Life and other mundane things

2010

2010-01-14T16:42:00.001-05:00

Yes, I’m a bit redundant. It’s still January. I’m allowed to ponder a new year. A new year. A new chance at new opportunities. A new me. A new you. A new look. A new self.

I think I look at New Years as a way to start fresh, but it’s really a new way to look at what you are, who you are and where you want to go from here.

This year I want to focus on bad habits. I want to be healthier, mentally and physically. I want to invite structure into my life and embrace it. I want to set schedules and stick to them. I want to learn to say No and not feel guilty. I want to do more downsizing in my life. Simpler. Happier?

I want to be the person I know I can be. The person that I know I am. The person that I’ve left behind while getting consumed with things that don’t really matter as much to me. I need to get on the bandwagon and I need to be my priority.

What makes this year different from any other year? Haven’t we all made similar statements at the beginning of every year, only to see a handful, but more realistically none, of them come to fruitation? That’s why New Years Resolutions are such a vicious circle! I want to make this year different. I’ve noticed a change in me and the way that I view myself and feel about myself and quite frankly, I’m not happy with what I see. If I’M not happy, well, obviously I’m not able to make others happy or enjoy things the way I want to. Here and now, I’m going to change.

I have 16 months until I finish my degree. I have several presentations, choices and decisions that need to be made in the very near future and I want to go into them loving myself and feeling confident about myself and my decisions. I’m going to make it happen.

SO, that being said, Happy New Year. Here’s to accepting that we repeat the cycle of crazy but at some point, we wake up and realize, it’s time to move on.

Hello 2010!

2010-01-02T21:46:00.001-05:00

A new decade! Wow! I wanted to take a moment and put a few thoughts down about things that I want to accomplish this year.

By the end of this year, I’ll have 4 months remaining on my Bachelors degree. Child Support will have stopped in May. There are weddings to go to, trips to plan, languages to learn, goals to strive for.

For the first time I actually made a list New Years day. I’ve made lots of lists over the years and they usually get lost within the first 5 minutes of putting the pen down. I don’t want this to happen. I want to live a better life. I want to be a better person and my little list starts me out on that path.

Losing 40 pounds is a goal. Learning to eat better and take better care of myself is going to be a life changing experience.

Budgeting and paying off debt is a goal. The feeling of seeing my progress really happen is going to be one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt. The sleeping well that will hopefully follow is going to be AMAZING.

Studying and focusing on school is a goal. The feeling of getting straight A’s and increasing my GPA to “hopefully” a 3.9 overall and graduation with honors is going to be icing on the cake. The celebration will be epic!

I’m going to write all the good things and the bad things of this year on here. I’m going to be honest about my life and the fact is, not everything is always peachy. I have struggles. I have issues. I’m human. I think I want everyone to know that there are people that just can’t always put on the “look at me aren’t I awesome” face. It’s not me. I’m not going to hide anymore.

Hello World. It’s me, Kimberly

I’m thinking about it….

2009-07-14T21:43:00.001-05:00

Yes, I’m thinking about it. What’s “it”? I’m thinking about getting back to writing on my blog. Maybe baby steps. Once a week? Every other week?

I haven’t felt like anything I have to say is relevant to anyone else but myself. I can write blogs all day long in my head, but in the end, it’s only amusing to me. Who reads my nonsense ramblings about how to get even with the Financial Aid department (it was a quite elaborate plan that possibly involved ninja’s and Chuck Norris) or my many irritations with daily life. My lack of tolerance for people I don’t know in general could have a whole THESIS written out by now.

Skyler’s visiting for the summer. I guess I could write about our adventures and how the preteen hormones of a 10 year old are starting to come out and OH.MY.GOD!!! My dogs are insane and we won’t even start on my family, you know, since they read this :)

I’m thinking about it. Sometimes I hope it can be witty and amusing and other times I KNOW it will be mundane and trivial and boring, but I guess it is a way to get some things out and secretly some of you can relate and nod your head :)

and then the dog was driving!

2008-10-25T06:27:00.001-05:00

Somewhere outside of Topeka, things got a little bizarre! Needless to say, Bo made his first trip up to the front of the car and thought he was MUCH smaller than he was. This picture was after about 5 minutes when he figured out he was in the way and needed to go back to the safety of his own seat!

Let me start back at the beginning. We left Mt Vernon around 7am. Nothing truly eventful took place. It rained most of the way until we got into Kansas and then thankfully, the sun opened up. I'm pretty sure we're done with the rain from here on out!

I have learned that real estate law isn't as boring as one might think! Who knew all the twists and turns of a soap opera were involved in some transactions? Fascinating!

We again, didn't take many pictures, but there really wasn't much to see. We did snap a few of the St. Louis Arc

It was pretty impressive to see!

Other than that, we made it into Salina, KS at 2pm (whatever time zone we're in now). We took ourselves into town and ate at a lovely steak restaurant and filled ourselves full so we could enjoy a nice sleep!

I will say I've been very impressed with the Holiday Inn's we've been staying at. I usually stay at Marriott, but I now feel I have 2 options. The staff has been great, the rooms have been great and they treat the dogs wonderfully! We have been asked several times while walking through the lobbies if there is a dog show going on in the area. Needless to say, we obviously have 2 good looking dogs! If only they'd behave as well!!! :) See you in Denver!

Driving and Jami and Rain, OH MY!

2008-10-23T20:53:00.001-05:00

There should be pictures, but there aren't. I did manage to take a picture of the Tennessee sign but then almost ran into a concrete barrier, so the camera was taken away from me. Probably a good thing :) Word to the wise, don't take pictures and drive boys and girls!

Today's drive was our longest. We left around 9am and got into Mt. Vernon around 8:00pm EST. The trip, for the most part, was uneventful. We drove, there were trees, a lot of trucks, oh, and us.

We did get a chance to meet up with Ms Jami outside of Ft. Campbell for lunch at the Cracker Barrel. It's always good to catch up and see her and hear all the fun and exciting things this Martha Stewart of Texas is doing. She bakes, she sews, she raises 3 kids while living in a 5th wheel trailer. Hey, I'm always impressed!

We hit rain a little bit outside of Ft. Campbell. I was hoping we could make it into Illinois before it started, but no such luck. Traffic was still flowing pretty well until about 5 miles before our exit for the hotel. Unbeknownst to us, there was road work that took the road from 2 lanes to 1, right before our exit. We figured out that we could make it to our exit about 3 miles out and proceeded to get into the far right hand lane. Then, the one stupid truck driver decided to be cute and block the far right hand lane so no one could scoot around. Now, I've always wanted to do this before because it causes congestion right before lanes merge, however, when there is an EXIT coming up, why do this? So basically, what should have taken me a minute to get to, took me 10 minutes because Mr. Trucker guy would only move forward when the right lane started forward. Needless to say, my blood pressure rose, my horn honked and the thought did cross my mind to get out of my car and beat on his truck. I refrained. Aren't y'all proud :)

So, after close to 11 hours in the car, Suzannah knows my entire intestinal problems, my bowel movements and Jami's whole history on Fat March. (I did squeeze in about 2 seconds of Jami's side just to be fair) I am sure she is SO looking forward to the next 3 legs of this trip and what pops out of my mouth!

I will say the stress of the first day did get to me and Tom. I think with all the driving and the adrenaline and the "Oh my god are we there yet!", by the time we finally DID make it here, we just lost it. Tempers were high, but after a hot shower, a glass of wine and some Grey's Anatomy, all is well. Suzannah took a different hotel room though, just in case things started to fly before the hot shower calmed everyone down :) I have faith tomorrow will be better. All of our legs are much shorter than today and we know how long we can go and where we need to stop!

So, I'm going to sign off for now. Tomorrow we go to Salina, KS. We're going to try to leave a little earlier so we have longer daylight to drive in! We'll keep everyone posted!

Moving Day!

2008-10-22T20:34:00.001-05:00

Don't you all wish there were pictures? Heck, I wish there were pictures of certain things. Like, how do you think 3 men got a tractor onto the truck? They won't tell me. My guess is it wasn't safe! Alas, no pictures!

Our day started at 7:30 with a trip to drop the puppies off at the vet to get a good bath and cut. We then made it over to Denny's to grab some breakfast. Afterwards, it was off to get the truck! By 9:15am the truck was in the driveway! (of course that took about 10 attempts but thankfully the mailbox survived it's close encounters!)

All in all, nothing exciting happened today. Tom and I were both sad to leave the house this evening, but we're leaving it in good hands and looking forward to new adventures.

