Tammi's World

Amazing

I don't know how I missed this yesterday, but I did. And shame on me.

Go over a check this post out over at Lex's.

A Marine, on his third rotation to Iraq, injured by an IED and requests they DELAY transporting him for medical assistance until he can reenlist!!

It gives me chills. Damn....where DO we find these folks?!?!?!

Thank you Cpl. Hawkins!

My Own Language

I've always known I speak my own language. TammiSpeak as it were. Mostly that consists of words I TRY to pronounce correctly, but mess up none the less.

But even more than that....there is a language of my past. Phrases I've picked up over the years, that are just uniquely....me.

The most obvious, of course is "This is what I'm gonna need for you to do...." That actually came from a good friend of mine, also in sales. We HATE being micro managed and were working for someone at the time that just didn't understand that, Yes, we really do have a functioning brain. While he never said it, it was always implied. We started using it as a signal that we were dealing with an asshole and were well aware of it!

A phrase the women in my family have used for generations - Thrashers Crew - came about because for years and years and years they had to deal with them. "I cooked enough for a thrashers crew" is the best way to explain I could have fed an army. I'm always amazed at the looks I get when I use that. Hell, I thought EVERYONE knew what a thrashers crew was!

Something else I say, probably too much, is "I need to tell you". That came about because for YEARS I hung around with folks that, believe it or not, actually out talked ME. I had to fight to get a word in edge wise. So, in order to be heard or taken seriously I'd start my sentences out with that little phrase. Now? It's habit.

One of my favorites is "Shits and Giggles". Been sayin' that for as long as I could cuss without gettin' my mouth washed out with soap. Often times it slips out even with my filter firmly in place. Oops. Probably gonna wanna work on that......

I bring this up because I'm just noticing how odd some folks think my speech is. My phraseology as it were. I don't notice, and my family doesn't even pay attention - hell, most of them are as bad as I am. But other folks? Customers, friends? Yeah, I'll often catch a look or grin when I let something slip.

Now, in public speaking they'll often times tell you to avoid those sorts of things. Me? No Way!! When I'm making a presentation it's just like when we have a conversation. (And no, you can't usually talk back at either instance!) I believe in keeping it real. I believe in being myself. It makes the presentation more interesting and a hell of a lot easier to do. If I script something out or have to worry every word or phrase? Well, then it comes out "fakey" to use a term my sister is overly fond of.

And one thing you should know about me. I ain't fakey. Can't, no WON'T do it. It's like lying. To hard to keep up the pretence. And honestly? I have better things to worry about than what I said to who, when. I am what I am. Good bad or indifferent.

But so far...it's workin' out alright.

What about you? Care to share any of your Personal Speak??

Sleep? What's That?!?!?!

There was an article out the other day about our new CEO.

I've worked for this man before. I like him. I respect him, not only as a leader but as a person.

Say what you'll do, then do what you say. That's his motto.

He announced that we will double our business in the next year.

Double.

One year.

I've only been with one company that did that, and our saying was 2x4. Double the business in FOUR years.

One. One year.

In THE most competitive sector of consumer products.

I'm getting ready to make a run to the pharmacy. I need some No-Doze and Motrin.

My life just got REAL interesting.

Todays Funny Frase

I thought I'd share the one liners on my new calander. Might be kind fun on a daily basis.

So....without futher delay - here is Todays Funny Frase:

I live in my own little world.....But it's OK......they know me here!

Sunday At Mama's

It ended up bein' a pretty darn good day.

A table laden with food. A homemade ice cream cake set a-fire. Some laughter and hugs. Yeah, a pretty darn good day.

It was good to spend quality time with my family. It's been a very VERY long time since that has happened. Oh, there are always "reasons" - someones having a bad day. Someones got things on their mind. Whatever. All that really matters is that yesterday, July 29, 2007, was a damned good day in my family.

The laughter that filled the kitchen as 'we three girls' worked together was a wonderful treat. The teasing was missing some of the acidic feel it so often has. We worked together and had fun doing it.

And it all served to RE-remind me of a lesson I just can't seem to learn. It's all about the memories.

For years now, I've had the misconception that in order to be successful I had to have nice THINGS. Good furniture, a house well equipped, beautiful clothes. And every chance I got, I bought a "memory". Something to remind me of a special time or place.

But you know what? Things go away. They get lost, broken, beat-up, gone. But that video in my mind is still there. Thanks to this blog the transcripts of those videos are written down. And shared.

Yesterday I walked away with 27 quarts of corn and a memory. The corn will be gone in less than a year. That memory of Mama and Dee and I laughing at me dancing in the kitchen, corn everywhere? Or Mama standing at the sink doubled over in laughter, eyes sparkling watching Dee and I try and bag that corn up? Yeah, that I'll have forever.

I Doubt They Understand

This is perfect.......

I saw this over at One Marine's View.

Someone writes a letter to the editor complaining about a fly-by out by Luke Air Force Base. Then they asked for a response, the acid literally drippin' from their pen.

Well, they got it. And I'd like to think they felt the shame they should. Unfortunately I doubt they have the capacity to REALLY understand, but I'd like to hope......

I Lost It!!!

Mama Vi is gonna kill me!!!

I've just spent the last hour tearin' Paradise apart looking for a booklet she gave me. It's a series of stories her aunts and uncles told to one of her cousins regarding the family. Let me just say here and now.......that side of the family? Yeah, not nice. Not nice at all. And I'll be taking the first opportunity to tell them that.

But all that aside, I can't find the flippin' book!!! I remember, so clearly I can SEE it, putting it in one of the first boxes I brought over. I remember putting it someplace where I can get to it easily but it wouldn't get damaged. I've looked in every box still with anything in it. I've been through everything on my desk. I've been through the basement. The closets. EVERYWHERE.

Folks. I don't have much clutter. I cleared most of that up last weekend. There are only so many places I could have possibly put it.

I'm dead. Dead dead dead dead dead.

I've got to get on the road within the next 20 minutes. If I drive out of here without it..........

Well, let's just say it's been an interesting 45 years.

I am in soooooo much trouble.

UPDATE: I knew it. As soon as I posted something, BAM! I found it. But now I just need to figure out WHAT would possibly make me think that a) I'd remember and b) make it easy to find by putting the damned thing in a box with my "spare" purses!??!?!?!?!?!!?

But at least I won't be disappointing Mama Vi. Well, that and my ass will stay attached for an other little while!

Just a day is enough

First - I'd like to thank y'all for the nice birthday wishes. You made this old girl smile.

But can I just say how much I *HATE* it when my birthday falls on a weekend? Oy. It just never seems to end!!!!

Yesterday was quiet. To be honest, at times too quiet. I ran to the DMV, am now officially legal in the state of Illinois thankyouverymuch. Then I took care of a few projects that had to be looked at. Brunch with T1G, a nice surprise, and that was about it.

I do think I'm cursed about being able to sit and eat at a real table in my own house. Went to get the patio set, and they were sold out. End of season, no more available. Damn. Oh well, I'll just keep hunting.

But yeah, overall it was a VERY quiet day.

Today I'm heading to Mama Vi's. We're gonna put up those 10 dozen ears of corn and she wants to have a cook out. It'll be nice to see everyone again and I know she LOVES this stuff.

But yeah, I'm pretty much over this. It was a nice day. I got a lot of thinking done. That's always a good thing. But I don't really need a WHOLE weekend.

Sara Lee Bread Recall!!!

OK, listen up (or "read up" as it were)

Sara Lee recalls bread products

"Sara Lee Food & Beverage is issuing a voluntary and precautionary recall of selected whole wheat bread products produced at the company's Meridian bakery and sold at grocery retailers in Mississippi and Alabama, most of Arkansas, far southeastern Missouri, western Georgia, southwestern Tennessee, southeastern Louisiana and the panhandle of Florida. The affected products may contain small pieces of metal."

WTF?!?! "Small pieces of metal"? Lovely.

It looks like it only effects the Whole Wheat Bread Products....I'm pasting in the list of items along with the UPC codes. If you live in the area's listed above, please check it out. And it's NOT just the Sara Lee Brand - there are store brands involved also. Just be on the safe side and check it out.

Colonial Wheat Sandwich bread, 20 ounces, 5040023502

Schnucks Wheat Sandwich bread, 24 ounces, 2412601044

Earthgrains Honey Wheat Berry, 5040072709

Flavorite Wheat Sandwich, 20 ounces, 4113002364

Foodland Wheat Bread, 20 ounces, 4130320964

Golden Bake Wheat Bread, 20 ounces, 5040008505

Grissom's Wheat Bread, 20 ounces, 5193370220

Grissom's 24 ounce Wheat Sandwich, 5193370300

IGA 20 ounce Wheat, 4127003695

Great Value Split Top Bread, 20 ounces, 7874206274

Piggly Wiggly Wheat Bread, 20 ounces, 5040000118

Publix Honey Wheat, 4141539095

Publix 100 percent Stoneground, 4141539190

Publix Wheat, 20 ounces, 4141539290

Publix Stone Ground Wheat, 20 ounces, 4141539390

Shurfresh Split Top Wheat, 20 ounces, 1116144835

EarthGrains 100 percent Natural Wheat Berry, 5040072748

EarthGrains 100 percent Natural 7-Grain, 5040072747

EarthGrains 100 percent Natural Whole Wheat, 5040072746

Sara Lee Delightful Wheat, 7294571706

Sara Lee Delightful 100 percent Multi-Grain, 7294571588

Sara Lee Delightful 100 percent Whole Wheat, 7294571589

Sara Lee Hearty & Delicious 100 percent Wheat w/ Honey, 7294560152

Sara Lee Hearty & Delicious 100 percent Whole Wheat, 7294560157

Sara Lee Hearty & Delicious 100 percent Multi-Grain, 7294560158

Sara Lee Deli Style 100 percent Whole Wheat, 72945651001.

If you have any questions you can contact Sara Lee at (800) 683-3455. However the phones are only manned between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For Pink Ninja and Dashing Sir Rowland

In case you don't know who that it, they are the ADORABLE collective of Army Wife.

This morning I was on the receiving end of a Happy Birthday song and learned that those two sweet darlin's happy to share a love of The Swedish Chef from The Muppets.

So, in honor of two of my favorite little people........

Odds and Ends

So, here it is a little before 5:00 in the morning, a SATURDAY, MY day, and I'm sitting at my desk. WTF is up with that?

Been havin' just a bit of trouble with the "early rising" thing the past few days. Not sure why, but it is what it is. And I learned a long time ago not to fight that stuff. If you go with the flow, eventually it'll all work itself out.

This morning I have no choice but to run to the DMV and finally Finally FINALLY get my Illinois drivers license. My old Florida license expires today. I had every intention of getting that taken care of this past few weeks, but the opportunity just never presented itself.

So, I'll be off to the DMV in about 4 hours and will become an official resident of Illinois. Wow. Whoda thunk?

Then it's off to get my patio furniture. WooHoo! Didn't get to do that yesterday, with calls and other work obligations, so that will be a very good project for the day.

Oh, and I finally bought a desk calendar. It's just a cheapo - with black and white drawings and funny one-liners. Today's? Has a drawing of a guy holding a beer mug. The saying is "You drive me to drink. Thank You." More appropriate than you realize and had me crackin' up!

Lex has a Friday Musings up for the first time in months and months. I'm pretty sure he didn't mean it as such, but I'm takin' it as a birthday present, because I have ALWAYS enjoyed this feature of his site. Take a minute. Read it. You'll find yourselve nodding and smiling and well....thinking for just a moment. Thanks Lex!!

So yeah, while I got a bit earlier of a start than I meant to, it's looking to be a pretty damned good day. A girl just can't complain, cause like I keep sayin'.....It sure does beat the alternative.

It's My Day!

It's my birthday. I've been worryin' that fact for a while now, but have decided that it is MUCH better than the alternative.

So - I'll just have a good day. Hell, why not.

Anyway - got a few things I want to share with you. Things that folks have done or sent that have already made today pretty damned special for me.

First - AW does know me so well. To celebrate my b-day she is asking folks to sign up with Soldiers' Angels and adopt a Soldier. That is just about the best present I could ever receive. Head on over, follow the links then leave us a comment, letting us know what you did. This is PERFECT. Thanks AW!!!

KTreva sent me this last night before she left on vacation.

I'm seriously thinking I should have that done on cross stitch.....

And I got a birthday card that, if I can figure out how my new scanner works, y'all will CRACK UP! I swear, it is the funniest card I have ever received!

WooHoo!! It's a pretty damned good day, here in THE valley! Thank y'all! More than I can say....

Past......Meet Present

The other day I found a note on the sun-porch from the great granddaughter of the woman who used to own this house.

She is preparing for her freshman year in college, and wanted to know if I minded if she sold sweet corn on my front yard to help earn some spending money.

How could I refuse that? Of course I didn't mind.

The first day she was out there I took her out a bottle of water and an ice cream sandwich. Hey! It was very warm out, and well.....I didn't have any cobbler.

Anyway, Wednesday her mom was out there with her. So I went out to introduce myself and have a little chat with them. I noticed that both of them got very emotional whenever they talked about the house. It was clear they loved it, and the Grandmother that lived here, very much.

Yesterday, I went out to pay for my 10 dozen ears and had a chance to learn a little something about the woman who loved this house - no, home - for over 40 years.

She was 89 when she passed. And right up to the end of her time, she cooked a nice "Sunday Dinner" for her family and friends. She loved nothing better than to have her home filled with those she loved and cook for them. (Is any of this sounding familiar to y'all?)

It seems her favorite time of the year was Christmas. She loved to "dress the house up" and celebrate the holiday. And it seems the family enjoyed it every bit as much as she did.

As the story unfolded I had to smile. No WONDER I fell in love with this house. It is already full of all that is important to me. I just need to continue the tradition.

I assured this very nice lady that I cherish this home. I call it Paradise, for cryin' out loud! I told her that I too, love nothing more than filling it with the ones I care about and creating meals that can be enjoyed.

