World Domination.....

Today is my two year anniversary at my job. I proudly display my anniversary card on my cube wall. Two years, I felt way over qualified for my hired position "secretary" and far underpaid, but while working two jobs, and looking for a new one, I still worked hard to excel and now I'm the boss. I'm also lucky that my company has an entire department dedicated to training just the home office. (and another for the field) I have had the opportunity to take tons of classes, and gain valuable management skills that look fantastic on a resume. Yesterday I learned coaching, counseling, and termination.

Back to my anniversary. Our senior VP always sings us the "happy anniversary" song, and I get sooo excited when she says "I have an announcement everyone gather 'round". I get excited for everyone. It happens to also be contagious. People like that about me, even if they joke with me that I am easily exciteable. I put a smile on their faces with my child-like antics. And my stupid dance I do. It's my trademark.

I think of it as I find the joy in the little things. Life is way happier when you live for the small moments, vs. waiting for the big ones. The big ones are few and far between and then you spend too much time being disappointed. That's my optimism class for today, grasshoppas.

At work we have a cafeteria. It's like a big restaurant and deli and grill with a salad bar, and lots of drinks, and coffee, and pop. I always get a breakfast for 95 cents you get an egg, turkey sausage, and toast. Well with the economy, they decided to outsource it. A company called Parkhurst is coming in to take over. All our employees are staying, but we get a makeover.

In said makeover, comes a bakery (carbs), pizza bar (carbs), Stir fry station (carbs), and a STARBUCKS! *screeeeech* Did I say Starbucks? Downstairs? Um, yea I am going to be in some serious trouble with that. Calories. Whenever I want a carmel frapuccino light (but still a billion calories) I just have to get up and walk downstairs. No getting in the car. No scraping the car.

This is all almost as bad as having a jewelry store at work. That you use to improve bad days by buying diamonds. Oh wait, we do. (I happen to have just bought myself these earrings. I traded up my 1/10th ct round solitaires, to 1/4ct princess. What an improvement! I'm trading up once more next year)

So, whenever this biological war strikes that has been in the news. You know where I'll be? At work. We have the second only to fort knox vault here, which is sure to withstand any germies spread out into the air. We have plenty of food, starbucks, TV, showers, and a gym. I dunno bout the rest of you, but I'll be here to press on in the future. Too bad I'm not going to help repopulate. But, I will help with the animal kingdom. Sign me up for that. If you want, I can start a contest like Paris Hilton, to see who wants to be my new BFF, and your prize (besides hanging with me of course) can be to come with, and live through the devestation. I think second place, can have all my jewelry, but you don't get to hunker down, so it won't do you much good. How's that for optimistic?

But, if that happens I might stop working out and be fat and lazy. Yesterday? I worked out three times. 45 min at lunch, 45 min after work, and 45 min bootcamp. I'm trying to still lose weight after eating crap and drinking a boatload. Wish me luck.

P.S. I won a freaking contest over at Lbluca's blog! Me! A winner! How freaking cool is that? Now, I get to have my own contest. Stay tuned, because I will do one. I can promise one thing, my package will come with cat hair. That's an added bonus, and you don't have to thank me for it.

The Getaway...

Happy Birthday to my Momma today!

We were going to go to a cabin like we did last year, (pics included in this link) for my birthday. Remember, we had to change it to the weekend before, because my manfriend has to catsit this week for his mom. (cute, or what? cute!) It was a different place, last year was in amish country, and 3o min from my place. This was in Southern Ohio, and about an hour and a half drive. But, owned by a former coworker/friend so we decided to go here. Plus, it is bigger, and the plan was to get a bunch of people to go, but my friends kinda all missed the bus on this one, except for my neighbors (friends first, convienently neighbors) that went with.

