Tammi's World

How'd I Do *THAT*?

Oh for cryin' out loud......

There is no hope for me, I might as well just admit that now.

My beef stew is simmerin' nicely on the stove. I successfully browned the stew meat, cleaned and chunked up the potatoes and added the carrots. I've been stirrin' and checkin' it all morning.

I did all that without one single injury.

Then I made some sweet tea. Now I make any where from 4-7 gallons of sweet tea each and every week. Next to water, it is the drink of choice in Tammi's World. You'd think I'd know what I was doin' by this point.

You'd think.

Obviously, you'd think wrong.

I'm sitting here, trying to type with two burnt finger tips. Pretty badly burnt finger tips.

How'd I do that?

Glad you asked.

Makin' sweet tea. That's all I know. Some how managed to burn the hell out of my index and middle fingers on my right hand.

I give up. Any one know where I can hire a good nanny?

I Have A Dream

I've been thinking about this for a while now, but the past couple of days it's become almost an obsession......

Let me explain.

I have about the coolest Blog Offspring ever! Seriously. Each and every one of these ladies ROCK.

Quality Weenie, Army Wife, LeeAnn, Carmen and Ktreva.

I have had the pleasure of having met and spent time with each and every one of them.

They are beautiful. Smart. Funny. Strong.

And I want to get us ALL together. I cannot imagine a better weekend then me and my girls - together.

I don't know how I'll pull this off.....but I think by now, y'all know when I put my mind to something I move heaven and earth to make it happen.

So I'm just sayin' - Sometime in the next 12 months we girls are getting together and havin' our OWN family reunion.

Katie bar the door - this could be one for the headlines.........

Look Ma! No Hangover!!!

WooHoo!! I feel pretty damned good this morning. Expecially given the fact that I drank more last night than, well, I don't remember when......

Anyhoo.....it was a great time. I seriously wish y'all could have been there.

I did not go to the shooting range. Given the mood I've been in all week, I just figured putting a weapon in my hands right now was not the best of ideas. But I hear they had a great time!

Around 3:00 Contagion, Ktreva and Grau cruised past paradise, headin' for Fritz's. Let the feastivities begin.

By the time Ktreva and I got down there it was Harvey, Grau and Contagion. Contagion, with a drink in each hand, was in his glory!!!

After a bit Bruce and Shadoglare show up and things start getting a bit blurry.....I'm assuming it was because the Capt'n Morgan was especially yummy last night.

It was hysterical.

You may be surprised to hear that I made a few "oops" during the evening.

First let me just put this out there - y'all with your fascination for midgets. Seriously. Those short/little people are NOT all that and a bag of chips. Really. I drank with them. And yes Bruce - I do know how to get to that bar....if you're sure you REALLY wanna go there......

Oh, and when I said "deeper" I didn't mean DEEPER. Oh forget it. I'll never be able to explain that one.........

There was some drunk dialin' goin' on......I'll just put a blanket apology out there. I don't THINK I said anything wrong, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. Oh - and I DIDN'T take my phone so I had no one's numbers. Sorry folks - I just wasn't sure how to explain THOSE calls to corp. when the bill came in......

There were pictures taken. But the ones I have are all blurry. (Huh. Can't imagine how THAT happened) Except for this one......

The Missing Man

I wish I could capture the evening in words. But I'm just no good with that stuff. Just know - there was a shit load of laughing, no one or thing was off limits, it was just a damned good time.

And I just want to thank Contagion for pullin' this all together and ESPECIALLY for letting us celebrate his birthday this year.

Now I've got to get in gear. I've got a pot of beef stew to get started and some blank spaces in my memory to try and fill in.......

Short, drunk recap....

Yep, it's offical. I'm a wimp. I'm an old, outta shape drinkin' wimp.

I couldn't hang with the other bloggers tonite down at Fritz's. (OH, and if you think I'm gonna try and do links tonite you are offically insane. No way - no how)

I only made it 6 1/2 hours. But in my defense all I ate today was some eggs, and oatmeal. I'm one of those drinkers that needs to EAT seriously before I start in. I'm talkin' burgers, and fries.....

No I did have a yummy dinner at Fritz's but that was a case of too little too late.

I can report that Contagion was happily getting snokered when I left. After hearin' him bitch and moan all night about "not getting drunk" it seem to hit all in one fell swoop.

Ktreva was floatin' on a cloud herself.

Grau was there!! WooHoo!! And it's all good. He'll be blogging again soon. Well, as soon as he get's out of jail. (Sorry about that Man!)

Bruce was there as well as Shadoglare. And guys? Yeah, I'm not gonna say it again. NO MIDGETS!! Once you go tall....well, never mind.....

Oh, and Harvey was there. Yeah! Harvey. Who doesn't love Harvey???

I have pictures - but I can't post them.

Hell, I have video - but I can't post that either.

Oh, and there was dancing, on the bar!! on the tables!!! Clothes were flyin' EVERYWHERE!!!

Oh wait....that was this other time, at band camp....

We did drunk dial a few folks.

Actually - it was a great evening. But I'm drunk and have no "n" (I'll explain later) so I think it's probably best if I just try and leave a few comments and then hit the sack. Damn.......I'm nothin' but a light weight....

I CAN'T CHAT!!!

Damnit! Bloodspite has a chat but this damned work related laptop won't let me load jave!

I Wanna talk!!

huh, there's a shocking phrase coming from me!

I feel like that kid with their face plaster against the toy store window..........

Drunken Realizations....

OK - yes, I was the first to leave BlogCrawl central. I'm old and I'm tired...what can I say?

And I got stories. Oh HELL I got stories, but first, let me capture a few thoughts I had on the walk home.

Damn....my alley needs street lights. It's flippin' dark out there....

I have a hard enough time getting the key in the door in the dark. Add in the fact that I've been drinking (heavily) for 7 hours and I almost ended up sleepin' on the sun porch. It was only my burning NEED to tell y'all about the evening that pushed me on.

I'm really sorta pissed that a certain someone wasn't here. How 'bout that! Can I say that out loud?

I sure as hell hope I have Ibpro, uh, shit, headache type pain killer thingys. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need 'em in the morning......

Hey! No old guys hit on me tonite! That's a VERY good thing!!!!

Rationalization

I love red.

I like to decorate with it and most especially I love to wear it.

So, I feel pretty safe saying this dress has my name all over it.

Oh, what the hell. I can give up food for a week. Really. I hear fasting is actually GOOD for you.......

And I know damned well, a lot of you ladies out there following that thought pattern. Hell, we've all done it at some point.....

Laughter Makes the World Go Round

I'm in some serious need of laughter.

And I figure it can't be just me, there's gotta be some other folks out there that could just a little Funny today.

So I went looking for some thing that made me smile. Guess what! I found actually some thing. Funny and VERY appropriate for me.....and I'm gonna share!!!

Happy Saturday!!!

Those words have been uttered by me more times than you'll EVER know!

Saturday Question

I have to be honest with you......after embarrassing myself so bad with last week's question, I'm a little gun shy this morning.

But, I've never been one to back down from a challenge, so we'll give it the old college try.

So, the premise is to just take a moment and think of something that's either not so important or something that brings a smile on your face. A mini vacation as it were.

And I'm going at things a bit different this morning. Today, I'm not expecting any comments. BUT - I still want you to play along. If you wanna share - GREAT! But I really just want everyone to take a moment and....smile.

All that being said - here we go. For just a moment imagine the PERFECT Saturday morning. Go ahead. Close your eyes. Just imagine.

Mine would start out with a little "early morning delight". Then, snuggle in for a deep sleep. Only to waken because the sun peeks through the blinds. (To sleep past sunrise would be such a treat!)

Dress in my favorite lounging jammies and walk out to the kitchen. The clean, organized kitchen. There sits a pot of fresh brewed coffee. Just waiting.

Start in on a nice big breakfast. No guilt. Just good.

Spend the morning chatting and laughing and enjoying the crisp cool air out on the sun porch. Knowing there's nothing more pressing to do.

Look up at the clock and realize it's already noon.

The morning has flown by in a blur of "happy".

I know, corny as hell. But - to me that's just about the best Saturday morning I can imagine.

Now...it's your turn.

Holy Cow!!!

Cubs Win! Cubs Win!!

Cubs Clinch Division Title!!!!

I knew it was cold, but I didn't realize it was THAT cold!!

Congrats Cubbies!!!!

LW Clears the Air

Laughing Wolf takes the time to clear the air on a few things while he is over in Iraq.

Head on over to BlackFive for the scoop.

Oh, and here's a couple of "personal asides" - Here and Here

BTW - just so you know, he's posting at his place, BlackFive and PMI. I'll link to where ever I find the post.....

Tomorrow~

BLOGCRAWL 2007!!!!

And it's a double header folks.

1) Drinking + Blogging = a very interesting read.

2) Contagion is actually CELEBRATING his birthday! WooHoo!!!

Now, I'm one of the lucky ones, cause BlogCrawl Central is actually 2 1/2 blocks from my house. :-) I'll be walkin' down to Fritz's to join Contagion, Ktreva, Harvey, TNT, Grau (who is missing right now), Bruce and whoever else can make it for an evening of laughter and shovelin' a lot of shit. (Damn, where DID I put my boots?)

Then, since Fritz doesn't have a wireless system set up, I'll have Paradise prepared just in case someone feels the need to start blogging immediately.

I figure some yummy snacks, a few beers, some really good scotch and something fun to drink for the ladies......yeah. That'll work.

BUT - here's the cool part - you don't have to be HERE to play. Nope. You can play along at home. While not QUITE as much fun as HALO 3, fun none the less.

So - follow the link to the rules. Then clear your schedule. Even if you're not a drinker, this will make for some funny exchanges. Oh, and some of the best are the "Morning After" posts.

Yeah......I'm really lookin' forward to this!

Thanks to Harvey and Pam for the very cool logo

Today's Funny Frase

Can't Sleep......clowns will eat me.

Yeah, I'm not gonna say a word......Nope. Not one word.

This One's for YOU America!!!

I found this yesterday when I was looking for the Marine Corp. commerical.

I hadn't planned on posting it, instead I just emailed it to a few folks. But seriously, this is about the cutest/funniest thing I've seen in....well, a long damn time.

I probably watched it a dozen times yesterday, and giggled each and every time.

Enjoy.

I gotta tell you - everytime I watch it, I think of Mike the Marine!!!

Go Ahead. Count 'Em.

I woke up early this morning and in a pretty damned good mood. It's been kind of a roller coaster ride emotionally here in Tammi's World lately. Don't know what's up with that, but it is what it is - so you roll with it.

Yesterday was a pretty long drawn out day. Seemed like I just couldn't finish anything I started. I really hate days like that. VERY frustrating.

But as I was drifting off to sleep last night, saying prayers for those I love, I just had to smile. Pictures of each person bright and focused in my mind's eye as I thought of them.

Is there any better way to end your day than thinking of those that matter most to you? Counting your blessings, as it were.

And I truly believe THAT is why my day started with a smile. Those thoughts, those images were the last thing I saw last night and the first thing I thought of this morning.

NEVER take the ones you love for granted. NEVER assume they will always be there. TREASURE each and every memory.

I know I've said it a thousand times, but Daddy was right. Live your life so you never have to say I wish I had, or I wonder if.

Especially when it comes to those you care about.

Hot Damn!!!

Remember last week when I told y'all about the contest for the best ad slogan of 2007?

Remember? The Few. The Proud. The Marines. was in the running?

It won!! I don't know how many of y'all went over and voted, but who ever did - WooHoo! Hot Damn!! They won.

The Few. The Proud won best tag line. Followed by "Feel free to move about the country" from Southwest Airlines.

