Tammi's World

Funny Email

Got this in an email this morning. Thought it was kinda funny......

Mid-Life Crisis:

When I was married 25 years, I took a look at
my wife one day and said, "Honey, 25 years ago we had a cheap
Apartment, a cheap car, Slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10-inch
Black and white TV, but I got to sleep every night with a hot 25
year-old blonde."

"Now we have a $500,000 home, a $45,000 car, nice big bed and a
plasma screen TV, but I'm sleeping with a 50 year-old woman. It
seems to me that you are not holding up your side of things."

My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find
a hot 25 year-old blonde, and she would make sure that I would once
again be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping
on a sofa bed and watching a 10-inch black and white TV.

Aren't older women great? They really know
How to solve your mid- life crisis.

A Few Laughs for a Saturday

Ok - we all know by now that I'm not a fan of the "Tech Support" programs stationed in the East. And I ain't talkin' New York, I'm talking WAY East.

Anyway - T1G found these videos and they are just too good not to share. Plus - I gotta say, the "consumer" is pretty close to how I am......The language gets pretty rough and they aren't really safe for work. So it just seemed Saturday was the best time to post 'em.

Keep The Jobs In The U.S.!!!

Gimme A Break

Can't See! Can't See!!

Too Quiet

Today I'm off to the wilds of Wisconsin. To a town I can't even pronounce. It's at the most northern part of my territory.

Should be a good meeting. I've talked to the guy several times on the phone and he's a hoot. Should be more than worth the 2 hour drive.

Since I've not purchased the GPS yet, I have my mapquest at the ready. It looks to be pretty straight forward. Well, that's if the old rep actually gave me the correct address (which I'm finding is NOT the case with a lot of my accounts).

I'm starting to get the swing of all this again. Still having some trouble jugglin' both cell phones. I think I'm going to have to find out which of my friends have Cingular/AT &T and have them use the work number. It gets a better signal and by "keeping it in the family" no one uses any minutes.

I had lunch yesterday with a couple of the girls I used to work with. It was a wonderful opportunity and I hadn't realized how much I missed them.

Seems they miss me too. Well, what they said was "It's so quiet. We really miss you."

Huh.

Anyway - wish me luck on today's jaunt. It should be fine, but you never know. Oh, and don't be surprised if you get a call! The car can get awfully quiet you know........

Foot In Mouth Disease

Ok - I have a confession to make. Sometimes I just say things.....wrong. Or, I'll even speak what I'm THINKING instead of the "proper" thing. Come to think of it, I often find myself in situations just over FLOWING with "the wrong thing".

For instance. I was on a roll yesterday. I had a meeting in the morning with a pretty aggrivating customer. She's a bully, and I won't tolerate bullies. I watched her be mean to customers, employee's and was very rude to me.

So - when she finally starts the meeting (after leaving me sit for an hour) she just starts ranting and raving. About crap. Nothing I can even help with. After a bit of this, she looks at me and says...."You're not taking notes".

My response?

"You haven't said anything noteworthy. When you're ready to have a civil conversation between adults, I'll take notes. Right now, it seem like you need to vent. So....go at it."

Huh. Might have been a tad harsh. But it worked. AND things are fine. Now.

Later in the day, it's like I lost my ever-lovin' mind.

I'm in a store. Now, I put both my phones on vibrate when I'm in a meeting. Since I have a pocket on each end of my purse, I just slip one in each pocket. Well, I had set my purse on one of the beds, and both flippin' phones went off. At the same time. I look down to see my purse dancin' across the mattress. The buyer looks at me and say's "If you have any of THOSE I think I might have a market for 'em".

Lovely. I work in an industry RIPE with inuendo.

Later, in that same call, we had to take a break as a customer came in. He steps into the show room to help them and I take an opportunity to walk the floor and lay on some of the mattresses. As I lay there, I'm working on what line I want to put on that floor. He comes over, after finishing the sale, and apologizes. I look up from where I'm laying on the bed, and say "That's ok. I was just working on your line. I do my best thinking on my back."

Yes. I actually said that out loud.

And that's just yesterday. Talking to a friend the other day, telling them about a new type of mattress we're introducing, I say..."I can make a lot of money on THAT bed".

I could just keep on listing the examples for days.

So what I was wondering was if y'all could help me out. Do any phrases or "jargon" come to mind when you think about a woman sellin' mattresses? I'd love to hear them. AND you'd be saving me from my own foot in mouth disease.....

Normal?!?

You Are a Normal Girl

You are 40% Good and 60% Bad Sure you've pulled some bad girl stunts in your past. But these days, you're (mostly) a good girl.

Are You a Good Girl or a Bad Girl?

Great. Just great.

A month shy of turnin' 45 and they tell me I'm MOSTLY a "Good Girl".

Damn it...But I wanna be bad!!!

h/t Leslie

Shooter in the house!

I would have sworn I had posted about my sister shooting me in the head. But I can't seem to find it.

The good news is it gives me something to post about today. :-)

The bad news? Not sure I can tell it "quickly". Sorry.

Ok - it was the summer of '73. Daddy had been gone almost a year and I was getting ready to turn 11. Dee was 6.

We were over at Daddy's best friend's house, our Uncle Bobby Fishhook, since Mama was helping him straighten out his garage.

Now, we girls were never around guns. Daddy always kept his locked up away from us and, with the majority of the family Amish, not many around to get into trouble with.

So....Mama is out in the garage with Uncle Bobby. Dee and I are watching TV. I'm in the recliner, because I'm the oldest and it's what ever I say. She.....is doing what she normally does. Make me crazy.

She's pickin' Pickin' PICKIN'. Pushin' the rocker forward, pullin' my hair, tappin' my shoulder - til I finally just turned around and popped her one.

That stopped things for about a minute.

Then I felt something up against the right side of my head. Just behind and above my ear. So I swat it with my hand. Huh. It's metal. So I turn. I'm looking down the barrel of a gun.

Now, first - it was a pump action pellet gun. However it was fully pumped. Uncle Bobby had it sittin' in the corner to shoot rabbits with. He didn't know we were comin' so never thought to put it up. Plus, we girls knew better. Well, at least I did.

I told Dee to put that damned thing down before she hurt someone, then turned back around and continued watching TV. Pretty soon I feel it back up against my head. This time there was a loud noise with it.

I told her to put that down before Mama came in and kicked BOTH our asses. (and yes, I did curse that badly at 11)

Pretty soon she's back, pickin' at my hair. I lost it. I jump out of the chair yellin'. What Are You Doing?!?!>!

That's when she tells me I'm bleeding and she was trying to clean it up.

Tammi: Ohhh GREAT!!! Now you're gonna get it. You just WAIT til Mama hears you shot me in the head!! Stomping out to garage

Tammi: Mama? Mama?!? MAMA!!!
Mama: Stop. Yelling! What do you want?
Tammi: Dee shot me in the head, we gotta go to the hospital.

And I proceeded to go over and wait by the car.

Now, this part is funny and I only hope I can describe it well enough.

Mama is driving. I'm in the front passenger seat. Dee is in the back seat behind me, and Uncle Bobby is behind Mama.

Tammi: I'm kinda sleepy, I'll just take a quick nap.
Mama: No!! No Sleeping (slapping me)
Dee: (crying in the back seat) I'm sorry Mama, I'm soooo sorry.
Mama; (reaching into back seat to slap Dee) Oh, you have no idea about sorry yet, young lady. You just wait.
Uncle Bobby: I never thought. I just never thought.
Mama: Larry? (his real name) Shut up. This isn't about you....

And on and on it went. The entire 30 minute drive to the hospital.

Now, I need to tell you it never hurt. Not at all. Until they gave me the local. Yeah, that would be about the time Mama was wishin' I had never had voice lessons, cause I can do me some screamin'.

Oh, and as I mentioned I still have problems from it. There are bits of bone and pellet that they couldn't try to remove. It's floating between the brain and the skull. My blood pressure goes up? Yep.....it's a headache. Never fails. Thank GOODNESS I deal with stress better than I used to.

Anyway - it made the local paper. I was a bit of a celebrity for a few minutes. AND I have GREAT ammo with Dee. Cause you know damned well, I have NEVER let her forget that.....

Just a Little Change

Mocha is the new color of choice in Tammi's World.

That's right, I changed my color when I got my hair C'd this week. I really REALLY wanted to go red. BUT....alas I tan no more, so the red just didn't work with this shade of paste my skin has become.

So we choose Mocha. And I really like it. Strong red highlights in the sun, but a warm brown everywhere else.

Yeah, it's good. I may keep this one for a couple years.

But it's kinda fittin', choosing a color that name - what with my resent obsession with all things coffee and chocolate.....

It's A Mystery

Last night I was having a conversation with Army Wife about my day. During the discussion I mentioned how I'm really trying to make sure everyone understands my ground rules.

I take Sunday's off. Period. Saturdays? I may work a Saturday morning here and there but those are of my choosing and are the exception - not the rule.

Do NOT call me after 6:00 at night. You will not reach me. I have caller ID, all my customers are programmed, and I will take advantage of that technology.

These are just a couple of things that I DIDN'T do the last time I worked from home, and my life was hell. I worked all the time.

Anyway - the other day I had a client call with a question. I told her I'd have to research and get back to her. Hey! I'm new to this company PLUS I work in the field. If I were in the corp. office I could just get up and go stand in front of someone to get the answer. Now? I'm dependent on them answering the phone or email. Stuff takes time.

So....said client called back at 5:15 that afternoon.

Tammi: This is Tammi.
Client: You're on the clock you have 45 minutes to get me my answers.
Tammi:
Tammi: You did NOT just call me to tell me that?!?!!!

I then went on to explain why that just isn't a good idea.

This is the same client that called me at 8:30 Saturday night knowing I was in Tampa. This is the same client that calls daily. This client is NOT a big account, and never will be. However, at this point they are taking the bulk of my time.

I'm going out there Thursday morning. We're gonna have us a little talk. And yes, I will be letting them know that "this is what I'm gonna need for you to do....."

However, I was kind of surprised when AW, as I recounted the conversations, thought I was being a bit "tough". And I got to thinking.....I am. I often get the remark from folks that they can't believe I said something, cause it's really not all that nice.

But - and here's the thing that gets me - people take it. And STILL like me. I don't get it. I'm sorta kinda brutal. I REALLY don't suffer fools lightly. And if you're rude or lie to me? Yeah, you're losing a layer or two of skin. I promise.

And I'm open about it. I pull no punches. But still......they like me. Hell, I was rather "assertive" during my trip to Tampa. My boss called yesterday and asked me what the HELL I did down there! I got sorta nervous, but told him what happened. He started laughing. Seems folks are calling to tell him what great meetings we had. One of our senior officers even called to congratulate him for hiring me!!!

Folks........I really wasn't that nice. Seriously.

But, it's working for me. Whatever *IT* is. So I'll keep doing what I'm doing. I just don't get it. I'm actually kind of a bitch.

Huh, maybe the world is made up of more submissives than I thought.......

Where DID I put that leather skirt?

Justice

Remember that post about the judge sueing the dry cleaners over a pair of pants?

Yeah, well, Deborah has a post up about the FINAL decision.

Thank Goodness someone showed some common sense.
Now, they need to disbarr that asshole!

Makes No Sense

You know what I don't understand?

The business I manage, my little piece of the pie, Tammi's Professional World, is worth, at worst, a couple million dollars. And I'm pretty good at it. I can sit in high powered meetings and give as good as I get.

