Just a big 'ol day for me!

Pablo from Direct TV called me at 7:11 to let me know that today is installation day and he will arrive around 10am.  Yes Pablo I was well aware and no need really to call me at 7 am.  He then calls not long after to let me know that his first job was cancelled and wanted to see if he can come now.  Of course you can.  CRAP, I thought I had a couple hours to get some stuff done around the house but not now.  I had missed hi call so I call him back and let him know that yes he can some over now.  He informs me that he was in the area already when he had called and so he is out front. Of course you are.  I waddle downstairs and let him him.

I now have to wake up Bailey and beg for his help because the dogs need to be dealt with.  I go in to wake him and and explain that the guy is here NOW to install and I am probably going to need his help with a few things.  "MOM, it is 8 o'clock in the morning!"  Yes Bailey it is and thank you for the quick less in how to tell time.  Now get off your ass and help me.  

Never did I realize that going from FIOS to Direct TV was going to be an issue.  I almost have to clean our garage in order for him to do what he needs to do.  Most of you don't understand what a task that would be!  I never thought I would be this brave, but here is a picture of the garage!  This is what happens when you have three boys and a mother who is pac rat hoarder lol.

One less friend

Almost 2 years ago when Danny and I moved to the South side of the lake, we had to find a place closer where we could go and have a few beers.  The place we were going to, and loved, was just too far to have a few drinks and then drive home.

Not too far from the new house was a bar called Law's Roadhouse.  First impressions would lead you to NOT want to go in there, and that is exactly how I felt.  Looked like a dirty, old, run down biker bar.  I am asking everyone not to take offense to what I have to share.  It was definitely not the type of place I wanted to be hanging out. 

One night, Danny talks me into going.  I was reluctant and scared to say the least.  We go in and you can tell that people knew we were new there because all heads turn when you walk in that place.  I had this queesy feeling in my stomach and I was not liking it.  I decided to take matters into my own  hands and walked up to the bar, looked at the bartender and said, "I am new in here and you have to be nice to me!"  She was caught off guard but kind of giggled and said, "Dont give me a reason not to be nice to you and it will all be fine!"  Ok, great, we both knew where we stood and it is history from there.

I actually became friends with that bartender.  We would meet up for lunch, we would run around all day shopping and running errands.  She had my family over for BBQ's at her house, I got to meet her family and last but not least, I got to meet the man of her dreams.  The man that would do anything for anyone.  I was so excited, I found a friend close to home that was as genuine as I and we got along great!  We are both non bullshit type of people and that was awesome.

We began to grow closer together and when she moved to Mission Viejo she was still working out here at the bar and so she had stayed with us a couple times.  One of the most memorable times was her last night at work when we had to call a back up bartender and escort her out of the bar after her like 9th shot.  Those counted were the only ones we knew of, there very well could have been more.  We brought her to our house, I made her Top Ramen which she bitched about but that is ok, I dont really like cooking and I really dont like it at 12 in the morning. I got her undressed and ready for bed and put her to bed.  That was a truly fun night!  I got to see her have a good time, which was rare because she was always working.

We were close enough that she would call me and share with me her family drama and I would also share my family drama with her.  I was well aware of most of what was going on.  She came to my house one day after she had gone to see her sister when she thought her sister was in need of her help.  (this is the watered down version to protect those that were involved) We sat and talked and she felt better, at least enough to drive back over the hill to go home.  She did what she could for her sister, however, her sister is an adult and is making her own choices in life.

Fast forward to last weekend.  Our friend Josh, who drives a truck across the Country, was home and wanted to spend the day out on the lake.  We packed up, headed over and got our stuff on the boat.  Shaun (Josh's brother) had a friend going with us as well.  Shaun and his friend headed out for sandwiches, ice and whatever else we needed and we headed to the launch.  We met up with Shaun and said friend, launched the boat and we were on our way.  We headed to the cove to drop our stuff off so Danny and josh could head over to another launch to pick up Tiffany and Bryan, who met us out there for the day.  They get back and we all begin to enjoy the day and the company of each other.