Icon winners were Orville Redenbacher followed by the Chick-Fil-A Cows.

Thanks to all that participated!

WooHoo!! The Marines Won!!!!!!

I couldn't resist.....

Stranded!!!

It never fails.

It's the end of a month.

I have a meeting this morning.

Our IT department has "tweaked" something in our system and I can no longer access anything.

And to add to that, communication is not really their strength. Yeah, to put it mildly.

So I sit here, at 5:30 in the morning, in a Valley in Illinois with nothing. No data, no product lists, no pricing.

And I promise you when I call on my way to the meeting NO ONE will understand why this is a problem.

Sometimes, working remotely sucks wet socks.........

LW Checks in from Iraq

Laughing Wolf has another update posted from Iraq.

It's a good way to start your morning.........

Intriguing

I found that video over at Sarah the Penguin's place along with THIS write about the Nikki Sixx bio. Gotta tell you, that's on my list of books to get......

But I really enjoy this video. Really. So much so that I really wanted to share it with y'all.

Thanks Sarah!!

Stupid Tammi Tricks

Son of a BITCH!! You know, I KNEW there was a reason I didn't try to do employment type work and housework at the same time.

It's because I'm an unable to focus idiot!

Seriously.

Let me give you an example of what Just Now happened.

I'm tryin' to clean up the kitchen a bit. Tomorrow is trash day and I thought I'd clean out the fridge. That.....means more dishes.

So, I start the dish water running.

And sit down to jot out a note via email to a customer. Then I see the expense statements I finished just need me to finish addressing the envelope.

Oh, I just got an order confirmation. Print that bad boy out and get it filed.

Ewww, filing. Well crap while I'm here I ought to just file this stack of.....

HOLY CRAP!! The dish water!!!!!!

Yep. The good news is, it'll make it much easier to mop the floor and wash down the cupboard fronts.. But I really didn't want to do all that today.

But you know....I really thought that only happened on T.V.

I swear to pete.......I seriously need a keeper.

Just Random Stuff

**Yesterday's meeting didn't go quite the way I thought it would. Oh, THEY were very nice, but it came to light that I was sort of set up. THAT....does not make me happy and I will be dealing with that in the next few weeks. Yeah, "not happy"....what a PC way of expressing my emotions on that.

**Drinking a cup of coffee in the afternoon is no longer the best of ideas for me. Even being as exhausted as I was last night, I had a hell of a time falling asleep. But once I got there? Ohhhh it was nice. AND I discovered that even if I do wake up at 4:30, all I need to do is roll over and Voila! I'm asleep again!!! How cool is that?!?!?!

**Speaking of sleep and waking up, I did something different last night. I didn't make the coffee. I turned the phones off. I decided that I wanted to sleep for as long as I could, and did everything I could think of to make sure that happened. Yeah, while the "sleeping in" was ok - I'm not a fan of having to make coffee first thing in the morning. I will NOT be doing that again!

**Holy crap am I a disorganized mess right now!! How did life get away from me like this? My house? I soooo need to do laundry!! Now, I want to say, I try very hard to do employment type work during the day. And only employment type work. House work I keep to the down hours. Except that the down hours are starting to blur. Today, I'll be running up and down those stairs doin' laundry and trying to get my training class ready for tomorrow.

**Which reminds me - I haven't done my expense statements. For over a month!!! That's just stupid. Plain and simple. I don't know why, but for some reason that has always been an issue for me. Sorting the receipts, filling out the forms, making copies and sticking them all in the mail. Nothing difficult about it - and our expense program is VERY generous. Hell, I'm probably due enough right now to almost pay off the sectional for downstairs!! You'd think that would be enough to get me going. But alas, that is not the case. I've got to get that done. Today.

**I can't seem to get motivated to go to the grocery store. That's VERY unlike me. I love to shop for food. Yes, it's a bit of a drive but still.....it's a great store. I just can't seem to find the energy to get up there.

**Ahhhh that promised cold front is here. It's cool this morning - finally. I see folks out and about in their sweatshirts and light jackets. I'm thinking of taking a few minutes later this afternoon to go for a walk at one of the local state park type places. Just to enjoy that crisp cool air. I really need to - just to recharge a bit.

Just a few random things that are running through the old noggin' this morning. Huh. It's actually not as "crazy" as I thought it would be.

Damn....there's hope for me yet!!!

Couldn't Agree More

Jimbo says it better than I *EVER* could, so I'll just point you over there.

And then state, for the record, San Francisco has NEVER been on my list of "must see's". Now? No way in hell...........

The Battle Rages

Summer and Fall are battling it out right now. We heard on the news last night we were in for some storms but they thought they'd be here around day break. Not the news I wanted, as I was due to be out driving by shortly after 4:00am.

Thank goodness they were wrong. This morning I awoke to hot and humid. Hot - 75degrees at 3:30am (it's the end of September, for cryin' out loud) and humid enough that I knew the rain was only delayed.

I made it to my meeting in time, and even found time to stop and see the gang I used to work with. Then, an hour drive south for a quick store call and home.

I was just curled up on the golden throne, sippin' a cup of coffee to try and get myself awake when all hell broke loose.

Suddenly the sky is BLACK. It sounded like the fireworks from last Saturday were going off IN my house. Windows rattling, even what few things I have hanging on the wall added to the clamour.

And rain? Holy Moly we got us some rain.

It sounds like a battle. Flashes of lightening that last WAY longer than makes me comfortable. Thunder I feel INSIDE.

It is cooler than shit. I jumped off the chair, quickly lit some candles and turned off the light. The satellite is out. No surprise there, so I sit here in the candle light with the sound of wind and rain as my music. The lightening and trees dancing in the wind my entertainment.

It could keep this up all night for all I care. Stunning. Incredible.

When it's over.....we all know Fall will have triumphed.

And that's alright too.

Asswipe

"Mr. Ahmadinejad smiled while listening to a translated version of Mr. Bollinger's comments, then took the podium and complained about being disrespected.

Well, at least they didn't make him a flippin' "Honorary Alumni" or some such shit.

I'm still sayin' it should have never happened. That monster has NO RIGHTS in this country. None. Nada. Nunca.

This whole thing is nothin' but a clusterf*ck. Plain and simple.

Should Be......Interesting....

Yesterday morning I was talking with the CEO of the company I'm meeting with today.

I asked what time things were set for our Tuesday meeting.

This is what I got back:

CEO: soft chuckle Well, your product is delivered and unloaded at 6:00am so I thought that might be the best thing.....meet then, watch the process and then we can deal with issues.

Tammi: silent gulp 6:00 in the morning. Ohhhhkayyyy. I'll be there.

CEO:..........

Ha! Take THAT you, you, you trickster you!!! Try and make me look bad by setting an ungodly early meeting. I don't NEED sleep!!! I'll be there....with BELLS on.

See, they know it's a drive for me. PLUS, we had dinner last night. I didn't even get home until 9:00.

They are soooo gonna be sorry. Me. Early A.M. 2 hour drive. Minimal sleep.

Yep. Advantage Tammi.

They have no idea.....

But the funniest part was letting my new boss know what was going on. He laughed out right and the only thing he said was:

Please don't hurt them......or at least don't let it trace back to us.

Some days I just love my job. But....I may need y'all to remind me of that this afternoon when I'm trying to stay awake on that drive home........

Gotta Brag

I'm so proud of my blogdaughters. Really. I am.

My first - Quality Weenie, has been blogging for almost as long as I have. And let me tell you - Not only is she funny but she knows her automotive industry. In fact, if you want info on the automotive workers strike, her place is the one to check.

Army Wife has just taken off in spades. Hell, she has her personal blog, with stories of her day to day, those adorable babies of hers as well as just.....her thoughts. THEN, she also contributes over at SpouseBuzz. AND she is a part of their "road show". Not to mention how active she is in the MilBlog community. I just couldn't be prouder.

We've lost Talula. And I mean that - I have NO idea where she is. I miss her, but I'm thinking her posting days are over.....

LeeAnn is not just a blogdaughter but one of the rare few that I knew BEFORE blogging who just couldn't resist the fun. She's got a post up about Karma that you'll want to read. It's MUCH better than any chainletter I've ever gotten.

Carmen is my real life niece as well as a blogdaughter. And she is just as funny and outspoken in person as she is on the blog. A new mommy she's finally getting back into the blogging routine. And I couldn't be happier.

Ktreva is my youngest. The newest in our family. Funny, smart - not to mention beautiful - you never know what you'll find when you pop over to her place for a visit. And I hope you do. It's ALWAYS more than worth the click.

I'm just so proud of all these lovely ladies. And they are. I've had the pleasure of meeting each and every one of them....with hope of seeing them again soon. Hmmmm maybe we need to have us a little "reunion". Might not be a bad idea.

But I just need to brag a bit. It's what we Mama's do ya know.....

From the Source

Guess who is in Iraq? Go ahead, guess....

Laughing Wolf is there and just started posting.

He gives us a glimpse of the trip to Baghdad. Just a glimpse, but DAMN folks.....with his gift of expression it's one hell of a glimpse.

I will make sure and post a link every time he updates - but the deal is I expect you to not only click over and read, I expect you to spread the word.

LW is a gifted writer. And photographer. He is there to tell the REAL Stories. It's the very least we can do to spread the word.

My friend is in Iraq. Holy Crap! I'm so damned proud of him I could burst........

UPDATE: More HERE!!!

Fall Fest

The Fall Festival looks to have been a huge success. I didn't really "participate" but from what I saw there were tons of people here, and given they were all walking around with smiles on their faces, yeah - I think it was a pretty damned good time.

Having to work on Saturday I missed most of those events. But when I got home, I saw the craft fair was packed, and every available spot on the side streets had a vehicle of some sort.

Saturday night I headed to Fritz's. Fritz's daughter had promised they would set back a plate of pork for me, and after that long ass drive and rather disappointing day, that sounded like a piece of heaven.

I walked downtown and, I'll be honest, almost turned around when I got to the door. That place was PACKED. I was thrilled for Fritz. But me? Ohhhh I hate goin' into places like that alone. I stood at the door and just took big gulping breaths. I focused on that plate of pork. I opened the door and made a bee-line for the end of the bar.

I should probably explain. I don't do big crowded social situations well when I'm by myself. Especially after a long ass day and no sleep. And I really don't know that many people here. So, I felt like a damned bull in a china shop.

I request my plate and Fritz convinces me to have a beer while I wait. Who can say no to Fritz? So I grabbed my mug and headed even further back. The girls that bartend and wait tables were standing back there and THEM I know.

So a quick beer and I'm ready to go.

Let me just say, that plate of food was MORE than worth the anxiety attack. Damn......

Around 9:00 I heard some thumping. So I head out the front door. It was the fireworks display over at the high school. I settled on my front step and watched the show. Gotta tell you folks - they do a pretty damned good job! VERY cool.

Sunday was hot and sunny. Folks were pullin' into town EARLY. I did wander down for a bit of the parade, but it was Football Sunday and I just needed to decompress for this coming week.

All weekend I heard the street music, laughter and conversation wafting through the air. The sound of the children would bring a smile to my face without me even realizing it.

Yeah, I'd say it was a huge success.

I just have one big regret. The weather. Oh - it was beautiful. Clear, sunny skies. But it was in the 80's. Kinda hot for a fall festival.

To me, the perfect weather would have been cool in the morning, crisp during the day. Crisp as in flannel shirts, light jackets, hiking boots. The kind of day you can put your hands in the pockets of your jackets. Where the air is so clean and clear....THAT is the perfect Fall Fest weather.

