Hi - I'm in a "bulleted list" mood. So here is my latest updates of random thoughts ;)
1. things are getting back to 'normal' in San Diego. I base this on the fact that it took me more than 35 minutes just to get onto the 805 north yesterday afterwork from my office. My office is less than 1 1/2 miles. Then after I got on the 805, it took me OVER 1 hr to get home. The total trip is 35 miles, takes me without heavy traffic about 35-40 min; total yesterday 1 hr and 45 minutes!!
2. work is good - I am appreciated at least. I got a Magellon GPS system for my car as a present yesterday! nice.
3. Hillary Clinton changes her mind in the middle of a sentence. But I have to say: IF YOU LIKE GW BUSH, YOU'LL LOVE HILLARY! God help us all!!
4. 11 illegals are in the hospital in San Diego, burned by the fires. I'm proud of our workers for sending them to the burn center, but I worry about who is going ot absorb the costs - could exceed $1.5 Million!! Oy!!
5. Drivers Licenses to Illegals............glad I don't live in NY State
6. My hubby is WONDERFUL, he made me homemade (from scratch) brownies and pumpkin/cranberry bars for my company halloween party yesterday. Everyone loved them and thanked him. I love him and thank him :)
7. Going to Cincinnati for a quick trip next week. I have some personal business to attend to, quick in and quick out!
8. Had a disturbing dream that I was a waitress again; my first day I had an entire restaurant full of tables to wait on - it was CRAZY!! Ever since I had the dream, Tamara has had too many tables at work and been busier than she normally is. Eeek!
9. We're hiring a program manager at work. That will totally help out! I will be more than happy to hand off the work!
10. My family is doing great! Jake and Michelle had their first anniversary; Beka and Jack are figuring things out and it seems to be working; Tamara is still happier than ever and Roland and I are getting closer to our wedding!!! (sorry, still no date)
11. how crazy is this??? In one week, I got 2 letters from different companies telling me that my identity was compromised by their lack of ability to protect it. What is up with that? I'm starting a company that will consult to companies to teach them not to put personal information of their customers/clients/etc. on some fools laptop who leaves it in their car in plain site at the frickin' mall. Good thing I'm on top of my stuff and have already planned ahead. Geez!
that's it for now, gotta eat this fantastic dinner that has been so lovingly prepared for me!
bye!!
Showing posts with label California. Show all posts
Showing posts with label California. Show all posts
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
My Neighbors
We live in a townhome, pretty nice, 3 bedrooms, 1500 sq ft, 2 car garage. You know that we got robbed when we first moved in. So that has made the experience less than perfect, regardless I have still liked the place. There's a pool for our small community, lots of beautiful landscaping, fruit trees, nice place to walk around with the dog.
The downside is the mass number of townhomes in such a small area. I think there's somewhere between 80-100 townhomes, each of them on a tenth of an acre or less, right on top of each other. Some are 2 bedroom, 1 car garage with a carport; some are 3 bedroom, 2 car garage. Because there are so many homes in such close proximity, there are tons of people living close.
From my patio or bedroom window I can hear lots of interesting, disgusting, and entertaining noises:
1. one neighbor goes out each morning and reads his newspaper, drinks his coffee and smokes his cigarettes on his patio. He's surrounded by a pomegranite tree, ficus, bogenvalia, and other plants. The humingbirds hang out on his patio. It's very nice.
2. there's a marine couple that lives in my adjoining townhome. A woman used to live there by herself - but she had to move to Colorado with her job and decided to rent it out. I've met the marine but not his wife. He's really a nice guy. They have 2 children, I've really only seen their daughter. She's about 3 yrs old. They have a dog and a cat. For the most part they are quiet, except he goes outside to smoke and when we're in bed and he opens the sliding glass door, it sounds like our door and I freak out. I can't tell you how many times I get up and just double check that it's not our house - because of the break-in. They've had a wild party once, the police came and they were all very drunk, talking loud and having fun. I wouldn't care except I couldn't sleep. If this was when I was living in Cincinnati, I could close my window and sleep because I'd be far enough away.
3. Next to me across a small walkway with bushes dividing the walkways, is another marine and his wife. I don't think they have kids. They do have a squaky bird of some kind, a cat and a big dog. The dog barks at us when we are coming in and out of our house. Sometimes the dog gets going and then Snicker reacts to him. I've never really talked to them; but I did overhear them saying stuff about us and our dog. Some stupid shit, really. But like our other neighbors they have had some wild, loud parties. So many that the police have been there multiple times. Last party I was concerned that these marines were talking loud and one of them was really pissed off. His buds were telling him to "put it away". I was worried that "IT" was a GUN. I mean, you never know, right??
4. There's some really nice people that live here that I've talked to - a guy named Otis, he has a pitbull that is a really nice dog. He lives up the street and we chat from time to time. There's another woman that has great yard sales, she's really nice. Then a couple doors up the street is an elderly lady, her daughter and granddaughter live with her. She's really nice, a little nosy, but that's ok, I feel like at she is looking out for all the rest of us!
5. One thing that I realized since I lived here is that HILLBILLIES live in California!! Honestly, I was very surprised. I mean, I'm from Cincinnati. It's right on the Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio borders. And when I say there are hillbillies here, I know what I'm talking about. I've seen enough of them. These people are loud, obnoxious, the dog is always running around, their front door is never closed, they have trash in their yard, their patio is full of crap - severe overflow of garbage from the inside of the house. They have a tons of kids that live in that house and the are always whining and crying. The youngest son is cute, but whines all the time. The next son is always in trouble - expelled from school for the entire 1st quarter. And the woman is crazy!!