About an hour or so later, Shaun's friend mentions that his girlfriend is at one of the docks and ready to be picked up.  Josh and them head out to get her and are back to finish the day.  I am in the water hanging with Tiffany and Bryan, Danny is on shore resting in a chair.  The girlfriend recognizes Tiffany and Bryan and mentions that they know her sister.  The minute I heard that, I began to feel sick, dizzy and I started to see stars.  I know that seems like an exaggeration but that is pretty close to how I felt once I realized who the girlfriend is.  She is the sister of my bartender friend, the one that has confided in me and told me everything.  I quietly excused myself from the water and went to share with Danny, what had just happened.  He was like "STFU!"  I was not sure what to do at the point.  We were at the lake and I was there to enjoy my day so that is what I did.  I kept a safe distance and did not get too involved with conversations, except for when the girlfriends asked how her sister was and that is when I knew she had figured it all out as well.  I politely replied and let her know that her sister was doing very well and very busy with school.  That was that.

The day at the lake has ended and we all pack up and head out.  The events of the day are still severely bothering me and I am not really sure how to digest it all.  Once thing I had decided was that I needed to let my friend know.  I could have not said a word and she might not have heard anything, but being the friend that I am, I felt I needed to tell her before she heard from someone else and then I was suddenly the bad person for not being honest and telling her myself.  Because we are still unpacking the boat and whatever else is going on, I send her a text and I tell her, "dont call me, we can talk later, but I need to let you know that I was out at the lake and your sister and her boyfriend were there because of a mutual friend."  She IMMEDIATELY calls Danny's phone.  He is trying to discreatly have a converation with her and explain what happened.  She gets pissed and hangs up.  I decide that this needs to be handled and so I walk away and I call her.  She of course doesnt answer.  I have no choice but to text her, which is very childish in this type of scenario, but I had not other choice.  I text and explain how everything went down and why I did what I did by telling her and so on.  She replies back and says "not mad."  We all knew she was, but I did what I could.  

The work week begins and I tend to check Facebook periodically to see what happening and I see some post form her about some people should be ashamed of the lies they tell.  I think wow, she is talking about me, rude.  But then I recall that she will sometimes put stuff like that out there and it pertains to someone else.  Well, I thought that until another one of my friends was thinking that it was pointed at me as well.  GREAT!  I let it go whatever, I wrote a small blog about people using Facebook to call people out but are not brave enough to put names!  That was that.  Then last night I notice something about finding out who your real friends are.  REALLY???  I was that real friend, I was that person who let you cry on my shoulder, my husband was that person that taught you how to say "I love you" to your dad.  We were your real friends, you on the other hand are the one with the issues.  It seems that when you let someone get close to you, you need to find a way to push them back and I guess this was your way.  Fine.  I can deal with that.  

I am one friend less on Facebook and I am moving on.  On to new chapters in my life and new friends.  I want friends that will sit and talk about a problem and not turn the other way and then proceed to talk shit via social media.  It is time to grow up and act like the adults we are.

A letter to my kids.....

To My Dearest Sons,

You should know that I love you all dearly and would walk to the ends of the Earth for you.  I know that I have not been able to give you everything that you dream of having, however, Dad and I do our best to give you what we can and what we feel you deserve.  We don’t ask for a lot in return.  We do ask that you help out around the house, keep your rooms clean and pick up after yourselves.  Lately it seems that you are too busy to do any of these. 

Mckenzy, your room is so bad that I can hardly walk in there to open your bedroom window.  When I do try and walk in there, I end up stepping on toys, clothes and small electronic items.  Your bed has not been made in MONTHS.  I understand I took the sheets off to wash, but you could find the sheets and put them back on.  I am sure you friends love coming over for a sleep over and seeing your room like this!  I would be embarrassed.  Maybe you are and maybe that is why you are never home.  I understand you have quite a busy social life, but you are leaving Bailey to handle the backyard and household chores on his own.  To me that is not very fair and he must feel the same way because he has been a real pain in the butt lately.

