can't make it happen.

SO......this morning I'm climbing back up on that foot stool and drilling the other 2 holes. I will then use my handy dandy level to make sure it's straight. If it's not - I don't know what I'll do, but I"ll figure out something. Then I'm hanging these damned curtains. Next are the curtains in the LR/DR.

You see, I gotta get the house all pretty......I'm having company soon. ;-)

Harvey's Gonna Love This!

Do you know what this Saturday is? That's Jan. 29th. It's Gasparilla!! YEAH! What??? You don't know what that is! It's Tampa's version of Mardi Gras.

The “Gasparilla Pirate Fest” is one of the country’s largest and most unique outdoor celebrations. It begins when the world's only fully-rigged pirate ship sails into the heart of Tampa. Flanked by hundreds of pleasure craft and vessels of all shapes and sizes, the invasion is a formidable sight. Built entirely of steel, the black-hulled "Jose Gasparilla" measures 165 feet in length and is topped by three masts that tower 100 feet above deck. Tugboats tow the craft and its crew of 700 pirates with flags flying and cannons booming as the vessel makes its way along Hillsborough Bay.

Here's a little history. It's about priates and hidden treasure. But as the link above states....it's really about the THREE B's.......BEER, BEADS AND BOOBS!!! (I thought that would get your attention).

There is a day time parade, fun but calm. And then there is the Knight Parade - Katie Bar The Door - that one get's interesting, let me tell you.

Oh and there's a marathon, activities for the kiddies, it's an all around WONDERFUL TIME. You've really gotta work hard to NOT have a good time.

I've got to be in a training class, so will miss this years festivities, but I'm sure there'll be lots of stories told in the next week. Arrggghhh - gotta love those pirates.

Challenge Me, Will You....

A while ago Harvey wanted to see if anyone could do a chart showing how the Bad Example Family flowed......let's be honest, it can be a bit confusing sisters and mothers, two fathers, in-laws.......hell, even we get confused.

So I put together an organization chart. Yep - I love them so I enjoy putting them together.

Well.....today BlogBrother _Jon over at We Swear announced the birth of his first BlogDaughter. Yeah!! Welcome to the family Denise. So I'm over there reading through her stuff and found out her husband has a blog too....so it's a 2fer!! WooHoo.

This is Harvey's comment to _Jon's announcement.

OO! A bloggrandson-in-law, too!

Posted by Harvey at January 27, 2005 01:14 PM

Ha. I've been home for exactly 15 mins and it's done. Here you go Daddy-O

Seriously - go and welcome Denise and Silent Warrior to the family.

Lunch Break

So I ran a couple of stores and remembered I needed a part from my garage. Since I had seen the notice at Mudville this morning I knew thatChester was going to be interviewed on Fox at 12:45.

Perfect timing.

They're doing the lead in now. WooHoo! This is gonna be good.

While I wait for the interview to start I just have to think back to through the two years I've been involved with this thing called the Blogsphere. I read MilBlogs for a year before I started my own. I remember when I couldn't even begin to get anyone to understand what I was talking about. Now there are Books written about it, interviews with some of the big guys, heck it's rumored that even the President's staff reads blogs! We've come a long way Baby!!

Now I don't pretend to be in the same class/category as, oh say Mudville, Smash, BlackFive - but I've still done my part. We all have. We've made a difference, we're changing the way information flows - holding people accountable. Pretty cool, isn't it?!

He did a GREAT job!!! He explains, very clearly, where he gathers his information. He makes a point of saying how only the negative gets reported - the good news gets buried.

The interview was handled very well. Thoughtful questions, no ridicule. It was great!

Well done Josh! Well Done!!

Kleenex Alert

I'm behind on my blogging - haven't been able to read as many as I want.

I just found this post over at Michelle Malkins - it leads to this site......pictures drawn by children reflecting 9/11.

This one really got to me!

If you haven't been there yet - take a minute and check it out.

Michele Makes a Point

Michele, Letters from New York (and BlogSis) has a fantastic post up that we ALL need to read.

It's in response to a PBS Frontline Report on "Al Qaeda's New Front". It reminds us of why the GWoT is not something WE Started. But it is something we need to finish.

Go - read. Follow the links. It's important.

Never Forget!!!

THAT's It!

Pam has a post that just slapped me in the face - in a good way. For a couple of reasons.......

I've got to start walking again. I enjoy it and I NEED it.

I won't spoil the "Ah Ha" moment - I want you to read it in her words. Suffice to say I needed that.

Thanks Pam. More than you know......

Snapshot...

Actual conversation with teammate yesterday (RR=Me TM=TeamMate)

TM: so you got the message right?
RR: What message? was it on audix, cell, or home?
TM:Audix - you do check that too don't ya?
RR: Ummmm ok, yeah, I do?
TM: We are going to Waycross (GA) on Tuesday - be there by 1:00.
RR: But....we don't have to be there til Wed!
TM: But we need to prepare
RR:OK - I'll just move everything up to fit it in. BTW - what day is it?
TM: Tuesday.....I told you we need to be there Tuesday!
RR: NO....what day is it TODAY? Tuesday, Thursday, Monday? What is the day today?
TM: Wednesday. Where are you today?
RR: I have no idea. Wait, here's a sign. Oh, I'm in Sebring. Shoot.....why am I here? (LOL) That's right - it's "Suck Up Day".
TM: Where you going next?
RR: Ummm.....*****(customer). Got a fire to put out. What day is it?
TM: Wednesday.
TM: When are you going to **** next?
RR: Ummmmm.....Sunday. Wait is today Thursday?
TM: It's Wednesday.
RR: Yeah - I'm going Sunday.

Not the most rivating conversation, I know - but that is about how my mind is working lately. If it's not a problem I can focus on and deal with I don't have a clue what's going on. I NEVER know what day of the week it is anymore. The reason? Every day is exactly the same. The only reason I know I'll get to see the SuperBowl is because my friends will call and remind me to come over. Otherwise......I'd flippin' work right through it.

I'm exhausted. I've got so many stores to hit, so many reports to finish and so much work to do on my presentation.....that's right. I have a presentation on my "Game Plan" for next year that I have to give to my team next week. AND in the middle of roll-out we are going to be out of pocket for 3 days. 3 days. THREE DAYS. That means 12 hour days before and after.

The bright light that I'm seeing? Yeah - it's the fact that my "Family" is coming to visit. They'll be here soon. They don't give a rats ass about mattresses, as long as they have one to sleep on while they are here. They don't care about foam or coil count. We're just going to laugh and talk and spend time together. It's as close to heaven as I can imagine right now.

Meanwhile, I gotta get running.......shit, what day is it? Where am I supposed to be today?

This Blew My Mind....

I was cruising through my blogroll and came across this post over at SlagleRock's.

It's two stories. Both about men that made decisions. See if you can figure out how they tie in.

Pretty fascinating. I learned something!

Tragic

Prayers, good thoughts, what ever you do. It's a tragic day today.

A Marine helecopter has crashed in Iraq killing 31. The helecopter was carrying personnel from the 1st Marine Division. More details continue to come in. God Bless our Military and their families. My heart breaks for them.

Also - there has been a deady train crash in Los Feliz CA. Two commuter trains collided just outside of LA. They are also saying that a freight train was involved. So far they have confirmed 3 dead but that number is growning. This story continues to unfold.

In my days of commuting to Chicago I was involved in a derailment. No one was injured, and no other trains were involved, but it was still frightening. I cannot begin to imagine this.

My prayers go to all those involved. It puts everything in perspective doesn't it.

Some Where Over the Rainbow....

Please, just let me survive the next 2 weeks with my sanity. Please oh please oh please.

Let me tell you folks - new lines are a pain in the ass. Whenever manufacturers put out new product it ain't a walk in the park. Nope, not at all.

Yesterday I left the house at 8:15am. Had to get to the bank and be in a spot for our team conference call by 9:00am. I had a 9:30 appointment (hey, a girl has to keep her hair pretty) and then the race began. I hit 7 stores and covered over 200 miles. I got my ass chewed on more yesterday than I ever have (either business or pleasure). Damn. I swear these people think that I purposely screwed up their shipments, like it was planned. Like I have nothing better to do than come to their stores, fill out a shitload of paperwork, appease customers and then turn around in a week and show up again (with a strong possibility that I'll be doing exactly what I did the first time!).

I finally got to the house at around 10:30 last night. I then spent 2 hour checking specifications and foam quantities and sending out emails. The alarm went off at 6:00am and I'm at it again today.

I usually forward my cell phone to the house so that my customers don't get my voicemail when I'm doing office work. I didn't do that last night. The night before I had customers calling at 9:30 at night. WTF?!?! Don't they realize I have a life too?!?! (OK - maybe I don't but I sure do want one!!)

SO......that's what's going on. Today is visits to warehouses, issues with new stores and lots and lots of driving. Hoping to be home early enough to have a real dinner (last night was 3 Krispy Kreame donuts and a cup of decaf coffee) and a chance to get a few things done around the house.

Focus, Tammi, Focus.

Family Reunion Update

Oh My Goodness. The Bad Example Family (and Friends) Reunion is the 11th of February. 2 1/2 weeks away! Yikes!

We weren't able to get the house right next door to mine, but we did get the house next to that. Still easy walking distance. It's a 4 bedroom instead of a 5, and actually brings the cost down.....Bou and I will get out estimated cost this week - don't want any surprises for anyone.

The menus are pretty well set. Prime Rib, burgers/brats, lots of yummy desserts (don't worry Machelle - we got some non-chocolate set up also!).

The bar is being stocked. Grey Goose, some great single malt scotch, Ameretto, a I'm looking forward to some really good Appletinis. Not to mention the other goodies in there - bourbon, beer, tequila - I think we have everyone covered.

And we'll have music. I have a keyboard if anyone plays, Johnny_Oh is bringing his guitar - maybe we'll be the next Brady Bunch - well, with a twist. ;-)

But we need to get a final count. If you are coming please either leave a comment or drop me an email. Even if you haven't said anything up til now - let us know....there's plenty of room. If you're flying in let me know the details so we can arrange to get you from the airport (unless you want to rent a car). Cab fare is terrible so you really don't want to do that. Plus, you have to know we have a great system set up.....I'm starting to feel like Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island.....hmmm now THERE'S AN IDEA!! ;-)

On the Move

Sean, at Doc in the Box has his bags packed and is leaving any day now to head back to Iraq. This is his 2nd go round......stop by and wish him luck and let him know we're thinking of him.

On the other hand Questing Cat is heading home any day now. This post gives the most incredible view of going on patrol - the final raid. Compelling stuff.....you really don't want to miss this.

Someone Understands!

