I hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving and had a great meal.  We just finished ours up.  Torn’s turkey was tender and juicy.  I went back for 2nds (my portions are small) even though I shouldn’t have and knew I won’t be able to finish it.  I was letting my taste buds overrule my better judgment…..grin..but it is turkey day, so why not?

We are just having a quiet day at home.  It is Torn’s birthday.  So I also made him his upside down pineapple cake that he loves along with our pumpkin pie.  I got him a dvd on the Colt’s Superbowl season, a few xbox games & a drill bit set.

I’m feeling better on breathing….still not fully normal.  Still going through a bit of tissue…which sucks.  But I’m not using as much meds.  =)

We finally got our bedroom set!  Holy cow, I’m so glad that this came when I was home.  I have no idea how Torn would’ve handled it on his own.  It was on 2 pallets (that luckily the driver was nice enough to keep), 6 pieces with the total weight of 1500#…icks.  One piece was 175#.  We unloaded the semi on the driveway during some big wind gusts, brought the pieces in, while they were downstairs unpacked them….holy cow…we now have 6 bags of Styrofoam and 6 huge bundles of cardboard.  Of course, it now needs to stay in the garage until next week, since it is too damn windy to put it outside, and since trash day was yesterday…..lol  It took us longer to clean up after the trash then it did to put it together.  But we didn’t find any damage to the set….which amazed us.

We got it together.  Not many pieces and easy to figure out, just heavy. The bedroom seems empty with only 1 dresser……..lol  And even though I have empty the other dressers and took things from the closet shelves, we still have some drawer room….very cool.  The clothes move took me less time then I thought it would.

Holy cow, that bed is higher then I thought it would be.  With the mattress, it comes to my hip, luckily the bed came with a step stool.  But it nice as hell not to be sleeping on a mattress on the floor.  =)  It is so nice to finally have our bedroom put together.

(Click on pictures to get full size)

I called and talked to my family today.  I always have to pester them on the holidays………lol….even though I’m seeing them in less then a week.

I’m starting to stress…..we have work that we need to do for our business, I have work to do with my job, plus get ready for payroll that needs to be ordered Sunday/Monday, pack, balance our books, put my tree up, get the xmas cards done and my nails….icks…freak out time.  I will be starting full steam ahead tomorrow.  Which I need to start off with going to the gym since it has been a week…between being sick and then waiting on a delivery for 2 days…gggrrr I’m not happy about that, especially since I won’t be going to the gym the 3-14th….not good.

Trying to stay out of the office most of the day and moved my laptop to the living room.  I’m going to close this and work on moving some pictures around on my hard drive.  =)

Have a great Thanksgiving!

(I really need to get me a content mood icon………lol)

Current Mood: Loving

Love you Torn!!!

This is getting old.  Supposedly our bedroom set is out for delivery…..any time after 1pm.  We’ve gotten the bedroom ready by removing everything that we could and putting the new mattress up against the wall.  I just want it get here so I can get our bedroom back together.

It was nice to be able to wake up without my back wanting to spaz out.  I did actually get some sleep last night. It was still rough with the breathing issues. I’m tired of not being able to breathe correctly, I hate the upset tummy that sinus issues gives me, I hate the horrible breath I have regardless of mints and mouthwash, I hate that my ears feel plugged and the constant tireness….yes, I am bitching because I’m miserable.

We should’ve gone to the gym, but I don’t want to go if I can’t do my 30 on the treadmill without dieing.  Plus, I really wanted to get things together for the delivery.  I bet if we had gone to the gym, it would’ve gotten here earlier.  =( I hope to feel much better for it tomorrow.

We got the old set in the other room, it is very tight, but the cats like it….more beds to sleep on.  Of course that bed is now covered with sheets due to all the cat hair it will attrack…icks.

Damn….I wish they would get here.  I hate waiting on others, it really messes up my plans…at least my focus.

A few days ago, one of the blogs that I read posted this article, more on the lighter (yet serious side) of women imagery :

First lady got back

Then on a sad note, an article on how the military still does not actually address domestic violence : Despite Army’s Assurances, Violence at Home   I remember growing up that you could always tell when it was pay day on post.  People were drinking more and there were more family fights.  =(

Current Mood: Reflective & Chilling

Well, I’ve kind of been a funk last few days.  I’ve been getting my daily work done, but it has been a struggle to do anything else.  I need to focus, when I don’t focus or get side tracked I don’t get things done and then it stresses me out.  That is something that I’ve learn in my years of management.  If I’m called away from my project, I do what I need to do, then go back to work.  It was and is the only way to get things done in a timely manner.  I was doing good until yesterday….then it became a struggle and it isn’t like I don’t have things to do.