6. I'm saving the best for last! directly behind me, there is a lady that I have to assume is a heavy smoker or was one most of her life. She lives with her daughter, some animals. I walk behind her house with the dog, she loves Padres baseball. In fact, it kind of reminds me of my own mother. I've never seen the woman, but boy do I hear her. She hacks, chokes, coughs, and makes some other throaty clearing sounds - like a life long smoker. I can hear her no matter where I am in the house or outside. But the worst time is at night when I lay down to sleep. OH MY GOD! It's so disgusting that it just about makes me throw up! Makes me sick to my stomach.
Lots of dogs barking, cats crapping in my backyard, birds squaking, kids running, grown-ups talking, phones dialing (yep, I can hear the tones of the keypad on someone's phone), cars running, bikes and skateboards flying up and down the driveway. I didn't think that living this close would bother me, but it really does.
Fortunately, we have plans to move back to Ohio at some point. Sooner than later, I hope. We will live on .5+ acres, lots of trees, a pool, hot tub, deck, nice big house, driveway, grass to cut, flowers to plant, snow to shovel, and I will love every bit of it! California is beautiful, don't get me wrong - I am sooooooooo glad that I had the opportunity to live here. I have enjoyed seeing it in person, being around the ocean and mountains every day. It's really nice. If I was 20 and just starting out, I would probably love it so much that I would never leave. But I'm not, I don't like crime, I don't like being on top of people all the time, I don't like the illegals that are on every corner.
My biggest question is about my dog...he already freezes when it gets in the 50's! Can you imagine what he's going to do with snow and rain and ice!!??!! hehe!!
The downside is the mass number of townhomes in such a small area. I think there's somewhere between 80-100 townhomes, each of them on a tenth of an acre or less, right on top of each other. Some are 2 bedroom, 1 car garage with a carport; some are 3 bedroom, 2 car garage. Because there are so many homes in such close proximity, there are tons of people living close.
From my patio or bedroom window I can hear lots of interesting, disgusting, and entertaining noises:
1. one neighbor goes out each morning and reads his newspaper, drinks his coffee and smokes his cigarettes on his patio. He's surrounded by a pomegranite tree, ficus, bogenvalia, and other plants. The humingbirds hang out on his patio. It's very nice.
2. there's a marine couple that lives in my adjoining townhome. A woman used to live there by herself - but she had to move to Colorado with her job and decided to rent it out. I've met the marine but not his wife. He's really a nice guy. They have 2 children, I've really only seen their daughter. She's about 3 yrs old. They have a dog and a cat. For the most part they are quiet, except he goes outside to smoke and when we're in bed and he opens the sliding glass door, it sounds like our door and I freak out. I can't tell you how many times I get up and just double check that it's not our house - because of the break-in. They've had a wild party once, the police came and they were all very drunk, talking loud and having fun. I wouldn't care except I couldn't sleep. If this was when I was living in Cincinnati, I could close my window and sleep because I'd be far enough away.
3. Next to me across a small walkway with bushes dividing the walkways, is another marine and his wife. I don't think they have kids. They do have a squaky bird of some kind, a cat and a big dog. The dog barks at us when we are coming in and out of our house. Sometimes the dog gets going and then Snicker reacts to him. I've never really talked to them; but I did overhear them saying stuff about us and our dog. Some stupid shit, really. But like our other neighbors they have had some wild, loud parties. So many that the police have been there multiple times. Last party I was concerned that these marines were talking loud and one of them was really pissed off. His buds were telling him to "put it away". I was worried that "IT" was a GUN. I mean, you never know, right??
4. There's some really nice people that live here that I've talked to - a guy named Otis, he has a pitbull that is a really nice dog. He lives up the street and we chat from time to time. There's another woman that has great yard sales, she's really nice. Then a couple doors up the street is an elderly lady, her daughter and granddaughter live with her. She's really nice, a little nosy, but that's ok, I feel like at she is looking out for all the rest of us!
5. One thing that I realized since I lived here is that HILLBILLIES live in California!! Honestly, I was very surprised. I mean, I'm from Cincinnati. It's right on the Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio borders. And when I say there are hillbillies here, I know what I'm talking about. I've seen enough of them. These people are loud, obnoxious, the dog is always running around, their front door is never closed, they have trash in their yard, their patio is full of crap - severe overflow of garbage from the inside of the house. They have a tons of kids that live in that house and the are always whining and crying. The youngest son is cute, but whines all the time. The next son is always in trouble - expelled from school for the entire 1st quarter. And the woman is crazy!!
6. I'm saving the best for last! directly behind me, there is a lady that I have to assume is a heavy smoker or was one most of her life. She lives with her daughter, some animals. I walk behind her house with the dog, she loves Padres baseball. In fact, it kind of reminds me of my own mother. I've never seen the woman, but boy do I hear her. She hacks, chokes, coughs, and makes some other throaty clearing sounds - like a life long smoker. I can hear her no matter where I am in the house or outside. But the worst time is at night when I lay down to sleep. OH MY GOD! It's so disgusting that it just about makes me throw up! Makes me sick to my stomach.
Lots of dogs barking, cats crapping in my backyard, birds squaking, kids running, grown-ups talking, phones dialing (yep, I can hear the tones of the keypad on someone's phone), cars running, bikes and skateboards flying up and down the driveway. I didn't think that living this close would bother me, but it really does.
