Unemployed

It's official. Today was my last day at work. I expected it, since they hadn't said anything earlier in the month. Everyone was really nice and kept telling me that they hope something comes up where I can be hired, and to keep in touch, and all that stuff. Ms Mgr even said that she fought it right up until this afternoon but Corporate denied her request. She took my number, "just in case", although I think she'd have to contact me through the agency.

Pool Party

Went down to the pool for a little over an hour. Had talked myself into going down, but went to get the clothes out of the car first. Saw my neighbor from across the way, and he asked if I was going down to the pool, and that there was free food. Didn't meet anybody new, but I did talk to a few of the people I've seen around (mostly employees of the apartment complex). Had a diet Coke and 2 brownie bites. It was kind of nice when I was on my way there ... the little girl from the apartment across from me saw me coming and kept yelling to her mom "Look mommy it's Beth". Of course, "mommy" was in the middle of a conversation and not paying attention to her daughter. Had a blast watching the kids play in the water (so fearless!) and the hula-hoop contest. The boy that won had absolutely no hips at all; I have no idea how he kept that hoop up and moving.

Here's a picture of a girl I saw at McDonald's earlier today; she must be Ronald's daughter. I mean the one at the counter, of course.

The Wah-mbulance Is Gone

And I'm over my funk. Still didn't sleep as well as I'd've liked to, but better than I have been. I went to the house this morning and did laundry while visiting with Buster and Little Thing. Good thing I went over, too, since the poor kitty was locked up in the bedroom! She has a great ability to sneak in without being seen, and then she hides under the bed so you don't know she is in there. She would have been fine, I know, but she'd have been a cranky kitty by the time Hubby got home from work. Instead, she got to sleep in my laundry basket. I think seeing the animals helped my mood a bit. Even though the ungrateful critters slept most of the time I was there!

Decided on McDonalds for lunch, and got myself a Big Mac meal. Quite yummy. I've been wanting to try the iced coffee they have now; it isn't worth the money. Sis makes a much tastier iced coffee, and doesn't charge me for it. Hee hee.

Surprised I didn't hear back from her regarding the email I sent yesterday. I was letting her know what dates would be good for her to have her Alliday party this year. They haven't done the Alliday in a couple of years, and it would be fun to have another. I'd even be willing to go over the weekend prior and help get things ready! She did, however, send me an email telling me to basically get my head out of my butt and stop being self-destructive. I guess my blog made things sound worse than I really felt. I did forget about the pool thing today, until I read her email a few minutes ago. Kinda hot to hang out in the sun, and I probably won't go down there. Maybe for a few minutes near the end ...

Another Do-Nothing Day

Met The Kids and Hubby for breakfast. Tommy was supposed to have eggs Benedict for us today, but he said he wasn't sure if we were coming today or tomorrow and he didn't make the sauce. *sigh* We didn't have to pay for Hubby's breakfast, because it's his birthday today, which was nice. I had planned on paying for him, but Tommy took care of it for us. That was really very nice of him. Came back home, napped a little, read a lot, watched some tv. Had ice cream for dinner again. Planning on going to the house in the morning to do my laundry, mostly so I can visit the critters. Hubby will be at work so I'll have the place to myself. Well, myself and the critters.

There's a "grand re-opening of the pool" party here tomorrow, from noon until two. Not sure if I want to go or not. I'm not much for socializing amongst people I don't know (and yes, I'm aware that I can't get to know them if I don't socialize!) and especially since it'll be out in the heat and sun. My face is breaking out, too, which makes me too self-conscious to go. See, I just talked myself into not going!

Got an email from Big Bro today, which included several pics from his daughter's wedding. I'd post one or two of them, but he is pretty big on privacy so I don't think I should. Sounds like it was a great day - everything was impromptu. The bride looked beautiful, and they both looked so happy. Big Bro looked happy, too ... wish I could have been there, but VA is a bit of a drive. Next on the calendar will be the birth of Big Bro's two grandsons (one due 8/11 - nephew & wife, the other on 8/30 - niece & hubby).

Sleep

I think I remember what that is. Had a really tough time falling asleep last night (yes, I know - it's the stress but what can you do?) Dozed off and woke up a few times. Even got up sometime after midnight and sent Hubby a "Happy Birthday" message to his MySpace page. Finally fell really asleep (after 3:00 am), and the truck started. I actually got up and peeked out the window (again) to make sure it was the vehicle I've been accusing all this time, and yes - the driver was sitting there lighting a cigarette while letting the engine warm up. Yesterday he was wiping down the windows. He has to be aware that his truck is loud. I'm still debating with myself as to whether I should complain to management, or just leave him a note, or just deal with it. I could probably block it out with earplugs (they work on just about everything except snoring, for some reason) but prefer not to be unable to hear anything.

Don't know what's on the schedule for the day, except probably a nap at some time, and some knitting. I'd like to try and finish the Scottie dog, which means I have to go to the crafty store and get some stuffing. And just in case The Boy reads this, I don't mean Stove Top! I even made up a stupid little Haiku in the middle of the night:
Knitted Scottie dog
Sitting in many pieces
Needs to be sewn up.
And it isn't even completely true, because I still have to knit 2 pieces of ear, 4 foot pads and 2 tail pieces.

Wonder if we are all meeting at Tommy's for breakfast today.

Vicious Cycle

Still don't know about work for July. I'm afraid that means I won't be working after Monday which stresses me out. So the psoriasis is breaking out again. Which stresses me out more. I wish Ms Mgr had told us, one way or the other. I mean, I'd stress about not having a job, but at least I could have had Chad looking for something else. He says he is, but I'm sure he would be spending more time working on finding placements for anyone who isn't currently working somewhere, and not for those of us who are. Time to update the old resume. Again.

Still feeling depressed, and I don't know if it's just because of the work situation or the time of year or what. In order to try and make myself feel a bit better, I had a bowl of ice cream for dinner. Healthy, no. Yummy, yes.

I'd probably feel better if I hadn't been awakened at 4:30-ish again. I'm beginning to really hate that truck. And the people who keep calling for the Torres family, even after I've told the callers that the Torres' don't have this phone number any more.

And now it's time to call the wah-mbulance because I'm getting pretty darned whiny here.