But......I can't manage to order two meals while going through a drive-thru.

Why is that?!?!?!

But the good news is I finally got that blizzard I've been craving.....

Mad. Pissed. Ticked-off

So, Tammi? How'd your meeting go this morning? Weren't you meeting with your largest customer for the first time? Doesn't he have a bit of a mess on his hands?

Why yes, that's all true, thank you for asking. Let me tell you about this meeting.

Started out, waking up at 4:30 this morning. I was pretty wired thinking about what I was going to be facing so I just got up and got going.

I dressed in my favorite plum suite, I needed every bit of confidence I could muster.

However, had a bit of a headache. My headaches originate for an old injury (sister shot me in the head years and years ago) and only give me problems when my blood pressure goes up.

This morning? Yeah, the pressure was up a bit.

So I look all professional and get on the road. I'm as ready as you can be, just aware of the fact that it won't be a love fest.

As I sit in the meeting my headache worsens. Finally, he pulled out this one piece of paper and WHAM!!! I cannot see out of my right eye. That fast. I can feel that same eye twitching.

This is bad. This is REALLY bad.

The customer even noticed. I just joked it off and went on with the call.

The drive home? The longest hour of my life - so it seems.....

Now, reports are filed, lots of shit to do, but I can't really see the computer screen. I've taken some meds and am hitting the hay for an hour nap. Then? I gots me a hair appointment. I'm starting to look blonde, and I don't mean that in a good way. I have calls all week - I can't look like this.....

But damn. I'll just say this. If I did my job like the person in this area did before me.........I couldn't look myself in the mirror. And that son of a bitch better hope to things good that I don't ever find him.

And no - that's not just the pain talking. I'm just that mad.....

Caught in the act....

Well shoot.

I got busted.

Last Thursday I had dinner with some very good friends and, well, sorta got caught with my hand in the cookie jar - as it were.

LeeAnn has the proof......

Layin' Down on the Job

Ok, here's a question for y'all.

It's been a LONG time since I've had a gas range. The broiler is UNDER the oven, not an actual part of it.

So - tell me - how do you watch what you're broiling to make sure you don't burn it?

Last night, while making Italian Beef sandwhiches, I wanted to toast the bread. Then, melt the cheese over the whole thing.

Couldn't see what I was doin', so I basically laid on the kitchen floor so I could watch. I'm thinking there must be a better way......

So can you help a girl out?

Knock Knock

Shhhhh, I'm probably going to regret this, but I'm pretty damned proud of myself, and thought I ought to share with y'all.

High Speed Cable? Installed.

Router? Installed AND working (thank you very much)

New Printer/Copier/Scanner/Fax thingy from hell? Well, it's running. It prints - I just haven't connected it to the laptop yet.

Vonage Modem? THAT would be the problem. It SHOWS it's working. Except - I have no phone service. Now, I'm kinda worried, cause it shows I have to "connect" the phones to the device and my phones are swingin' singles. The aren't made to connect to ANYTHING. However, the fax thingy should set up fine.

I'm preparing to contact Vonage to find out what I have to do.....Given how frustrating it was the LAST time I called this could be a very interesting conversation.

It's A Monday......

Well, here I sit in my empty dining room waiting on the highspeed guy. hmmm, that has an interesting sound to it...... He should be here any minute.

I broiled a couple pieces of raisin toast and had some yogurt with my coffee this morning. Breaking the kitchen in nice and easy. Last night I had very yummy Italian beef sandwiches and some of my cherry cobbler. Ohhhh it smelt so good in here!!!

I never did get back to The Belfry to tear apart the desktop. Bad Tammi!! But honest to Pete, I was just exhausted. I made two trips bringing over boxes, went to the grocery store for some staples and did three loads of laundry. Not to mention I was up at 4:00 that morning after a whomping 4 hours sleep. Even *I* have my limits.

I'm asking the HS guy for a miracle. I've decided I want my highspeed internet in the living room upstairs. On an inside wall. Yeah, I know, doesn't make much sense, what with that huge family room downstairs, but.....it's what I want. I found a very nice, simple desk that would look great Right There and that way, when I'm working I don't feel like I'm in a dungeon. We'll just have to wait and see what he says. But you can bet, I'll be doing some begging......

Damn, I sure will be glad when this movin' shit is over and done, can I just tell you?!?!? And to know I shouldn't have to do this again for a while just makes me all the more anxious to get it over with.

So who knows how much I'll actually accomplish today. It's a crap shoot - hurry up and wait, seems that's the story line lately.

But I do know one thing. I am enjoyin' the hell out of this laundry shoot. Seriously. I unpacked and all my stuff is down by the washer and I didn't make one trip downstairs. It's just a damned good thing the contraption is located in the corner of my closet. Otherwise, I can just imagine that 911 phone call. "Hello? Yeah, I'm stuck in my laundry shoot. Can you send someone to help me out?" On second thought - it might be an interesting way to meet the neighbors......

Proof

I've always believed that a picture is MORE than worth 1,000 words.

So, with out MUCH futher ado.....

I wish I always took pictures this well. Oh - the stories I could tell you.......

Home

How is it possible for a plane to leave exactly on time yet arrive 40 minutes early? Oh, I'm not complaining. Not at all. Just......puzzled. Especially given my usual travel experiences.

I'm back. In THE Valley. Sittin' here in The Belfry wondering why the damned Moving Fairies forgot to stop by!!! Damn, do I have a mess on my hands.......

So it's load the car. Unload the car. Get groceries. Unload the groceries. Load the car. Unload the car. Oh - and get this damned desktop torn apart, moved and set back up. They're comin' at 8:00 tomorrow morning to hook up the highspeed at the new place.

But can I tell you......I'd really rather hunker down and watch a movie. It's over cast and sooooo quiet. A perfect Movie Sunday.

Damn it. I already moved all the candles. Oh well, work it is I guess.....

I thought they loved me....

Well, I *THOUGHT* my family loved me. At least they *SAID* they did.

You wouldn't believe what I've been through the past couple of evenings.

We got to Carmen's Friday evening, and ohhhhhh wait til you see the pictures I have of that sweet baby! Seriously, I should have brought him home with me. His Mama and Grandma are EVIL and do not deserve such sweetness!!

Anyway - the evening started out with my sweet(?) niece Carmen offering me a chair out on their patio to smoke. The chair was sittin' on a fire ant hill. Yeah, I"m sorta kinda really allergic to those sons o bitches. THEN I'm getting dive bombed by bees and wasps. Also seriously allergic to those. I'm thinkin' she smeared honey on the side of the chair to attract them.

She's evil that way.

We go back in the house and I'm attacked by her Pittbull Terrier. Attacked I tell you. It wasn't pretty.

As I sit down to relax and recover from my near death experiences, she FORCES me to hold Patrick. "You MUST hold him. He NEEDS to know you."

Bossy bill-o-goods that girl.

The next day they send ME off to pick up lunch. Now folks, they live in the COUNTRY. Serious country. I drive off with the instructions "It's by the interstate" and an empty tank of gas. And yes - I did have to call once for directions. I heard the laughter in the background. I'm thinkin' it was some kind of a test. Either way - it was a pretty mean thing to do to your loving Aunt Tammi.

The drive back and forth to Cuz's house was accomplished at warp speed. Seriously - I didn't know that old Toyota could peg out like that for that length of time. Holy Shit!!

We ordered pizza for dinner and Cuz tried to force feed me a hot pepper - knowing it would surely kill me. But don't worry. I was actually paying attention and stopped that one in it's tracks.

Chris, my nephew, his lovely lady and Christopher were waiting for us when we get back. A wonderful evening spent with them.

There are other instances I just can't remember. I think I'm blocking the memory to save my sanity.

Now - I have to finish packing and it's off to the airport. I'll be home by noon.

But seriously - I'm thinkin' my family is tryin' to knock me off so they can get my barrell chairs all that much earlier. I don't remember the last time I was so abused.

And I just can't stop smiling.

Typical....

Oops. The color of the day? Red.

Not quite lobster red, but more than tender pink.

Yeah, I pulled a typical tammi this morning.

Got up and took Cuz to work. By 8:30 I was headin' south. South to MY beach. I decided to call a friend, Joyce, and see what she was up to. I figured I get on the beach early, get some sun and sand time then head over to the bar she works at and get a grouper sandwich and a beer.

Yeah, well, she was off this morning. So, quick as that, the plans changed. She and I, along with her beautiful daughter, went to breakfast. THEN we got our stuff together and hit the beach.

At high noon.

In Florida.

In June.

Folks - for the first time in 13 years I HAD no tan lines. My skin was glowin' white.

Did I mention noon? Yeah.

Now, I have to regress for just a second. When I lived in Bradenton I *OWNED* that flippin' beach. Seriously. I walked that sand in my itty bitty bikini and felt NO shame. I was a little nervous today. The beach was kinda crowded. Hell - I haven't even worn shorts much since moving.

But you know what? My feet hit that sand, and next thing I knew I was doin' the Tammi Strut. I felt GOOD. I wasn't self conscious, or nervous. I had my feet in the sand, the sun on my face and the gulf wind blowin' through my hair. It don't get no better than that.

AND I made it a whole hour.

Did I mention it was noon? Yeah.

Now, I'm back getting ready to head to Carmen's. Well, I need to shower. I've got sand EVERYwhere. I think I'm the only woman I know that would say, with a smile on my face and a giggle in my voice, that I have sand in the crack of my ass. Damn, it's been a long time.

Ok - that probably falls into the TMI zone, but I'm having such a good day I don't even care.

For 3 hours today I could drive thru and get sweet tea, the sun was calling me, my heart wasn't breaking and there were no boxes to pack. For 3 hours it was 5 years ago. It was just what I needed.

Nobody Does It Better

You know there are a lot of things that "happen" to me whenever I get back down to Florida. I seem to morph, just a bit, back into familiar habits.

For instance, at home the radio that Lana provides is set on rock. Usually classic rock, but really it's whatever plays the most music.

Here? I LOVE the country station. With all those melodic twangs that the DJs have, the redneck stories.......and they talk about my Buc's. What's not to love?!?!

I've also taken to wearing shoes more in THE Valley. In fact, you could almost say my feet have become "tender".

Here? Yeah, I slipped my damned shoes off standing outside the airport waiting for my ride. Hell, yesterday I had to go back out to the car to get them, cause I walked right up to the building barefoot. Haven't done THAT in a long time.

But the biggest change is the way I eat. Now, I love me some breakfast. Always have. Hell, I'll eat breakfast for supper most anytime. And I can put the food away. But lately, I haven't been eating so much.

Yesterday. I visited some place that I have missed more than I realized over the past couple of years. Yesterday, for lunch, I went to The Waffle House. We don't have those up north, and let me tell you folks, Waffle House is THE MASTER at breakfast. I ordered scrambled eggs, hashbrowns covered and capped, sausage, raisin toast and a waffle. I. Ate. Ever. Bite. And then wanted more!!!!!

Oh, I don't care what the Denny's and Perkins' or even the Bob Evans' say, no one does breakfast like The Waffle House.

Today? Today I'm on the hunt for a blackened grouper sandwich. I know just the place. It's down from my favorite beach, right on the water. I'm gonna go put my feet in the sand, get a little sun and end my free time watchin' the dolphins play while I savor my favorite food in life.