I did clean out of my flash drives, since I have a new travel hard drive. Which is great, now I don’t have to worry about forgetting to put something on the flash drives before traveling.  I got around to getting the xmas cards out…..need to start writing up the holiday letter.  I need to get them started this weekend….especially since I leave on Dec 3 until the 12th visiting family. So I need to get my tree up on Dec 1st with payroll and then get my nails done on the 2nd and get packed….icks

We were suppose to get our new bedroom set this coming Monday, but that got changed until Dec 7th. =(  That sucks.  I won’t be home to help, so I feel horrible.  I do want get the dressers moved to the other room before I go…it will help me feel better about it.

Torn has been sick all week, so I’ve been going to the gym by myself.   It has been weird, but I have been still improving my distance on the treadmill.

I  had to call my family this week a few times.  My sister has a shit load of issues which causes stress on my folks, especially since she won’t take responsibility for herself, then my mother has anger issues.  And, of course, she is like her father refuses to see that there is an issue and won’t see a counselor.  I hate that trait that she has.  She use to take the kids to a counselor, but as soon as the counselor brought the focus on her and brought up her shortcomings, she hasn’t been back.

Both my sister & my mother get riled up and cusses a lot and to the kids, which totally upsets my dad.  Dad believes in sitting down and talking to the kids, not yell at them all the time…because the oldest is now cussing.

It doesn’t help, that dad turns 60 tomorrow and is raising his 3 grandkids…not exactly where he expected to be in his life.  So I really stress about how much longer the kids and I have my father.  I hope we got him for at least 20 more years…but he has health issues from his tours in ‘Nam and years in the Army.  So that has been on my mind a lot.

A few days ago I posted a link to the story about a WWII vet talking about the slave camps of the Nazi that he was forced in as a POW.  Well, his story let the brother of one the men know what actually happened to him :  After 63 years, vet learns of brother’s death in Nazi slave camp

Current Mood: Reflective

I got my walk in yesterday.  I did a trail that was suggested by our neighbor.  I had a small climb and then the rest of the trail was behind the houses of a subdivision.  After a very long walk in through the subdivision, I came out 9 blocks from our place.  So it was the furthest I’ve been around here, but I”m still exploring.  I’ve gotten to where I will sometimes go for walk around here at night.  Just seems peaceful and helps to clear my mind.

I worked on trying to get things done around the house yesterday.  I got the dresser cleared off, reworked the bookcase, ordered some steaks from Omaha, got some laundry done and a few other little things.  It felt good to get some things accomplished.  Today I got the downstairs vaccumed, I still need to do upstairs tomorrow and clean out the litters…..the never ending battle……lol

I did very good on the treadmill today, I got 2.98mile in 30min.  =)  It took longer at the gym then normal.

I ended up talking to one of the ladies at the gym.  She had a personal story that I found very interesting.  Her husband was in the military in the 60s & 70s.  They were living in the south when Hurricane Camille hit in ‘69 and ended up in a shelter with their 6week old daughter.  While they were there another baby was crying and nothing the mother did was able to calm it.  When she asked this mother if there was anything she could do, she said that the baby was hunger.  Since she was nursing, she offered to breastfeed that mother’s baby…which totally surprised the mother…..because the crying baby was black and the nursing mother was white.  With it being the 60s and the south….that is totally unheard of.  It was common for black women to be used as wet nurses to white babies, but not the other way around.  But the lady insisted on helping the crying baby while the mother could not stop thanking her.  She simply said, “are you a christian?” and when the mother said yes, “then that settles it, I’m a christian”

I love hearing little individual stories like that.  Even through it took marches and protests to get civil rights addressed, a lot of people did things that were not reported that helped in some small way.   Even though I’m agnostic,  I love hearing when people actually practice the meaning of their faith instead of using it for hate and division.

Here are some articles to show that we are still moving forward on progress :

Army gets first female four-star general

**I love this!  Not only the fact that she has broken a HUGE barrier, but the history that there has been a member of her family in every war since the Revolution and other women in her family are making strides for women.  Her page  : Ann E. Dunwoody 

Now this one kind of surprised me, but kind of didn’t.  It helps that a new generation is moving into the military that is more open minded, which makes it easier for some to speak up :  Admirals, generals: Let gays serve openly

I got my Nov 5 Chicago Tribune today, still waiting on my NY Times.  I just want to be able to preserve part of the history of this election.  =)

Current Mood: Amused

Current Mood: Accomplished

I finally got a moment to write a blog.  I’ve been pretty busy the last few days, just getting work and payroll done.  I did finally got our check books balanced, a never ending battle.  Everytime I thing I’m caught up, there is another pile of receipts to enter…icks  I didn’t even go for my walk today.  I just really wanted to get everything done, so I can spend most of tomorrow out of the office.  In fact, I’m in the living room now writing this…I had to get out of there.

