Back and Forth

For two years I've had my own office at work, but a few weeks ago one of the Business Units decided they needed our office space and stuck us in cubicles on another floor.

OK, fine. In most industries, service personnel are usually treated with a minimum amount of civility and truthfully, I was very surprised when I moved to this location that I actually had an office.

Two years of a great view of the Southern sky from the 11th floor spoiled me rotten and when I got the call that they were moving me to a cubicle with no view of a window, I got a little perturbed, but move I did.


Not that I had a choice!!

Well, I was a cubicle dweller for 3 weeks when I got the call to move back to my old office; they needed the cubicles for some contractors.

So, here I am, back in my old office and happy to have my view back.

And my privacy!

Back and forth! Back and Forth!

I hate moving!!

(Can I point out how green the view is from my window?)

The first step

For about the past two years I've been going to http://www.har.com/ and checking out homes that are for sale here in the Katy area. There have been lots of cute houses come and go on the site, but I never got up the nerve to call the realtor so that I could take a look at them.

Well, that changed last week. I made an appointment for this past Saturday to look at a house that's just around the corner from where I am now.

It's a cute house, but has 1 MAJOR problem and a few itty bitty ones that could be addressed after move in, if I were to buy it.

The major problem is that the A/C system doesn't work and would need to be completely gutted with a new unit and duct work throughout! Yeah, it'll cost a pretty penny to get that done.

That's ok by me, but in talking with the realtor, it sounds as though the mortgage company that's trying to get rid of it (pre-forclosure) isn't willing to budge much on price and doesn't even want to hear from a buyer if they have seller considerations. I'm not really sure why, since the house has been empty for a year now. I'm ok with not having any seller considerations, if they'll accept an offer that's considerably lower than what they're asking.

But, before I get ahead of myself, I need to sit down and figure up the cost of what needs to be done. Can I really afford to be a home owner?

Anyway, it's only the first house I've looked at, but it's a first step!!

Blog Post by: Normal Mormon Husbands

This is by far one of the funniest blog posts I've ever read! Whether you're a Twilight fan or not, I think you'll enjoy!!

The Twilight Series for Dummies (And Totally Desperate Mormon Guys)

Tuesday's Tag

List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections and 3 random facts about myself:

I got this from my friend Kelli's blog.



JOYS:

1. Friends

2. Relationship

3. Travel



FEARS:

1. Abandonment

2. Being physically in water that I'm unsure of (lakes mostly, who knows what's underneath you that you can't see)

3. Needles



GOALS:

1. A second date

2. A third date

3. The 5k Fun Run next March



CURRENT OBSESSIONS/COLLECTIONS:

1. I have a growing collection of BBC/A&E/Hollywood adaptations of literary classics - It all started with A&E's P&P

2. Doing name extraction work via the Family Search Indexing site

3. Do I have to have 3???



RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

1. I have a sheared off titanium screw in my right ankle

2. I was almost arrested when I was 16 for driving without my license. I hadn't had it long enough for it to be in the system and when I got pulled over, they couldn't find it.

3. I read too much into what people say and do; especially if I'm involved in what is being said or done. Drives me crazy that I'm like that!

My life lately

Dr. Google

It’s not that I have a dislike for Doctors. Even if I have to get a shot (big phobia), I don’t hold it against the Dr. or think ill of them, but I just don’t like inconveniencing myself by having to call, make the appointment, wait until the specified day, rearrange my day in order to fit the appointment in, etc. In my opinion, it’s just a big pain in my BUTT (worse than the shot)!!

So, here I am! For the past 6 months I’ve been having pain in the bottoms of my feet. The mornings are the worse, but after a few hours the pain wears down to a manageable level. It’s still uncomfortable, but nothing I can’t ignore

On goes the computer and I Google the following: “the bottoms of my feet hurt”

Up pops 2, 580,000 hits. I click the very first one and find that I have all the symptoms of…

Plantar fasciitis (PLAN-tur fas-e-i-tis)
Most commonly caused by inflammation of the plantar fascia — the tissue along the bottom of your foot that connects your heel bone to your toes.

Plantar fasciitis causes stabbing or burning pain that's usually worse in the morning because the fascia tightens (contracts) overnight. Once your foot limbers up, the pain of plantar fasciitis normally decreases, but it may return after long periods of standing or after getting up from a seated position.

Dr. Google to the rescue!! This has got to be what I have! I tried some of the foot stretching exercises they talk about, and lo and behold, it worked to a certain degree. I need to make the stretches part of my regular routine.

They also have foot splints I can wear at night that are suppose to help. I think I’ll try the stretches first and see how well that goes. :)

Large bottle of Advil - $3.99
Foot Splints - $30
Dr. Google co-pay - $0
Not going to the Dr. - priceless

Loco en la cabeza!!

Today I found something that made me smile. You're going to think I'm crazy, but I found a few gray hairs. I say they are gray, but in actuality, they are silver and that's why I'm smiling. I always thought that when I go gray, that I would want it to be the pretty silver color or white.

JACKPOT!!

It's been crazy at work and I think all three grew in today!

Thankfully it's only three and they still blend really well with my highlights. :-)

Yes, I'm crazy, but you know you still love me!!

In case you ever wanted to know!

I got this from Happy Are We's site.
(it's probably apparent, but the bold are what I have done.)

200 Have and Have Nots

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping (Should I admit to this?? Don't worry, I was a little kid!)
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (granted, they lived in the same county where I grew up!!)
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume (Super Woman Under-Roos when I was 6! HA!)
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet (had to Google this to figure out what it was and found out that I had done it!! LOL)
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band (High School band...hehehe!)
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book (I'm counting this one because it will be published in the next couple of months)
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away (for two whole hours when I was 11 - LOL not sure anyone even knew I was gone)
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox (Strawberry Shortcake)
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle (it went through the mail, but it was still in a bottle)
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

BIG BANG

Besides the fact that I was running about an hour late for work, today started out like every other day: I get up, get ready, drive to work, park on the 5th floor of the garage, walk a short distance to my office, log onto my computer and work for the next 9 hours. Same thing Monday - Friday.

Today was no different until I got to the garage. I pulled in and noticed it was fairly dark and that only the emergency lights were on. Ok, no biggie, they've had trouble with the garage lighting before, but a little voice in my head was saying, "This ain't right!" My brain was saying this, but my eyes were seeing other people getting out of their cars and making their way to the elevators, so I continued to my parking spot and made my way to the elevator.

As I exited the elevator and came around to the entrance of my office building, there were hundreds of people milling around outside. Part of me was surprised, but the little voice in my head said, "Told you so!"

Come to find out, at around 6:30 this morning, one of the main transformers in the building exploded. This in turn shut down all power to the building and garage. I spoke with one of my co-workers who was there when it happened and she said it shook the building.

My first thought was, "I'm so going home!!"

Yeah, right!! We have offices in the building next door and we were told by management to go and help the techs there.

DANG!! So much for an early weekend.

I assume they had a backup transformer; power was restored by 10:30 and we were told to get back to work!

(Don't worry, no one was hurt in the explosion)

Because I have nothing else I can write about

I realize you don't really care what my bed looks like with the cream colored sheets I bought, but it is my blog, so neener neener. :-)

Just because