Of course, I'll be sittin' there barefoot listening to some country music while I munch. Isn't that how EVERYONE does it?!?!

Oops!

You know you're havin' a great time when you get to laughin' so hard you fart. On your friends' leather couch.

Sorry LeeAnn! ;-)

Everyone else? Yeah stories, and possibly photos to follow sometime later!

All I'll say at this point is we had a really good time......

Overwhelming!!

I am here to officially announce that TWO cell phones is TOO many.

Seriously. Got the corporate cell phone yesterday. Still have the personal one - don't need the "man" to know ALL my secret numbers.

So, I'm waiting on my friend to arrive for dinner last night, and can I tell you....both flippin' phones were ringing at the same damned time.

It's too much. I can already see what's gonna happen.

Bluetooth for the corp phone, reg. headset for the personal one. A bud in each ear. Rock ring for the corp, classical for the personal.

I'm already grabbin' both to see where the caller ID is showing.

And you KNOW it's bad if *I* say it's overwhelming!!!!!

This could get ugly.

New Identity

Cuz and I were sittin' outside smokin' and havin' a normal (for us) conversation. During that conversation it was pointed out that I....think different than many folks.

So it made me wonder. Why is it that I'm so damned smart about somethings but not others? Not the things MOST people do. Yeah, not so much.

I mean seriously - I feel like The Rainman some days. I get so focused on something I don't think of, or notice, any thing else.

My Gott! I even caught myself saying...several times today....I'm an excellent driver.

Yep. Rainman. Definitely Rainman.

Always Somethin'....

Well, I made it to Tampa. Of course, not without a few kinks in the road.

For instance, instead of being a grown up Monday and getting all my packing done, move more stuff (official moving day is about 8 days from now) and generally doin' the responsible thing - I sit in a bar and drink. Needless to say, it was a hurried pack job Tuesday morning.

Phone rings at a little before 6:00 that morning. DAMN! I got up and got busy. Out the door just before 7:00, toast and coffee at the diner and arrived at the airport at 7:30. PERFECT.

Except I got the flight NUMBER confused with the time. Yeah, I didn't fly OUT at 8:30, I was ON flight 830.

That's one.

Now, it's been hot and muggy in THE Valley lately. I'd go so far as to say flippin' miserable. However, standing outside having a cigarette that mornin', I was freezin' my ass off!!! Yeah, figures. It's gorgeous up there this week and HELL down here! But never fear!!! I hear it's supposed to be back up in the 90's just in time for my arrival. Yeah, I'm just that lucky.

Today I went to our corporate office. Had an.....interesting day. Lunch? Yeah, I went to the Brandon Ale House, where they serve my very favorite beer - Yuengling - but I couldn't have any. I'm on the clock. Now tell me. Who else would do that to themselves? I asked someone if they thought folks would think I'm weird if I just ordered a glass and smelt it. It was agreed that was not the best of ideas.

The afternoon was short, work wise, so to kill some time I drove over to McDill, home of CENTCOM. Yes, I was trollin' for Soldiers. Of course. HELLO~~ My name IS Tammi!!!

Dinner with a good friend and home. It was a good day. My laptop will be ready for me to take tomorrow and in the evening it is dinner with my dear friends LeeAnn and her DH.

And Friday? Beach and then I get to see the new baby!! Oh, and Carmen too, but I get to see the new baby. Piddy? Oh, Piddy!!! Aunt Tammi's on her way!!!! :-)

So - how's your week goin'?

Help A Girl Out!!

I suck at all things Google. Seriously.

And right now, I'm Google-in' to beat the band. I have an argument to win. And DAMNIT! I know I'm right this time.

But I can't find what I need anywhere!!!

It's about the make-up of cigarettes. I have been told that the majority of the nicotine is located in the "back half" of the cigarettes. IOW - there is more "punch" at the end of a smoke.

I have FELT that punch, so I know it's real. But I can't find anything about it anywhere on line. It's making me crazy!! Any one? Can you help me prove it??!!

Mr. I'm-always-right/that-sounds-stupid thinks I'm dreamin' this stuff up!

Man of the Year

Ok - somebody needs to introduce me to this gentleman.

He really seems like a stand-up guy. Hell, I might even bypass my "Do Not Fix Me Up" rule for him.....

(btw - picture NSFW)

giving credit where credit is due, I got this from my blogless friend Monica

Rooms Are Going Quick

Folks - if you want a room for OgFest you need to let me know this week. They are going fast.

Here is the information.

Either leave a comment or email me at tammisworld(at)gmail(dot)com. I'll be sending confirmation emails to those that have given me their requests this week.

You really don't want to miss this......

Write! Write! Write!!

I waited until today to post this, in hopes that it'll stand a better chance of being noticed.

So - now that I have your attention, this is what I'm gonna need for you to do.......

If you have not already read Grim's post about sending emails to the Marines, then do so now.

Oh, and here's the latest update!

THEN - write an email. Hell, write two or three. Then tell your friends to start writing.

This is easy, FREE, and will make a HUGE impact.

So what are you waiting for? Get to it!!!!

And The P's Have It!!

Well, I certainly hope y'all had a good weekend. Mine, was....fine. Didn't get as much accomplished as I wanted to. But frankly? It's too flippin' hot for too much activity.

Paradise is coming along fine. Just empty. Oh....how I long for a ------ chair. However, I need the folding chair I have at the Belfry for working at the computer. And I'm too damned lazy to haul it back and forth.

The air mattress rocks! And this from a Mattress Rep! Huh. Must be desperation.

Today is just waiting for the mail. My first check is right this minute rolling it's way to my door step. Thank GOODNESS!! Goin' a month without pay, paying rent on two places PLUS security deposits, utility hook ups and all that other crap is a tad bit expensive.

It's gonna be a Perfect day! I just know it. Pay day. Packing day. PowerPoint day.

Now, I gotta find out whats going on in the world. I feel like I've been out of touch for the past MONTH!!!

It Ain't Easy

Not having a TV right now, and the house bein' so very quiet I've had some serious thinking time.

And yesterday morning, as the sun was just peaking over the horizon I realized something.

To some of you, my still evident grief for my father is probably a bit "melodramatic". And maybe it is. But being ME I try to look beyond the obvious (usually because I miss the obvious)

It's deeper than just missing my father. It goes all the way into my soul. My ability to care. Or, let's just say it....to love.

You see, I don't love easily. Not at all. I care. Deeply, but that's waaayyy different than loving.

I don't remember EVER not loving Daddy. Mama? That was a different matter. It wasn't until I was an adult, out on my own, that she and I bonded. Oh, I cared about her, I respected her. But I wouldn't say I LOVED her. That came later.

And romantically I didn't think I'd ever fall in love. I wanted to. What teenage girl doesn't. When I hit my 20's, I didn't marry for love. That wasn't even something that was mentioned. I married because it was the thing to do.

In fact, I can count on one hand, with fingers left over, how many times I've said those three words.

As for my friends......if I've said I love you. Trust me. I do. It means over time, you've become an important part of me. I can't imagine not talking with you, figuring out ways to spend time together. Realizing if I really needed you, you'd be there. And knowing that YOU know if you need me, I'm here. That type of love is easier for me. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I'm so careful about those I even call friends.

So you see, it's not melodrama. It's not just grief. It's when I do love, I love with everything I have. That doesn't go away. That doesn't change. And because of that, it doesn't come easy.

Father's Day

posted early since I won't be near a computer

If ever there was a song I *SHOULD* have wrote, it's this one. It's my life. They are my memories, my feelings.

I was My Daddy's girl. And I make no apology for that. He is the greatest man I've ever known. And the amazing thing is...He Loved Me. Even though I wasn't of his blood - he loved ME. He helped me believe that I can do anything. And for that, I will always be grateful.

A day doesn't go by that I don't think of him. One of his "lessons". His love of sports. His sense of humor.

And I miss him. More than I can say. It doesn't matter how long it's been - a daughter always needs her daddy.

So, today I wish you a Happy Father's Day. Make memories. Take advantage of the opportunity while you have it.

Previous Father's Day Posts:

June 2006

June 2005

June 2004

I'm goin' In....

Tonite is my first night in Paradise.

It's just too flippin' hot to try and sleep here. So - I got me an air mattress and a book and I'll be just fine.

All of the clothes are moved at this point. That's HUGE. And, I've been doing laundry. I even discovered a double clothesline in the back of my utility room for my "delicates". How much do you love that?!?!?!

The bathroom is set up....and it sucks. It's the only negative I have about this place. The bathroom - pink. Pink tub, pink sink, pink toilet. AND no real storage. BUT, I figure I'll just have to figure something out. And since it's the only thing I have to bitch about right now, there's a good chance it'll be addressed in the very near future!

Anyway - wish me luck. Hopefully I'll get a good nights sleep and wake up with enough energy to deal with movin' more shit tomorrow.

But It's GOOD for Me!!

Last night I had a call. Nothing unusual with that, except it was Contagion. Who SAYS he hates to talk on the phone. and that's just ONE example

Folks - this is the 2nd Friday evening in a row he's called. I'm thinkin' he's not really as adverse to the whole phone things as he claims. But - I'm not complainin'!! Not at all. I love me a fun night out.

ANYWAY.....I joined he, his lovely wife and T1G down at Fritz's. It was a great time. Lots and LOTS of laughter.

And a bit of booze consumed as well.

I decided last night to treat myself to my new favorite thing. Everglo. And just so you know, it GLOWS bright green in the bottle, and the glass for that matter.

I'm proud to say that Fritz has to put out a fresh bottle today. YEAH Tammi!!

And - no hangover. AND - I slept a bit. Seriously, I love this stuff.

But I had to laugh. Someone asked at one point if it makes my pee day-glo green. (Hey! That's two posts today about peein'! That's not like me....) No. No it doesn't.

This stuff is magical. Really, it is.

And, this morning sittin' down at the diner, I realized it's actually GOOD for me. If I'm not sleepin' and not really eatin' the Ginseng is making up for that. Huh. I may need to go back down there tonight to get some more "medicine".

But even if I don't, I did have a great time last evening. It was just what the doctor ordered.

Thanks guys!

What A Great Idea!!

Head on over to Army Wife's place - she has this video up that is just hysterical!!

I think, for me, one of the funniest things is the woman looks an awful lot like AW.

But it gave me an idea. Maybe my problem is the way I dress. I'm thinkin', once this move is over and things settle down, I will just head over to one of the senior centers in the area and have those women "fix me".

Hey! It certainly can't hurt......

Meanwhile, check out the video. PERFECT for a weekend!

Mystery of the Week - Updated

OK, since I OBVIOUSLY have no problem looking like an idiot to y'all, I have to tell you about Tammi's Mystery of the Week.

I'm not sleepin' so good right now. In fact, Thursday night was an "all nighter", and I don't mean that in a good way.

After a few hours of trying to force my way into Slumber Land, I finally just gave up. It's not like I don't have anything to do right now. AND, with the heat during the day, I'm having a hard time focusing. So - I got up and worked on some things my customer's have been waiting for.

Now, while I was awake, I won't say I was ALERT. As is evident in what happened.

I had to pee. So I stumbled into the bathroom and took care of business. Now, with packing and moving everything is pretty well torn up, and I've gotten kinda lazy about my regular habits, so I have the toilet paper roll sitting next to the bathroom sink. I can promise you - I won't be doing that again.