I was bad Thursday and didn’t go to the gym.  But I had a bunch of little errands that I’ve been avoiding that needed to be done, including my beaten up nails.

I did go to the gym Friday and did the best I have ever done on the treadmill.  2.96 miles in 30 min….I’m getting closer to the 3mile mark…not bad, since when I started I use to only get 1.88 mile in 30min.

We still don’t have our new bedroom set.  =(  So I had to change the date for the delivery of the matteress to this coming Tuesday.  Hopefully, we’ll have it by then.  I’m getting better about waking up enough at night to make sure that I’m on my side/belly instead of back.  Because if I don’t, I really hurt in the morning and can’t really move.  =(  It is like it wants to seize up.

I’m thinking of getting my long dresser cleared off of all the pictures and knick-knacks that I have on it.  Just to get it ready when we finally do move it.

I did wake up the other morning, Drew was infront of my face on the pillow and Sakura was behind my head on my pillow.  Then I also had Reggie trapping my feet……..lol  It was cute and loving.

Unfortunately, Torn found a flea on Alexis today.  =(  So all 4 of them ended up with baths.  Alexis and Reggie did much better, they don’t like it at all, but they handled it better then they have in the past. The other two….well Sakura was curious and even on got on the counter to see what was going on with Alexis.  Normally she would be punished for going on the counter, but with us needing to give them baths we didn’t want to get them any more upset they will be.  Because of her noisiness, Sakura got the next bath.  =)  She is really a fighter and was all over the place…squirming all over.  Drew has some really long limbs and got Torn a few times….lol

We didn’t find but 1 other flea on Alexis and none on the others…of course that doesn’t mean anything, since they are so hard to find.  I’m really wondering if we should give them baths every 2 weeks (the most frequent recommended by the flea shampoo), just to make sure.

I have a few news articles that I’ve come across this week that I thought were interesting.  This one was more of “historical” look into how the US have had periods of change, I found it on one of my friends blog :  Obama and the dawn of the Fourth Republic

Now this one I got a kick out of, What Are Rich People Thinking?  Just by the polls, people who actually make more the$250k a year voted for Obama, voted to raises taxes on themselves.  It is the people just below that amount that had an issue.  What does that say about the fact that they realize that it is actually “duty” and, yes, patriotic to pay your taxes.

I normally do a post on Veterans Day, but I failed at that this year.   I guess the part that bothers me, is that yes we need to have a day for vets, but they need to be acknowledged everyday…not just once a year.  Then I read stories about how vets are not getting the treatment from the VA that they need, then I worry about my dad and the stuff he has to go through with them.  It pisses me off, that him and other vets go through that. I just hope that Torn never needs the VA.

Here are a few stories that I found very interesting :

Oldest WWI survivor remembers forgotten ones

Group finds, buries remains of forgotten vets

WW II vet held in Nazi slave camp breaks silence: ‘Let it be known

And you can’t think of Veterans Day without thinking about our current wars :

On Veterans Day, Don’t Forget About the War

I really don’t remember when I posted last and I don’t feel like looking….lol, but I know that it has been few days.  I spent most of the weekend away from the pc or a least workwise, until Sunday evening.

Spent the weekend reading articles from behind the scenes of the campaigns, went for walks and going through my clothes.  So far, I have 3 bags of clothes going to donation.  I may drop them off tomorrow, we’ll see.  I wanted to start cleaning out my clothes, because we finally ordered our new bedroom set.  And our new matteress…..thankfully, because in the last year my back has been hurting when I get up.

This is the bedroom set we got without the mirror :  Country Oak Bookcase Storage Bed

We also got it in king because when the cats want to sleep with us, we run out of room.  It is amazing how much room those little buggers take up, even when it is only one of them.  They are shipping it freight, which is the 1st for us.  So we don’t know what to expect….for them to drop it and run or help us move it upstairs.  I’m anxious as heck to get it.  I’ve had this set since ‘92…..just wish it wasn’t so scratched up from the moves and cats. =(

Once we get it confirmed on the date of delivery, we’ll be moving the other set to the spare room and just leave the mattress on the floor that that night.  I also need to time the delivery of the mattress.  That we brought local, it has a 100 day guarantee.  We haven’t brought a mattress in years and we didn’t want to order one online and it hurt our backs and not able to return it.