My weekend started on Thursday, when my manfriend came to spend the night with me. Love that! We got up on Friday, and I had to go to Planned Parenthood and pick up my birth control. (this year, I'll have insurance and go to a real live Dr. and have a real live prescription that I can get filled at a near-by real live pharmacy!!!!!!!) And took my dog to the vet. $115 later, I got a different type of ear medication, and more antibiotics. They said she probably doesn't have lymphoma since she's lived a year since they said that, and it's probably some metobolic problem did I wanna test her? I said she's 13. I want her to be comfortable. I swear they try to guilt you into stuff. Then we went shopping for our food and alchohol. After which the cutest thing occurred.

We had the dog with us, and when we got back in the car we smoked, and rolled the windows down, it's winter. In Ohio. =BRRRRRRR.... The manfriend was adjusting and feeling the vents for a while and I asked what he was doing and he said my dog was shivering. He was aiming the warm air vents at her in the back. Seriously? I teared up. We know that my pets are like my kids. And even though she stank up the whole car with her bacteria ears, he still cared enough to warm up her little butt.

After a while at home, the manfriend decided he wanted some champagne. Which did sound good. So he went and got us a couple bottles and we had some bubbly and watched a movie.

As I mentioned yesterday, when we went to the cabin we forgot our alchohol. We, meaning, the manfriend and myself. The neighbors and had their alchohol. (beer) Which I am quite proud that I didn't succomb to it's temptaions. *pats self on back* The menfolk took off directly to get alchohol, leaving me and Tayray behind. In pretty much the middle of nowhere. Alone. With no TV (and couldn't get a radio station) so we put in a DVD. I put in cursed. You know, that movie about werewolves? Then I put in Scream. That's when it started to get dark, and we hoped the men came back soon, so we didn't get scared.





Note the lack of civilization around. Luckily they came right as it got dark








The menfolk came back and we commenced drinking. I hadn't ate yet, so it sure didn't take long to get the buzz on. Tara made delicious tater tot casserole. I caught her and her guy talking about using deer meat in it when I went outside once. Then they swore to me they didn't. To each his own but I don't have the desire or need to ever eat bambi. It's bad enough to eat cows for me.






This is going up to the third floor










I love to play uchre. (sp?) The manfriend doesn't know how to play. He can fix my christmas tree with a skewer, and a nail file (he totally did! No more lean!) but doesn't know how to play cards. So I haven't played in over a year. Poor me, right? Cus, I kinda excel at this game, and I'm an awesome partner. We tried to school him Saturday night, but I was trying to teach him with all our hands up, which to me is the easiest way to learn, and Tara's man wouldn't cooperate. He wanted to just play it out. So we had to forgoe the game altogether.






The living room from the kitchen.











So obviously we just drank more! And, played beer pong. Which, I substituted with a concoction of vodka, rum, sprite and fruit punch. More enjoyable than vodka on the rocks. But also, way more calories. And, you also get tipsy a lot faster than with beer. I think at 7:00 we were all like "it's only 7:00???????" Felt like at least midnight! Damn!





The upstairs living room















Where we watched movies











We woke up on Sunday and made a big breakfast for all of us. We had turkey bacon, hash browns, toast, and eggs. All with cheese of course. Then Tara and Todd packed it up and went back home. They were having Thanksgiving or something. For real. Me and the manfriend, stayed in our PJ's, and watched a billion movies all day! I didn't have service except at the front door on my celly. So Sunday my phone died from searching for service. I was cut off from the world. I didn't even mind. We only left (in our Pj's) to get milk so the manfriend could enjoy a mondo bowl of fruity pebbles. (I had a sugar free jello....sigh..)






Todd and the manfriend










The place we stopped to get milk, (and beer) had a vending machine of bait outside. (see picture below) Also in said vending machine, next to the worms, and maggots, and grubs, were Grandma's Peanut butter cookies, and Combos. That sure got the appetite going. The place was also a turkey and deer place where they tag and weigh your kill. So, when you walked into this "market" you are inundated with boards of pictures of murdered deer and turkeys. So, if the bait machine didn't totally gross you out, the carcass pictures surely will. Yea, I eat turkey every day but I don't take pictures of them first. GROSS.