Bailey, your room is not as bad, however, I do believe your closet could be better cleaned and organized and I am sure your bedding needs to be washed or sanitized.  You are very capable of taking your sheets and blankets to the laundry and getting them washed and dried.  You somehow manage to get clothes washed when you are going out for a night on the town.  When we don’t have the A/C on, I would like to see you open your window and let some fresh air in there.

Dakota, it has been a while since we have been asking you to help us with Lady.  I finally realized that this might be too much to ask of you and I completely understand, however, I would have expected you to come to us or your dad and to let us know.  I have since called your dad and asked that he work it out because I just think it is too much of a responsibility for you.  I of course have been put on the back burner and have not heard back from him.  Not that it makes it ok, but I am used to this.  I would like to see you spending more time with your brothers, and that includes Mac.  They need their older brother as a role model and mentor and think it would make a big difference with Bailey and his attitude.  He probably feels like you abandoned him.  I know you are older now and like being out on your own and doing your own thing, but I think Bailey would be less complicated if he had more time with you.

The house does not take care of itself.  Dad and I work very hard to keep the gas, electricity, water ,cell phones, TV and internet going.  We try and keep the fridge and pantry full, even if you don’t agree with our food selection.  We buy you clothes, shoes, bikes, scooters and items needed for school.  We take you to the doctor when it is necessary.  I personally drive you both around town without as much as a thank you or I love you.  I didn’t mind it in the beginning but now it really bothers me that it is just assumed that if you get a ride somewhere, I will be there to pick you up in a few hours or vice versa.  There is ZERO communication that goes on in our house.  This is why you have cell phones, so we can all stay in touch and communicate.  If you are leaving the house, you are to text me.  If you are leaving one friends house to go to another friends house, you are to text me.  If I text you, I EXPECT a response, even if you just type “ok.”  I began to teach you manners and respect when you were very young and I continue to teach and remind even as you all grow older.  I want to be treated with the respect that I have taught you.  It is the least I deserve.  I need help around the house.  I need to know that when I leave for work, the dogs will be fed, the dishes will be washed and put away, the upstairs bathroom should be kept clean as well as the down stairs bathroom.  It never hurts to pick up a broom and sweep the kitchen or vacuum the very small amount of carpet that we have.  There are so many little things that everyone takes for granted because I get up early on the weekends and try to get it done before everyone gets  up.  I am often doing laundry at 4 am during the week because that is the only time I have to really get anything done because my days are already full.

We will all liver happily every after if we just pulled our weight around the house and once in a while helped another person out.  There is nothing wrong with helping out your brothers.  It will make you and him feel better about it in the end.  Trust me!

Breaking the Law - Breaking the Law

I have been pretty good about obeying the law.  I had one speeding ticket in my teen years and have managed to avoid being issued anymore since.  I do my best to be a law abiding citizen and try to teach my boys the same.  [On a side note: It seems that one of them is law learning challenged!]  If I were to ever get caught breaking any laws, it would be a moving violation of some kind.  I will keep to myself as far as what I feel I would be busted for, because I don’t need ya’ll judging me.  I and my family do enough judging for all y’alls!  Who ever thunk that I would be breaking the law at work!  You heard me correctly!  It appears that either I was not paying attention or HR did not cover this section of the employee rule book.  My shoes are what are breaking the law and they are not even tennis shoes.  It seems that we as adults, must wear sandals with training wheels.  All sandals must have a heel strap.  That is the most bizarre work rule ever.  No tennis shoes and so on.  Never have I ever been told that I must have a heel strap.  So, now I have about 3 pairs of shoes that are legal, none of which are open toed/sandals and it is summer time.  Looks like I will be sneaking out to buy just a couple cheap pairs that I can wear and not be afraid of getting in trouble.

