Have You Ever...

I found this little survey that asks if you have ever done any of the things listed and I'm sad to report that I haven't done as much in life as I wanted to have done by now. here's the survey - I've done the things in bold. The things I want to do and plan on doing are in red

bought everyone in the pub a drink - yes, but there were only like 5 people there and they were my friends, so it wasn't a big deal
swam with sharks
climbed a mountain - an extinct volcano actually
taken a Ferrari for a test drive
been inside the Great Pyramid
held a tarantula
taken a candlelit bath with someone
said 'I love you' and meant it
hugged a tree
done a striptease
bungee jumped
visited Paris
watched a lightning storm at sea
stayed up all night long, and watch the sun rise
seen the Northern Lights
gone to a huge sports game
walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
walked the stairs to the top of the statue of liberty
grown and eaten your own vegetables
touched an iceberg
slept under the stars
changed a baby's diaper
taken a trip in a hot air balloon
watched a meteor shower
gotten drunk on champagne
given more than you can afford to charity
looked up at the night sky through a telescope
had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment - yes, while getting yelled at.
had a food fight
bet on a winning horse
taken a sick day when you're not ill
asked out a stranger
had a snowball fight
photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
screamed as loudly as you possibly can
held a lamb
enacted a favorite fantasy
taken a midnight skinny dip
taken an ice cold bath
had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
seen a total eclipse
ridden a roller coaster
hit a home run
fit three weeks miraculously into three days
danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
adopted an accent for an entire day
visited the birthplace of your ancestors
actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
had two hard drives for your computer
visited all 50 states
loved your job for all accounts
taken care of someone who was shit faced
had enough money to be truly satisfied
had amazing friends
danced with a stranger in a foreign country
watched wild whales
stolen a sign
been to Europe
backpacked in Europe
taken a road-trip
rock climbed
lied to foreign government's official in that country to avoid notice
taken a midnight walk on the beach
been sky diving
visited Ireland
been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
been in a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
visited Japan
benchpressed your own weight
milked a cow
alphabetized your cds

pretended to be a superhero
sung karaoke
lounged around in bed all day
posed nude in front of strangers
gone scuba diving
got it on to "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
kissed in the rain
played in the mud
played in the rain
gone to a drive-in theater
done something you should regret, but don't regret it
visited the Great Wall of China
dropped Windows in favor of something better
started a business
fallen in love and not had your heart broken
toured ancient sites
taken a martial arts class
sword fought for the honor of a woman
played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
gotten married
been in a movie
crashed a party
loved someone you shouldn't have
kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy
gotten divorced
had sex at the office
made cookies from scratch
won first prize in a costume contest
ridden a gondola in Venice
gotten a tattoo
found that the texture of some materials can turn you on
rafted the Snake River
been on television news programs as an "expert"
got flowers for no reason
got so drunk you don't remember anything
been addicted to some form of illegal drug
performed on stage
been to Las Vegas
recorded music
eaten shark
gone to Thailand
seen Siouxsie live
bought a house
been in a combat zone
buried one/both of your parents
been on a cruise ship
spoken more than one language fluently - not anymore
gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
bounced a check
performed in Rocky Horror
read - and understood - your credit report
raised children
recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy - legos!
followed your favorite band/singer on tour
created and named your own constellation of stars
taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
found out something significant that your ancestors did
called or written your Congress person
picked up and moved to another city to just start over
walked the Golden Gate Bridge
sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
had an abortion or your female partner did
had plastic surgery
survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
wrote articles for a large publication
lost over 100 pounds
held someone while they were having a flashback
piloted an airplane
petted a stingray
broken someone's heart
helped an animal give birth
been fired or laid off from a job
won money on a T.V. game show
broken a bone
killed a human being
gone on an African photo safari
ridden a motorcycle
driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100mph
had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
ridden a horse
had major surgery
had sex on a moving train
had a snake as a pet
hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
visited all 7 continents
taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
eaten kangaroo meat
fallen in love at an ancient Mayan burial ground
been a sperm or egg donor
eaten sushi
had your picture in the newspaper
had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime
changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
gotten someone fired for their actions
gone back to school
parasailed
changed your name
petted a cockroach
eaten fried green tomatoes
read The Iliad
selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because your apartment needed them
taught yourself an art from scratch
killed and prepared an animal for eating
apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
skipped all your school reunions (not on purpose)
communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
been elected to public office
written your own computer language
thought to yourself that you're living your dream
built your own PC from parts
sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
had a booth at a street fair
dyed your hair
been a DJ
found out someone was going to dump you via LiveJournal
written your own role playing game
been arrested

So, basically, it looks like I'm going to be pretty busy.

If you have a chance, answer this survey and send it to me as a comment!

Horses Rescued

So, a couple days ago, there was an accident on I-44 and it involved a truck transporting horses to the slaughterhouse. I don't want to recite the details of the accident and about how many died, so here is the article for you to read.

I just wish I knew a way to make sure the Humane Society gains custody of the horses. I can't, for a second, understand why we are slaughtering horses for people in Europe and Japan to eat!

You know, I was in a crabby mood anyway and if I wasn't at work right now, I'd be crying. This totally sickens me and I don't know what to do anymore. I gotta be able to help somehow, wouldn't you think? I'm going to donate money to the humane society to offset the costs of the rescue (so that they continue to do that), but I want to write to someone or do something to make sure these horses don't go to the rightful owners (if that is the slaughterhouse).

Now,I know when I post about abused or hurt animals that I tend to ramble with no sense whatsoever, but in my defense, I don't even know what to say anymore. It breaks my heart completely and I don't know what to do to stop this stuff.

Also, here's also an article about a chicken farm that totally depressed me last night. What to do, what to do. Seriously, I need to know...what is wrong with the people hurt or neglect animals? Why do they do it? Why do they think it is right? How do they live with themselves?

For example, the guy and his wife that were driving those horses to the slaughterhouse, I could NEVER do that. I'd either lose my job or I just wouldn't be contracted for that run. I just don't understand how people have the heart to do this stuff.

Everyday I get closer and closer to being a vegetarian (granted, I'm not big on meat anyway). I may actually make an effort soon. I feel like such a hypocrit. I moan and groan about abused and neglected animals and then I go home and eat a chicken caesar salad or something, ya know? God, what is wrong with me? What is wrong with people in general?

I'll stop now.

3 More To Go & Friday Finally

Okay, so the Cards lost last night, that leaves us 3 more games. We're still hangin' in there, but I would have been happy to widen our lead. Oh well.