This was the 70th Fall Festival in THE Valley. I just love stuff like that. Tradition. Everyone talks about, everyone looks forward to it. And man oh man, do people come from all over. I really think that is cool.

And just another part of the reason I love this place more and more. It's a community. Small, nosey, but caring. A GREAT place to live........

Anchors Away!!!

Well crap......I really hate to admit that someone is right....especially when that means I'm wrong.

See, I've got a little issue hanging things. I'm not the handiest of folks, in case you didn't know that. And that extends to when I hang stuff up.

Usually I figure out where I want it, pound in a nail and VOILA! All done.

And that works for me. I used to have this HUGE mirror - heavy sucker. Cuz and I have hung it a dozen times. It takes two nails. Figure out where you need 'em, pound 'em in and that bad boy ain't goin' no where.

I just thought if that system worked for that mirror, it'd work for every thing.

One of the things I didn't have to do here in Paradise was put curtain rods up in the living room. Dining room and bedroom? Yep - but not the living rooms. There are "real" drapes already hung here, and I kind of like them. So I left 'em alone. Plus that picture window is sorta kinda big for me to be messin' around with.

Well, as I was sitting on the love seat the other day I notice the curtain rod is NOT straight. That is a new thing. I'm pretty sure.

So I got up and went to check it out.

Well I'll be damned. The flippin' screw is coming out of the wall. The whole rod is about ready to fall.

Son of a gun!

But the funniest (to some people) thing was that my first thought was "Now, why in the hell didn't they use an anchor for that thing?!?!"

Yeah, like *I* would have.

So, it looks like I'm going to need to redo this curtain rod. That should be real interesting.......no drill, just a hammer and a power screwdriver.

If you don't hear from me for a few days - send help.

And tequila......

GREAT Line

New favorite ad line......

"Nissan thinks when you put something in your bed, it should stay there"

I'd like to shake the hand of whoever came up with that one!

Daddy Always Said.....

.....if you can't say somethin' nice don't say anything at all.

I just wrote 3 different posts this morning. One I posted. One was so full of anger I just deleted it. The other was just too damned personal to post.

I'm not in a great mood today. I'm mad, hurt, scared...you name any of the negatives and I'm pretty sure it would fit right now.

So I'll just follow my wise father's advice and shut the hell up.

I think it's best for everyone.........

No Rights. None. Not Here.

We here in America believe in Free Speech.

But, IMHO, that does NOT extend to those who come to our country to visit (even if it is that worthless organization the UN).

You AREN'T an American. You've made it clear that you not only do not respect us, you openly HATE us.

So.......stay the hell out. Shut the hell up. You are not welcome here.

This Son of a Bitch reminds me of a jerk I knew in High School. Big trash talker. Bully. Agitator. Loved nothing more than attention. Thought that made 'em important.

And it was any kind of attention they could get. Didn't matter.

Yeah, that's what he reminds me of. Makes a lot of people miserable, loves the fact that they were afraid of 'em.

The day before he comes to this country he's gotta "flex his muscle". Make sure we know how much he despises us.

Hell, he's scheduled to be on 20/20 or 60 minutes or some such show. He's speaking at Columbia.

I think that's about the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I don't give a rats ass what he thinks. Or what he has to say. We owe him NOTHING. And I sincerely wish neither of those things were scheduled.

He's an ass. He's a bully. And my bet is if you call his bluff, put it back in his face, he'd turn it around that he's the victim. Cause, that's what those kind of people do.

Damn, if the UN is going to allow shits like this the "honor" of speaking, I wish they'd do it someplace else. You don't invite someone to SOMEONE ELSES HOME KNOWING that they will be disrespectful to the host. It's just bad juju.

Hell - I wish the UN would get the hell out of this country all together.

Yeah, this article REALLY pissed me off.......

Because I HAVE No Pride

Well, today's little "shindig" was kind of a bust. The weather is BEAUTIFUL. No one wanted to shop. Hell, who knows how many nice weekends we'll have.

I didn't even want to be there.

But I was, because that's just part of my job.

I did get a couple of pictures that I'm allowed to post. And because I have no pride, what so ever, I will post them.

Below the fold.

I said I have no pride, not that I was stupid........

If nothin' else, the kids all seemed to enjoy themselves.

Saturday Question

It's Saturday. And I may have to work, but that doesn't mean we still can't have a silly, nonsense Saturday Question. I mean, there's gotta be some fun in the day for me.

So, for some reason this morning I'm craving Muffins. Hot, fresh from the oven muffins.

Now my personal favorite is cinnamon. With a brown sugar/cinnamon streusel on top. Piping hot, thick swirls visible when you break it open. Me? I like to eat the bottom part of the muffin first. With a little butter melting. Then...then I tackle the "lid" (as I like to call it). You know, the top part of the muffin, with the yummy stuff, that's just a little crunchy. Ohhhh that's my favorite part. You get the topping AND some of that rich swirl.

What about you? What's your favorite muffin? Come on....it's Saturday. You can spare the time.........

I am SO Ashamed

I am a very petty, evil person way down deep inside. Really. I am.

That fact came VERY clear to me yesterday. Start with the fact that every 6 weeks I spend 2 and a half hours at the beauty salon. For cryin' out loud....that's ridiculous. But I do it. Every 6 weeks. In fact, I book my appointments a year at a time, and then schedule my WORK around 'em. That's just wrong....

THEN, I spend way too much money on stuff like make-up. Holy Crap! And it doesn't stop at the make-up, all those face creams, magic "make me pretty" potions. Stupid. Just stupid.

But it doesn't stop at vanity issues. Ohhhhh nooooo. I really mean it when I say I am petty. And evil.

Yesterday I heard something. A person that I'm not terribly fond of had a bad thing happen. They lost their job. Hey! I've been "let go" before, it SUCKS. And this person has a family to support. Did I feel bad? Nope. I actually giggled with glee. Giggled I tell you. The words "Karma" and "you reap what you sow" actually came from my mouth.

That's just wrong. And I know it.

Now, since I'm being honest, we're goin' in 110%. I DO believe in What Goes Around, Comes Around. I really do. And, while I will not NORMALLY seek revenge if someone does something wrong, I will not shy away if anyone causes problems for someone I care about. But I don't skulk in the dark. Oh hell no. I will walk up and confront you eye to eye, in the bright light of day.

But this? Doesn't fall into that category. Nope. It was just someone who I don't care for had something bad happen. And I did the happy dance.

It's wrong. I know it. I want to tell you it won't happen again, but THEN I'd be lying. And I may be petty, evil and vain but I'm NOT a liar........

Spoiled

Man, I KNEW this was gonna happen......

So here it is, not quite 4:00 in the morning. Here *I* am, wide awake. At 4:00 on a Saturday morning.

See, it's all because I had to set the alarm last night. Alarms are a bad thing. Bad Bad Bad.

Normally I wake up around 5:00 on my own. Sometimes it's a bit earlier, usually not much later than that.

But this morning I have to leave the house by 6:00 so I wanted to make sure this wasn't one of those rare "sleep til noon" kinda days.

Enter alarm clock, stage left.

The writing was on the wall when I couldn't settle down last night. Restless doesn't begin to cover it. And NO, it wasn't nerves. I was just already thinking about not being late today.

It's the same sort of thing that happens when I have a morning flight out of O'hare.

I love the fact that I don't have to do this often. This whole get up early and be somewhere at an actual time sort of thing. Oddly enough, I've got two such events this week. Today, and then Tuesday morning BIG meeting first thing in the AM over by the airport. That's one that is important enough I'm seriously thinking of getting a hotel room for, just to make damned sure I'm not late......

This seriously is the best "format" job wise, for someone like me. I HATE to be late, but I also like to take my mornings slow and easy. Usually that's exactly what I can do. But for the next few days, I'll have to pretend I'm back in that daily merry-go-round grind. Up uber early, rush rush rush, drive drive drive - then do it all over again.

My goodness, I HAVE gotten spoiled.

Fall Fest

Ahhh....it's Fall Festival in THE Valley this weekend. You can just FEEL the excitement.

Yesterday was Movie Day, I spent the afternoon down at Fritz's, talkin' with some of my neighbors, laughin' with the bartender watchin' a couple of movies. All anyone was really talking about was Fall Fest.

The carnival is just about finished setting up at the Middle School behind my house. There will be a parade, street dance, fireworks. Fritz's is having a Pig Roast - man that's some good eatin' there.....

But alas, I will miss most of it. Saturday I'll be about 3 hours south of here, WORKING a carnival. A Carnival of Savings. Me, Ronald McDonald and lord knows HOW many kids (who tend to have parents there - hence MY presence) will be, well, I have no idea. I just have 300 stuffed bears and a couple hundred pens to hand out. All I really know is I'll be leaving Paradise at 6:00 Saturday morning and MIGHT make it home in time for the fireworks that night.

This is one of the things I love about small town middle America. These festivals. Hopefully next year I'll be around for it.

Todays Funny Frase

Stress is when you wake up screaming....and realize you haven't fallen asleep yet.

Did I Say That Out-loud?

We've made a lot of progress in my territory. All of us. The plant has improved their efficiencies, my customers are starting to get excited about the product (increasing sales), consumers are actually recognizing the brand, and me? I'm just pluggin' away.

The main part of what I do right now is fix things. I'm not out in the field as much as I want to be, and hopefully that'll change.

But...all that being said, there are still issues. You know that saying, "One step forward, two steps back." Well yesterday we had us a little fall back.

It was a delivery issue, and the delivery is done by a subcontractor who I can't really "control". Technically.

So, I'm on the phone with the President of the delivery service, a Jersey Boy, and things got a bit heated. He couldn't seem to understand why I was so angry about 1 mattress being delayed until Monday.

Tammi: Well, I'll tell you what then. You go home and drag your mattress out to the garage and sleep on the f*ckin' floor all weekend then YOU tell ME what the big deal is!

The silence on the phone was deafening.

It was one of the rare times in my life I didn't say a word......I'd like to say it was for dramatic effect, but in all honesty I was still tryin' to figure out if I actually said that out-loud.

Now, I still won't get that matt to the consumer until Monday, but that was the earliest date in the first place. My anger was over the fact that he didn't GET it. He didn't think it mattered. What's a day or two? So what if they have to wait ANOTHER weekend.

This guy is flyin' out here next week to meet with me. We're going to tour their facility and sit down and hammer out my expectations for service to my customers. That? Should be a real interesting meeting.

Meanwhile, the word of my "outburst" has already spread......it's like one of those damned urban legends. Which is kind of funny when you think about it. I'm just a pissed off Italian broad who can't keep her mouth shut......who really needs to THINK before she speaks.

Either that or become fluent in some foreign language no one speaks.

Vote! Vote NOW!!! It's for the Marines!!!!!

I'm in Sales. We all know that.

I work for a manufacturer of consumer goods. We all know that too.

One of the things I enjoy reading/studying is brand recognition and marketing. I love commercials and "tag lines".

I know - I'm not normal, but I'm ok with that.

Anyway - Mike the Marine has a post that immediately caught my attention.

Cause it involves two of my favorite things in life. Marines, and brand tag lines.

Seems the tag line "The Few. The Proud" is up for an award on Madison Avenue for BEST SLOGAN for the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame. It's one of 27 up for that honor.

And WE THE PUBLIC get to decide who wins.

This is where you come in.

Vote. Click HERE and vote.

There's some pretty stiff competition, but IMHO this is a no brainer.

Contest runs through September 26, but don't wait. Go. Vote. Spread the word!!

Absolutely!

Teresa hit's this one square on the head.

The Iranian President wants to visit Ground Zero?

Oh HELL No!!!

It Ate My Friend

Damn. I lost a friend this morning.

And honestly, I don't have that many to lose.