The downside to the move was that we had to leave a few things behind. For the longest time I was concerned that the truck we had (26' truck) was going to be way to big. We stuffed every corner and crevice and STILL had to leave our large grill and some odds and ends. Hopefully the new tenant will be able to either use them, or get rid of them creatively!

We're now nice and toastie at the Plemmon's household. We're looking forward to a good nights sleep (after some Aleve) before heading out early tomorrow morning! We are slated to make it to Mt. Vernon, IL for our first official stop. It's our longest leg of the trip but hopefully the most entertaining. We're going to meet up with my friend Jami outside of Clarksville, TN for lunch! Anyone else on our way to Grand Junction?!

I promise, once the trip starts, things should get entertaining. I'm just to tired at 9:30pm to entertain! I'm very thankful for the Plemmons for keeping us for the night and feeding us some wonderful chili. I'm stealing Suzannah tomorrow to join us for our trek. We'll talk about her horrible flight pattern she has to take home on Sunday. Ahhh, good times!

Testing

2008-09-18T19:09:00.001-05:00

Just testing a new feature. Hmm, it says I can add photos. Let's see.... Looks that way :) There's a picture of something. Ok, test over. I'll post an update of my trip later on this weekend! Muah!!!

My GOODNESS!!!

2008-09-12T07:24:00.002-05:00

Talk about neglect! 2 and a half years! I would be more upset if anyone ever read it, but considering my mom just checks it to see if I've posted any dirty gossip, I'm not so hurt.

So just a quick note. I've decided to continue with this as we prepare for our next move. We moved to Asheville 4 ( crap almost 5 for me!) years ago after we finished our assignment in Hawaii. I really had high hopes we'd be able to beat the military "move every 4 year" curse, but it was just not meant to be. The Nomad lifestyle is too ingrained into our being to resist it anymore. However, I'd like to note that SERIOUSLY I made it 5 years in the same spot! Five years and 1 month if our leave date stays the end of October. Someone should get me a prize for that!

As is ALWAYS the case, I have made the most wonderful friends in the last year or two of being here. I'm a late bloomer and my general mood of not liking people does tend to make it harder than I'm sure it has to be! I noticed that trend last month. I always find the greatest people when I only have a year or so left in a city. I should have seen the signs coming THEN! Oh well!

So, I'm heading off to Colorado this weekend and I'm hoping that by the time I get back on Thursday I can say for certain that we're moving to Grand Junction in October. I'm going to post and take pictures of our trip and let you know how things go!

On the downside, my research for all the "must haves" in new towns has not provided great results. Basically, if I don't mind driving 4 hours every few weeks to get my fix, I'm fine! No Jamba Juice in Grand Junction, but 10,000 in Denver and Colorado Springs. Same for Chick-Fil-A, but at least they have some!

So, here we go....again!

Duran Duran

2006-11-16T21:09:00.000-05:00

OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!!

OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!! OH MY GOD!!

I don't know if I told you but, OH MY GOD!!!! I saw DURAN DURAN!!!!! THEY WERE AWESOME!!!! They can come steal me any time they want to! CRAP, they can come to my house in their 1980's outfits with their 1980's hair and makeup and I'll still yell TAKE ME TAKE ME TAKE ME TAKE ME!!!

In the course of a week, I have become obsessed with Duran Duran! I would say "again" but let me explain how Duran Duran fits into my world.

I was 4 when MTV came out. I was probably 7 or 8 before it finally made it out to our house. My sister, being 7 ANCIENT years older than me, was obsessed with it! The highlight of my afternoon one day was coming home to find all the channels had been scrambled. I conveinced my sister that they had cancelled MTV. It only took her about 5 minutes to find it but my GOD the shere GLEE I had in those 5 minutes watching her panic. I'm sure she beat me later.
Anyway, her room was COVERED WALL-TO-WALL in Duran Duran pictures/posters from Teen Beat and all those other lovely magazines. Every CD was Duran Duran. As she got older, Nagles (the guy who designed the cover for Rio) covered her wall. It was bizarre. Regardless, I was exposed and I lived vicariously through her obsession.
(not the concert but H.O.T.!)
Life goes on and we grow up. 3 children later, my sister hears that Duran Duran is touring. "OH MY GOD" she squees and next thing you know, my sister AND my mother become Duran Duran groupies for part of 2004, all of 2005 and a good chunk of 2006 (I'm adopted). I, being poor and responsible (no one choke) don't partake in the Duran Duran freak out but get phone calls from every concert so I can hear the songs I like. Due to their obsession, my DAUGHTER, gets the bug! She has the "Astronaut" CD and plays it OVER and OVER and OVER and OH MY GOD! For the school talent show, she auditions by singing "REACH UP FOR THE SUNRISE". She was in KINDERGARTEN! Regardless, all parents at her school now "know"!

About a month ago, I see that Duran Duran will be playing. I call my mom and say HEY, I can go to this one! Next thing I know, she's got 5th row tickets! I love her ;) I went to my first Duran Duran concert and I LOVED IT! IT ROCKED! I feel so STUPID for not going to all the ones I had the option to go too, but I'm pretty sure I'll be ok being the obsessed fan. I know I'm not alone!!! Skyler made her first concert! She just wanted to hear "REACH UP FOR THE SUNRISE"! The rest of the time, I'm pretty sure she made fun of our screaming and crying and screaming and OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!!!!!

The Day

2006-09-11T17:54:00.000-05:00

I didn't want to post today. Not like I’ve posted recently, but today, when I had something to post about like everyone else, I didn't want to post. I didn’t want that number on my blog. Maybe I need that number on my blog.

All day I spent at work, writing 9/10 on deposit slips and finance reports. I would not write down what day it was. It made me feel better, in my own sad way, to pretend like I was a day behind. Tomorrow I’ll catch right back up to 9/12. Silly me. I think I treat it the way hotels do the 13th floor. You just skip it, even though we all know it’s the 14th floor renamed.

I wrote a blurb in another online group I belong too. I had to spit out the round and round commentary that had been playing in my head. The day that I was trying to scrub out was so surreal to me for so many reasons.

5 years ago, yesterday, I had just moved to Hawaii. I think I arrived on the island the last week of August, so it had really only been no more than 3 weeks. I moved there, from Germany, with a man I had been dating for 6 months. I had also failed to mention this man to most of my family and especially left out the “14 years older” phrase.

So in Hawaii I was. I had just celebrated my birthday, a whopping 24, only 6 days earlier. That night, I did what most of you had already done hours earlier, I went to bed. We were 6 or 7 hours behind EST. At 1 or 2 am our phone rings. On most occasions, I’d leave it be. You never knew when that lovely boyfriend’s psychotic ex wife would decide to call. I rolled over and picked it up anyway. It was my mom. Nothing ever good comes out of your mother’s mouth when she calls you at 2am! She proceeded to tell me what was going on and that the World Trade Center had been hit. Turn on my TV, she said. Ahhh, the TV.

Remember, we had only been on the island for 3 weeks tops. We had just moved into our house on the mountain. We only had military issued furniture until our Germany shipment arrived. There was no TV issued. We had a radio, but that was it.

After getting off the phone with my mother, I told my husband what had happened. He called his office (he was working at Pacific Command at that time) and in to work he went. Of course going into work at 2:30am, meant taking our one and only, newly purchased 1980 something Volvo. I was trapped, at home with no TV, only a radio and no way to get any further information until my husband came home. He didn’t come home until late that evening, around 10:00pm.

So, the point of that was, I didn’t watch it unfold on CNN like most. I didn’t see the second plane hit. I didn’t see the towers fall. I saw nothing. If you see nothing, it couldn’t have happened, right?

We went out and purchased a TV the next afternoon. As we stood in K-Mart, outside of Honolulu, we watched the TV selection show image after image of what had happened the day before. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. As we stood at the checkout with our TV choice, I watched the towers fall over and over and over again. In my head, though, it was just a very good special effect, like when David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear. He must have had a bad day.

I couldn’t wrap my head around what had happened. Like a lot of people, I did the “Six Degrees of Separation” as to how I knew people effected. Going to a military college and being married to the military, it wasn’t hard to find someone, somewhere that you knew, or had someone you knew know. It was surreal.

I honestly think that it wasn’t until this year, 5 years later, that I finally started to mourn and cry for our loss. I found myself glued to the 2 Frenchmen’s documentary. My husband tried to get me to turn the channel, but I had to cry. I had to get it out and by watching this documentary was the only way I knew how. So, the other night I watched and cried. I read tributes and looked at pictures that were too graphic for my own good. I need to mourn and this was the only way I knew how.

So, the day has passed. We’re on to the next day and on to something else. I’m honored to be a part of this country, on most occasions. I’d choose some politicians differently, but for the most part, I’m glad I was born here and given the freedoms that aren’t allowed in other parts of the world. I honor those who have sacrificed so much just to maintain our freedoms we sometimes take for granted. Without Freedom of Expression, how long would this have been kept inside me?