I'm so glad it's Friday, I'm very ready for the weekend. I will be watching my parents' lovely dog this weekend. His name is Baxter - well, this is him:
Actually, he's the one on the right. The one on the left is Puff, my dog that my parents had to put to sleep ON MY BIRTHDAY, WHILE I WAS IN HAWAII. God, I miss that dog. Anyway...back to dogsitting. My parents have a doggie door, so I'm just waiting to count how many times Baxter will go "potty" in my friggin' house! Plus, Koko sleeps with us, on our bed. Baxter usually sleeps downstairs, in the kitchen, at my parents' house. I'm guessing he's going to want to sleep with us at our house since Koko does. So, it will be a crowded bed for the weekend. J, me, Koko and Baxter - at least we should be warm! Eh, it doesn't matter, Baxter is such a cutie and he's not too bad. I can't expect him to tell me when he needs to go outside when he has a doggie door at his house. I'll be fine.

You know, I absolutely LOVE fall weather (my favorite season by far), but it's a killa for the allergies! So, J and I went to Walgreen's to buy some Claritin-D (which is behind the pharmacy counter). So, I grab the card and hand it to the lady telling her what I want. She continues to ask for my license. The problem you ask? Well, when J and I go to the baseball games, he usually carries my license and lip gloss in his pocket so I don't have to carry a purse. Remember we went to the game Wednesday night? Well, J laid my license on the kitchen table Wednesday night after the game and I just threw it in the front pocket on my purse. Well, apparently, when I put my purse in my drawer here at work, my license fell out. So, I'm sitting at the pharmacy counter with the complete contents of my purse strewn about, looking for my license because I KNEW I threw it in my purse. After emptying my purse and searching for a good 5 minutes, I tell J to just give the lady his license. That's when J pulls out his passport because he got a speeding ticket (they take your license sometimes). Okay,whatever. Who carries a passport around? I guess a guy without a license. Anyway, so, I rolled my eyes and got an attitude because people always give you trouble when you offer up a passport for ID (why I don't know, since a passport is a federally-issued form of ID and a license is just state-issued and easier to counterfeit. But what do I know?). So, the girl looks all bewildered when J hands her his passport. She says, "I don't think we can take that". J says, "It's a federally-issued ID, how can you NOT take it?" So, while I'm sneezing and sniffling, she reluctantly asks her supervisor if they take passports and guess what - of course they take passports! So, after the Spanish Inquisition, I got my Claritin-D and guess what. IT'S NOT EVEN HELPING!!! UGH!

But, I'm happy to say I found my license laying in my drawer here at work this morning! You know, it'd be nice if all the ice/meth heads would stop using medicine to make their crap so that I can go into a Walgreen's and buy it without being interrogated. I guess that's what I get for living in Missouri, the state with the most iceheads! Well, at least we used to be the capital, I think we're dropping in the ranks though.

Let's see what else - OHHHH! With all the season premieres, I completely forgot about E.R. until I saw it last night. I forgot how much I love that show. We watched last night and I'm very happy that Abby and her insane mother are getting along. I'm also very happy that the baby seems to be okay. And, can I just say, Armand Assante is the sexiest old guy in the world - okay, next to Sean Connery. So, that's just something else I'm going to have to TiVo! Man!

I guess I'll try to get some work done now - I downloaded a bunch of songs to my iPod and I'm ready to "whistle while I work". I did find out last night that I think my favorite decade for music was the 60's. Just wanted to throw that in there.

Oh, most importantly, we had an employee death yesterday. I just want to take the time out to tell the family that my thoughts and prayers are with them. It has to be impossibly tough to kiss your husband goodbye for work and for him never to return. God Bless.

I assume I'll be back at some point today - so 'til then!

MAGIC NUMBER 04! COUNTDOWN TO CLINCHING!!

Okay, so I'm in a drug/Cardinal-induced euphoria. We won last night, but on the flip side, I had an allergy attack since I spent more than 5 minutes outside. So, I'm feeling pretty miserable today - swollen and puss-filled eyes, scratchy throat, stuffy nose and drainage galore! You'd think I'd be in the worst mood ever, but like I said, "drug/Cardinal-induced euphoria".

The game last night was pretty frustrating up until the 8th inning. I, along with my little 11 year-old friend in front of me, was absolutely sure we were going to win. When the 8th inning came and we were down 2 to 1, I figured we could still pull it off. And, pull it off is exactly what we did! Gotta love Jose Albert Pujols! But, in an effort not to count my chickens before they hatch, we still have 4 games to go. We got the 4 game series with Milwaukee - we'll see how that turns out. MAGIC NUMBER 4! I have a bitter taste in my mouth when it comes to Milwaukee from the 80's. But, we can do it, we're the Cards! Go Cards!

I was glad that my parents got to see a winning game for their anniversary and I'm glad that my brother was able to take his two boys to see the game. It was fun for all of us.

- Til tonight!

Croc Hunter

I know, I probably post too much, but I saw this article on CNN and it actually brought tears to my eyes. I was especially teary-eyed when I read the paragraph quoting Terri's reaction to the death of her husband.

I'm still so bummed about his death and I'm glad to hear that the family will continue his work with animals. Also, I guess it kinda breaks my heart because Terri said that her husband always thought "he would die early, but that he would be killed in a car wreck and not by an animal". It just goes to show he loved animals so much that he couldn't believe one would kill him. I guess it's ironic in a sense because I always assumed he would die from some animal-inflicted wound - I just didn't think it would be so soon. It's sad to think that a man died from something he loved so much.

I guess this is the one celebrity that I'm most heartbroken over losing.

I Hate The Media

Have I ever mentioned just how much I hate the media?

Okay, I'll be the first to admit the Cards aren't doin' real well, but come on. We're certainly not "flopping that badly"! There's no need to act like our losses could lead to a disaster. We haven't lost tonight's game just yet. I'm very offended by this article and I would have some words for this guy. I surely hope the Cards don't read the newspaper and internet articles before games. I can't imagine how pumped I would feel after reading articles like this!

Why is it when the Cards are on fire no one notices or has anything exceptional to say, but the frickin' Astros have a 7-game winning streak that pushes them over the Reds and they are just superbly fantastic? I get so sick of the media downing the Cards, and every team we play is so much better. And, if I hear one more frickin' time that the Astros "could be a scary team in the postseason due to their top three starting pitchers — Roy Oswalt, Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte", I'll have an aneurysm and a stroke. Roger Clemens is close to my father's age and he's never in the game long enough to prove anything anymore. In my opinion Andy Pettitte isn't all THAT great...okay, so I'm a little scared of Oswalt, but give me a break!