There was this little black spider that lived on the window of the door between the sun porch and the garage, between the curtain and the glass. Now, normally, I would kill it immediately. But this one was kinda sorta cute.

And it wasn't hurting anything. Just hangin' out, crawlin' around. Kinda like an ant farm.

So this morning I flip on the light and go out for my morning coffee.

The first thing I did was glance at the door and stopped dead in my tracks.

There was this big honkin' ugly ass brown spider EATIN' my friend. And I don't mean that in a good way.

This dude is a bad ass. And aggressive.....not to mention quick. I went inside to find some sort of deadly chemical to drown it in, and he was gone.

And there was no trace of my little friend.

So now I'm on the war path. It's bad enough that there's a shit load of spiders around here. But this one is on the short list. It's obviously homicidal. Not to mention rude. After all, it's not at all polite to eat and run!!

YOU are my inspiration

Y'all ROCK.

Yesterday's Underdog post as well as Pam's comment about Mighty Mouse got me to thinking.

A) Those were GREAT cartoons.....man, talk about a walk down memory lane.

B) Those theme songs would work perfect in a training class.

I was thinking about this last night. We have a National Sales meeting coming up. I'm going to take those theme songs and "modify" the lyrics to go with our industry and careers. I think putting that music with pictures of different reps and playing it at the sales meeting would be a hoot!

So I'm going to start working on that. Then....I'll send the idea to my boss and see what he thinks. If he gives it the green light I'll send it to the Grand Poopah of Sales. This is usually the sort of thing they LOVE.

Now, if I can just do justice to it. The Underdog works perfect because the names of the villains in the cartoon can EASILY be replaced by our biggest competition! The Mighty Mouse? Yeah, I'll really have to think on that to make it really "pop". I want it to be funny, unexpected and close to home.

But I really just want to thank y'all. You have no idea how often a comment you leave or a post you put up triggers an idea for me. You make me look GOOD.

Thanks!

There's No Need to Fear....

Underdog is here!!!

That.....would be me.

You will not believe my day today. Seriously!

I was up and at it EARLY this morning. Lots and LOTS of stuff to get done.

Early on, my phone rings. It's the boss.

Tammi? I need you to get up to Rockford and buy two of our competitors mattress sets and have them delivered to Corp. (in Chicago) by Tuesday of next week.

Tammi:

Tammi: OooooKaaaayyyy. Wouldn't it be better if I went to Chicago and did that?

Boss: No, it's fine. Just get up there right away.

So.....being as I was in my workout clothes, I jumped in the shower and threw myself together.

Headed to Rockford lickety split.

To realize it's only 9:30. There is nothing open.

Seriously, I've GOT to start paying attention!

Anyway - no can do. Can't get anything delivered to Chicago before Friday of next week.

I call the boss, and Nope, that will not work.

So I head east. With the assurance that we'll talk in the next 30 minutes.

Finally, after a 2 hour drive and I can't tell you how many stops, I find what he needs. Available in the time frame he requires.

Except I can't get hold of him.

Now, I should probably explain that this is a down and dirty business. Cut throat like you wouldn't believe. I'm in stores that are NOT friendly to my company. And folks - I'm not kidding when I tell you I don't lie well.

The first place I just flat out told the guy who I was, what I wanted and why. He was cool about it. Thought it was pretty damned funny, actually. Hell, he's even giving me free delivery!! The second place I went? Yeah, not so smooth.

The sales guy comes up and gives me the "spiel". I tell him what I want, very specific. He shows me something....obviously he didn't listen to me. So I repeat myself. I see the light go on - he got it. So he tells me to hang on a minute and goes to get someones advice.

That someone happened to be my counterpart for my competition. GREAT This is how THAT conversation went:

Competitor: So, what's this for?

Tammi: An experiment.

Competitor: Are you a teacher?

Tammi: Kinda.....

Competitor: I probably don't want to ask any more questions, do I?

Tammi: No. Probably not.

I'm willin' to bet this guy thinks I'm some sort of a "sex ed" teacher preparing for something "special".

Lovely......

Anyway - still no word from the boss. He has the credit card. I'm NOT buyin' a couple of Queen size bed sets outta my own pocket. Nope. Not right now....

So I head to our corporate office, lookin' for him. FINALLY he calls. I'm in the parking lot of Corp. Where is he? Indy.

I tell him what I found, he's ecstatic and says he'll call me right back. That was 2 hours ago.

So this is beyond hurry up and wait....I am now officially Underdog. Cause I'll lay flippin' money on the fact that when some thing comes up, someone says "Don't worry. Tammi's there....."

Thanks to AW for the Underdog tie in! That was spot on!!!

Any Advice?

Mama Vi had a check-up yesterday.

She's doin'......alright.

Her heart is holdin' it's own. Everything else? Like I said, it's alright.

The doctor did tell her to lose some weight. She's have serious breathing problems. Not enough that they have her on oxygen, yet. But serious none the less. Her doc is convinced if she drops some pounds that will make it easier to breathe.

She is so discouraged. She is trying. But she is VERY limited on the amount and type of exercise she can participate in. She walks more than any person I know, at any age. And Mama is all about the veggies. Not much red meat, and very few sweets anymore.

Personally, I think she's not getting ENOUGH calories and her body is "storing" them up.

I really need to help her think of something. Money is an issues. We all know it is WAY more expensive to cook and eat healthy. So, I'm tryin' to help her come up with some sort of "plan", as it were, that will get the job done.

Anybody have any ideas? I know this is a long shot, but DAMN I hate to hear my Mama cry...........

And before you think I've betrayed her confidence by posting this here, it was actually her suggestion. While she hates my blog, she really likes y'all!

Today's Funny Frase

...and I have to play nice! Oy. THAT may well be my greatest challenge.....

Time is NOT my friend....

April, 2005.

September 2007.

Just about 2 1/2 years time span.

So can you explain to me HOW in THE hell, I got this much older in just 30 months?!?!

Compared to my Florida Road Warrior Days, yesterday was rather typical. Approx. 400 miles driven, 4 meetings. I left the house around 8:30am (later than my previous life) and got home a bit before 10:00pm.

It kicked my everlovin' ass. Seriously.

How on EARTH did I do this everyday for 5 years?! I feel like someone hit me with a Mac Truck and then backed up (several times) to do it again!!!

But - so you know, everything went fairly well. Not my best training class, but it's a rowdy group. It was sorta like trying to get a bunch of 5 year olds to listen when they've had too much sugar all day. But I think the $72 in pizza, $20 in lottery tickets (scratch off) and the gift certificate to AppleBee's helped. All that for just 8 people!) Oh, not to mention the really cool boxed pen set everyone got just for showin' up. :-) No, I am NOT above bribing folks to listen to me talk.......

Anyway - it's not quite 7:00 in the morning. I'm trying DESPERATELY to wake up. I've sent several work emails out, faxed out a "HOT NOTICE" to all my customers and have several reports to get done before mid-morning. It's kinda busy today.

But I'll just have to admit this flat out - this Road Warrior is gettin' too damned old for that whole Road part.......damned.

Just So You Know.....

The amount of money you make or how you invest it? Doesn't mean a thing to me. I care more about the way you invest YOURSELF.

The quality of your car? Yeah, don't care. What matters most is the quality of your humor and the way you spend your time.

How big your house is? So what. To me the size of your heart matters WAY more.

You wanna impress me? It's actually kind of easy. CARE about your family and friends. Take the time to laugh and be with those that matter to you. GIVE to others - give of yourself, your time and attention.

Yeah, that other stuff? Not so important in the grand scheme of things. And thinking that impresses me? Ha, you missed the mark there. Just so you know......

Good Sign

Hair Day.......

Some days chicken shit, some days chicken salad.

Today?

Flippin' Chicken Cordon Bleu!!!!

Today's Funny Frase

No Comment........

A Plan, of Sorts.....

Man, I don't know about y'all, but yesterday was about the longest day EVER for me. Seriously - I don't REMEMBER the last time the clock moved so slow. At one point I actually checked to make sure the batteries were right in my Old Timer's clock in the living room.

Damn.....

Today? Today should be interesting. You see, Tammi didn't look at her weekly calendar until Monday morning. It's that whole "trying to take the weekend off" thing. Yeah, well, the training class I thought was Wednesday night? Yeah. It's tonite. Now, in case you weren't hanging out around here back in my old Road Warrior day's, I need to tell you I take my training classes VERY seriously. Lots of prep work. Training manuals. Q & A. It's a dog and pony show. And each one is tailored for that customer.

Not something you can do in a day.

OK - well, the class is at 6:00 tonite. No problem. I have until 2:00 to finish everything up.

Until I am asked to come to our Corporate Office in Chicago this morning. That means I leave the house - for the day - at 8:00am. No comin' back to finish up or pick up anything I forget. It's out the door at 8:00am home around 11:00pm.

Folks? I got nothing. I sat here yesterday into late last night, staring at my laptop. Creativity gone. Hell, I didn't even dream about it last night, and usually that's how I come-up with some of my better ideas.

So - all day tryin' to come up with a very cool training show and all afternoon thinkin' and mullin' over the summons to Corporate.

But, there is a silver lining. Yes, there is.

I share the floor at this customer's location with only one other bedding company. It just so happens I know this company very well. It also just so happens that NO ONE from that same company has been out to that store - ever.

They've asked me to train the sales people on how to SELL BEDS. Period. I can do that in my sleep. And, my "tools" (for want of a better word) can be applied across the board. So - I'm going to do a training class that includes my products AND my competition. I'll stress that my main goal is to make the Sales People comfortable selling beds. I want them to make money. I want them to enjoy these products as much as I do.

Now, most folks in this industry would NOT do that. You focus on your stuff and put the competitor down. This competitor makes a great product. And they sell. Almost by themselves - it's that brand recognition thing. I'm just gonna pull a David and Goliath and take 'em on. Mano a Mano, as it were.

The message I'm HOPING to send is that I care. I care about the sales reps, I care about this customer. I want them to be successful. If that means they sell my competitors beds, well so be it.

I want to be their "favorite". I want them to make it PERSONAL. I want them to know I'm grateful EVERY TIME they show my product. Because People buy from People. When it becomes personal, when you are appreciated for doin' something, you tend to continue doing it. Positive Reinforcement. Get it?

Yeah - so that's the plan. Dear Gott, I hope it works, cause if not? Yeah, this could REALLY bite me in the ass......

No Surprise

Nope, not surprised at all to hear OJ has been arrested.

The ONLY surprise, in my mind anyway, was that he actually has 5 friends.....

I LOVE IT!!

Just in case you hadn't seen it.....

Chris Muir is THE BOMB!

Thanks Harvey - for making sure we saw it!

Take THAT you damned extremists!

About Damned Time!

Holy Crap!! Phin has finally posted.

I mean REALLY posted. And it's about Phinlet.

AND....yes, it get's better.......it even has a picture.

Oh Phin, I'm tellin' ya. He is a heartbreaker.....

Take Your Best Shot

I'm kinda proud of myself.

I've mentioned a time or two that my smoking has decreased. No, I haven't quit, it's just I'm not smoking nearly as much as I was.

For the past.......forever, I've averaged between 2 and 3 packs a day. Yes, I am aware that a pack of cigarettes has 20 individual smokes. I'm also aware that would mean that I was smoking between 40 and 60 cigarettes a day. I'm also aware that is a BAD thing.

But that's where my smoking has "settled" over the past 16 or so years.

Since I've moved to Paradise, and started this new job, it's down. So much so that my local "connection" (the gas station in town) has commented on it.

I'm averaging less than one pack a day. LESS than one pack a day.

And I'm not even trying.