I hate wearing pants. Hate Hate Hate. I feel so much better in a skirt or dress. I feel thin and feminine. Plus I hate pants that are too short. I have a 37" inseam, and I like to wear heels. So.... I need a min. 39" inseam to be comfortable. I love the look of jeans and boots.....the only place I can find jeans long enough for that is Gap (and that leaves a really big gap in the wallet right now!)

Oh I found some pants that I can wear with flats, but I always feel dumpy in them. Plus - unless you are pencil thin, pants aren't the most flattering thing a girl can wear. If you buy your skits right, they show all the assets and leave room for imagination.

I take a lot of grief for not wearing pants. I'm usually over dressed. I don't really care. I need to feel confident and that's how I feel when I'm DRESSED.

Kate gets it. She also likes skirts. I feel vindicated. And I agree with her, when you're....."a woman with a personality and intellect as assertive as mine, I imagine it’s nice to see her behaving “girly” now and again."

Birthday Greetings

Today is a very special day. It is the birthday of Harvey's Beloved Wife...... he has a great post up and would like for us to stop by and leave warm, fuzzy birthday greetings.

I think it's a great idea. And my gift is to cook what ever she would like for dinner the first night they are at my house. **praying that she likes grilled cheese and tomato soup**

Happy Birthday to the Woman who makes Harvey so very happy!!!

That was a "twilight" moment

Ok - we all know how songs can get stuck in our minds and just recycle over and over and over again. Usually, you can do something, anything to get it out.

Well, I've had a song stuck in my head for over 15 years. Not even the whole song. Just one line, the first line of the song. I don't know how the rest of it goes, nothing. I only hear (and sing) this one line. FOR 15 YEARS.

But the funny thing is, it's a really old song. You hardly ever hear it played. You'll notice I said "HARDLY".

So I'm starting one of my training classes the other day. I've got a group of 18 people, sitting around, ready to soak up my wisdom (ok, go with me on this, it's Monday!).

I start in with the introduction. You know, a little ice breaker. I'm in the middle of my story when all of a sudden I hear THAT song. And it's not in my head this time. It's playing over the intercom in the store.

Without even thinking I start singing the damned song. Suddenly I knew all the words, suddenly I was JUSTIFIED!! It's a real song, they DO play it.

Oh Shit!

I have Musak in my head.

Shoot me now!

I'd like to thank the academy...

I won! I won! I've only entered 2 caption contests ever and I just found out I won the one that John at Castle Arrggghhh! had up last week. WooHoo! I'll be drinking my morning joe out of a pretty new Castle Arrggghhh! coffee mug!

AND....he has another one up! Actually reminds me of a blind date I had once.......

Thanks John. That was fun!!!

Well I was half right...

As we all know it will be the Eagles and the Pats in the SuperBowl. Dammit.....

I had this master plan, and now it's been ruined. I wanted the Eagles to get to "The Show" and then get spanked. Big time. I have a long memory and lots o stuff stored up regarding the Eagles.

But I really don't like the Pats. Not. One. Bit. SO....now I have to cheer for the Eagles. And I will, Loud and Clear.

But damn - it was the perfect revenge.....

That was COOL

I almost feel famous!

I was watching FOX & Friends, First Edition this morning. As I was fumbling with the coffee pot at my friends house I hear "blog" and "blogging" on TV. Well, shit...the coffee can wait.

Who are they interviewing but Hugh Hewitt. They were talking about his book and how bloggers do such a good job of fact checking - you know the stuff we've known for years. Then he says that his favorite MilBlogger is Mudville Gazette. Talks about what a great job he's doing over there (again, stuff we already know) and the hosts are scrambling to write down the website! I was so flippin' proud. I'm jumping around saying.."That's my friend!" That's Grayhawk!"

My friends stood there with mouths ajar. They were looking at each other than looking at me. Now, I'm not sure if there were just surprised to see that I wasn't feeding them a line of crap about blogging or it was the fact that I was dancing around their living room in my Buc's jammies that early in the morning, but that doesn't really matter.

I was just so proud.

I know - I'm easily amused.

Saturday Question of the Day

Every Saturday I'll try to come up with some "out there" question that just makes you stop and think about something not so important. Think of it as a mini vacation. If you have any ideas drop me a line and we'll throw it in here. Who knows, it might be fun.

OK - Here goes

Given the storm that is holding most of this country hostage at the time, I thought we might work on ideas for "cold weather treats".

I still remember the blizzard of '78. I was living in Northern Indiana at the time, and had never seen so much snow in my life - I still haven't seen anything like it since. We were out of school for over a week. But.....we did have some wonderful treats. Lots and lots of hot chocolate, cookies, Smores (Mom built a fire). But my FAVORITE cold weather treat is a big ole pot of homemade potato soup with fresh french bread. Yummmyyyyy.......sitting around the fire in the living room, big bowl of soup, crusty bread -- still warm from the oven -- playing Dutch Blitz and rummy......almost made the whole thing bearable. Well, until we had to shovel the drive.

So tell me, what is Your Favorite Cold Weather Treat?

How does it Change the Story?

The kidnapping and murder of Megan Holden in a Tyler Texas Wal-Mart is tragic. Absolutely. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of Megan's family and friends.

I hope they fry the monster that did this.

But I have an issue. I'm not sure how to bring this out without sounding callous, but it just keeps slapping me in the face.

When they talk about this case in the MSM, at least on the TV, they continue to mention that Johnny Lee Williams, the monster that committed this crime, was a Marine. It's like it's a part of his name. During an interview with one of the Tyler police force, in describing Williams, they spent more time talking about the fact that he was a Marine, up until the spring of 04, and that he had been a Marine for 4 years., than they did the crime itself.

If he had been a plumber or an electrician for 4 years, or unemployed for 4 years, would they have made as much a mention as they are with the fact that he was a Marine? Is he worse because he was a Marine? It almost feels like they are trying to say that the crime itself is worse because of that fact.

It's terrible, it's tragic because some monster kidnapped a 19 year old girl, beat and killed her and then dumped her body along the side of the road. THAT is the tragedy. It has nothing to do with what ever Williams did for the past 4 years.

It's just the one thing that they've been reporting over and over again as they tell this story - and I just don't like the undertones. Maybe I'm being too sensitive.

Adam is Found

He's ok! The 11-yr old Florida boy, Adam Kirkirt, has been found.

They are still looking for Fretz, in a woods near Emerson GA, of off I75.

"He is safe, he is OK" - from the FBI.

Thank God.

Now they need to find that monster.

There is NO WAY!!

The Running of the Brides? No, it's not a sequel to Runaway Bride, it's a "major event' sponsored by Filene's Basement.

For one day, racks and racks of designer bridal gowns are on sale for $249. Here's a glimpse of what happens taken from an article in AtlantaBridal.com written back in July of 2004.

The morning of the sale, brides, mothers and friends begin lining up early. Usually by the time the doors open at 8am, hundreds of women are waiting in line. According to the Web site, "when the crowd is let loose, it takes less than 60 seconds for the racks to be stripped bare". Evidently the women just grab as many dresses as they can, go off in a corner, strip down and start trying them on. Then the brides start bartering with each other for dresses until they find the perfect gown (for only $249).

There are no refunds, no returns. What you get is what you get.

I gotta say folks, there is no way in HELL you would ever find me at something like that. No. Way.

Now, I didn't have a decent wedding, and if (big IF) I ever walk that aisle again, I would like a nice dress and my friends around me. A Real Wedding.

That being said, the event at Filene's sounds like torture. Pure and simple. For several reasons:

1) Hundreds of women. **Oh. My. Goodness. Pushing, shoving, grabbing, punchig. No. Thank you very much.**

2) Hundreds of women. Limited Dresses. The words Cattle Call comes to mind.

3) Hundreds of women. .......... No. No. And No again.

Ok - maybe it's only one reason, but it's a pretty big one.

Just imagine this folks....the most important event in your life. Your wedding. You want everything to be perfect. Most especially your dress. So you're gonna join a crowd of women, push your way into a store and hope you can find something that you love, that perfect dress, that Fits, in the middle of swirling chaos?? Just to have a designer dress?

I'm all about saving money. OK, maybe not ALL about, but I love a good bargin and this just does not compute. I'd love to hear from anyone that's actually attended one of these. Tell me about it. Because I sure as hell can't even imagine!!!!

It's FRIDAY?!?!

How in the heck did that sneak up on me? Where did this week go????

I actually have a weekend planned! I know, I'm just as surprised.

Today will be hectic. Gotta make up for yesterday. Two training classes and a couple store visits to correct some shipping issues and then I head to Ft. Myers. Dinner with my mentor and then a big day tomorrow. You see tomorrow I get to be an "expert". Yep....scary isn't it? One of my larger accounts wanted to really push the new line. So they advertised in the paper that it will be "Ask The Expert Day". I'll be there for 4 hours to answer any consumer questions regarding the new line, do demonstartions and basically take up space. Actually I think it'll be a lot of fun.

Then, THEN.....I'm going to stay with my family. Gonna have dinner and a nice evening with them and then Sunday we'll be watching the Steelers beat the Pats!! WooHoo!!

Yep, I'm gonna have some fun. I'm gonna spend time doing something I want to - no guilt, no problem.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Take some time for yourself and your loved ones. Do something that gives you joy. Something that makes you laugh. You deserve it!!

H.E.R.O.E.S.

REMINDER:

Have you contacted your Senators about the HEROES legislation being presented Jan. 24th to the Senate?

Thats the legislation that will increase the survivor benefits for our Military families - it's the right thing to do.

Senator Sessions was interviewed on FOX News this morning, this being the main topic of conversation. Senator Lieberman will be on later today. Trying to drum up support.

B5 makes it easy to contact your Representative (and they are YOUR representatives, tell them what you want) by sharing a link to an information page with contact information.

Head over to Matt's place and read up on the details, then contact your Senators and let's get this important legislation rolling. It's the LEAST we can do!!!!

Bad Family.....Good Time

OK - we're working on the details for the Bad Example Family (and Friends) Reunion. **Be sure and check the sidebar for attendees and drop me an email at tammi(at)roadwarriorsurvival(dot)com to let me know if you can make it.*

Dates are Feb. 11-13 2005.

Cost is $80/night (per room)

The house will be reserved today. WooHoo. We are shooting to get the one right next to mine, however in the event that is not possible, it will be within easy walking distance.

Bou and I are working on the menus.....we will be eatin' good, let me tell you!

I did a little "bar" preshopping yesterday. :-)

Surprises are planned....we are very excited!

Blogging has been a bit "shallow" lately since I am really working to get all my training and store visits done ahead so I can enjoy myself. Well, that and I can hardly think of anything else.

So...you'll excuse my lack of content as I focus on pulling off the social event of 2005. The only thing I love more than going to a party is planning one!