Travel SUCKS!

2006-08-07T12:30:00.000-05:00

Planes people, PLANES! It always amazes me that a large metal tube, propelled by large engines can get enough lift to launch 100 or so odd people into the air and onto their next destination. A sat in my seat last night, enjoying the fact that this was my LAST flight for awhile, and pondered how one THINKS of things like air travel. It wasn't too long ago, you couldn't have pushed me on a plane if you tried.

When I got sick last year, I had a few weeks to ponder my gazillion satelitte stations. I kept hitting the Discovery channels "Moments from Disaster" series. Yep, watching that plane over the Atlantic loose and engine and barely make it to land on the Azrures without flight gear, one engine and some vapor for gas, pretty much locked me in to the fact that flying was WAY over-rated. Now granted, I've flown since I was 14. I've always enjoyed it, but watch the Discovery channel and you're doomed to terror in the skies!

Anyway, it was one of those pondering things. That and the pondering of "When the HECK did people become so FREAKING RUDE?!" We're in a small plane, 2-2 seat pattern. The lady behind me decides she needs to put lotion on her hands and not just ANY lotion. She puts on some Magnolia/Mango/Tart lotion, not once, not twice, 3 FREAKING times during our hour and a half flight. My eyes were burning. The guy beside me was trying to breath through his shirt. It was insane! Does that SOUND like a good idea?! Why does everyone have to talk on their cell phones like they're at a Nascar race? I don't want to know that your grandmothers hernia is getting better and her stool is getting looser. TONE DOWN YOUR VOICE for god's sake! PEOPLE!

Remember, you're in a TUBE with other people who could just go bat shit crazy at any moment. Let's try to remember that and be curteous to your flight people.

P.S. TOM WAITS RULED!!!!!!!!!! I went with a total stranger because no one really loves me. :( I'm sniffing and stuff here....

TOM WAITS

2006-07-25T19:38:00.000-05:00

Tom Waits

I have ONE ticket available to see Tom Waits on August 2nd in Asheville. ONE ticket. I'm going so someone has to sit with me. Tickets for this concert are not able to be scalped so if anyone tells you they'll sell them to you, they're lying. You have to go with them. They were only sold in groups of 2 and the person who bought them MUST be present WITH the credit card they used to purchase them to get the wristbands. I see that a lot are trying to be sold via Ebay and so forth. These are SCAMS! You WILL not be able to get 2 tickets unless you got them when they were on sale.

TOM WAITS!!! HELLO!!!! Anyone? Anyone? Someone? Shit people! TOM WAITS! He never plays concerts! Do you live under a ROCK!!!!

Happy 4th!

2006-07-04T13:13:00.000-05:00

Hosted by Sparkle Tags

Happy 4th of July! Nothing exciting here, just wanted to say hi and Thank you to those that serve our country, and allow us to exercise our Constitutional Amendments. Please note, these are not politicians, activist or lobbiers. These are our men and women in uniform who protect us and our Constitution each and every day by merely doing their job. Thank you.

Now, here's my thought to ponder today. Why is it, when you go to get ice out of the icebox in the freezer that at least ONE ICE CUBE will jump to its death onto my kitchen floor? WHY?

The difference between cable and satellite TV? Cable goes out during a storm. With Satellite, it just turns into scribble and screaching until the signals found again. All I ask, is that it's ON and WORKING for the soccer game!
GERMANY vs ITALY, 3:00pm EST. WATCH IT!

Here's my new patio Tom finished :) Note his new grill too :) It's about to rain here, so they're a bit dark.

Boredom

2006-06-29T12:53:00.000-05:00

I'm bored, and slightly tired. SO, I thought I'd post a few more pics I have on my computer at work to twiddle the time away until my doctor appointment at 4:00. Aren't you all SO excited. Let's see what I can find.

This, is my insanely cute child. At the wedding, they had a table set up with "props" to take photo's with for a scrap book. Skyler raided it the minute she set eyes on it. There's also a few of her with a red feather boa and HUGE red hat. I like this one best though. There's one of her close up that is to die for! Why can't I keep her this little?

This is Anne, Eli and Anne's sister's. The sister in Pink is Katrin, her older sister. The guy behind her is her boyfriend Thomas. He's very easy to look at in person :)! The sister in the blue is Julia, her younger sister. There's a picture out there of Eli, Anne, Tom and I in the same pose, but it hasn't surfaced yet. I'll post it when it does.

This isn't in Germany, but it's a good picture of me, so I'm posting! This was in Charleston in February. Tom surprised me with a anniversary getaway to Charleston. This was me in front of some fountain. Not the pinnapple one, but some random one shooting water out of the ground. We had much fun this weekend!

Here's the pinnapple fountain. See, I wasn't sitting in front of it!

Lastly, me and Tom. This was taken at the start of the reception in Germany. I like it.

Ok, I'll go back to work now. Argh. 2.5 more hours till I head out for the doctors. Yeah!
Hope all is well!

Germany Pics and such

2006-06-26T15:08:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics from our trip!

Our Hotel ~ The Landstuhl Schloss Hotel! I highly recomend it. It has some downfalls, but we didn't mind. You could rarely find hotel staff, but you could always find bar staff :) They're trained to work in both settings. At night, you can hear the people on the patio, but it's not that bad of a thing. It was Germany. It was the World Cup. It was going to be loud!

Here's my carriage ride! Tom has promised me a carriage ride through a European city since we went to Prague in 2001. We ran out of time then, but we found time this time. We are in Salzburg Austria. Home of Mozart and crazy drivers!

This is Georg and Annelise Schweinach. They were our landlords in Germany. We love them! Georg is 80 years old. He was in the Nazi Army during WWII. He is FASCINATING. The history according to Georg is nothing what you learn in the states and it is nothing short of amazing. After the war, he and Annelise moved to Chicago for 30 years. They have one son, who was born in the US and served 7 years in the Airforce before moving back to Europe. He now lives in Switzerland.

That's all I'm going to post for right now. I'm going to try to send pictures individually because there are just SO many. We also have film we have to develop that has pictures on it! Argh!
If you can log on to the myfamily.com website that Eli and I have, you can see some more pics there as well!

Sacajawea

2006-06-26T14:53:00.000-05:00

This, is Sacajawea.

We also called her Pocahontas and Bob. She is the devil!! We were oh so very excited when we figured out how to make our German Mercedes talk to us in English.

We could find the radio tuner, the CD eject button, but most of all, we could figure out how to work the stupid GPS and input destinations so we wouldn’t have to rely on a map. One word ~ F.U.C.K.!
Sacajawea was good to us at the start. We found our way from the airport to Landstuhl, but we pretty much already knew that route. She was just back ground noise that trip, but seemed to lead us in the right direction had we been map and location illiterate.
Her next test came with navigating us to Garmisch from Landstuhl! We were both so excited to have her bob and weave us around some larger cities and to inform us of upcoming Staus (traffic jams) and, for the most part, she did a nice job. Until….
I’m not sure what went wrong. Between the map I had in my hand, and Sacajawea’s directions, we seemed to be doing ok. We got right out side of Garmisch and right off the Autobahn, just like we had been instructed. Tom, however, had to pee. Tom doesn’t have a bladder, period. It’s the size of a small ant and needs to be released on a frequent, yet untimely interval schedule. Anyway, we’re hitting Garmisch, Tom is doing the I need to pee dance and Sacajawea is saying “Please turn right in 3 kilometers onto the B2”. The nice thing about Germany, is men can pee on the side of the road. If you have to go, pull over and go. There are also these little pull off’s called Parking pull offs where you can stretch your legs and do a picnic, but have no bathrooms NOR are you allowed to pee here. Makes no sense, but such is the law of men peeing on the side of the road!
Anyway, we turn left and start heading UP this large mountain. There's road construction on this large uphill mountain road, which leads me to laugh, because, well, Tom has to pee! We got ten shades of distracted and stopped looking at the map and just listened to Sacajawea. Bad move. Tom pulled off at those lovely parking pull offs and peed in the woods and we arrived in some random little town. Pretty, but not Garmisch.
We keep listening to Sacajawea and we think we're just taking a back route and we're almost there. She tells us, turn left in 1km. We do. Then, in 100 meters she says "You have reached your destination, have a nice day!"
Tom and I both look around. We are in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!!! We're not even in a town, we're in the middle of NOWHERE! B.I.T.C.H.!
Needless to say, we back tracked and found our location. Unfortunetly for Sacajawea (who we made the mistake of using ONE MORE TIME) it was the end of the line for her. Stupid Sacajawea!