Fortunately, we have plans to move back to Ohio at some point. Sooner than later, I hope. We will live on .5+ acres, lots of trees, a pool, hot tub, deck, nice big house, driveway, grass to cut, flowers to plant, snow to shovel, and I will love every bit of it! California is beautiful, don't get me wrong - I am sooooooooo glad that I had the opportunity to live here. I have enjoyed seeing it in person, being around the ocean and mountains every day. It's really nice. If I was 20 and just starting out, I would probably love it so much that I would never leave. But I'm not, I don't like crime, I don't like being on top of people all the time, I don't like the illegals that are on every corner.
My biggest question is about my dog...he already freezes when it gets in the 50's! Can you imagine what he's going to do with snow and rain and ice!!??!! hehe!!
Friday, October 26, 2007
San Diego Fires
This has been the CRAZIEST week EVER! I just can't describe the feeling of waking up on a Monday morning, getting ready for work, only to find out that you have to stay home, pack up your important papers, pictures and some clothes, so you can high tail out of the neighborhood and head to an evacuation center. One thing that I learned pretty quickly was not to panic, but to systematically gather our belongings and prepare to leave.
The biggest thing was all the time that was spent glued to the news coverage. Hoping like hell, TRUSTING the media! YIKES! That was very difficult. Meanwhile, in the middle of the fire, he had to go to dialysis on Monday and Wednesday. It was very freaky. I sat here, all packed, ready to go, planned to meet him at dialysis and then head to an evac center. Even the dog knew something was up and when he saw me pack up his food and blankets, he was ready to book out the door!
I was nervous, talked to some friends online, watched the media coverage, tried to stay on top of the areas where the fires were burning. At one point, the fire came within a few miles from our house and the mandatory evacuation center was within a mile. FREAKY!!
Then at one point on Tuesday, President Bush declared Southern California a "Natural Disaster Area". I sat here, still packed and waiting to see where the fire was coming in from and it sunk into me that I was living in a natural disaster area. Good God! That was something that I have NEVER experienced. Even during tornadoes and floods couldn't compare with fire. All I could think was all the fire lessons I got from my uncle, who was a fireman. I just kept trusting that the fire departments were working hard and keeping us safe.
By Tuesday afternoon, we had to get out of the house and just see what was going on beyond our front yard. So we drove to the Oceanside Harbor, walked around and saw people trying to be "normal". Those folks trying to be normal made me feel better. I felt like things would return soon to the "normal" state. I'd return to work, I'd pay bills, I'd continue to live my life, love my family and be normal! Ah, the idea of being normal, running errands, sitting in traffic, waiting for the train, going to the dry cleaners, mailing letters, cooking dinner.
I thought that it was alot like during 9/11. Disaster struck. People didn't know what to think. Watch lots of TV, depending on the media to get you through. That's exactly how I felt.
I thank God that none of my friends lost their homes, none were hurt, many were displaced, but got to return. The concern from my friends, the love that was outpouring is amazing.
And then, let's talk about how amazing the folks in San Diego were to each other. 10's of 1000's of people in evacuation centers, 10's of 1000's of people bringing food, blankets, pillows, toiletries, water, paper products, and everything that people needed. There were so many donations that the evac centers had to ask people to NOT bring donations! When have you ever heard of something like that? The outpouring was very touching. I was crying over the kindness of people. We didn't wait for the Federal Govt to step in a "save" us. We just saved ourselves. To me, that's the best part of living here in San Diego.
A couple of funny shelter stories:
1. one of the shelters by the coast had lots of elderly folks in it. A couple of the Chargers paid for everything for this shelter including a Chef who came in and cooked a gourmet breakfast and had Starbucks come in and serve coffee!
2. another shelter had lots of elderly folks in it and many of them had dogs. They put out a request for people to come down and walk their dogs and play with them so they could sleep for a while!!
3. volunteer Dr's and nurses poured out into the shelters to the extent that some were turned away because there was no more need.
4. teachers were volunteering to go to Qualcomm Stadium to help with everyone's kids - give them something to do, help fight boredom!!
THOSE ARE JUST A FEW!
After hearing all the positive stories about the shelters, I totally expected to hear that someone would be giving away massages or spa treatments!! And now they are trying to decide if the Chargers can play on Sunday or Monday. Let me tell you, if we are able to play an NFL game a week after the fires started there's nothing we can't do!! GO SAN DIEGO!!
The latest statistics that I am aware of:
over 375,000 acres burned
over 350,ooo families evacuated
the largest fire in San Diego County AND the State of California
1800 homes burned down so far
about 7 deaths, 19 injuries
bad air quality all week and into next week
God bless those affected by the fires! "EVERYONE"
The biggest thing was all the time that was spent glued to the news coverage. Hoping like hell, TRUSTING the media! YIKES! That was very difficult. Meanwhile, in the middle of the fire, he had to go to dialysis on Monday and Wednesday. It was very freaky. I sat here, all packed, ready to go, planned to meet him at dialysis and then head to an evac center. Even the dog knew something was up and when he saw me pack up his food and blankets, he was ready to book out the door!
I was nervous, talked to some friends online, watched the media coverage, tried to stay on top of the areas where the fires were burning. At one point, the fire came within a few miles from our house and the mandatory evacuation center was within a mile. FREAKY!!
Then at one point on Tuesday, President Bush declared Southern California a "Natural Disaster Area". I sat here, still packed and waiting to see where the fire was coming in from and it sunk into me that I was living in a natural disaster area. Good God! That was something that I have NEVER experienced. Even during tornadoes and floods couldn't compare with fire. All I could think was all the fire lessons I got from my uncle, who was a fireman. I just kept trusting that the fire departments were working hard and keeping us safe.