Todd, Me, and the manfriend. He didn't really touch the ladies.







On the way back from the store is when we saw the horsie. It ran after us as we drove by. So the manfriend backed up for me to go pet it. Having a manfriend who doesn't stifel your love for living things? Priceless!!!

We watched Storm of the Century which is aStephen King movie I watch in the winter when I'm snowed in usually. Cus, its like 4 hours long. We also watched Cold Mountain, which the manfriend hadn't seen. And if you have, you know, the ending blows. So he told me that about 10 times. I am pretty sure I told him it was a tragic love story! We watched more movies but I don't remember them. I remember snuggling with my guy. He made us a yummy dinner, chicken breast and brown rice. I even had seconds! We also looked at the stars, and how they are even brighter than at my house. Where the manfriend lives (Cleveland) you can't see stars. You see a nasty yellow haze in the sky.






Me and Tayray









I also ran the manfriend a bath because he has recently discovered their greatness at easing muscle and mind tension! He had been using epsom salts, and I told him the best is epsom, sea salts and baking soda. So I made him a mix. And I put essential oils in it so it smelled purdy. I mean, purdy but manly.









Makeshift Beerpong














Mmmm...Breakfast!










The only complaint about the weekend was that we didn't sleep well. We both like a hard bed, and the bed was bouncy. There are much worse things that could've happened you know. And the person who owns it, is a friend from my old job. Oh yea, she left us this cinnamon bread. I ate way more of that than I should have. We stood outside and watched the billions of birds out back in the woods. We heard owls at night, but didn't see them. On Monday we saw two types of woodpeckers, and little blue birds, and blue jays. It was a lot of fun to watch them fly around from tree to tree.






The mini horse in its natural habitat. It wasnt runnin all willy nilly.









We got up on Monday and made breakfast, and started to pack it up, as it to sleet and we were in BFE. We ended up having a really good talk on the way home about us. Like how the manfriend tried to blame distance as the reason we havn't moved forward. (our geographical distance) He use to say we couldn't move forward because we didn't see each other enough. He finally sees that was an excuse for more going on in his own head. I can appreciate that he wants to work out his own issues before starting a life with "someone" as we called it, "or you". I think even saying that flat out he wants to be with me scares him. I've been there, so I can't fault him for it. I'm glad that he realizes he has things to work on within himself. It's easier to blame everyone else for why things don't work out. This went on deeper, but that's his business.






Yummee Nightcrawlers for 4 bucks!


















The bait vending machine.












In the end, I felt really good about our talk. I think it worries other people more than it worries me, as to why we havn't moved in together. At least, that's what I hear from others. I know it will happen when the time is right. And that's what I say. People love to think they know your business. I'm not trying to rush anything, because I've been on that side of things too. Making things happen before they are meant to, never works.

Now, I'm off to do some work because I have a class today on "performance management". Im gonna be a gooder boss and learn me how to manage thems girls performances n stuff.

*Editor's Note. Blogger is a clusterfuck of assenine errors when I load pictures, and I spent 40 minutes when I should've been working fixing the font and pictures. So, I did try. It's just fucked.

Reason 567,894,569 not to have kids. Weekend getaways!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

I'll have a proper update tomorrow. Today I'm gonna post pretty country snow pictures. I know someone who will enjoy that. It is beautiful, as long as you don't have to drive in it. It started snowing on the way to the cabin, and the roads were a sheet of ice. I hate ice. About half hour from arrival, I said "I'm gonna need a drink". Whatcha think we forgot at home? The alchohol. Of all the things to forget in the middle of nowhere (hour and a half from home) But since I have the best manfriend, he and Tayray's boyfriend left to go home and get it. Only, they stopped at the next big town, and saved about an hour's time. We didn't do too bad in the end. "The neighbors" also had beer. Have I told you how I miss beer? Just checking. I even had to play beer pong with alchohol. We also drank this all Saturday night.