I came across this article today : Jewish Group Wants Mormons to Stop Proxy Baptisms  This really pisses me off.  What gives them the right to disrepect the dead and their faiths?   That is just a huge, huge insult to the people who had passed and their beliefs.  They are no better then Taliban on forcing their religion on others almost worst, they are dead and have no way to fight it.  I swear if anyone tries that with me, I will haunt their ass to their dieing day.

I think Drew is the 1st real lap cat we have ever had.  Randi was one, to a point….she was definitely possessive of Torn.  =)  Sakura is just a fighter, but so damn cute….grin

I did actually get some work done today.  Amazing what you can get done when there isn’t a major election going on……lol  It was nice to be able to just put my ipod on to some jams and work.

I’m kind of at a lost now.  Slowing down on the news sites….some what.  Still addicted…trying to get a look into what he will do cabinet wise.  I really, really hope that he goes bi-partisan…like Hagel for Secretary of State, Lugar in a foreign policy position.  I would be disappointed if he does not have somel republicans in his cabinet or as advisers.

I am an independent liberal, I don’t make any bones about it, but I don’t want the dems to run over the reps.  There are many good reps and many bad dems.  I want people to work together.  I actually didn’t want moderated GOPers to lose their sits, like Shays.  If you removed the moderates you leave the extremist and those are the ones that I have issues with. I do NOT like the fact that Pelosi does not allow rep input into house bills.  That is not right.  Just because when the GOPers had control that they abused it, doesn’t mean the dems should.  I really hope that Obama keeps them from shutting the GOP out….I hope that he keeps his promise for humility.

Hope is a great thing to have, but not use to having it after 8yrs of Bush.  I know that President-elect Obama is not going to do everything that I like,  but I just so want the direction of this country to change. It has to be better then the last 8yrs.  So I have hope.

I’m tired of our Civil Rights being trampled on, I’m tired of them twisting and changing of our fundamental laws, laws that helped make America what it is, I’m tired of how they seem to think that they are above the law (I would so love to see Bush impeached…there is the principle of the Constitution to be made),  I’m tired of an administration that made our country so hated and disrespected world wide that we are no longer the beacon of hope, I’m ashamed that they have allowed the use of torture, I’m tired of feeling as if only the big cats can succeed and get anywhere in today’s America.

And Obama gives me hope that this will be changed.

I also really like that fact that for the 1st time since the Fords that we actually have a couple who love each other.  I really like the fact that the Obama’s and the Biden’s seem to actually like each other…not just for political appearance.

The election of Obama is a huge leap in the right direction for this country.  We still have a very long way to go, black males make up the majority of the prison population, which leads to huge disenfranchisement of voters and effects them economically, which in turns effects the family and their education, the difference in the income between the races……this is list is huge.  But I so hope that now with having a man of color be President, it will help the  younger generation realize that they can do anything….give hope and dreams.

This commentary is great peek into how we are changing as a country:  Commentary: My father, George Wallace, and Barack Obama

I’m also very proud to hear that my 12yr niece took an interest in this election.  She was upset that she couldn’t vote for him.  And her small town rural, nearly all white school voted for Obama.  Reminds me of ‘84 when I was in 6th grade.  We voted for Jesse Jackson.  When I talked to my sister, she told me how my niece woke her up at 5am all happy that he won and wanted to call me……..lol  My sister had to explain to her that it was 2 am my time and not a good time to call me……lol

It is late here and it time to get to bed.

Current Mood: Patriotic & Reflective

We are downstairs set up in front of the TV watching ABC election coverage.  Good to see some of my favorite pundits on there….get tired of CNN Wolf Blitzer and the “Best Political Team”…what ever.  Just because you say it doesn’t make it true.   We end up watching CNN a lot because the only other choice is FoxNews….yuck.  But CNN has way too many fracking commercials.

So far it stands Obama 102 & McCain 34….keep your fingers crossed for some more battleground states going to Obama.  What surprises me is they can’t call Alabama or Mississippi yet…wow…  I would love for Indiana and Florida to go for Obama.   Indiana hasn’t even counted Lake Country….that would help take care of that state on maintianing his lead.

Torn has been cooking all day.  He made his tasty chili and also his broccoli cheese soup.  I love having those on chilly days and we now have enough for the next few days.

YES!!  Dole has lost!  Hot Damn!

Indiana is now not looking like it is going to Obama.  But several of the counties surprised me…like White County going for Obama…really weird.