I'm royally pissed these days . . . .

Took LeBug into a local breaks shop on Friday.  It had been making some noise every time I'd step on the breaks, especially after long-ass drives flying on the I; so I figured it was time.  Broke my routine Friday and dropped it off for about  hours.

$400+ later and on the drive back home, it's making new little noises . . . faint noises that it wasn't making before and I don't think it should be making.

I called them and told them how displeased I am w/their work and the dude said to bring it right back.  Well, I couldn't cuz, my priorities being right what they should be, I was heading to Miami in about 30 minutes to see Bryan Adams' Bare Bones show (for the 3rd time this year).

After bitchin' him out, en español, he agreed someone would be there at 9am the following day.  Big fat liar!  No one was there, and today no one is answering my calls.

Enter American Express.

Since I paid w/AmEx, I called them up and asked to question/dispute the charge because of the shoddy service.  We'll see what comes out of it.

Their research department will look into it and contact the breaks place . . . and might continue to contact them to see if I can get this fixed.  Also, when they took apart the rug area to get to the spare tire area where the key lug nut thingie is they never put things back and did not return my key lug nut thingie.

So . . . we'll see how things develop  . . . argghh!!!

 

 

What a difference a day makes!

By this time yesterday, I must've received at last 7 support calls and the BSOD on my PC.  Today, I just now got my first call (and one walk-by).  PC is working smoothly, no BSOD.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed things'll stay this way for the day . . . eh, for the week!  Granted, it's another short week for me, my weekend will start tomorrow at 4pm!  WooHoo!

 

 

I have a pallet -and-a-half left over of red mulch blocking LeBug's entrance into the garage.  What do do?  What to do?

OOooh, I offered the 1/2 pallet to my bro-in-law for a price; that of manual labor.  He is going to help me get the big pallet into the garage to store it for future use and take the 1/2 pallet to use at his place.  WooHoo!  We both win! 

 

And speaking of the bro-in-law; we had a wonderful breakfast this morning, made by him.  He, my darling sister and precious niece brought breakfast to mom's house and we had a family breakfast.  Surprisingly, they made it during real breakfast hours; like we ate around 8:30 or 9am.  Impressive, huh? 

After breakfast he fixed the potty in mom's 3rd bathroom while the girls visited. 

It's so good to see my sister be her old self again.   For years she had been suffering excruciating and debilitating back aches.  She had been to several specialists, none of them could find the problem.  She had several (yes, more than one, more than two, more than three; several) epidurals that provided about 36hrs of relief.  One July night, or more so in the middle of the morning, she was awaken by the pain, and there was no consoling her.  Bro-in-law drove her into ER where they ran a series of tests (as usual).  While they wouldn't do much to treat her back ache, because she was already under a physician's care, they found she had several (again, more than one) ovarian cysts.  The weeks that followed were dotted with visits to specialists to get her ready for a partial hysterectomy.  The procedure was done while mom, her kids and I were in Jamaica.

It's taken a few months for her to stop feeling any of the pains or pangs, and each time I see her, I see more and more of the sister I had lost about 4 years ago to the pain.

It turned out that there were about 3 or 4 cysts, one the size of a grapefruit and others . . . . the internal pressure they were causing was pretty much the root of her back aches.

She smiles and jokes around these days . . . and is not heavily drugged up on vancodine, oxy or the like.

So good to have her back.

 

 

Before . . . and During

  

 

Boss Lady

   

 

Weeds are all cleared . . . . shrubbery all trimmed

        

 

 

All done now!

    

  

  

 

 

Guava tree . . . . Before and After

   

 

Tangerine tree . . . . Before and After

  

 

  

I am tired . . . achy . . . . and sun burnt! 

So glad the yard work went so well and more glad it'll all be done and finished much earlier than expected.