Glimpse of the Inauguration

I've been watching the Inauguration of George W. Bush today on FOX News. The ceremony was very nice. The speech was good. What I'm seeing now is the parade route. I wish I could grab a screen print of all the hate signs that are present. There is a crowd of protesters yelling "Hey Bush, Whata you say! How many kids have you killed today?" Sick F*cks.

They say the secret service is really keeping an eye on things (as gthey should be). But I'm amazed that so many just can't get past the election. I know I know, we're seeing signs of it every where, but still, it just amazes me.

Anyway - the Review of the Troops was amazing. Damn, I was so proud.

Ohh, yeah - this is real effective. Someone just threw a snowball at the President's Limo. The reporter just said "if that's the worse thing that happens we are lucky." I so hope that is the case.

OK - the car is ready for me to pick up - so I'm outta here.

ADDITION: ALa says everything I want to....only better!! What She Said!!

Ouch

Well....I didn't blow an engine. But somehow I think that might have been cheaper.

You know what really pisses me off? I know nothing about the mechanical parts of a car. Not. One. Thing. Hell - for years I didn't know you needed to add/change oil. No one told me. Well, until it was evident I didn't know. SO......I depend on my mechanics to help me. When I take the car in for an oil change, I always ask....did you check all the filters? Are they ok? How's it looking in there? Anything I need to keep an eye on?

Now, you're probably wondering why I took Maggie May to PEP Boys after my experience back in April/May. It's because I have no choice. I was broken down, during rush hour, on one of the most dangerous highways in this country, and no idea who to call, where to go. I do know the number for 1-800-PEP-BOYS. They will send a tow truck, they will fix my car.

I did find out they have a file on me. I guess after my "sweet talk" during the problems last spring, I'm labeled a difficult customer. I know that because I told the guy on the phone today, if there is one thing on that car, after all they are going to be doing, one single issue, I will make his life miserable, and it will no longer be PEP Boys, it will be Tammi's Boys. He told me he had no doubt, he read the file!

So, they tell me what happened to my car is all about maintanance. Tune-up (which I had scheduled for next week) Alt. shot, ignition modular (what ever the hell that is) done, fried. PCV valve so clogged that it's amazing that Maggie has not been put on oxygen. Air Filter/Fuel Filters - both shot.

$900.00

Son.
Of A.
Bitch.

The good news? I'll have my car back tonite. Oh, and I can now walk down to the smoke shop. But at least I know. At least it'll be fixed. At least I'll have peace of mind.

Adam Still Missing!

In checking with the Amber Alert site, there is still no news on Adam Kirkirt.

Please - if you are in Florida or Georgia - please keep your eyes open for this monster. I will continue to monitor what news is available and will keep you posted.

Again - if you have any news please contact the Marion County Sherriff at 352-732-9111

Tick Tock Tick Tock

After 25 mins on hold with PEP Boys I find out they are just starting the testing of Maggie May. **Crossing fingers** Here's hoping that it's not something toooooo serious.

The funny thing is, that song from Jepordy keeps running through my head. I hear the ticking of the clock, even as I watch Fox News and all the ceremony today.

I'm out of cigarettes. It's a bit of a walk to the store, and my cell doesn't work. I'm afraid to leave, as I'll miss the call. So we wait. Actually this could work to my advantage. I'm anxious - for several reasons - and it makes me a bit, oh let's say bitchy. Yeah, that pretty much covers it. So......if they make me wait tooooo long I can't be help accountable for my words/actions. **Must be nice, they are holding Maggie May hostage.**

I am worried about it being really bad, but have a feeling that it might not be a complete disaster. Maybe it's that missing optimisum showing itself again, who knows....but I'm going with that.

Meanwhile, I get to watch the Dog and Pony show today, and for that I'm grateful. I'm getting caught up on paperwork, that's a good thing. I did get my cell forwarded to my home phone so I'm getting all my calls (ok, mixed bag there) and I've got food. I wonder if I can get the smoke shop to deliver? I think I'll call and check it out. That might work. Then it would be a good kinda bad day.

Prayer. Good thoughts. All greatly appreciated. My bonus was supposed to go towards getting caught up financially after the hurricanes and huge expenditures for store roll outs....not to fix a perfectly good car. Plus - I need a new coffee pot, damnit.

Well, THAT was fun!

NOT.

What a day. Really....not all that good.

Let me explain..**Deep breath**

We have a new line going out. On of our larger retailers happen to be recieving thier product this week. Yipee (/sarcasam). Last night I get a call from one location. Seems they recieved 8 queen size mattresses, but 8 twin foundations. Gotta tell you, doesn't show too well on the floor like that. OK - I gotta go tag them so we can ship the correct ones and pick up the wrong ones.

Ring ring....shit, another location, same problem.

This morning....I find out there are issues at each and every location I cover. So, instead of out hitting stores this morning, I'm at the house, slamming out paperwork so that I can get this straightened out ASAP.

Then, around 2:00 I leave so that I can hit at least 5 stores today. First visit, ok, stressful, busy, but ok. I leave there and get on I4. Heading into downtown Orlando. I'm on the phone with Bou when the car jerks. Again. Just quick little jerks. Then the RPMs spike to 5 and back down real quick like. Then the change oil light comes on, and immediately the low oil light comes on and the car shuts off. In the inside lane. Of I4. During rush hour.

No warning. No oil leaks. No other issues. Nothing.

Son of a bitch.

I tell Bou I gotta go - car broke down - and get the car off the road, into the inside median. Yeah - it's almost as wide as a car. THAT's real safe. I call a tow truck and sit to wait.

_Jon calls and asked me why I broke my car. Made me laugh - man I really needed that.

Then Lee Ann calls - bless her heart - sorry I had to jump off so quick. Tow truck called, Ranger shows up , police barricade at the exit to catch a robbery suspect....just a couple things going on.

So....tow truck shows up. Bright spot.....Tow Truck driver very very hot!! WooHoo.....if my damned cell phone would have quite ringing (customers) I could have had a little "chat" with him. ;-)

Get to PEPBoys - but it's too late for them to look at it tonite. Tomorrow.

Call my friends to see if they would run to my house and pick up my check book - yes, I forgot the wallet this morning - and give me a ride if I need it. They say yes (what else are they gonna say) and I wait.

I have another wonderful _Jon conversation - very wise man!! Finally my friends arrive. Cannot locate the checkbook and they went through the entire house.

Son of a Bitch. The house is not in any condition to be "gone through". It's awful. Still haven't unpacked from Vegas. Oh well, they know all my dirty secrets now.

So....now I wait to hear from PEPBoys tomorrow and see how bad it really is. Then...I'll take a cab into Orlando to pick up my car.....please let it get fixed tomorrow, please please please.

Son of a Bitch.

Oh well, plenty of time for reports and blogging tomorrow. Oh, and I guess I'll finally get unpacked from Vegas.

So....how was YOUR day?

MISSING BOY!!! UPDATE!

An Amber Alert has been issued for an 11 year old boy - Adam Kirkirt, from Dunnellion Florida - this morning.
The boy has been missing since yesterday afternoon.

He was last seen being picked up at his school by a man identified as Fredrick Fretz - A KNOWN SEX OFFENDER!!! - yesterday afternoon.

There are twists and turns that make me sick in this story - but that's for another post.....right now - the most important thing is to get the news out about this missing child and get him out of a potential nightmare situation.

For you Florida Bloggers - keep your eyes open. Dunnellon is close to Ocala - which is 75 miles from Orlando and about the same (not exact) from Tampa. 6 hours from the Georgia state line. TO MANY PLACES TO RUN!!

Fretz has shaved his head - so the pictures being shown across the news are out of date.

Adam is 11 years old, 5 ft tall and about 100 pds. He was last seen wearing black pants, a white T shirt, and a black Spiderman sweatshirt.

I cannot locate any pictures at this point, but wanted to spread the word.

UPDATE: It is believed they are traveling in a white 4 door Chevy Lumina.

Here are pictures of ADAM and FRETZ. Remember it is believed that Fretz has recently shaved his head.

If you see them contact Marion County Sherriff department @ 352-732-9111

What A Bitch!!

Barbara Boxer PISSES me OFF! What a bitch!

She is rude, she is short sighted and she is, basically not a nice lady.

She is currently grilling Condi Rice during the confirmation hearings. She continues to interupt Ms. Rice during her responses, and she will not listen to what Ms. Rice is trying to say.. IN FACT - while Ms. Rice is speaking she is fidgiting around and not even paying attention.

Now - I believe in the process. It's important, but what Boxer is doing is a flat out witch hunt. It's not a hearing it's a trial. It's wrong.

Anyway - she just pushed the wrong buttons with me and I needed to vent.

We now return you to your regular blogging.

One More Thing:
Both John Kerry and Barbara Boxer voted AGAINST Ms. Rice as the new Secretary of State for the United Staes. However she is approved. 16 vs. 2 final vote count. I knew she'd make it, but shake my head at the flippin' games. Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot. It's all about politics, not what's best for the country. Never mind, silly me! (/rant)

I'm Trying

Eric has the best advice I've read in ages. It is what I am aiming for. It's actually what we spent an entire day learning to do while I was in Vegas.

Learning to flow with situations, especially conflict. It makes things so much easier. You save yourself all that stress of resistance, by struggling you really never gain your balance.

When they were demonstrating what they were talking about they used marshal arts. Thomas Crum was the leader of this section. What a Great Speaker! What a great lesson he taught us that day. If you ever get the chance to hear him speak or attend one of his sessions - I highly recommend it!!

Meanwhile - read what Eric shares. It's great advice. Thank you for the reminder Eric.

The New JibJab Movie!!

It's Here....it's Funny!!!

I can't figure out a direct link - but just click "Second Term".

Enjoy!

A Memory Triggered

I read this post over at Bou's place and it triggered a forgotten memory. I wasn't going to post it, but since it was the first damn thing I thought of when I woke up this morning, I have to write it. I just have to.

Back in the "Married Days" we did live a very strange lifestyle. My husband eventually became what they call a traveling lineman. That's a contractor that travels around the country from job to job working in construction and major repairs for electric companies. We were lucky, there was enough work in our area that we never had to move. The group of guys that he worked with were from all over the country. Not one other local. Only one of the 19 other guys had his family with him - so they were all living in hotels, their trucks, the back of bars, any where they could crash.

Now, this was a tough group of guys. Really tough. And every one of them were hard drinking, tough talking, mucho macho men. Every night was spent in the local biker bar, drinking up whatever money they didn't send home to their families or use to pay off the last week's bar tab.

My ex husband had a soft spot. It made him crazy that these guys didn't have a home. So he offered them ours.