Yesterday was a pretty chill day at work.  As it gets closer to flu season, we are beginning to get a little busier each day.  I have been struggling with the territory they gave me because of the vaccine shipping laws, so they ran a report of other states that needed calls to be made and gave me about 500 more accounts.  I was stoked considering the other sales reps only got about 250 each.  I know they are trying to help me because I got a late start in this position, no real training and I still don't have any Customer Service Support.  Is it really that hard to hire a Customer Service Rep or is HR lagging?  Anyhoo, so the majority of this list is New York and let me tell you, yesterday was not fun with making those calls.  Holy Hell!  My Sales Director did give me a nice lead of 600-700 shots for a school in Ohio so that was a nice gift.  I am really loving the job and would love for it to term perm at the end of the contract.  I am working my ass off to show them that I am a hard worker and am much needed on their team.  I can totally come with ideas for us to keep us working during the slow season.  I worked corporate for many years and I know how to play that game and I feel I play it well.  Right now, my focus is selling 125,000 + flue vaccicnations.  Not sure how that is going to pan out but we will see.

Since yesterday I have had a twitch in my left eye and it all started right about the time I saw someone post something about a liar and right away thought it was directed at me.  It is a long story and one I don't feel like sharing because I should really respect the innocent, however, this person that is doing the name calling is so one sided and so full of their perfect self that they are unwilling to listen and understand.  Like the saying says, It is what it is" and I will just have to perform some more Facebook maintenance.  I don't have time for your childish games.  You called me a friend and that is what I was to you.  I did more for you than most of any of the people you call(ed) friends.  Most of which you are no longer friends with, hmmmm, makes me stop and think for a second.

I think I am finally getting my life somewhat back on track and that makes me happy.  Working and paying some bills and getting better sleep at night!  I am working on a plan to get it all straightened out and an already moving forward.  I ditched FIOS and am switching to Direct TV and Time Warner and saving over $60.00 a month AND getting more for my money!  I am turning Dakota's room into a spare room, that way when he wants to sleep over, he has a place and the other two will have a place to kick back and watch TV.  We have always had the kids TV downstairs and it sucks because we are constantly battling with the volume.  If I put them and the cable upstairs, we wont have to fight.  McKenzy has agreed to let me put his TV in that room, since it is HD and I can get an HD box for it and the kids will have a better TV picture than us (until we get our new TV).

I was finally issued my Blackberry at work and I guess i am supposed to feel important.  Little do they know, I was doing everything I could to get away form the Blackberry phones.  As I sit here in our home office, pretending to be important, I can hear it because emails are coming through.  I seriously don't get it, needing the Blackberry lifeline for customers that we sell flew shots to but hey, like I said, I am used to the corporate rig-a-ma-roll and so I know how to play along.

I know you are, but what am I??

My mom taught me that if I can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.  Sorry mom.  Some things were just meant to be said.  I figure not everyone, hardly anyone, really no one reads my boring blog, except my husband because I think he thinks that I am telling juicy secrets or something.  That’s the blog I don’t share with him J  Anyway, I figure I should be allowed to share my feelings through my blog seeing that everyone else is so damn comfortable sharing their shit on Facebook.

It cracks me up when people use Facebook to hide behind.  Like it is some magical shield that is going to protect you from the big bad world.  Good luck with that!  Let’s compose the most vague Facebook status we can, that everyone will know is being directed at someone, but no one will know who because you were too chicken shit to include their name.  Yes, that is very mature.  The older I get, the less I care what people think about me.  However, there are some people that do care and might lose sleep over it so it might benefit other people if they knew who you were talking about. 

The people that build themselves up as such strong people are the ones that are always hiding their shit behind Facebook, calling out for the attention they never got as a child or maybe still don’t as an adult.  NEWS FLASH: Contrary to what you think, it is NOT all about you!

I am having one HELL of a day!

This is a shout out to the fucking douche bags that exit Winchester off the 15 South.  I am sure that you see all the cars that are patiently waiting to exit the freeway via the ONE lane that exits the freeway.  I am sure you know that you are being a complete prick by whizzing by all of us and then swooping in a the very last minute.  Not only is it rude and inconsiderate but it is also very dangerous and puts the rest of us in harms way.  All because you are too fucking impatient to wait like the rest of us.  You should, just once, sit and wait and you will see that it does not take that long to get off the freeway.  What does slow us down is people like you prying your way in or sitting in the middle of freeway traffic inching your way in because someone like me refuses to let you in.  if you are running late for work, then get your fat lazy ass out of bed 10 minutes earlier.  You think you are funny and I think you are an asshole and you severely piss me off!