I also told her to give me a year, but Christmas will be back in this home. Full Force. I'm actually looking forward to having her family over.

She's going to bring me a sample of "Grandma's Apple Pudding". I told she can't bring the pudding without the recipe!! It's a deal.

I also told her they were always welcome to drop by. I know what a comfort it is to realize that the home of your memories is cared for.

But isn't it strange? And it explains so much. This home really is SWEET. Because it was filled with love for 40 years. I only hope I can do it justice.

Perfect Meal For Busy Folks

I had another special treat for dinner last night.

At the grocery the other day, the butcher went ahead and cut me a fresh 2 1/2lb London Broil. Heavens! That was one good lookin' piece of meat. (the broil, folks. The broil....)

So I came home and immediately put it in some Italian dressing. If you marinade those for at least 24-36 hours in that, it makes for a yummy and EASY London Broil. And talk about tender.....

Anyway - I decided I wanted some herb roasted potatoes and some of that good sweet corn with it.

You cannot imagine how fantastic my house was smellin' around 6:00 last night.

Holy Crap. That was the longest 30 minutes of my life - I swear.

And yummy? Oh yeah. Very much so.

Took 5 minutes to peel and cube the potatoes, the meat was ready to go in the oven. After you prep the potatoes, just mix together 2 TBLS of olive oil, 1 1/2 TBLS of gralic powder and about 2 TBLS of Mrs Dash seasoning. Stir them in there so that everything is coated .

In a 475 oven, put the london broil in for about 30 mins - in a shallow baking dish. Pop the potaotes in about half way into that process and...Voila! a great dinner.

That will stay in the rotation. It is definitely a keeper.

A Clue - Updated

If you read MilBlogs of any shape or size, I'm sure you've seen the uproar that has followed the Scott Thomas story.

Well, Michelle Malkin announces that he's Stepped Out of the Shadows! They've given us a name and a unit.

Let's see what happens now. Because, seriously, if this is NOT authentic someone is gonna figure it out. And my bet is sooner rather than later.

Updated 2:30pm: Just got back from some calls and see that Uncle Jimbo over at Blackfive has a smack down and picture or our Scott Thomas. Huh. Should start to get real interesting....

But the coolest thing, and the main reason I'm linking is he's gathering information so we can kick off "an email campaign to reboost their [A Co. 1/18] morale". A most excellent idea. It's gotta be a kick in the gut (major understatment) to have this put out their by someone in your own "family". These men and women need to know they are still supported. That not everyone believes everything we're reading. More details as they are available.

Still Needed

OK - I know of two folks that signed up with Soldiers' Angels after the call went out last week.

And I thank you.

BUT....according to this, we still have over 1,500 that are waiting!

Come on folks. Honestly. It's not difficult. Soldiers' Angels does a GREAT job of giving you the information you need to take care of these amazing men and women.

I've already sent one letter and a couple of emails. My first package will go out this week. And I'm gonna throw the gauntlet down. I'm willing to bet you can't be much busier than I am, and I'm finding time to do this.

Please. This is an easy way to make a big difference. And, I know I say it over and over and over again, but it's THE LEAST WE CAN DO.

Head on over HERE and get the details.

Then send the damned email requesting a Soldier.

They're there when we need them - we need to be able to say the same thing.

A Cryptic Message

I'll admit it. I watch my sitemeter. Like crazy.

I'm just fascinated by who the heck stops in over here. It's one of my favorite things about blogging.

Anyway - since almost the very beginning I've noted some hits that come from a server in Ohio. A commercial server. A company. That is, from my experience anyway, in the Food & Beverage section of the Consumer Products world.

They are here a couple times a day. And I *LOOK* for them. I'm worried if I don't see the hit. It never fails to make me smile when I see they have stopped by.

As far as I know they've never commented, they've never even sent an email. And that's fine. I'm just happy to see them visit.

So, as cryptic as this is, hopefully THEY will know who I'm talking about. THEY will know that I'm sending this *WAVE* out to them. And THEY will know how much I enjoy knowing they stop by.

Never Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth

Some days are just a gift. Yesterday was one of those for me.

Started out with a morning call with AW - always a treat. Then....the boss called. cue music of doom

He just wanted to make sure I knew how MUCH I am appreciated. And how, no matter how rough things have been, my efforts have not gone unnoticed.

My response?

Ok. Thanks. What do you want?

Yeah, nice Tammi.

But that's why he called! How cool is that?!?!

THEN....the last hold out on my new pricing schedule was approved today. What does that mean? It means that every last one of my customers is now shipping. WooHoo!!!! And it only took me two weeks!

THEN...cause it's not done yet.....driving into Chicago my phone rings. It's my....um, yeah, demanding customer. He called to thank me. And tell me he appreciates what I'm doing for him. AND apologize for bein' so rough on me.

When I hung up after THAT call I was staring at the phone like it was some kind of foreign being.

THEN, I met with the new prospect. She's opening a brand new store. Wants to carry both my stuff and the stuff from my old company. I was going to get 6 slots. She's now decided to give me 14 slots and tell the other company to just forget it.

OutFlippingStanding.

And I'm STILL not done. I got home and my friend in Tampa called. We're chatting and I'm telling her I have to pull together a special promotional offer for the customer I'm visiting today. It's got to be a great bed, or series of beds, at down and dirty pricing.

How about we just launched a program of exactly that YESTERDAY?!?! And the beds are FANTASTIC. And CHEAP. Good and Cheap. It just don't get any better than that.

He's looking at ordering a truck load. That. Will make me Queen.

I didn't want to go to bed, I was afraid my coach would turn into a pumpkin at midnight!

But no matter what happens today - I had yesterday. And it was a Damned Good day!

Priorities

I just went outside for a smoke. I took the opportunity to "walk the yard", just to check on the plants and stuff.

Hmmmm gonna need to get some sort of pesticide for my ferns. Somethin's eattin' at 'em. Heh. Haven't had to think about anything like that in forever....

But overall, it looks pretty good. It's a nice setting. Trees, some plants, the yard looks pretty good.

But it needs a table and chairs on the patio. It doesn't look "welcoming" without them.

Now, I actually found a set at a GREAT price yesterday. But I thought I'd wait. I'm doin' alot right now, tryin' to get settled and I had really planned on getting the DirecTV set up this week.

But I think I'll push that out a couple more weeks.

I love to sit outside. And I'm enjoying the hell out of the sun-porch, but I miss feeling the sun on my face. Or sitting out and enjoying the night sky.

It's all about priorities. And I just realized I had mine kind of whopper-jawed.

Yeah, I guess I'll be doin' some assembly tomorrow.

I can't wait.

Funny

Need a chuckle today? Check out VW's Humor for Wednesdays post.

Forest - Trees

I'm a detail person. But not really. I like numbers and trends and patterns. I can tell you what sale price we ran OJ at in a certain chain of stores in November of 1999.

But yet I can't tell you what I wore to work yesterday.

I memorize entire sets of product, hundreds of items, but forget to stop at the store for milk.

I can remember my buyers names and phone numbers for most of my major accounts over the past few years, but I can't remember what my mother's phone number is.

It's simple, I can't see the forest for the trees. Hell, half the time I can't see the trees for the branches.

It's very frustrating sometimes. Folks get used to me knowing and remembering then ask me something EVERYONE would know and I got nothin'.

And it's getting worse. I've mentioned on more than one occasion how I forget to pack a certain item when traveling. Well, it's getting worse. And it's spreading.

Some days I feel like a complete ditz. And I have to tell you, I hate those kind of women. The ones who just don't "get it". I've got a quick mind, it's just full right now.

I watched the movie Momento last night. It was pretty good, not one I'd call my favorite, but it was a fine way to spend the evening.

But I sooooo got his "issue". The man can't make new memories. He remembers everything up to a certain point in his life, but from then on out he only remembers what he writes down or tattoos on his body.

Now, I'm not doin' the tattoo thing, mainly because I'm really not a fan of needles. But the notes? Reminders? EVERYWHERE.

And it's not just "things" I forget anymore. It's movie lines/plots. It's conversations. It's schtuff.

So trust me. I'm not nearly as ditzy as it seems. I'm really NOT a dumb girl. I'm just overwhelmed and understaffed.

Well, that and directionally challenged. But hey - I do make a mean manicotti, and I haven't forgotten THAT........yet!!!

Sheltered

Last night I did something a little different for me, dinner wise.

See, when I was married, my husband was VERY particular about "dinner". No pot pies, no hot dogs, no fish sticks, pretty much nothing I didn't make from "scratch". Always had to have a dessert and some yummy kind of bread product.

And never, under any circumstances fix or serve hamburgers. In his mind, those are for "fast food" and not allowed on the Dinner Table.

So....up until the Bad Example Family Reunion at my place in Florida 2 1/2 years ago, I never made hamburgers. Had no clue.

And, so you know, haven't made them since. Well, I guess now I should say HADN'T made them since.

I had some burger in the fridge and decided I would give it a whirl. Holy Cow. They turned out great. I did 'em on the Foreman Grill so I didn't even feel guilty!

Pair that with the sweet corn I bought from the stand in my front yard and....Yowza!!

What the hell have I been missing?!?!?!?!

Oh, and the corn is soooo good, I bought 10 dozen ears to blanch and freeze this weekend.

Yummmm really good sweet corn all year round. How great is that?!?!

Next on my list? Freezer jam. Strawberry, raspberry and hot pepper.

I may need another freezer the way I'm goin'.

But man....all these years.......and I'd never made a hamburger. That's just several shades of wrong.

Which Way?!?

Well, yesterday was certainly......interesting.

My first scheduled stop was in a small town in Wisconsin. I printed out my google maps and got on my way.

Only to discover that the entire TOWN was tore up thanks to construction. Along with the detours that plagued me, I had to deal with missing street/highway signs.

To say I got lost would be understating the obvious. Lucky for me, my customer has a great sense of humor and talked me in.

After a really good meeting I prepared to leave. Seems he was on his way out also and offered to "lead me" to the highway. Cool.

So, I get in the car and follow away. And checked my voicemail. And rechecked the address/directions for the next call. And answered the phone.

I've GOT to stop doing that.

I just ended one call when the phone rang again. I answer. It's the customer that I just met with.

Cust: Tammi? Did you just head west on I94?
Tammi: Yes
Cust: You need to go east. Tammi, you're going the wrong way.
Tammi:
Cust: I just looked in my rear-view mirror and you were gone so I figured that's what you did.

Folks? This is the first time I've met or talked with this guy. I'm thinkin' that probably isn't the impression I wanted to leave him with.

Lovely.

The good news is, I got turned around (the thing I do best in driving!) and found the next stop no problem! WooHoo.

Had a great meeting, gonna open a fabulous new account that should blow the Milwaukee market wide open! Yeah!!!

During our meeting we were interrupted several times with customers comin' in. Now, I believe if I'm in the store and a customer walks in, I should help out if I can. So I did.

There was this very sweet newly widowed woman who wanted/needed a new bed. But the kicker was she wanted ME to pick it out for her.

You can't do that! Everyone likes something different. Everyone NEEDS something different.

So I finally go her to lay down on the beds. The way I did that? Lay down with her.

Yeah, so here I am...in a brand new account.......layin' with this sweet old lady, on all these different beds, helpin' her discover if she needs her mattress firm or extra firm.

It's been a while since I've done that.....and let me tell you. It's kind of a surreal experience to find yourself laying on a mattress with a complete stranger having a conversation. Trust me. It is.

The trip home was......long.

Cause you know I missed the turn-off for the shortcut. Yep, ended up driving an hour out of my way. But...the good news is I made it. And today? Today I'm pickin' up my GPS system.

Cause, while it ended up a pretty damned good day, I'd really rather not go through all that again!

Finally. Finally!!

Today is a pretty big day for me. I'm actually really stoked.

Today I go order the dining room table and chairs. Finally. A table. In a dining room. That I can actually sit at! You see, I haven't really been able to do that since I've lived up here. That's 2 1/2 years folk!!! The postage stamp house was waaaaayyyyyy too small. The Little Blue Cracker House? No dining room and had an island in the kitchen. And while The Belfry had a table, it always reminded me of those kitchenette sets you buy for play houses.

But here? In Paradise? Yeah, I've got a real dining room. With room for a real table. Even a buffet! the buffet will wait for a while. Everything in it's own time...

To make matters even MORE exciting, I'll be ordering the main furniture for the family room/football den in a couple of weeks. WooHoo!!!

I'm VERY excited about that, and the choice I made is kind of surprising for me.

You see, I love color. BUT, I never make the color statement with my furniture. Mainly because our tastes change over the years so it's always seemed rather silly to me to buy something that will "fall out of favor" in time.

But not this time. Oh no. I'm gettin' THIS for the my new football den.

Will go nicely with my Buc's pillow, don't you think? :-)

A New Life

I was over at Sticks' place and read where her son has left for Parris Island. And not just her son, but her nephew too! Wow. As inadequate as that is, it's all I can think to say. Wow. And Thank You.

And she points us to a site that helps the families of these new recruits attend the graduation ceremony to mark the beginning of their lives as Marines. And from all I've seen and all I've heard it is a new life. As we all know, there is no such thing as an Ex-Marine!!

So head on over to Sticks. Leave a note thanking her and her family for their bravery and commitment. Then check out the Marine Graduation Foundation. We're asking a lot of these young men and women AND their families. The least we can do is help them to make that important moment in their lives all it can be!!! (and yes, I know that's the wrong "phrase", but it's pretty damned appropriate in this case!)

There I go Thinkin' Again!

Spiders. I just flat out hate them. Oh, I know, I know - they eat the other bugs and keep them under control. Yada Yada Yada.

WhatEVER.

I hate them.

So, I was outside yesterday, having a cigarette and I see where a fairly substantial spider has decided to build a flippin' mansion in the corner of my house. Between the garage and the side door. Oh No. Oh no no no no no.

Not on my watch.

