Honest Abe I'm Not

I'd like to think I am a fairly honest trust worthy person. I believe in "What you do comes back to you", "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", and anything you dishonestly "get away with", you will pay back three fold in the future. If a local business I frequently visit gives me the wrong change I'd let them know without hesitation, if I saw someone drop something in front of me, I'd pick it up and alert them to it and if I found some one's wallet or purse with money in it, I'd at least take the cash out, sort of service fee for my putting it in the nearest mail box to get the important info contained back to it's owner. But I don't believe in stupidity.

So, I'm standing in the check out line with my shopping cart of goodies along with a 20 pound container of cat liter. When I approach the counter, I ask the checker if I need to put it on the counter or can she scan it in my basket. "No, leave it as I can scan it there," I am assured. After everything is rung up, I never saw her come to the cart and again asked her if that included my cat liter. "Opps no it does not" and I tell her, "Cause there is no way I want free cat liter as I will pay for it later in some other form." She smiles and proceeds back to her register hits enter and tells me to swipe my card. But the price is exactly what she told me 15 seconds ago, so I politely keep my mouth shut and agree to my purchase.

Now I have asked her twice to charge me for my cat liter and even explained how I don't want it free and she still gives it to me free. I guess "Honest Abe" I am not and as I walk away with my purchase as I felt her stupidity shouldn't be rewarded with my honesty. But,

It Is What it Is....

and now I am wondering if I just "shop lifted." I'm grateful for the free kitty liter as my three little ones will make good use of it but I don't feel good for getting away with it as I know that's why everything costs more in stores as items are stolen or even in this case, given away.

Chasing For Wild Geese In The Rain

So I walk into my neighborhood Sports Store and see the perfect jacket. Problem is, it's not the size my boyfriend can wear so what to do? Ask the front counter if there are more in stock in my size or what other stores might have one.

The front counter checked her computer and found one about 30 miles away and they were willing to put it on hold for me. At least three times I asked is it the same color and make just in a larger size. "Yes, of course yes.. same skew number, same color, just a larger size and they will hold it for 24 hours for you." So I reply, "Yes please!!!" Now, it's pouring down rain as I ponder what to do as far as venturing out in rain slick streets tonight, Friday in rush hour traffic or wait until Saturday morning where we are expecting a larger storm. I opted for going now and making sure I have the jacket to complete my surprise present.



The normal 45 minute drive turned into an hour and a half as I fight my way across flooded surface streets and hundreds of cars. Looking for signs and addresses in the dark, Awwwww there it is. But where do you park as Wilshire Boulevard doesn't sport many street parking spaces and high rises want a minimum of $5.00 to park. But after a few circles around the block, waaa laaa.. a space opens up. I'm exciting approach the front counter and explain who I am and how my local store has called to hold my jacket. The woman goes into her secret stash in the back and pulls out my jacket very politely. But wait, what's this???? Yes it is the same similar jacket but in a gawd awful color. So I explained how I was reassured that they had the one I wanted in stock and this is NOT it. They really were not all that helpful as my disappointment grew.

WHAT HAPPENED TO COMMUNICATION??

So I decide on my own to do a tedious search through every jacket there thinking maybe they missed it. Holy shit, I almost shouted as I find the one I want but now it's twice I big as I needed. Hmmmmmm, my visualization goes into effect to try and imagine if this will fit my boyfriend so what to do. I start scanning the store for any man who looks as tall and same build but doesn't speak English so I felt like I was on an episode of "I survived a Japanese Game Show," as I try to ask a non English speaking Korean man to take off his jacket and put this one on. His face was skeptical and non friendly but after my award winning smile visually convinced him, he undressed and tried my jacket on. So trying to visualize your man in another man's body, I think it will work and after all I drove all this way to not come home with something would be self defeating so I made my purchase and fought another over an hours worth of traffic. Now if it doesn't fit him, there's no where else to buy one in the Los Angeles area. My question is, should I have bought it since if it doesn't fit he can't exchange it anywhere for one that does as no one has one, and how disappointed will I be if his reaction doesn't meet or exceed the trouble it took me to get it?

But it IS WHAT IT IS.....

And I am grateful I had a friend to tag along with me on the ride, I didn't get into one of the many weather related accidents recorded last night, I had the money and gas to spend as many don't have that luxury and it's the first time in 7 years I actually have a man to buy something for anyway. :-)

Does It Matter If You Paint Around Your Furniture?