On to some pretty photos. I'll have an official update with more photos tomorrow. "The cat's" (me, silly) been away two days, and I have to figure out what "the mice" (girls at work) did/didn't do.

Even though it snowed, it was sunny and beautiful on Sunday







Would it be a trip with me if I didn't find some animal to wish I had? This was a mini horse who came to the fence as we drove by and stole my heart. I wanted it. Look at that mug!








I liked this house. But you can barely see it. It was on the way to the cabin. It's back there if you look.







Cows happen to be one of the prettiest animals. They have the most innocent eyes. This was on the road back to the cabin as well.






More moo-moo's. The sky was pretty!







I took this out the window, a-la Rainman style, but I loved the clouds.







Oh, there's that mini horse, comin to see me. My cute manfriend stopped for me to pet him.






This was off the cabin deck









More Rainman shots.

Probably...

I'm writing this from last week. Doesn't the future freak your freak? Here's my prediction for the weekend.

I'm probably still sleeping. And you aren't.
I'm probably snuggled up with my cute manfriend, enjoying my 5th day with him
*sigh*
He probably cooked me breakfast, because he is my sweetie pie
I'm probably worried that the alchohol I drank is going to cause me to gain weight.
I'm probably thinking about how hard I have to work this week to avoid that.
I'm probably thinking the same thing about the food I probably ate.
I'm probably going to cry when the manfriend leaves
I probably had lots of um....quality time *ahem*
I'm probably going to have a lot of catching up to do in the blogosphere.
I'm probably worried that the girls at work aren't doing their work.
I probably shouldn't care about that last one.
I probably got drunk off vodka, and laughed until I peed
I probably miss my pets.
I probably have a ton of kitty litter to clean up
I probably have at least two furballs to steam clean.
I probably had a hell of a weekend with my friends and manfriend.
I probably stole my guy, and have him locked in my closet.
I probably shouldn't have admitted to that on my blog.

Enough about Cats, Here's my doggie...

I'm not at work. Which means I wrote this post yesterday, and I'm trying to fool you into thinking I wrote it today. Don't be too jealous. While I will be with my manfriend, I have lots to do. I have to take my stinky yeast-eared dog to the vet for her bi-monthly ear infection. I swear I never knew anything could produce so much yeast. My dog has suffered from these her whole life. I've said it before, but I'm convinced she's a puppy mill dog. I got her from a pet store almost 13 years ago. She's had health trouble from her first year. Skin, ears, eyes, you name it. Since I mentioned her, I know you want to see the billionth picture of her. So here she is.

This is Miss Little Hill sporting her Old Navy jacket. She hates having her photo taken.

One of my fave pics of my doggie, loving life.

This is pretty much what she does all day. Yes, it's a candy corn collar.

This is us kissin after vacation. Like you don't kiss your dog. Shut up.

I'll also be going to Planned Parenthood on my day off. And..I know that makes you jealous. It's such a classy joint. I'm a moron and waited til my last week of pills to send in my re-order. And since it's now Thursday (Friday for you) and I don't have my mail order pills...I'm not chancing it. I plan to enjoy my weekend if youknowhatImean. And enjoying it doesn't include procreation. Just the practice. Wink.

O' Christmas Tree..

I lost two pounds for this week. I had to weigh in early due to the fact that I'm going out of town. This brings my total to 11. In the double digits now! Yesssss...

I put up my tree on Tuesday. I think that I might have mentioned in years past, how I have my fake tree in a real live tree stand because I have no idea what happened to the tree's stand. My cat's are 9, 10 and 11. They never messed with the trees other than to sleep under them, or root around in the presents. But last year, for some reason, the cat's had a field day knocking it down. Then the tree had its own field day falling over out of the blue while I was parked on my ass watching some TV. I finally wired that SOB to the wall. Then the screw pulled out of the wall and it fell again. The manfriend manly screwed it to the wall and it stayed. Gotta love that.

This year, I constructed a cardboard and packing tape cozee around the tree pole to give it some "substance" and something for the pokers to hold into on the stand. I get the thing up, fluffed, and lit, and can you see a gangsta lean?