Another shout out to the SUV that decided to drive on the wrong side of the road in order to get around a few cars and nearly hit me head on.  WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING?  Oh right, you weren’t.  You very well could have made it so three young men were without their mother.

And last but certainly not least; Hey Dude at work!  I don’t care that my shoes are “illegal!”  I guess I missed that part of the orientation or possibly I just was not paying attention and really did not care.  Shoes are shoes and I am certainly not going to be going out in the warehouse and I don’t foresee any of my coworkers running over my foot with a chair.  I typically don’t buy shoes with safety straps and I am sure my husband will be glad to hear that none of my shoes at home are legal!

Today is being sponsored by Phentermine, Midol and mass amounts of caffeine.  Thank you mother nature for knocking on my door at 3:30 am oh and the fat kid wearing only swim trunks playing on the swing at the park at 1 am!  Is there any other possible reason that I will not ever get a full nights sleep and be able to get up in the morning and get on the treadmill?  I am pretty good about coming up with my own excuses but lately it seems I have all the help I could ever ask for.

I am back to my Facebook question from last week; what is the turnaround time on karma?  I am continually qualifying leads for the old man that sits by me and it is starting to wear on my patience.  When I first started working here, I was a Customer Service Rep and it was my job to make a gazillion outbound calls, looking for the qualified employer groups and getting those onto the Account Rep that we had been assigned to.  Well, in all my greatness and glory, I was promoted to an Account Rep after just a few weeks of working here.  Awesome!  Now I get to start calling in a new territory and one that proves to be difficult for us to do business in.  Not only that, but I don’t have an assigned Customer Service Rep, I guess because HR is slacking on their hiring duties.  So, it is me and my lonesome making calls for myself and hoping for the best.  In the meantime, I am receiving call backs from my previous territory.  I am, of course doing the right thing by the customer and handling the call when it comes into me.  I cannot and will not tell someone that so and so handles their account and I will have them call.  That leaves room for a competitor to swoop in and take them away.  If they took the time to call back, then they have some amount of interest and I am not going to throw that away.  I just want to know when someone is going to hand me a golden egg worth $15,400.00.  I just keep telling myself, “good things come to those who wait……..”

I had every intent of getting up at 4 am, well my alarm was set for 4 am so I might have rolled out around 4:30 or so, and getting on the treadmill.  However, I guess because I woke Bailey up early yesterday to handle the trash cans, he felt the need to play PS3 at mid-night.  Usually that would not be a  problem, except that my room is right above the living room where the TV and game system are located and it sounded like the Korean war was happening in the downstairs of my house.  The bass is set so high that even if you turn down the volume, my bed still vibrates.  Which, I know I should not complain about a vibrating bed, but it is annoying.  After texting him and asking him to turn down and realizing that I was being ignored, I had to get out of bed and go downstairs and tell him to turn down.  It was silent for oh about 4-5 minutes and then the Korean war broke out again.  I know I told him I was going to throw the PS3 in the trash, but it is new and that would be a waste of money and I am sure it would piss off Danny.  I finally gave up and put in my ear plugs.  That helped and I think I was back to sleep by 2 am.  There was no way in hell I was going to get up at 4 am to work out after the night I had, so when Danny said goodbye, I rolled over and switched to alarm #2 which was set to go off at 6:10 am.  I have come to the conclusion that our TV needs an after 10 pm setting, so that when I go to bed, I don’t have to deal with this crap.  It hasn’t been the first time and I know it won’t be the last.  For some reason the kids think it is a joke when I ask them to turn down the TV.  They seem to think that I am here to make their life a living hell and so I think they are trying to do the same with me.