Honest to goodness, at one point I had the entire family of the one guy (him, wife, 2 kids and new born) plus 4 other linemen - not to mention my ex, me, and his 3 boys - all living in my house. The doors rattled with the sound of snoring. It Was Hell. Hell in a 3 bedroom 1 bathroom house.

I worked full time at an insurance company. I cooked like a demon. Had to have a full dinner on the table every night. Laundry - I can't even describe it. But.....I digress......I just wanted you to get the feel of the atmosphere and situation.

So.....the company they worked for decided to offer limited medical benefits. WooHoo. One procedure covered was vasectomys. My ex had has his done when he was 19 (he already had 3 children by then) so he was considered the expert. No lie folks - every one of the guys that lived in our house scheduled to have this little procedure done. They decided that it would be cool if they all got it done at around the same time - so that they didn't need to worry about practical jokes, teasing and they could all suffer together.

So.....picture it.......24 year old Tammi (not in the least bit "medically inclined - if you hurt, take an asprin and stop your bitchin'), trying to make 5 recently snipped linemen comfortable. My freezer was full of ice, I made dozens of brownies and chocolate chip cookies (hey they help me feel better) and fifths of any type of hard liquor you can think of.

Oh...
My....
Goodness......

Thanks Bou.....now I'm gonna have a couple shots to wipe out the memory. (on the good side - I think I can handle this family reunion No Problem) ;-)

Too Important Not To Point Out

Blackfive has a post up about HEROS - a piece of legislation that will be introduced on January 24th. It is being sponsored by Senators Lieberman and Sessions.

This is about increasing the survivor benefits for those who are killed in the line of duty. It's important. And it needs quick action.

Head over to Blackfives and get the details. Then contact your Congressional Representative and let them know how important this is, that you support it and that it's important enough to pass quickly. (B5 even makes it easy with a link to a site that helps you get that contact information.) Turn the Heat Up. After all - they work for YOU!!!!

Do you GET IT?

Harvey issues a challenge.

Let me show you what I mean. Let's say the outside temperature is 10 degrees above zero Fahrenheit (-12 C). You come into my bank, walk up to me, and want to make a witty comment about how cold it is outside. Most of my customers will say... "Boy, it's cold outside"... because they're a bunch of inbred farm-country genetic-defectives.

I'm guessing that my readers can do better.

At first I thought - yeah, that's easy....then I started trying to come up with something. Hmmm...tougher than I thought. But then I realized it's because I'm a reacter. I say a lot of stuff right off the cuff, but it's only funny or "insightful" because of the situation. So...just coming up with a smart ass, or quick witted remark is kinda tough....

Can you do it? Get over there and chime in.

Random Thought Process

I'm so behind. I ended up taking yesterday off because I was just wiped out. I logged a lot of miles in 3 days - and every day was long and tense. Ouch.

My voicemail is full on my cell phone. OUCH. I don't even want to KNOW what's on there. Do you ever get like that? It's like trying to carry too much at one time, your arms are full and your walking and things keep dropping along the way. Yeah - that's pretty much where I'm at now.

I've got another trip coming up. Gotta head to Waycross the end of this month. Don't know where the time will come from, but gonna have to make it happen. Hey, was that another gray hair popping up?!?!

I'm having a ball planning the Bad Example Family Reunion. It's coming together pretty well. Just waiting on some confirmations and finish paying for the rental house. This is a blast for me, cause I know I get to cook. I love to cook, especially for people I care about. And there will be laughter and conversation in my home. Yipee!!!! Now.....I just have to get that new grill assembled.

It's still cool down here. Oh not Chicago or Minneapolis cold...but cool. 40 degrees right now. That's cold for Florida. Damn.

I'm so happy gas prices have come down. $1.79/gal. WooHoo.......gotta love that. Makes my life much sweeter. But then I remember just a short time ago, complaining if the price was $1.69/gal. Wonder if we'll see those prices again.

I think I'll have pizza tonite. Yeah - that sounds pretty good. A nice thin crust cheese pizza - just what the doctor ordered.

It's 8:00am ALREADY?!?!?! Who'd have thought 2 hours could pass that fast.

Ya'll have a great day! Stay WARM!!!!!

Confidence

Lex talks about how important confidence is when trying to land a fighter on a moving deck. Oh skill is pretty important - but confidence is what makes the great ones great, confidence is the difference between doing it well and doing it well while enjoying it.

All I can say is "Ain't that the truth!"

And there's a big difference between confidence and arrogance. BIG DIFFERENCE. Being confident in yourself and your abilities comes from training and testing. You KNOW you can do it, you've proven yourself over and over again. That's a good thing - that's something that I wish for everyone. With Arrogance you KNOW no one can do it BETTER. That's not so good. Arrogance will bite you in the ass every time, sooner or later.

I find myself drawn to confident people. Those who know who they are and what they stand for. I enjoy crisp debate with give and take and strong ideals. It's a pleasure to watch someone that is confident do what they do so well.

Arrogance just plain pisses me off. So much so, that I take great pleasure in watching those in the category fall on their faces. Cause you know they will....it's a given, it's karma. It's called come-uppance.

Arrogance is pretty evident in the sales world. I'd like to say it's just the "Old School" but that would be a lie. I see it every day. Folks that think because they hit their numbers, because they open accounts they are the be all end all of Sales. Bahh Humbug. And.......they think they are qualified to be a leader of sales people just because they can hit those numbers.

A good sales person and a good sales leader are two completely different people. Many companies make the mistake of thinking that a move to management is the just reward for a good sales person. No. No it's not.

A good sales manager is confident. Sure of themselves. Strong enough in their belief of their talents that they can look outside of themselves and work towards the betterment of the team. There is no room for arrogance in a good leader.

We all see that every day.

But I got off topic here. I wanted to talk about confidence in general. Confidence is cool. It's sexy. It's like a magnent. It's a very good thing. Arrogance, it's like farting into a fan.......it's gonna drive everyone away sooner or later.

Listen Up People!!!

If you are sending care packages to any of our troops overseas - have I got an idea for you.

R. Lee Emery - of Mail Call and Full Metal Jacket fame - has a new book out. Mail Call and it sounds like the perfect gift.

While you're at it....the DVDs for Season 1 and Season 2 are out also.

The holidays are over, but our Troops are still over there - with more on the way - putting it all on the line, every single day. Don't slow down on those letters. Don't stop sending those packages. Soldiers' Angels and Keystone Military still need our support.

BTW - they have a R. Lee Emery talking figure the Xtra Salty Version. That could be fun too!!

I can't resist....

BlogBro T1G made a little mistake.

Seems he went for Mexican food and didn't have enough "beverages". T1G - Dude - more tequila, I'm tellin' you, more tequila!

**WARNING - lack of proper beverages can have a strange effect on typing skills**

Hee Hee - we probably might want to leave a few "quiet" comments. He might appreciate the sentiment. Gonna be a rough morning by my guess.

Too Much Time on My Hands

OK - so I've been checking on my traffic. Come on...let's be honest - we all do that every now and again. Well today I'm doin' it.

Hmmm.........there seems to be a difference of opinion.

Let's look at this, shall we?

Sitemeter:

Average hits per day: 95 as of today.
Since this site started: showing a total of 17, 226 visits
Total pages viewed: 36,904

Not bad....but let's look at the meter attached to my host (GoDaddy.com) Traffic Facts. This is actually for professional sites.

Total number of hits: 59, 612 as of yesterday
Total unique hits: 19,490 as of yesterday
Total pages viewed: 113,794
Ave. visits per day - not available.

That's one hell of a difference, don't ya think?

I just thought it was interesting. I know we have this discussion every now and again, and I'm also aware that Sitemeter is less than reliable. I'm just amazed at such a drastic difference.

I Got A Present

A while back I mentioned how I found a new copy of one of my favorite CDs (all mine had been stolen).

Well...that led to a wonderful treat. Koolaid and his lovely wife Margi made me a bunch of wonderful CDs and mailed them to me. I got them this weekend.

That is just about the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.....and this from a couple I've only "read" and emailed. Thanks You Two! You are the BEST.

I'll be toolin' around Central Florida, listening to some pretty awesome music. Aren't ya jealous?!?!?!

The World Around Us

I'm sitting here watching FOX News this morning. They are talking about all the celebrations set for the Inagural, the Limo Scare, and the family of 4 murdered in NJ.

It boggles my mind. They had a guy on to talk about how to prevent the use of Limo's as suicide bombs. He made it pretty clear that while they can watch for the loading of equiptment, if someone hijacks a limo, there isn't much to stop them from overpowering the driver and causing as much damage as possible. That's a comforting thought.

The family that was killed were Egyption Christians. The entire family was found bound and gagged in their home, burtially stabbed in the neck and throat. The man was very vocal against Muslims extremists. In fact, he was threatened during an internet exchange, told he needed to stop saying what he was saying or they would "hunt him down and kill him like a chicken". Right now they have proof of robbery, but are not ruling out any motives. This is just sad. To the bottom of my soul sad. The oldest daughter would have turned 16 on Saturday - the bodies were found on Friday. No matter the motive....this is just terrible. But it makes me wonder.....under different circumstances would we have even known about this?

It's been a while since I've been able to sit and watch the news. It's not a very comforting way to greet the morning. I think I'll click through my blogroll.....look for more information, grab a giggle or belly laugh. It's a much better way to start the day.

Man - I'm kinda' "off" this year - FIXED

Well I'm at 50% for the football playoffs.

I said Indy - those damned Pats won.
I said Steelers - Oh Yeah!!!

I truly believe the Steel Wall will stop the Pats. I hope so. I don't know why or when it started, but I just don't like even watching the Pats. There is nothing I like about them. Not. One. Thing. I do not want a SuperBowl with them featured.

Anyway -
I said the Rams would beat the Falcons. Nope - Michael Vic and Warrick Dunn really put on a show. I'm glad for them. I've always been a fan of Dunn's. Got to learn a bit more about him when he played for the Bucs - very impressive young man.
I called Philly over the (Jets - wrong) Vikings - this one ROCKED!! Yeah!

I want to make things clear. I am NOT a Philly fan....what I am is a very vengeful and strong minded woman. Follow me here...... Philly and Tampa play each other often, and has become a pretty lively rivalry. I like rivalrys. Here is my thought process on the Eagle's and the Superbowl.

I want them to get to "the show". I really want them to play the Steelers (I am a Steelers fan). I want them to get their asses kicked. I want them to finally realize, they can't hang. Nope - not at all. I want the Steelers to take them to the bank.

Mean? Yep! Nasty? Probably. But there you have it folks....my reasons for wanting a PA SuperBowl.

Scary, isn't it?!?!?

FIXED: Thanks to Contagion for catching my error. PHILLY didn't play the Jets. I know that - I watched the damn game. I just posted before I drank my quota of coffee. SORRY! Fixed now. Thanks C!! *removing head from that dark place!*

This Rocks!