Knitting Book

I bought this toy pattern book quite a while ago, but hadn't used it until recently. I've done two projects so far (well, one and three-quarters). The piggy pattern said to make 2 legs. He needs four. The Scottie pattern has you make all the separate pieces and then sew them together. Even though you make the tail, the directions don't tell you to attach it to the rest of the Scottie. Two projects, and both are incorrect. How am I supposed to make these things if the book is wrong??? Just wondering. Good thing I have Sis to get answers from when I need them!

Today's Post

Well, I know I promised a "better" post today. Don't know that it'll really be better, but it'll be longer, anyway.

I still don't know if I'll be working next week, which is a worry. I was talking to LP (she's another temp) and told her I was tempted to ask Ms Mgr about it. Decided I'd send an email, instead. And then decided to send it after lunch since it was about that time anyway. Drove to Del Taco (about a mile from work) and ordered my food, then sat down. The cell phone rang, and it was Chad from the agency. Wanted to let me know that he'd talked to Ms Mgr, and she wouldn't know about further employment until tomorrow afternoon. She's really busy, keep a good face on things, blah blah. Sure glad I hadn't sent the email! Sometimes being a wuss can save your butt.

Wrote up more appeal forms for some Medi-Cal accounts today. They're kind of a pain to write up. You have to enter the patient name, 9-digit account number, 11-digit "transaction" number and 2-digit line item number for each item being requested. Now, mind you -- if the original billing had, say, 16 lines, the only thing that changes on all of these would be the 2-digit line item number. So, why you have to write all that info, 16 times, is beyond me. You then have to add the date of service, procedure code and dollar amount for each item. And you can only put 4 items on each appeal form. If they allowed you to just enter the basic info once and didn't leave quite as much space between each item, then all 16 line items would fit on one form and would save time, energy, and paper.

Item on the news this morning ... Tim McGraw was in concert, singing "Indian Outlaw", when he saw a fan being rowdy and pushing a couple of women near the stage. He stopped singing (although the band kept playing) and called for security. When they couldn't get there quickly enough, he reached down and grabbed the guy. A couple crew members helped pull the "fan" onto the stage and subdue him (it looked like Tim was going to punch him at one point) until security could get there. Tim then calmly continued with his song ... starting at the line "I ain't looking for trouble..."Anyway, here's a link to the video on YouTube.

And, to give you an idea as to how long we stay on "hold" when calling the insurance companies ... while I was holding for XYZ company (35 minutes, thank you very much) I had the speaker phone turned on so I could continue working while I waited. One of my co-workers was walking past the office and stopped, asked "Are you on hold with XYZ Company?" Pretty bad when you recognize the "hold" music.

That's it for now. May type more later, we'll see how the evening goes. Wonder who'll get sent home from So You Think You Can Dance. Hope it isn't Will or Joshua!

Down Day

Not going to be a long post. Today would have been Mom's birthday. I don't know if I'll be employed after Monday. Just don't feel "chatty". I'll have a better post tomorrow.

Christmas

Six months from today is Christmas. Can't believe how quickly this year is passing! Gee, not just this year ... time in general. It's been 9 years since The Boy graduated, and July will be the 9th anniversary of Mom passing away. For that matter, it's been 33 years since *I* graduated! How can that even be possible? Hmmm, 43 or 44 years since I met Duh ... don't remember how old I was when we met, but it was September of sixth grade. What's that line from the song? "Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the fu-ture!" Tickey ti-ti...

A Chicken Day

Left for work early this morning, partly because I wanted to be able to leave early and partly because I wanted to make sure I had time to stop at Stater Brothers. Had an urge for some of their fried chicken for lunch. Went into the store, and grabbed a sliced butter loaf cake (to share at work) and went to the meat/deli section of the store. To my shock and dismay, they had no chicken! I know it was early, but they always have chicken when I go in! The lady behind the counter said it would be about 20-25 minutes, so I opted not to wait. Bought a package of Lean Pockets instead. Needless to say, lunch was very disappointing. I came thisclose to driving to the other Stater's for chicken but figured I'd just get some on the way home.

Instead of going to Stater's, I went to Albertson's because I decided I wanted some of their "krab" salad, too. Bought 2 chicken breasts, some seafood salad (about 1/2 pound) and a piece of chocolate cake. Dinner time is 6:00. Don't know why, just seems like a good time. Actually, I think that's when Mom always served dinner ... that must be it. Anyway, one of the pieces of chicken was demolished by 5:30, followed by half of the seafood salad. I am now stuffed, but am having to force myself to stay away from that other chicken breast. It has to survive until lunch tomorrow. It must!

On the knitting front, Sis was able to interpret my pattern instructions for me, so I'll be able to complete the Scottie. I tried working on it for a while, but got my knit rows confused with my purl rows and ended up frogging that piece. I did, however, adorn Mr Piggy with his feet. Four of them. Took a picture and sent it to Sis so she'll leave me alone about the poor thing. :)

And speaking of pictures, here's an updated photo of my plant, with the Two New Buds! If you are having trouble finding them, one is just to the right of the flower, and the other is down in the "hollow" near the right side of the picture.

Hey, Post Number 300!

So, I worked on the Scottie a little more, and have completed the two sides of the head. Of course, now I have questions regarding the instructions for the head gusset, the ears, and the tail. I'm going to email Sis and see if she can disconfuse me. Yes, disconfuse. Anyway, I could work on the soles but I'm trying to do the pieces in order, and I haven't decided if I want to do them in the same color as the rest of the Scottie or use the "Nutmeg" color that I used for the little piggy. Here are pictures of the under body and the two sides of the head.

Before Green Gables

Sis is lending me the audio book of "Before Green Gables". I started listening to it over the weekend, and I'm enjoying the story so far. Got to work today, and stayed in the car until the story seemed to be at a "good stopping point". When I got in the car to come home, the CD started with a male voice stating that "This is the end of disk one". Guess it was a better stopping point than I had realized! Anyway, every once in a while the reader's voice reminds me of Milhouse Van Houten, and sometimes of Georgia Engel.

Did more work on the Scottie last night; I have completed the under body section. I'm now ready to start on the head. Hopefully this mild headache will ease off and I'll be able to knit tonight.

And, this morning, I noticed another little tiny bud on my plant!

Mild Migraine Day

Met with Hubby for breakfast at the restaurant where Tommy is now the manager. He doesn't have the Eggs Benedict yet, but promised it as the special for next weekend. We both ordered the chili and cheese omelette with a side of biscuits and gravy. The omelette and gravy were good, as were the fried taters. Didn't care for the biscuit; it was kind of gummy. It was really great to see Tommy, though, and we are so happy that he has a new place!