Sorry, I'm probably lashing out again, but I get so sick of hearing how every other team is "scary" or whatever.

Go Cards!!!!!

Okay, I'm getting very upset with the Cards and I can't tell if it's TLR I'm ticked at or the team as a whole. TLR has lost us a few games by throwing Izzy in - those are games that we could have used to gain a larger lead than we already have (1 1/2 games is just not enough for me). I'll tell you right now, if TLR sends Izzy in tonight, I'll lose it.

So, we're going to the game tonight, but we're not in our seats, we're in the BOA Club. My parents haven't been to a game at the new stadium yet, so I thought I'd treat 'em. I've decided that I gotta get out there and yell and cheer my butt off. I gotta let the Cards know it's okay to start winning games! Red means go!

Now, it may sound like I'm discouraged or a fairweather fan, I know - I get angry and lash out. But, I'm a true Cards fan, and I'll be there in my left field bleacher seats next year no matter what happens this year. Shoot, we'll be season ticket holders for the rest of our lives. J and I love the Cards and we're there to cheer or cry with them!

That being said, Let's Go Cards! Let's win tonight!

Lost

Okay, so J and I finished the second season of Lost on DVD last night. Just in time, since Lost starts its third season next week. Let me just say, I love this show. I am, by no means, interested in SciFi, but I am so interested in mystery. This island is one big mystery. I'm dying to know what happened to Locke, Desmond and Mr. Eko and I'm dying to know what's going to happen to Kate, Sawyer and Jack. Not to mention, what will really happen to Michael and Walt. I can't believe for a second that anyone will be rescued off of this island so soon! We'll see...anyone else watch?

Happy Birthday Mom!

Saturday was my mom's 57th birthday. Ever since she's had kids (since she was 22), she's never had a birthday where she didn't have to do anything or plan it herself. As pitiful as it is, I've never lived on my own where I could invite everyone over and my brother, quite obviously, is not the type to have everyone over for a BBQ. So, Friday afternoon, I decided, I was going to have a BBQ for mom’s birthday on Saturday - even though the house isn't finished.

So, I called my mom and I told her that I planned on having her birthday at my house so she didn’t have to do anything. She sounded kinda weary of the idea; I really think she likes doing everything herself. But, anyway, Friday night, I made a list and headed out to Schnuck’s. I got a cake, candles, ice cream, brats, hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, chicken breasts and her birthday presents. I had everything. That's when it hit me that J is working all day Saturday! AGH! I don’t cook and I don’t BBQ. Here’s a shocker for you guys – I’m not a bit domestic. I kinda freaked out for a minute and then I finally figured out that my nephew could BBQ (he’s good at it) and I'd be able to figure out the rest. So, my mom called me Friday night to ask what time they (my parents, my brother and my two nephews) should come over. That’s when I realized I had completely forgotten about side dishes, I had the corn on the cob, but that was it. So, my mom said she’d make Potato Salad. She just couldn’t help herself – she had to do something. **Now that I think about it, my grandma was the same way.**

For her birthday, I planned on giving her a clipping of J’s cactus (which was actually a clipping from a cactus at Ernest Hemingway’s house in Key West) and a restaurant gift card. So, I bought her a cute little pot and the gift card. We got home and I asked J to look up on the internet how to clip the cactus. Well, come to find out, you don’t just cut it and stuff it in another pot. Apparently, you have to have “gardening sulfur” to put on the open portions of the cactus to avoid infection. Whodda thunk? Okay, so, I’m not domestic and I don’t have a green thumb (at least I know two things I’m not – I can add this to my “Finding Mikala” blog). So, I couldn’t clip the cactus Friday night or even Saturday. I guess I'll have to run and get some “gardening sulfur” at some point. So, I just put her gift cards in a little bag and put the bag inside the pot. To jump ahead a little, she loved her gifts. She loves restaurant gift cards and she's been on J's butt for a while about getting a clipping of his cactus.

Saturday morning, I woke up and cleaned the house from top to bottom - I have a serious problem with people seeing my house dirty. Then, I took a shower and got ready. After getting ready, I figured I’d start the grill. See, J doesn’t believe in gas grills, we have to have a charcoal grill because, “its better”. Now, I grew up seeing my dad use a gas grill, so I walk outside and realize I have no idea how to start the grill! God, am I a loser or what? I frantically called J on his cell phone and asked him how to start it. He has this “chimney” thing that you start the coals with – thank God, it was relatively simple this way. You just stuff some newspaper in the bottom of the chimney, pour come charcoal in the top and light the newspaper. When the coals turn white, they’re ready to throw in the pit! I did this all on my own and I was proud. Then, I just had to wait for them to show up.

Everyone finally showed up around 3:30 pm. My brother, finally, got to see the house (which he hasn’t seen since he moved out) and he liked it. Around 3:45, I figured we better start working on the food. I didn’t know how to cook corn on the cob, I didn’t know how to marinate the meat, and I don’t touch raw meat (which you have to do to form the hamburger patties). **I have a phobia about dirty and/or sticky hands - I can't stand it, not even for a second.** So, mom formed the hamburger patties, she cooked the corn on the cob (which I did learn how to do) and she showed me how to marinate the meat! So much for her not doing anything, huh? Zach started BBQing and then his mom showed up to pick him up – so dad had to BBQ the rest. We finally ate and everything was great (no thanks to me). A little while later, we sang happy birthday over her cake (she hasn’t had that happen for well over 35 years). It was about 6:30 when they left. All in all, I’d say the first “function” at my house was okay. I didn’t ruin anything and I learned that I need to plan ahead a little more. I’m a pretty spontaneous person and I have trouble planning ahead. Maybe next time!

In the end, mom turned 57 and she didn’t have to do too much. Well, okay, she didn't have to clean her house. I’m glad. Happy Birthday mom!

S.A.R.A.A. Alert Issued: Police Trying To Find Child, Mother Abducted By Father

Just how many S.A.R.A.A. Alerts do we have a month? I'm starting to get embarrassed and irritated.

KSDK - St. Louis Police issued a regional S.A.R.A.A. Alert after a child and his mother were apparently abducted by the boy's father, who may be forcing them to go to Mexico.

Police were searching for 1-year-old Axel Cortez. He and his mother, Lenora Anguiano, were last seen in the 3800 block of Eichelberger in St. Louis.

St. Louis police believe 26-year-old Martin Cortez abducted the woman and the child, and may be forcing them to go to Mexico, perhaps on a bus.

Police say they believe the child may be in danger.

A S.A.R.A.A. Alert is a St. Louis Regional Abduction Alert that is similar to the nationwide Amber Alert.