We all know how hard it is to get things accomplished when working a full schedule. It's been about 8 years now since I painted the inside of my home and after the kitchen came out so nicely, the rest of the house now needs to come up to standards. But who has the time to move everything, put down plastic and get out the old paint rollers, to accomplish the job in a weekend.



So for me, I've done the next best thing. I don't care what anyone says or thinks but I find that painting with a 2" brush gets the paint on the wall the nicest. I did my entire kitchen this way and now almost finished the rest of the house. But I've gotten eager to see results as soon as possible, so instead of finishing one room at a time, when I feel the mood, I do an area regardless of where it is.

Can you believe I choose "Mickey Sailor" for the bedroom trimmed in bright white and bright white for front room and hall. Oasis green is the kitchen and bathroom and I just found out the semi gloss cleans up nicely, saving me the hassle of painting it again.

My big question is.... If you are renting, does it make a big difference if you don't move the heavy furniture in some areas and just paint around it? I'm sure it will when I move but some of the stuff I just can't manage on my own. Soooo.....

IT IS WHAT IT IS

How Attractive Can You Get?

Well trust me, it's NOT that I have not had my share of rants and raves to post in the last few months, but it would take too long to go into so instead, I just happened to find this around while surfing the web. I'm not even sure what the heck I was looking for now, but this just struck me as funny in an unattractive sort of way.

I mean, would you REALLY feel confident in this product coming from this toilet paper dispenser?

Oh well.....

IT IS WHAT IT IS

Road Rage Can Kill You

Now here is a case of how you can become suddenly one of those wreck less drivers getting caught up in "Road Rage" with another driver.

It's Thursday 4-30-09 and I am driving myself home for to have my lunch hour like I do almost everyday. I don't live far from where I work so I am able to have that luxury from work. Not a lot of traffic out at that hour and people are usually driving pretty calm and normal. But alas, there is always that one idiot that just thinks he is the most important person on the planet.

About 10 blocks from my home I am driving in the slow lane of a 4 lane major street, two lanes going each direction. The car in front of me is going to turn right and has pulled off to the right side to do so. There is no one in my left lane so I have to pull slightly into the left lane just barley crossing the line to pass the car that is turning. From behind me in my lane, comes a black Mercedes driving at least 10 miles over the speed limit and sees the car turning right and doesn't want to wait so changes into the left lane like I am. That's fine, he is apparently in a big hurry and my car poses no threat to him as I am barely touching the line that separates us. Instead, of just passing by, he decides I need to have the horn blasted at me. So I put up my hands and said "What?" and he flips me off, so okay being the adult that I am, I flip him off too. His culture does not permit me, a woman, to be so aggressive towards him so he pulls up next to my car and rolls down the window exposing his female passenger and tells me to "F*CK MYSELF!" So I tell him to "F*CK himself" and he tries to side swipe my car making me now swerve to avoid him. Then he pulls in front of me and slams on his brakes to try to make me rear end him. I WAS LIVID at this point and rolled down my window and yelled out "Do you feel like a man now in front of your woman?" He again told me to "F*CK YOU" and again slammed on his brakes. I was barely missing him each time he did this and you know if I hit him, it would be all my fault.


Well most normal people probably would have backed down and said it's not worth it but once my Adrenalin is pumping, I sometimes am not thinking clearly and now I want to get a piece of paper out and write down his license plate to report him. When he sees I have a paper and pen, he takes his super Fast Mercedes just about as fast as it can go turning right and driving WAY TOO FAST down the street. My 4 cylinder car is no match for his Mercedes but what does my dumb ass do? I punch my little car just as fast I can to catch him to take down his plate. We are driving 60 miles and hour in a 35 mile zone and for what? My leg was shaking so bad while I was chasing him I could barely keep it on the pedal. And for what????

If I call the police on his license, what can/will they do? There is a culture of men, aged 25-35, who constantly drive this way and have no respect for anyone but themselves. I am sure they would just as soon shoot you as give two cents about you after. I am not a prejudice person but I swear I can become one with this male minority. Being the tough ass independent woman that I am, I don't like feeling I am being pushed out of the neighbor I have lived for 26 years in. I wonder what his woman thought of his behavior? I have little problems with the women of this culture or the young or elderly. But this is how prejudice starts so, I'm doing the next best thing by not reporting him to the police and have him retaliate on me. I'm just reporting him to...