By Tuesday afternoon, we had to get out of the house and just see what was going on beyond our front yard. So we drove to the Oceanside Harbor, walked around and saw people trying to be "normal". Those folks trying to be normal made me feel better. I felt like things would return soon to the "normal" state. I'd return to work, I'd pay bills, I'd continue to live my life, love my family and be normal! Ah, the idea of being normal, running errands, sitting in traffic, waiting for the train, going to the dry cleaners, mailing letters, cooking dinner.
I thought that it was alot like during 9/11. Disaster struck. People didn't know what to think. Watch lots of TV, depending on the media to get you through. That's exactly how I felt.
I thank God that none of my friends lost their homes, none were hurt, many were displaced, but got to return. The concern from my friends, the love that was outpouring is amazing.
And then, let's talk about how amazing the folks in San Diego were to each other. 10's of 1000's of people in evacuation centers, 10's of 1000's of people bringing food, blankets, pillows, toiletries, water, paper products, and everything that people needed. There were so many donations that the evac centers had to ask people to NOT bring donations! When have you ever heard of something like that? The outpouring was very touching. I was crying over the kindness of people. We didn't wait for the Federal Govt to step in a "save" us. We just saved ourselves. To me, that's the best part of living here in San Diego.
A couple of funny shelter stories:
1. one of the shelters by the coast had lots of elderly folks in it. A couple of the Chargers paid for everything for this shelter including a Chef who came in and cooked a gourmet breakfast and had Starbucks come in and serve coffee!
2. another shelter had lots of elderly folks in it and many of them had dogs. They put out a request for people to come down and walk their dogs and play with them so they could sleep for a while!!
3. volunteer Dr's and nurses poured out into the shelters to the extent that some were turned away because there was no more need.
4. teachers were volunteering to go to Qualcomm Stadium to help with everyone's kids - give them something to do, help fight boredom!!
THOSE ARE JUST A FEW!
After hearing all the positive stories about the shelters, I totally expected to hear that someone would be giving away massages or spa treatments!! And now they are trying to decide if the Chargers can play on Sunday or Monday. Let me tell you, if we are able to play an NFL game a week after the fires started there's nothing we can't do!! GO SAN DIEGO!!
The latest statistics that I am aware of:
over 375,000 acres burned
over 350,ooo families evacuated
the largest fire in San Diego County AND the State of California
1800 homes burned down so far
about 7 deaths, 19 injuries
bad air quality all week and into next week
God bless those affected by the fires! "EVERYONE"
Monday, October 22, 2007
More on the San Diego Fires
Disaster Area! Smokey, bad air to breath. Some areas no electric. Some with no natural gas. Animals trapped, houses destroyed, highways closed, schools closed, evacuations to schools, churches, community centers; fires consuming neighborhoods, big beautiful houses with gorgeous views, expensive. Trees, bushes, grass, everything is dry. Easy to catch on fire. So Sad!
Now Solano Beach has to be evacuated and that goes all the way to the coast! Imagine that! The coast!! No one thought it would ever go that far.
Looters are out, police are arresting people, it's CRAZY!
My neighborhood is safe so far. But I'm ready to leave if told to go. Some areas were only given a 2 minute warning to leave. The only thing I have to do is throw the dog food into the bag, grab our laundry basket from upstairs and pull the car out, grabbing a couple more boxes of pictures.
I pray, I pray. Please pray
Now Solano Beach has to be evacuated and that goes all the way to the coast! Imagine that! The coast!! No one thought it would ever go that far.
Looters are out, police are arresting people, it's CRAZY!
My neighborhood is safe so far. But I'm ready to leave if told to go. Some areas were only given a 2 minute warning to leave. The only thing I have to do is throw the dog food into the bag, grab our laundry basket from upstairs and pull the car out, grabbing a couple more boxes of pictures.
I pray, I pray. Please pray
San Diego County Fires
Hello everyone. It's a crazy day. San Diego County - 7 FIRES RIGHT NOW!! Over 250,000 people evacuated, houses burned down, large animals evacuated to 2 locations in the county, roads closed, fires burning. It's so sad. I hope they can get this under control, but as of this writing is 0% UNDER CONTROL.
The closest fire to my house is about 7 miles away. So, hopefully it will get contained and we'll be ok.
The Santa Ana winds will be kicking up for the next 3 days. It's going to be a long week and we might make it staying here today, but we could easily be evacuated any day this week. They are predicting that this fire will burn all the way to the ocean. We live about 7 miles east of the ocean, and it could easily zip past us. Phew!
It's a state of emergency, strong winds too much for the air fighters. It's so dry, low low low humidity. The whole place is a tinderbox - no rain in years, one spark will set off a fire easily. The county is smokey, firey, and scary. Phone calls for emergencies only. Wow, I've never experienced anything like this before.
This is the largest fire ever in this area. TV, radio, internet all good resources for help. I pray for all people in this area, for their safety.
The closest fire to my house is about 7 miles away. So, hopefully it will get contained and we'll be ok.
The Santa Ana winds will be kicking up for the next 3 days. It's going to be a long week and we might make it staying here today, but we could easily be evacuated any day this week. They are predicting that this fire will burn all the way to the ocean. We live about 7 miles east of the ocean, and it could easily zip past us. Phew!