NewsChannel 5 and ksdk.com will have more information as soon as it becomes available.

Some of My Pet Peeves

Remember, this is just some of them, I can't possibly think of all of them at once. I'm sure I'll be back several times to update my Pet Peeves List as I think of more. You'll realize just how big of a crab I am by the size of my List. Here we go:

1) People who place their shopping carts in the middle of the aisle, and then sigh dramatically and jerk it out of the way when they see me trying to manuever around their cart. Or worse, totally ignore the fact that people are trying to get by.

2) People who can’t control their children in public – they let them run, scream and throw items…or cry for their entire stay in the store.

3) When a friend or acquaintance retells a story that you told him/her as if it was their own.

4) When people still try to stir up a conversation with me when I’ve given, more than enough, hints that I’m not in the mood for idle chit chat!

5) When people use the “slang” word “irregardless”. Okay, does anyone realize that word negates itself?

6) People standing over my shoulder (especially when I’m typing or on the computer)

7) Distracted drivers on cell phones (which is about 98% of the population now).

8) Slow drivers in the passing (fast) lane.

9) Pushy drivers who tailgate (while not in the passing lane)

10) Hasty drivers who change lanes without signaling

11) Motorcyclists who race down the middle of two lanes, between cars. One of these days, I'm going to get the balls to open my door at the very last minute!

12) When J leaves empty soda cans lying around and then says that he’ll “get them in a minute” and 2 days later they are still there.

13) Outsourcing customer service to another country. When I’m having trouble with my computer, do you really think it helps me to talk to someone that has such a thick accent that I can’t understand what the heck they are even saying? Now, not only do I have computer problem, I have to figure the problem out with someone who I can’t even understand!

14) People who chew gum obnoxiously loud and pop bubbles every 2 seconds. It’s even worse on the phone – MOM!!!

15) People who try to talk to me when I’m clearly on the phone or they stand there and watch you while you’re on the phone and wait for you to get off – get some manners!

16) When J & I are trying to decide on dinner and he’ll say that it’s up to me – IT’S ALWAYS UP TO ME! I’m sick of deciding every time. If you ask him what he feels like, he’ll simply say “I don’t care, it’s up to you”.

17) When I’m walking into work and someone is right behind me and I mean, RIGHT behind me, they almost step on my shoes! Back. The. Fu%*. Up.

18) When people right in front of you don’t hold the door open for you – I mean, how rude can one person be?

19) When people apply their brakes a million times within 5 minutes because they're obviously scared to death to be on the highway or any other road for that matter.

20) When people speed like Andretti to get in front of you (in the passing lane), only to slow down to turtle speed once they're in front of you.

21) Probably my biggest and most known pet peeve is ANIMAL ABUSERS!

Sudoku

Okay, I’m sorry, maybe I’m missing something – but what is the big deal with this game/puzzle? J’s tried to explain it to me a couple times and I just don’t get it. That doesn’t sound fun to me – maybe because it’s numbers (I’m not good with numbers, never have been, never will be). Whatever happened to good ole Crossword Puzzles or Word Searches? I like those much better. I know, I know, maybe I’m Sudoku-challenged!

Thank God and It's About Time!!!

I just found this article and it makes me very happy. Especially considering this is so close to St. Louis. I had heard about this guy and I wanted to rip his head off so bad! You have to have some serious issues if you can rip the head off of a living, breathing, animal! Sicktard! I really believe they should all get jail time. It sounds like this guys' jail time is concurrent with another charge, but it's a start at putting away animal abusers.

EDWARDSVILLE, Illinois (AP) -- A man who admitted in court to tearing off the head of a kitten after a fight with his girlfriend has been sentenced to two years in prison.

When it comes to animal abuse cases, "we don't get prison sentences all the time, so it's always good when we do," Stephanee Smith, a spokeswoman for the Madison County state's attorney's office, said Tuesday of the case against Jacob Thornton.

Thornton, 21, was to have had a preliminary hearing last Thursday on the felony animal torture charge but instead pleaded guilty, Smith said.

A judge ordered Thornton's sentence to run concurrently to a prison term related to a parole violation on a 2005 aggravated battery conviction.

Authorities say that after a July 28 dispute between Thornton and his live-in girlfriend, the 30-year-old woman left the home before returning to find her kitten's head and detached body in the front yard.

Four days after he was charged with animal torture, Thornton was also charged with burglarizing a motor vehicle. That case is pending.

2009 Camaro

Okay, I've vowed to get the next Camaro that comes out. I realize it will look a little different from this Concept Car, but it’ll be similar and I want it and I'll even take it in Silver! I had a 1997 Camaro, loved it and I miss it. So, I’m holding out until 2009 since they're planning on bringing the Camaro out in 2009.

Finding Michelle

I've been in a slump lately and I realized it was because I'm not the person I wanted to be. But, in order to be the person I want to be, I have to who I am now. And, the sad thing is, I don't know the real me. I don't think I know what makes me tick, why I'm here on this earth or why people around me love me. So, I created a new blog to track the struggles of finding myself. You should check it out, it should be very interesting to see what kind of craziness I come up with - I have a lot of suppressed thoughts and feelings. Strap yourself in, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!

ANNUAL PET BLESSING FESTIVAL OF HAWAII KOTOHIRA JINSHA-HAWAII DAZAIFU TENMANGU

This is a late post, I actually jotted it down on a piece of paper a while ago and I've just gotten around to posting it.

This festival needs to be held everywhere. I would love to have a festival in St. Louis where folks can take their pets to be blessed. I think this is fantastic! Maybe I should start one here in St. Louis - of course it wouldn't be a Shinto Blessing, but I could do something like it. Is there something like this in St. Louis already? I can't be the only one that loves the idea. Let me know.

Animal Abusers!

While I wrote my post about Steve Irwin aka The Crocodile Hunter, I came across something I had written quite a while ago. I can't really remember when it was written, maybe in July sometime, but I thought I'd post it.

Okay, this is going to be a REAL rant! Something has to be done about people that abuse animals. They need to get jail time, lots of it. I just can’t, for the life of me, figure out why someone would want to hurt a defenseless animal.

On the news the other night, I heard about a cat in Barnhart that was shot with an arrow. Come on, why a cat? What could that cat have possibly done to deserve that? The cat survived; his owner took him to the vet to have surgery to remove the arrow, but what about the sicko that shot him? I mean, I feel like finding this guy and shooting him in the a$$ with an arrow! I am overwhelmed with feelings of sadness and pure disgust when I hear about stuff like this. I know I cry a lot, but I cried for a good 5 minutes over the cat. I just think how can you possibly look at a cute, defenseless, furry animal and shoot it? How? I want to know what goes through a person’s head when they do that. It makes me think about the little, baby ducks and geese that were found in my parents’ subdivision with arrows and darts stuck through them. I cried for a long time after that happened too. (*On a side note to the parents of the kids that did that - get your kids some help, that is how Jeffrey Dahmer started - get a CLUE).