Danny and I work very hard to give them the essentials that are required to survive and when we can we will buy them the things they want.  We have had a rough couple years and went into survival mode for a while and are now getting back on our feet and things are slowly getting back to normal.  I don’t know if this rings true for other kids, but mine don’t understand survival mode and are constantly barking about how we don’t have anything “good” to eat and “can I have a couple bucks” because they want to go to the corner store and buy a soda and a bag of chips.  I bet if I added all the money that I have just handed out and transferred to their ATM cards, I would be shocked.  I am going to sit down with them and let them know the plan I have come up with as far as allowance and spending money.  I am sure that will just make me ever more of a bad mom to them, but they need to snap back to reality.  I can’t handle the attitude I get when I ask that something be done, it ruins my day.  I don’t like the shitty looks I get when I tell them that I am cooking dinner and NO we cannot go out and eat, and LORDY LORDY when I don’t want to play taxi, their world is crashing down around them.

All I ask is that they do the chores that we have on the list, everyday without being told and if you see something out of place, PICK IT UP and put it where it goes.  Instead, it is the finger pointing blame making game that I get and again, it gets old, ruins my day and just plan makes me pissed. 

Laying down new rules with them will be rough and I am not looking forward to it, but it needs to be done.

Tuesday started off on the wrong foot, but of course, why wouldn't it?  I had to wake up my teenage son at 6 am ask him to take the trash cans to the curb.  Anything at 6 am for a teenager is not a good thing.  Immediately after he was done with the cans and bitching all the way back to his room, I had to chase him down, with a bruised and swollen knee.  Once I caught up to him, I had to remind him that today is Tuesday and the gardeners will be coming and I need all the dog poop picked up and when the gardeners get here, he needs to put the dogs in the garage.  That went over about as well as a fart in Church!

We have been having some issues with the gardener and it is now at the point where they are lying to the property  management company and said that my dogs were getting aggressive with him.  I call bullshit, because the day he is referring to, he was threatening Duke with the weed whacker.  His Mexican lying ass can kiss my fat white ass.  So today as his reward for lying he will be greeted with about 3 feet of grass and weeds (mostly weeds) and hope there is a secret surprise in there anywhere.

Bailey is a little happier now.  He can't seem to go back to sleep so he is playing video games and less likely to throw daggers at me when I leave for work.

I love my kids but they are lazy, ungrateful little turds who expect the World to be handed to them!

First and foremost I would like to say fuck you very much Google.  Why when something is working just fine, do you feel the need to go and make changes?  Ok, I feel better.

I set my alarm for 5 am before I went to bed last night with all the intentions of getting up and getting my butt on the treadmill.  This was after a weigh in at the fat doctor yesterday on my weigh home from work.  I didnt gain but I didnt lose either.  The gal in the room next to me lost 11 lbs in one month.  She goes 1.5 miles almost daily.  It could either be the exercise or it could be that her system has not become almost immune to the diet pills.  I figured, I could do that, if I could just get up early enough.  

Well one of my dogs has this thing for 1:15 am.  Not sure if he is listening to Ozzy and Barking at the Moon or if every morning at 1:15 am someone is snooping around the house.  I have not quit figured it out.  Last night or this morning when it happened, I never really went back to sleep.  I dozed in and out, watched the clock and listened to my lumberjack snore.  I am glad that he gets sleep because he has one hell of a drive to work.

Finally I fell asleep and then it was time for my lumberjack to get  up and well, I tried so hard to go back to sleep but couldn't really so I turned off the alarm and out on my workout clothes.  I headed downstairs with my phone and headphones so I could listen to Creed on Pandora.  I might have watched some TV but for some reason Bailey decided to sleep on the couch, which is a HUGE no no in my house and that is another topic for another day.

I managed to make it through a mile and not because I am that out of shape, I just get BORED!  It was a slow mile so I will have lots of room for improvement, I am just glad I finally got off my ass and did it.  Even if it was Friday and I should have started on Monday!

I am happy it is Friday and a long weekend, that gives the DC an extra day of drinking!  We have lots going on this weekend; mini block party in my hood after work today and then a BBQ at Saggy Balls house on Saturday and well that leaves Sunday open but I would imagine that we (the DC) will end up at our local watering hole.  Sounds like a perfect weekend to me.  The only thing that could make it better, is if the Head Cheese at work decided to let us all (all of us that did not already take today off) go early because I am in desperate need of a pedicure!