So....I immediately think of how I'm going to kill him. Shit. I don't have any hairspray. And seriously, best way to kill roaches and spiders. Hairspray. It freezes them and you can watch them slowly die. It rocks.

Anyway - no hairspray so I dash into the kitchen and grab some cleaning stuff with bleach. Bleach kills everything, that should be just fine.

I grab the broom on the way out and take aim. I sprayed that web down like crazy. It was actually kinda purty there, all glisteny and stuff. For about .1 seconds. Then, I took the broom to it. Demolished all signs of that thing.

Unfortunately, now, I can see exactly how dirty the siding of my house is. Unfortunately now I need to wash the side of my house.

All because of that damned spider.

But I had to laugh at the timing. I just spoke with Johnny_Oh the other evening and he had a similar experience when he moved into his new place. I think he cursed me. Damn you Johnny!!! ;-)

BTW - stop over at his place and congratulate him on his move. It's been a long time coming and from the sounds of it, he's in a MUCH better place.

Meanwhile, I've got this damned spot RIGHT by my door.........

OK - THIS is just flat out terrifying. Christina? Yeah, I'd probably move. I'm just sayin'....

I Pray

I'm not married. And I don't have family in the Military. I DO know what it's like to be alone. I watched Mama raise two children by herself. And I will say my heart hurts for those who have loved ones who have been, are, or will be in harm's way.

So, when ever I hear this song I think of y'all. And I say a prayer. A prayer for your loved one. A prayer for your strength. And most importantly a prayer that everyone will be able to Come Home Soon.

Margaritaville

Well, today I head to "The Kee's".

Pewaukee and Milwaukee to be exact.

I would much rather be heading to THE Key's.

But you gotta work with what cha got.

Actually, I'm going to call on one customer and open up a new account. A pretty substantial new account.

And I'm kinda nervous. How 'bout that?

It will be my first new set up with this company. I sat last night and read through all the paperwork, checked out the process and think I have everything. Since I don't have a showroom near-by we're going to go through all of my product information presentations and come-up with a line. I also need to make sure I'm fair to other customer's in the area and offer alternatives instead of putting everyone in a price war.

A lot to keep in mind.

Oh, not to mention I've been grounded for 2 weeks. Haven't made a call in person since OgFest. Damn - I actually have to get dressed!!!

Here's the funny thing. This guy never did give me his address. And he's in Milwaukee proper. From all I've seen and heard, kind of a confusing place to drive. All this may be moot if I can't find the damned place!

I'm not even going to begin to try and explain the other call I have to make. Just trust me when I say, it'll be interesting.......

I sure do hope there are no emergencies today. Since I'll be traveling I won't be able to fix things right away. It'll all have to wait until I find my way back home. And who KNOWS when that'll be.

So, I'm headin' north the The 'Kee's, but somehow I don't think I'll be playin' any Buffett, although I'm sure a margarita may be needed by the time it's all said and done.........

Flavor of the day.....

Some times you just wanna MOVE. Ya know what I mean?

Some mornings I get up and just want to Dance. Some days I just want "Bubble Gum". You know, the old Bandstand standards? "It's got a good beat and I can dance to it".

So today's musical flavor is inspired by Kelly Clarkson. A couple of her songs just struck a chord with me this morning.

Yeah, it's looking like the flavor of the day here in Tammi's World is Bubble Gum!

Works for me....

A Fish Story

When my boys were young we weren't exactly rollin' in the dough. Meals were a bit of an issue, especially since they were BOYS. For cryin' out loud - who knew they could eat so much!!

Anyway, I had to get pretty inventive when it came to making sure there was plenty of things to eat around the house.

I learned how to make my own potato chips, tortilla chips, donuts, you name it. If it wasn't an "essential" I gave it my best shot at figuring out how to make it.

My Fry Daddy was my best friend. If I were a little nervous that the kids wouldn't like something, I'd just deep fry it. It worked just about every time.

Anyway - the biggest challenge were the snacks. I needed something that didn't FEEL like "good for you food". Something the kids would eat and enjoy.

Well, one thing we always had plenty of was salmon. My ex would go down when the salmon would run and snag a truck bed full. We'd smoke a couple and fillet the majority. But I always had him chuck up at least two of those bad boys so I could freeze them. Little bite size nuggets, as it were.

So on Saturday nights, while most families were settled down together with popcorn and apples, or pie and ice cream we had us salmon bits.

I'd dredge those puppies in Drakes Crispy Fry Mix - the best EVER - and deep fry them to a perfect golden brown. Then, we'd all gather in the living room, watching movies and poppin' salmon.

Lucky for me, the kids LOVED fish, and they thought it was cool as all get out that they could eat it like popcorn. (This was 20 years ago, long before the days of "popcorn chicken" and such) For me? I just knew my babies weren't hungry.

So what brought up this inconsequential memory? Last night, as I was settlin' in for a movie and some needed down time, I realized I was hungry. Oh, not starving, but I had skipped dinner and my tummy was just less than pleased.

As I perused the pantry and fridge I realized I had no snack food to speak of. None. Hmmmm, gonna need to work on that. Oh Wait!! Fish fillets. I've got fish fillets.

No, not salmon. And no not little bites. But still........it'll work.

And it did. It was exactly right.

And in my minds eye, I could see my boys, sittin' around the living room doin' all those things that young boys do, poppin' fish and smiling at me.

And I realized, I'm starting to look back at those years and have GOOD memories. For just a minute it was a reminder that nothing is *all* bad.

And it only took me 12 years to figure that out.......

Just What Is He Doin'? - Updated

As y'all know, I'm a proud member of the Bad Example Family. Harvey is our distinguished leader - Mr. Bad Example himself.

One of the things Harvey is known for, throughout the blogisphere, is his.....propensity for, um, well......his appreciation of the female body.

His love of all things booby and female is legendary.

But more than all that - Harvey (and his lovely wife) are my dear friends. So, I was happily surprised to receive an email from him this morning.

Here's what he had to say:

Saw this, thought of you - Barefoot Sandals - The Body Jewelry Superstore

I'm surprised you don't own a pair :-)

He then goes on and links to THIS page showcasing Foot Thongs.

And just so you know, I had a pair just like that when I lived in Florida!

Very sweet of him.

But here's the next thing that crossed my mind.....just what in the HELL is he surfing for on the net that he found Foot Thongs?!?!? Hmmmmm

On second thought, I probably don't want to know......

But ya gotta love him! That's our Harvey! Mr Bad Example!!!

Updated: Harvey Responds! I said I probably didn't want to know.....

Saturday Question

Today's Saturday Question is a stroll down Memory Lane. It was inspired by a post that AW put up over at RSM's place while he's at boot camp.

Your first love. Remember that? Back when it was all new and fresh and exciting? Before we became jaded and scared?

I do. My first "love" was the preacher's son. Not surprising as I spent almost all my non-school or chore time at the church.

His name was Kevin. He was funny and smart and had this "shit eattin' grin" that just melted my heart. Of course, this was before I instituted the 6' minimum, but I probably should have. I was 15 and already 6' tall. He.....was not.

But all that aside, he was my first love. We'd sit together on the church bus, holding hands and sharing glances. The adults watched us like hawks, so it added a sense of the "forbidden".

That first kiss. MY first kiss. Thinking about it still makes me smile. So awkward. So shy. Shared under the stairs as we prepared for a Christmas Party. I can still remember my knees going weak. The way my hands shook.

It was all so magical. For a while.

Like AW it ended with some tears and a few angry words. He was a bit older than I and wanted....well, things I just wasn't willing to share.

But for a while, for a few months, it was all sweetness and light. It was late night phone calls and notes shared. It was first love at it's most innocent.

What about you? Do you remember YOUR first love?

They Need Our Help!

Grim has a call out from Soldiers' Angels. They have just been assigned 3,000 Marines that need adopting. Some on their 5th deployment.

So head on over to Blackfive's and get the details. Then click on through to Soldiers' Angels and step up.

I did yesterday, and within 2 hours I had received several emails and a phone call from SA. I now have the name and information on a Soldier that I will have the honor of writing and supporting while he is away.

It was quick and easy. All they ask is for you to commit to one letter/card a week and one package a month. No problem

In fact, I'm having a lot of fun planning what I can send. The first package will be to "celebrate" my birthday next week. I'll pick up some fun and interesting things that all go along with birthdays. Next one? I'm thinking Football. Then we've got Halloween.......you see how easy it is?!?! Oh, and to make it even easier they have a website full of forums and suggestions on what to send!

They couldn't make it any easier for us.

And it's the very least we can do.......

Gotta Say......

Ya wanna know somethin' really scary?

I actually talk more than I blog.

Averaging 3-4 posts a day for 3+ years. Many days more than that.

I guess I have more to say than I realized.

And like I said - imagine....... I talk more than I blog.

She Got It!

Pam let's us know, in her always gracious way, that she has won the comment contest I told you about here.

Thanks you guys! Y'all are the BEST!! And I really can't think of anyone who deserves it more than Pam.

Good for you Darlin'!!!

Pushin' Their Luck

I swear to PETE, some people can be soooo stupid.

I really wasn't planning on posting anymore today. Hell, for someone who had nothin' to say this mornin, I've kinda said a lot! (No comments from you know who!!!!)

ANYway - I saw this article this morning and just flat out couldn't resist.

Furniture Delivery Leads To ID Theft Arrests

In reading the story I learn the woman got away with it once. SO....she goes BACK and tries again.

Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

Funny. But dumb.

Email of the day.....

Got this email first thing this morning......

Today is International Disadvantaged People's Day

You hang in there, Sunshine.
You are frigging special!

With friends like this.........

They Just Won't Stop!!!

I kinda forgot some of the pitfalls of working from home. It's been a couple of years now.

AND, to be honest, in Orlando I had a separate office. I turned the 4th bedroom into my own personal bedding central.

Here? I've set things up in the living room - not the most sophisticated set up, but it works for me.

The downside is, it's in the middle of everything.

Anyway........on my desk is my fax machine. Can I tell you it rings day and night! Day. And Night.

I have begun to hate the very sight of it.

Now, it wouldn't be so bad if it were important faxes. Order sheets, customer set-up forms, you know - work stuff.

But no. I think in the last 3 weeks I've gotten exactly 3 faxes that pertain to work.

Everything else? Spam. SPAM. I'm getting Spam faxes.

Now there's a very cool feature on this fax that blocks the junk faxes, but I have to program it. In other words I have to wait until the damned thing comes through and score the number. Kind of a pain in the ass, if I'm honest.

And if I'm not home, if I'm out making calls? Yeah, the damned thing just sits there....connected. So even if someone DOES try to fax me something important, they can't get through until I get home and hit "Cancel".

I hate spam. Hate the email spam, the phone spam and most especially this fax spam.

If this didn't involve my job, I swear I would program my identifier to say something like "Leave me the Hell Alone, you evil nasty spammers!" Or something like that!

I really REALLY hate the spammers................

Harsh but Honest

You know, I saw the headline this morning "Senate Panel Approves Huge Tobacco Tax To Fund Child Healthcare" and, well, it kinda pissed me off.

Yes, I do still smoke. I'd like to quit, but obviously not enough to have done so yet.

So, no I'm not happy to hear they plan on jackin' up the price of my cigarettes for any reason. Hell, when I first started I could buy a pack for 50 cents. I remember as a teenager sayin' if they ever went over a $1 I'd quit. Then it was $2. I even remember the first time I had to pay $3 for a pack of cigarettes in a bar vending machine.

But this? This is too much.

In Cook County the cigarettes I pay $3.23 a pack for in THE Valley cost me over $7. Can you imagine the cost after a HUGE tax increase? Oy.

When I was in Tampa I discovered the price of a pack had gone up over $2 a pack in the last 18 months. I never expected that.

But I was wondering, what is the economic demographic of smokers in the US. I tried googlin' it, but I couldn't find what I was looking for. So rather than work with hard data I will go with what I've observed. And I'll admit to one and all, I'm not always the most observant person. I get all caught up with what's in my head and, well, miss things. BUT - I do have opinions. Oh yes I do.

Seems to me that the majority of smokers I know are "workers". Demographics that hit the middle part of the economic scale. Most of the really wealthy folks I know either quit smoking or never started. Poor folks? Hell, they can't afford to even if they wanted to.

So we're talkin' middle America here. The folks that are averaging 10-15 hours a week overtime, either paid or unpaid. The folks that are makin' it on a month to month basis.

And those are the folks that we are going to "punish" for their nasty habit by forcing them to pay for a healthcare program for children.

Now, I'm all about the kids. Really. And I want 'em healthy and happy. But, and here's where I'll probably piss a few folks off, I think it's the Parents' responsibility to make that happen.

I didn't grow up with money. After Daddy died, things got very bleak. Mama didn't work for the 5 years after he was gone, so there was no health insurance.

Mama used something we don't hear a lot about these days. It's called Common Sense. Huh. Imagine that. Mama didn't use the ER or clinic to help her parent. If we had a fever, she used good ole fashioned remedies to try and bring it down. Now, of course when I actually broke things attached to my sister we had to go in, but over all, we didn't see a doctor all that much.

Now, thanks to my "industrialist" ex-husband I can tell you I've been poor. Dirt flippin' poor. No food kinda poor. POOR. And I had three kids that I had to worry about. Boys. Boys that were not always angels.

But I didn't expect anyone else, not even their mother at one point, to take over the burden of their health care. That was MY responsibility. I saw others take advantage of everything they could, but that just never has been my style.

So now, they want me to pay so that someone doesn't have to assume the responsibility of their own children. Yeah, not so happy about that.

The hard part is not making the babies. It's not even the giving birth. It's the years that follow. The nurturing, care and eduction.

So basically what my government is saying is that they want to punish those of us that fall within "middle America" for our bad habits, despite the fact that we are doin' all we can to "take care of our own".

No. Not an idea I go along with. Too reminiscent of The Nanny State. As harsh as this may sound - folks need to take care of their own. Period. Your children are NOT my responsibility.

Even if I am one of those nasty smokers.