I found a new (to me) MilBlog. A Redleg's Perspective. I found it via my friend ALa over at Blonde Sagacity.

This post, in particular, just really got to me. I can almost imagine it. ALMOST.

I wish I could have been there to add my thanks.

List of Participants

Since Harvey asked so nice - I've added the list of whose comin' and who's tryin' regarding the Bad Example Blogmeet. All are links - so you can do your homework before we get here!!

You'll see it located on the my sidebar - under "Orlando Bound!!!" Those that I have positive confirmation from are listed as BOOKED. Those that have expressed a desire to attend are listed as "LOOKING GOOD". I'll keep this updated - and if I accidently left you off the list, please let me know.

Hope that helps!!!!!

Go and Wish Him Luck

Michael over at A Day in Iraq is leaving for the sandbox. In just a few days.

Go and wish him luck. Let him know we will be thinking of him and all of the other Troops over there putting it on the line for US.

Go. Now.

please.

When "Sorry" Doesn't Cut It...

I'm not perfect. I know, most of you are pretty surprised to read that (/sarcasm) But seriously, I'm very careful to be sure and do the right thing, in my personal life as well as my business life.

Doesn't always work out that way. Let's face it, the past month has been NO picnic for me. Between Mom's heart attack and then that trip to Vegas it's been insane around here.

Let me explain. I have this new customer. There are 7 stores that I am directly responsible for. I have them all trained, except for one. I had to reschedule their first training class because it was scheduled for the day after Mom got sick. They were understanding. We set it for this past Friday. Due to the weather and traffic (3 accidents between here and downtown) what is normally a 45 min drive turned into a 2 hour drive. I left myself 1 1/2 hrs to get there....I was very late. We've rescheduled, but the damage is done. The sales people, many on their day off, showed up at 8:00am for a class that didn't happen. Ouch.

Also - because we were without computers in Vegas I couldn't get any paperwork done. I owe them all order forms. They were wiped out and I've been recreating to get them out. They have to be PDF'd. I just got the Adobe loaded on here yesterday. They have no stock in their stores. Ouch.

This is starting to look like I'm a bumbling idiot. I don't make excuses for myself. They know Mom was sick, they know I was in Vegas. However, they have a business to run. Sorry doesn't cut it.

Talk about stress. This is just not a good place to be. I don't make mistakes like this. I'm usually so far ahead that things like this just don't happen. How do you go about rebuilding your cediblity? I honestly don't know, as mine has never come into question before.

So....I'm taking in a very nice breakfast for this store (yes, bribing) and spending time hitting other stores to check on them. It's going to take about 3 months to gain back their trust. Ouch.

Damn, I may not be perfect, but I sure don't screw up like this!!!

A Bit of This and That

I almost missed the entire Steelers/Jets game. I made it back from Daytona just in time to see the last little bit of OT. In other words, I made it back just in time to see the Steelers WIN!! Whew. GO STEELERS!

I did get to see the Falcons beat the snot out of the Rams. Or was it the Ram's beating themselves? Hmmmmm, well I'm 50% so far this weekend.

Anyway.....

The weather in Central Florida has sucked for the past couple of days. In fact, with the cold, gray (snowy) weather we had in Vegas, it seems like a month since I've seen the sun!! Today is not looking any better.

That makes for angry tourists, which makes for really, really bad traffic. Damn.....and I just wanted to stay home today. But no...I've got to make up a training class, and drop off supplies to some other stores. The trick will be to make it home so that I can see the Philly game. Please - can I watch at least ONE FOOTBALL GAME this weekend!!!

I did have a very nice surprise last evening. I had the chance to talk with Eric, over at Straight White Guy! We were talking about the upcoming Blogmeet. He is a soft spoken gentleman, as smooth as that scotch he drinks. We REALLY hope you're able to make it Eric! We'll keep our fingers crossed.

Speaking of the Blogmeet - I also see where Johnny_Oh is hoping to make it down for the weekend. WooHoo!!! This is shaping up nicely! Believe me, you'll be hearing plenty about this as we approach the big weekend. If you are interested in attending, drop me an email (see side bar) and let me know. It looks to be a pretty darn good time!!!!!

So, we got football, party planing and work. Yeah, that about sums up my weekend. Shoot! It's almost 8:00am. I better get cracking.

But one last thing. Come On Philly.....don't let me down Boys!! I'm really starting to like the idea of a PA Superbowl! That would be very cool!!!!

This is Funny

I don't know how to do a "teaser" here without giving away the punch line but you might see why I think this is so damned funny!!

(over course, the woman doesn't really do much for me....I'm just sayin')

Something Different This Saturday

Running late this morning. Need to get my hinney over to Daytona so that I can be home in time for the Steelers game at 3:30pm. So rather than do the standard Saturday Question of the day, I thought I'd share some funnies I got via e-mail. I love that Hallmark character Maxine. I wanna be her in my twilight years. She cracks me up.

Well, I got an email from a friend with some of the latest Maxine phrases and I just need to share them with you (in the extended section). ENJOY and have a GREAT SATURDAY!!!

A Little Practice

Seems Harvey is having some connection issues. Hmmmm....seems Harvey has left his site unatteneded. Hmmmm......seems the Family has set up a little "get together". Hmmmm......kinda like a "pre-party".

Hmmmm....what are you still doing over here? Get over to Harvey's and join the fun!!

About That Surprise....Updated

You remember before I left for my trip to Vegas I mentioned a surprise I was working on?

Well, I'm ready to spill the beans.

We're having a family reunion. Yep.....a Bad Example Family (and Friends) Reunion.

Here......at my house........I'm so flippin' excited I can hardly stand myself.

We're planning it for Friday, Feb. 11th - Sunday the 13th. Here in little ole' Orlando. There will be music, food, drink, laughter, food, drink, stories, drink, laughter, drink. Yeah - that about covers it.

So far we have Harvey and his beloved, Bou, Teresa, _Jon, SarahK & Frank J., Eric and his wife were talkin' about making the journey. And That 1 Guy might make it also! Sound Good? I think it sounds great!!!!!!!!

Oh. My. Goodness........ just imagine folks. Actually, that's kind of hard to do, since it absolutley boggles my mind.

So, I'm planning and prepin' and working. Busy, but excited. So very excited. Some of my most favorite people, all in the same place at the same time. Gonna be in the area? Interested? Let me know!!!!

Hmmmm, shopping list:
Scotch
Ameretto
Beer
Tequila
lemons/limes
mixer
Twister - life size game
Slip-N-Slid
98 cases of Reddi-Wip
2 cases of chocolate sauce
2 cases of carmel sauce
as much red meat as I can fit into the freezer
new digital camera

Have I forgotten anything?

UPDATED 1:00am 1/15/05

I'm a terrible Mother. I forgot to mention my two BlogDaughters will be here also!!! Machelle and LeeAnn both with their wonderful hubby's in tow. I can't wait!!!

Seriously - for just one moment....if you are planning on coming let me know ASAP so I can be sure we have enough rooms. Also...those that are coming I need to know food allergies, or preferences, drinky stuff, both alcoholic and otherwise. We're kinda out in the country a bit, and while there is a grocery store around the corner, it's still easier if I know ahead. I am a planner folks - trust me on that!

Hell, I've already started shopping!!

I'm Goin' In

OK - by now ya'll have read about Wal-Mart, and their recent media blitz in response to all the negative PR they have been getting. You have to know by now I have something to say about all this.

For Cryin' Out Loud People. Get a grip. Wal-Mart is THE largest retailer in the world. There are thousands of people that are employed there. The company, founded by Sam Walton, is based on selling goods at a competitive price. The whole SUPERCENTER concept is based on convience. Are they big? Yes. Do they put smaller, more expensive shops out of business? Yes. Why? Because people WANT to shop there. It's that simple. People want to save money. They CHOOSE to shop there.

You don't hear alot about the money that Wal-Mart puts back into the areas that they build in. Do they pay the highest wages? NO. For heaven's sake, it's retail. No One Makes Great Money In Retail....unless it's high end goods, and sold on commission, and even then it's not always great. When I was unemployed, looking for a job, I didn't apply there because I knew I wouldn't make the money I WANTED to make. But let me tell you, if things would have gotten desperate I would have. And I wouldn't have had any grounds to bitch about the money.

When you employ as many people as Wal-Mart does, you're going to have disgruntled employees. It's the nature of the beast. Hell, I work for a Fortune 500 company, we aren't small potatoes, we care about people - both employees and consumers - and I'm having issues. And it's my responsibility to resolve them. Either learn to live with the culture or move on. It's my choice.

Wal-Mart offers their full time employees benefits, stock options and an opportunity to advance. Nothing else is a given. Not one damn thing. You don't get promoted just because you are a woman, or a man, or a minority, you advance because you play the game. You follow the rules, drink the company Koolaide. It's that simple. It's that way every where.

The culture at Wal-Mart Corporate is one of caring. And of making profits. That's the bottom line. They have to make money. It's called business. They do care about their people. I know that for a fact. I've done business with Wal-Mart. For Years. And believe me, it's no piece of cake. They are tough, they are demanding, they are a royal pain in the ass. And when you gain their approval, when you win the award, it feels damned good. And you're a better person for it. I'm a better sales person, I'm a better analyst, I'm a better retailer for all that I learned from them.

So....what's the point in this? Easy. Shut Up. If you don't like Wal-Mart don't shop there. I didn't like their policy with the Salvation Army this Christmas, so I shopped elsewhere. It was my choice. I wanted to make more money than they pay, so I looked elsewhere for a job. Just that simply. It was my choice.

Take just a moment

Lex has a post up, "Seperation", that really makes you stop...for just a moment....and think.

And as different as he and I are, as opposite as our lives are, I understand. I understand more than you would think.

Lex is a pilot. A pilot in The United States Navy. Lex is a husband. And a father. He talks about the most difficult part of being all those things.

With all the soul searching I've been doing lately, I do understand. I also have regrets. Times lost. Never to be reclaimed. I think there are many of us that do.

Greyhawk refers to Lex as the Lileks of the MilBloggers......I like that.......except maybe we should say that Lileks is the Lex of the civilian blogs. Anyway - go and read. Think about it.

Then make sure and thank our Military men and women for all they do......and all they aren't able to do.

Very Funny Stuff

Found this over at SlagleRock's place.

Oh.
My.
Goodness.

These are quotes taken off of police car videos - here's a teaser.....

"Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch out after you wear them awhile."

I've only gotten 2 tickets in my life. One, I thought I had the green arrow to turn left and clipped the rear end of a car. Oops. Bad Tammi.