I don't/can't smoke in the house. But I do smoke on the sun porch. That makes a HUGE difference. I've never lived in a "non-smoking home" before. I usually won't even make that a consideration. But I love this place. I thought/think it was worth it.

This morning I was up, out of bed, drinking coffee for A HOUR before I had my first smoke.

That is flat out AMAZING. And, just so you know, I power smoked that, and didn't even really finish it.

Used to be the last thing I did before I went to bed was have that last cigarette to "wind down". Now? I don't even think about it.

There's no more getting up in the middle of the night to have a cup of tea and a smoke. Hell, half the time I don't even know where the pack is! I usually find them still in my car.

The bulk of my smoking is done when I'm on the phone with personal calls. I'll take the phone to the sun porch, curl up on one of the chairs and light up.

But I rarely finish that cig. I'll stub it out about half way through. Yes, I'll light another, but I'm not really smoking them.

All that, and I'm not using the gum or lozenges I bought.

So - between that realization, and purposefully cutting back on the caffeine, I'm pretty damned proud of myself. Caffeine wise? Less than 1 pot of coffee a day, and other than the occasional Diet Coke, everything is caffeine free.

And I'm feelin' pretty good. I'm not sick. I didn't collapse. No withdrawals. Just......good. It's all good.

I'm just a little mad at myself that I fought this for as long as I did. Many of y'all were right. And this is your opportunity to say "I told you so" without me kickin' your ass......

Bark vs Bite

Ahhh weekends. Ya gotta love 'em.

I'm tryin' to. Weekends are not my best time. Never really have been. But I'm tryin'....oh yeah, I'm tryin'.

So, I worked Saturday. Should have just been a "quickie" but ended up being most of the day and, more importantly, made HUGE inroads in developing a strong, positive relationship with my customer.

Sunday? Sunday's are mine. The last time I worked in this industry I worked almost every single Sunday. I made a promise to myself I wasn't going to let that happen again.

Which brings me to last night. Here I sat, the house empty after a great Football Sunday. (Well, it was great in the sense that it involved great people. Personally, I bombed in my fantasy leagues.) I'm reading a few blogs, emailin' a friend....when IT happened.

8:30 on a Sunday night my fax goes off. It's my very largest customer. One I'm really strugglin' with. He's faxing a three page order with a note that requests that I call him ASAP.

Now everyone knows I work from home. They all know I'm single, no kids. They also know I'm really serious about rebuilding this territory.

Gotta tell you - it kind of pissed me off. Right wrong or indifferent, I felt like I was being played. It felt like they were taking advantage of the fact that I'm tryin' so hard to gain their confidence and get things on the right track.

I told my friend, via email, that I'm thinkin' ASAP will be some time around noon Monday (today).

Big talk, huh.

Yeah, gotta tell you, that lasted for about 5 minutes. I pulled the order off the fax and reviewed it. I read the note. I watched a bit more of the Pats/Chargers game. Then I picked up the phone.

Yep, I caved. I danced to their tune. I rolled over and played dead. I took the bait.

And actually I'm glad I did. We had a chance to talk, without customers breaking in, or my competitors interfering. We took care of the business at hand and had a chance to connect on a personal level. We talked football.

Overall the conversation lasted about 30 minutes. Not bad, but damn.......9:00 on a Sunday night and I was making notes and scheduling appointments.

There HAS to be a better way. I know that - I just can't figure out what that is.

It's official. My bark is MUCH worse than my bite. I'm not nearly as tough as I like to think I am. Now I just gotta figure out how to keep that little secret.......

Healthy? On SUNDAY????

Today is a different kind of Football Sunday for me. Oh, I got a few people comin' by - that ROCKS.

No, it's the menu that is "different". It's healthy.

Football + Healthy Food. Huh. Kind of a new concept for me.

So what am I doin' that's so healthy? Well.....let's start with a slow roasted chicken. Add in some fresh green beans, steamed with just a bit of seasoning. Add in roasted sweet potatoes - with Splenda brown sugar substitute (new favorite thing) a bit of cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg. Fresh multi grain rolls finish out the main meal.

Now - since it's Harvey's Birthday Weekend, we gotta have cake. He requested my cheesecake, but I've lost the recipe in the move. Yikes!! So instead I'll make brownies with frosting. Now....for those of us being "careful" I also have a fresh fruit salad.

Instead of chips and dip? Crackers with a very yummy herb cheese.

Sweet tea make with Splenda baking mix - just enough sugar to make you THINK it's bad for you.

All in all, I think it's a pretty damned good menu. We can eat without care. AND I won't feel like I've got to work out extra next week to make up for this.

But it's different. And to be honest, I don't know how long I can keep that up. I mean, seriously.......Football Sunday is pots of beef stew. Jambalaya. Steak Sandwiches.

Roasted Chicken? Fruit Salad?

Well.....maybe I'll start a new trend. Who knows? We'll just have to see how this goes.

My Version of a Chick Flick

My version of a good "sappy" movie tends to be a bit different than most women's. Yeah, not a big "chick flick" fan. Now, to be honest there are a couple new ones out there that I really enjoy. For instance "The Lake House" kicks my ass. It's not the happy ending that gets me, although I'm a big fan of happy endings (as I'm sure you know if you read here much at all). I appreciate the journey in this movie. The way they articulate "lonely" and how life gets away from you, and demonstrates that giving up and settling just causes pain. But I digress....

Not a big fan of THOSE movies.

Nope, my idea of the perfect sappy movie are many of the QUALITY football stories out there.

Yes, they have the predictable endings. Don't care. I love the stories and the process.

And my new favorite? Invincible. The story of Vince Papale. Yes, it's a movie, so of course they took liberties, but it's STILL a great story.

Part of the reason I like this so much is I REMEMBER watching Papale play. I remember his passion for the game. I think that's kind of cool (even if it does make me feel old!).

And - duh. It's football. We all know I LOVE all things football.

I love the underlying premise that if you REALLY want something, go for it. ANYTHING is possible. For EVERYONE. It's a message I belive to the tips of my toes. I enjoy movies that reinforce that.

But another, added benefit of this movie? The reason I can watch it 3x in one night?

Holy Crap! That is some serious eye candy!!!! I don't care if he's only 5'8". I don't care that he's younger than me. I don't care that his "earlier career" was...well, ugh. Hell, I don't know his politics, and as long as he keeps his mouth shut, yeah. Don't care.

To use Mama Vi's phrase...."He can put his slippers under my bed ANY time".

Football and.....him. Yeah, this is one GREAT sappy movie.

Blank, Diddly Squat, Goose Egg

Well, not many Irish Eyes are smilin' today.

Nope. Not at all.

I had to work this morning. Well, it went a bit longer than I expected so I wasn't home for the kick off. We were playing Michigan, and that's always one of my favorite rivalries.

At least it used to be.

Anyway....I get the game on the car radio just moments before the half.

WTF?!?!? 24 - 0!!!! Michigan WHOMPING my boys!!!!

Then, seconds before the half, they flippin' score again. 31-0.

Oh, the pain. The humiliation......

During the half they start to tell the story of how this horrific event has occurred....

I changed the channel.

I see the final score was Michigan 38 Irish 0.

0

ZERO

I'd say there must have been a mistake and they accidentally sent the women's field hockey team, but I honestly think they'd have done a better job.

Nothing.

No Points.

Not even a flippin' field goal!!!

When I turned the game, the Irish had -96 yards That thingy in front of the 96 is a minus sign. As in negative.

Holy Shit.

So I'm gonna go with maybe that wasn't really our team. It must have been the JV team from one of the local middle schools. Schmucker, Grissom, one of those......

I'm going to go clean my house. This is just beyond embarrassing.....

Saturday Question

Well, it's Saturday. Me? I'm working today. Oh, the Vertical Wheel of Fortune got canceled, but I've got a few stores to hit, and some more reports to prepare. That's ok. It's not EVERY Saturday so I won't complain.

But we should have one of our Saturday Questions. At least I think so.

And it is, after all, my blog........

Anyway, I was up early this morning. It's chilly. The temp was in the mid 30's. So I wrapped up in my fuzzy robe, grabbed my coffee and headed out to the sun porch to greet the morning. It's a beautiful day. Crisp. Clear. Almost perfect.

After a while it was time to head in and get this party started. I jumped in the shower and pulled myself together.

As I walk back out to the kitchen, it hits me. Ahhh.....pears. Yes, I said Pears.

I have a pear scented candle in my kitchen. Along with cinnamon. I love the way my kitchen smells.

And that got me to thinking......I've always thought myself a "visual" kind of gal. I sketch things out. If there's a situation, I create a flow chart so that I can SEE it, and then I'm able to get a better grip on what is going on. I like pictures. I wanna look you in the eyes when we're talking. Visual. See it. You get the idea.

But that is how my BRAIN works. My heart? Ahhh that is all tied to scent. My memories? All include the fragrance of the moment.

Growing up? It's burning leaves, fresh baked bread, fried chicken. My marriage? Stale beer and cigarettes. Sweaty clothes. (yeah, we don't go THERE very often!) My life since? Salt water, suntan lotion. Apple pie, my favorite candles.

So, as much as I claim to be all "visual", don't let me fool you. For me. It's all about the fragrance. The scents of my life.

What about you? What stirs YOUR memories? Are you visual? Is it a song or sound that grabs your attention and takes you back? What is it? And will you share?

Just a guy.....

Back about 3 or 4 years ago, there was this guy....who had a blog. Damn, it was one of the funniest, most insightful things I'd ever read.

He was just a guy in Chicago. With a wife and son. A job. And a need to tell stories.

He made us laugh - dear Gott that man made us laugh. And he'd inevitably bring a tear to your eye, talking about friends he had lost.

He talked about the Military. He made sure we had a glimpse past the curtain the MSM put up into what drives people. The Heroes that were fighting the fight for us.

He was a guy with a blog.

I've had the pleasure of meeting this guy. Several times. In fact, it's my honor to call him my friend.

But he's just a guy with a blog. The gift of bull shit. And a drive and focus to do the right thing, the likes of which I've never seen. A need to make sure the TRUE and RIGHT stories get told.

Things started happening, changing - as will happen when you put all those things together. That blog became a force of nature. This guy surrounded himself with other guys with that drive and focus. People REALLY started paying attention.

Now this guy with a blog has a post up about meeting the President of the United States.

Holy Shit.

Now, I want to make this clear. This is NOT a suck-up post. To put it bluntly, I have no reason TO suck-up. I'm putting this up there because the blogisphere has changed over the years. Grown. Many of you that read here wouldn't have been around "way back when". Many of you only know the Blackfive you see now.

He's a guy. With a blog. A tendency to drop names. A gift for bull shitting. Who loves his beer. And his family.

He's making a difference Every. Single. Day.

He's a guy. With a blog.

Now, go read about his day yesterday, then try and tell me that one person doesn't matter. That there is nothing we can do to make a difference. Just try and tell me that.

Cause I'll throw the bull shit flag.

Go read about my friend. Who has this blog.

Exactly

The Gun Line tells a tale....or is it reminds of us a lesson?

You decide.

Yesterday's Phone Call

New Boss: Hey PITA (his new nickname for me...) Final number is in. 71. We are not among them. You are safe. I repeat. You are safe. Call me.

Now, before I say another word, I gave MYSELF the nickname PITA, and honestly, I'm thrilled he's using it. It shows the man has a sense of humor and that we are establishing the basis for our working relationship.

Plus, let's face it. I am. But in a good way....honest.

Anyway - announcements have been issued to the press. We closed one plant and let 26 (not 28 as previously stated) office folks go. Total cut is 71.

I hate that for them. MANY of my new friends were among those gone.