NOT a Nice Boy

Domestic Abuse? Bad.

Really Bad.

I think I've made my feelings about that known over the years.

But the quickest way to piss me off is to celebrate an abuser.

Don't care what you do professionally. It's the quality of the person that matters.

For example, I'm a Buc's fan. Big time. Michael Pittman is a Running Back with the team. A pretty good one, as a matter of fact. However, he is NOT a nice boy. Nope. Seems he's got a history of abusin' his wife. In fact he was suspended back in 2004. I am not a fan. Period.

Anyway.....don't get me started on that.

What triggered this whole thing was a post I saw at Florida Cracker where the Mayor of St. Louis (how ironic) refused to Name September 2 as Ike Turner Day.

Huh. Well good for him.

Like I said, I'm all about work is work. But I'm not gonna celebrate someone who's an asshole.

Period.

That Does It

Ok. Now it's time to get down and dirty. I was going to wait until Friday to put this up, but there's no time.

This is war.

My very good friend (and maker of my most beautiful banner) Pam is tryin' to win a contest. If she wins she gets a prize of her choice. She's tryin' to win a portrait of her sweet Tess, that she lost this past year. It's a custom 8×8 monochromatic oil painting. And I think that would be very cool.

So...this is what I'm gonna need for you to do. If you haven't seen this anywhere else, or haven't taken the time to vote, CLICK HERE. Leave a comment sayin' Pamibe.com sent you. Oh, and check the box at the bottom of the page so you don't get hit with spam.

I voted a couple of days ago. It was painless. And easy.

But Do It. Do it PLEASE.

It's for my friend Pam. We'd both really appreciate it.

I Didn't Forget THIS One!

Tryin' to stay on top of the whole "Birthday" thing......I just checked my brand new birthday calendar and Voila! I see today is a very special day.

Happy Birthday SarahK.

It's a new decade darlin'! All things are possible!!!

Bread. It's the Answer!

Ok, so yesterday wasn't the best of days. Hell, the past couple weeks ain't been all that super, as it were.

Add to that, I'm sorta kinda isolated. Oh, I'm talking to people. All day. My poor ear is raw from the earbud on my hands free thingy for the cell phone. What I mean is CONTACT. Eye contact. Visual.

Yeah, anyway - kinda interesting around here. And I'm rather frustrated, to say the least.

The thing with the delivery just pushed me over the edge yesterday. I turned off the cell phone and decided I had to do something for ME.

So I baked a fruit cocktail cake. Holy cow. It's REALLY good. I hadn't made one in over a year, and had almost forgotten how yummy they are.

But I was still dealing with all this pent up energy. Oh, I got some ideas on how to get rid of it, but well......not really options at this point.

So - what to do, what to do.

I know!!

Bread. I'll make some bread.

And I did. Since I was making one of the recipes from Army Wife's birthday (The pork that Homefront Six told us about) I figured some good rye bread would be perfect.

It's the best my bread has turned out in ages. And now I understand why.

I kneaded the hell out of the poor pile of dough. It was kinda funny. There I stood at the kitchen counter, mutterin' and cussin' away, all the while I was just pounding the shit out of that stuff.

It rose to perfection. Baked? Exactly right.

It was precisely what I needed to do.

So - given the way things have been going lately, anyone need a loaf of bread? Put your orders in now. Who knows when everything will smooth out and I'll be back to Happy Tammi!!!

Nesting.....

Well, I've been an official resident of Paradise for almost two weeks now. I cannot tell you how nice it is not to be sweating my ass of in this heat and humidity. Hell, yesterday I had no idea it was even in the 90's!! It helps that I'm "grounded" to the office right now, so the only time I'm out in it is during my walk to town and when I'm out on the sun porch.

But I'm starting to get the itch. The itch to nest.

I've mentioned time and time again how important HOME is to me. It's probably the most driving force in my life. I work so I can have a home. I have to "settle" so that it FEELS like home. I need to fill it with people so it SOUNDS like home.

I....am a homebody.

Now, in my mind the kitchen is the heart of the home. I've almost got that settled. Oh, I can cook now. But there's a large piece of furniture I need to "finish" things, and then there are the necessary touches to make it mine. But it's serviceable right now, and I can live with that.

Next - I really need a dining room. I need a table to sit at. A table to cover in food that I've prepared. A table surrounded by those I love. That's the next thing on my list. It has to be.

After that, it's the family room. Hell it's the middle of July. Football season is just around the corner, for cryin' out loud! I need to at least furnish that area.

And I'm not even going to begin to talk about the "touches". Pictures, paintings, candles.....those things that just make it.......homey.

So, I'm sitting here at the desk, looking at yet unpacked boxes, wandering around Paradise trying to see the finished product in my mind. And I can't. I have no idea how it's all going to come together. Or even when.

It makes me antsy. But it also makes me smile. I have a blank canvas. I can do what ever I want. I'm just anxious to get started.

And as soon as I find the chord for my camera, I've got a whole series of pictures on just WHY I call this place Paradise.

Complicated

Rules. Every where. Rules Rules Rules.

And there are so many different kinds of rules. There's The Law. No slappin' someone around for no reason. You can't just walk into someones house without an invite. You can't take what doesn't belong to you. The basics.

I have no problem with those rules. They make sense and actually fall in line with what I consider good behavior. I get it. I understand.

Now, some of The Laws I'm still not so sure about. The gun laws here in Illinois, for one thing. Make no sense to me. Lucky for me I don't own a gun, or I'd probably be in big trouble. But that's a separate post for another day.

I had problems with the seat-belt law when it first went into play. I had an aunt killed BECAUSE she was wearin' her seat-belt. Plus, I always figured what I did in my own car that impacted my own safety and not anyone else's is my own business. It took a couple of accidents to make me understand. Now? I wear my seat belt.

Then there are rules we have to follow for society. Not laws per say, just rules. But if you don't follow them....well life is just a bit more difficult.

Here's where I tend to get into trouble.

No matter what anyone may believe, I really am a thinker. Oh, not a "all the time, deep meaning of life" thinker. An Understander, as it were.

You see, I am not a lemming. Not by any stretch of the imagination. You cannot tell me to just do or not do something and I blindly follow. I will ask why. And I will continue to ask why until it makes sense....To Me. I don't care if it makes sense to you. I'm glad for you, but I really don't care. *I* need to understand.

Now, again I'm kinda lucky because many of the rules in society fall into my own PERSONAL rules for life. Which is a good thing, because otherwise I'd be in serious trouble given my line of work.

But if you drill a little deeper, you start to get into the Personal Rules, THAT'S where I start to have real trouble.

Because I can't ask WHY. I truly believe I don't have the right. Hell, in my mind, my own personal rule is Don't Ask. So I can't understand. All I can do, is pay attention.

Let me see if I can explain. I have a few rules. Rules for those in my life. They may not make sense unless you know where I've been and what I've been through. And, as hypocritical as it is, I will slam the proverbial door in your face if you dare to ask why. Why I put up the barriers that I do.

But again, in my mind they are simple rules. Do Not Lie to me. Do not mess with those I love - in any way shape or form. Do Not Raise a hand to me in violence. Those make sense to most folks.

Then there are the "quirky" rules. Since I'm a blogger, I've adopted the rule that if it's not blogged, it's not a topic of conversation. I made that rule because I've developed friendships with other bloggers. Friends share things. Thoughts. Feelings. Situations. If I don't blog about it, I don't want it discussed. Period. End of sentence. When that happens I tend to get a little.....pissed.

And I don't like to be lectured. At all. Having a discussion, if I ask for advice, please give it to me. But tell me how I screwed up, where I went wrong? Without me asking for your opinion? No, we probably don't want to go there.

Now, I have always believed that we all can only hold someone accountable to what we hold ourselves accountable for. I also believe that we judge people and interpret situations based on our own "scale". So - I don't like to be put on the spot or asked questions. I don't do it to others. I figure, you want me to know, you'll tell me. Pretty simple. I don't want people to make assumptions on what I MEAN to say or do, so I don't do that to others. Talk about shootin' in the dark? You don't know if you don't ask - and I won't ask.

Catch 22 in the worst possible way!

But, I'm finding out my rules don't necessarily mesh with others. Hell, I'm finding out that many others don't even HAVE rules!! Talk about a mind blower. And boy oh boy oh boy does it make life complicated.

I just wish it were all written down somewhere. Like in a big museum. You go into the main room, and there are the laws. Walk down the corridor and there are the simple rules for society. A little deeper into it all you find smaller rooms, where you can read and learn about people.

I always thought I was a pretty good judge of character. Wouldn't it all be so much easier if we could just KNOW?

Damn You Murphy

You know....sometimes no matter what you do, it's gonna go wrong.

You can just bet on it.

Well, my day just hit the shitter. Big Time.

A truck that should have been headed to, of all places, St. Louis has ended up in......Milwaukee.

Yes, supposed to be in the southern most area of my region, instead goes to the northern most area.

And it has the product DESPERATELY needed by my most, ummm let's say demanding, yeah, demanding customer.

I have to make a phone call.

I'm stalling.

THIS....is gonna leave a mark.

A Great Story

I just love Jack Army. He is a "must read" for me every chance I get.

Well, he has a post up today that, I don't know why, but I just love it.

His sense of humor, his way of telling a story......well, I just really enjoy it.

Today's story goes back to the Gulf War. It's a story of SCUDS and SF guys.

Check it out.

I really like this guy......

Thoughts of Hair and Doris Day

It was a reflective night in Tammi's World yesterday. Not real logical to most folks, but then again, it was my thought process. What do you expect?!

It started as I was washing my hair late yesterday afternoon. All of a sudden I was 9 years old again.

Y'all know, Mama's family is Amish/Mennonite. For the most part. Well, back when I was young, it was ALL very traditional.

I have an Aunt Maggie. (No relation to Maggie May, in case you were wondering) She is one of the sweetest, most traditional women I have ever known. And with a voice like an angel. Ohhhh that woman can sing. But anyway.....

The Amish and conservative Mennonite do not believe a woman should cut her hair. Ever. And it shouldn't be worn down. Ever. So most of the women in my family all wore their hair up in a bun, under what *I* call a sin strainer, they call a prayer covering. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen ANY of them with their hair down.

My thoughts last night ran to one specific time. We were visiting Aunt Maggie and her family. She went in to take a bath, and I swear! I've never known it to take so long to bathe. Seriously. Eventually Mama sent me to knock on her bedroom door to see if she wanted some pie and ice cream as a snack.

I knock, and Aunt Maggie invites me in. As I open the door I see the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. There sat my aunt, on the side of her bed in her nightie and robe, with her hair down over her shoulder. Her hair, which had NEVER been touched by a pair of scissors, not only reached the floor, but pooled on it. It was this beautiful shade of warm chestnut brown. Not a curl in sight but just alive with body. No split ends, just thick long glowing hair.

I was speechless. So much so, that it kind of embarrassed her. See - pride is a sin for the A&M crowd. Attention to a "personal asset" was not welcome. At all. And there I stood just staring.

After she was finished with her grooming and joined us at the table, I had a ton of questions. No, she'd never had her hair trimmed. No, she didn't color it. Yes, it was a thick as it looked. But it wasn't something she enjoyed at all. It was SO thick that it took almost an hour to wash it and rinse it properly. An Hour. And that didn't include the combing out or drying.

Holy Smokes.

Oh, and the weight was doin' horrible things to her neck. She was in a lot of pain.

I was just amazed.

"Then why don't you trim it? No one would ever even know - and it'd be so much easier!"

That was when I got my first lecture on faith, and beliefs, and trials.

I admired her for her commitment. Thought she was a bit batty, but admired her none the less.

My hair, while not long by any stretch of the imagination, is gettin' there. Bit by bit. And thick. Holy crap, it's thick. But unlike Aunt Maggie I've got that curl thing goin' on, not to mention the damage from straightening and coloring. But as I stood in the shower rinsing my hair, I had to think of her. And wonder if she still has to work that hard for something she can take no pride in. Huh.

I finished out the evening watchin' an old movie. I love Netflix. I can watch any number of movies right on the ole laptop. Easy Smeasy.

Last night, being in such a reflective mood, I choose an old Doris Day flick, Lover Come Back. Not one of my favorites, but still - ya gotta love that banter between Day and Rock Hudson.

As I lay back in the Golden Throne, lap top perched on the arm I was thinking about the first time I ever saw a film with the two of them together. Pillow Talk - still one of my favorites. It was Scandalous!! But ohhhhh I loved it.

And I got to thinking about how innocent the world used to be. How it was pushing the envelope to just IMPLY something sexual. We used our imaginations.

I kinda miss that. I'll admit, I'd rather have a movie "imply" that someone had sex. I seriously don't need a 5 minute scene with all that bad music and horrible lighting. I've got an imagination. I'm not afriad to use it. In fact, what's in my mind is usually better than what's on the screen anyway.

But I digress.

I loved those old Doris Day flicks. She so sweet and innocent. And, no matter what happened, she ended up happy and successful. It was what I grew up wanting. It was what I grew up expecting.

So that was my evening. Just a walk through the memories of my childhood.

Hair and Doris Day. Or maybe it was vanity and expectations.

Everybody Sing!

Hear that? I swear it's the angels' voices.

Yes, the worst is over. And yes, I'm knocking on wood as I type this. Even if it is my knees hittin' the desk cause I have the air set too high. What ever. It all works.

But I got this thing under control. Finally. And.....it looks like I've pulled it off without losing a single customer. Now THAT is a miracle.

How did you manage that, Tammi?

Well, I'm so glad you asked. It was fairly simple, actually. It was focus and honesty. Straight and plain. I said what I'd do, and then I did it.

I've been hammering out order forms and pricing sheets like crazy. Not all of them right, but they're as right as I can make 'em. Once the stores saw I was hell bent on fixing things, a sense of "team" took over and all of a sudden they were offering the information I've been begging for all along.