It's a state of emergency, strong winds too much for the air fighters. It's so dry, low low low humidity. The whole place is a tinderbox - no rain in years, one spark will set off a fire easily. The county is smokey, firey, and scary. Phone calls for emergencies only. Wow, I've never experienced anything like this before.
This is the largest fire ever in this area. TV, radio, internet all good resources for help. I pray for all people in this area, for their safety.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Autumn in So Cal
It's beautiful weather - oh wait....it's southern California.....it's MOST always beautiful weather. But right now, it's perfect to me! Nice cool nights, warm sunny days. You just can't beat it. It stays this way for mostly 8 or 9 months a year. The other 3 to 4 months are either really hot or cooler and raining.
It's a good place to be and enjoy the outdoors.
It's a good place to be and enjoy the outdoors.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Commuting
I commute to work every day. You know I ride the train. It's a good way to get to work. But today i was thinking about something - it's kind of strange or weird.
I mean...you go the train station, stand around with tons of other people that you don't know. Then you get on the train with all these strangers and sit next to people that smell , you can hear their ipod playing, they are talking on the phone or to others on the train, reading books or working on the computer. But the point is you are riding with strangers.
Then when our train arrives at the station, a shuttle picks us to - and our shuttle gets quite packed depending on the time it arrives. I catch the early train and even that shuttle is full every morning. And the riders are just a subset of the train crowd of strangers.
Nothing out of the ordinary ever happens, we ride down the coast, I see the ocean, it takes 25 minutes with a few stops, I see cars, mountains, sunrise and sunset. It's a long day and I spend it with strangers. What's wrong with that picture???
I mean...you go the train station, stand around with tons of other people that you don't know. Then you get on the train with all these strangers
Then when our train arrives at the station, a shuttle picks us to - and our shuttle gets quite packed depending on the time it arrives. I catch the early train and even that shuttle is full every morning. And the riders are just a subset of the train crowd of strangers.
Nothing out of the ordinary ever happens, we ride down the coast, I see the ocean, it takes 25 minutes with a few stops, I see cars, mountains, sunrise and sunset. It's a long day and I spend it with strangers. What's wrong with that picture???
"No one travelling on a business trip would be missed if he failed to arrive."
--- Thorstein Veblen
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Lessons Learned
Life sends lots of lessons our way. Ideally, we learn from those lessons so we don't have to keep repeating the past. Life's lessons come in all sizes, all degrees. If we learn from these lessons and grow in wisdom, we can mentor and share support with those going through the same lesson. There is no substitute for experience!
'Don't talk to strangers' 'Lock the doors' 'Put on your seat belt' 'Do unto others...' 'Love like there's no tomorrow' 'Get gas before you run out' (hehe!) 'Don't stop at the Bates Hotel' (ok now I'm being silly) 'Don't judge a book by it's cover' 'Follow your instincts about men' 'If you think they are bad, they probably are' 'Don't spoil the kids, dogs' 'You are what you eat' (OY!) and so on!
Those are the little ones, but are important.
Then there are bigger ones - like trusting strangers, watching out who are your friends, watch the circle you keep. Those can start innocent and you think you're having fun, but before you know it you are into drugs and/or something that you can't easily escape. These days people like that don't let you just "leave"; it's hard and you can find yourself trapped or hurt or worse.
It's unfortunate that the world isn't a wholesome, trusting place as it once was. I grew up in a time when innocence was passing and the result is this world today. It's not all bad, don't get me wrong, but it has changed alot since my parents lifetime. There seems to be more crimes, more child abuse, more child predators, more murders, more drugs, more government in our lives, more fear, more caution, more more more.
You can't let your children go play alone, ride bikes all day, run around i nthe woods (well, there's no woods in SoCali), but you get the drift. We used to get up in the morning, walk to school, cut through the woods to get to school, hang out with our friends, play until dark and I don't think my mom knew exactly where I was - she had an idea. Today, you have to know where your kids are, who they are with, you have to drive them everywhere, you can't let them just go out and play. It's terrible.
I want to go back to a simpler time. Live where there's lots of trees, farms, peace, quiet, families and friends. Hope to be going back to Ohio soon..............lesson learned: California is a GREAT place to visit, but Ohio is a WONDERFUL place to live.
'Don't talk to strangers' 'Lock the doors' 'Put on your seat belt' 'Do unto others...' 'Love like there's no tomorrow' 'Get gas before you run out' (hehe!) 'Don't stop at the Bates Hotel' (ok now I'm being silly) 'Don't judge a book by it's cover' 'Follow your instincts about men' 'If you think they are bad, they probably are' 'Don't spoil the kids, dogs' 'You are what you eat' (OY!) and so on!
Those are the little ones, but are important.
Then there are bigger ones - like trusting strangers, watching out who are your friends, watch the circle you keep. Those can start innocent and you think you're having fun, but before you know it you are into drugs and/or something that you can't easily escape. These days people like that don't let you just "leave"; it's hard and you can find yourself trapped or hurt or worse.
It's unfortunate that the world isn't a wholesome, trusting place as it once was. I grew up in a time when innocence was passing and the result is this world today. It's not all bad, don't get me wrong, but it has changed alot since my parents lifetime. There seems to be more crimes, more child abuse, more child predators, more murders, more drugs, more government in our lives, more fear, more caution, more more more.
You can't let your children go play alone, ride bikes all day, run around i nthe woods (well, there's no woods in SoCali), but you get the drift. We used to get up in the morning, walk to school, cut through the woods to get to school, hang out with our friends, play until dark and I don't think my mom knew exactly where I was - she had an idea. Today, you have to know where your kids are, who they are with, you have to drive them everywhere, you can't let them just go out and play. It's terrible.