It was hot, humid; albeit, not as nasty humid as usual SoFL weather, and the sun was out in full force.  Walking thru the orange store's garden center was almost painful, feeling the sun frying my skin.  I have great appreciation for folks who make the pretty gardens pretty and am baffled that there are people on this world who do that work.

I am not knocking it, I am acknowledging and appreciating that it is hard work . . . and I am spoiled silly.

 

Mom has been doing wonderfully.  Life is about 97% back to normal for her; she still feels her left shoulder sore from the incision, and is still mindful of no heavy or streneous movements w/her left arm . . . . some times I wonder if she might be over compensating, but I'm letting her slide thru January/February, allowing 6 months for healing.  She's walking close to a mile in the mornings, and about 1 1/2 in the afternoon, so she's staying active, and not having to stop to catch her breath; whereas, prior to the pace-maker implant, we'd have to stop 2x for her to catch her breath, and this was only walking around the block, less than 1/3 mile.  I am so proud and thankful that she is doing well.

 

On not so great news, JBen has lost his job.  EA went thru cutbacks and his position was one of the eliminated.  If you know of anyonw hiring a software developer, let know . . . I know a very talented dude who needs hiring.

 

Ow!  My face is sunburnt, it hurts to yawn.

 

Temperatures tomorrow are forcasted to be in low 90's.  Crap!  Showers in the afternoon that will bring in a cool front.  WooHoo!  Bring it on, baby!!

 

 

Holy Shit!  Have I really been away, neglecting my dear Xanga this long?

I have to come clean . . . I haven't been faithful lately.  Yes, I've been at that other place . . . uhm . . . Facebook.  I gave in to peer pressure.  I was weak.

So it's not really cheating when I don't do it as often as the other kids do, right?  And, it's not really seeing "the other one" when I'm mostly there for the goofy apps (FarmTown and FarmVille). 

I am so hooked on these silly apps, it's like I find myself slapping my veins, craving my next fix.

 

Promise to self:  try to check in w/Xanga at least 1x weekly.

 

 

 

 

Aaah, Dancing With The Stars is on again.   How sweet!  I missed last night's opening show because I was glued to Big Bang Theory, but managed to catch some of tonight's show; ;not the whole thing, just part of it.  I was particularly impressed/pleasantly surprised with Kelly Osbourne.

Loved the accompanying male dancers; oh, so smooth and confident and sexy.  Yup, hormes are whacked out.  Loved loved watching the men move.

Donny Osmond is one of the celebrity dancers this season.  It'll be fun watching  him; after all, I was engaged to him . . . yeah, yeah, so what if he never knew about our engagement, small technality.

What is up with Monday's line up?  My fave shows are on at about the same time:  DWTS, Big Bang Theory and House!  Sux!  And . . . no, I do not have TiVo

 

Well, I'm in Dallas for the week, and I'm not all that thrilled about it.

I don't know why I just don't like being here.  Ha!  That's a lie, I do know why I don't like being here.

Dallas has many negative connotations for me.  One in particular represents a change that has affected my life. 

In 2006 the technology department went thru a huge restructuring which unified all technology departments within the orgnization into one.  I got lost in the shuffle, and quite frankly, I'm just too tired and over it to start the uphill climb all over again.  I know I probably should, but I'm just out of oomph.  Does anyone know where I can get some ooph?  A nice dose of it?  Intravenously, so it'll kick in faster?

The organization is divided geographically into Affiliates.  Each Affiliate has a group of states, each has its own purse, each had its own IT.  Since the reorg, it's one big department for the entire orginzation.  It has had some benefits; it has had many pitfalls.  I suppose 10yrs from now, it'll all be good.  I hope 10yrs from now I've won the lottery and have retired.

Since the process, I feel lost.  I don't feel like I belong anymore.  This used to feel like a family, and I looked forward to coming to work every day.  I enjoyed my job and was tickled pink that I got paid to do what I did.  I am on my 2nd position/job since the reorg; and while I find myself having fun doing my job, I still feel like I just don't fit.  I'm lost.  It's no longer a warm familiar feeling.  I no longer look forward to coming in to work every day.  On Mondays, I find myself counting the days for 4pm on Friday to get here. 