And the other part of the equation was telling them the truth. No sugar coating. The situation sucks. For all of us. But yellin' and screamin' and callin' me every 10 minutes does NOTHING to make it better. Actually all it does is piss me off, and that ain't good for ANYONE in the long run.

I PROMISED them they would start seeing shipments this week, and I PROMISED them that I would do what ever I had to do to get the information straightened out.

I said what I'd do, and I did what I said.

Oh, I'm still busy. And I ain't done yet. But it's better. It's calmer. I'm gonna take a walk today, without guilt. And I'm gonna stop working early (like 5:00) and have a nice, relaxing dinner.

I just love it when a plan comes together.

Funny Email

I recieved this via email this afternoon and it cracked me up. I thought maybe we could all use a laugh today!

The boss of a Madison Avenue advertising agency called a spontaneous staff meeting in the middle of a particularly stressful week. (This is one pretty sharp boss!) When everyone gathered, the boss, who understood the benefits of having fun, told the burnt-out staff the purpose of the meeting was to have a quick contest. The theme: Viagra advertising slogans.

The only rule was they had to use past ad slogans, originally written for other products that captured the essence of Viagra. Slight variations were acceptable.

About 7 minutes later, they turned in their suggestions and created a Top 10 List. With all the laughter and camaraderie, the rest of the week went very well for everyone! The top 10 were:

10. Viagra, Whaazzzz up!

9. Viagra, The quicker pecker picker upper.

8. Viagra, like a rock!

7. Viagra, When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.

6. Viagra, Be all that you can be.

5. Viagra, Reach out and touch someone.

4. Viagra, Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman.

3. Viagra, Home of the whopper!

2. Viagra, We bring good things to Life!

And the unanimous number one slogan:

1. This is your peepee. This is your peepee on drugs.

Damn, I love marketing!!!

Layout of a Day

Damn. Here it is Tuesday and I'm pretty much on the same track I've been on for a while now. 2 thoughts. That's it. Just 2.

One is private. It's all mine and, well honestly, I'm afraid to share it. The men in white coats might show up and I don't have any cobbler to offer.

The other? Work. Work work work work work.

I'm still waking up early as all get out. Same routine I've had for years. Wake-up around 4:30 or so, drink coffee and try and wake-up. Then.......around 6:00 start working. Whether it's on the phone (yes, there are voicemails and return calls I can make at that time of the morning!) or checking stuff on line.

My mornings are USUALLY pretty good. Lots of focus, and everything seems to click. But as the hands make their way around the face of my old-timers clock I know it's gonna go down hill fast.

Around 2:00 central time the shit hits the fan. Every single day. And it just sinks from there. By 5:00 all the plants are closed, everyone is home and my phone just keeps ringing.

And me. With no answers. I've got to readjust to that. I'm used to taking care of things Right Now. If it's an issue fix it and then you don't have to worry about follow-up. Nothing drops through the cracks.

Yeah, my cracks are kinda full right now......huh. might need to find a better way to say that

It's just a damned good thing I'm a morning person.

I'm just sayin'......if you call in the afternoon, don't expect any witty conversation. You'll probably get more of a grunt, a groan and a heavy sigh. And no.....it's not what you're thinking.......

Baby Pictures!!

Carmen checks in with a few baby pictures.

Seriously, you're gonna wanna see how cute my nephew is.....

I was wonderin'.....

Well, yesterday showed it's going to be another crazy, rough week.

And it brought a question to mind. A question that kept running through my mind as I tried to sleep last night.

Is it a requirement to live in St Louis that you be an asshole, or is that just a benefit of living there?

Just curious.....

Losin' It

Ok. I'm the worst friend ever in life.

First I missed that it was Ktreva's birthday today. No Excuse.

Then, as I'm working late tonight it hits me. Kinda like a 2x4 upside the head - which would not be out of line on this btw - Sunday was Laughing Wolf's Birthday.

And I missed it. Absolutely missed it.

Oh - and I've missed others these past few months. I've just been too proud to point it out.

I'm really droppin' down on the "good friend" meter. Pretty much, I suck.

So - I'm off to buy a new and more legible calendar. A pretty one that I can keep on my desk so I actually use it.

Then, I'm duplicate noting them on my email calendar.

Then.....I'm going out and stocking up on birthday cards.

No excuses.

But Laughing Wolf? I hope you had a wonderful birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday!!

I almost missed it. I almost missed my own blogdaughter - not to mention very good friend's birthday.

KTreva?!?!? Happy Birthday darlin'!!! Isn't she just beautiful?!

Her bein' of Scottish decent and all, I just thought a Scottish Birthday Verse would be appropriate.

Happy Birthday my friend. I hope this day was very special and that this year brings you happiness beyond measure!!!

Very Interesting.....

Great. Just great....

So I see this headline "Americans are shrinking".

And me. With a 6' minimum.

Oh, wait.....going farther into the report, it says city folk are on average 1.7" shorter than their country counterparts.

Ok. I can deal with that. I'm not a real "City Slicker" kinda gal. I like them country boys.

But it looks like the only country that can accommodate my "requirements" is Holland. Average height there is 6'.

Huh. Not really in my plans, a move to Holland. I'll stick to the rural US, thankyouverymuch.

But I do love this quote: Many economists argue that size does matter, because height is correlated with numerous measures of a population's well-being. Tall people are healthier, wealthier and live longer than short people. Some researchers have even suggested that tall people are more intelligent.

See....it's more than just vanity behind my 6' minimum. It's all about "quality".

Intervention

Ok, I'm going to have to stick my nose in where it doesn't belong. I'm gonna have to offer up an "explanation" for my darlin' niece (and BlogDaughter)Carmen.

Now, in her defense the girl is EXHAUSTED!! Patrick is a beautiful baby, and just a sweetheart, but as any new parent knows those first few months are exhausting.

Anyway - way back when, Carmen was looking for suggestions for boys names. There were many good and a few funny suggestions. Then there was T1G's offering.

Ruprecht. He wanted to name my nephew Ruprecht.

Now, I have to admit, at first I just thought it was some weird German name. Maybe something with a family connection. Yeah, that could possibly be true, especially since I now really understand. But alas - it was T1G's twisted sense of humor.

Anyway - when I was in Tampa a couple of weeks ago, he requested I put together a little Gift Bag for the new little guy. He even made a list.

1) Eye Patch
2) Cork
3) Fork
4) DVD of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
5) Card

So I did. Well, except I was waiting for the DVD. Had to actually order the damned thing.

Now, this past Saturday was Carmen's shower. Family aplenty. Well, except me. But Cuz called with the after action report.

I was most anxious to hear how Carmen and her Hubby liked T1G's "gift".

She didn't get it. Oh, she got the gift, she just didn't "Get It".

I'm so ashamed. T1G thought she was one of the "smarter" branches of my family tree. There is now doubt.

I'm beginning to wonder if I was really adopted.

So - for Carmen - here is a clip from the movie that should explain everything.

I never thought the day would come I'd have t explain something like this to HER of all people. That sleep deprivation really is a bad BAD thing.......

Lessons

I learned a few lessons over the weekend. And I'm alright with that. Hell, I believe we MUST continue to learn. Everyday. Always.

But, I'm just gonna say this.........I really didn't need so many damned lessons at one time.

So, I'm sure you're asking yourself, what on EARTH is she talking about? Heh. Let me see if I can try and explain.

1) A full pot of black coffee on an empty stomach will MESS YOU UP. Yep. It will. Even me.

2) You cannot put a bunch of stuff down the garbage disposal, then turn it on and not expect one hell of a mess.

3) I now not only know what a pipe wrench looks like, but how to use one.

4) I'm a tad bit stubborn and WAY too proud.

5) I'm also weak as a kitten.

6) My chocolate cheese cake is too chocolaty for me.

Yea, that about covers it. And all of those lessons in one afternoon. Heh. Well, I've always been a multi tasker.

As great as Saturday was, Sunday was almost as aggravating. But......I can say this with all certainty. I will never do two things ever again in my life time.

1) I will never clean out my fridge on a Sunday afternoon again.

2) I will never again put rice and beans down the garbage disposal.

I think that just about covers it.....

Thoughts and Prayers....

Teresa posts that her son has just left for Iraq.

Please keep them all in your prayers!

What He Said!

Pete, over at Shakey Pete's Shootin' Shack, writes another letter that just say's it all.

At least for me it does.

Go read it.

I'm pretty sure you'll feel the same way I do.

Thanks Pete.

Fell Short

Oops.

I guess I was tireder than I thought.

I literally slept the afternoon away out on the sun-porch. Well, I woke up once when the trustee came and fixed the garage door and again for a phone call. But other than than? Yeah, I napped like a cat in a sunspot.

It was fantastic!!!

I did manage to get 3 or 4 boxes unpacked and put away. And a couple loads of laundry. But trust me. I didn't over extend myself much at all. :-)

This morning I was up with the sun feeling better than I have in a MONTH of Sundays. Right back out on the porch with my coffee and a grocery list.

Have I mentioned how much I'm gonna love this house when I get it done? Yeah, this is alllllll goooooodddd!

I think today will be a trip to the grocery in a little bit, and then? Just a little bit of nothing.

I've got a hankerin' for some salmon - which is weird cause it's not normally my favorite fish. Oh, and I decided on the chocolate pie. I seriously don't need cookies sitting around all the time while I'm working from the house. That has disaster written all over it.

So - I didn't do what I needed to yesterday, and in all honesty I probably won't get it all done today. But it's getting there. And I'm just not going to beat myself up over it all. Patience. Time and patience wins the race.

Meanwhile, I'm back out on the porch. It's my favorite room in the house!!!

Saturday Question

It's been a while since we've had a Saturday Question so I think it's PAST time to put one out there.

Hmmmm.........well, I've got sweets on my mind. And with yesterday's recipe collection, I've got a ton of options.

But I don't know that I want to work THAT hard. I just want something sweet and yummy to nibble on during the week to take the edge off things.

Do you have any suggestions?

Me? I'm thinking of making a few different batches of cookies. Some chocolate chip, maybe some snickerdoodles. Always a couple of favorites.

But another part of me wants pie. A good cream pie - I make a killer chocolate toffee pie. And I want something fruity. Cherry or apple. But in that same thought process a yummy cake just sounds divine.

You see my problem?! I can't make up my mind!!! So - You tell ME. What quick and easy, down and dirty, yummy sweet thing should I make this weekend?

Me! It's All About Me!!

Burned out? Me?!?! Already?!?!?!

Yep. I think that would be an extremely accurate assertion of the situation here in Tammi's World.

I'm fried.

So....today is Tammi Day. I'm not going to even LOOK at a spreadsheet. Today I'm unpacking boxes and puttin' shit away. I cannot stand looking at the mess in my dining room and kitchen for one more day.

And I'm going to cook. I'm going to bake something yummy and make a big ole pot of something.

I'm going to do typical Tammi Weekend Stuff.

In fact - I'm so "over" mattresses right now, I think I'll sleep in the Golden Throne tonite. I don't even want to LOOK at a mattress.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Damn, that didn't last long. She's already bitchin' and moanin'. And you'd be partially right. But only partially.

I still love my job. I love a challenge. But even in the middle of a huge race, the most dedicated athlete hits a wall. They just need to run through it. I'm in the process of running through it. And the best way to do that is to do what ever I have to do to turn my mind OFF for a bit.

So, I'm doing exactly that. My mind is officially OFF. (watch it! I know where you want to go with THAT statement!) Today? Today is all about me!

Told you so

I saw this article first thing this morning.

Two-thirds say Congress worse than Bush.

What?!?! People are unhappy with Congress? Our Democratic Congress?!?

Here are a few money quotes:

"Poll respondents from both political parties say they’re tired of the bickering between Congress and the White House, and they want the two branches of government to work together on such issues as education, health care and the Iraq war."

Work together? Bickering?!? Say it isn't so.....

"Approval among Democrats fell 21 points, down from 48 percent in May to 27 percent.

“The longer the Democrats are in control of Congress and people remain dissatisfied with the direction of the country, the more responsibility the people place at the Democrats’ feet," he said."

Take a minute, read the whole thing.

Now, I'm not a big fan of polls. I'm an analyst. I know you can skew numbers and data to tell any story you want. I'm not bringing attention to this because it is exactly what I thought would happen. I'm bringing attention to this because....well, Yeah - it's exactly what I thought would happen.

The Dems are imploding. They are so busy positioning themselves for fame and glory, so busy pointing fingers and grandstanding that they aren't getting anything done.

Huh. And it's not going well for them. Imagine that!

And honestly, it's not JUST the Dems. There are plenty of Republican's that are jumping on that same bandwagon. Tryin' so hard to "Look" good that they aren't Doing The Right Thing.

I'm starting to feel ignored. Like they forgot all about US. The people. You know, the ones they are supposed to work for!!!

They're not gonna change their ways. Period. And with the race for President that started so early for that party, they'll burn themselves out. It's bound to happen. And because their focus is so much so on things other than the business of the Congress and Senate, they'll continue to drop in the polls.

And if that happens, we're going to see another big swing. Period. That leaves the door wide open for folks like Fred Thompson to come in and save the day. A voice of reason as it were.

But my fears are being realized. While these clowns - Rep and Dem alike - PLAY at politics, they are dragging this country into the mud. The good news is that people are finally starting to realize it.

I'm really REALLY worried they're gonna make an even BIGGER mess before someone gets a chance to stop them.

I won't say I told you so. Ok, maybe I will........

It's 5:00 somewhere......

Let's see......

I've been cussed out twice today. Hung up on three times. And none if was anything I can do anything about.

I'm typing so hard and fast I broke the "N" on the laptop and spent an hour I didn't really have to fix it.

My boss feels so bad all he can say anymore is "I'm sorry" and "It'll be ok in a week or two".

I'm trying to have a good day. Really. I am.

Is it happy hour yet???

Happy Birthday!

We're sharin' some yummy food and drink ideas, to celebrate this very special day.