AOL!

2006-06-26T14:39:00.000-05:00

I was watching the evening news last night, from my lovely room at the Edelweiss Lodge in Garmisch Germany. (Yes, that just had to be thrown in! Here's my view!)

Anyway, a story popped up that caught my attention, for obvious reasons. Please refer to MY story, here http://kimrific.blogspot.com/2006/03/march-03-2006.html

Not 2 months ago, I was making this phone call. Now tonight, on the evening news, they have a tape-recording that was given to them, by a man trying to cancel his service! On his tape, he repeatedly asks 19 times to Please Cancel His Account. 19 TIMES. I should have counted how many times I asked before loosing my patience which resulted in vulgarity! You know I get my way if I swear one time! At least that got him off his rocking chair and up to actually cancelling my account, which, in all honesty, he had no intention of doing the day I called. We’ll give you 6 more months free. We’ll give you 2 years free, just don’t drop our numbers! Anyway, the frightening thing is that he probably found the same website I did and did, basically what it had said. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat. They cut you off. They want you to stay. They take it as a personal attack to their character that you are, by god, DROPPING their service. You must be planning on coming over and murdering their chickens tonight as well! How dare we customers make our own decisions! I now wonder if tapes of calls are kept for “training’ purposes. When I get home, I’m going to go through and see if I can find the names and times I called and write a letter of my own.
AOL does have a good product if that’s what you need. The problem is, that over the last few years, other products have been advertised to us that we know will serve us better. We move on. We need to move on to what fits us more. Vicious cycle of the world. Maybe AOL should take a moment to review the reasons their customers are leaving and which providers they are leaving too and why. What do the other providers have that is better than what AOL has to offer? My first vote is customer service, not in India and not staffed by high school dropouts with Napoleon complexes.

VACATION!

2006-06-15T09:14:00.000-05:00

I'm on VVVAAACCCCAAAATTTTTIIIIIOOOONNNN!!!! I'm sitting in the Greenville airport at the moment waiting to board my flight. Tom and I could possibly explode with excitement at any minute!
SO, stay tuned to the BBLLAAAWWGGG and I'll post pictures and updates when I can!

Hehehe! If you want anything send me an email.

SSSQQQQUUUUEEEEEE!!!!!

Yeah Day

2006-06-03T16:08:00.000-05:00

Yep, it's a YEAH day:)! I got my financial aid award letter in the mail today from ECU! I am officially going! They offered me money. I'll have to pay it back for the rest of my life, but hey, it works!
SO! I'm going to ECU in the FALL!! I'm a bit excited:)

Let's all take a moment to reflect in the irony and ask some "Hey Kim" questions, shall we?
I started my career, 11 years ago THIS MONTH at WESTERN Carolina University. Ahh, the things I wish I could go back and change, but, alas, no can do. Let's face it though, I wouldn't be the person I am today without all of the experiences I had at Western or Norwich. I don't regret a bit of it. I feel that I am now ready to complete my ongoing, never ending, forever college student degree. That, and I don't want to be an accountant anymore, even if I did get that 10% raise.
So I know, the ultimate question is "KIM! Have you been going to college for 11 years?" Yes and no, but more no than yes. 1995 and 1996 I was technically in college, but I perfected the art of drinking and not dying instead of reading and writing. Good times, those that I remember. After that, I took some time off. I got married, had a child, divorced and got married again. It was somewhere around 2002 that I started taking classes again, and actually paying attention. I left Hawaii at the end of 2003 with a 3.5 GPA and 20 some credit hours. While in Asheville, I've taken classes sporadically at the community college and have managed to keep my GPA and get a few more credits. SO, all in all, I've only been a part time college student for 4 years-ish. I'm estimating it could take a little less than 4 more part time years to finish, but that's ok. All the stupid piddly classes are out of the way and I'm down to the nitty gritty.
So yes, I screwed up when I was 17 and 18 and 19 and 20 and, well, you get the point, but I've learned a lot. I've made a lot of wonderful friends and I've learned a lot about who I am and who I'm not. I wouldn't change a thing. NOW if my CHILD thinks she's doing this B.S. to me, she has another thing coming. She gets 1 semester on my payroll. She screws that up and well, I'll miss her :)! She is cute though!

In 11 days I'll be on vacation. I NEED a vacation! We're heading overseas for my ex husbands wedding. Yes, we're weird. I can't wait though. The wedding is 2 weeks from today. We'll be there for 10 days. I CAN'T WAIT!!! I'm taking the laptop and hope to get some pictures up while we're there, so stay with me:)!

Have a great day!
:)

Parental Advice

2006-05-30T18:53:00.000-05:00

I know some of you are parents and some of you aren't, but let me just dish out my little bit of disfunctional parenting advice.
Let's say you have a kid. Yeah for procreating. Let's say they can go over and see if their neighbor would like to come out and play. YEAH! Now here comes the whopping amount of assvice you're going to need:
TEACH YOUR KID TO RING THE DOORBELL ONCE. O.N.C.E.! ONCE ONCE ONCE ONCE ONCE!
Was that clear?
ONCE

Ok, now that we have that back under control. I come home from work, sans child. I proceed to go do, what I do, after work, everyday. It consists of me, a newspaper and, well, you get the drift. I kid you NOT my doorbell rang 15 TIMES!! I was almost about to hike up my skirt and just keep pooping in front of a horrifid child, but I refrained, because, that's not nice. Instead, I yelled that I was busy and to go away.
THEN, to my horror, it happened again!!!!! I sent her away again and in person with my "Honey, we hear the doorbell the first time you push it." smart ass comment. UGH!!!!
I need wine.

Friends

2006-05-23T18:10:00.000-05:00

I like to think that I have many friends, and I do. When it comes to close friends, the kind that you'd hide bodies for and wave fake guns at stupid boyfriends for, well, I can probably count them on my fingers and have a few left over to stuff some loser cake in my mouth. I'm ok with that though. None of my close friends live down the street. I'm lucky one or two live in the same state! I love each of them dearly and would do anything for them, and I like to think they know that about me. I want to think that even though I don't call every week, or every 6 months for that matter, that they know I'm still here and would still go wherever they needed me to go or do whatever they needed me to do because they are worth that kind of loyalty from me.
My bestfriend got married this past weekend. My bestfriend that has known me the longest. The one who I battled cockroaches in her kitchen at 1am, ALL for a glass of orange juice, and won. The one whose picture I still have, smeared with blue cake icing, up on my desk. The one whose family always liked my "My family puts the "FUN" in dysFUNctional" statements. The one whose Dad changed my flats after my running into their brick barriers by their driveway, more than once. Mainly, the one that I wanted so badly to be with when her brother passed away 2 days after I left for Germany. There's more, but I guess y'all get the drift.
I love her dearly. I love her family dearly. She's married. I cried. I think I cried more than her Dad, but it's questionable. I cried because, well, her previous relationships have been less than stellar. This guy, however, was something to take notice of. I was happy she was happy. I was happy she found someone who will take care of her the way she deserves to be taken care of. I cried.
SO, to those of my lovely friends who sometimes don't realize how much I do love you and how often I do think of you, well, I do. Don't make me cry, damnit!
Here's my Kathleen.

Blah

2006-05-02T13:04:00.000-05:00

First off, the barge, it is gone. I am sad. I never knew how much I would miss seeing that rusted out hull of a barge in the middle of a field until it was all gone and all that was left was a patch of dirt. Darn it! Maybe I should stick a "Bring back the Barge" sign beside their "NO ZONING" sign. Let's all take a moment to reflect and remember, The Barge. (IF it hadn't been located in the middle of a blind curve, I would have stopped to take a picture, but alas, not a safe idea and I'm pretty sure they have shotguns and I'm some part of government conspiracy person and I'd be shot)

So ladies and gentleman, I BOUGHT MYSELF A TAPERECORDER. This also makes me sad. I mean, here's my dilema. What am I going to bitch about now that I have said taperecorder and did NO ONE get the HINT about the taperecorder? While it's great I have it now, and I need to start using it for its purpose, it would be more meaningful if someone had taken the hint! That, or my husband just decided to go off and buy what he said he was going to buy me 4 years ago:) I digress! My husband told me to take it back because it didn't fill me with the joy that it should (I have no idea where those exact words came from, but again...) but I think I'll keep it. Y'all can now think of more fabulous things to get me. I have a watch and wedding dress I'd like. Take your time, email me, I'll describe in detail for you! :) There, I've whined. Let's move on......

The house is finished and complete! I'm ten shades of excited! Of course I can no longer complain about those stupid people we bought it from and all the stupid things they did to the house, anymore. They're all fixed and I have to say, it looks amazing! If you want pics, let me know and I'll email you.