I was supposed to join Duh and some of her friends at a pool party/bbq this afternoon, but by the time I got home from breakfast I was fighting the beginnings of a migraine. I texted to let her know, and then napped on the couch. That seemed to help, although there is still a mild achy-ness hanging around.

Spent most of the afternoon knitting. Decided to make a Scottie dog. I have a bunch of sock yarn that's been hanging around, waiting for me to get the urge to knit socks (and I already have one sock done for each of 2 pair for when that urge hits) so I decided to make the pup. Besides, I had to use this yarn for a Scottie - it isn't a "classic" Scottie color, but it is called Bark (Knit Picks Palette yarn). He is turning out ok, so far ... but I don't understand why the left side and right side don't match. I followed the pattern precisely. Anyway, here's the pup so far.

Note: The safety pins are marking the place where the underside will be joined to the upper body, and the straight pins are just to keep it flat on the floor.

And now, I'm watching one of my favorite Nicolas Cage movies - "Con Air". Probably not the most relaxing movie for a migraine day, but I like it. Guess I should eat something for dinner, too. Maybe the leftover pizza and then some so-called iced cream.

Spring Has Sprung!

I know, technically it is summer. But, my bud has opened into a cute little flower! I am so proud of it. Unfortunately, I believe the pansy plant is gone forever. Haven't tossed it yet, and I keep giving it a little water, but the hot days have taken their toll. But look at how cute my little flower is!

While reading and computering yesterday, Rafe was having a hard time getting comfortable. He tried sitting, and lying on his back (yes, to use the laptop!), and slumping and just about everything else he could think of. With pillows. Without pillows. He finally found a comfy position for reading ... and, with his permission ... here it is. And no, he is not actually legless. Neither is the piggy. In fact, they each have the same number of *attached* legs.

Finished

I finally finished the Wave Scarf, which I started knitting about 2 years or so ago. Sis bought me the yarn in Vermont and I saved it for jut the right project. When The Girl gave me a little bitty knitting kit for Christmas, the pattern for this scarf was included. And I knew, right away, that this was the pattern for my Vermont yarn. I don't know why it took so long for me to actually finish it.

I also finished the little piggy today. Well, I need to add some eyes and nostrils, but the knitting and sewing together part is finished. I'm glad I waited and got Sis' opinion; the pattern calls for 2 legs, and I couldn't figure out how to attach them. Sis determined (and I had kinda suspected) that it was a typo in the book. So, I made two more legs and he looks quite cute, if I do say so myself.

Nice Saturday

Sis and Rafe left a little while ago. I had a nice, relaxing, enjoyable day. Met them for breakfast (strawberry crepes) and then came back to my place. Sis and I knitted, and Rafe computered, read, napped, swam, and talked with us. We also watched "Lady in the Water". Well, Rafe and I did; Sis did more knitting than watching because they've seen it several times before. Since my DVD player is broken, we watched it on the computer. It was a pretty good movie, but I couldn't knit during it. Not because of the movie itself, but because I couldn't keep track of my pattern. I'm almost finished with the wavy scarf. Not sure what to do about dinner. We ordered pizza around 2:00. I don't recommend the Domino's "thin and crunchy" crust. It is very thin and very crunchy. More like an over-done flour tortilla than a pizza crust. I'll probably just finish it off for dinner, and then have some so-called iced cream for dessert. Rocky Road and/or Praline Pecan. Oh, who do I think I'm kidding; you know I"ll have some of each!

Gonna Be A Hot One

It is 7:38. In the morning. I've been puttering around a little bit, just so things are neat when Sis and Rafe get here. I'm already sweating. Doesn't sound like a good beginning to the day, heat-wise.

The Ups and Downs Of Work

Huuuuuh. What a day. I was working on trying to clear up some of the old claims for one of the offices. I spent an hour working on the old stuff for one particular patient, checking claims and verifying payment EOBs (Explanation of Benefits) and got it all figured out. There are several claims that were overpaid and we'll need to refund (small amounts, but it has to be done) and then there were 6 claims that had unpaid service dates. Called the insurance agency and spent another half hour, forty-five minutes on the phone getting it all worked out. Three are being reprocessed, three have to be resubmitted. But, I felt good getting it all straightened out.

Then came patient of the second part. I researched all the claims and determined what wasn't paid. Called the agency and spoke with Harold. We spent about 20 minutes with him getting information to check. (They never do this quickly, insurance agencies hire the slowest typists/customer service reps in the world.) He then asked if he could put the call on hold for "a moment". TWENTY minutes later, he came back on the line (you don't dare hang up, because then you have to start all over with someone new) and I could hear him tapping keys, and every once in a while saying, "Thank you for waiting patiently, just a moment". Five minutes later I asked if he was having problems finding the claim; he said no, but his computer system was still down .... =8-O FORTY-FIVE minutes on this call, and he couldn't even begin to get info for the claim??? I told him I'd try calling back later and he said that would probably be a good idea.

Went to break (I really needed it by this time) and called back. Got Sid, who seemed to know what he was doing. Only spent about 25 minutes on this call, and he determined that he was showing two different ID numbers for our company, and that is what was causing the problem. We had been paid for the April claim, but not Feb, Mar or May. Oh, these are 2007 claims. Totalling over $15k. All we have to do is call and correct our ID number, and he will have the claims reprocessed. YAY! Went and told Ms Manager, and she said, "Oh, we already know about this problem. It stems from when the Company A was purchased by Company B, and then by us. We've been working on this for quite a while, and will probably end up writing it off." Just like it was no big deal. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.

And it is hot. Very hot. My only satisfaction?? Duh has chosen the hottest time of the year to start having hot flashes! HA!

Tomorrow Sis is coming over for a knittering day. I think we invited 6 or 7 others, but it will just be the two of us. Unless Rafe comes over, too. He may be canceling his D&D day and if so, he'll bring a book. We'll be meeting about 9:00 for breffist at IHOP. Yum, stromberry "creeps".

Dishes

A couple of years ago, Duh gave me a set of dishes for Christmas. I really, really like them. In fact, I've been trying to find another set but can't locate them. They were on clearance when Duh bought them, so it figures I wouldn't be able to find more.