**First - we have courtesy of Raging Mom - Dad's Meatloaf (THE BEST!)

3-4 lbs. ground beef (or ground critter- I will mix venison or moose in with half beef)
8 eggs
1 1/2 sleeves saltines, crushed
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 TB. sage
2 cans of chopped green chiles
3 TB. minced garlic or garlic powder
salt & pepper

Bake at 350 for one and a half hours, or until done in the center. This makes ALOT of meatloaf, so you may want to freeze half until a later date.

Oh, and she adds this note: Please wish Army Wife a very happy birthday from Old Sarge, Young SGT and me!!!

**AW's blogsis LeeAnn shares THIS with us. Flowers, and TWO - no THREE!! yummy recipes! WooHoo

**Mrs. Who brings the drinks! Oh yeah, I'll be tryin' this one for sure!!

**Laughing Wolf joins us and shares not only some GREAT news but one of my favorite of his recipes. So much for my diet!

**Ohhh lookie here! HomefrontSix has KALUA PORK AND CABBAGE !! That looks quick, easy and VERY yummy!!!!

**And MaryAnn brings the Martini's. The Doge Martini's to be exactly. All the way from Germany!! I'll be trying THESE as soon as I find my "bar ware".

**Michelle from NY offers up THIS great recipe for Swordfish. Ummmm - sounds heavenly........

**Harvey just showed up with THIS very yummy looking carmel chocolate cheesecake. Damn! I've GOT to try this one!!!

**Now what do I want to bring??? Hmmmmm. Let me see. I know! I'll bring the cake!!! Well if a Chocolate Cheesecake would be alright.......

Makes one 9" cheesecake

Crust
2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
5 tablespoons melted butter

Filling
3 packages (8oz each) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2oz (2 squares) semisweet chocolate, melted

Frosting
6oz (6 squares) semisweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup sour cream

Crust: In a medium bowl, mix together chocolate crumbs and melted butter until well blended. Press into a 9" spring-form pan.

**Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

For filling: in a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, and eggs at medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Spoon half of cream cheese mixture into crust

Stir chocolate into remaining cream cheese mixture until well blended. Drizzle over batter in crust to make swirls.

Bake cheesecake for 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Cool completely.

Transfer cheesecake to a serving plate. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 2 hours.

Uncover cheesecake, carefully remove the side of the pan.

For Frosting: in a small bowl, mix together chocolate and sour cream. Spread over cheesecake. Chill briefly until frosting is set.

**Now THIS ONE you're gonna HAVE to try. It's courtesy of Richmond, who despite being in the middle of a move found time to send this over to me. Oh, and AW? She's sends her VERY BEST Birthday Wishes!!!

Now.....drum roll please You are sooooo gonna love this!!

Crack

8 oz cream cheese
2 C. Grated Mozz. cheese
1/3 C Mayo
2-4 oz. Boursin cheese*
1 Tbs minced garlic (from the jar)

Mix well and spread into an oven safe dish. You can top this with anything but *I* like it best sprinkled with bacon bits (I just get the oscar mayer kind in the pouch) and shrimp sauteed in garlic and butter. I drain off the sautee juices and lay the shrimp on hot.

Sprinkle with grated parmesean cheese and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Yum!

**(I think more is better. I use 4. But if I am making a double batch, one package of Boursin will suffice - it comes in a 4 oz. size I think.) I have also used leftover crack to top a steak - holy surf and turf! It's delish!

**Oh, and Laurie brings dessert - Angel Food Cake, of course!!

**And Oddy has what looks to be a SINFULLY delicious dessert posted. Hey! You got Chocolate in my Peanut Butter!!!

**Now, I'm thinkin' Andi has the right idea. This sounds PERFECT!!!

**VW brings Kahlua Cake. Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE Kahlua?!?! My printer is gonna run out of ink after this!!! Sounds Great VW!!!

**T1G offers up his super secret recipe for bread? Bread?? Ok, since he's usually right, we'll go with that.....

**Ummmmm Teresa brings Coconut Impossible Pie. I am ALWAYS looking for a good coconut pie recipe. This one sounds GREAT!!!

**Pam has me crackin' up with her addition! Really Pam. You do make me smile!!

I'll update this throughout the day as folks join in

Og Fest - The Thank You's

I wasn't kidding when I told you it was one GREAT weekend. How can you beat good people, good food, great conversation and lots of laughs? You can't. Period.

Now, this whole thing wouldn't have come off at all if it weren't for Og. For cryin' out loud - it's his fest!! And a special thank you to this wonderful man for MC'ing the Roast on Saturday night. You, Sir, are the glue that held it all together.

And if it weren't for Ms. Leslie we wouldn't have had a birthday cake! What's a party with out a cake, for cryin' out loud! Thank you Leslie!!!

Richmond, while not able to attend, was instrumental in helpin' with all those details. Girl? Those were killer party hats! Seriously!!

Ms. Shoe showed up and gifted me with a VERY cool Amish T-Shirt. I couldn't stop gigglin'. It's Perfect. Big ole Amish man and the words "Don't Drink or Drive". Perfect. Thank you sooo much.

Oddy surprised me with a beautiful angel candle for Paradise. She's just beautiful (both the candle and the lady). I've put her in the guest room. You'll have to come and see her Oddy! Thank you! (and thanks for pickin' up that you know what for me. I owe ya on that one!)

Contagion and Ktreva blew my mind with an incredible necklace. It's just beautiful and I don't know WHY they did that, but I sure do love it. Thank you my friends. I'm speechless.

Zonker was the anchor. He supplied the booze for the party room and an ear for me to bend while planning. Not to mention, shopping with me! Zonk? You are THE man!! Thanks dude.

And to everyone that was able to attend - it was wonderful seeing you! I can only hope you enjoyed yourselves half as much as I did.

Well, you're probably glad to see the last of my Og Fest posts. Hopefully you've been reading the other recaps that are out there. I missed so many details, I'd hate for you not to get the whole picture! Og, T1G, Contagion, Oddy, Teresa, Redneck, Ktreva, _Jon, and Leslie all have another glimpse into the events. BloodSpite and Grau both have their Part I's up. (well, that doesn't sound right, but you know what I mean....) Check 'em out! If I missed you let me know....

Yeah, it was a great weekend. I should catch up on my sleep by, oh, September.

Two! Two! Two in One!!!

I saw this post over at Andi's place.

Now, I will admit that I have come to "appreciate" heavy metal music again. In my younger days, it was my preference. But for some reason, as time went by, I thought I had to "move beyond" it and mature.

Oh to hell with that. Andi introduces us (well, me anyway) to Drowning Pool. Click on over and find out why these guys rock in more ways than one!!! I mean, come on now, with a video called "This is for the Soldiers" what's NOT to love?!?!?

And just to make sure you see both the video AND the story behind it I'm gonna MAKE you click the link. Seriously, you'll be glad you did!!!

Blessings

A beautiful angel and her family stopped by Paradise this morning. They came bearing....furniture.

I am over the moon happy.

I now have two beautiful comfy chairs out on my sun porch AND a nice big table to work on. No more scrunchin' up over a little card table. I can s p r e a d o u t and work in comfort.

And the chairs? I couldn't have found anything more perfect if I had hunted high and low.

I am a very lucky lady to have such friends. Thank you Richmond. You just won't know how much this means to me.....

I already have a lit candle out there!

The Reputation Spreads

It's no secret I'm slammin' busy with work. And honestly, it's really pretty ugly. But it's getting better. Every day there's another marker down.

AND best of all, I'm keeping my promise to myself. I'm laughing every day. There's a girl down in Corp that I adore. I had talked with her a few times before my trip down there and we had a chance to spend some quality time together during my trip. I like her. She's funny.

Anyway - this morning I wake up to a slew of emails. Mostly from her. One had a document in it that I would have given my eye teeth for 2 days ago. They just found it. So you know I had to respond........

To: My buddy at Corp
From: Tammi

Dateline: THE Valley, IL

I gotta go buy toilet paper. It’s lookin’ like a sh*tty day!!!

Her response?

It doesn't mention that she was in her jammies

Now tell me. How can you NOT like someone like that??? Cracked me up!

Og Fest - The Roast

Let's see, where did I leave off in this tale? Oh, that's right. The Birthday Roast.

So, we've got all the little touches to give the room that "birthday" feel and it's time to go. Way back when, the Border Babes all went shopping. At that point, we found this dress. Richmond drug me, kicking and screaming, back to the dressing room because it was decided I needed to try it on. I did. They told me to buy it. I did. It was decided it would be fun to wear at the Roast. So, I did. TNT, KTreva and Oddy also took the opportunity to gussy up. They were STUNNING! WooHoo! I don't know about y'all but I always enjoy ANY opportunity to put on the ritz.

So, we bevy of beauties hit the road (well, I was the currier anyway) loaded down with singing balloons and other schtuff. We actually found the place no problem and got to work.

A banner here, some photo's there and Yep. It was a party.

Pretty soon the gang started to arrive. I may get this a bit out of order, but I was kinda in organization mode, so please forgive me

Teresa looked fabulous. Always a treat with her infectious smile and quick wit. I hadn't seen her since the MilBlog conference and my one regret is I didn't really get a chance to talk with her that evening.

Grau made it. WooHoo. He's one of those responsible for T1G having a blog, so I was especially happy that he was there. Plus, they've been friends for a while and it just wouldn't have been the same without him.

Then the gang arrived. Holy Moley. It went down hill fast from there......

We held this shindig at Klas's in Cicero. If you get to the Chicago area and enjoy good German/Chez food you need to give this place a try. It's a beautiful setting and outstanding food. I HIGHLY recommend it.

As dinner starts finally our MC arrives - Og. Now, I knew Og would be a great MC. He's got this "Presence" to him that just works. I was not disappointed. Laughter combined with many groans filled the room. And no - not THOSE kind of groans.

A few speeches were made and gifts were given. Oh, and lots of beer was consumed. LOTS of beer. I mean, some of the guys just bypassed the glasses and drank straight from the pitcher. And I took that as a very good sign.

I didn't take my camera so I can't offer up any pictures. But I can tell you - you missed Harvey dressed up like a Hooters' Girl and served T1G his favorite beverage. And there were the surprise guests - Liberace and Tori Somebody or other from the WWF - to add a bit of "class" to the event. (Oddy, that was HYSTERICAL!!!) The list goes on, but I'll say it was the perfect blend of funny with cool.

The Finale consisted of the group posing for a picture complete with party hats. Of course the party hats were men's underwear, but what do you expect? It was T1G's birthday and THAT is somethin' he's rather famous for. We were only payin' our respects! (BTW - A special THANK YOU! To Richmond for the party hats and helpin' me pull all this together. Damn Girl - we sure did miss you!!!)

I know I'm missing a lot of details, and I'm sorry. But trust me - it was a great evening.

Thanks to Og, Shoe, Teresa, Oddy, Zonker, Leslie, Redneck, Grau, Contagion, Ktreva, Harvey, TNT, BloodSpite, _Jon and Biloxi for bein' there and T1G for being such a good sport.

Tomorrow I'll post the wrap and such. Damn, it sure was a good time......

You're Invited

OK, I was going to try and do this as a surprise, but after the email didn't get the response I was hoping for I'm just gonna put it out there!

Tomorrow is Army Wife's Birthday. Yep, tomorrow July 13th.

Now, if I lived closer to her I'd throw a little party to celebrate. However, that's not possible this year.

So we're gonna have a cyber party. A "Carry-In" as it were. There are a few things that AW really loves - parties and recipes happen to be two. So, I thought we could combine them.

Dig out your favorite "Carry-In" recipes. Dessert, Main Dish, Salad, Drink - doesn't matter. Just make it a good one. And either post it at your place (with an email letting me know you did) or send it to me and I'll post it. And don't forget the Birthday Wishes.

Voila!! AW gets lots of love on her birthday AND we all get new recipes to try.

I've got a few emails/recipes I'll be posting here, so I'll start the ball rolling in the morning.

It's been a while since we've done something like this in the blogisphere. And I can't think of a better occassion to celebrate.

WooHoo!! We're Havin' a Party!!!!!!!!!

Gotta Vent

If you could see me, here in Paradise right this minute you'd have yourself a pretty good belly laugh.

Holy Moley. Talk about a deer in the headlights........

I'm not very good at creating a visual, but let me give this a try.

This place looks like it was hit by a tornado. I moved in Thursday and there is stuff EVERYWHERE!! I can't see the kitchen counter and can barely walk through from the sun porch.

The living room is sorta kinda pulled together with my "desk" at one end. Papers EVERYWHERE! Piles and piles of papers. Oh, and don't forget the TV Trays that I'm using to expand my work space. While they help a little - with the projects I'm doing right now I need a flippin' counter.

And everything needs to be done NOW. The house? I cannot FUNCTION with all this crap everywhere. I lived like that - sorta - in The Belfry. But that was because there was just no place to put anything. But here? I got closets and counters and a whole empty finished basement! I just need time to put it all away.

Work? Faxes constantly. Phone ringing off the hook. Where's my forms? How do I place an order? What's this? How's that? Everyone wants everything RIGHT NOW!

So.....this morning I pulled myself out of bed after a very poor nights sleep. First thing I noticed is how cramped my hands are. I'm typing in my sleep. Not good. Not good at all. As I stand in the hallway looking at the mess I decide it's time to just put EVERYTHING on hold and put some order to this.

Yeah. Right. What was I thinking?

First priority is work. It has to be. This past weekend I did something I have never done in my professional career. I put personal before work. My region is in tatters, I knew that Friday morning. But I also knew I couldn't fix it right away. So......I went to Og Fest. Dealt with the mess on Monday. (Doesn't mean it wasn't chewin' at me all weekend - the worry. The guilt. Just means I didn't DO it.)

Anyway - I try to start organizing. Files. I need files made up. I bought this rack thingy for hanging file folders. I try to put that together. Yeah, not so much. It just now collapsed on the living room floor. My patience is shot. It's gonna sit there for a while.