Why can’t people just look at animals and admire them, why do they have to hurt or kill them? I know some animals can be pests, but it’s not like they intend to annoy you, that’s just nature.

I don’t know, I should probably seek psychiatric help about this because I am 100% certain that I like animals more than I like people. I’m definitely not a people person, but I could and would do anything for animals. For example, there was a hawk flying around above our yard (when we lived with my parents) one day and I couldn’t figure out what he was doing until I saw the little squirrel that was scared stiff in the middle of the yard. I was so scared that the hawk would swoop down and take the squirrel away like that crazy creature on the movie Jeepers Creepers. I wasn’t going to let that happen – I quickly ran outside by the squirrel, which oddly didn’t move one inch when I did that. My intentions? I was going to keep the hawk from getting the squirrel. I know they do it out of instinct and to survive; I know that hawk will just eat some other animal, but I couldn't stop myself. Yes, I know the hawk is an all important animal too, but seeing that squirrel scared stiff threw me into panic mode. So, I go out there and get right next to the squirrel. The poor little thing was so scared that I was able to pet him! Yeah, how many times has a squirrel let you pet it? Well, I scared the hawk off and the squirrel was finally able to run up a tree! My point? Well, I would never do that for a human. I don’t stop for stranded motorists (because of the “good people” post – God only knows if they’re really stranded or if they’re a serial killer); I don’t go out of my way to help people out, but I do go out of the way for animals. There are tons of stories about me trying to save animals that I could never write them all down. To vaguely list them: the field mouse in our garage, the bird stuck in the pool, the bird with the broken wing, Koko, and the bunnies attacked by a dog.

Like I said, I think I need to seek psychiatric help. Plus, the only charities I give to involve animals. I recently gave money to the St. Louis Humane Society for Charlotte, a Chihuahua that had a plastic tie wrapped around her neck. Her neck & head swelled to the size of a grapefruit. I gave money to the Pitbull who had his ears cut off, I give money to the Zoo, I give an annual check the Humane Society of Missouri and I always give that extra $1 to PETsMART when I'm paying at the register.

ATTENTION ALL ANIMALS ABUSERS (aka SICKOS): LEAVE. ANIMALS. ALONE! Just remember, Karma does exist and what goes around comes around.

"Crocodile Hunter"

First off - before I even start, "crocodile" is one of those words that doesn't look right when you type it. I kept looking at it thinking I spelled it wrong, but it's right. Okay...now that I've cleared that up.



I know I am late in talking about this, but Steve Irwin's death really bothered me. This is the first time I've ever really been choked up over a "celebrity's" death. Yeah, I was sad when Princess Di passed away; I was sad to see Chris Farley go; but, this time I actually cried. I loved Steve Irwin and not because of his show and not because he hunted crocs, but because he genuinely loved all animals (even the ugly ones - bugs and spiders and the like). He knew so much about animals. I used to watch his show in amazement because he knew things about animals that you couldn't learn in a classroom or even at the zoo. He knew things that some Zoologists would give their right leg to know. He knew things that proved he loved all animals. This man's life was all about animals, he grew up with his father teaching him and he was going to raise his kids to know animals the way he did. He lived his life for and with animals.

At the Hunter's memorial service, his father urged the attendees not to grieve for his son, but for the animals, for they had lost "the best friend they ever had". I truly believe that and it breaks my heart.

By now, you all know how much of an animal enthusiast I am and there are only two human beings on the planet that I admire in the Zoology world and they are Jack Hanna and Steve Irwin. They both exhibit the kind of knowledge of animals that I could only dream of having. I guess, I am still shocked that Steve is gone and it will take a while for it to settle with me.

My heart and prayers are with his family, his country and all the animals that he cared so deeply for.

A Stray Dog (Long Post)

On Saturday, February 4, 2006, my mom woke me from a deep sleep at 8:00 am. She had my dad on the phone and she asked a simple question, “Do you want a dog?” I was confused. See, at the time, J and I lived with my parents and we had their dog, we'll call him Junkyard Dog, or JD for short. We had just put my dog, P, to sleep in October of 2004 and I didn’t think my parents would let another dog in the house. So, as soon as she asked me, I shot up out of bed and asked, “Can I?” She said, “yes, but you have to go down to dad’s work now, he has one there for you”. I was so confused, I don’t know if it was because I was still half asleep or because my parents were acting so nonchalant about bringing another dog into the house or because my dad had a dog for me at his job in a hospital.

I quickly jumped out of bed and threw on some jeans, a top, and some tennis shoes. Then it dawned on me to ask what was going on. I asked my mom why dad has a dog for me at the hospital – it didn’t make sense. As I was running across the landing to the bathroom to brush my teeth, she told me that my dad found a small, furry dog shivering in the bushes in front of the Center for Advanced Medicine building. I guess this is where I get my love for animals, but my dad, immediately, fell in love with her.

I asked my mom if she’d go with me so I could hold the dog while she drove. Z, my nephew that lives with my parents, woke up and asked where we were going. I think I may have rubbed off on him, because when he found out we were going to get a dog, he quickly asked if he could go with us. So, mom, Z and I drove down to dad’s office where a security guard was sitting there with this little dog. She was about 13 pounds, her hair was about an inch long everywhere (except her tail, which was long), and she was brown, tan, black and white. She was so cute. She was standing at the door when I jumped out of the car and I already knew that I loved her. She was pretty thin, from being on the streets I suppose and she was very dirty – but she was still the cutest dog. I noticed all of this just while walking from the car to the door. I opened the door and she jumped on me. That’s when I noticed she was bleeding. Keep in mind; I’ve never, in my life, had a girl dog – only boys. I frowned and asked what was wrong with her. My dad laughed and said, “I think she's just in heat, Mikala, she’ll be okay”. So, I grabbed her, wrapped her in Puff’s old blanket and put her on my lap in the car. She was so dirty and so scared. She had maple syrup in her tail and beard, her ears were matted and she smelled horrible. Despite this, she was so cute, not to mention, sweet and timid. She lied on my lap and quickly fell asleep. Then, it occurred to me that she may not have had any sleep, warm shelter or family in a long time. I felt so bad for her – but she was okay now, I have her, I’ll take care of her.