I leave you with this question. Is watching a Shakira video the same as watching soft porn? I'm having a hard time finding the difference between the two! :)

Random Musings for the Day

2006-04-19T09:42:00.003-05:00

Yes, I've built up a lot of things I've wanted to express, but nothing really worth having it's own little forum. Hence, I will lump them all into one. Let's also note that it's not anywhere near as cool as it was in my head because my husband STILL has not gotten me that taperecorder. He doesn't read this either so I'm pretty much doomed.

If you ever ask me for directions to my house, you'll notice there are a lot of strange landmarks along the way that I refer too. I do this because, well, where else are you going to see these random things? You'll KNOW you're on the right road. You're going to pass the trailer with the green tractor on the roof, the farm that rents the purple earth movers, the house with 10 large field tractors on the front lawn, the house with 1/2 of a rusted barge in the front yard and the body of a small plane in the woods. I mean REALLY, only in the mountains. I'll also note that most of these fine homes and establishments are proudly displaying their "No Zoning" signs in their yards. FANTASTIC! Alas, times, they are a changing. I was driving home the other day, and came around the curve where the rusted barge sits. I guess after so many years, they've gotten tired of the barge sitting there, and have started to dismantel it. The TRAGEDY! Piece by Piece, it's leaving the yard and going, well, somewhere. I told my husband about the development, but he wasn't as shocked as I was. He had good reason. They've taken away about 1/2 of the 1/2 barge. They haven't touched anything else in a month. SO, now, you'll pass 1/2 of 1/2 of a barge. You can obviously see where the other 1/2 was by the open spot of dirt surrounded by grass and CRAP sitting out visible and in the open! Now I've got to go alter all my direction sheets!!!!

Cadbury Egg's people. WHY! WHY are the Cadbury people so mean that they can only produce this product for 2 months out of a 12 month year? By the end of February, I'm searching the isles for the elusive eggs and stock piling what I can. By the end of April, they're gone. G.O.N.E.! I mean really, here's 2 months of chocolaty goodness and now P.O.O.F! GONE! Fuckers. I have 4 packages left and I haven't been doing a good hording job of them. Co-workers keep coming in asking for them, and darn it, I'm Too NICE! Maybe if I stuff them in the electrical panel that is hidden behind my cork board, no one will ask me anymore. Kim, you say, why not hide them in a drawer or take them home?! HA! You think it's that easy? Nope, they'll be found and gobbeled! I don't know who pissed off the Cadbury Egg people, but can we all write some letters and get them to be a year round candy? It'd save the little amount of sanity I'm allowed to claim! Isn't that considered charity work? HELP SOMEONE! This, which I stole from someone else's page, is by far the cutest thing and could help me overcome by Cadbury Egg cravings for a few moments.

I thought there was more, but I was mistaken. It'll come to me in the middle of the night and I'll turn, looking for my taperecorder that ISN'T THERE! I'm off to work. Maybe I can accomplish something productive today. I won't hold my breath if you don't hold yours!

It all comes back around....

2006-04-09T19:21:00.000-05:00

There are parts of your life that you leave behind. Every now and then you have a thought of the past, some good, some bad, but for the most part, they're just passing thoughts. I moved back to, what I call, my hometown a few years ago. I lived here through my adolescence years when all was good and rarely anything was bad. When I moved, my life changed. Ever since I graduated high school, though, I knew I wanted to come "home". It took almost 10 years to accomplish that, but here I am.
To me, everyone who I knew here is stuck at the age of 13 or 14. This is the age I was when I left. I look at faces as I walk around town, but no one looks familiar. People change a lot in 15 or so years. Their faces aren't what I remember. Some do look the same and others I just can't recognize. Then there are those that recognize me.
I walked into a bank last week to make a deposit for work. I sat my bag down on the counter and hear a voice to my left say "Don't I know you?" I look over, and sure enough, yes, he does know me. He grew up just down the road from me and was a year younger. I always had a crush on his older brother, and his mother was my 7th grade Psychology or Sociology teacher. We shared a mutual friend who also lived down the road, who I was close to and grew up with. During the course of our conversation on how long it's been since we had last seen each other (we ran into each other my sophmore year of college) and how our families were doing. He mentioned that our said mutual friend was finally getting married. I can assure you, his mother is probably VERY happy! I remember seeing her at a yard sale and her asking if I was married. When I told her yes, she said, Oh, my sons not. I giggled. Her son was my first kiss. I'm glad he's getting married :). Anyway, we wrapped up our conversation, said our goodbyes and I went on my way. One thing was lingering though. During our conversation, he asked if I had gone to someone's funeral, another friend who was in my class. I said no, I couldn't recall who that was. It hit me about the time I got to my car.
A few weeks ago, our town had a funeral service for a Sgt killed in Iraq. Actually, there were two who were killed in the same convoy who were from this area, the other funeral was in a neighboring county. Anyway, this Sgt had worked for the county, had been a father and was my age. He graduated from high school the same year I did. I remember thinking how sad that was for his family. A coworker who had previously worked for the county went to his funeral and brought back the program from the service. I glanced over it, did my greiving for the unknown and went on my way. Until a few days ago. He wasn't someone I was close to or someone who I interacted with a lot in middle school, but I knew him just the same. I could picture the picture I had of him sitting in an old photo album. He was smiling and someone was holding his arms back, making sure he stayed still for the camera. It was our 8th grade ice cream social. I was taking pics because I knew I was leaving that summer. This is the way I remember SSgt Joe Ray.
And this is the way that everyone remembers a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country on March 12, 2006

It's just Painful!

2006-03-28T12:59:00.000-05:00

What is UP with the increase of stupidity? I mean REALLY people! I can’t decide if people are really just this stupid or if talking to me makes them this stupid. It’s painful!
We’re doing some remodeling at the house. New carpet, tile, deck all that jazz. Now I’ll admit, the flooring estimates were a bit complicated. We had to do certain rooms with installation and certain rooms with just materials figured in because Tom’s dad is going to come down and install for us. Has anyone ever watched estimator’s measure for flooring? We had 3 guys come in and they all just jot down room sizes here and there with no reference as to where that room is in the house. Jot area dimensions here, jot a few more there, toss in one here and we’ll give you a call! Yeah, let me tell you how well THAT worked! I call the one company that I’d like to go with because their installer was the least scary. I ask them to just give me an estimate for the carpet we KNOW we’re going to have to install and give her the rooms and what not. She fumbles around, looks for some stuff and mumbles A LOT. “Well, there are just so many notes on how you want the estimates broken down and I just can’t figure out which one you’re asking for and what rooms.” WTF people! How hard is UPSTAIRS BEDROOMS, STAIRS LEADING TO UPSTAIRS BEDROOMS and BEDROOM OFF OF KITCHEN! I just want carpet THERE! I honestly was about to jump through the phone and pummel her. Anyway, she finally gets her crap together and says she’ll call me back. RIIIIGGGHHTTTT! We’ll take a moment and come back to how well that went!
My other problem is I need a sample of the carpet so I can find tile for the bathrooms. The sample that I have is attached to this HUGE carpet sample with like 10 other color samples of the same carpet. The color I want will NOT come out of this sample, so I ask her how I can get a sample. I just should have known better. “WELL, we can’t get that one out and why do you need it again?” So, I tell her I’d like to take it with me to find tile that will compliment it and not wash it out. “OH, well you know the tile is going to come in different shades and you can just come here and use the sample here.” No stupid lady, there are 10 other color samples with the one I want and I can’t tell colors because they’re all so close together! Anyway, since this is getting long, I’ll sum it up. Stupid lady told me we couldn’t get a sample. I then ask for the manufacturer name so I can call and, you know, ask them to send me a sample! “OOOHHH Well I can do that for you.” WHAT.THE.FUCK PEOPLE? No lie, we were talking about this stupid sample for 30 minutes and how it wouldn’t matter if I had it or not, the color would change. NOW she can get me a sample!
As for the rooms estimate, I still haven’t gotten it yet. She’s still looking for the room off the kitchen. Do you know what’s frightening? This is one of the smarter carpet people. I’m scared. Very scared. I am not going to make it through this remodel without loosing my patience with someone. Who knew it was THIS complicated?
Thank you for tolerating this rant. I’ll most likely delete it later or update you on the status. I’m going to go lock myself in my file cabinet now and hope the world disappears until I come back out!

No Good, Very Bad Day....