And hate me if you will, but the truth is....it ain't me.

This time.

I WILL do the happy dance - for myself.

And say a prayer for them.

Then? After that? I put my head down and get 'er done.

That's the way of the world any more.......

President Meets With Bloggers - UPDATE!

Ok, this is just too damned cool.

Michelle Malkin points us to a couple of posts that share a story that just makes me want to stand up and cheer.

President Bush, took an HOUR out of his day, to meet with bloggers and two embeds currently in Iraq.

You need to read EVERYTHING. Go HERE to Malkin's piece and follow every single link. EVERY SINGLE LINK. Read Bill Ardolino. He was one of the embeds conferenced in. Bill Roggio was the other. (BTW - have you remembered to support the embed program at PMI?) N.Z. Bear was there in person and has THIS to say....

We all, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, can make a difference. We just MUST speak up. The word is getting out there......it's just a matter of who wants to be heard the most.

Me? Well, I've always been known for being loud......

UPDATED 4:15pm Uncle Jimbo has even MORE info (and links) on the other bloggers present. Hurry Up!! Get over there and check it out! Damn.....I'm so proud.

The Beat Goes On

Hee Hee....

I'm sitting here in the living room working on a Situational Analysis report for my new boss, when I hear it.

Actually I hear THEM

I flippin' LOVE Fall Fridays in THE Valley.....

What am I talkin' about?

I hear the Marching Band gearin' up. Yes it's only 7:30 in the morning, but I hear the sound of percussion wafting across town from the High School.

I think we all remember how I feel about percussion and drums.

Hehehehe

I never noticed this "feature" before, but then again I was always driving to work this time of the morning. Now? I'm thinkin' I'll just make Fridays Work At Home days.

What? Don't give me any crap!!! I'm a middle aged single woman........and life is short. I've never made any secret about the fact that it's the simple things that make me happy.

Drums in the morning? I look at it as a gift......

YOU tell ME

OK....let's just be blunt for a moment, shall we?

I tried to ask a few folks that I knew wouldn't laugh at my ignorance. But no one could help me......so I guess we'll just put it out here, and see if any of y'all have the answer.

deep breath

Is there somethin' "dirty" about the phrase "Sugar Sandwhich"? Seriously.

I get about 10-12 google search hits every single day for that.

I can't do any real research because I'm using the work laptop and I REALLY don't need some porn/sicko search in the history files of this thing.

You know, just in case.....

But I don't get all the searches. It's bread. Butter. And sugar. At least in Tammi's World.

Am I missing something?

Spin the .......

What have YOU got planned for the weekend? Huh?

Me? Well, Sunday we'll be celebrating the Blog Fadder's 41st Birthday. Cheesecake for everyone!!! No, not THAT kind of cheesecake. He has requested one of my plain, ole fashioned cheesecakes. I think I can manage that without hurting anyone....

But the big news, the main event as it were? I'll be at the Penny's in Niles IL. playing "vertical wheel of fortune". What is that, you ask? I have no earthly idea. There's a big event going on and I'll be there helping out a teammate.

Vertical Wheel of Fortune.....THIS should be real interesting. It's got Blog Fodder written all over it.

Big Ole Black Eye

I AM a football fan. In particular a Pro Football fan. I am NOT a Pats fan. Oh, they're good and all, but I could and would never call myself a fan.

That being said, I really feel bad for the Patriots players right now.

Thanks to their coach, Bill Belichick, they will all have to live with the doubt, the murmurs, that maybe their record is so good because they cheated. Maybe they didn't REALLY deserve all that glory.

And they do. Tom Brady is one of the best QBs I've seen. They always seem to be "the team to beat" lately.

And the coach has tainted that. By choosing to cheat, to tape signals from the other team. On the first game day of the season. How silly is that? It's not the playoffs. It's not "crunch time". It was Opening Day. Really, bottom line, it's not gonna help all that much.

So the TEAM will bear the shame. The TEAM will always have a taint to them for the years he was the leader.

A great leader brings a team/unit/group to glory. Hones their skills, brings out the best. For a while, I would have said that Belichick was one of the greatest. Now? Not because of anything more than a bad decision, I'll never be able to comfortably say that again.

The Patriots won three of the last four Super Bowls Belichick has led them to. But all that will be marred by a big "Yeah, but..."

Good goin' Belichick. You have an incredible group of athletes and THIS will be what will haunt that legacy.

Bit of a Rant

There is no such thing as Perfection. Plain and simple.

No situation is ideal, no person is without flaw. Sometimes that's easy to forget. You know the old sayin' "Love is blind".

But ohhhh when that is driven home, the reminder can be like a bucket of ice water down your back.

I got that reminder in spades yesterday.

I love my job. Really. I love working from home. I love the consumer products industry. I love bedding. I am excited about the future of the company I work for, and enjoy the hell out of most of my co-workers.

Yesterday we cut 28 jobs. Ouch Now, so far they are not cutting any field jobs. But.......that's just so far. This was round one.

I'm new to this company, and as stupid as this sounds I'm not REALLY worried about my position. Right now.

But, many MANY of the folks that I depend on for guidance and instruction are gone now. Their phones unanswered, their email deleted.

THAT scares the hell out of me. I am still learning the ropes. I never really had any training on how to do things in this world. My reference guide was just destroyed.

Add to that we were already struggling to get information. I was luckier than most, because I'm such a PITA most of the time folks got back to me quickly just to shut me up. Now, our resources will really be strained.

Our competition is taking full advantage of the chaos. FULL advantage. They are hitting my accounts HARD, making promises I cannot begin to compete with. Making accusations that I have no responses for. It's ugly out there right now. U.G.L.Y. Ugly.

The glass has cracked. The colors have run.

The honeymoon is officially over.

Today's Funny Frase

A train station is where a train stops.
A bus station is where a bus stops.
THIS is my work station........

Someone We ALL Should Know

I didn't/don't know all that much about the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Peter Pace. I'm ashamed to admit that, but hey - there it is.

That's why I was so grateful that B5 posted THIS about the General.

What a man. What a warrior. What a leader!!!

Take a moment and read this. Please.

His example of leadership and focus is one that EVERYONE can learn from.

SW Florida is fallin' apart!!!

Yesterday:

Helicopter crashes just off shore in Sarasota Florida - I know EXACTLY where that is. I cannot tell you how many times I've been out there boating over the past 13 years.

Bomb scare in hospital in St. Petersburg Florida - The VA hospital, by the way.

This morning:

Bus crashes into strip mall in St. Petersburg Florida - if I remember correctly there is a Mattress store in that strip mall (but I've been known to be "off" regarding my locator)

I'm just wondering what the hell is going on down there?!?!?!?

Out Of Control

The rules of politics are changing. And not in a good way.

Years past, I truly believe we here in America did a pretty good job of keeping our "shit" at home. We had our internal differences but showed the world a united front.

Those days are long gone. First we had Pelosi running around the Middle East fiddlin' in affairs that, quite frankly she has no business in. It's NOT a part of her job description, I don't care how you twist it.

Now, we've got a Congressional Representative, who also happens to be running for President, cavorting with our enemy. AND bad mouthing our country.

What on earth could he HONESTLY believe that would help? He SAYS he loves this country. He SAYS he's trying to change the world's view of us.

What he actually accomplished, IMHO, was to screw up the soup. Too many cooks and all that. He is NOT in any position to be speaking for this country. He was voted into office by the citizens of his district in Ohio. To speak for THEM in CONGRESS. That's it. Period. End of discussion.

Here's what *I'd* like to see happen. People do the jobs they were hired for. If they were voted into Congress, then spend time in their districts. Talk to and more importantly LISTEN TO the folks that gave them the job. Then do all they can to make that happen.

I'm sick of the grand standing, power plays. At the risk of sounding like some damned hippy - Power to the People. We're letting these jackals get away with this behavior. We're allowing this situation to get completely out of control.

I for one am done with this. I'm taking a page out of Mama Vi's book. I'm going to be writing letters. And making phone calls. I'm going to be campaigning for those people I truly believe will work for the BEST in this country. And has the guts to stand up to the ones who are only looking out for themselves.

What about you? Are you content to just sit back and complain or are you willing to stand up and try to make a difference?

Bleak

I get so damned frustrated with the media sometimes, it's an almost physical reaction.

Two days of testimony. Hours in front of those committees, listening to politicians primp and stage themselves.....and the headline I see this morning in the NY Daily News is: Gen. Petraeus: I don't know if Iraq war helps stop terror.

My blood pressure spiked immediately.

Here are the first three paragraphs of the article:

"WASHINGTON - Gen. David Petraeus cast doubt yesterday on President Bush's bedrock argument that the war in Iraq is helping to protect the nation against another terror attack.

Petraeus, the commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq, said he was too focused on the war to make a judgment on homeland security." (emp. mine)

See, he tells them that he's a little busy focusing on HIS job, he can't speak with authority about homeland security. But they bury that part of the answer.

I watched most of the proceedings yesterday. Working from the house, I had it on behind me. But you see, I was too busy focusing on MY JOB to hear everything. That's why, mistakenly, I read the headlines to try and get a recap. WTF was I thinking?

To me, this was all a big joke. A colossal waste of the good General's time. And THAT pisses me off.

We are at war. He is in charge of our troops - their mission, their lives, their safety. He didn't need to be wasting 2 days trying to explain the current situation to a bunch of folks that don't really care.

And that is truly what I believe. The majority of people in the House and Senate don't give a rats ass what is REALLY happening in Iraq. They only care about how they can twist and turn every word to their benefit.

We voted these jackals into office. And this is one of those times I can't help but think "You get what you pay for". Liberals banned together and won that one. Conservatives better pull their heads out of otheir asses and put together a solid, common-sense plan when it comes to the Presidential election coming up. Cause if we just roll over again, God help us in the upcoming decades.

We're headin' to hell in a handbasket.

Fitness Update

I keep tellin' y'all I'm going about this whole fitness thing a bit different. Different for me, different from most folks, and most especially from someone with a history of an eating disorder.

Now, it didn't start out that way. My first thought was - Oh! I need to buy a scale. Well, after some wise words of advice (code word for a bit of an ass chewing) from a couple of good friends I've marked that off the list. Nope. THAT isn't the number I want to focus on.

Instead - I'm honing in on a couple of different numbers.

My goal is 2000 steps a day. I'm at 550 as of this morning. And I can FEEL it. THAT matters to me.

I'm at two reps of abs and upper body work out. My goal? Four. Half way there....

But the main number I'm focused on is 8. That's the size. That's what FEELS good, that's what LOOKS good.

I'm not gonna tell you how close I am to that, but it's not too much of a stretch. Almost there....

And while I'm watching what I eat, I'm not dieting. Won't even try to kid you. Hell - I'm still working on that very yummy cake I made the other night. A sliver a day keeps the sweet tooth at bay. :-) But I do cook fairly healthy most of the time. Lean meats, no salt, lots of veggies. I've even been using that Splenda baking mix instead of sugar in my tea. 1/4 of the sugar and tastes just fine.

I'm not all caught up in the cardio game. That will come as I get in better shape. There is a positive that my smoking has dropped off as much as it has. I'm just plugging away. Making lifestyle changes, not flash in the pan moments.

So while I can't SEE any changes, I know they're in process. I see the progress in what I can do. I feel the progress when I move or stretch a certain way.

I'm pleased. We'll see where things stand next week.

Try To Explain

You're Right Army Wife.....it makes me sad too.

To say the least.......

Remember

The Horror

The Heroes

Change

Laughing Wolf reminds us that it's a different world.

Six Year Later

September 11, 2007. Six years after the world changed for ever. Six years after America was attacked. Six years.