So - like I said I took care of business and then went back to work. About an hour or so later, damned if I didn't need to blow my nose. I head into the bathroom but...I can't find the toilet paper. No where. It's gone. A little over half a roll. So I start searching.

Medicine cabinet? Nope. Back of the toilet? Nope. Maybe I put it where it belonged out of habit. No. No I didn't.

So I widen the search. No where in the bedroom, not the night stand, desk, bed....no where.

On to the kitchen. Nope. Hell - I even looked in the refrigerator, thinking maybe I had truly lost my mind. (Plus it wouldn't be the first time I'd done something like that.)

Nothing. It's like it just flat out disappeared.

How does a half a roll of toilet paper just flippin' disappear? It's just me in here - and I know DAMNED WELL I didn't use no half roll of toilet paper.

So - there you have it. Tammi's Mystery of the Week. This is making me crazy. (It's the little things....)

UPDATE 1:30pm FOUND IT!! WooHoo. It was only after taking EVERYTHING out of the medicine cabinet. Waaayyyyy in the back, behind the first aid kit, next to the....never mind.....there it was! Whew. NOW, maybe I can focus on the task at hand......

BUSTED

By Jimbo, can you believe that? Taking advantage of my sweet disposition like that. Well this is that meme that is making the rounds. LALOLKFATYK which stands for “Learn A Lot Of Little Known Facts About Those You Know”. So - since I don't have much to blog about this is the perfect time to get this done.

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
When I was younger I said it was after a yellow English tea rose (WTF?! Where did I come up with THAT?!?) But actually it's the Debby Reynolds movie series Tammy and the......

And yes, my name is technically TammY. I changed the spelling in college cause no one ever got it right. Now? Yeah, that's how everyone spells it. You just can't win sometimes.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
This morning.

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Are you kidding?!?! I have the WORST handwriting EVER. Seriously, I type everything. If I hand write a note, it's out of desperation and I just want to apologize publicly if you've ever been the recipient.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Hmmm- that's kinda tough for me. I'm not a real "sandwich" person. At least not cold sandwiches. I like ham, love MY chicken salad. But not a big Lunch Meat fan. (well, not in the traditional sense of the word, anyway.....)

DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
None of my own. I raised three boys, and had three granddaughters. Right now? I'm just Aunt Tammi to a couple dozen sweethearts.

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yeah, I would be. *I* think I'm a pretty good friend, although there are those that would be happy to disagree!

DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Not as much as I used to. And now it's more when I'm upset than anything.

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Nope. Lost those bad boys when I was three. It was the beginning of my ice cream addiction.

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
With my grace? And my luck? Are you completely out of your mind?!?!?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Ohh, this one is tough. I'm a real cereal lover......Usually I buy Raisin Bran, it's yummy and good for me. I love granola but only with yogurt. My secret passion? Capt'n Crunch. It's my treat to myself. And with soft serve vanilla ice cream?!?! Holy Smokes - THAT'S good eatin'.....

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Most of my shoes are slip off......keeps things easy. But with my workout shoes.....no. No I don't untie. And I'm feelin' a bit guilty about that.....

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
More than you'll ever know......

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Ben & Jerry's Twisted Half Baked. Kind of fitting, wouldn't you say.

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Normally, eyes. If I'm trollin'......I'm an ass girl. Straight up.

RED OR PINK?
Red. I wear some pink, and my condo was actually painted a beautiful rose color. But.....I LOVE red. It's the main color in my bedroom and my favorite color to wear.

WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I'm too damned emotional. I hate that. Well, that and the fact that my ass is now the size of a 3rd world country......

WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My Father.

WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
I'm not. I'm in my jammies....Hey - I'm a work from home blogger, what do you expect?!?!

WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
2 bites of cherry cheesecake for dinner last night.

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The fan in my window and the birds singing outside. I haven't turned on any music yet.

IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Red. I have pretty much a RED personality!

FAVORITE SMELLS?
Hmmmm......the Moonlight Path scent that I wear (gee, that sounds kinda egotistical), fresh flowers (except marigolds - I hate them) Tuscan Spice Blend candles from Pier One.

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Army Wife - she called for our morning chat.

FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Do I even need to answer this? FOOTBALL!! Most especially NFL Football - oh and consider this an open invitation to Tammi's Football Sundays, starting in September in THE Valley near you!!!

HAIR COLOR?
Hmmmm - natural it's flat black. Right now is a brown with red highlights. But I've been seriously considering going auburn again - just to shake things up.

EYE COLOR?
Green

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Like I'm going to stick ANYTHING in my eye on purpose. Plus, I have enough trouble remembering to put on my damned glasses.

FAVORITE FOOD?
All things Mexican. Oh, and homemade soups. And my roast with mashed potatoes and gravy. And.....

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
While I've come to enjoy scary movies in the last while, I'm still a sucker for those happy endings.

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Oy. I love to watch movies.....let's see......the LAST one? You, Me and Dupree. It was......tolerable.

WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Again, I'm not. Lavender nightie.

SUMMER OR WINTER?
Fall. But if I have to choose between those two............I'm going to actually say, today, in this heat and no air? Yeah, winter. I've REALLY come to love watching the snow. Of course, I'm sure come January, driving around in all that my answer may well be different.

HUGS OR KISSES?
Huh. I don't remember. But I think I like them both equally.

FAVORITE DESSERT?
My Peanut Butter Pie. And strawberry's - but not together.

MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
I don't think anyone will - every one's doin' it already.

LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
See above....

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Rereading Whirlpool by Elizabeth Lowell. Great suspense book - with sex! :-) What's not to love?!?!

WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
It's one of those "Successories" pads.
Opportunity
Some people dream of success, while others wake up and work hard at it

It was a gift from one of my bosses.

WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
Let's see....last night was Thursday. Reruns of Reba, CSI: NY.

FAVORITE SOUND?
The sound of the gulf on the hull of a boat - especially a sailboat. Laughter - especially children's. And some other things I'm just not gonna go into.....

ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Stones.

WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
I think Normandy is father away than Costa Rica. But honestly - I'm ready to see how far I can actually go.....

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I used to sing. Pretty well. Now? Not so much. I used to cook MUCH better than I do now. I guess my special talent is I can sell water to a drowning man.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Not real sure. According to the case worker South Bend, In. But I wouldn't want to have to swear to that. We all know how GREAT those damn agency are with record keeping!

WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
I'm actually enjoying everyone that's playin'. And since I'm not tagging anyone I sure hope some other folks decide to play along!!

Round and Round

Sometimes.......there are just things that frustrate the HELL out of me.

For instance - last year, when I had to move out of The Little Blue Cracker House, it was kinda sorta, well, unorganized. Oh, I had help. TNT and Cuz were here and without them, I don't know what I would have done.

But it was a rushed thing, and well....we are girls. We have our limitations.

So - I had this refrigerator. Only 6 months old. Too big for us to move. It's now in my friends house. THEY love it. But.....the fridge in the basement at Paradise doesn't work. Since it's a "2nd" kitchen, the landlords aren't responsible. I've asked them to remove it before I finish moving in, but still.....a kitchen without a working fridge? Yeah, I'll fix that later this year.

Then there was the washer and dryer. The January (4 months) before the move I purchased my very first, brand spankin' new matching washer/dryer set. Nothin' fancy, but MINE. No one else's stuff had ever been in those bad boys! And they matched. They were very purty.

BUT...we couldn't get them out of the basement. So.......Yeah, well, yesterday I had "The Replacements" delivered. They are "Gently Used". They don't match, but they will do what I need 'em to. Wash....and dry my clothes.

And despite being excited to once again have a semblance of control in my life - My Clothes, My W/D, My Schedule! - I couldn't help comparing my excitement when that other set had been delivered to the.... ho hum of this time.

Not only that - but DAMN, the wasted money......ohhhhhh sometimes I just get so pissed off thinking about that stuff.

But.....let's just look at that damned silver lining for a second. I was ABLE to get the replacements. I now can easily keep up with my laundry. AND instead of draggin' the over stuffed baskets down those damned stairs, I can pop them down the laundry shoot!

Easy Smeasy...

But still - sometimes I just feel like a damned gerbil on one of those wheelie thingies.......

Lady?!?!

You Are 48% Lady

You're part lady, part modern woman. Etiquette is important to you, but you brush aside rules that are outdated or silly.

Are You A Lady?

No wonder why Mama Vi stopped reading my blog. Yikes! I may need to work on this a bit......

h/t Leslie

Don't Tell Me!!!

Got this via email. Had to share.....

A father asked his 11-year-old son if he knew about the birds and the bees.

If you're going to tell me that grownups don't really get laid, I'll have nothing left to live for."

Little boy - pull up a chair, 'cause I got some 'splainin' to do.......

Read What You Buy

Ok folks.

If you get your health and beauty stuff (ESPECIALLY YOUR TOOTHPASTE) at a discount store, you're gonna want to read this article.

But the highlights? Yeah - I'll save you a click

New York-based Colgate stated its toothpaste has never contained DEG, and the company has never used South Africa as a manufacturer for its toothpaste. The company also noted that the fake product was found to not have fluoride, a mainstay ingredient in Colgate toothpaste. Additionally, the packaging contained numerous misspellings.

Click over to the article for additional information.

As a Mfg. Rep? Yeah - this is the stuff of nightmares. Seriously.

And remember. Read the labels on what you buy. If it doesn't look right - leave it.

Don't Forget!

If you want a room for OG FEST July 6 - July 8 get me your name, what kind of room you want (see linked post) and how many nights you want it for.

I need that info ASAP! Shoot me an email at tammisworld(at)gmail(dot)com

A Little Fun

Ok - enough of the pity party from below. Here's some "humorous" cartoons. A little chuckle makes everything better. Images courtesy of Aha Jokes

And - for something REALLY funny - keep checking over at Richmond's place. A little birdy told me she'll be posting a VERY funny video. You won't want to miss it!!!

UPDATED: Ohhh it's posted! You're gonna love this one!!!!

Crap - it's all just crap....

It's time for my mid-day nap. What? It's only 6:30am! I guess we need to remember that mid-day is defined by when your day actually starts.

Today, my day started at 3:00am.

Yipee. Not.

I hate it when my body gets on this schedule. It just makes me crazy. AND, it's my own fault.

You see.....I'm sorta kinda spoiled. I'll admit it (sometimes).

Honestly, this whole movin' a little at a time bit is kicking my ass. I should have remembered that doesn't work so well for me. It's how I did things when I moved from Tampa to Orlando. I end up exhausting myself. In my defence, that was a 2 hour one way drive to take a car load of boxes. This is only 5 minutes. But the bottom line is, it puts a crimp into your day. And this time, I don't have movers. By movers I'm talking not just cartin' the furniture, I'm talking packing. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate to pack? Yeah, well. I do.

And my day is really busy. I have SOOOOO much paperwork to do. And it takes a long time when you can't print anything out, and your computer is on it's last legs. And everything has to be done "from scratch". It'll be so much easier when I've finished the first round, but right now? Yeah, it's takin' forever. Not to mention I need to be out in the stores. I've only hit 3 personally. There are still 14 more buyers to visit and 20 more stores to introduce myself too. Given that each visit is taking up to 3 hours, well.......slow going. That's all I'll say about that right now.

Plus...I've got a lot on my mind. New Job. Big issues in the territory. Things to learn, things to remember. It can be a bit overwhelming.