The other? I got pulled over at 2:00am, exhausted, because one of my brake lights were out. When they ran my license, it said it had been revoked. REVOKED!! Yeah, from the first ticket. Seems the county screwed up and didn't record that I paid that ticket. So, what happens? Tammi get's an up close and personal tour of the Manatee County Jail. Yep. That was fun. (Oh, BTW - all charges were dropped and I actually got an apology. That helped! yeah, right)

But.......I'm sure glad I didn't get any of the officers quoted here. I tend to be a bit of a smart ass.....that might have been a bad thing.

Help! I'm being held hostage....UPDATE

by my IT department!!

OK - here's the run down.

First - thank you all for the advise. I think after all I'm going through I am going to purchase a laptop for myself. Arrrgggghhhhh.

1) Printer - they will NOT reinstall it. Nope. No way. No how. They have a policy that they do not support all in one machines. Huh? So, we have to have a printer, a copier and a fax for our offices. But....we have to buy them all seperately. Also - I've had this one for over a year, been using it, now I gotta buy a new one. Roughly half of our sales force is in the same boat. THAT is an ongoing battle.

2) They don't understand why the laptop won't recognize my broadband modem. They need to talk me through it, but I can't as I have to be on the phone for them to talk me through it and I'm having to use dial-up as I can't access the broadband. Also - they say dial-up is too slow. Duh! So...solution? They want me to send them my laptop so they can do it. OK - but the modem is here....how will that help? They don't know. They'll get back to me.

3) My main customer can only recieve attachments that are PDF'd. They will not allow me to have Adobe. So I can't PDF. Which means I can't communicate with my largest customer. Hmmmmm....

4) Forget the flippin' wireless......I'll just put that on my new laptop!

So.....I'm here at the house. Slippin' on line every once in a while to check what's going on, but I can't leave. Need to be here when they call. Can't send any emails - too big for dial-up (but if I could PDF them it would be easier.

I'm being held hostage. I'm hungy. I'm out of milk. I'm out of coffee. Please.....can someone airlift some supplies? Have I ever mentioned how funny life gets sometimes?!?!?!

UPDATED: 3:15pm 01/13/05
HA! Who needs IT?!?! I fixed the damned internet connection myself. How? I have no flippin' idea. I just got mad enough that I started pluggin stuff in, unpluggin stuff, and connecting this-n-that and Voila!! I'm online. Now, when they call back, all they have to do is install the new flippin' printer I had to buy!!! But....I'm back, I'm free!!!! BTW - _Jon? You Rock!!!!

Self Reflection: It's good for the soul

One of the things we really covered in our meetings last week was how important it is that WE be fullfilled and satisfied on a personal basis. How important balance and center is to our successes both personally and professionally. I said, while I popped in near the end of the meeting, that it really was incredible. It was exactly what I needed to be learning, or relearning as it were, at this time of my life. You see - I so desperately crave balance.

We covered a multitude of topics, heard some wonderful speakers and spent hours doing exercises that, in all the many national sales meetings I've been to, I have never seen any Corporation cover. In some ways it almost felt like a Billy Graham Crusade, and I don't mean that in a disrespectful sort of way. It was just very personal, it was very moving.

One of the main activities was focused on recognizing and documenting our talents, values and purpose. If we don't acknowledge those things in us, and utilize them in our day to day existence (work & play) we will not be happy in what we do. It's a simple formula: (Talant + values) * purpose = success.

So we listed out our talants and then reviewed them with a partner. That was a bit uncomfortable, but not too bad - and actually very interesting to learn about those hidden talents in your co-workers. Then we had to list out our values and move to another partner and review both the talents and the values. The values were easy for me. But I heard a lot of people struggled with sharing those.....I think it's because to some it is a show of weakness, to me - I wear them on my sleeve so figured if you talk to me it's pretty evident any way. THEN...because you know it's not complete yet....we had to develop our purpose in life. Not in business alone, but in life overall. That was harder than you would imagine. And we again moved to another partner and shared that. Even though they told us to focus on our TOTAL LIVES, many kept if completely professional. But, if you are to achieve balance you have to make your purpose balanced. The final step in the exercise was to imagine yourself exactly 3 years from that moment. See yourself and your life exactly as you want it to be....staying realistic.....and then document it. Let me tell you - that was one of the toughest things I have ever done. When they first explained it to us, I thought "piece of cake" and it could have been. But I didn't want to just slap something out there, I didn't want the exercise to be a waste of time....I wanted to follow it through and glean the value of what they were trying to accomplish - afterall it was for OUR benefit.

So.....I thought it would be kinda cool to share with ya'll. If you want to play along, great - leave your responses in comments or shoot me an email. If not, then just try this in your own mind. I think you may just surprise yourself....

Talents - these are things that we are good at, that we possesssed at birth or learned during our lifetimes.
Music/singing
Performing
Speaking
Cook
Writer
Story teller
Motivator
Analyst
Social Organizer
Friend

Values - the uncompromising ideals that influence our decisions, our choices in life.
Loyalty
Honesty
Genuine caring
Honor
Courage
Faithfulness
Focus
Truth - different than honesty
"We not Me"
Flexability

So, look at your talents and values and put together a statement of purpose, the WHY of your life.

To support and develop those around me to find their joy and achieve their potential while being true to themselves (and myself) in that growth. Having fun and not taking for granted those gifts that we have - all without fear.

Seems like a silly exercise on the surface, but if you really work it, really put some thought into it, you can get a better understanding of yourself. And it can help you to see what is most important.

A quote in the workbook they put together for us is: "Having a purpose is the difference between making a living and having a life." Tom Thiss.

I've always been guilty of using my career to give me my identity. That's evident in the name for this blog. I've been a Road Warrior for longer than I care to admit. I've struggled for the last few years to talk about something other than business and things that result or revolve from it. My purpose has not been about ME it has been about My Results. Hmmmm....seeing a lack of balance here.

As I said, it really is a great exercise - and should be done from time to time, just like checking directions on a map - to make sure our lives are on track and that we are doing what it is we love. Using our talents, living by our values, to make our lives what we desire.

The hardest part was the vision. Life can be a kick in the pants. I often say that where I am now was not where I wanted to be at this point in my life. You know whose fault that is? Mine. Yep. I lost my vision. I was so focused on the here and now that I completely took my eye off the ball and lost my place. It sounds kinda sappy, but it's rather revealing when you put it on paper. And remember - it's a vision, a goal, a dream. But keep it realistic, make it optainable. So...close your eyes. It's Jan. 13, 2008. Your life is everything you want it to be, you are happy, content, fulfilled. What is happening? Where are you living and working? Who is in your life?

I am living with the love of my life, near the water surrounded by friends. Working to train and develop my team to discover their potential and joy. I dedicate my time to developing plans and programs where others can grow without fear to find the fun and balance in life and work. I have the time to spend with my core family and friends to continue that growth and journey myself.

Now the real work begins. Working towards that vision. How do I get there? Do I have the courage to make the necessary adjustments in my path? (you know, turn around if you've passed that exit!) Do I have the strength to ask for help? Do You?

I USED to Feel Pretty Smart

Long ago, and far away, in a much younger, less sophisticated world, I knew what I was doing when it came to computers. Oh it wasn't always so.....

When I was first hired as a secretary at the Steel Facility I didn't know how to even turn a PC on. I sat there and stared at that SOB wondering just how in the world I was gonna fake my way through this one. Oh, they knew my limitations, but hired me because I knew the steel, I knew the plant. They figured if I could learn that the PC would be a piece of cake.

My first email took 3 hours to type and went out, well let's just say chocked full of errors. (lesson learned: there is such a thing as spell check). I was sent to a DOS class, and worked very hard to learn the basics.

2 weeks later we switched to Windows. Holy Cow. This made sense to me, and before you knew it I was hand picking the componets to my very own Personal PC and putting it together on my living room floor. Glory Glory. I knew no fear. I would tear anything apart, and put it together, making it better, faster, smarter. Yeah - I was THE woman!!!

That was about 14 years ago. I've managed to stay up with much of the new technology. Oh, I'm not the expert I was, and I never did know the technical terms, but "thingy" and "whatsit" seemed to work pretty well for me.

This week in Vegas they upgraded our laptops to XP. What they didn't tell us is all the shit that was gonna happen afterwards.

It completely wiped out my C drive. After my trip to the ER for the heart attack it gave me, we were able to recover many of my documents. However -

I have to reinstall my printer/scanner/fax thingy from hell
I have to reinstall the broadband modem
I have to reinstall Adobe
I want to install the Zonet router so that I can be wireless and work anywhere in the house (or pool area)

Here's the problem.

It won't let me. Not at all. Says I don't have permission. So I call IT. Get put on hold. I can either leave a message and they'll call me back promptly (yeah right - 500 sales reps, 1,000,000 issues) or hold. When you hold, it's about 45 mins. Then they want you to work with them, but they need you to be connected to the internet (that would be via dial-up) so they can have access to your system while you talk. I only have 1 phone line. My cell phone doesn't work at the house. Do you see the problem here?

It's actually pretty funny. In a twisted, ulcer causing sorta way. I've been out of commission for over 2 weeks now - between Mom's problems and then Vegas. I'm on dial up, can't print, can't load our "home page" for new documents............and did I mention it won't let me save cookies?!?! I have to re-enter my info every time I want to leave a comment, every time I want to access my blogging software......

But you know what? The pool water is a balmy 86 degrees and the sun IS shinning......hmmmmm whats a girl to do?!?!? ;-)

They Say It's Your Birthday....

Well, Mrs. Greyhawk says his birthday is SOMETIME during January.......

So head on over and wish one of my FAVORITE MILBLOGGERS Happy Birthday!!

Greyhawk - here are a few of my favorite Birthday Quotes for the occassion:

Inside every older person is a younger person -
wondering what the hell happened.
Cora Harvey Armstrong

To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am.
Bernard Baruch

When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it happened or not.
Mark Twain

Men are like wine. Some turn to vinegar, but the best improve with age.
C.E.M. Joad

Let us respect gray hairs, especially our own.
J. P. Sears

No wise man ever wished to be younger.
Jonathan Swift

Happy Birthday Hawk. And here's wishing for many, many more!!!!

This Weeks Playoff Calls

Week 2 of the Playoffs.....woohoo!!!

This is my call on the games for this weekend (my choices are bolded)

Jets vs Steelers - The Jets have run out of luck. This is the end of the ride for them this season.

Rams vs Falcons - The Rams will take this one and it will either be a complete blowout or a real nail biter.

Vikings vs Philly The keyboard is smoking and I'm looking out for lightening blots, but this Bucs fan is calling for Philly.

Colts vs Pats - I am NOT a Pats fan. Nope, not at all. So there is some emotion in this pick. But also, I really believe that the Colts have more to prove, more focus and well......Payton Manning. Yep - Colts should take this one.