I still get just as angry as I did that day. I can close my eyes and still see the sight of those towers, the Pentagon, that field in Pennsylvania. I hear the sound of the fighter jets overhead. I see Old Glory flying proud, every where. I feel the determination and anger of this country, united in it's grief and purpose.

But in order to see and hear all of that I HAVE to close my eyes. Because six short years later, so many in this country have forgotten. They've "moved on". And THAT makes me almost as angry as the memory of that tragic day itself.

Raging Mom captures exactly how I feel.

General Petraeus - A True Gentleman

I don't know who the bald headed son of a bitch is right now on the committee that is questioning General Petraeus but he needs to shut up and go into hiding.

He is about the stupidest, most glaring ASShole I have ever seen.

He asked the General - if Congress passes a law that says No More Money, but the POTUS says go forth and attack - what would you do?

Who the F*CK asks that kind of question? I'm frustrated that I can't see who that jerk is.

He won't let the General answer....interrupts and cuts him off and then complains because he didn't get an answer.

Oh My Goodness. This may have been a tactical error. Trying to watch this and work at the same time. Crocker and the General are doing a great job - I'm afraid I'd have broken down way before now and just had to ask the distinguished gentleman from wherever when he thought he'd be having his head removed from his ass.......

Sorry for the ramble - this all hit WHAM and I'm trying to run an analysis. I just had to say SOMETHING about this!!! Oh....mute is my friend. The mute button is my friend....

Too Much - I just can't resist....

I just wanted a piece. Just one. A quickie as it were.

But that just wasn't possible. I tried to figure out different alternatives, but to be honest....nothing was cuttin' it.

So I broke down a gave in.

I baked a cake last night. A carmel cake with toffee chips.

It's flippin' fantastic!

But I only wanted one ittle bitty piece.

Now I've got this whole cake here - calling me. Constantly.

Did I mention how good it is? Oh - excuse me. I got icing on my keyboard.....

It's Whatever He Wants

Friday is Harvey's Birthday.

And, in an effort to make things easier for us, he has his wish list posted.

Clear, straight and to the point.

Check it out.

Now, I just have to figure out how to pull this off using a "work" laptop. Gotta be careful you know - big brother is watching........

Restless

For a while there I was living the life of an old lady. Asleep by 9:30/10:00 and up by 4:30. Mainly that was out of boredom.

Now? Finally falling asleep around midnight but still up by 4:30.

And restless.....man am I restless. I can't sit still, but I can't get any projects done. I just flit around.

Routine. Routine is the answer. I know that as it's always been my copping mechanism. When I'm at my best, I'm living in a rut. And I like it. I LIKE getting up at 6:00, having a couple cups of coffee while watching the morning unfold. I LIKE starting my work day by 7:30, from the comfort of my living room. I LIKE taking an hour to run a few errands and exchange a few pleasantries. I LIKE knowing dinner will be ready at 6:00 and the work day is over.

Now, I know I've chosen a field that is full of emergencies and fires. I know I've chosen a profession that is made up of part bull-shit and part project management. Routine is NOT the norm.

But ohhhh some days I just miss it.

Some days I just don't WANT to call the shots.

Kinda strange to hear from a self proclaimed control freak, isn't it.......

Today's Funny Frases

If I throw a stick, will you leave?

Both Ends of the Spectrum

Never talk politics in a bar. Ever. I know that - and most of the time I follow that rule.

But I heard two things over the weekend. One made me smile. The other? Laugh til I about fell off my bar stool.

The first: Fred's finally declared. NOW we'll kick some ass.

That made me smile and nod my head. I didn't say anything, because a very wise ass man, told me NOT to talk conservative politics in THE valley. Not good.....but it was a pleasant surprise to hear.

The second was about the funniest thing I've ever heard: I think the perfect ticket is Edwards and Obama.

WTF? Just roll that one around in the old noggin for a moment. Edwards and Obama. Edwards. And Obama.

Personally, I'd love to see Fred go up against that ticket. Hell, he wouldn't even NEED a running mate - he could take that duo on with both hands tied behind his back.

Edwards and Obama. I still have to chuckle ever time I think of that...

Note to self:

Do NOT;

Use stair stepper while watching football and drinking a beer.

WTF were you thinking?!?!?!?!?!?

I'm not allowed to be unsupervised......

Opening Day!!!

FOOTBALL SUNDAY IS FINALLY HERE!!!!

Now, I've already screwed up in one of my fantasy leagues. I forgot all about the game this past Thursday and didn't get my team selected. Not good. Not good at all.

But that will not diminish the enjoyment of today. Couldn't possibly.

I have one big regret. The Football Room is still standing empty. Bare as bones.

Lana has had some issues and needs some TLC, and TLC for automobiles is not all that cheap. Hence, the furniture gets pushed back a month. Kinda disappointing....

So the first month is going to be on the tame side. But we'll make up for it....soon. I have no doubt.

My Buc's are playing Seattle. After the way my Irish played yesterday, I sure hope I'm not the jinx. I could use an excuse to do the happy dance.

It's Football Sunday......and I get to watch every. single. game. I'm in hog heaven.

This has been the longest year ever......

Tina?

Ok. There's a reason I don't like goin' out by myself. I'm a girl. I may be old, but I'm still a girl. Girls in bars by themselves often have.......problems. Real or perceived, there are still problems.

BUT, that being said, Fritz's is someplace I've been comfortable in from the very first time I was there. I just feel safe. Now, I don't go in there alone when it's busy, but if it's not packed, I'll go and sit for a few. No problem.

Most Saturday's after 9:00 it's pretty slow. I am comfortable and get a chance to chat with Fritz's wife, someone I really enjoy. So that's my goal. To get down there at least on Saturday nights, if nothing else.

So last night off I went. It was not real busy so I sat at the far end and waited for Fritz's wife.

Things didn't go as planned. There was some guy down there who just moved back up from Florida. Seems we hung out in the same bars and knew several of the same people. Next thing I know he's buying me drinks and giving me his number. I enjoyed the conversation, but I didn't need the number and I certainly am not interested in "taking a trip" with him. No, not so much. My Weirdar Radar goes off when someone invites me on vacation with him after an hour of conversation.

As the evening was winding down, and I was seeing an opportunity for escape, this guy decides to introduce me to his friend that just came in.

"John? I want you to meet Tina. We're from the same area of Tampa."

Tina? Tina?! I thought Fritz was gonna pee on himself. A couple of the other patrons just started cracking up.

Me? I smile and say "Actually it's Tammi. Nice to meet you." Then...I pay my tab, shake his hand and leave.

Seriously. Tina? I almost felt bad for the guy.

A good conversation is always welcome. Anything else? Yeah, not so much.

Tina?!?!

Go Granny Go

You have GOT to listen to this!!

This made me laugh harder than I have laughed in far too long!!

Please, if you don't ever follow another link I share, follow this one.

It's. Just. That. Funny!

Saturday Question

Well lookie here. It's Saturday. I don't know about y'all, but I haven't known For Sure what day it is all week long. Even worse than usual.

So, if it's Saturday, I probably ought to have some kind of a question. For cryin' out loud.....I did one every week for two years. This past year or so, I've really dropped the ball.

And since it's been so long, and I've got several different/new readers I'm not even going to worry about "repeats". Plus, I find some of my answers change with time.

Just to remind you, the purpose of the Saturday Questions is to take a little break from the heavy stuff in life. A mini vacation as it were. The chance to think about something that's just not so important.

So with all that in mind, here's today's question. Tell me about your favorite breakfast.

I love breakfast. Love Love Love Love Love. And for a while there, I did a big breakfast every weekend morning. Not so much anymore. But that might be changing. I kinda miss it.

Now, being a true breakfast lover, it's kinda hard to narrow it down to my favorite. I adore GOOD biscuits and gravy. And eggs fixed just about any way. I'm kinda odd, in that I don't like pancakes. Nope. Not at all. Love waffles, but not pancakes.

But my favorite breakfast is MY french toast (made with french bread, cream, vanilla and cinnamon) eggs, hash browns, sausage patties AND bacon. Fresh coffee and some nice cold Tropicana OJ. THAT is breakfast. Plain and simple.

So tell me about YOUR favorite breakfast. Do you make it yourself, or is there a special place you know will never disappoint?

First Impressions

I finally had a real conversation with my new boss yesterday. Or should I say last night.

I had a late in the day call down in Peru. Let's just say, it didn't go as well as *I* would have liked. There are issues that I cannot fix - I know, AMAZING concept, isn't it?!?! - anyway, he's the Head Honcho now, and it's called Baptism by Fire.

So I called his cell at 6:30. PM. That's 7:30 his time.

Oops.

I got his voicemail. No real surprise.

He called back within 20 minutes.

HUGE surprise.

I think the conversation went pretty well. Now, keep in mind - I've never met this guy. Never even talked to him. Exchanged exactly 2 emails.

I only called him Dude 1x and kept the cursing down to a measly 5 incidents.

Gee, I hope he doesn't get the wrong impression.......

I'd hate for him to think I'm a stuffed shirt!!

Just in case you notice....

I just heard that my site is all screwed up. Well in Firefox and Opera - it looked fine in IE.

Personally I think it was the funny email picture I posted so I took it down.

If it still looks wonky(er) than let me know.....

Oh, and thanks DT!

UPDATE: OK - looks like it's the "In Memory" video from the other day. It's gone. Let me know, those that use anything but IE, if that took care of it......

Thanks y'all. I'm shootin' blind here!

Spread The Word

One of the things I love best about Blackfive's site is the fact that it's a collection of EXPERTS. Folks that know. They've talked the talk and walked the walk.

And I trust them. They have proven themselves time and time again to KNOW of what they speak.

So - when I see THIS post from Mr. Wolf regarding the nomination of BG (Ret) Kimmitt to a position of some importance I pay attention. I think we all should.

And spread the word.

It's Just Plain Rude

You know, this latest batch/tact/attack of spam email is making me crazy. And really pissin' me off.

Now, Gmail has a pretty damned good spam filter. Catches just about all of it, so I have nothing to really complain about. Except - some times, a few of your comments go there. And I miss them. Because I get so damned aggravated just reading the subject lines of the CRAP that I just "delete all".

So sorry if I've ignored you. It wasn't intentional.

But damnit! I really don't care if someone is havin' a hard time (HA!) with sex. I really don't. I don't care if it's too big or too small. Doesn't matter to me. Nope. Off my radar.

Except that they just keep sending. And the sad thing is someone SOMEWHERE is probably reading this crap. Even though the same flippin' message is sent by dozens of different email addresses over and over and over again.

But do you remember the days they used to be more subtle? You know, you didn't realize it was CRAP until you opened it. Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't appreciate it then. But I miss the subtlety.

It's just all so damned RUDE. Not to mention the last thing I want to hear about is someone else havin' sex. For cryin' out loud.......

Today's Funny Frase

Today's frase is dedicated to Pink Ninja, a little angel that belongs to Army Wife and her DH.

Shoes are life.....the rest is just accessories.

I saw that on the calendar and she was the FIRST person that came to mind. I have NEVER seen a girl her age as crazy about accessories as she is. And adorable?! Oh.....you have NO idea.

First Time For Everything

Huh. I got dissed. Seriously Dissed. By one of my really important accounts.

That's never happened to me before. Everybody loves me, for cryin' out loud - I'm Tammi!! Here to save the day......

But it happened. Yesterday. First time in my professional life.

Gotta tell you. I didn't like it. Not one little bit. Oh - I understand why he did it. I actually can't fault him.

But damn....

I got dissed.

It's Official

FRED IS IN!!!!

Hot Damn~

And in case you didn't know.......he's got my support!

I Give. You Win.