Anyway, when putting away the clean dishes today, I noticed a hairline mark on one of the coffee mugs, near the rim. Figured I'd put it in the back of the cupboard, and use the other ones instead. Took out the mugs, and when placing the "damaged" mug into the cupboard I clipped the edge of the cabinet. Don't have to worry about that little fracture any more. I think the mug can still be used, I'll just have to make sure I'm the one that gets the broken one (if I ever have company over and they have coffee). Anyway, if you happen to see a set of these for sale, let me know!

(according the the customer service rep for the company that sold these, she had no idea what I was talking about).

And, a picture of my favorite freakin' crocodiles, sent to me in an email from Sis ...

Piggy body with one ear

This is the picture I had intended to post earlier, but due to some issues I've been having with my computer (caused by myself, I'm sure) this one wasn't showing as available in my photo album. I did, however, manage to transfer it to Picassa even though the computer said I didn't have it. Go figure. So you can get an idea as to the size of the piggy, it is sitting on the edge of my laptop, and that is the HP logo in the bottom right-hand corner.

Stupid Computer

*sigh* Wanted to add a short post last night, and the computer wouldn't let me. It kept saying that I wasn't online, even though the little icon on the bottom of the screen was showing that it was connected, with excellent signal strength. Did the same thing this morning. Fortunately, it is ok now. I also managed to delete all but 2 pictures from my Picassa albums, but I think I just figured out how to get them back.

Decided to try an experiment and do a little knitting, just to see how my arm would handle it. As long as it was propped "just so" on the arm of the couch, the arm seemed to do just fine. Overdid it today with the computering at work, but that's life. At least I know I can do some knitting. And when I say a "little" knitting, it ended up being both. I didn't knit very long, but I did the body and one ear of a piggy. The picture looks kind of odd, but it is a piggy. I promise.

Had one of those "timing couldn't be better" situations at work today. I had left some messages for a couple of people on Tuesday. Ms Supervisor asked me to send out statements to them today. So, I went into the system and typed up a message for on the statement and had it approved/revised by Ms Spvsr. Went back to my desk, and prepared the first statement. Sent it to the printer, went and picked it up and went back to my desk. Just as I was getting ready to put the statement into an envelope, I received a phone call. Yep, it was the patient! She had been out of town and just retrieved the message. She asked about making payment arrangements and I told her I'm not authorized to approve that, but I'd transfer her to "someone who could". As I put the call on hold, Ms Spvsr walked into the office! So, she talked to the lady and set up payments, and gave the phone back to me to obtain credit card info for today's payment. Couldn't have planned it better if I'd tried!

Wednesday

Had a pretty good day today. I was finally able to talk to an adjuster at one of the companies I've been trying to reach. Couldn't tell you how many messages I've left, or for how many different people. Finally, on Monday, I was given a phone number for one of the other offices and I left a message. Called again this afternoon, and actually spoke to the person I needed! Yay! Of course, she didn't show receipt of the claims (they are from February, so it isn't as bad as some of the others I've been working on) so, at her request, I have faxed them to her attention and she will process them. Funny how such a little thing can make you feel productive! I've also been doing some follow-up on self-pay accounts. Most of them are old, and I know we won't be able to collect (would YOU pay a bill that nobody has mentioned to you in over a year??) but I'm hoping to get some of them cleared up. There are also credit balances on a few accounts, so I've gotten all the paperwork together to process refunds.

While getting some mail ready to go, I noticed an address ... on Bobwhite Circle. Of course, my brain went to the "Trixie Belden" books, and Mart's famous exclamation, "Mac-a-chee!". About this time, there was a commercial on the radio for Macaroni Grill. Coincidence? I think not.

I'm adding a photo here, of the bruise on my arm. This is my reminder of the visit to the Vampire yesterday. You know, the unproductive one. You'd think that anything leaving a bruise like this would have resulted in more than 1/8 of an inch of blood in a vial. To be fair, I always bruise badly when I have blood work done. That's a dime next to the bruise, for size comparison.
And, when I went out to water my "garden" this morning, I discovered a bud! Just one, but isn't it adorable??? I had to take several pictures to get one at the right angle, but here is my baby.

Had a text message from hubby asking me to call him after work .... and he had some good news! Our friend and favorite restaurant manager has a new job. We've missed having our Eggs Benedict for breakfast, and now we know where he is working. It's not too far, although further than he was before being let go. Actually, it would have been nice if he had this location when we lived in Chino, since that's where he is now (he was in Ontario - not the Canadian one). Anyway, I know The Kids won't be around on Saturday for breakfast, but it won't be long before we head over that way ....

Now I want dinner, but I don't know what I want.

CBS stuff

Hey, Sis -- too bad you have to work on Thursday ... otherwise, you could go to the casting call! http://cbs2.com/misc/Survivor.Casting.Open.2.737991.html

And for a little update on the Gabon season (which is probably taping Right Now!), here's a link to a Jeff Probst article.

Hey, I just found out that George Takei (from Star Trek) is gay! He apparently was one of the first same-sex couples to get married today.

And a happy (for me) quote from a Jeff Probst article dated 5/9/08 (in the sidebar of the article mentioned above):

Who could have dreamed during its inaugural run in summer 2000 that "Survivor" would display such staying power?

Not Probst, who, with undisguised amazement, notes that he has signed to host another four seasons.

Incompetent Vampires

It really annoys me when the people who are supposed to be able to take blood can't do it. I admit that my veins are a problem, but these are professionals that should be able to get blood from a turnip if need be. First off, I was supposed to be able to arrive at 9:00 and "just have the blood drawn". Got there 15 minutes early and filled out all the paperwork. At 9:35, I asked if they knew how much longer it would be, since I had to get to work. Was told it would just be another couple of minutes. When I went in and sat in "the chair", I told the ... nurse? PA? whatever he was ... that the best place to get blood was from the back of the left hand. Told him that my veins tend to roll. So, he tried (twice) on the left hand, and then at the right elbow (usually the second-best place). He was able to get about 1/8 of an inch worth in the vial.

So, I'm going to wait until after I actually see the doctor next week to see if he really needs me to have the bloodwork done (since I'm not going in about my thyroid anyway) and if necessary I guess I'll have to go to the lab. All that fasting for nothing.