I want to go back to a simpler time. Live where there's lots of trees, farms, peace, quiet, families and friends. Hope to be going back to Ohio soon..............lesson learned: California is a GREAT place to visit, but Ohio is a WONDERFUL place to live.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Needed a little time to digest the change
Everyone reacts differently to life-changing news. How do I? I look inside for strength, pull away from reality for a very short time, then make a plan, execute to it and face the challenge. In this case, I took an evening to digest the impact of getting laid off on my family, my finances, myself. Then I spent time with my family, getting rejuvenated by their love. Talked to a few others that were first-round casualties, then got a good night's sleep.
Things always look brighter in the morning, don't they? I woke up energized! Drank some coffee that my wonderful man made for me and enjoyed some breakfast, took the pup for a walk. With a clear head, I tackled my resume. I am not very confident in my resume, so I make changes, then change them again, and again. I guess it's ok, but it's very difficult to write what you think someone else wants to see :) IF ANYONE READING THIS IS AN EXPERT, PLEASE REVIEW MINE :) I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL!!
Anyway, I made my changes, looked for some of the recruiters that I worked with a year ago and got my resume out there. Then one of the guys that I worked with just now took it and passed it on to 2 of his friends, 1 was VERY happy to receive it, so YIPPEE! Well, in total 13 resumes went out by the end of the day and since it was Friday before a holiday weekend, I didn't expect to hear back.
Surprise!! I did hear back from 2 recruiters. 1 had one job, 1 had FIVE!! Yep, 5!!!! So, I already have 6 choices to look at and some referrals from friends. Wow! I am sooooooooooo glad. And it was only ONE day of working on it. I know I won't get that kind of response everyday, but it's wonderful to kick start the job search in such a positive way.
Have a Happy HOPPY Easter!!
Things always look brighter in the morning, don't they? I woke up energized! Drank some coffee that my wonderful man made for me and enjoyed some breakfast, took the pup for a walk. With a clear head, I tackled my resume. I am not very confident in my resume, so I make changes, then change them again, and again. I guess it's ok, but it's very difficult to write what you think someone else wants to see :) IF ANYONE READING THIS IS AN EXPERT, PLEASE REVIEW MINE :) I WOULD BE SO GRATEFUL!!
Anyway, I made my changes, looked for some of the recruiters that I worked with a year ago and got my resume out there. Then one of the guys that I worked with just now took it and passed it on to 2 of his friends, 1 was VERY happy to receive it, so YIPPEE! Well, in total 13 resumes went out by the end of the day and since it was Friday before a holiday weekend, I didn't expect to hear back.
Surprise!! I did hear back from 2 recruiters. 1 had one job, 1 had FIVE!! Yep, 5!!!! So, I already have 6 choices to look at and some referrals from friends. Wow! I am sooooooooooo glad. And it was only ONE day of working on it. I know I won't get that kind of response everyday, but it's wonderful to kick start the job search in such a positive way.
Have a Happy HOPPY Easter!!
"The best way to keep children home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant--and let the air out of the tires."
-- Dorothy Parker
Monday, January 29, 2007
The Year In Review
I was going to publish an END OF YEAR NEWSLETTER, I had stories written, picked out all these pictures, created this collage, but I stopped right before I sent it out. Instead I thought I'd recap the highlights here and post the pictures!! Hope you enjoy it!
1. Moved to San Diego, got a GREAT job!!
2. Tamara visited us in July for her birthday, BIG FUN!
3. Beka moved in with us in May and started college.
4. Jake and Michelle got married in October!!
5. Got to travel all over So. Cali and see the sights!
6. For Christmas, I received the BEST present EVER - a high powered, computerized, professional-type telescope!
7. Sherry came to visit us in April.
8. Had reconstructive foot surgery in December.
9. Rollie started dialysis in July.
10. Made some friends!
11. Went to Las Vegas and won!!
Enjoy the pics!
1. Moved to San Diego, got a GREAT job!!
2. Tamara visited us in July for her birthday, BIG FUN!
3. Beka moved in with us in May and started college.
4. Jake and Michelle got married in October!!
5. Got to travel all over So. Cali and see the sights!
6. For Christmas, I received the BEST present EVER - a high powered, computerized, professional-type telescope!
7. Sherry came to visit us in April.
8. Had reconstructive foot surgery in December.
9. Rollie started dialysis in July.
10. Made some friends!
11. Went to Las Vegas and won!!
Enjoy the pics!
"Here's all you need to know about men and women: Women are crazy, and men are stupid. And the main reason women are crazy is that men are stupid."
-- George Carlin
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
The house hunt MIGHT be over
I THINK we found a place. The only reason I hesitate to tell you that we do have it is because I haven't heard back on the credit check. There should be no issues with that step, but I don't want to "jinx" myself. When our credit was run back in the summer for a home loan, we had very high numbers. Nothing should have happened to change that.
So, I'll tell you about the place and continue to hope that when I hear from her today, it's all good.
It's in Vista, CA. This is not very far from where we live in Oceanside. It's a smaller community and this townhome is near the library, town center where the movies and a quaint little shopping area, the farmer's market, the community center.
The townhome is a 2 car garage with washer/dryer hookup, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, living room with fireplace, large kitchen with lots of storage, small dining area that leads out to the patio which is bigger than our current patio - plenty of room for plants, some patio furniture, and we can even grill out there!! There's a pool and spa for the community. The house is about 1500 sq ft, which is BIG for out here. And the price was right! We were VERY happy with it.