Add in the fact that my friend has some pretty big things going on. Waiting to hear is hard, being in flux is my personal version of hell. Friends care about friends, so yeah......this has been on my mind too.

It's just a lot going on. Now, I know everyone deals with "overload". Nothing new there. But this is where the "spoiled" part comes in.

My gut instinct? Hire pros to come in here, pack everything and get me over to Paradise. Just flip a switch and done. And I *could* do that, but it wouldn't be the responsible thing to do.

Next? Tell my customers that everything will just take time, and give myself a month to get them their stuff. Yeah, right. That would just make my day to day worse. Wrong prices = accounting issues. I HATE accounting issues. Bad order forms = shipping screw ups. I hate shipping screw ups more than I hate accounting issues. Missing/wrong spec cards in the stores = low sales. I'm trying to double my business this year. Low sales will NOT get me there. Yeah, so I really don't have an option regarding all the paperwork.

I'm doin' fine on getting up to speed with all the terms and styles involved in the new job. I just gotta cut myself some slack there.

And there's not a damn thing I can do about anything else, well except commiserate about how Not Knowing = Hell. THAT I can do easily.

So basically this post has turned into one of those reminders to myself that things are what they are. Everyone hits a wall sometimes, and right now - even with all the good - my face is firmly planted against the bricks. AND I'm tired. Hence the desire for a nap.

But that's not gonna get anything done, or make anything better. So....I'll jump in the shower, finish up the paperwork that is already a day late and wait for them to deliver my washer and dryer this afternoon. I'll finish moving all my clothes and clear out this damned bedroom. I'll continue to make lists of what my customers need and do the best I can to take care of them. It's all I can do. Right now, anyway.

Alright - enough of that. Y'all don't want to read this crap, and I certainly don't need to be wallowin'. Just needed to get this out of my head. Now - back to our regularly scheduled drivel.

Oh, and I closed comments because this is just about the dumbest, most pitiful post I've ever done, and there's really nothing anyone can say that I haven't told myself. I have nothing to complain about - except I'm tired and life gets in the way sometimes. Nothin' new there........

Perfect

Found this over at Madfish Willies. Harvey has it labeled as Best Beer Commercial #5 - but personally, it's about the best one I've EVER seen.

Go ahead - we all need a laugh this afternoon!!!!

:-)

**Read in sing song voice**

I'm goin' to Tampa!

I'm goin' to Tampa!!!

Woo Hoo!!! I'm in the air in less than one week, wing' my way south. AND I'm flyin' out of Rockford so I don't have to leave my house at 0'dark thirty!!!

Not only THAT....but I'm not comin' home until SUNDAY!!! Since they were gonna fly me out Friday and we had nothing scheduled I asked if I could stay a couple of days to see friends and family.

I was told that it was not a problem at all.

I

JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Perfect

I read THIS over at Dash's and realized I have nothing to add.

Nothing except - My Feelings Exactly.

Check it out.

And thanks Dash, for puttin' it up there!

I Coulda Been A Millionaire

I swear, I've GOT to start paying more attention.

Laughing Wolf points to THIS story over at Michelle Malkin's place.

Then goes on to say pretty much what *I* think about that whole situation.

Well, except for the fact, that YET AGAIN, I missed the boat. If someone, like a damned JUDGE, can sue for $54 MILLION dollars over a pair of lost pants, simply because the cleaners have a sign that says "Satisfaction Guaranteed" then I should be a Millionaire about a hundred times over.

First, just because of all the dry cleaning I've had screwed up over the years. And folks - with my clothes? I got a shitload of dry cleaning.

And there are all the car washes/detailers I've taken the cars to. I mean I cannot TELL you how distressing it is when there's a smudge on my windshield. It's horrific!!

Oh, and what about those restaurants that promise "The Nation's Best...." what ever their specialty is? Huh? We shouldn't let them off the hook either. If you're tellin' me you make the best country fried steak in the country, it damned well better knock my socks off!!

For cryin' out loud. This is all just flat out ridiculus. And a JUDGE?!?!?!

I'm with you LW. Only, I think, to compensate for the undue trauma this whole story has caused, they should put the damned bitchslappin' on YouTube so everyone can watch!!!! Either that, or that idiot judge owes me a couple million.

OgFest Arrangments

OK - I'm bad. I've never been so bad.

But in my defence I've been really REALLY busy.

Anyway - y'all remember about OgFest, right? There's gonna be a dinner on Friday July 6th - a day of shootin' or shopping or gabbin' by the pool (or whatever) on Saturday July 7th - A big blow-out dinner on Saturday night - and then everyone goes their merry way on Sunday July 8th.

Well - I've got room information - FINALLY.

We'll be staying at the Holiday Inn Select in Naperville Illinois. It's near Midway airport.

I'll put the rates and the rest of the info below the fold.

NOTE: I am getting a suite so there will be a place to gather. Also, there's a lounge and they've offered us a conf. room if we want it, but I'm thinkin' that wouldn't be so comfortable. Between the suite (that will have booze) and the lounge we should be golden!

Standard King Room (1 King Bed) – NSMKG - $114.00 + 10.4% Tax 10 Rooms

Standard Double/Double Room (2 Double Beds) NSMKG - $114.00 + 10.4% Tax 2 Rooms

Standard King Room (1 King Bed) – SMOKING - $114.00 + 10.4% Tax 6 Rooms

Standard Double/Double Room (2 Double Beds) SMOKING - $114.00 + 10.4% Tax 8 Rooms

King Suite (1 King Bed w/ Sofa Sleeper, 2 TV’s, Wetbar Area with Fridge) - $ 134.00 + 10.4% Tax 8 Rooms

Now there is a hell of a lot goin' on in Naperville that weekend so I need to get a room list together like NOW. Please - if you are SURE you're going to attend, drop me an email at tammisworld(at)gmail(dot)com. Let me know what kind of room you want and I'll guarentee it. Just PLEASE let me know ASAP if you will not be attending so I don't get stuck payin' for an empty room. (That would NOT make Tammi very happy)

Hope y'all can make it. Blogmeets are a blast, and it's lookin' like there will be a great group of people.

Why?

During one of my calls yesterday, my new customer asked me why I love the bedding industry so much.

Huh. That's a pretty good question. In fact, it's what I thought of for much of the drive home.

I mean, come on, let's be honest. Mattresses aren't the most interesting of items. Oh, what you can do WITH them fills many a book, but the mattresses themselves? Yeah, not so much.

But I love this industry. It didn't start out that way. Not by a long shot.

My initiation into consumer products, and retail especially, was via Orange Juice. It was fast moving, involved some creativity in creating sets and, well, was incredibly competitive. I loved it!

I would spend HOURS in a grocery store. Looking at what could be changed to make it more tempting to buy my product than someone else's. Coming up with ways to entice folks to try my juice. Hell - for a while I was pushing a campaign to pour OJ over your cheerios. Never did catch on, but I thought it was a pretty cool idea. But it was fast. REALLY fast.

From there I went to mattresses. Huh. No real merchandising involved. Just set the damned things up, in price order and grouped by type. Throw some pillows on them and VOILA! A set.

But then I started to "GET IT". It all made sense.

The first time I walked into a plant, I saw the coils of wire. I had to smile. I used to sell them that very wire. I KNEW that stuff. I knew how it was made, I knew what was good - and bad - about it.

Then I started studying the different types of foam. Really, there is a science to it. For instance....Visco. That memory foam they talk about? Yeah, well, it's activated by body heat. In order for it to mold to your shape, it's got to warm up. Well, it retains that heat and passes it back towards you. Me? Personally? I don't like it. I don't like to be warm when I'm sleeping. But I do love me some latex. It's what I call decadent. Soft, without being mushy. Supportive, without the pressure points.

I could go on and on just about the product itself.

But what I love are the benefits. I love the fact that I actually have a hand in changing peoples lives. Seriously. If you are sleeping well, waking fresh and comfortable, your day is better. Your mind, clearer. THAT is cool.

And it's a competitive business. Cut-throat actually. I don't play dirty, but I play. I love nothing more than gaining ground away from another company. And trust me when I tell you, I am NOT a good winner. Not. One. Bit.

I was a little nervous about going back to this industry after a two year absence. Would I remember the lingo? It's pretty specialized and outsiders and newbies are spotted right away. Would I still love it as much? Would the passion still show in my classes? The answers - yes. A resounding YES. I slipped back into that world like I was puttin' on a comfortable pair of blue jeans.

But tell me? What is it that drew you to YOUR chosen career? Do you still have that passion? Did you ever have it?

I think it's important to do something we enjoy. Something we can take pride in. It's bad enough we spend so much our lives working, it's a down right shame if you don't take any satisfaction from it.

What He Says....

Pete NAILS it with his letter to Washington.

All I can say is, I'm with ya on this one Pete. For Sure!!!

I *KNOW* It's Here Somewhere.....

I've spent the last 15 minutes scanning the news. I know the headline I'm expecting to see is there somewhere.

Because, last night HAS to be on record somewhere as the longest night in the history of the world.

Holy Smoley.

It started out movin' pretty quick. I got home around 7:00 from my road trip and by 9:30 I was falling asleep watching T.V.

Moved into my bedplace and.....that was all she wrote. Everything was buggin' me.

Even the sound of the fans made me crazy. That's not right. Fans are "white noise", right?!?! White noise is good....

So by 3:30 I just flat out gave up. Dozed for about 15 minutes while waiting for the coffee, but other than that. Nada.

Now luckily, today is just one meeting. However, it's not exactly a happy meeting. I really kinda needed some rest so I don't look like some kind of Grim Reaper.

What I don't understand is WHY?! I had a good day. I wasn't feelin' "wound-up". Hell, I almost fell asleep on the last leg up the highway on the way home.

But....it is what it is. I'll just wear extra make-up I guess.

And you know what really sucks? I can't even go hangout in the air conditioning at the new place. No phone over there yet, and I got a shit load of paperwork to do on the computer.

But damn, I wonder why the MSM wasn't all over that whole "longest night in history" thing? Oh, that's right. Paris made a phone call. What was *I* thinking?!?!?

Amazing....

You know, I am so lucky in the people I call "Friend". There are some pretty amazing folks in my inner circle.

And THIS is one of the reasons why I consider myself so very privileged to say that RSM is My Friend.

All I can even think to say is Congratulations, God Bless You, and Thank You!!!

There's a *LAND* for everyone......

I have never wished for a lap top w/wireless and a camera as much as I did this morning.

Oh. My. Goodness.

First - can I just announce for all to read - I DID NOT GET LOST AT ALL TODAY!!! Not once. hehehehe. And I'd never been to any of the places I needed to be today.

However, I did notice that I stated, out loud mind you, which direction I was going every time I turned or took an exit. What's up with THAT?!?!?

Anyway - back to this morning. As I stated earlier, it was an Amish Furniture Store. Guess where it was located. Go ahead. Guess.

Amishland.

Yes, you read that right - Amishland.

I couldn't stop laughing as I pulled up. Seriously. The very idea. And I'm thinkin' I ought to pitch my Amish Diet and Workout tapes. I may have found the perfect marketing outlet.

But seriously. It really was an incredible day. My boss called me a rock star. :-) I got one competitor knocked off the floor all together and kept another from gaining a foothold. In other words? I totally nailed it.

And that was just the first call!!

The second? Went even better.

But all day long, I had to giggle. Amishland.

Next time? Yeah, I'm taking pictures.....