No? That's right, because I have it pretty stable here. I even put weights on the base to keep it from tipping again. But, then when I decorated it, it seemed to go downhill.

It's starting to lean to the right at the top. Freaking tree. It photographs well. It is much worse than it looks. I decided since this one caused me so much stress, I'm not putting my second tree up. Bah Humbug! It's my fancy matching tree but it's too much work. I had left it together in past years, but Mom took it apart when she was staying with me. Much appreciated, but the thought of assembling, lighting and decorating an entire second tree makes me cringe. I also didn't get out any decorations. It's so much work, and I have so much crap in boxes in preparations to move one day, that it doesn't appeal to me.

This is my mischevious kitties hallmark collection. I only have three. Hint hint.

My Hello Kitty collection. One can never have enough of these either. Hint hint.

In completely unrelated photographic news, this is from my walk last Saturday on the towpath. In the snow. I got really muddy, but I got an extra workout in.


Also from my walk. That's the canal in the fulton in which I reside.



And last but not least, this is my Mom's mean bird. It bites me. She thinks I'm going to adopt it some day when her time is up. This bird will live 50 years. I'm soon to be 33. You do the math. But she loves this dang thing. She hates my cute (yet stinky) little shih tzu ball of fur, but loves this bird. You try to give a woman grandcats and dogs, and she wants a bird instead.

Beer...

Middle of the week. Oh wait, it's actually my Thursday because I'm off on Friday and Monday. I love vacay days! Just love them. It's awesome cus everyone wastes their time in the summer, and here I am enjoying some non work time in the winter. I'd love them even more on a beach somewhere sipping mai tais (who am I kidding right now I'd love to sip some beer) with my manfriend. And a million dollars. If you are gonna dream, dream big!

On Monday, I was walking to the gym at work, and guess what happened? My pants fell down. Well I didn't moon anyone, but they did fall down to my thighs and if I hadn't had on a long top someone would've seen something. When I started boot camp, these same pants were snug on me. Its kind of hard for me to believe, because I've been working out 5 days a week for almost 2 years, and actually having progress after a year of nothing? Makes me giddy. But I miss beer. Have I mentioned that fifteen times yet? Sigh. We will be reunited again some day. In moderation.

This morning, I put on a size smaller jeans, that I had about 2 inches to lose before I could zip a month ago. And they fit. And, I'm not squeezed in them. At bootcamp, we did 100 run em overs. Which, we normally do 25 and that kills me. It's a form of torture. You run 4 to the right, squat, 4 jumping jacks, run 4 to the left, squat, 4 jumping jacks. Really fast. We did one, and she yelled "99" I thought, surely she said 9. But everyone yelled out "98" on the next one. (we have to also count everything, or we never stop whatever it is we are doing). And if you don't book it when you run, you stay on the same number. In reality we probably did 110. To break it down...in a row we did 800 jumping jacks, 200 squats, and ran an assload. That was in the middle of the class.

This past weekend I helped the boy clean out his closet. (not in the eminem way) I scored a buttload of stuff. Like some champagne glasses, wine glasses, tiki cups, pint glasses. A transmitter to play my mp3 in the car, and a sound machine. Um, lots of other things too. And, I borrowed a book called who am I. It's pretty interesting. It has your different characteristics based on birth sign, face shape, and marks on your hands. So far, it's pretty sweet. I also organized his shelves, for him, and unpacked some partylite stuff he had packed away. I'm pretty handy to have around.

Then when we were done, he informed me that I helped clean out my own closet. He tricked me. Which only makes sense if you know that we are forever joking about kidnapping each other, and locking one another up in our closets. He totally scammed this idea from me, but since it's kinda cute he likes me enough to joke about goin through the trouble of kidnapping me, I let it slide. Plus, he just thinks it is all just a cute and adorable little joke. He has no idea that I truely have a master plan to steal him. Imagine his suprise when he wakes up tied in my closet, a-la Saw (1-5 you pick) .... In nothin but his manties! Holla!