2006-03-22T14:45:00.000-05:00

I'm having a Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day! Not so much my entire day, but certain aspects that take up the majority of my day are just downright crappy.
My boss, Mr. UnPC man, informed me he could get a monkey to punch in numbers if that's what he wanted. Now mind you, this was before I showed him my spectacular reports I had put together, color-coded and everything. Afterwards, I was told "You ARE better than a monkey!" That's just fabulous. I held back my excitement and giggling until I got out of his office and into mine where I proceeded to beat my head against my desk while blaring my Green Day CD. Yep, people are leaving me alone.
THEN, yes, there's more, I task someone to do an errand for me. Said errand needs to be completed by a certain time so life and the universe can align and everyones happy. Not only does it not happen by the alloted time, it doesn't even HAPPEN! It plops back down on my desk with some excuse and I have to bolt out the door myself and complete it. If I wanted to do it myself I would have done it myself! If you didn't want to do it or didn't feel like you could do it, then don't say you'll do it! After I returned to my office, I again shut my door, and tried to see if I could fit into my file cabinet drawer and lock myself in.
At the moment, to add to my misery, there are people outside of my office having a complain fest over something. Shutting my door could be seen as rude, but I'm not sure if I care today or not.
On top of all this fun and excitement that happens at my office, I'm feeling blah. Blahbity Blah Blah Blah. I had a whole hour conversation about how I don't like that I am now some antisocial freak of nature. While some of you might be shocked that it took me this long to come to this conclusion, don't be. I didn't use to be antisocial. I think at some point I use to like people, but again, some might disagree that this was ever a possibility. Blahbity Blah Blah I tell you.
I'm going to pull my hair out a strand at a time with my tweezers. I think this could eliminate the noise of the people STILL venting about things that really don't matter and no one really cares and they're not going to save the world OR the postal service, but I digress.
Blahbity Blah Blah folks. Blahbity Blah Blah.

Oh Chef

2006-03-14T10:19:00.000-05:00

Oh Chef. Where have you gone? How do you think Matt and Trey are going to write off CHEF! I mean REALLY! And when to Issac Hayes become a Scientologist? Who knew? Sure wasn't me! Do you think he and Tom Cruise are bestest friends?
So, my theory is chef is going to meet a tragic and bloody end. Think alien anal probes and HUGE satellites! Wouldn't a tragic alien influenced death be perfect! All L Ron Hubbard and all!
So, needless to say, I'm hugely disappointed. Who will sing the "Salty Balls" song? Who I ask? Ugh, I will morn in silence now...."..eat my chocolate salty balls....."

Beep Beep!

2006-03-13T19:32:00.000-05:00

I feel that you all should be as thoroughly annoyed as I am. Have y'all heard Ford's new "Spring Sale" commercial? The annoying Beep Beep song that gets stuck in your head. The one you're going around singing because, well, the Beep Beep is intoxicating. Kindof like the "The car is going 110 as fast as it can go....." Yeah, I don't know the rest, only that me and my bestfriend in High School got it stuck in our head. Don't ask, I don't remember.
SO, without further adeu.... http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=11917103

The song list is on the right. You want to hear Beep Beep! Now, you have to listen to it for a few seconds before you get the addicting Beep Beep. It's ADDICTING!

So, they're coming to Asheville in April and playing at HairSpray. Yes folks, this is the local gay club and by god I think I'm going! They're out of Atlanta so they're around the area playing a lot. So, go out and Beep Beep! Stinking commercial!

My Town

2006-03-12T14:27:00.000-05:00

My town. It's special in so many ways. Tom and I headed downtown last night to catch some pizza and beer. Afterwards, we decided to walk around downtown before heading to a movie. (TransAmerica is SO worth going to see!) So on our stroll, we passed these guys drumming away and I couldn't resist. I've now asked Tom to take drum lessons so he can play in the living room without his shirt. The picture does that boy no justice but MY he was nice to watch drum!
My town is made up of 4 types of people: the freakishly conservatives, the freakishly liberal, those normal people in between and the Yankees. Oh, and throw in the hippies in there somewhere too. They fit into all the categories, they just don't shave or wear bras. Honestly, I want to stand out on the corner with the guy who hands out needles and AIDs literature and hand out bras. Some of these girls are going to look back on this time in their life and go "WTF!" One of those girls desperately wanted to be in my picture, but I cut her out.
Anyway, according to the paper, there was a rally held before these guys got to their drum playing. It was a gay rights rally so YEAH for Gay Rights. They're people too. In another part of town, there was another rally. It was held by the anti-gay church groups. Yeah for free speech! It just confuses me. Can't we just get over it and move on? I'm pretty sure during the civil rights movement, there were a lot of similar protests. Why can't people see the similarities between then and now?
Ok, so nothing funny today. I'm having a pondering day and watching some bizarre "Hate Crimes don't Pay" commercials. Satellite TV gives me so much variety! Why is there STILL nothing ever on?
I'll leave you with one last pic. I haven't decided what it's going to be yet, but I'll post and publish! HA! Have a good Sunday!

My Coasters

2006-03-11T23:16:00.000-05:00

Yes, Coasters. Not the band from the 50's or 60's, but the kind you put your drink on. Tom and I were downtown and I found these fantastic coasters that, if I still had a life, would be the talk of the party. Alas, I have no life and they are now snug in a drawer for when I might have people come over and drink at my house. Anyway, I wanted to share. They're called "How Drunk" coasters. There is a fatal flaw in them, however. They're made of glass. Obviously the person who thought of these was funny, but not especially smart. I guess you can't have both. Here ya go!
1) Sober: Adj., Possessed of iron will, but often lacking a sense of humor. Helpful with doing dishes, finding cd's and lifts home. Probably in need of several stiff drinks!
2) Tipsy: Adj., The usual signs are a flushed face, stupid grin, loud voice and a profound love for manking. The sufferer is incredibly deep, intelligent and insightful but prone to giggle.
3) Plastered: Adj., Extrememly generous, loud and confident. Suffering from verbal diarrhea and a belief that he/she can drink anyone under the table.
4) Drunk: Adj., Suffering from vision, hearing & speech impairment, with an insatiable appetite for pizza. Will do anything maves. Possessing an illogical belief that he/she is gorgeous despite dribbling and slobbering.
5) Wasted: Adj., Invincible but incapable. Suffering from extreme loss of balance, co-ordination and sex appeal. Liable to sleep anywhere. Babbling incoherently with loss of most bodily functions.
6) Hung-Over: Adj., Suffering from near death like state, often catatonic and always with a pounding headache. Unbalanced with no sense of humor. Needs a total silence and another drink!

Funny to me. Funny to you? Please no comments on how accurate they might have described me at some point while y'all were with me. And no, there will not be a poll as to what state y'all think I was in the most :)

Grease

2006-03-09T21:02:00.000-05:00

Dear Lord! It will never end!
I was in a play called "Grease" in college. Some of you may have heard it. Are you singing "Summer Lovin" in your head right now? Yep, it's contagious. So now, whenever I'm innocently flipping through channels, I'll run into a rerun of "Grease". It's like a magnet, no, a train wreck. You can't turn away from it. You start singing the songs with the characters and next thing you know, you're quoting lines. Shoot me. Shoot me now.
I played Jan. You know, the "Brusha Brusha Brusha, Keep your teeth so white. Brusha Brusha Brusha everyday and night!" The whole cast was typecast it was INSANE! If I can find a pic, I'll be sure to post it so you can all get a good laugh. So anyway, this was in Vermont. During Thanksgiving Break, while I was at home, I had to pick up a bunch of twinkies because, would you believe, Vermont does not have twinkies. It's the most bizarre thing.
So anyway, you guessed it, I just flipped past "Grease". I did manage to keep flipping. I think I get a twitch when I see John Travolta and I'm pretty sure it's not his freakish need for Tom Cruise and Scientology. No, it's the black teeshirt and the "Grease Lightening" that pops into my head.
Oh the madness!!!!

I love you more than nothing....