I know it's not the job.  I (think I) know the culprit . . . but I cannot change it.  It is not withing my realm or reach to change it.  I must grin and bear it.

We often joke in the organization "Oh, you don't like your job?  Just wait a year, or two, it'll change".  We're an organization that is constantly changing.  So, I'll wait.  I'll whine in the mean time, but I'll wait.  And . . . I'll make the best of it while I whine and wait.

 

I took mom to her first (her PCP) follow-up since the pace maker implant.  She was so cute when I picked her up, she had applied her lipstick and blush; since she has some movement restrictions, she is in housecoat (the girls are free! -- I know, TMI!) and is selfconscious about her appearance, I guess wearing lipstick and blush helped her feel less self conscious.

Her blood pressure is good, doc drew blood and will let mom know the results later.

Next appointment is with the electrophysiologist cardiologist (or something like that), he is the dude who implanted the pace maker in mom.  And, next week is with the cardiologist who will take her case henceforth.

 

So . . . the trip was cut short and here are a few of pics of the drive to/thru Yosemite National . . . I hope you enjoy'm as much as I did (before all hell broke lose)

 A few shots of San Francisco
Aug 08

 Streets of San Francisco

 

   

    

  

 

The hearts were painted by local celebrities and placed around SF then auctioned, with the proceeds benefiting The American Heart Association.

 

   

 

  

 

 

Alcatraz . . . all tours were sold out . . . I hear they sell out way in advance

Buildings

  

 

This one was used in MIB

  

 

Love the detail

  

 

Look closely . . . beds, sofas, clocks hanging on the outside of the building

  

 

Hearst Building

 

 

Fire escapes . . . the wrought ironwork impressed me . . . Pop was a welder with the talent to create such intricate work

    

 

San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid

  

 

  

 

 

 

Pier 39

 

  

  

   

  

 

 

Bird poo

 

GPS go-carts . . . yet another way to take a tour of the city

Punch Buggy!

Check it out . . . a city tour on Segway

 

---

 

The drive across California and crossing Yosimeti National Park
Aug 09
(Happy Birthday to Mom!)

It was oh so cool seeing these wind mills . . . I've seen'm on TV for years, and I got to see them in person WooHoo!

    

 

Drive across Cali heading to Yosemite National Park

  

 

And, finally made it to YNP

  

 

At first, the drive thru just wasn't impressive . . . I remembered thinking that Mt. Renier's drive was much more breath taking

1.  

  

   

 

Stopped by a trail for JBen to do his daily run in his new red with shiny shoe-lace Disco running shoes

  

 

And then the scenery started to get interesting

 

  

  

 

And it just took my breath away!

   

 

 

     

   

  

  

 

Ok, I just don't get how a tree can and will grow out of the middle of a hugemoungous rock!

   

 

  

    

  

  

  

 

Pictures just don't do it justice . . . it's so amazingly beautiful

    

 

 

Mom came home yesterday and I've stayed w/her all along.  I see where my sister gets her busy-body/fussyness from . . . there's no stopping this woman.  I'll take it as a good thing. 

She made her bed before I got the chance to do it for her, she washed her dishes after her lunch . . . she's doing lots of little things like that for herself.  She is even slowly starting to feel more steady and leaving the walker or "the wheels" by the door when she enters her bedroom.

She is making the effort to do for herself what she can, w/out hurting herself.  Good mom!  However, for now a good chunk of her days will be spent in front of the boob tube.  I think maybe tomorrow we'll spend the day at my house instead, this way I can get my shit together, unpack, do laundry, etc. while she sits and relaxes.

Oh dear, looks like I'm going to have to cook the next few days!  I'm gonna pump her full of protein  . . . it'll help w/the recovery/healing.  Ah, always a bright side!