First Time Outta the Gate

Well, I'm outta here for the day. Out to actually visit my customers. Face to face.

And I'll tell you what.....I'm a little nervous.

I don't have all the tools I need yet. And things are a bit "messed up" in this region of mine. I didn't realize the hostility that some of the customers feel towards us right now. Oh, it's understandable, but.....when you're dealing with this type of situation it's important to "get 'er done". I can't really do that yet, it takes time to figure it all out.

So, I worked on my layouts and suggestions. This morning, I'll grab a bite to eat and figure out pricing options so that I have everything right at hand, in one place when they ask any questions. However, I have to be prepared for any situation. They may not like my suggestions. Or, they may not be ABLE to execute what I have planned. It's pretty much a crap shoot.

You know that infamous "dream" where your standing in the middle of the street, naked? And everyone is pointing and laughing? Yeah, sorta kinda feels like that. And I don't mean in a good way.

Oh - I know it'll be fine. I'm dealing with an Amish furniture shop this morning, so at least I'm on familiar territory there. But, I also KNOW. I know what great business folks they are. I know you don't want to be on the other side of the table when they are "less than happy". Yeah, not so fun.

And please oh please oh please - I just hope I don't slip and cuss. Can you imagine????? Oh, and to make things worse, I found out last night that Daddy's oldest brother lives in that town. Yeah, Fun times. (I'm not their favorite niece)

So.....I'm outta here. I'm appropriately dressed (skirt to knee, blouse not cut too low). I have my paperwork at the ready, and Lana has a full tank of gas. A bit over three hours south of here.

But tell me....What sane, responsible woman would be this scared of an Amishman?!?!? There's just somethin' "Off" about that.

It's not like they'll chase me outta the store with a pitchfork.

Well, at least I hope not.......

Some Friend

Army Wife told me I'm old. Seriously! Who says that to someone?

So what if my "big event" of the day yesterday was a drive in the country? What's wrong with that?!?! It was a beautiful day, to pretty to be trapped in The Belfry. It was a bit on the warm side, and Lana's air works just fine.

So I went for a drive.

When I got home, I got everything ready for my calls today. Then watched a movie. Of course, I put my hair in curlers while watchin' the movie. Hey! It is better to do that the night before, so that everything is relaxed and it looks more natural the next morning.

And, there was the herbal tea I was sippin' on. What?!?! It helps me sleep.

So I went on a long leisurely drive on a Sunday afternoon, came home and put my hair in curlers and sipped tea.

Hmmmmm

Yeah, on second thought maybe I need to "add some excitement" to my weekend mix. I wonder if they have shuffleboard courts anywhere near by..........

Rather Ironic

OK - I've seen this every where and decided I'd check it out.

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

More ironic than you know..........

Lookin' back......and forward

Wow, I sure hope my inner-clock gets straighted out pretty soon. This getting up at 5:00am when I don't have to kind of sucks!

But, it is just a beautiful morning. I've been sitting here, sneaking through my blogroll, just checking in with everyone. The birds are all singing like crazy and it's looking to be just a beautiful day.

You know, this June has really reminded me of when I was a young girl. Way back then, it just seemed like June was that wonderful stepping stone from spring (which was all rain and wind) to summer (when it's too hot and humid to breathe). These past few weeks, for the most part, have been fabulous.

Ahhh June, back in the day. School was out, 2 months of freedom was looming ahead. Oh, there was work in the garden to be done. Yard work and flower gardens to keep up with. But we were kids. The day started early, you get your work done before it got too hot, and then......you played. The evenings were cook-outs and bonfires. Running around, chasing lightening bugs.

I loved to sit outside. Still do. We'd gather just off the patio, a fire in the pit. Sittin' on the swing tellin' stories and jokes. Mama would always be up, checking out her flowers and the progress of her rock gardens. Daddy? He'd do his waterin' that time of the day. Don't want to burn up the grass, ya know! His final chore, every evening, was filling the bird baths. Hell, I remember the first time he let me do it. And trust me, that was a big deal in our house. Mama loves her birds, and if you're gonna take care of the birdbaths, you're gonna do it RIGHT. There was the dumping of the old water. Cleaning of the base and then the filling. It was sort of like a rite of passage to take out that responsibility in our house. (yes, we are an odd bunch!)

After Mama and Daddy got done with their putterin', there were marshmallows to burn (yes, Daddy burned EVERYTHING!) and s'mores to consume. Then....once it was good and dark, Daddy would talk about the night sky. I was never a big "star" person, but I sure did love to hear him talk about them. Midnight Hide and Seek (which actually only required complete darkness) would close out the evening. Then it was time for baths and bed.

I have really missed those days. I'm looking forward to having a place I can sit outside, enjoy the evenings. And the mornings. Hell, I'm even going to get one of those fire bowls! What the hell....I deserve it.

Ya know. It's funny. It seems we always go back. In my 20's I just wanted to live in the city. The hustle and bustle called to me. Now? Now, I'm looking for space, room to run as it were. I long for those lazy nights, out on the patio. Small fire, surrounded by good people.

Yeah, I'm looking forward to this summer. It kinda feels like I'm home.

Notice

The sky is not falling.

I repeat - the sky is NOT falling.

Can I just tell you - sometimes it SUCKS to be Italian.

I'm just sayin'............

Painted Into A Corner

Well shit. I did it again.

I've painted myself into a damned corner.

See - I have this problem. It's called a Strong Work Ethic. I guess I really shouldn't refer to it as a problem, per say, more of a double edged sword.

Let me try and explain. I am a Manufacturers Rep. (more or less) I deal with retailers. Retailers tend to be open 7 days a week. They usually get to their stores around 8:00 in the mornings and can be there as late as 10:00 at night.

They sell my product. Sometimes they have questions or problems that need immediate attention.

They then either call or email.

Here comes the problem. If they email, I have this knee-jerk reaction and have to respond. Even if it's only to acknowledge that I got the email and am working on the answer. If they call....I'll see their number on my caller ID and before I know what's happening I answer.

Let's just add in the fact that I've been calling from my land line, so now - thanks to that same caller ID - they have my home phone number.

Yeah, so much for keeping a professional distance.

So this morning at 8:00 I'm getting emails from one of my larger accounts. Then.....the phone starts ringing.

It's Saturday. I'm trying to run errands and move.

Tomorrow is Sunday. I'm willing to bet dollars to donuts I get a couple calls tomorrow too.

There is no possible way to make up missed days off. Like I said - there is at least 1/2 of my accounts (bare minimum) open every single day of the week.

My plan was to take MOST of the day Saturday off. Sundays? All day. I will never almost miss a Super Bowl again because I was working. There is no reason for it.

My plan has been shot to hell. The word is now out. Tammi is accessible. Accessible, but not easy - let's get that straight right now.

But I can see the future as clear as a bell. While I will NOT make store visits after 10:00 on Saturday mornings, it is a 99% promise that I'll be receiving phone calls.

I really thought I could break the pattern. I honestly believed I could.

Yeah, thanks to this damned Work Ethic of mine, I'm painted right into that damned corner. And the color of choice seems to be shit brown.......

Holy Shit

Just a little blogging tip.

I've never deleted a post once I've hit publish.

Except for just now.

And I'll be damned if it doesn't take FLIPPIN' FOREVER for the damned thing to go away......

That was close. I almost did something I'd really regret........

Me? Modest???

I Rock! Can I just say that?

Well, I did. And I do.

Working right now, for me, is rather difficult. You see, it's a new job. I don't have all my info yet. Like pricing, product lists, forms.....

And I don't have my equipment yet. Nope. Not a laptop in sight.

And I'm trying to move. Chaos reigns supreme in Tammi's World. Even more than usual.

Yesterday, ironically enough, I spent the day with everything spread out on my mattress since it was the only surface in The Belfry where I had room to work. wait....that didn't come out right.

Anyway - I had a shitload of calls to return. And real issues. Already. Some fairly serious.

And I had no answers. No idea.

So - I made a lot of phone calls. Took a lot of phone calls. Sent a lot of emails.

It's to the point that our Corporate Office already recognizes my number on the caller id.

But I got answers. I made price cards and got them out for a private sale one of my customer is having this weekend. I found lost shipments. Got our credit department straightened out. AND - didn't piss anyone off.

I'm thinkin' that's a pretty damned good day.

Yeah, I rock. And I'm not ashamed to say so.

I'm Gonna Be Famous

I've been told recently that I am a "very healthy" eater. Huh. That can be taken two ways....

But they were referring to my eating habits at, of all places, fast food joints. And in that instance, I'll agree. I do eat healthy if I'm doin' fast food.

I'm a Wendy's addict. More specifically, I'm addicted to Wendy's yogurt and granola. Seriously. It's better than ice cream to me.

And I ate Wendy's almost every day for the year I was with the craft company. Either a sour cream baked potato (no butter) and yogurt & granola or substitute a salad for the baked potato. Same thing. Every day. Oh - every once in a while I'd need a single cheese, but not very often.

I try to keep track in my mind of what I consume in a day. Right now it's pretty easy, since I'm not exposed to a vending machine. Or candy in a bowl. Or bagels. And along with keeping track, I plan ahead. That way, if I'm craving something I can figure a day when I know I won't be "over indulging" and I'll treat myself.

It works pretty well. I noticed last week some of my work pants are getting a little loose.

That being said - some days it just don't work at all. Some days the dieting deity is just waiting to trip you up.

Yesterday was my turn.

I was up early. And hungry. No dinner Wednesday night and a small lunch conspired to kick my ass. So I got dressed and headed to the diner.

Now, lately I've been avoiding the fried breakfasts. You know, some of my favorite things - bacon, sausage, fried eggs, potatoes. Yeah, can't have that every day, as much as I'd like to. So I've been having a fruit cup with a bagel/cream cheese. Not THE best, but it sticks to my ribs and jump starts my metabolism.

But yesterday? Yesterday I had a Tammi Appetite. I was flat out starved. And with a day of being tied to the house, in that damned heat, I knew there'd be no real chance to eat again. So I went for it. I had something I haven't had in a very VERY long time. Biscuits and gravy. Oh lordy do I love me some biscuits and gravy. And it was goooooooood. I added lots of pepper and, well, while I didn't eat the whole thing I made a pretty good dent in it.

And I didn't feel badly about it. It was early morning, I was going to be busy, so a few(?) extra calories weren't gonna kill me.

And it worked. I had plenty of energy all day, didn't really get hungry until about 3:00 - which is normal. Then.....I craved ice cream.

It was so damned hot here in The Belfry and I didn't get that glorious wind through the house, so it just hung in here like a damn cloud. Miserable.

So I started thinking about Dairy Queen. Actually I started obsessing about Dairy Queen. Luckily I was tied to the house until around 6:00 and by that time I had gotten my obsession under control.

By that time I wanted a salad. A big, crisp cool salad. So - I head back to the diner.

The salad and iced tea hit the spot. Yummy. But.........I still wanted a bite of ice cream. Just a bite. With no Wendy's near by I couldn't sub it out for yogurt so I decided to indulge a bit.

I told my favorite waitress, who knows I'm watching what I eat, that I wanted a little ice cream with some chocolate and carmel. That would round out my day perfectly.

Folks - she brought me the largest turtle sunday I have ever seen. I jokingly say it was about a gallon worth, but I seriously think it was a pint. A pint of ice cream. Smothered in chocolate and carmel. Holy crap!