Hoping to report that we get it! Then all I would have to do is start packing!! (which I am doing tonight!)
So, I'll tell you about the place and continue to hope that when I hear from her today, it's all good.
It's in Vista, CA. This is not very far from where we live in Oceanside. It's a smaller community and this townhome is near the library, town center where the movies and a quaint little shopping area, the farmer's market, the community center.
The townhome is a 2 car garage with washer/dryer hookup, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, living room with fireplace, large kitchen with lots of storage, small dining area that leads out to the patio which is bigger than our current patio - plenty of room for plants, some patio furniture, and we can even grill out there!! There's a pool and spa for the community. The house is about 1500 sq ft, which is BIG for out here. And the price was right! We were VERY happy with it.
Hoping to report that we get it! Then all I would have to do is start packing!! (which I am doing tonight!)
Monday, January 01, 2007
Happy New Year!!
We had a great evening!! Believe it or not, we're already done celebrating and it's only 11:27 pm!!
We went to a friend's house for a nice, intimate New Year's Celebration with a twist. First, there was quite a few people there, about 35 people accepted the invite. Her parents were visiting from Hawaii, so I finally got to meet them. Very nice, sweet couple. Lots of great "kid" stories about their daughters, both of which are my friends! I loved that!!
The food was great, which was no surprise - some wonderful spring rolls, egg rolls, rice, corn salad, and homemade desserts. Of course, I had the chocolate - I've become such a chocolate freak - I never was that much before!! But anyway, it was so homey, comfy, fun.
We donned New Year's hats, lays, noise makers, glow-in-the-dark bracelets, champagne and at 9 PM Pacific Daylight Time which is 12 AM Midnight in Cincinnati or NEW YORK - so we watched the ball drop, counted down EAST COAST TIME and had a wonderful time!!
By 9:30 PM we were on our way to our next stop - Del Mar Holiday Lights! That was pretty cool, we drove through the Del Mar Racetrack which was all decorated with Holiday Light displays. It's great, we drove through a lighted tunnel, drove all around past all of the displays - tons of lights, interesting displays, like not only the typical Santa, Reindeer, Rudolf, Snowmen, twinkling lights - no, they had all of those plus really cool displays - snowmen playing golf, volleyball game, Santa surfing, Iwo Jima, American Flag, icicles, guys fishing, ferris wheel, castle, and a bunch of other lights.
I guess you had to be there - but nevertheless - it was really good. My sweetie is such a sweetie! He thinks of everything and likes to share things with me. I love that about him. He's so fantastic!!
He made this a PERFECT New Year's Eve! Thanks!!
p.s. - I heard from my kids and they were all celebrating the new year, being safe and smart!! Thank God for that!
p.s.s. - I can't wait for Beka to get home next week! Tamara's coming with her and I can't wait to see both of them.
We went to a friend's house for a nice, intimate New Year's Celebration with a twist. First, there was quite a few people there, about 35 people accepted the invite. Her parents were visiting from Hawaii, so I finally got to meet them. Very nice, sweet couple. Lots of great "kid" stories about their daughters, both of which are my friends! I loved that!!
The food was great, which was no surprise - some wonderful spring rolls, egg rolls, rice, corn salad, and homemade desserts. Of course, I had the chocolate - I've become such a chocolate freak - I never was that much before!! But anyway, it was so homey, comfy, fun.
We donned New Year's hats, lays, noise makers, glow-in-the-dark bracelets, champagne and at 9 PM Pacific Daylight Time which is 12 AM Midnight in Cincinnati or NEW YORK - so we watched the ball drop, counted down EAST COAST TIME and had a wonderful time!!
By 9:30 PM we were on our way to our next stop - Del Mar Holiday Lights! That was pretty cool, we drove through the Del Mar Racetrack which was all decorated with Holiday Light displays. It's great, we drove through a lighted tunnel, drove all around past all of the displays - tons of lights, interesting displays, like not only the typical Santa, Reindeer, Rudolf, Snowmen, twinkling lights - no, they had all of those plus really cool displays - snowmen playing golf, volleyball game, Santa surfing, Iwo Jima, American Flag, icicles, guys fishing, ferris wheel, castle, and a bunch of other lights.
I guess you had to be there - but nevertheless - it was really good. My sweetie is such a sweetie! He thinks of everything and likes to share things with me. I love that about him. He's so fantastic!!
He made this a PERFECT New Year's Eve! Thanks!!
p.s. - I heard from my kids and they were all celebrating the new year, being safe and smart!! Thank God for that!
p.s.s. - I can't wait for Beka to get home next week! Tamara's coming with her and I can't wait to see both of them.
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."
-- Colin Powell
Thursday, December 28, 2006
House Hunting
It's hard for me to rest...
I am finding that I want to be on the go, more and more but I can't. It's so hard for me to rest, keep my foot up and stay off of it!! I always think I have so much to do, especially right now. It's a week that he's off work, so I have a ride to places I need to go to, for one. Another thing is that we have to move in Feb, and that's not too far off - we have to start looking now to find the right place! Plus, when a GREAT deal comes along I don't want to lose out! Tamara is coming, so we have to make room :)
We were going to try to find something in the same price range. Man, it was challenging - but I did it - I found the PERFECT townhome - 2 big bdrms, 1.5 bath, 1 car garage with washer/dryer hookup in a complex with a pool and a jacuzzi. $1100 - SWEET!!