Before we took Beanie (whom we hadn’t named yet - this is not her real name either) home, we wanted to take her to the Vet to make sure she didn’t have anything she could give JD. We also wanted to check to see if she had a chip. The last thing I wanted to do was take someone’s beloved pet away from them. Mom called Dr. King, our Vet, and asked if we could bring her in and they jovially agreed. However, Dr. King wasn’t in, but Dr. Lenkowski was glad to take a quick look at Beanie. Beanie was thought to be a Shih Tzu/Terrier mix, she was in heat, she wasn’t hurt or sick, she wasn’t emaciated YET, and she didn’t have a chip. The Vet (a young lady, since Dr. King wasn't in) said it would be safe to have Koko around Baxter. Since Beanie didn’t have a chip, I asked the Dr. what to do to notify everyone that we found this “lost” dog. She said to notify the Humane Society and local Vets and that was all we could do. Mom and I felt very strongly that we should do this because I would be devastated if my dog got out and someone just swiped him up for themselves. Around 12:00 pm we left the Vet’s office with a clean bill of health.

Next on the agenda was to get Beanie groomed – she was so dirty and you could tell she didn’t like being so dirty. We called Kennelwood, our usual groomer, but they were too busy – after all, it was Saturday. So, we called this small shop we always saw by my mom’s house – it was called the Dog House. They said that they could take her if we brought her in right away. So, we dropped her off on the way back home. They were very happy that we took this abandoned dog in to care for her. They said that they would call us on our cell phones when she was ready. So, we were going to go home and make some phone calls.

When mom, Z and I got home, we called the Humane Society to notify them of the “found” dog. They stated that no one had reported any dogs missing. They took her information and said they’d call if someone reported the dog missing. We did a little searching and no one had reported the dog missing. So, mom and I planned to give it two weeks. If no one had claimed Beanie in two weeks, she was mine. I also decided to have her spayed after those two weeks also. After calling everyone we could think of, we figured we’d put a post out on Craigslist, so we did. Then we figured we better go buy her some stuff – you know, sweaters (since she was so thin), toys, a bed, a blanket of her own, etc. Yes, we spoil our dogs. So, mom and I went shopping (while Z went skateboarding with his friends). We went to PETsMART and bought all kinds of stuff. I spent a little bit of money on Koko that day and I had and still have no regrets.

Around 2:00, we finally picked Beanie up from the groomer. We brought her home and you could tell she felt much better. She was playing with toys, jumping (let me tell you, she has to have some Jack Russell Terrier in her, she can jump straight into the air – a good 2 feet OFF the ground), and cuddling. That’s when I realized I had to call J and tell him that we got a dog. Now, if any of you know J (L, you know this), he’s not a very excitable guy – I’ve seen him extremely excited maybe 3 times in the 7 years we’ve been together. So, I called him at work and said, “Bubby, we got a dog, she’s very cute”. His exact words were, “ok”. I figured he thought she was a frou-frou dog from her description. See, he’s a Pitbull kinda guy, that’s the only breed of dog he ever had as a child. Don’t get me wrong, he likes JD and he liked P, but they surely weren’t dogs that you could take to the park and play with. I just told him he’d have to see her before he makes any judgments.

For the rest of the day, my mom and I played with Beanie and tried to think of a name. With her coloring, we determined what we'd name her and then we just spelled it the Hawaiian way (again, Beanie is NOT her name). So, yes, we named her before the two weeks were up – I couldn’t help it. She’s very lovable and I have proof.

J came home from work, and when Beanie ran and jumped up into his arms while he was in a standing position, he quickly fell in love with her too. To this day, that is his little girl. He loves that she’ll play catch, she’ll catch her babies in mid-air, and she still jumps up into his arms from the ground while he’s standing. Did I mention that she is fully trained also? She is house trained, she won’t bark, she’ll never lay her teeth on any portion of your skin and she listens to commands. She was the perfect dog and we couldn’t believe we just happened upon this “perfect” dog.

After a few scares (people with similar dogs e-mailed us, but none were a match), no one ever claimed Beanie, so we took her to the Vet to have a full examination by our real Vet, Dr. King. Now, Dr. King loves little dogs, he’s a very sweet, passionate man and I think he is the best Vet I’ve ever encountered. He loved Beanie, he loved how sweet she was, he loved how beautifully maintained her body was, and he loved how beautifully clean her teeth were. He said, “wow, you got a gem here, where did you get her?” and that’s when I shocked him and said she was a stray. Dr. King was surprised and excited. He said that it was great that the right people found her and that she now has a family that loves her. Then, Dr. King did the usual vaccination thing, and all that. We scheduled her spaying and the injection of a chip for March and took her in for that. She did very well and all is healed. Now, we have a chip in her in case we ever lose her.

However, March 5, 2006 was a scary day for me. Beanie was lying on the couch and having what seemed like a mild seizure. I started freaking out and we quickly swiped her up and took her to the Emergency Animal Hospital. They couldn’t find any signs of epilepsy and they couldn’t find any signs that she had a full-blown seizure. They weren’t too sure what it was. After spending $200 for blood work and an exam, we left not knowing what was wrong with our baby, even though she was completely back to normal by the time we left the hospital. That next day I spent a few hours researching canine epilepsy and I am still convinced that’s what she has. I took her to Dr. King and he said that she may have mild epilepsy that will never require medication or anything. He said she may have these mild seizures every now and then. He gave me the list of things to watch for and told me what to do in the case of a seizure. Since the first seizure, she’s had two more. Now, I know what to do when it happens and I wouldn’t ever love her less because of this. I love my dog with all of my heart and I’m blessed to have her.

Anyway, that’s the story of Beanie...

In Case You're Wondering

In case you're wondering why I've been so ambitious with my blog lately, it's because of my friend L. She has a blog and she actually updates it and that inspires me. You see, I've always been the type that starts diaries, journals or blogs and never follows through with them. I usually last about month and that's it. J laughs at the millions of journals I have laying around our house with the first 15 pages or so completed. So, reading L's blog everyday has inspired me to update mine regularly. I have L's blog on my "favorites" and I check it everyday - hopefully that will keep me on the right track. So, thank you L!

Karma

Post actually written and updated in July, 2006

To take a note from Earl Hickey, I am starting to believe in Karma more and more each day. I guess I always have in some way. My mom has said, “what goes around comes around” since I was a wee lass! I always believed the same thing. But, now I think I’m getting a little too crazy or OCD about it. I am scared to do even the smallest wrong thing; I’m scared to even THINK wrong things. I guess I’ve had a ton of what I thought was bad luck (from the age of 15 – 23), but it turns out it was Karma. I was not behaving well, I was a horrible teenager, I gave my parents several heart attacks (not literally) and I’m sure they developed a few ulcers in that time period too. I always got caught doing whatever it was that I was doing wrong and I just thought I was unlucky – I wasn’t, it was Karma kicking my arse!
If I call into work, I feel guilty the entire day, and I feel like lighting is going to crash any minute – and this is when I’m genuinely sick. I’ll be the first to admit – I’m deathly afraid of Karma. I firmly believe in it.