That's it for this weeks football picks.......guess you know what I'll be doing this weekend.

Payment Made

By now, you all know I am a football freak. Love it, Love it, Love it.

One of the things I love best about it is being a fan. I love rooting for my team, the arguments, the trash talking, the bets. Ahhh, yes.

I'm really enjoying the playoffs this year, since my Bucs aren't in the running I'm able to watch, cheer and trash talk to my hearts content. So I made a few predictions last week, just who I thought would win in the WildCards. Indy bet the hell out of Denver: Tammi's right. St. Louis over Seattle - right again. Sgt. Hook dropped by and let me know how wrong I was going to be regarding the Jets and San Diego - HE was right, but damn, what a great game.

When it came to Green Bay vs. the Vikings I called the Vikings. Everyone thought I had lost my mind. (it was a mistake, btw). My beloved BlogPappy challenged me.

Here's pretty much how the converstation went (via comments in this post)

I'll take some action on that Green Bay game. Name some stakes...

Posted by Harvey at January 3, 2005 11:09 AM

OK Harv - you're on. Hmmmmm let me see.......stakes.......

Posted by Tammi at January 3, 2005 12:48 PM

Tammi - I like it. You're on.

Posted by Harvey at January 4, 2005 11:48 AM

In case you didn't know.....The Vikings Won!!! Which means.....Tammi Won!!!!

So, why am I rambling on and on about old news? Why am I rehashing all this for you this morning?

A couple reasons, really. 1) Because I can. 2) I won.

I won, which means that Harvey had to "Post a picture of himself, in Vikings gear, and make it INTERESTING!" And with Harvey, that means no holds barred!

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is My Pleasure to direct you to Havey's Bad Example..........Wild Card Payoffs!!!!

I Love Football!!!!!!!!!

Ahhhh

I'm Home!!!!

More Later.....I'm exhausted.........

Announcement!!!

I am happy to announce I'm going to have a new addition to my family. This is a long awaited event, and I'm just tickled pink.

I received a call tonite from a dear friend, asking me if I still wanted a puppy.

Of course I do.......

I get to pick it up in the next week.

It's a Toy Fox Terrier. I don't know if it's a boy or a girl, so no names come to mind.

Harvey? Is this gonna be alright with ya'll?!?!?! You did say I needed some kind of animal in the house. Personally, I was hoping for one of the 2 legged male variety, but hey - this works too!!!

I'm so excited!!!

So What HAVE I Been Doing...

This really has turned into a great trip. EXACTLY what I've been needing. Lots and lots of meetings. Yesterday afternoon was about the first real free time we had. They have us going so hard all day, that most nights I've been crashing in my room.

But last night we went to the Bellagio for a fantastic dinner, then we saw Cirque Du Soleil "O" and then a group of us went exploring. As I'll explain in a bit, I'm feeling a bit more comfortable in my own skin again, and I decided to just be Tammi. And, as I'm not a huge Vegas fan I figured I might as well live the experience. I've only gambled a bit - a few spins at the slots, and yes I lost. We saw the fountain show - and it was very cool. All I could think of was Ocean's Eleven.......damn I love that movie. Then we walked the strip.

It was kinda cool.....being there with all the lights and casino, hotels......I'll admit I got caught up in the excitement. We ended up at New York New York. We had a few drinks at The Bar at Times Square, listened to the piano players and watch the people. What A Hoot!!! Then I did the one thing I really wanted to do......yes folks this road warrior danced on the bar at Coyote Ugly. Yep, I sure 'nuf did....and sober (ok kinda sober) to boot. I'll have to tell you the story sometime about me and bar dancing, but suffice to say, I've now hit the mother lode. Yep, my dream has been attained.

Now, the meetings have been incredible. The funniest thing is I can't wait to compile some of my notes and share what we have been learning. It really is good stuff.

I started to work for this company because of our management, and the CEO. Our CEO is an incredible man, and I am damned lucky to work in a company led by someone of his stature. Now....my problems have not gone away, nor have they been white washed. I still have the same issues I had a week ago. BUT.....I've been giving the opportunity to address them. We all have. Our company is changing directions. I've been to many, many sales meetings in my career and I've heard all the shit you could possibly hear. But I also know our CEO...he has never made a statement or laid out a vision that he doesn't make happen.

I'm very excited to see what's next. I have hope again. Oh - and I have the T-back for dancing on the bar!!!

More later.......................

I Can Hardly Wait!

Hee Hee!! I win I win!!

You see, last week I listed my calls for the WildCard football weekend.

Harvey thought I'd lost my mind. He made a little bet with me. I said that Minn. would beat Green Bay. OK - I have to be honest. That really was a mistake. No one in their right mind would call Minn over GB, at Home, in the playoffs. That much was evident since I was the only person in the casino sports bar rooting for the Vikings. But.....being the overly proud person that I am, I put it in writing - I stick to it.....And it turns out we ALL WIN!!!!

Harvey will be posting a picture of himself in Viking gear, and it's gotta be "interesting". I. Cannot. Wait!!

I did the happy dance.

On the bar.

Everyone was so surprised, no one took pictures.

Ahhh Harvey......I can hardly wait!!!!! Ya'll can thank me later!

WTF!?!?!?!

What the HELL is goin on here?!?!

I go away, for BUSINESS, and ya'll just tear.....

Oh what the hell. I needed to do a little "decorating" anyway, and I kinda like that red tint to the pool....it goes with my new candles....and I never did like that chandalier, the swing is a much better statment of "who I am".......

Carry on! But remember, I'll be home tomorrow night!!!! Oh, and Harvey? I do love me a man in horns!!! ;)

Here I Go Again

Well, this is it for a while. I'm off to Vegas for our National Sales Meeting. It's kind of a good thing/bad thing

I'm way behind on my store calls - bad, very bad
I've got a shitload of paperwork to finish BEFORE I leave - bad, and late
No phone calls - good/no hassels, bad/I'll miss everyone (there is a $20 rule. your phone rings during a meeting you put $20 in the pot)
Get to see some people I enjoy - Very good. My friend from LA is getting married and we need to celebrate
With my team for 6 days - no comment. Just watch the news.

I'm exhausted. BUT...there is no getting out of this, so I'm finishing up my packing and paperwork and I'll be out the door around 6:00am tomorrow. OUCH. But, seeing as we're staying HERE I guess I can't bitch tooo much.

This is work, believe me. We are in meetings Friday - Tuesday 8:00am to 5:00pm with events every night. I'm going to take at least a couple of nights to play, but they usually assign work for the next day, and I'm already tired. However, I've never been one to pass up a couple of free drinks........

The scary thing is they take our laptops as soon as we arrive. Oh, we get them back, but just not right away.

So, what I'm trying to say is....Bye Bye. Oh, I'll be back, hopefully with some good stories. And you never know, I may just get my laptop back early and get a chance to post (I do have a picture phone, remember....) but no promises.

Why is it that the big trips are always at such bad times. I'd much rather stay home and work on the surprise!!!

Coming Soon.....

I've got a surprise! Yep I do....and I'm not telling until I get back from my trip..... but I'll give you a few hints.

1) lots of fun
2) I'm very excited
3) music....there will be music
4) twisted, dude, really twisted
5) there will be alcohol involved

See ya in a week!!!

They Lied!

I used to be really good on the piano - playing it that is. Years and years of study and lots of hard work. Oh, I always struggled getting my left hand to do what it needed to do, in the time it needed to do it, but I still did pretty damned well.

So, it's been 20 years since I've sat down at a keyboard. When I give something up - I'm not kidding. Everyone told me it's like riding a bike, once you know how it never leaves you. **Note: the last 3 times I tried to ride a bike I ended up in the ER. Probably not the best example to use.**

I can't play. It's making me crazy. Last night I was having a bit of trouble sleeping and I suddenly realized I'm alone in the house, no one to disturb so I can play the keyboard if I want to. So I tried. Honest to goodness I tried.

Oh, my right hand is remembering pretty well. It's still not where I would actually play in front of anyone, but I can make out the melody. But this flippin' left hand.....not working so well. I thought because of my typing and computer usage, maybe it was going to be a bit easier to pick-up. Oh No.....not one little bit. Also - my brain is not handling both "lines" so well. I can do one, or the other, but putting them together.....well that's not so good.

I'm going to pick up some rudimental piano books when I get back next week. My ex-piano teachers would all have heart attacks if they heard I said this....but I think just starting with basic scales and lessons may help. It certainly can't hurt.

But Ohhhhhh I wanna make music. I wanna play so badly. It'll come, I know it but I wanna do it Right Now! *stomps foot*

Duh! That Explains It

Kate, over at Electric Venom, has a piece up that, at first glance kinda pissed me off. Then as I chewed it over I had to laugh.

According to the article she sites, men prefer for their Significant Others to be, well...how do you say this....dumber than them. As expected Kate has some fun with this, and let's 'em have it.

But it made me think. They may be right.......damn. Not that I'm going to change anything because of it, but looking at some of the real life examples I've witnessed, this may actually be the first almost accurate relationship poll/article I've seen in a long time. And I don't like it.

Looking back, it was well known that I was not as bright as my ex-husband. HA! Fooled Them! But in order to "get along" I found out early on that it was just easier to play the damsal in distress and ask those "hard" questions. Showing too much thought initative didn't work too well in that situation. I HATE THAT!!!!!

I used to think it was a generational thing. That thought got squashed when I saw many of the women my age doing the same thing. Then it happened to me. I now firmly believe it is a combination of a generational thing and geographical. I don't see it so much outside of the midwest and very rural south. But you do see it. All I can say is STOP IT! Stop It Right Now!!!!!!!

Be who you are. Truly. If you have a twisted sense of humor, don't supress it, let it flow in all it's richness. If you are smart - let it shine! Share that intellegence. Be Who You Are! Be True To Youself. If someone doesn't appreciate you for those things that make you unique then, honestly they don't appreciate you at all.

I do know that I've had relationships end because the men I was dating had a hard time that I didn't need them to solve all my problems FOR me. I guess they were looking to be heros. To bad they didn't realize that to me, a hero is someone who is sure in themselves and willing to take on a bit of a challenge. Hrmph....it's their loss.

Accountability and Patience

I had been reading about the FEMA payments made to Miami-Dade residents for relief after Hurricane Frances hit back in early September.

It seems that Miami-Dade took a minimal hit during that particular storm. People are outraged that FEMA has approved 9,801 grant appications, amounting to approx. $21.5 million while the area's hardest hit have only received approx. $12.5 million.

For some reason that really stuck in my head. FEMA is under the gun for accountability. And I believe they should be. They should be have to justify every grant, every approval.