But then.... there's always a catch isn't there???? .....he decided that we really need a 2 car garage. So we looked at a couple of those this morning - not too far from where we live now and to be honest - wow!! They were BEAUTIFUL - 1275 sq ft! 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, 2 car garage, super large patio, eat-in kitchen, big living room with vaulted ceiling and fireplace, washer/dryer hookup, lots of storage space and lots of windows. The rent was more than what we originally wanted to spend, $1477/month, but we get so much more. The other catch with this place is they require the first lease to be a 6-8 month lease, which is ok, except at that time they can raise the rent!! Plus, then they will offer the 12-month lease with the possibility of the higher rent. The reason they want to do that is so that the lease will run out in the summer, easier time to rent than end of the year/first of the year. I'm not too keen on this.....
Now, keeping in mind that the new requirement is a 2 car garage instead of just a garage (and I should explain - garages here are VERY small - only a car fits in them, no room on the side except to get out and in, no room for extra storage and no room to work on them) I did a search on my favorite utility - www.craigslist.com - everyone uses it here in San Diego. The first place I found I think is it!!
Tri-Level Townhome - 1500 sq ft, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, sunroom, 2 car garage, washer/dryer, pool and jacuzzi in common area, patio, yard, living room, dining room, kitchen. It sounded very very nice plus the rental agent sounded even nicer. I really want it and we haven't even seen it. The location is great, close for everyone to get to work, school, shopping, and dialysis. We're gonna see it on Sat morning, first thing - we were the first one's to call, so I hope we get the first shot at it. She said we would.
We have to pay a partial month's rent in Feb here, a deposit and full month rent when we move into the other place Feb 1, so for 17 days we will be paying double rent. I guess it's just the way it goes. My guess is the rent will be $728 for the 17 days in Feb, but the good part is, we can start moving into the other place on the 1st and have 2 weeks to get things moved in and settled, like we can get the kitchen set up, our clothes in the closets, the bathrooms set up, everything in my garage can get into the other place and most of it can be unpacked - FINALLY!! I'm really happy because I believe I'm gonna be in a nice home for our duration of our stay in California. YIPPEE!!
Well, I am asking for anything that you think will help us be certain that we get JUST THE RIGHT PLACE. Crossing Fingers, Saying Prayers, Burning Candles, Repeating Mantras, ANYTHING....just so we get led to the RIGHT PLACE FOR US!!
thanks!!
I am finding that I want to be on the go, more and more but I can't. It's so hard for me to rest, keep my foot up and stay off of it!! I always think I have so much to do, especially right now. It's a week that he's off work, so I have a ride to places I need to go to, for one. Another thing is that we have to move in Feb, and that's not too far off - we have to start looking now to find the right place! Plus, when a GREAT deal comes along I don't want to lose out! Tamara is coming, so we have to make room :)
We were going to try to find something in the same price range. Man, it was challenging - but I did it - I found the PERFECT townhome - 2 big bdrms, 1.5 bath, 1 car garage with washer/dryer hookup in a complex with a pool and a jacuzzi. $1100 - SWEET!!
But then.... there's always a catch isn't there???? .....he decided that we really need a 2 car garage. So we looked at a couple of those this morning - not too far from where we live now and to be honest - wow!! They were BEAUTIFUL - 1275 sq ft! 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, 2 car garage, super large patio, eat-in kitchen, big living room with vaulted ceiling and fireplace, washer/dryer hookup, lots of storage space and lots of windows. The rent was more than what we originally wanted to spend, $1477/month, but we get so much more. The other catch with this place is they require the first lease to be a 6-8 month lease, which is ok, except at that time they can raise the rent!! Plus, then they will offer the 12-month lease with the possibility of the higher rent. The reason they want to do that is so that the lease will run out in the summer, easier time to rent than end of the year/first of the year. I'm not too keen on this.....
Now, keeping in mind that the new requirement is a 2 car garage instead of just a garage (and I should explain - garages here are VERY small - only a car fits in them, no room on the side except to get out and in, no room for extra storage and no room to work on them) I did a search on my favorite utility - www.craigslist.com - everyone uses it here in San Diego. The first place I found I think is it!!
Tri-Level Townhome - 1500 sq ft, 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, sunroom, 2 car garage, washer/dryer, pool and jacuzzi in common area, patio, yard, living room, dining room, kitchen. It sounded very very nice plus the rental agent sounded even nicer. I really want it and we haven't even seen it. The location is great, close for everyone to get to work, school, shopping, and dialysis. We're gonna see it on Sat morning, first thing - we were the first one's to call, so I hope we get the first shot at it. She said we would.
We have to pay a partial month's rent in Feb here, a deposit and full month rent when we move into the other place Feb 1, so for 17 days we will be paying double rent. I guess it's just the way it goes. My guess is the rent will be $728 for the 17 days in Feb, but the good part is, we can start moving into the other place on the 1st and have 2 weeks to get things moved in and settled, like we can get the kitchen set up, our clothes in the closets, the bathrooms set up, everything in my garage can get into the other place and most of it can be unpacked - FINALLY!! I'm really happy because I believe I'm gonna be in a nice home for our duration of our stay in California. YIPPEE!!
Well, I am asking for anything that you think will help us be certain that we get JUST THE RIGHT PLACE. Crossing Fingers, Saying Prayers, Burning Candles, Repeating Mantras, ANYTHING....just so we get led to the RIGHT PLACE FOR US!!
thanks!!
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure."
-- Colin Powell
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
new Pics at Flickr
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)