I sorta feel like I'm having an asthma attack. As I look around I feel my chest start to contract. I feel my eyes start to bug out of my head. I get a little light headed.

So what do I do? I avoid it. I step out "to gain perspective" IOW have a cigarette. I leave. Just walk away. Problem there is the guilt grows and the mess is still here with deadlines even uglier.

With power comes responsibility. That's what they say. Gotta tell you - right now? Right here? Power sucks.

It'll be fine. I know that. It's just DAMN!!! I'm so overwhelmed at this instant. I'm halfway through the maze. I just want it done. And I'm not at my most patient in these circumstances.

It's a good thing I love this job. It's a DAMN good thing I know that once this is cleared up it will all be GREAT. And Paradise will be just that.....in a few months. Patience. It's all about the patience.

Ok - enough stalling. I got's things to do. There are mattresses that must be sold!!!

Og Fest - The Beginning

Wow.

I gotta say, it was a pretty flippin' good weekend.

Og Fest 2007. In the books. And I don't mean just the jail bonds man's book either.

It was a VERY good time.

Friday afternoon folks startin' arriving. Well, SOME PEOPLE got in a bit earlier and sent wicked funny text messages out to we locals. Damn - it's probably a good thing I didn't see that til the next mornin'! The image of Zonker runnin' wild at Midway Airport chasin' midgets would have caused nightmares!!!!

Anyway - we gathered at the bar in the Holiday Inn and decided that the perfect place for dinner was one of the local microbreweries. I mean, seriously, with this group? Perfect.

The crew included T1G, Contagion, KTreva, BloodSpite, Og, Oddy, Zonker, _Jon, and myself. Joining us were Harvey and TNT. A motley crew to be sure.

Much drinking, yummy food and laughter ensued. It's amazing to me that we didn't get tossed out, what with the flashing and lewd behavior. Especially since we were in with the general population. But I'm thinkin' it was the size of that bar tab that pushed them into keepin' us. Really. I'm pretty sure it was a record night for this place.

Headed back to the hotel and settled into the suite for some socializing. Leslie, Shoe and Redneck made it and the party was ON!!!! Lucky for those on that floor EVERYONE was in a party mood so we didn't push any wrong buttons.

Saturday some of the folks headed out shooting, while some of the ladies headed to the shops. Me? I had a few errands to run.

So Zonker and I headed out to put the final pieces in place for the Roast that evening.

Now - it's time I 'fess up. The Roast had been in the planning for a year. A full year. It was supposed to be a surprise for T1G's birthday. However, in true Tammi fashion, I let the cat out of the bag about a week before the event. I had been so damned proud of myself - and then.......damn. It just figures.

Anyway, I drag Zonker to purchase balloons and a few things for the shindig. Then, I did something I've never done before. Ever. In my whole life.

I took a man bra shopping with me. Zonker. I took Zonker bra shopping with me. WTF was I thinking?

Now, he was completely cool with it. I, on the other had, was embarrassed beyond belief. You see, I wasn't looking for a normal bra. I needed one for a deep cut, backless dress. Needless to say, I couldn't find one.

So I call my posse. The ladies. The ladies at the outlet mall. They found something, but it just wasn't going to work. But Oddy? Yeah, thank you for tryin'......

Yeah, that plan? Not one of my better ones. In my defense, I had a lot on my mind.

ANYway......we get back to the hotel and it was just about time to get ready.

The Roast? Yeah, that story will have to wait until later.......

Tammi 101

Takin' a quick break and thought it was time to clarify something.

It came to light, during Og Fest, that there is some confusion regarding the meaning/definition to some of my phrases. Rather than have anyone mistake me, I thought it was time to set the record straight once and for all.

THIS is lingerie.

THIS is a nightie.

THESE and THESE are jammies.

I HAVE never and WILL never wear lingerie in public. Nighties? Nope. Not gonna happen. And we all know I'm alright with the jammies. Well, not the shortie version. Not now that I live up here any way.

So - that should put some minds to ease. It's all completely respectable. We're now all on the same page.

This has been yet another lesson in Tammi 101.

Just so you know...

......work is kinda insane right now. I'm actually going to admit out loud sorta that it's pretty much consuming my life at this point.

Got home Sunday evening (that post will be up sometime today - promise) and slept the best I've slept in MONTHS. A whole 7 hours straight. It was fabulous.

Except for what woke me up. It was my boss. Pretty damned early in the morning.

Tammi in very VERY sleepy voice: Hello? This is Tammi.
Boss: You didn't quit did you? Are you ok?
Tammi: I was sleepin'! What time is it?
Boss: 7:30. Please tell me you didn't quit.
Tammi: No. But you go ahead and talk while I drink some coffee and smoke. You really don't WANT me to say anything yet......

All hell has officially broken loose. There hasn't been a mattress shipped in my territory for over 2 weeks. I've got customer's that are on the brink of havin' to close their stores for lack of income.

Bad. Hell. Stuff of nightmares.

Now, normally I would be beatin' the hell out of myself thinkin' it was my fault. I know better. This is part of the reason they hired me. To fix this stuff. It's just no one had any idea it was this bad.

So there will be no road warrioring this week. This week I'm home, sittin' in front of my tiny laptop doin' paperwork like there was no tomorrow.

And prayin' that the light I'm seeing is the finish line and not a train barrelin' towards me.

Meanwhile, the boss called 4x yesterday to make sure I still worked for him. I laughed each and every time. And told him it would all be fine. It'll all be JUST fine. We will work through this and things will actually be BETTER when we're done.

I promise.

That's when he admitted he's calling ME for encouragement.

I just hope I'm right.

Meanwhile, things will be very light over here. I WILL get a recap of the weekend up today. And I'm tryin' to hit a few sites while reports are printing. But other than that, Tammi's World will be Otherwise Engaged for a few days.

But then it'll be better. It has to be.

I promised.

It'll be Fun!!!

I really think I'm too old for this shit. Seriously.

Friday night? It was 5:30 before I hit the hay.

Saturday night? almost 6:00. That's AM folks.

Given the move, work and tryin' to tie up loose ends for this shindig, I've not been sleeping much anyway. I can't believe I hung in there with the big dogs all weekend long.

Go Tammi! Get your party on!!!!

Yeah, I'll pay for this later, I have no doubt.

I will say, it's much funner sittin' up talking with good people than bein' home by yourself waitin' for the Sandman to pass by.

Yeah, it's much more funner.

Anyway - I know I owe a recap and I'll get to that. But it won't be today. Hell, it might not even be tomorrow. However, I do promise you this. I will do my level best to make it worth the wait. Yes I will.

Mean while - this is what I'm gonna need for you to do........please.......

Tomorrow is my very good friend T1G's birthday. It was kicked off WONDERFULLY with OgFest. BUT.....let's keep the momentum going. Head on over to his place and leave him a birthday message. Hell, in true ROAST fashion, give him some serious shit. He'll love it. Trust me.

It would make me VERY happy if he was SLAMMED with abusive messages. (I'm a good friend. Seriously) The more the merrier!!!

Plus, rumor has it, he might just get a little tipsy tomorrow and enough SHIT landing on his blog might actually get him to drunk post. And we ALL know how interesting that can be!!!!

Good Time!

Well tonite we had us a celebration within a blogmeet.

Tonite we Roasted That 1 Guy for his 40th birthday (which is Monday btw)

It was a blast.

We'll have recaps up soon, and you can bet your ass there were pictures taken. But we can't post those until we get the release from the ASPCA. It's kinda complicated.....

But I just wanted to let you all know, real quick like, that Og Fest is going GREAT and tonite was fantastic.

A special thanks to Og, Zonker, Ktreva, TNT, Oddy and Leslie for all their help. Oh and Richmond - who wasn't able to be here, but who supplied the "party hats" and drinks!

Thanks Y'all!! What would I have done without you?!??!

Og Fest!!

Moved to the top - new content below!!

OK - I'm off for an appointment with a very important customer.

Then.....it's OgFest.

Folks will be staying at the Naperville Holiday Inn Select.

Dinner tonite? Meet in the lobby at 6:00 and we'll decide. There's just too much to choose from for me to make that decision.

Saturday? Og is takin' some folks shootin'. I'll be at the hotel hanging out and there is a TON of stuff to do locally.

Dinner Saturday night is at Klas's. Plan on being there at 6:30. You'll really not want to miss this if you don't have to......The address is:
5734 W. Cermak Road,
Cicero, IL 60804
Tel. (708) 652-0795

Afterwards, there's plenty to do back at the hotel. Wait. That didn't come out the way I wanted.... You know what I mean.

It should be a great time, Bloggers, stories, things that go boom......

What's not to love???

Hey South East Florida!!!!

There is a furniture store down in South East Florida that I just love. It's called El Dorado. Shopping in these stores is akin to going to a museum or a show. It's set up "old world" with little villages. There's a cafe and even entertainment. Of all the furniture stores I've been in, and believe me that's a lot of furniture stores, these are the coolest - By Far!!

Anyway, I saw this morning that to celebrate 40 years of being in business they are giving away furniture to 40 needy families.

That's a lot of furniture!!

"The families will be nominated by the community and chosen by a selection committee to receive the furniture, with maximum value of about $5,000 for each. The giveaway will run for 20 weeks, with two families chosen each week through mid-November."

The owners, The Cabo family, are Cuban refugees that have worked hard and achieved the American Dream. And the best part is they believing in Payin' Forward.

So, check out the article. If you know of a deserving family in that area, nominate them. If you live in the area, I highly recommend checking out the stores.

It's kind of my way of payin' it forward too.

I Broke It

No. Not a bone. Which is actually a miracle, given how many times I fell, kicked something or dropped it on my foot yesterday!!!

No, I broke Paradise.

Already.

I just shut the door between the garage and the sunroom and the flippin' door knob fell off.

Huh.

I did notice a brand spankin' new one sittin' in the garage, so I'm thinkin' they knew there was a problem. I sure do wish they would have fixed that before I moved in.

Now, before you say anything or think I've moved in to a dump....this place is in GREAT shape. Really. Clean. Like a bunch of older ladies cleaned it. (which they did) They remembered all those little things. Everything works GREAT (well, except that door knob). It's a great house.

I just have to walk outside now to get to the garage.

I think I can replace that myself. I put a whole new lock/knob combo on my front door at my condo. It just took a couple of hours.

I am going to need to buy a new "powered screwdriver" cause my hands are so bad right now I can barely type. But yeah, with one of those thingies I think I can fix this.

But damn. Doesn't it figure?! My first "official" morning in this great new house and I broke it.......

Validated!!!

So I see this article.

Look who's talking in battle of sexes

A study recording the conversations of hundreds of people for days at a time - the first of its kind - reveals that the two sexes give as much as they get. On average, men and women both utter about 16,000 words a day."

And it just get's better....

So - I'm thinkin'.....y'all remember THIS little post from about a year and a half ago?

I'm tellin' you....I'd win. I know I would.....

A Reminder

Oops....the original link went to the wrong post. Sorry. I've fixed it now....

Wow. I forgot about this clip that Wes posted for the 4th of July.

Please..take a minute and check it out.

I always did love Red Skelton. Wish there were more like him around today......

Deal

Did anyone get the number of that truck that just ran over me?

Holy crap.

Well, I'm moved.

Sorta.

Mostly.

Yeah, it's pretty well done.

The movers were coming at 3:00. I headed over to The Belfry at 1:00 to load the car with little stuff and start the cleaning.

Hot. Really hot.

The movers arrived at 1:30.

Not a bad thing, except I wasn't really ready and I had a 3 hour limit (including their drive time) to get it done.

Luckily there was very little that they had to do. Just the love seat, a few chairs, the bed and dresser, a TV. Not much at all (compared to what it COULD have been).

I've never seen anyone move so slow in all my life. I don't think even lighting a firecracker and stickin' it in their asses would gotten them up to speed.

Tick Tock. Ching Ching.

Yeah - I loaded the car and started carryin' shit down to the truck. Mama didn't raise me to sit back and watch, plus this was on MY dime.

We got everything out and over to Paradise. To discover the love seat and chair will not fit down the basement stairs. Damn it

Change of plans. That's now what's in the living room, with my Mama's chairs and I'll just pick up something inexpensive for the family room. Even if I can't, we're still ok for Football Sunday upstairs.

The bed is set up. YEAH!!! Bye Bye air mattress! Waving

They knocked some off the bill since I had to help. That, and they forgot tools to take the bed apart. Lucky for me the Landlady was home....

Now, I've got to rustle up something to eat and then get back over to The Belfry. Gotta get the rest of the loose stuff and clean. I'm thinkin' an hour or two at worse case scenario.

But meanwhile, I'm sitting here, blogging, in the golden throne with my feet up. The central air is re-cooling the house down and I'm thinking I might just sleep tonite.

It still won't be "Settled" for a while, but at least I'm off the folding chairs and comfy. And.....everything is all in one place.

THIS I can deal with.

Hello!! Anybody there?

I fully realize what a bummer it is that the 4th of July fell on a Wednesday this year. It really does "feel better" when it is closer to a weekend.

But all that being said, most folks are working today.

Well, unless they work for the same company I do, now that I think about it.

THIS is the one thing that makes working remotely so difficult. I've got things to do. Promises to keep. Deadlines to meet.

I can't get 'hold of anyone. I need approvals. Clarification. Suggestions.

Oy!! It's been a very frustrating morning. I'm gonna do a lot of 'splainin' next week, after some of the decisions I had to make.

Now? Now it's off the the heat of The Belfry. And that's putting it mildly. All the fans are packed up. The weather pixie is showing 84 degrees which means it's over 100 up there right now.

Yeah, lovely.

Well, I'll just think of it as a free sauna and look forward to how many pounds I sweat off and all those toxins that will be leaving my system.

Yeah, I don't think it'll help either, but go with me on this. I'm stretchin' here....

Mornin'

I so hope y'all had a great 4th of July. I did, and I plan on telling you about it very soon.

The downside was another night without sleep. Ohhhh I wanted to sleep. But it just wasn't happening. Not last night.