I ate the whole damned thing. Every drop. Every bit of carmel. And chocolate. I was physically sick by the time I got home.

And it was flippin' fantastic. While not actually having an orgasm in the diner, it might have been a close thing.

Anyway - as I lay in bed last night drifting off to sleep I decided that I need to share my wisdom. There are folks out there that would benefit from the Tammi Diet.

If you want it. Eat it. In moderation. Period. I'm not 22. I'm not a size 6. But I do love me some food. And I'm not going to punish myself to look good for someone else.

But I just gotta work on that moderation part. But I guess that's why they have "Children's Menus".

So yeah, I think I'll work on that diet book. I can couple it with my Amish Exercise Tapes and I might just end up the next Fitness Guru!!!

I'm a Safety Girl

I once shared an incident that happened while working in Daytona. (Hell, I just realized I used the same title again today!) A couple of guys tried to mug me in a mall parking lot during "Spring Break".

Now, luckily (and it was pure luck, believe me) it turned out fine for me. We didn't catch the guys, but that wasn't my intention. Actually, I wanted to hurt them mightily, but I was satisfied with running them off.

But - I did everything wrong. Everything. From the beginning - parkin' in the very outskirts of the parking lot, not payin' attention to where I was parked - to the end - talking on the cell phone while going to the area I parked in, then confronting the SOB's like I was somekind of super hero.

After what has happened in Kansas the past few days, a lot of folks are thinking a bit more about safety and such.

Me? I'm kind of obsessed with it.

I used to park way out, for the exercise. Now? I look for a light post. Even if I'm going in during the day. You have no idea how long you'll be in there, so better safe than sorry. (that's especially true with me making sales calls in those stores again.)

I will NOT talk on the cell phone if I am walking alone to my car in a parking lot. Won't do it. Won't. You might as well mount a neon sign over your head that flashes "VICTIM". Stay focused.

There are also places I won't stop at if I'm alone. Rest stops? Nope. I don't care how clean or "safe" they are. If I gotta pee that bad, I'll find a damned exit with a gas station. People. I want people around.

This article has a few good suggestions. Some are similar to what I've listed above.

Bottom line is just use your brains. Common Sense. Oh - and if you don't have too? Yeah, don't confront them. Seriously. I still can't believe I didn't get my ass handed to me in Daytona. I am NOT 10' tall and bullet proof - no matter how I happen to feel that day.

Just be safe out there. 'Mkay?

Must Read

Go to Andi's World.

Read this post.

Follow the links.

I have nothing to add. Just, please, Do It.

Have you ever noticed....

.....how just as you're tryin' to move OUT of a place all of the light bulbs blow?

Doesn't it just figure?

Oh, and the Land Lady put a sign up that there's an apartment for rent - last time it was 3 weeks before anyone called on it.

Yeah, we've been showing it all week.

I'm trying to pack. This place is a disaster.

Yeah, have you ever noticed that nothing ever goes as planned?

Let's Split....

Found via Mrs. Who.

And I refuse to comment on the grounds that....well......I just refuse. :-)

I'm Doin' It. Won't You Join Me?

Blackfive tells us about a 5k run that is coming up called Heroes Run. It is being set up by Gary Patriquin, father of Captain Travis Patriquin.

It is being held in Lockport Illinois, just outside of Chicago.

My home turf.

On my birthday - July 28.

I can't run but there is also a 1.5 mile walk. Now....I can walk.

I'm registering.

Here is the website, so you can read up. It is to benefit the Travis Patriquin Family Memorial Fund and Children of Fallen Soldiers Relief Fund.

I can't think of a better way to start out what is, to some, kind of a milestone birthday.

If you're in the Chicago area, please join us.

Hell of a way to make a good impression

Well, I made it home. I swung by Paradise and just about passed out!! It's full of firemen and Marines! Holy Smoley!! What a nice welcome.

Well, and there's the typical pudding, and jello, and tequila and.......

I just want to know who found my damned bondage bear? I thought I hid him pretty well.

Oh well......

But I am home now. And exhausted. Because, it just wouldn't be a Tammi Trip if everything went PERFECTLY!

I was up nice(?) and early Tuesday morning. Needed to be at the airport by 7:30 for an 8:40 flight. Can I tell you it took almost 3 hours to get there? Yeah, let's say I was RUNNIN' through that airport. Got to the gate and.....flight delayed. Whew.

I looked around and didn't see my boss so I figured I'd give him a call and let him know I was there. Yeah, great idea, except I couldn't find my phone. Me. Tammi. Without a cell phone.

Can you say HELL?!?!?!?!?

I already knew I was goin' without a computer. No outside contact? For 2 days?!?!?!?!!

Anyway, I finally spotted my boss and we went into the lounge to wait and chat. Have I mentioned how much I like this guy? Yeah, anyway......we keep checking and the flight is pushed out more....and more.....and more......until we get out to the gate and the damned boarding is CLOSED! They didn't announce it in the lounge. Well, you've got two pretty focused salespeople workin' their magic every which way and managed to get on the damned plane.

Quick flight. Columbus OH has a pretty nice airport. OK - rental car, and time for a quick bite of lunch.

Pull into Wendy's and there is this HUGE fight in the parking lot. Screamin, hollerin'.......I told my boss he really didn't need to spring for lunch AND entertainment.

More cop cars arrive than I've seen in a coons age.

Grap a quick lunch and head to the plant. Meet the team. I LOVE THEM!! Cool, professional, funny. So damned funny. It was fantastic.

But all I can think of is I have no phone. No phone. No PHONE!!!

Dinner was in Easton at The Ocean Club. Holy Shit. Best crab cakes I've had in......well, a very long time. And the atmosphere is incredible. I kept waiting for Dean Martin and Frankie to walk out as the evening's show. Wow!!! Just Wow....

Early night and morning meetings. We were scheduled on the 6:00 flight out this evening, but decided to see if we could have any luck with stand-by.

Yeah, have I ever mentioned how much I hate flyin' stand-by? No. Well, I do.

Some freakoid attached himself to my boss. So I take off to buy a book in the hopes that he would lose him. Yeah, his version of "losing him" was to sit with a seat saved for me between the two of them at the bar.

I got settled in my seat and leaned over towards my boss. Smiling sweetly I say - You are a bastard!.

He about fell off his chair laughing.

Later I try to sneak away to go out for a smoke. Freakoid follows and then asks what I smoke. I tell him, and he starts bitchin'. Then asks if he can bum one.......

I did manage to lose him for a while at security. I get back to the bar, alone and Boss just looks at me. I sat down, ordered another drink and look over, straight faced, and announce "they shouldn't find the body for at least 6 weeks". I scored big points for being a good sport and having a sense of humor.

I was serious.

ANYway......got on the 6:00 and managed to find my car in the garage. Thankfully my phone had fallen between the seat and the door of the car and I didn't actually LOSE it. I'm home now and have 22 messages from my customers. Tomorrow looks like a phone day.

But I'm home. Now, if I can just get those Marines to help me clean this place up.......

Where?

Ohio. I'm going to Ohio today.

And I don't have a secretary to call to make sure.

I *AM* meeting my boss for the flight, but seriously? He's as bad as I am.

Ohio. I'm going to Ohio.

It's just til tomorrow night. However - no laptop yet. You know what THAT means! Y'all are on your own for a couple of days. Oh, I have no doubt you'll do just fine without my daily drivel. But, you know my ego just begs for me to apologize. :-)

I'm off to meet my new teammates. And learn the technical side of this company I've pledged myself to.

So I'm off. To Ohio.

Wish me luck!

Oh, and one more thing....

Ok. Need a little help here.

Normally I'm very sure of what I want. I know what I like and it's pretty easy. Well, finding it isn't but knowing is.

ANYway.......my guest room. I can't figure out what to do with it.

Let me give you a few details. They'll come in handy at the end.

The bed? Black iron.
The floor? Wood. Oak
The walls. White. No option.
Small. Small. Small.

So.....I need things to "flow". My living room will be sage green with a creamy light tan and a hint of soft yellow. The dining room is a dark green and cream with this beautiful moroccan spice red making brief appearances. The kitchen is the same as the dining room. My room is red, with tan and black accents.

What the hell can I do in that guest room so it looks like it goes with the rest of the house. You go right by it if you're using the bathroom and I don't like to shut rooms off.

Oh, and there's another glitch. I want it gender neutral. I HATE flowery bedspreads in my home. Like 'em in others. Just not mine. I'm not into "gimmicks". No wild patterns, no shells, no palm trees. Simple, understated elegance.

So - here's where you come in. While I'm out honing the skills of my trade, I would really appreciate any suggestions you could offer. Seriously - I've been on all the websites - Bed Bath & Beyond, Linen's N Things, Penny's, Macy's - I don't see anything I like. I'm just stumped.

Can ya help a girl out? Please.........

Almost Perfect

Ahhhh now that was a nice day.

My region includes parts of Wisconsin, so I decided to check out some of the area's before I have to be anywhere at an appointed time. You know, it's better if I get lost on my own time.

Anyway......the chosen city this morning happened to be in Richmond and Harvey's neck of the woods. It also sports a mega cool Harley shop. Ahh Haa. I could incorporate some of my favorite people all in one fell swoop.

So I call up T1G to see if he wanted to ride along. I figured he'd want to hang out at the Harley shop while I got familiar with being lost in that area. I was right.

I then called Richmond to see if she and her parents were available for lunch. Yep - well Dad and her hubby were golfin' but Mom could join in. WooHoo.

Then I rang up the Blag Fadda, Harvey, to see if he and his lovely wife could take a few minutes. Unfortunately, TNT couldn't make it but he could.

Hence the ALMOST in the title.

ANYway.....it was a plan. And it came together perfectly.

And, as expected I got lost. Hell, I made a couple wrong turns even WITH Mr. Marine-just drive until it looks right - follow the orb, in the car. But it all turned out just fine.

I actually have an appointment to open a new account after I get back from training. THAT was great news.

Lunch was wonderful. Well, except I had just come out of a really great call and was wound a little tight. (Sorry Guys)

I am loving this. Getting a chance to work at something I love, AND spend time with people I love.

It just don't get any better than that.

And how cool is it that my life is a series of mini blog meets!

Two Sides of the Coin

I found, via Jay, this post that talks about puttin' on your "work face". Ha! Boy did that one hit home with me.

I have a work face. Oh yes I do. It's got make-up on it. But I'm thinkin' the author, bein' a guy and all, was talking more about the work "persona". I have one of those too.

And I really like my work persona. She is someone I enjoy. That's probably a good thing, since I do spend so much time working.

She's in control. She's strong. She's funny. She's not one bit shy. And she kicks ass.

Sometimes I feel like Lynda Carter (this is symbolism folks, not that I think I look anything like her!) I step away from life, and voila I become this kick ass chick. Kinda Wonder Womanish.

'Cause day to day? Every day life? Yeah, not a whole lot in common with that Work Tammi. Oh, she'll bleed over into day to day, when I need her. But I've discovered lately, I've become a tad bit......ditsy. And I don't know if I'm alright with that.

I don't know why this has come about. No idea. When I was married, I was the one responsible for all the bills being paid, groceries, kids, laundry plus work. And even at the ripe ole age of 22 I did it. Then, divorced. Standing on my own two feet. Taking care of the business of life.

But lately? Holy crap!!! I don't notice the most obvious of things - like a dog standing in the middle of the highway. I forget everything - like buying coffee, for cryin' out loud. Hell, half the time I don't know what day it is!!!