Didn't bring anything for lunch, because I didn't want to leave it in the car while I was at the doctor's office. Had a piece of cinnamon pull-apart at work, and wasn't really hungry at lunchtime but decided to go in and chat, anyway. Kim and Eleanor insisted that I have some of the salad they made - man, was it ever good! Don't know what all it had in it, but there was lettuce (of course) and eggies and yummy dressing (creamy Ranch?) and dill green beans. Yep, you read that right ... dill green beans. They were really good and added a lot of flavor to the salad. I'm glad they convinced me to try it!

Having leftovers for dinner tonight. I "cooked" a meatloaf last night, along with yams and rice. The meatloaf is one that you can purchase pre-made and just microwave for 4 minutes (8 minutes if it is frozen). I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I'm kinda hungry now, but I think I'll wait until about 6:00 to eat. That's been my "usual" dinner time lately.

Barb has some great news -- she may have a new puppy! She is just waiting for all the "t"s to be crossed and the "i"s dotted. He was born on June 14 and she will be able to meet him when he is 5 weeks old. His mom is named Jeta . I sure hope everything goes ok for her!

That's it for now ...

Vampires

Tomorrow morning, I have to visit the Vampires. Nothing earth-shattering wrong with me, not a matter of life or death. I have a doctor's appointment next week to see what is causing my arm pain and what I need to do for it, and they want me to come in for blood work prior to the appointment. This is only because it will be my first appointment with this doctor, so they'll be doing a mini-physical, I'm sure. Fortunately, I checked online and then called the insurance today, because they still showed me as a patient of the doctor we've been using for years, instead of the one we are changing to. Even though Hubby was told that it had been changed. Don't know what is the worst part of visiting the Vampires: getting a needle stuck in me, or having to fast prior to having the blood drawn. They open at 9:00 am, and hopefully won't take too long, and hopefully there'll be a Starbucks close by.

I really want to get started on knitting another Piggy, but I'm afraid to damage my arm more than it already appears to be damaged. I haven't done any knitting at all in ages, so I might go ahead and start on the Piggy. If anything, I think the problem is probably caused by using the laptop, since I generally sit on the couch with the computer propped on pillows on my lap or balanced on the arm of the couch. Neither of these positions would be considered ergonomically correct, I'm sure!

The Lake House

So, watched the movie "The Lake House" on one of the pay channels. It wasn't bad, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Had a bit of a problem suspending disbelief at times, but it was entertaining. Now I have to decide what to do about dinner. Do I want to go eat out or pick something up (and risk losing my decent parking place) or just eat something that's in the house (and risk losing my appetite)? I'll probably just eat something here. No, not because of the parking but because of the laziness. Plus, the money I save tonight I can spend at lunch tomorrow.

Had a late breakfast with The Kids today. Other than that, haven't really done anything. A little (very little) housework. Read quite a bit ("In the Shadow of the Crown" by Jean Plaidy). Oh, and I watched a dvd of "Noises Off". And now that I've thought of calling Dad again, it is almost 9:30 in Ontario (the Canadian one) and too late to call. Darn it. Well, at least he got the card, and knows that I called this morning. I guess I'll have to call him tomorrow, as soon as I get home from work. Anyway, at breakfast today, The Boy was telling me about a website he found. Seems this guy takes bumper cars (yes, those bumper cars) and modifies them with motorcycle engines and makes them street legal. He was going to send me a link to the website, but I found this one by Googling. Kinda cute little cars, but I don't know that I'd feel very safe in one. Anyway, click on "link" for the link.

Wonder what's in the fridge ... oh, and in an earlier post I think I make reference to the "blue" link ... that's been changed. Apparently when I change the color of the links on the side, it changes the ones in the post, too.

Happy Father's Day

Gave Dad a call, but he wasn't at J's. He has gone over to her daughter's place for an F-Day brunch. J wasn't able to go because she is waiting for her grandson to come over and fix the air conditioner. I told her that THAT hardly seems fair and she agreed. We had a nice little chat, and I'll try calling Dad again later. Oh, and the card arrived early!!

The memorial for Auntie Lee is this week, and they are expecting a lot of people. J says that Dad has done all the planning and organizing, and even made the invitations and envelopes himself. He's also putting together a scrapbook of some of Lee's pictures for people to look through. He may have himself a new hobby! I asked J if there were any unused invitations because I'd like to have one and she said that if there aren't she's sure Dad would be happy to make one for me. I know the memorial is going to be very hard for Dad ... she was his last surviving sibling. I'm glad that he has been busy, and was able to have a little bit of enjoyment in the process. Auntie Lee wouldn't have wanted him to grieve.

Blog Colors

Hee hee - received an email from Sis, saying that she had just noticed that my blog colors had been changed to Slytherin green and silver. Actually, they were changed to match the Survivor Gabon logo which has replaced the Marquesas logo. (note: 3 months, 4 days; and we already have four tickets reserved for the finale)

Sure am glad I haven't been paying for the movie channels with Direct TV. They are having a "free preview" weekend, and so far, from what I can tell, most of the movies being shown are the same ones that were on 3 months ago. I think "Hairspray" is new this month, but it's already been on four or five times that I know of. And this afternoon, while waiting for the laundry, The Girl and I watched "Independence Day" (yes, the one with Jeff Goldblum, Sis). I mean, really. With all the movies out there, can't they show a wider variety of the new stuff? Sheesh. Especially when this weekend is supposed to convince people that they really want to pay for the extra channels.

Tomorrow is "Fathead's Day". I mailed a card to Dad, but didn't get it out until last Monday so it probably hasn't arrived yet. He should have it Monday or Tuesday, but I really have to start sending things off earlier. Either that, or he needs to stay home for the "dad" occasions so I can mail them a day or two in advance and still be on time. Yeah, it's all HIS fault. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! I'll have to remember to give him a call in the morning.

Well, I guess that's about it for tonight. Gonna go over and check out Sis' blog now.

Hey, I think today was National KIP Day. (Knit In Public, for those who don't know)

Irritated Part II -- Oops!

So, The Girl was over today to do laundry. She didn't have enough quarters, so I grabbed a couple from my "laundry stash". As she was taking the clothes out of one of the washers, she noticed a little soap on a couple items. I went to put a quarter in the machine to rewash the soapy stuff, and the quarter wouldn't go into the change slot. Now, we had just used this machine so we knew it worked. Checked out the quarter. It is very beat up and pock-marked. I have come to the conclusion that there was nothing wrong with the machines on Tuesday, the fault was in my quarter. Don't know if I should tell Ms Apt Mgr or not!