Girl Talk....

This isn't really a complaint. But, the manfriend has broken several of my bras. It happens when you flirt incessently while you are out together. You know how, sometimes you just gotta have something? Like when you are a kid at Christmas and wrapping paper is the only thing in between you and the Christmas bliss that is your favorite gift? While I find it to be just heavenly to be said Christmas gift, my wrapping paper isn't three for $5 at the local pharmacy. Nor, can I just go to the pharmacy and buy said wrapping paper, as they don't carry my size in the stores but once in a blue moon! Unless I go here for a BOGO sale, and they just don't make them as cute. I typically buy wrapping paper once a year at the semi annual sale. Otherwise, I wait to buy wrapping paper at semi-annual sales.

Granted I have about 10 bras lying around, but like a typical woman, I have just as many things that don't fit me as things that do fit me. Not to mention, there are different styles for different occasions, outfits, etc. It's essential to have a wide variety. I've been walking around with my bras hooked onto different levels of hooks, because some hooks seem to have been yanked out. Know what I mean? In the manfriends defense, most of my bras have 4 hooks, and they are like reinforced because you gotta pull out the big guns to hold up the uh, big guns.

I'm definately not complaining, because, I absolutely love that sort of passionate expression...saying anything negative would be almost as bad as someone complaining that a guy lasts too long. Huh? You just have to wonder how bad it must be to not want more of it? I have no complaints in this area. Not. A. One.

P.S. Kat wants me to go rock climbing. I think this looks like a fun new adventure!

P.S. S. Some girl flicked off the bootcamp nazi last night in class. Because she kept making us do jumping jacks until EVERYONE did ONE set the right way. People do modified. We were on like, 400 and this chick was refusing to do a set of 10 regular. One of the other girls encouraged her and told her we weren't going to stop until she did it, and please do it. She finally did, then she announced that it's "fucked up" and flicked the instructor off. Behind her back.

P.S. S. S. A new guy joined bootcamp. He lasted 10 minutes and left. Boys are weak. Sorry, but it's true.

They Keep Piling Up...

Reasons I shouldn't have kids pop up all the time. Reason 4,567,908. They could not give two shits about you when you are 84, and stick you in a house somewhere with your 84 cats (cus, of course I'm going to have 84 cats unless some nice man marries me) and geese, turkeys, ducks, and dog all inside. Then, not come visit you and let you be on oxygen with heart failure and have no explanation as to why you were stuck there in the first place. Like this poor woman. Then, maybe cus it's cold and theres no electric or working plumbing, you have to use the cats to keep warm. (wait..I have electric and working plumbing and I do that now....) I dunno. maybe I'm rich, and my kid wanted to bamboozle all my money from me, so she acted like she'd care for me when she took me out of the old folks home?

The whole idea scares me. I still havn't gotten bitten by that baby bug. I don't think I will. My calling is for surely to re-populate a post global warming earth with animals or something.

Month end weigh in at boot camp. Goal? 4lbs. Reality? I lost THREE on THANKSGIVING week. (I'm dancing around in circles) Yesssss. What's better, I told the instructor that I couldn't afford to join for December. Sunday she called me and told me she's going to do a week by week pay as you go, vs. the whole amount up front! So, I can stay in boot camp! I'm pretty excited about that! Even though, it's a form of torture. It freaking works! And, the total for the month is 9lbs. I'm going to do better this month. I'm determined!

Speaking of the manfriend. Last Thursday I woke up in that spot, you know, the one where you are snuggled up in the nook of his arm with your head on his arm/chest? The one that seems made for us ladies to fit right in? (I'm thinking of this and smiling, pinch me) I must've been there a long time because the impression of my ear was on his arm. A perfect replication of my ear. What made it funny, was that he gave it "wet willies". And then later when we were apart, he told me he whispered sweet nothings into it. I totally have the cutest boy alive to love. *swoon*