Anyway - today is a pretty big day around here. Of course, lots of stuff to get done for work. But this afternoon? MOVING DAY!!!

I'll have real furniture in the house tonite! I cannot tell you how happy I am about that.

Oh - and there's a few other things about today I'll need to tell y'all about, but not right now.

No, right now, I need to power slam some coffee, get my paperwork done and get over to The Befry. When I leave there this afternoon there's no goin' back. It's been rented and a wonderful couple is just chompin' at the bit to get settled in. So I got today......

Now, where's that really BIG coffee mug???

THIS is what we celebrate

"And I will pray for Victory... pray for Victory over those who would kill me and mine and you and yours because you do not believe as they believe... just because you have these Freedoms... and because you enjoy these Bounties.

On this day, I celebrate the Greatness of these United States of America... and am ever grateful that we stand free and independent of the control of any other nation. "

Head on over to Some Soldier's Mom and read the whole thing. You'll be glad you did - it's what TODAY is all about.

4th of July

Funny

TNT has a post up with a pretty funny video about handsfree cell phone users.

And she's right! I can soooo see that happening to me.

But here's the thing. I'm "technically" on the clock from 8:00am to 6:00pm. Monday thru Friday.

BUT, I may not be calling on customers at that time. See, the nice thing about this type of job is the freedom. I can actually go to the grocery store during the day and miss the crowd. I can run errands. I can shop. YEAH.

That being said, I still need to be there for my customers. So, they call, I answer. And cell phones are too damned small for me to walk around with it plastered to my ear. Hate that.

And I'm not bluetooth at this point. I will be, but right now I have THIS type of handsfree. While still "wired" I like it plenty.

But here's the funny part. Seeing someones reaction when they over hear me talkin' to a customer. Talkin' about beds, feel, foam.....all of that doesn't sound so kosher if you only hear one part of the conversation.

Kinda like that video.

So, while I've never been mistaken for a robber, I'm pretty sure there are some folks walking around that are thinking I'm some sorta high priced call girl!!!

For Cryin' Out Loud......

You Are Big Bird

Talented, smart, and friendly... you're also one of the sanest people around. You are usually feeling: Happy. From riding a unicycle to writing poetry, you have plenty of hobbies to keep you busy. You are famous for: Being a friend to everyone. Even the grumpiest person gets along with you. How you life your life: Joyfully. "Super. Duper. Flooper."

And that was one of the names people called me growing up.

I didn't like it then either.........

H/T Harvey

More on Matts

OK - since folks have been leaving questions in the comments I'm just gonna clear a few things up on Mattresses.

Mattress Pads. Use 'em. Not for any other reason than to protect the fabric of your matt. Cause what you may not know is that if there is ANY stain, no matter how small, on your mattress it voids the warranty. Null. Void. No matter how much the damned thing breaks down, if there's a stain I cannot take it back. Period.

And those damned things are too expensive to take that chance. Spend the $30 on a good cover/pad and chalk it up to insurance.

So - use 'em.

Also - they do PROTECT you from the dust mites, because you can wash them. Washing and drying DOES get rid of those bastards. So it helps. They're still in your traditional mattress, but not up against you.

Oh - and another thing. That memory foam, and latex? Yeah, the damned critters can't live in there either. Under? Yes. In? No.

OK - hopefully that clears up a couple of the questions.

Glad I could help! :-)

Passing of an Icon

I sang opera for many years. Oh, not professionally, but that was the plan.

One of my "heroes" (for want of a better word) was Beverly Sills. She was NEVER your run of the mill opera singer.

She had spunk. She had personality. She was NOT a diva.

And, My Lord, could that woman sing. Even now, thinking about it, I get chills. SHE was what I wanted to be.

I read this morning that Ms. Sills has died of cancer. The world has lost a great talent. And even more than that, an incredible woman.

Thank you, Ma'am. For the hours of joy you brought to the world. The inspiration you were for a little girl in a small town. And for sharing that talent so beautifully.

Thank you.

Meet the Neighbors

Well, Paradise is still pretty much empty. Moving day is SUPPOSED to be Thursday, when I'll at least have a couple of comfy chairs to sit in. YEAH!!

Meanwhile, I have the card table set up as an improvised desk, a couple of folding chairs and I bought a TV tray set.

Yeah, we're livin' high in Tammi's World.

Anyway, for the first week or so I was either goin' out to the garage to smoke or sitting on the front steps. I live right on the major highway and was starting to feel like a sideshow so I stopped doin' the front step thing.

Now with the two folding chairs, I have one at the "desk" and the other in the garage. I've found I can sit in the very back of the garage and have a smoke and not really be all that noticable.

Or so I thought.

Last night showed me different.

There I sat, waaaayyyyy in the back of the garage, smokin' and having a cup of tea while on the phone. I think I met the entire neighborhood. Seriously. They were all out walkin' or waterin' or somethin'.

Did I mention I was wearin' my jammies?

Yeah. Talk about gettin' busted.

Well, I'm thinkin' at least I didn't give off an unrealistic impression. It can only get better from here.

But damn. I really didn't count on THAT bein' the way I got introduced to the neighborhood.

Whoda thunk this is a town of night owls?

Yesterday

Here was my day.....

Got up VERY early. Pulled stuff together for day and got on the road.

30 mins at the post office.

Drive 2 hours to first call.

First call? The phrase "Dumb as a box of rocks" kept rollin' through my mind like a marquee sign. I swear to pete - I deserve some sort of medal for that one.

Second call? Last minute add in, but no trouble finding it. Good account went well. Just remember to purchase Iron Metal bra's and pantys for protection.

Third call? Found it just fine, except it wasn't the account I needed to be at. Damn it!!

Fourth call? All the way up to the Wisconsin border. From south SOUTH of Chicago. Big account. Huge. (think line from Pretty Woman). Big mess! HUGE!!!

Got home around 7:00 and worked until 10:30. Flippin' paperwork.....

Please Lord. Let today be a bit easier........

Call To Duty?

Ok - I saw THIS over at BloodSpite's place.

Ummmm...yeah. No, I will not be participating.

You see, if *I* were to walk around THE Valley for an hour naked, EVERY MALE in TOWN would be committing suicide, along with some women.......

But hey - if you can pull it off, go for it!!!

Thanks for the laugh BS!!!

Did Ya Know?

Did you know your mattress doubles it's weight every 10 years? Yep. And you wanna know why?

Dust mites. They live, breed and die in a traditional mattress. Kinda gross, ain't it? And so you know....no amount of cleaning get's to 'em. They are in for the long haul!

Did you also know a lot of insomnia is caused because of a "poor" sleeping enviorment?

First - make sure your mattress FITS you. That you have room to be comfortable. THEN, make sure it's the right "feel" for you. Too soft? It'll tear up your back. Too firm? (the most common issue, btw) and you'll never "hunker down" and get comfy.

Then - make sure it's not too light in your room. Darkness is good. Darkness is restful.

Also - make sure it's not overly cluttered (my biggest mistake). The room should be calming, a haven as it were.

As silly as it sounds all those things work together to either help or hinder your sleep process.

And trust me - nothing improves the quality of your life like a good nights sleep.

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

I can't believe I'm posting this. Hehehehe, can you tell I'm "back in the biz?!"

Remider

If you've been a reader here for any length of time, you know one of my HOT buttons is domestic abuse.

I found this great series of articles. 60 articles over an 11 day period.

And I'd love to tell you things are getting better. But that's not true. It's not true at all. And it's not just women and children that are the victims. Men, seniors - no one is exempt.

It's more than just violence. That's why I tend to use the term "abuse". Oh, the hitting, pushing, bashing, and shooting are horrific. But so is the belittling, threatening, smothering. It all works toward the same goals. Control. Absolute control. And a false sense of superiority.

Isn't it pitiful that some folks only feel value if they can put someone else down? It's really a very sad state of affairs.

And I have to tell you, I can spot it happening to someone else a mile away. And I will NOT walk away. I've pissed off a lot of folks because of that trait, but I've also nudged a few folks to stand their ground. It's a two edged sword, and personally I can deal with a few cuts here and there. If it helps someone else......it's more than worth it.

So tell me, are you one to bury your head in the sand and ignore things when someone is showin' their ass? Or do you speak up? Do you take a stand?

We don't have to be superhero's to be defenders. All it takes is a little passion, a strong sense of right vs wrong. And guts. It takes a lot of guts.

I just thought it was time to do a little reminder. It's been a while since I've pushed that button a little.

Remember, we can't always FIX everything, we all need a hand every now and then. Just be aware. Keep your eyes open so you don't miss an opportunity to help.

Day Late....

Mike the Marine is a DADDY!!!

WooHoo! Congrats Mike. Head on over and check out that cutie!! (the baby not Mike!)

Oh, and happy belated (on the blog anyway) birthday to my friend Christina.

You're gonna love this decade. I promise!!!!! Oh, and seriously, I really do have your back darlin'. Just don't pay any attention to the comment over at your husband's place. Yeah, that's just....nothin'..... ;-)

Rock On!!!

You Are Rock

Powerful and overbearing, you intimidate people with your presence. People know they can't push you around, and they respect that. Deep down, you are calm, confident, and unmovable. You take everything pretty seriously, and you think deeply about all aspects of your life. You tend to feel smothered by paper people. You don't mind crushing the spirit of a scissors person. When you fight, you: Use all of your strength If someone makes you mad: You're likely to throw something at them

Huh. This one came out pretty accurate!!! So this is what I'm gonna need for you to do.......tell me how YOU came out in this!!! ;-)

H/T Jay

Loser!!!

I'm a big Lazy Loser!!

Sometimes.....I swear......I just make things so difficult.

Yesterday I had plans. BIG plans. I was going to get The Belfy emptied out of the little things and cleaned up. If I hunker down, it won't be that bad.

Yeah, wanna know what I did?

I worked. I sat down at the laptop around 10:30 and thought I'd just do my expense reports and head out.

6:30 last night I realized I'd wasted a golden opportunity to make my life easier.

Damn it!!

So - I've contacted a mover. Problem is, we only have Tuesday afternoon and all day Thursday to choose from. I'm booked with appointments the rest of the week. So I pretty much HAVE to get this stuff done today.

But the call is so strong. The call to sit here, in the cool, clean enviroment and do pricing sheets, order forms and spec sheets is almost overwhelming. Getting that done will make my work week so much easier.

Yet, I know if I just get this move thing over and done with the PERSONAL stress I'm feeling will be much lighter.

But I don't wanna clean that crap up! I don't wanna load boxes and haul 'em down the stairs!! I just don't wanna!!!!!!!

Yep - Mama would tell me I'm just bein' lazy. And she'd be right.

That bein' said - lazy works for me. I'm almost alright with that.........

Tagged!!!

Huh. I've been tagged by Ocean Guy. It's kinda cool the Meme's are making a bit of a come-back, but this one is kinda tough. Especially since I'm gonna try and tell you stuff you might not already know.....

So here are The Rules: Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves.The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed.At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

And we're off....

1. I love to wear dresses. I am more comfortable in them than jeans, and they're a heck of a lot cooler. I never did understand people that thought they were a bother. Maybe it's just cause we wore them so much growin' up.....but either way, I LIKE dresses.

2. I hate cooked spinach. I like a good spinach salad, and spinach dip, but not cooked. In any way shape or form. And don't try to sneak it past me. I find it every time.

3. I can write about my feelings all day long, be as mushy as an be - but to try and say it? Just about kills me. It's the one time you'll really see me at a loss.

4. I am very routine oriented. VERY routine oriented. I drive the same route when ever I go some place, especially if I'm alone. If my morning routine get's interrupted, my whole day is off. I feel all whooper-jawed when I'm out of my element. That's one reason traveling was so hard on me. It's also one reason I'm good as a road rep. Routine. Comforting....but boring as hell.

5. If you talk to me very often, you'll know.....I have a terrible time pronouncing words. Even some fairly easy ones. I built my vocabulary by reading, never hearing how things were SAID. So, I had to try and figure it out for myself. I don't do so well with that.

6. I hate social events where I don't know most of the people there. It's ok if it's business, but I still don't LOVE it. I'm very uncomfortable around a lot of folks I don't know.

7. It makes me crazy when the towel I use to dry my face is used for anything else. See, I know too much about germs/dust mites/all that stuff. Don't want it on my face. Ewwww. Yeah, gives me the heebee jeebees.

8. I am very old fashioned. But only in the way I look at and live my own life. I don't "casual date". As wild as I have been, I've never been "fast and loose". I am also most comfortable with the "traditional" roles. You know, woman keeps the house clean and does the cookin', man fixes things. King of the castle - all that jazz. I'm not what you would call a liberated woman, not by any stretch of the imagination. Which makes this strange when you look at the fact that I've always worked in a Man's World and had to be so aggressive. Personally? I think I'm living in the wrong decade. I'd fit in much better in the 50's.

Ok, now that THAT'S out of the way....who to tag.Who to tag????

Well, I think Sticks would enjoy this little project.

And I'd love to see what blogdaughter Quality Weenie shares!

Ummmmm oh yeah.....Oh Lemon Stand?! Lemon Stand??? Yeah, what cha got girl????

Pammy,over at Lollygaggin' would be fun. And she's not so busy - hell, she's only planning a wedding, for cryin' out loud. Congratulations btw!

Blogdaughter LeeAnn needs to get back on the bloggin' wagon, so we'll tag her. Plus, I'm sure y'all will enjoy learnin' a bit more about my very good friend....

My buddy Jerry is always a good read. ESPECIALLY when he pulls together a meme!

Blogbro _Jon, of We Swear, is back bloggin' (and it's about damned time) and I just LOVE what he comes up with on these things. This should be fun!!!

(have I evern mentioned how much I hate taggin' folks with these things? Oops, now you have 9 facts instead of 8. Such a deal!!!)

And last - but absolutely not least - let's see what Raging Mom has to say. I adore this woman, and you really should get to know her. She is amazing!!!