Update: I messed up – I was filling in at a district office at work, and customers aren’t supposed to come to the district offices, but they always show up. The girl I’m filling in for helps them a lot I guess, which promotes their coming to the district office. Well, a guy came to the office about 15 minutes before I was supposed to leave. He rang the bell and knocked on the door. I didn’t answer it. I turned on the monitor and just watched him. I was not in the mood to deal with a customer because they get mad that you can’t help them there – so why should I answer the door? Anyway, he sat there for a good 10 minutes – I never answered. Finally, he left. I didn’t realize how ignorant this really was until J & I were out eating and I told him what I did. It sounded horrible as I was telling the story. So, now I’m scared to death that something bad is going to happen to me. I guess I’ll just have to grin and bear it!

100+ Things I Must Do Before I Die

UPDATED FEBRUARY 9, 2007

I have already done the items in bold:

1) Visit Germany: Munich & Oberammergau
2) Visit France: Strasbourg & Paris
3) Visit the town in Austria that my dad’s family is from.
4) Cruise the Greek Isles
5) Go shark diving in South Africa to see some Great Whites
6) Go shark diving in Hawaii with Tiger Sharks
7) Get married
8) Have children
9) Visit Egypt: Sphinx, Pyramids, etc.
10) Own a designer purse
11) Own a pair of Manolos
12) Attend a Broadway show on Broadway
13) Fall in love with a true, respectable man
14) Visit Pearl Harbor
15) See the Passion Play in Oberammergau at Easter
16) Get a passport
17) Own a beach house
18) See the Winter Palace in Russia
19) Go on an African Safari
20) Ride on a gondola in Venice
21) Attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics
22) Meet Colin Farrell
23) See my Cardinals win the World Series - We won on 10/27/06!!
24) Visit a French café and order in French
25) Attend a designer fashion show
26) Have a spa weekend
27) Buy my mom the silver Mercedes I promised her as a child
28) Move to Hawaii
29) Learn to play the piano
30) Shake hands with any president
31) Make someone else’s dream come true
32) Visit Venezuela’s Angel Falls
33) Travel for an entire year
34) Speak French fluently (I can get by, but I want to be fluent)
35) Speak German fluently
36) Speak Spanish fluently
37) Get in shape
38) Run a Tour de Stad
39) Walk the Great Wall of China
40) See the Northern Lights
41) Go on an Alaskan Cruise
42) Learn Karate
43) Drink Absinth (yes, the green fairy)
44) See the 7 Wonders of the World
45) Save at least one dog from inevitable death
46) Open my own “no-kill” shelter for cats and dogs
47) Sell a painting that I painted
48) Go snorkeling
49) Complete my house so that there’s nothing left to do
50) Visit a Nazi Concentration Camp
51) Fly first class to Hawaii or Europe
52) Spend New Year’s Eve in Times Square
53) Visit London
54) Ride the London Eye
55) Kiss in the rain
56) Climb a volcano and see lava
57) Drive on the autobahn
58) Be considered an expert at anything
59) Own a monkey
60) Pet a leopard
61) See Penguins in their real-life habitat (not at the Zoo)
62) Write a meaningful book
63) See the Grand Canyon
64) Honeymoon in Fiji
65) Get a job that truly makes a difference in the world
66) Visit each continent
67) Visit Graceland
68) Visit John Belushi’s Grave
69) Visit the Vietnam Memorial
70) Visit Jim Morrison’s grave in Paris
71) Be the girl that everyone looks at when she walks in the room because she’s so beautiful
72) Run with the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain
73) Visit Bethlehem
74) Visit Jerusalem
75) Send a message in a bottle
76) Get to know my neighbors
77) Plant a tree
78) Sit on a jury in a murder trial
79) Go to Oktoberfest in Munich
80) Go to the Christmas Markets in Germany at Christmas time
81) Learn to be a better person
82) Go to Carnival in Rio
83) Spend one Christmas in Europe
84) Spend one Christmas in Hawaii
85) Accept myself for who I am
86) Run to the top of the Statue of Liberty
87) Create my family tree
88) Catch a Cardinals baseball in the stands during a game
89) Experience weightlessness
90) See the Ruins of Pompeii
91) Go whale watching
92) Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge
93) Visit Alcatraz Island and walk where the inmates walked
94) Ride a Cable Car in San Francisco
95) Watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
96) Watch the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown
97) Shop in New York City at Christmas time
98) Visit Stonehenge
99) Learn to read Aramaic
100) Lean against the Leaning Tower of Pisa
101) See Phantom of the Opera in London

Manic Monday

Let me just start by saying that I'm completely bummed out that it's Monday already.

Our weekend was pretty uneventful. Friday night, we were supposed to go to the game, but we gave our tickets to Garik - J's friend. I just wasn't in the mood (and you know it's bad when I'm not in the mood to see the Cards)! I can't really remember what we did Friday night now. I think J had to work at 11:00, but before that I don't know. Must not have been very fun.

Saturday, we worked in the front yard and I paid for it dearly on Sunday. In case you don't know me (and chances are you don't), I have the worst allergies in the world and in the fall I am prone to swollen eyes & faces, stuffy noses and hurty throats - all of which can happen if I spend all of 5 minutes outside at any one time! But, since I'm also bullheaded, I wanted to work on the front yard since it was a gorgeous day Saturday. So, J and I raked a bunch of the ugly, white rock out of the garden beds and we dug up the black edging. He started to dig up one of the large "basket" bushes and we removed the gravel someone put in front to avoid water leaking into the basement (Susan, my brother's ex, did that - not very wise). By about 6:00 pm we were exhausted and went inside - when I looked outside it looked like we hadn't done anything all day. It was very discouraging and I was so mad. I called my poor mom and vented for a good while about how we shouldn't have bought the house and how we have no help. I felt bad after that because my parents transformed this house when they were my age and they didn't have any help either (they also had two kids). They took very good care of the house and my brother and Susan let it go. So, I went to bed and got over it.

