Thursday

The Best of July - Horror Stories From Advertising

About this time last year - I started hassling my real estate agent. Our house had been on the market for 3 months and had only been looked at 2 times. My agent finally came out and told me that she had over estimated what our home was worth, and that it was time to take action. She said no one would be interested in paying what we were asking for a house with only 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Nevermind that we had more finished floor space than most of the homes on the market in our area (a den and a rec room) - it is a family neighborhood and it wouldn't make sense for anyone to buy our house when they could get another bedroom in a smaller house for the same price (WTF?).

On top of that - my husband went from living with our friends in DC to living in a studio apartment. The pressure was on for us to stick to our plan of me maintaining the house here and keeping my job so we could afford the mortgage and the rent. Crappy times.

Honestly, when we had told The Boss we were leaving - I thought I'd only have to look at her ugly mug another month...

The worst part of being apart from my hubby during that time was going in to the office and being badgered daily by the most hateful troll on the face of the planet. Believe me - if I could have told her exactly what I thought of her at the time I would have, but instead I had to simply put up with her because I had to keep my job (again - paying mortgage and rent). Pretty lame considering I was in the best position to tell her what everyone felt - but even I couldn't do it for the same reason as everyone else.

I am feeling good now though - because I recently learned that my team of co-workers from my old department had a Come-To-Jesus meeting with the C.O.O. of the company last month. The Boss has been up to her old tricks of randomly yelling at people for reasons only she can comprehend, using words to describe employees in front of their peers that included "Stupid", "Retarded", and "Dumb" - and she actually threw paperwork at one gal just because she didn't understand a question The Boss had asked. So the threat was made that The Boss needed to straighten out for good - and was then placed on 90-days probation.

A small victory - but with each reprimand the little bloodhound-faced toad only straightens up her attitude and mouth for about 8 business days (you can count them like clockwork). Unfortunately, my old company makes empty threats to employees because that is how the company has been handled for years. There is not one manager in the building who has had ANY sort of actual management training... they all got their positions by outlasting other employees to the retirement of their superiors.

Sadly, the company won't last much longer because as the man who created it retires only has the option to hand the reins over to a troop of Napoleons who think bigger than their britches... They can't even buy-out their greatest harassment liability - an angry little woman who thinks it is okay to throw things at people - whose vocabulary is that of a 15-year-old sailor - and who thinks name-calling is inappropriate for children but alright for her.

Monday

Tacky

A little side rant...

I think people who still wear white tennis shoes while riding a motorcycle look like idiots. Idiots trapped in the 80's.

"Hey - look at me! I have a shiney motorbike, a snazzy helmet, and an expensive leather jacket... but I wasted SOOOO much money on those 3 things that I have to wear the tennie-runners my mommy bought me back in 9th grade!"

You are an idiot. Sure you can accelerate aggressively and think that because I'm a chick I am impressed... but the shoes kill it. You are a hopeless dork who believes in the power of Axe Body Spray, and you have no idea how dumb you look in those Back To The Future white tennis shoes.

Take the same guy and put him in hiking boots - or even better, leather combat boots - That is H-O-T-Hot!

Unless he's wearing shorts...
Then he looks retarded in any shoes.
And there's no way to fix that.

Sunday

Obama The Anti-Christ

"Then will arise a king of the Greeks... He will be king of the Romans and the Greeks. He will be tall of stature, of handsome appearance with shining face, and well put together in all parts of his body…"

I've said before that I am not a religious person, but I study religions as a hobby. Interestingly enough, the anti-Christ is supposed to appear in a time of dire need, and the people who bring him in to power believe that he will set things right. He speaks of religion and faith with conviction and understanding, but does not believe in his own words.

America is in a small recession... gas prices are on the rise and people want answers and they want to believe that things are going to get better. Unfortunately, Obama has proposed BILLIONS of dollars in tax increases in his few short years in office. Granted, most were shot down because they were so radical, but it would seem that his plan as a Senator is to tax the crap out of hard-working Americans until they can't afford to buy the food that keeps them alive. To me, Obama is an ass, who doesn't know his head from can of beans. He's a radical who has visions of a society that can only be considered Communistic. Yes, he sounds good on TV - but just TAKE TIME to look into what his track record actually is - not the words that come out of his mouth. Politicians tell lies. It's been that way as long as "politician" has been a word.

Sadly, the Democratic party had to choose between Obama and Clinton for 2008. Historically speaking, supporting a man is the way to go. I think Clinton had a chance until she started crying at every rally and fire-side chat... Could she really expect to be taken seriously as a potential leader of the world's last super-power with her weepy eyes? Terrorists would never see that as weakness (please detect my sarcasm).

In my little world, Obama is the anti-Christ. I'm not the only one, either. Just do a google search for "Obama Anti-Christ" and you will find thousands of websites and articles dedicated to this idea.

CHECK OUT THIS SITE AS WELL!

Thoughts anyone?

Friday

Recycle

CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE FROM MSN ON RECYCLING!

Monday

Morbid Road Sign

CLICK THE PICTURE TO MAKE IT BIGGEROn our way back from Montana - we passed this road sign just outside of the Tetons.
I think it gets the point across...

Saturday

With A Capital V

Vacation! Good times indeed :-)

This road trip we went all out! First a trip back home for my high school reunion, then some time with my father that included a day of shooting at a firing range, a day in Glacier Park, followed by a day fishing. It got better though! We spent an evening lighting off fireworks in the rain with my Dad, a day at a sapphire mine (brought back lots of facetable gems), some time at a quartz digging site, four-wheel driving to find garnets (some facetable stones there too), and a few stops at historic sites. The trip ended with a full day in Yellowstone Park - where we had the chance to see a rare eruption of a geyser. Our drive home was even nice - coming through the Tetons and into the painted high desert of Wyoming.

The price of gas is the only thing that really stinks about road trips right now... and it showed. We were in Yellowstone on what historically is the busiest day of the year (Independence Day), and we encountered no traffic problems - very few people on the trails - and no lines for gas or waiting at the restaurants. It was almost eerie. We had budgeted for an average of $4/gallon - but once into Montana our average price went up to $4.35/gallon by the time we left town... and I think it's getting to the point that people are just refusing to travel. My rant on gas prices is for another day, however.

Coming home is always nice (especially now that I don't dread going back to an office). Our 3 kitties have been following us everywhere - behaving as cute as possible for some attention. I haven't been able to sit down without having at least one cat in my lap...