However, we also need to keep things in perspective. People are filing claims on what they lost - the monetary value. Whether you lost your roof in a serious thunderstorm due to a hurricane, or you lost your roof while in the eye of the hurricane - you lost your roof. If your roof is a slate roof on a 3,000sq ft house, that costs a bit more than a shingle roof on a 1,200 sq ft farm house. Also - much of the area's hit the hardest were modular homes, some were lower income areas......the monetary value is lower - no matter the sentimental value (there is no price that can be attached to that).

Also - they are still processing the claims. Trust me folks - we still have the blue tarp roofs everywhere, there is still damage. I have a friend who lives in Central Florida, who lost most of his home during Charley, back in August. He, his wife and 3 children are living in one room of their home. One Room for Cooking, Sleeping, LIVING......they are still doing the paperwork shuffle and waiting for help, waiting for money - they were told it should all be taken care of (including the repairs) by March 2005. MARCH FOLKS!!! But....that area was also devastated. Wiped out. There is a lot to be done there, paperwork wise and manual labor wise. The less physical damage, the easier it is to get out, assess and complete the process. When you have that much devastation, it takes time - and it should. If they were flying through it I'd be more worried that things were skipped, missed, faked, etc. Again - they are still processing everything in some of the hardest hit areas. Those totals are no where near complete.

Some don't understand why Miami-Dade was even a part of the disaster zone. Well, Gov. Bush ask for the relief 2 days before Frances hit. We had just been slammed by Charley and he was being proactive. He was doing what he believed necessary to get the relief flowing as quickly as possible. If it's slow now, imagine how slow it would be if he hadn't been as proactive as he was. Is it perfect? Hell No. It's run by humans. Is FEMA making mistakes? Yep - it's also run by humans. Do we need to keep an eye on what's going on? Oh Yeah.....most definetly. But we also need to remember that it is still in process. That it is a flawed system, there will be errors - as long as they are corrected I'm understanding of that.

All in all - I'm glad that someone is keeping an eye on FEMA. We should. But I also think we need to be careful in pushing the panic button. Keep the heat on, but don't start boiling yet.

Hat Tip Florida Cracker and Michele Malkin

Coming This Spring

This is one movie I WILL BE SEEING!!!

Hat Tip Kevin at Primary Main Objective

I've GOT to Start Paying Attention...

So I got Mama to the airport, safely on the plane and she should be landing any time now.

Trying to get home was a treat. I missed the exit and ended up way out of my way, but happily talking on the phone to one of my blogsiblings (actually several by the time the drive was over) so I didn't really mind.

As I finally pull into my drive and get out to open the garage, I notice the house across the street. I've mentioned several times that no one "lives" in my neighborhood. It's all rentals for tourists.

But there are a lot of trucks in the driveway across the street. Come to think of it, they've been there for a while now. Hmmm....

Another big truck pulls in and I swear it was like one of those clown cars. Men just kept filing out. Man after Man after Man. Darkly tanned, most no shirts, and MACHELLE>>> Work Boots!!!! Yeah, who's your mama?!?!?

Oh Boy!! They're all roofers here to help with the rebuild from the hurricanes. WooHoo....eye candy....yep....I might just be pullin' my lounger around to the front of the house and checkin' out the neighborhood.

I know I've seen the trucks there for a while now, but I've really got to start paying more attention!

As My Friend Would Say.....

.....there you go thinkin' again.

Ahh Koolaid! Damn, man - you make me laugh.

This is about the funniest thing I've ever read. Yeah - it's one of his infamous "There I Was" posts and YOU'VE GOT TO GO READ IT!!

Maybe it's so funny because my grandpa was a sheep farmer, maybe it's so funny because it's just so flippin' perfect.....except for that one little bitty detail.

Go....Read.....If you don't laugh I'll eat my hat!!!

.....and Exhale....

Mama is leaving today. Her flight is at 4:20 out of Orlando. We spent some time in the ER again yesterday, but everything is fine and they believe there should be no problem with her flying.

We puttered yesterday and got the Christmas stuff put up. It was driving my mother nuts that I would be coming back from Vegas next week and my Christmas stuff was going to still be out. So.......it's gone now.

We are both armed with lists. Her's is stuff she wants to make for me. Mine? Where things are stashed, stuff we didn't get done.....oh she's one hell of a list maker, let me tell you!

So my life will be my own again as of tonite. I have to admit that I'm really looking forward to it. I'm going to make a couple phone calls - I've missed having the privacy to just call and talk. I'm going to put all the stuff that has been "reassigned locations" back where I want them and....well shit, just claim back my house.

I also need to start preparing for my trip to Vegas. 6 days, 5 nights. Sales Meetings. Our time accounted for from 8:00am til 9:00pm (or later). OK - stop it Tammi. No sense fussin' over something you have no control over.

I'm proud of my Mom. She has accepted what happened, agreed that she is going to need to make some changes and is already figuring out how to do all the things she needs to do and still enjoy herself completely.

And you all! The best....the very best.......your thoughts and prayers, comments and support has been what has kept me going. Thank You! Thank you so very much.

I've learned/relearned a few things this past month....

*I love my mother, but Oy Vey I cherish my independence.

*You do catch more flys with honey, but sometimes it's just not right without that splash of vinegar

*I'm lazier at heart than I ever realized

*I'm not as affectionate as I used to be

*I really do like to drink

And most important.....

It's never to late to change!

Funny

Nobel Eagle has been a bit busy lately, but he's found time to post one FUNNY list of thoughts for the New Year!

I think #10 was my Mother's version of the "birds and the bees". Hrumph

Funny Email

I got this email from a friend whose sense of humor is just as twisted as mine. I think it says it all!!!

Good Bye to 2004!
I want to thank all of my friends who have taken the time and trouble to send me those very important chain letters over the past year.
Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy.

Because of your concern...
I no longer can drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.
I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans.
I no longer drink anything out of a can because I will get sick from the rat feces and urine.
I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.
I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.
I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.
I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.
I no longer receive packages from UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.
I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops.
I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a stupid number for which I will get the
phone bill from hell with calls to Jamaica , Uganda , Singapore , and Uzbekistan .

I no longer eat pre-packaged foods because the estrogens they contain will turn me gay.
I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.
I no longer date the opposite sex because they will take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.
I no longer have any sneakers -- but that will change once I receive my free replacement pair from Nike.
I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.
I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me and St Theresa's novena has granted my every wish.
Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I forward an email to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.
(Jeeze, the BIBLE did not mention it works that way!)

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who is about to die in the hospital (for the 1,387,258th time).
I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending
me for participating in their special e-mail program.
Yes, I want to thank all of you soooooooo much for looking out for me!
I will now return the favor. If you don't send this e-mail to at least 1200 people in the next 60 seconds,
a large bird with diarrhea will crap on your head at 5:00 pm this afternoon and the fleas of a thousand camels will infest your armpits.

I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of a friend of a friend's neighbor's cousin twice removed.

Happy New Year!

My .02 cents worth

Here's my take on week one of the play-offs!!! (Hey - you didn't think because I haven't been football blogging I wasn't paying attention did you?!?!?)

(my choices in bold)
St. Louis vs. Seattle
Jets vs. San Diego
Denver vs. Indy
Minnesota vs. Green Bay - sorry Harvey!

I'll have more to say on this later......as if there were any doubts!!!

Oh, and I called Philly for the Superbowl back in July and I'm still standing by that!!!!

Ready, Set, GOOOOOOOO

I did a post. A round up of 2004. Reading through it I realized it was just too damned depressing to post! Arrggghhhhh!! What a year.

The best part was this right here. My blog. I'm almost a year into it, and 6 months a member of the Bad Example Family. I've made friends in this past year that I will treasure always.

But I'm looking forward..........I believe it's important to look back and learn. Look back and remember. But I'm sure as hell not going to dwell.

And....since I don't do resolutions let's just say I've got big plans for 2005!

1) BLOGMEET: Tammi's House.....more info coming

2) New Job: No Matter What. No Matter Where

3) Get Out More: I want to do some FUN travel, get out and relax a bit more

4) Play with the babies: I have 2 friends that are expecting....I'm a wonderful Aunt Tammi! Plus, there is nothing like babies to put everything into perspective.

That is a pretty good start for now. I've got some other ideas swimmin' around this brain of mine, but I want to wait and see how they start to materialize.

Ahhh, a clean slate. How cool is that? I positively adore new beginnings!

Almost Normal

They released Mama Vi this morning. Thank Goodness.

We got out of the hospital around 11:00am, got her prescriptions filled and came home. Where I promptly feel asleep. Some care giver I am.

So.....it's about over, everything is almost back to normal.

I'll go Monday morning and find out about her flight home. Wednesday - I leave for a week of sales meetings in Vegas.

Hmmm......does anyone have a pair of those glasses that cover your eyes and still looks like you're wide awake?!?!?!

Thanks to everyone for your support, thoughts and prayers. We've still got things to look into, doctors to visit and medications to fill. We have lifestyles to change and, well, we've got our work cut out for us. But thank you - thank you all. You are the best!!!

Saturday Question of the Day

Every Saturday I'll try to come up with some "out there" question that just makes you stop and think about something not so important. Think of it as a mini vacation. If you have any ideas drop me a line and we'll throw it in here. Who knows, it might be fun.

OK - Here.....STOP!!!

You know what? We're gonna do things a little different this morning. Yep, we sure are. Today's Question won't be so "out there". It's New Years Day, a new beginning. Now, I do NOT believe in New Years Resolutions. But, I do believe in self improvement. There's a big difference there. Resolutions, in my opinion, are just peer pressure. Self Improvement.....that is based on a desire to continue to work towards being the person you want to be.

So, here's my question for today. What one thing do you plan on changing about yourself in this upcoming year? I wanna lose weight, I wanna quit smoking, I wanna start exercising are not acceptable answers here. This is for thought, this is for desire to change.

Me? Oh, I wanna do all those things listed above and more. But the one thing I will change about myself this year is simple. I'm going to start putting myself first. I'm going to start saying NO. I'm going to start expecting, no - demanding the same respect I give others....and what I have earned along the way.

How does that make ME a better person? Easy. It takes away someone's power to piss me off. It takes away my frustration. It takes away my self doubt.

It won't be easy. It will take more than a year to accomplish, but it's something that is long over due. I often use the example of Pavlov's dogs to explain away why I react a certain way, and in this situation is more accurate than anyone could realize. We are born with self respect. It is others that we allow to steal that.

The sad thing is when we stop expecting that respect people stop giving it. Do you realize that you are treated the way people preceive that you want to be treated? Being humble is good.....no one likes a braggart. Being a victim? Nope, not a good thing at all.

OK - enough of the lecture!!

So tell me.......what is the one thing you want to change in yourself? Just remember, change takes time. All good things are worth the effort. Make it meaningful, make it realistic, make it something you really want.