Sunday, I woke up with my eyes swollen and glued shut (with allergy gunk), my nose all stuffy and my throat felt like I had one of the rocks from the front yard in it. I looked outside, more than ready to start working again, and it was pouring. So, we stayed in (which, now that I think about it - thank God we did, I would have been miserable today). Okay, now comes the part where you all will think we are the laziest people on earth - we laid on the couch all day and watched almost the entire 2nd season of Lost. We still have the last disc to watch, but we wanted to get it in before the 3rd season starts! I know, I know, there really is no excuse as to why we're that lazy, but we are and you'll just have to get over it.

We went to bed at about 11:00 pm last night and the alarm went off at 5:30 this morning (I pushed snooze and ended up getting up at 6:20 - yeah, I have to be at work by 7:00 and I made it on time)! Here I am!

I got to work and my boss needed 30 copies of a 17-page presentation - naturally, my printer was on the fritz and I had to send the presentation downstairs to "Special Services". The copies were needed by 8:00 and I was still messing with the printer at 7:30. I got the copies made and got my boss off to the meeting! But, my morning was a little frantic and I'm ready to go home and go to bed. It's kinda rainy out today too.

Okay, I gotta get to work now - I'm sure I'll be back soon.

Tadpoles - Pollywogs

This post was actually written on June 26 -

Okay, so we're finally in the house, we’re working on it and we’re working on opening the pool (which hasn’t been opened in 4 years). So, we siphoned all of the water out of the pool, with the exception of a swale in the deep end. When we got down to about a foot of water, we saw that there were a bunch of tadpoles in the pool. Apparently, my dad hates frogs and tadpoles (he used the term “pollywog” which I have never heard in my entire life and figured it was a word he made up - he does that a lot), because he suggested we just skim them out and toss them in the trash!! We have argued over this for days now. I refuse to kill 100 baby animals because their parents didn’t know that we were going to pick THIS year to open the pool. So, I suggested we get a container of some sort and skim them out and put them into the container with some water. After we do that, we can take them to a lake somewhere and let them go. But, I don’t know if that would be horrible for the froggy parents if they don’t know where their babies are, but I’d rather do that than kill them. So, I keep putting my dad off - I, finally told him to wait until the hardwood floors are refinished (because we’ll be away from the house for a whole week and won’t be able to take care of the pool that week). So, last night, J found a few of the tadpoles had grown their hind legs and were climbing up the side of the pool. So, J got them out with the skimmer and set them in a little area in the yard where Beanie wouldn’t get them. We went to check on them last night and they were gone (I’m assuming they hopped away - okay, so I'm hoping they hopped away and weren't eaten by some animal). I’m so happy! So, hopefully the others will grow their hind legs and be able to get out of the pool in the next week (when the floors are being refinished). In the end, I’m just happy they weren’t killed.

I must say, my dad thought I was an idiot, he acted as though I was some kind of PETA maniac because I wanted to save 100 little tadpoles. Oh well, he knows how I am about animals. I'm not quite PETA-like yet, but I'm getting there. I'm not a vegetarian or vegan and I don't go around throwing red paint on people with fur coats on, but I surely don't like to see animals hurt, tortured, and/or killed.

Update: July 13, 2006
We still haven’t finished working on the pool, but I am happy to report that all of the tadpoles have vacated the pool!

Update: July 19, 2006
Okay, so today St. Louis had one of the worst storms in 100 years and it knocked the pool over (our fault for keeping it empty for so long). So, now we are just going to get rid of the pool and buy one later - if we want. All of that fuss and the pool is gone! Story of my life!

Fire Drill

So, we have a fire drill here at work today and I think it’s kinda lame. I have always thought fire drills were lame - even in grade school. The only reason I liked them then was because we all got to go outside and hang out with our friends. But, here at work, I have things to do, LOTS of things to do.

First off, we can practice all we want when there is no real threat of a fire or explosion, but if the real thing were to happen, do you really think we’d all just calmly walk out to the parking lot? HELL NO! We’d all run and scream with our hands in the air! I don’t understand the reason for fire drills. But, since I’m a lemming, I’ll follow everyone out there.

Blinkers

Since I was already complaining about drivers, I thought I'd add this one today too.

I just have one question, DO CARS HAVE TURN SIGNALS ANYMORE? I mean, seriously, I will admit I get a little agitated when someone cuts me off when I’m in the passing lane (and they end up going slower than I was), but I will accept it a lot easier if they use a blinker to tell me they’re coming over. I guess this all goes back to my “Good People” post. NO one has courtesy or concern for anyone else in the world. These people that do that (and don’t use their blinker) are only concerned about themselves, “screw everyone else, I need to be in the passing lane”. UGH!

Good Samaritan Drivers

I know I’m hyperactive and irritable at most times, but what is it with these people that think they can slow everyone down by getting in the passing lane and doing EXACTLY the speed limit or less? I had a friend tell me that one of her parents’ friends does that. She wants to slow the speeders down, so she takes her happy arse over to the passing lane of the highway and does about 55 (in a 60 mile an hour zone). I don’t understand the logic of that. Doesn’t it ever occur to them that if I want to speed, I’m going to do it and they can’t stop me? Doesn’t it ever occur to them that if I am speeding and I come up to them in the passing lane, I will get frustrated and zip around them? Don’t get me wrong, I know that your response time is diminished when you speed, but if someone is making me switch lanes because I have to go around them when they are in the “PASSING LANE”, I would think that makes it more likely for an accident to occur. Let me just say, if I am speeding and I want to risk getting a speeding ticket, LEAVE ME ALONE, you can’t control me and the harder you try, the worse I drive – so get a clue and STAY. OUT. OF. THE. PASSING. LANE!!!!!

Good People

Where have they gone? It’s like everyone wants to see everyone else ruin their lives or do badly – they stick around just to see train wrecks, so they can laugh and feel better about themselves. Yes, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m basing this off of a Jack Johnson song. I agree with his song “Good People”. He asked “Where’d all the good people go?”. Ever since I heard this song for the first time, that's been on my mind. I have always thought that, but never knew how to put it in words. Everyone is out for themselves anymore; there are few “genuinely nice” people anymore. It’s as though, if someone is nice to you, you wonder what their agenda is. I'm not talking about kissing butt or being fake, I’m talking about good, old-fashioned courtesy, thoughtfulness and concern for others.

Rants/Raves

I’ve decided to use my blog to rant, rave and/or ramble about my thoughts. I’ve written plenty of my little rampages on paper and figured I’d put them in my blog for everyone. I’m sure I’ll be slammed about some of my thoughts (however, no one reads my blog, so I doubt it), but I don’t care because they are my thoughts and feelings – get over it! Therefore I may need to change my template - it won't really make sense, but I just decided (in that meer second) that I'm not going to. I like my blog template and it's staying!