You know, I've been really trying to get my head out of my ass and get life back up and rolling in a positive way. I really have.

I do NOT want this site to be full of depression, "poor me" stories or anything like that.

But I'm about done right now. D.O.N.E. Done.

Let's see.......I moved - by myself, started a new job in a territory on the verge of chaos, my basement floods, my friend moves, my God-Father dies, I've discovered a leak in the roof in my sun-porch, just the other day I discovered a leaky pipe in the basement, and now (I think it's related) I discover the valve that shuts off the water to the toilet is "bad" and I woke up to water on the bathroom floor. And those are the only things I'm willing to talk about here. AND that's all been in the last 2 months.....

I have GOT to get out to see customers today. I CANNOT miss anymore meetings, classes or visits because something is wrong with the house. Or I've got to deal with "personal issues".

If I didn't know better, I'd swear I was making this all up as a way to get out of work. But I *DO* know better. This is my *LIFE*. And right now? Right now it's kickin' my ass, and I can't keep pretending that everything is honkey dorey.

A new boss, someone I'm trying to make a good impression with, lots and LOTS of work issues, and water coming from EVERYWHERE in Paradise.

I'm done. I'm at my limit. Honest. I just can't handle One. More. Issue.

And I can't pretend otherwise any more.....

Starting

The best part of this new "fitness kick" I'm on?

I'm rediscovering muscles that I had taken for granted.

I stretch in the morning, before climbing out of bed, and Ohhhh - there's my old friend. My ass does want to cooperate. Ahhh, I forgot about that hamstring. Ohhhh, my abs must be tired of being cursed at, because they're letting me know they're still here too.

All that, and I'm smoking <1 pack a day. LESS THAN 1 pack a day, with all I've got going on. That's a flippin' miracle.

This is all good. I've always loved working out, and I've missed it these past few years. This is one part of my life I feel *I* actually have control over.

I can hardly wait to start seeing a difference. Oh, feeling it is nice, but let's face it folks - the proof is in the puddin', or lack there of as it were.......

Timing is Off

Hear that? That would be the shit hitting the fan good and solid.

Ohhhh, it's gonna be flat out insane around here for a while.

You see, I was kinda outta the loop last week. Big time. Add to that the fact that our corporate decided to start switching all the plants, and the reps, to a new computer server.

Except they didn't stop to think how that effects the reps or, actually to even tell us.

The last email I received was two weeks ago tomorrow. Oh, I noticed on Monday morning last week. BUT, I had that training class so I just left a message with our IT folks in Tampa and focused on what I could do.

Then Tuesday I was out of the loop. Wednesday, I left town. Still no email.

Yesterday I spent the entire day on the phone with IT trying to fix it. It's sorta kinda fixed. Enough that I was able to get my 150+ emails.

And to discover my new boss started last week. And has "requested" three reports. Due today.

And I have another huge training class tomorrow. I have nothing ready.

And I have to put together my prospect list (pretty involved) and submit that.....today.

And run my reports from August.

And my laptop is still not 100%.

Normally this would not be a huge deal. It'd be tough, but not over whelming.

But for some reason I've lost my rhythm. I'm outta step. My focus is off. However you want to put it - I'm sitting here like a deer in the headlights.

And it just flat out pisses my off. I was in the groove. Kickin' ass and takin' names. Saving the day. And now, I've got a new boss and I'm behind. Not a good way to make a first impression.

So this morning I'm going to go for a walk. Clear my brain. Then take a shower and make some breakfast. Then.......if everything works the way it usually does, hunker down and get 'er done.

Focus.......I've just got to focus.

No Complaint......Yet

I'm pleased to announce the DirecTV is on. However, I've somehow managed to misplace my boxes. The TV boxes, that is! So, I only have the TV in the living room operational, and that's alright. Until the basement gets set up, this is all I need.

Anyway....so there I sat last night. Happily ensconced in my Golden Throne, air conditioning set on "crispy cool", my favorite blankey on my lap and a cup of Apple Cinnamon tea on the end table beside me. In my left hand was the remote and as I looped endlessly through the Guide. It didn't bother me in the least that there were 400 channels and not a darn thing I wanted to watch.

I couldn't get that smirky grin off my face.

I really am an easy girl to please. It's the little things.........

Peace in the Valley

Ahhhh peace. And routine. It's about damned time. And today is the beginning.

Today I finally FINALLY get T.V. Now, I'm not missing any certain show, I'm just so happy that I'll be able to get back into MY life.

It won't be so damned quiet around here. I won't have to wait until 7:00 at night to have Something to distract me.......

I can play music, other than my iPod, while I work. There will be enough movies to choose from that even *I* will find something to enjoy, to distract me.

And there will be Sports Center. And the NFL Channel.

June 15. I've spent that time settling into a new house, a new job. It's been a long summer. A long summer with too damned much time to think. I'm done thinking for now. Right now, I just want to be entertained.

I'm not one of those addicted to TV. Most of the time, it's on for background noise only. It keeps the house from echoing. That's all. But that's HUGE to some of us.

It is a wonderful distraction.

I guess the idea of the Squawk Box and Peace is rather contradictory, but I never claimed to look at things the way most folks do. And I don't see that changin' any time soon......

A New Adventure

Well, I think I've come up with somethin' y'all should enjoy. A new "series" as it were.

I don't know if you'll remember the last time I attempted the whole "fitness" remake. It was Pilate's that time.

Yeah, we're not even gonna THINK in those terms this go round.

Currently? Well, I've been given the opportunity to use a friends "Total Gym" and I plan on taking FULL advantage. I have a plan in place and goals. Reasonable, attainable goals. By next year this time I will be the hottest 46 year old outside of Hollywood. I think that's pretty realistic. Seriously. All it'll take is a bit of hard work, major reconstructive surgery and a few thousand middle age women falling apart at the same time. Nothing outside of the realm of probability......

Anyway - this is the first installment. This morning......I set the machine up. All. By. Myself. No easy feat, since I didn't have the first clue on what gets connected to what how and where. THEN....brace yourselves......I read the "manual". Now, I don't have any DVDs to watch, but I read the manual. WITHOUT smoking a cigarette. See how serious I am?!

THEN...to really show you how focused this plan of mine is.....I sat down and actually worked out. For 20 minutes. I EVEN followed the suggested program in the manual.

And before you ask, no I didn't hurt myself. Well, at least I don't think so, but so far so good.

Like I said, I don't know how often I'll update about this little adventure, since I don't want to turn this into a "dieting diary" and all. I just know me. I know if I'm doing this, "stuff" will happen. I just figure it's better to laugh WITH people than alone.....

Annoucement!!!

I've got some pretty exciting news!

Back in October of 2005 a little movie called Waiting came out. It was written and directed by my very good friend's son. I'm so proud of him, and the movie has developed quite a cult following.

Enough that in a couple weeks they are flyin' his mom out to LA to help with the set of the sequel!!

Unbelievable. His first movie ever and they're doin' a sequel.

I'll keep you posted, but I just had to share the excitement!

It's In Your Point of Reference

What I have to tell you will SHOCK any of you that have met me.

Last week, I spent most of my time being out-talked. Seriously out-talked. The kind of out-talking where you can't get a single word in.

Me.

Tammi.

And, as I was driving home on Saturday, I realized that's probably why I talk so much the majority of the time. I spent my early life, not being able to say anything.

To make matters even funnier (well, in my mind anyway) I'm pretty much the "black sheep". The incompetent one.

You see, I come from a family of extraordinary women. Women that can do ANYTHING.

Roof houses, build things, fix cars, paint, arrange flowers, strip furniture - you name it. They do it. And do it very well.

Me? I learned by watching. I don't have "the touch". And my family just finds that frustrating. So whenever I try to do something they just push me out of the way and do it.

It's one reason I kinda sorta keep my distance. Because you see, take me away from the women in my family and I ROCK! I look competent (most of the time) and I can work. I can organize, and hustle. It may not be pretty. It may not even be safe. But...I make things happen. And I kinda like that.

Well, that and I actually get to finish a sentence........

Is It Time Yet?

While I was home last week, Mama and I had to make a run to Walgreens. Now, I have to tell you....one of my favorite places to buy Halloween decorations is that very store. Nothing is over $20 and they have some cute stuff!!

Being as I don't have any Halloween things any more, I was drawn to the seasonal aisle.

$50 later I'm set for this year. Well, almost. I need something to hold the candy and a fall wreath. Nothing fancy. In fact I think that will be a great project for Mama and I when I go back over there in three weeks. We'll just make one.

It's a good start. I'll just add a thing or two every year and before you know it - VOILA! A nice set-up.

But the stuff I have is soooo cute, I wanna put it up now. However, I don't want to push my luck with my reputation here in THE Valley. "The pajama wearin', walkin' by herself talkin' on the cell phone, puts Halloween stuff out in September" lady is not exactly the way I want to be known.

Well, at least not yet........

Todays Funny Frase

Chaos, Panic, and Disorder.......My work here is done.

Yeah, that about covers it!

Today's Funny Frase

Gesh, there were actually a couple of decent ones while I was gone - so we'll just group 'em together.....

Wednesday 8/29; It is as bd as you think, and they ARE out to get you.

Thursday 8/30; I still miss my ex.......but my aim is getting better.

This weekend; Take my advice, I don't use it anyway.....

While not exactly funny - the irony is not lost on me at all.....

The Best Medicine

Ahhhh home. Too quiet. Too empty. Home.

I took the scenic route home last night, pulling into Fritz's around 9:00. I just wanted a drink. Actually I wanted a couple of them.

And conversation. A conversation that had nothing to do with loss or grief or lonely.

And I got both. I laughed and more importantly shared that laugh. I hadn't done a lot of that these past few days.

The car is still loaded. Today will be sorting stuff, clearing out, relaxing. Tomorrow? I think I'll get caught up with some of the work I let slide lately.

But this morning was perfect. Sunny, cool, quiet. My coffee fresh and hot when I pulled myself from my bed place. Curled up on one of the fabulous chairs on the sun porch, not talking - not even really thinking. Just.....sitting.

Ahhhh mornings in Paradise. It's good for what ails ya!

Ready? Set? Go!

I am plumb wore out. Flat out spent. Done. Pooped.

And it's time I go home. To Paradise. Today.

It's funny, I mentioned to one of my friends that maybe this weekend I'd catch a flight to Tampa and stay with Cuz for the weekend. It was suggested maybe that wasn't the best idea. Maybe I'd just stay gone.

A few years ago, yeah. That could very well be what happened. But not anymore.

Of course, that was before all this happened.

Besides, I'm done running away.

Plus, I wanna go home. I'm ready.

So in a bit we're gonna run over to my Aunt's so I can say good-bye and then come home and watch the season opener for Notre Dame. Then, as stupid as it is, I'll join the mess of traffic heading out of town. The only reason I'm staying for the game is the fact that Mama asked me to watch it with her. Otherwise? I'd leave now......

Missed Opportunity

Well! I think I should be offended.

I guess Dee didn't think me trying to mow for the first time was such a good idea. I guess she just didn't trust me.

We got up early this morning, Mama and I, and realized we had to wait a bit for the grass to dry before I fired up the ancient lawn mower.

Just as it was about dry enough for me to get started, my nephew showed up. Dee had called and told him to "hurry up and get to Grandma's and mow." She claims she's trying to save me from myself.......

So no silly stories. I'm looking at this as I dodged the bullet. You see, no matter what I did, it wouldn't be the way Mama does it....and I'll tell you folks - she is PICKY about her yard.

So I'll let Master B (my nephew) take one for the team. Me? I'll just curl up here on the couch and sip my coffee.

I can learn to mow another day.

Maybe.....