2006-03-08T16:07:00.000-05:00

I love you more than nothing. That's what my child tells me before she leaves for school. It use to be that she loved me higher than the clouds and moon. Now, it's I love you more than nothing. I love her bunches. Yes, there's a story.
One day my child was pondering, what all kids do, "How big is the universe?" Huge, I told her. Insanely, non-comprehendable and huge. We started talking about the stars and planets, black holes and space dust. The whole conversation went right over her head, but she paid close attention none the less. So she asks me, "Mom, what's past space?" I say, "More Space." "Past that?" she asks again. Again, I reply "More Space." We did this banter back and forth for awhile. Finally I caved. "Honey, there's nothing past space." She sat and thought for a minute and then said, "Ok, then I love you more than nothing."
I set myself up for that, but gosh she's cute :)

Lazy Sunday

2006-03-05T15:52:00.000-05:00

You know, I find that I have those moments where I'm at someplace odd and I have these thoughts of "OH, that would be sooooo good to Blog about!" Unfortunetly, my husbands razor sharp idea of getting me a mini tape recorder so I can talk out these ideas and save them for postarity, has not manifested. Lets note, that this idea of his took shape about 3 or 4 years ago. You can see what a fast actor he is!
So, I'm going to try to recreate those moments to the best my memory will allow. Don't hold your breathe for the fantasticness that it was in my head, because now my muddled brain has well, muddled it.
This month is national "Brush your Teeth Month" or something as equally as creative. So Skyler comes home with all this teeth brushing crap. If you know my mother, you probably know we already have a whole CLOSET full of this crap so hey, what's a few more toothbrushes and plaque fighting capsules, right! Along with this came a book. Something to the effect of "The King who wouldn't brush his teeth". Fabulous book on getting kids to see that you need to brush your teeth and the bad side effects of not brushing your teeth and on and on. So after I read it, I have a question. Why can't someone write a book about "The King who wouldn't wipe his ass!"! I mean REALLY! That is my struggle this week, not teeth! She's got teeth down pat. I need WIPING ASS help here! For those that do have children but haven't experienced this yet... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. For those that don't, but at some point will.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Y'all will so feel my pain!
Secondly! I got into East Carolina University..... Again. Yep, I have to say again, because it is again! I can get in not once, but twice. I am now officially a winner! I applied for last Fall but didn't go for some reasons that some of you do or don't know. So when I called to see if they could just roll it over for me to enroll Fall '06 they said, nope! Send us $50 more dollars and reapply again. Yes, I see this as a money ploy too, but what can you do. So I'm in. Comfirmation letter is set and I'm back to being a 10th year college student! Does Gueniss keep track of that? They should. I could be SO in!
All in all, good week. I've done crap today. Laid in bed, all that jazz. I managed NOT to go to work this weekend which is a feat in itself and I did 5 loads of laundry yesterday so I feel my wifely duty has been fulfilled.
I'm off. I've been summoned to help wax the car. Now think of the joke "How many people does it take to wax a car?" If you answered one, your probably on the same wave path is me. GRRRRRR :)

OK, Now we're caught Up!

2006-03-03T16:19:00.000-05:00

So, just a quick run down that I've created this blog too. You may ask, "Kim, how many places do you really feel you need to spout off on?" to which I will reply "As many as I damn well please! You know, cursing gets me places!"
Anyway, you'll see I've copied all the posts from the other blog because I learned that they don't save they posts. You have so much room and then the begin to delete. That does not fly for my funny only to me humor and I feel I need to be saved! (Do y'all have James Brown in your head? I NEED A WITNESS!)
So, here it is. They are all titled by date, but somehow got put out of order and I am just not that savvy to try to fix it, so be smart and figure it out! I'm going to try to figure this blog out now:)
Smooches!

March 03, 2006

2006-03-03T16:17:00.002-05:00

Friday, March 03, 2006
Freaking AOL Nazi's! Current mood: pissed off
Somehow, I feel certain that after posting this I will be stalked by the AOL Third Reich and tortured. I think I'll take that chance.
Do you have AOL? Have you ever tried to CANCEL your AOL? OH.MY.GOD! You'd think I was killing a kitten in front of some young child! So you see where this is going, right?
I managed to successfully cancel my AOL account that I've had for 7 years today. If you know my old AOL screenname and didn't get the update email with the new one, email me and I'll give it to you. Anyway, I digress. So, I'm looking online for the number to call and cancel my AOL. I find it and proceed to call. While I'm on forever hold in phone circle land, I read all these posts by different people saying what a Pain in the Ass it is to cancel AOL and how rude they are and blah blah blah. Now surely, my nice southern self won't have a problem. Right? Right? Where were you people to slap me in the head.
Long story trying to be short, I finally got ahold of a person and asked nicely to please cancel my account. Stupid Rep then decided to tell me all the benefits of keeping it and blah blah blah. Everytime I could get a word in edgewise I asked nicely to please close my account. After about the 500th time of me asking this in the SAME tone mind you, Stupid Rep says "Mame, there's no need to be hostile." Again, OH.MY.GOD! I was SO not even close to being hostile and at that point, I lost my calm. I didn't not change the tone of my voice, but said "Sir, you think I'm hostile? Let me show you hostile. PLEASE CLOSE MY F***ING ACCOUNT (please note, all still in a pleasent voice) Well geez you would have thought I had gone of and said that to the Pope! "Mame, there is NO need for that kind of language, who do you think you are, do you think you can just get your way with that kind of language?" I said, Are you closing my account? "YES RIGHT NOW!" Obviously it works.
For pete's sake! They wonder why they're about to go under. Um, if we call to cancel, we really mean we want to cancel. Please don't try to change our minds and just do what we ask. Thanks and have a nice day. On the up side, this guy was American and not Indian. I could understand him. I felt just FINE saying what I did to him because he deserved it. Stupid Rep. I so hope he could hear my American Idiot playing in the background. Stupid!
I'm going to go into hiding now. Please don't look behind any bookcases for secret passage ways into hidden attic space. I won't be there darn it!

March 02, 2006

2006-03-03T16:17:00.001-05:00

Thursday, March 02, 2006
Homeless People
I TOTALLY understand that some people are homeless for whatever reason, but I have JUST got to get this rant out.
My town is full of Homeless people for whatever reason. After living in Hawaii, I've decided if I have to be homeless I am SO moving there. I mean really, it has smart factor written all over it, but I digress.
Anyway, my town is full of Homeless people who love to ask you for money for the bus because they just got off a job and they didn't get paid and blah blah blah. If you didn't REKE of booze and twitch a lot, I might buy it, otherwise, I don't. But here's the kicker. If you're going to ask for money, take a look at who you're asking. This way, when you pass them again 5 minutes later or even 2 days later, you won't feel like a dunce when you ask them the same question with the same story again! It drives me batty. Today, my answer was "WOW! You just asked me that 2 days ago. Have you not been able to get home YET because that does look like a new shirt!" Yep, Kim should have been stabbed right there in downtown, but he said he was sorry and kept walking. COME ON! I'm going to print out a business card that says something to the effect of "I'm donating $$ to such and such homeless charity for you. Have a nice day." and I'll hand them out when they ask for money. UGH! Homeless in Hawaii, so much nicer than Homeless HERE!

March 01, 2006

2006-03-03T16:17:00.000-05:00

Ash Wednesday!
Ash Wednesday! Who went to church?! MEMEMEMEME! Oh my GOD I got so annoyed! If you go to Mass, go to Mass.
I went to my daughter's school Mass. The people attending were of course, the whole school, some parents of students and those few people who said YEAH, 10:00 Mass! I don't have to wait until 7:00!
So I go and sit down in front of a row full of woman. By GOD they talked through the whole MASS! "Did you see so and so? What is she wearing? Where is she sitting? Did you taste her something or other?" and ON AND ON AND ON for an HOUR! Now, my husband does call me socially inept but it took ALL of my restraint not to turn around and tell them to shut the heck up. We're in Mass! None of us really want to be here, but we're good little Catholics and we show up because we have too. Now be quiet so I can pretend to pay attention and make my daughter think that this is always enjoyable!
THEN! 30 minutes into the Mass, some guy comes to my row and says "Move Over!" Not, could you please move over? Not, could we scoot buy you please? Nothing Nice! So, I give the look of death, and proceed to move. On the up side, it did mute the ladies chatter for awhile. So we go up for our Ashes, which happened about 5 minutes after stupid guy sat down. We get our Ashes and stupid man LEAVES! He came 30 minutes into Mass, got his Ashes and LEFT! WTF? I mean crap, if I wanted to shaft out of Mass, but GOOD GRIEF! Skip the homoly, skip communion, just come get my Ashes so I can look like a good person who went to church and then get the heck out! I wanted to chase him into the parking lot, but I refrained.
So, that was my Ash Wednesday. I did get the one "What's that" comment from a 40 year old at the Cracker Barrell for lunch. After explaining the whole process to her, she says "Well that's great. I love Jesus so it' must be a wonderful thing. We're Baptist, we don't do that, but as long as it's for Jesus I'm all for it" Yes, I was having to contain my laughter, but I managed not to shoot any tea out of my nose!
How was y'alls Wednesday!