But you let that phone ring or put me in a store, and I'm flippin' Ask Jeeves in person!!! I notice EVERYTHING. I'm all over markets and shares and demographics. I get these creative ideas and solutions... There are times I sit back and wonder just where in the hell THAT came from. And then as soon as that thought hits - I do something stupid.

So I guess it's a good thing the personal and professional will be so closely intertwined again. (Working from home does that.) Maybe some of that "Got it togetherness" will rub off on the "WTH is going on" girl.......

But tell me? Do you notice a big difference in the person you are when you're "On" and the person you are when you're just being You?

Walk a mile......

Ok, I've been stewin' on this for a while now. And maybe a lazy Sunday morning is the wrong time to get on my soapbox, but then again - it's traditionally a Family Day, so maybe it's the PERFECT time.

Either way, I'm going in.

Over the last couple of months, I've noticed a hell of a lot of bitchin' going on. Not just in the blogosphere but with people in general. So many folks bitchin' about their families, their lovers, their kids. Their lives over all.

And I'm not talking about the day to day stuff. I'm talking real live, heartfelt bitchin' and complainin'.

And I just want to reach out and slap 'em. Seriously - do people not realize what they have?

Do people not realize what a GIFT it is to be loved? To KNOW that someone has your back, cares about YOU, accepts you BECAUSE of all your flaws? Love is not earned. It is a gift. And if it's been given to you - that's pretty special. Because trust me - there are a lot of folks out there that have never known what that's like.

And do people not realize how precious those babies are? The feeling of those strong young arms hugging your neck? Looking up with those dirty faces, eyes shining with adoration and mischief? Knowing that Mommy or Daddy loves them. Do you have any idea how much some people would give for just a MOMENT of that?

Life is hard. Plain and simple. There are good days and there are bad days. The secret is rolling with it. And if you don't have to roll alone, you're pretty damned lucky. So what if he didn't get the garage cleaned out today. Or she didn't get the laundry done and you can't wear your favorite t-shirt. And kids will be kids. They're gonna get on your last nerve. But that's all a part of it.

Be grateful for what you have. Oh, yeah, I know there's a need to blow off steam. But before you open your mouth and start talkin' about how you wish you didn't have to cook breakfast, or run the kids, or Can't He Do Anything For Himself, remember that there are folks that would give a piece of their souls for just one day with someone to love.

Damn, folks can be so insensitive. It just burns my ass some days.....

THAT wasn't the plan.....

Well shit. Not exactly the way I wanted to start my Sunday morning.

You see, it was a bit cooler yesterday. A nice thing, made it easier to be in The Belfry gettin' stuff done. And, there was a very nice breeze last night, with the fan in the window. However, it's humid. Damp. Yeah, I hate that.

All that adds up to a busy day and very little comfortable sleep.

I was up with the birds this morning. Literally and figuratively.

As I stumbled out to the kitchen it dawned on me. Shit. I'm out of coffee. I mean not a bean anywhere in this damned place.

Crap! Not even any soda. Not a drop of caffeine anywhere. See!! THIS is why gettin' healthy sucks so much.

So....in desperation I throw on a pair of jeans and a top. Pull my hair up in a pony tail and dig out my glasses. Since it was barely 6:00am I could only pray the diner was open that early.

It was. Nice thing about living in a farming town. Folks get up early around here.

The waitress, who has now known me for 2 years, walks around the corner to MY booth and just started laughing. Great. Just what my ego needed first thing in the morning.

"Hey! Stop laughing!!! At least I didn't wear my jammies for cryin' out loud. Just bring me that damned coffee pot!!!!"

Anyway - a couple of pots of coffee, a bagel and some fruit later, life looks to be a bit better.

And.....I have no excuse for not getting things started this morning.

But damn -- threw off my whole Sunday Morning Routine.........Hell. It almost feels like Monday now.

Foiled Again

"US authorities say they have foiled an Islamic terrorist plot to blow up New York's main international airport.

Four suspected Islamic extremists, including a former member of Guyana's Parliament, had been charged with conspiring to blow up jet-fuel supply tanks at John F Kennedy Airport, the Department of Justice said.

First off - I'm so glad they managed to bust this hideous plot up before it got any further. Also - It's about damned time they start telling the American people when this sort of things happen. In my opinion, the more they keep this stuff quiet the more folks think there is nothing wrong.

But we need to CONSTANTLY be on guard. WE ARE AT WAR!!! For cryin' out loud. It just burns my ASS that so many Americans seem to forget that.

Read the article. These bastards are gunnin' for as many innocent lives as they can get. They are looking to "destroy the American economy for a some time".

This isn't the first attempt. It won't be the last. They won't give up. After all, this is their jihad.

A Slight Difference in Views

Eric has a post up about on-coming storms and trees. It's very reminiscent of a conversation Daddy and I used to have. But with just a slight twist.

One day we were sittin' out in the yard, on the swing just......sitting. Not really talkin', just watching the clouds roll in announcing the "interesting" weather we were about to witness.

As we sat there Daddy asked if I could smell the rain? I thought he'd lost his mind. Now, in my defense, I don't do so well with those "little details" in life. You have to point them out to me, cause I usually miss them.

Anyway - that was the day Daddy taught me about storms. First we talked about the fragrance of the comin' rain. Then he pointed out that you could tell how bad the storm was likely to be by the trees' reaction. See how their leaves roll up, turn upside down. It changes the color of the landscape.

And I thought it was fascinating. And beautiful. I loved the idea that those big strong trees would CHANGE for a storm.

Daddy gave the perfect correlation for me. He said it was like when you were gettin' company. You get "gussied up". Put on your "good clothes". Well, the trees were getting dressed for the party.

And that's been the way I've seen it ever since. Mother Nature throwing a party. So I guess I have to respectfully disagree with Mr. Straight White Guy. At least on this. I don't look at it as the trees surrendering. I see it as them welcoming.

But I guess I'm just a big ole optimist with too romantic an ideal. Or maybe it's I just prefer a party to a fight. But then again, I am always looking for that silver lining.........

Just Click It!!!

I Love Mike the Marine. Seriously.

Check out this video he has up. It's short and sweet. Well worth the click.

Come on......It's Saturday.......Do yourself a favor.......just Click already!!!

Saturday Question

Man, I thought I'd die of starvation last night. It was just plain stupid.

I'm not buying groceries right now, with the move, that doesn't make any sense at all. Plus, still being in The Belfry, it's kinda nice to go somewhere to eat and get out of the heat and humidity.

So....I had a very light dinner that I guess was just NOT what I wanted. Cause about 9:00 last night I was wantin'........somethin'. I just couldn't put my finger on WHAT.

Hmmmm.......well, seems I'm always in the mood for a cookie anymore. It's gotten pretty bad. About that time every night I start thinkin' about how good one of those No Bake Cookies would be. I'm so making some as soon as I get moved.

But then I realized that wasn't the taste I was thinking of. So I started running through my memories, tryin' to place it. Ah Ha! I wanted a salad. But not just any salad. One we used to get for meetings at The Craft Place. That was about the best salad I've ever had. I'm going to have to get the name of that place and remind myself what's in that bad boy. Cause damn, I sure could have done some damage to a big ole bowl last night. Well, that and some yogurt and granola from Wendy's.

I realized at that point I'm officially old. I'm craving salad, yogurt and one of my fruit salads. My body is tryin' to tell me something. Something like "Lay off the ice cream bitch - it's gettin' crowded down here!!!

Anyway - for this weeks Saturday Question I thought I'd see what y'all are craving. With the on-set of summer I find my desires, as it were, change. I shared what I'm in the mood for. What about you? Anything you GOTTA have lately???

ANOTHER good reason to move

So yesterday afternoon the tornado sirens start going off.

I was in The Belfry. Up amongst the trees, as it were. Not the most desirable place to be in that situation.

As I heard the wail begin, I had to chuckle. At least this time I knew what it was, AND I knew not to worry about hearing an "all clear" signal.

But then....I started thinking. Hmmmmm - can you say sitting duck? Yeah, all I was lacking was the orange marmalade.

BUT....the new house has a basement. A NICE basement. Where one can sit in comfort while "riding the storm out". Did I mention the fridge? Or the fact that the liquor is all being stored down there? Yeah, perfect spot for storms.

This storm? Yeah, nothin'. It was all fine. This time. But I gotta tell you, after the hurricane season of 2004, I'm not real trusting of Mother Nature.

Just one more reason to be happy about this move......

Oops

Well don't I feel stupid.

I'm not going to Missouri next week.

I'm going to Ohio.

AND I just found out today is actually FRIDAY!

I think I've just about crossed that line......

You Need To See This

HomefrontSix is not havin' a very good week. And it's just breaking my heart.

But she put together the most incredible video. Please, if you don't ever follow another link I put out there - go here and check this one.

HFS? Darlin' you are one incredible Lady. Please know, you're in my thoughts and prayers every day........

NOW do you understand?

Check THESE bad boys out.

Yeah, nice huh.

Oh, and just so you REALLY get the idea of how NARROW they are....and NO. My feet aren't THAT big. Those are just baby steps.

10 trips up and down those damned things haulin' boxes yesterday. Today? More of the same, except it looks like there might be some rain added in.

Lovely.

And I think we all aware by now, I'm not the most graceful of women.

Yeah, pray for me. 'Mkay. Gonna need it.........

Simple but Effective

When you're in sales, IMHO, you should be "the expert" in what you sell. I'm back in mattresses, I need to understand coils, foam, sleep and other related schtuff. And I need to KNOW my product. I am kind of particular about that.

So, next Tuesday I head to MO to learn our product line. After that I can be turned loose on the region.

But....we needed to let the customers know that help is on the way. So, yesterday, via conference calls, my boss and I called about 3/4 of the accounts I am responsible for.

Things went pretty well. EXCEPT there was one constant, consistent complaint. It was about the same department and the same issues. Over and over.

The pattern jumped up and slapped me in the face. And, between you and me? Yeah, not so happy when I get slapped in the face.

So - between calls I asked a few questions.

Tammi: Am I still going to Tampa in a couple of weeks?
Boss: Yep
Tammi: Is that where that department is located?
Boss: Yep
Tammi: You do realize while I'm down there I'm gonna raise some hell?
Boss: Yep
Tammi: I do not want ANY of them, EVER, to contact my accounts directly again. EVER. THIS will NOT be an issue after that trip to Tampa. Do you have my back on this one?
Boss: Yep

Nice to know I've got his support. Personally, I have no problem being point man on this.

But here's the best part. There's an issue. I can fix it. Quickly. Voila! Tammi is the hero and all the customers love her.

Hehehehe --- this shit is so easy sometimes!

Holy Smoke(less)

Smokeless Cigarettes? Not candy, but cigarettes??

I'm not sure how I feel about this....

First smokeless cigarette to go on sale

The world's first smoke and tobacco free cigarette is due to go on sale.

But Janine Messerli from the Swiss Institute for Alcohol and Drug Prevention is critical of NicStic and the Swissmedic decision: "Nicotine is what makes smoking addictive, and so this product changes nothing." (Emphasis mine)

Ok, so I can still smoke and not stink, or taste like a cigarette? Huh. And the cough would go away? AND, I'd still get my crack, uh I mean nicotine?

Why WOULDN'T I try these?!?! Can you give me one good reason???