Friday the Thirteenth

What a nice, relaxing, fun day at work today! Everyone was in a great mood, nobody felt like working. I was able to get info on claims, and worked on some CIFs (claim inquiry forms) and appeals for Medi-Cal. Our lunch group fixed burgers today. Ms Supervisor brought in the meat, and it was the really good stuff. We had all the fixin's to go on the burgers (even tomatoes, home-grown so we didn't have to worry about Salmonella) and chips and dip. KL brought her son in this afternoon (he's 10, and quite a gentleman) so I was able to meet him. Heard a lot about him over the past couple months, so it was nice to see the face to go with the stories! He loves to cook, and if his grades are good KL is going to let him have a Pampered Chef party.

Had an email from one of my co-workers; it had the subject line "Beware of Imposters". These are my favorites of the pictures that were attached ...

.

Henry's Big Day

Well, I finally did it. After months of poor Henry suffering from a leaky tire, I took him in and had the leak repaired. He didn't get to go up on the big lift, but the nice man at America's Tire took good care of him. I was told that the "low tire pressure" indicator light would still be on, because you generally need to drive approximately 30 miles at a sustained speed for the light to go off. I figured it would be on forever at that rate. Well, about half a block later the light was off. Yay! It was getting on my nerves (which is one of the reasons Henry went in today). I'm sure he's feeling better, too.

And then, on the way home, I happened to pass a McDonalds. Even though I knew I shouldn't, I took advantage of the drive-up window and ordered a Big Mac meal for dinner. Enjoyed it, too. The fries weren't as good as usual, but the burger made up for it. Probably should have had something else for dinner since we're having burgers for lunch tomorrow.

Sis mentioned yesterday that Rafe is having a D&D gathering on the 21st, so she and I may have a knittering day. That'll be nice; we haven't done that in quite a while. Hopefully my stupid arm will be up to it. I haven't done any knitting lately because I don't want to further damage my arm (if that is what is causing the elbow pain). But since my appointment isn't until the 24th, I'll risk it for a knittering day. Maybe I'll start on another piggy (I want to make one using sock yarn and smaller needles). The big question is: Which sock yarn? I have quite a few of them in my stash. Maybe I'll go dig around and pick one out. I need to reprint the pattern, too, because The Girl has my copy.

The guy on "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader" just won $25,000 for knowing the answer to the question: "The United States of America is on which continent?" Even *I* knew that one!

Updated: He ended up "flunking out".

Forgot to mention

In the movie "The Other Boleyn Girl", there is a scene where Anne Boleyn is being crowned as Queen. Camera shot shows her sitting on the throne (no, not THAT throne) holding two scepters. My first thought? What huge knitting needles!

Quite a good day

Nothing spectacular happened, but all in all it was a good day. Started off with a phone call from Hubby, wanting to know which hospitals I'd been treated in, and when/where was the last time. Seems Verizon was working on trying to track down the creep who had used Hubby's SSN in order to obtain some phones. Didn't pay for them, racked up a couple thousand in charges (between the cost of the phones, service, early termination charges, etc). He texted me later to let me know -- they found the culprit! He was an employee at the hospital, and there were several other victims. I'm sure glad THAT is taken care of! Hubby says he'll prosecute, but I seriously doubt he'll follow through. I bet Verizon prosecutes, though!

Then, at work today, it seemed like everyone I had to call was pleasant, friendly and helpful. Now, I know that doesn't sound like such a big deal, but when you leave so many voice mails without a return call, and talk to so many people that don't have a clue what is going on, it really feels good to get things accomplished. My leftover sketti was quite yummy for lunch today, and we're planning a "group lunch" for Friday (hamburgers).

Received an email today from Barb, with pictures painted by an amazing artist. Posted one here. Now, bear in mind -- this is a flat, two-dimensional wall...

As always, you can click on the picture for an enlarged view. (The person on the street is not part of the mural)

Whew, that was lucky!

Made sure I got change last night so I could pay for my share of the taco lunch. While getting dressed this morning, I put the money into my pants pocket so that I didn't have to go digging through my purse looking for it (since I can never find anything in there when I want it). Just before I left for work, I noticed a huge spot on the knee of my pants. Darn. Went in and changed, drove to work, and as I was getting ready to exit the elevator (in the building, there isn't an elevator in my car) I realized that I'd left the $20 in my other pants. Fortunately, Val was able to come up with change for me (I had a $20 bill) so I could have my taco lunch.

Got home from work, and started my laundry. Puttered around, put the clothes in the dryer, puttered some more, went and got the clothes. As I was folding/hanging up the clean laundry, I remembered the money. In my pants pocket. That had just gone through the somewhat public appliances. To my surprise, the somewhat damp money was still in the pocket! Yay!

And, if anyone is interested, I decided on the spaghetti and it was very yummy. I'll have some for lunch tomorrow, too (because I always cook too much).
I use more sauce than that, though ...

Irritated, part two

Just went up to put my clothes in the dryer (hee hee, typed that as "fryer"). Put one load in dryer number one and the other in dryer number two, had to clean the lint filter in D#2. Put my quarters in D#2. Tried to put my quarters in D#1 and the coin slot is jammed. *sigh* Moved the clothes to dryer number three. Had to clean the lint trap. Tried to put the quarters in D#3, coin slot jammed. *heavy sigh* Checked dryer number four, coin slot is jammed. AAAARRRRGGGHHHH. Stuck the rest of my clothes in D#2 and will probably have to re-dry the load. Which means another trip to the laundry room. This is getting to be quite frustrating.

Irritated!

So, I noticed that my credit score had decreased recently. Haven't really had a chance to check into it, but I think we've discovered the cause. Hubby got a call today from a collection agency, wanting to know "how he wanted to pay" the past-due balance from a doctor visit. What past-due balance? The $10 copay, which you aren't even allowed to see the doctor until it's been paid. Hubby said he'd call the doctor's office to see what was going on. I fumed all afternoon, waiting to hear back but knowing that chances were good that Hubby may not get a chance to call today.