February 27, 2006

2006-03-03T16:16:00.001-05:00

The "CHILD" update Current mood: working
Ok, you asked, I'm answering. Of course, I'd like it noted that I'm such a slacker, I just took an email that I sent and copied and pasted for your enjoyment. Please note, I'm still in mourning over leaving the mink at my moms. It misses me, I can tell.
SO, the magic question of my child's wrongdoing. OH.MY.GOD.! I was livid for a good week. However, she will NEVER do it again. I think the whole, "Crap, mom's going to kill me" look she gave after I completely lost it, sealed the deal. So, she goes to a private catholic school and obviously the 1st graders have been testing their limits lately. So, it was Catholic School week and during an assembly she excused herself to the bathroom. There were a few other kids in the bathroom her age with her and a parent. My child, the brilliant 6 year old that she is, for some reason that it would just be a RIOT to come out of the bathroom stall with her pants around her ankles, BACKWARDS, shaking her tushy. MORTIFIED! So after the teacher found out and scolded her, she asked why she thought that would be ok and appropriate. My lovely little 6 year old says "I thought it would be funny and my MOMMY does it all the time!" M.O.R.T.I.F.I.E.D.! So I don't find this out until 6:00pm when I get a vague note sent home. I had to stay pissed with the worst case scenerio's of how she did this for 24hours. I had her mooning the assembly or walking down the hall! UGH! The one good thing, was she kept it in the bathroom. So of course now, her teacher looks at me thinking that I obviously exit the bathroom backwards with my pants around my ankles shaking my tush. M.O.R.T.I.F.I.E.D.!

February 26, 2006

2006-03-03T16:16:00.000-05:00

Sunday, February 26, 2006
PETA be Dammed! Current mood: tired
Can I say that on MySpace! I must tell you, I wore a dead animal last night, and LIKED it. Yes, I'm sure I will now be sprayed with skunk urine by some rabid PETA person, but I think I'll take that chance.
I went to a concert last night where my mom's foreign exchange student was the featured pianist (I'd like to take this time to mention AGAIN I'm mad my mom didn't love me enough to be Asian. Girl has MAD talent, 4.2GPA, eats all day and MAY weigh 110, and will most likely never age. I was a good fetus, I deserved ASIAN!). Anyway, I didn't have a jacket and so my mom whips out my grandmothers mink stole. O.M.G.! I fell in love, and by god it loved me back. We went out together, we snuggled together, and I would have slept with it if my husband hadn't given me that "Are you on CRACK" look when I came to bed with it. I'm in love. Sadly, I had to leave it at my moms. Where it sits, pissed off that it's not with me and instead, in the closet smelling like moth balls.
I'd like to point out, that I did notice little old ladies can wear minks and other such furs and nobody thinks twice about saying anything. They're old and half the time can barely walk, but they have their fur so leave them alone!
Now, everyone go out and buy a lovely fur something. IF PETA sees you, you can always tell them it's a great fake! Might keep you from smelling like skunk urine, even though it would be SO totally worth it!

February 03, 2006

2006-03-03T16:15:00.001-05:00

Friday, February 03, 2006
Children
Children are put on this earth just to make sure you are fully aware of what you did to your parents when you were a child. OH.MY.GOD! I have since informed my parents and stepparents that, at this time, I would have completely understood if they beat the ever living crap out of me on more than one occassion, and that I was kindof disappointed that they didn't.
My child is 6. She'll be 7 at the end of this month. She's my one and only and always will be my one and only. No more. I need to save what sanity I may have left. Unlike most 7 year olds who tend to act 16 these days, she's 7 and acts 7. I love that. I love her innocence and that sparkel that most kids don't have anymore at that age. However, she's moved into a mode of "Well, if you haven't told me I can't do it, then it must be ok". She goes to a private Catholic School. Did y'all catch the key words in that sentence? She got caught in the girls bathroom doing something inappropriate. (No, no boys, no doctor playing and in the grand scheme of things, not really that big a deal) To me, however, it was. Other kids can do that and that's just dandy, but NOT MINE! I'm still a mess about it, but I'm trying to move on.

January 30, 2006

2006-03-03T16:15:00.000-05:00

Monday, January 30, 2006
Ah Sororities Current mood: blah
Please note, that I'm still not over yesterday's blog, but I guess now's a good time to move on to more random topics of discussion.
Sororities.
What would we do withouth them? Yes, I belong to one. Everyone stop your snickering. Yes, I can hear you. I joined my freshman year of college before I headed off to that lovely Military School in the freaking cold North. I loved it. However, it's a good part of the reason I DID end up at the lovely Military school.
Anywho, For awhile, when I lived in Maryland, I was active in the alumni group and enjoyed it. I wanted to do it when I got back to North Carolina since there were no groups in Germany or Hawaii for me to belong to. When I got back, the one in my town had gone to an inactive status and the active one was an hour plus away. The one farther away, however, had most of the girls that I had gone to school with and pledged with. Wonderful girls who I truely respected and so forth. The downside was, well, it was an hour and a half away and the drive was anything but scenic. So, I did bad things. I committed to events and didn't go because I couldn't stomach the drive and somewhere over the past few years, I've really stopped liking social events. Anyway, basically I'm feeling guilty. I want to make an effort and a contribution to the sorority, but I don't know how. I received an email this morning stating that basically, if we can't all meet up at the hour and a half away location, then they're going to dissolve that group as well. (I'd like it noted that most of the group lives in the hour and a half location, with the exception of me). So, basically this is a I feel guilty post. Bad Kim. Bad Bad Bad.

January 29, 2006

2006-03-03T16:14:00.001-05:00

Sunday, January 29, 2006
Thoughts Current mood: sad
I find it amazing how people that we never meet, impact our lives. My sister and her husband had a good friend who lived in Fayetteville. He had been an Army Major, but resigned his commission so he could join the Special Forces. That's where he knew my brother in law and sister from. From all accounts, he was a marvelous person. Vivacious, full of life, extremely funny and just one of those people that always had a smile and never a bad word against someone. He also, quietly, suffered from Depression. At 39, he took his life. He came home from work on Monday for lunch, left to go back and never came home. His friends located him on Thursday.
Again, I didn't know him, but I know the suffering. It was just one more wake up call that reminded me how very fortunate and lucky I am to have the family and support that I do. I've been going to the website they set up in his memory daily, looking at the pictures of an outgoing man in different locations with a huge smile on his face and his wife and two small children at his side. I read the guest book that describes how everyone saw him as the most outstanding and dedicated man they ever met. How he changed lives by his mere presence and always positive attitude. Always positive in their presence. I cry.
There are people who suffer from mental issues and the whole world knows. They thrive on wallowing in their own misery. They make sure everyone knows and they refuse help. Then there are others. The ones that are embarrassed by their "condition". The ones who suffer silently and confide in few, if any, people. I think these are the ones at the most risk. They can't process who they are and why their different. They put on a mask and go through life and then, it's over. They got minimal help. No one saw the problem because, by goodness, they were always so darn upbeat. No one ever sees the downside until it's too late.
So, my point in all this is, take a good look at those around you. Don't judge, don't belittle. Support people and love them. If someone has the courage to confide in you, then you are special. Make sure you follow up with them and take notice. Support them in any treatment and help that they may need and push them in that direction. They are your friend and I'm pretty sure you want them around as long as possible to share weddings, births, graduations, retirements and many rounds of golf. Remind them of that, because no matter how upbeat they may seem, it's a very dark place they go when no one else is looking.

January 2, 2006

2006-03-03T16:14:00.000-05:00

Monday, January 02, 2006
Alcohol
Alcohol, why are you so mean? We were such good friends many years ago. Why? Why did you have to be so harsh? TWO DAYS it took me to recover from the mother of all hangovers. Well, not so much the mother of all hangovers because I have had worse BUT I haven't had them this bad in, well, since Alcohol and I were last friends. Insert dirty cussing words here. I have recovered, and I am alive. The party was nice and quiet. Just the 4 of us. We all started drinking at 4pm and didn't stop till we passed out. Me, being the "OH SO" youngest of the group by a good 13 years was the wussy wus who couldn't make it. Yep! Alcohol had it out for me. He knew!!!!! Now I just have to make it through the wedding this coming weekend. NO ALCOHOL because I am good and pure (insert snickering here..)
Happy New Year to you all and HAPPY TROU to those I love bestest!

Dec 31, 2005

2006-03-03T16:12:00.000-05:00

Saturday, December 31, 2005
AIEEEEEEEEE
Yep, still with boring Subject Titles! I'm off to Atlanta in an hour. If you don't hear back from me by Tuesday, send someone looking. Just follow the sound of frantic yelling mixed in with hyperventilating and the smell of Bengay.

Life and such

2006-02-16T13:25:00.000-05:00

So, here I am. Another blog, another day. Basically making myself look busy when I'm just not. I need a break from work from time to time darn it! So, here's the first post.
I'll enlighten everyone after I finish, you know, WORKING! :)