Talked to Hubby on my way home from work; he got everything straightened out. I guess when he called the doctor's office he couldn't speak to the office manager (she was unavailable) so he demanded that he talk to someone today. He got a call back from a gentleman at the Corporate office who promised that he would get the collection action canceled, and have it removed from our credit reports, within a week. Guess Hubby also gave him an earful about all the problems we've had (late appointments, not being able to get test results, etc.) Which, of course, is why we have now changed doctors. Unfortunately, I doubt if this correction will be reflected in my credit score. Just don't think they work that way. *exasperated sigh*

Other than that, it was just another Tuesday. Ms Supervisor made the drive to pick up Tuesday tacos for lunch, which was nice. We all pitched in and paid for her tacos since she took the time (not to mention the cost of gas) to go and get them for us. They were quite yummy ...

Trying to decide what to do for dinner. I fixed beef-n-bean burritos last night and have enough fixin's left to have them again tonight, or maybe nachos. I also made a pot of spaghetti sauce last night, so I could have sketti for dinner. I'm apparently not hungry enough at this point to make the decision, so I'll wait a while. All this typing about food is stimulating the hunger monster. Better stop, or I'll end up with burritos, nachos AND sketti!

Watched "The Other Boleyn Girl" last night. I really enjoyed it, although there were quite a few discrepancies from the book. And, I'm sure, from real life, too! I was surprised that the movie arrived so fast (especially after my one shipment ended up traveling from California to Philadelphia and back). Got the notice on Saturday that it had shipped, and it arrived yesterday! Anyway, I do recommend the movie. I think I like this Henry better than JRM. His appearance is more "kingly", if you know what I mean. NOT to imply in any way that JRM isn't worth watching!!!

OMG - New Addiction

Sis sent me a link to this game .... very addictive, and I've only played it once. I know she's posting it on her website, and probably on KR, too (unless that is where she found it).

Well, I just watched the new game show, "Master of Dance". Don't know necessarily that I'd watch it again, but it was ok. 5 contestants compete for the opportunity to go to the Tournament, and possibly win $50k. They have to dance to several songs, staying in the "style and era" of the song, and as they whittle down to the final two contestants, they also have to incorporate the "classic dance moves" associated with the song.

I'm going back to my movie now.

Did nothing all day

All I did today was read. Ok, I ate, and went to the bathroom. Had the tv on but didn't really pay much attention to it. Read an entire book -- "Shadow of Power" by Steve Martini. I had forgotten how much I enjoy his books! Of course, now I feel like a total sloth and it's too late to do anything about it.

Now I am watching the new "Password" game show, and it's not like the old one. The main part of the game is played the way they used to do the "big money" part at the end. I like the old way better. Don't you hate it when they change things?

Sybil

The movie was pretty good, but I prefer the original. There were a lot of similarities, but I think Sally Field did a better performance. And I like the way they ended the original better.

Good night.

Saturday Evening

Didn't do much this afternoon. Bought a curtain to put up in my bedroom. I have the vertical blinds, of course, but the morning sun shines in very brightly and wakes me up. That is, if I get back to sleep after the noisy car in the parking lot. Anyway, I got the curtain installed, and also picked up new sheets for the bed. Did you know, it is impossible to find sheets to fit a day bed? I got another set of twin sheets, and some of those garter thingies to hold the fitted sheet on better. Treated myself to dinner at Salsita's, and took a few pictures of the plants they had out front.

Am now watching a remake of "Sybil" on CBS. Hope it is good ... I like the original with Sally Field. The girl playing Sybil sounds similar to Sally Field at times. Anyway, I'm going to watch my movie now.

Halfway thru Saturday

Went to breakfast today with hubby. The Kids had other plans (they are going to Catalina, courtesy of The Girl's employment) so it was just the two of us. It was ok, nothing exciting. Went to BC and got complained at (we haven't been there in a while, and "our" waitress made sure we knew it!). Went to the house for a while to visit the critters and got some got pictures of Bubs. Even got a couple of Little Thing, although it's almost impossible to photograph her. Since she is all black, her features don't show up well, and when I think I'm getting a good shot, she moves just as the picture is taken. I've added one here, that was a perfect shot of her face ... um, ear.




Also took a couple of pictures of some of the flowers that are blooming. Some of the angles are odd because the flowers were "out of reach" so I just took a chance and shot. I think this one, in particular, came out really well ...

... there are more pictures on my Flickr site. Post has been updated to correct the typo found in the first paragraph.

Picture Problems

Well, I've generally been bringing my camera with me whenever I go anywhere (which, admittedly, isn't often unless you count work and fast-food). Problem is, when I have the camera with me I don't see anything to take pictures of. Mr RT Hawk hasn't been around work in ages; no cute little critters along the road, no interesting houses. So, today I decided to use the camera in my phone and take a picture of ..... LUNCH!

Part of lunch, anyway. This is a chiggen soft taco from Del Taco. I actually had two of them, and the "combo" also included fries. The tacos were quite good; the fries were not. They weren't cooked long enough so were pale and mushy. I then went across the parking lot to Stater Bros and bought some of the Sunkist fruit gem candies that are so popular at work. Of course, my lunch was nowhere near as good as the one Sis had; she treated herself to Red Lobster today!

Decided I'd go grocery shopping tonight since there isn't much around the house that sounds appetizing. Went to the gas station, and ended up going to a pizza place and ordering a pepperoni/pineapple pizza. I did go to Vons while the pizza was being cooked, but didn't get much grocery-wise. Just didn't feel up to shopping, and having to think of what I needed was more than I wanted to deal with. So, I got some cookies, and some "side dish" items. I'll have to do the real shopping this weekend, though, or I'll have nothing for breakfast on Monday.

Received the shipment from Amazon today. This one didn't get the round trip to Philadelphia, so it arrived a few days early. Guess that makes up for the other one being a few days late. I'll be watching "Noises Off" this weekend, and listening to "Anne of Avonlea" in the car. I may look for an inexpensive DVD player this weekend, too. I don't like using the laptop for movie watching; don't know why, but for some reason I don't think it is good for the computer.

Words of Wisdom

that I received in an email from my sister ... If you want someone to interrupt you 500 times, just tell them you are trying to get an important project done.

and I like the tagline she's been using for a while: Keep your words sweet and light, for some day you may have to eat them. Just thought I'd share, although she's probably the only one who'll read this. And no, I didn't change the text color. SHE actually has her tagline in pink! Must be bored with the other color choices available.

I'm very pleased with myself this afternoon. I FINALLY mailed off the scarf that I knitted for ES a couple of months ago. And yes, I know that she really doesn't need it now, but if I wait until the weather is cooling off again, she'll never get it. I sure hope she likes it.

Took another couple of "growth" pictures of the garden today, one as a comparison and one to show how nice and full the larger plant is looking from the top. I'm quite pleased that it is doing so well and am planning on getting a nice planter/pot for the smaller plant, too. I may see about getting more seeds to add with it so it isn't all alone. I'm only posting the one picture since it hasn't been very long since the last post. I'm just taking the pictures periodically so I can track the growth. Maybe I should put a little ruler in the pot so I can measure it more accurately. But if I do that, the plant might think I'm pressuring it and I wouldn't want it to think I'm not pleased with the progress so far.

Got an email today from my Eldest BIL. His cystoscopy didn't go as well as they would have liked; the doctor saw some more suspicious tissue so BIL will be having another surgery on July first, followed by more chemo. Hopefully, this will get all of the bad tissue and he won't have to go through any more treatment.

Not sure what to fix for dinner tonight. I have some leftover chiggen nuggets, and "all rotten" taters, and I can nuke a little container of broccoli and cheese sauce. I'd really like some tacos but don't have the fixings available and don't feel like going to the store. Too bad there isn't a taco delivery service. Kinda like a so-called iced cream truck, only with tacos. I wonder what else might be in the fridge and cabinet, because the nuggets don't sound that appealing tonight. Maybe a frozen burrito, or a Hot Pocket. Soup? I think I have some veggie soup .... I should have picked up something on the way home from work. Oh well, I'll make do. But now I'm really hungry, so I'm going to go see what I can rustle up.

Edited to update (for those of you who were wondering): I had the chiggen nuggets, taters and some pork'n'beans. Now I want chocolate chip cookies, of which I have none.

Earless Goats

A potential contestant on So You Think You Can Dance said he raises "earless goats". So, of course, I had to Google the subject. And yes, indeedy, there are earless goats! The breed is called La Mancha and is an American dairy goat. The picture to the right was taken from a website called Centralpets.com. You can't really see the details on the baby goat, but isn't it adorable up on top of the mamma pig? I want one --- and if you click on the link (in blue) it'll take you to the Wikipedia page about the "cartilage impaired" critters.

It's Wednesday

and there isn't really a lot to talk about. I called and made an appointment to have the doctor check my arm. It isn't until the 24th, so I'll have to be careful until then. I could have probably gotten in to see him earlier, but this is a new doctor for me and they like to allow more time. I know Hubby and The Boy both like this doctor, so I hope I do too. I'm also going to ask about any new treatments he may know of for the psoriasis. And actually, my arm is doing pretty well today. I guess just making the appointment helped...

The Boy sent me a link to view the pictures that the professional photographer took. There are some absolutely gorgeous shots! Even a couple of me that aren't too bad ... but The Kids look so happy, and there are a lot of really nice pictures of them. Unfortunately, there aren't really any "family" shots, and most of the pictures taken at the reception are from a distance or from the back. I would have liked to see some of the family members, and friends. But, it wasn't my wedding, and I'm pretty sure that there aren't very many "non-wedding-party" people in my wedding album. Ok, there aren't any people in my album. But I'm sure you know what I mean.

Today at work we had a "Continental Breakfast" for the June birthdays. It was really nice; there was toast, and hard boiled eggs, and bagels and donuts, fresh fruit. I think the celebrants were surprised (they were told we were having a meeting for the billing department). The ladies were each given a nice green plant, and I think Eric was given gift certificates for Wendy's. I had half a bagel with cream cheese, and half of an apple-spice muffin, along with a little bit of cantaloupe and watermelon. It was all quite yummy. Of course, since I had left over sketti for lunch, it was a high-carb day (which is one of my favorite types of day). I should make up for it at dinner, but I haven't decided what to eat yet. And I know I'm not going to skip carbs, so I won't even pretend. And, speaking of dinner - guess I'll go see what my options are.

It's Here

Finally, after traveling across the country and back, the post office delivered my book and dvd. I haven't tried tracking the second package yet, I'll give it a day or two to decide what route it would like to take. Hope it doesn't end up on Prince Edward Island!

Duh and I met for dinner tonight. I had an urge for spaghetti, so we met at Vince's, which is the best place around for spaghetti. And I have enough left over for lunch tomorrow. Yum.

That's it. Just short and sweet and to the point.

U S Postal Service

I've been waiting for a package from Amazon, that shipped out (supposedly) on 5/24. According to the tracker, it was in Bell, CA on 5/25, and then was sent to Philadelphia. Why it went to PA I don't know. It was back in Bell today .... hopefully I'll receive it tomorrow. When I called the post office they couldn't tell me anything other than what is on the website tracking. And they wonder why people don't want to use the postal service any more! Anyway, I'm expecting a book by Steve Martini (he writes similar to John Grisham) and a DVD of "Noises Off". They shipped out another package today ("High Marks for Murder" and the audiobook of "Anne of Avonlea"), wonder where it'll end up?

Hubby was at the Chiropractor's office today. I know Dr M does physical therapy for carpal tunnel, so F is going to confirm with the insurance to see what is covered.

Don't really have anything else to write about. Of course, I never do have anything to write about, but that doesn't always stop me from writing. It might, however, stop people from reading... LOL!

Arm concerns

So, I've been having some pain in my elbow lately. Haven't been doing any knitting, and trying to limit my non-work related computering. Even with cutting back, though, my arm has been bothering me most of the day today. Pain is mostly in the elbow, with some achy-ness traveling to the shoulder and hand at times. Also have had some tinglieness in my arm. I do NOT want to have repetitive motion problems with my arm!

On a good note, The Kids have just purchased a car! The cost of gas for The Boy to drive to LA and back every day is just getting to be too much for them, and they have determined that if he drove something more fuel efficient, they can cover the car payment with the gas savings. So, they are just leaving the dealership with a 2003 Camry. They're going to grab some dinner and then bring the car over for me to see. Yay for The Kids!

Garden Update

Just wanted to post the new pictures of my "garden". As you can see, the one plant is doing quite well; the other is the one I thought was completely dead but it has come back nicely. At least one sprout, anyway!

I'm afraid to try repotting it, though. They are currently outside enjoying a little sunshine.