IT IS WHAT IT IS

I am grateful that neither of us caused an accident killing or injuring anyone due to our stupid pride in proving a point and I guess I will try and learn that it's certainly not worth it to loose your temper over something so trivial and stupid. What if someone got hurt during our madness, I could have never lived with myself for that. Please allow me the strength to not allow this sort of stuff to wind me up.

But, black Mercedes license number 5XGC292, you should think twice as well about the people that could have gotten hurt that day. Dude seriously, slow the F*CK down!!!

How NOT To Start Your Morning

The alarm goes off at 6:45 am and as I stumbled from bed, BLAM, right into my cedar chest and ooooo the pain. But work won't wait so I hoped it off and off to work I went. I work on the 2nd floor and need to run to downstairs to the main hospital often so after a few trips up and down, I realized the pain was getting worse. For lunch I decided to stop by good old Kaiser and have them take a look at it. And they were great about getting me in to see a nurse and access whether or not a doctor was needed. Beings that it was purple and swollen, the nurse set up an appointment for me this afternoon to have it x-rayed which I just got home from.

The Verdict!!!! (no this is not my X-ray)

I have a small hairline on the back of the bone where it reaches the joint but a radiologist has to evaluate it further. Not much you can do except wrap it to the other baby toes and stay off of it.
Soooooooo......

IT IS WHAT IT IS

And I am grateful I didn't take out my whole foot. It's not my driver foot and soon I'll be good as new!!!

Is Camping All That Relaxing?

I'm a camper, it's in my blood. Almost everyone I used to camp with has either moved away or died, sad but true. But none the less, I spent 8 days in the woods alone last September and will be doing it again this year. I had reservations to go last Saturday night, and stay up the coast.

It seems more people are going camping these days and I am having a harder time getting reservations when I would like them. So six months in advance, you need to make your reservations. I have 5 reservations this year, 4 for 1 nighters and 1 for 8 days seven nights. My sister and nephew went with me last weekend for just Saturday night, up the coast. The weekend before was in the 95-100 degree range and this weekend about 65-70 degrees. That part is okay, I expected that but what I didn't expect was my family showing up 5 hours late for our departure and in my mood swing, waiting so long, I neglected to bring vital tools to the site. We did succeed in getting the tent pitched and my family left me in charge of setting the rest up as they made a list of supplies we needed.



First, there was the gale wind forces that made holding the tent in place a challenge. But I managed and was just working on the inside as my family went off to buy our food for dinner and more wood. There is a store about 10 miles away. Meanwhile even after I had a full double air mattress, sleeping bags and our bags of clothes, the tent was taking off for three campsites down. I quickly grab my handy box that contains everything needed for camping. What's this.. No tent stakes? You got to be kidding me. Okay, I remember I just bought a huge gigantic bungee cord and put it in my car just for emergencies. Well, this qualified so I let go of the tent and head off to my car. Waaaalaaa, a 1,000,000 foot bungee cord. The tree was huge I had to attach it to so I felt sort of silly hold one of the bungee with my arms out spread reaching for the tent pole, that's moving with the wind. Once I had the pole in one hand and the bungee in another, the challenge to make two ends meet. In the process, the already stressed and bent pole stick came out of the hole and smacked me hard vertically up my leg, not just once but TWICE!! But after a few choice words, I was able to WIN THE BATTLE.


That will work now time to relax and make a nice dinner. My sis and nephew return with some wonderful looking thick juicy steaks to grill up. The steaks are pretty thick so we better cut them in half so they will cook thoroughly. Now, where did I put that knife? It must be in hear somewhere with the camping silverware. If I could only find the camping silverware. You have to be kidding, no bag of silverware, no knife? Can this get any better? And we have mashed potatoes for a side dish, pre-made just heat them up. Hey we're camping right? I do have that spatula I just bought at the 99 Cent Store to add to my box of supplies.

I am grateful that I bought a spatula and bungee cord at the 99 Cent Store and the tent pole whacking didn't draw red (blood) only black and blue. So, we were good sports, all thought it would be part of the primitive experience as we muttered....

IT IS WHAT IT IS

I have to say I have never eaten mashed potatoes with two fingers before and never filleted a steak with an exacto knife, but the meal was a success. Yes those are mashed potatoes.


Not a bad job done for an exacto knife!


The men in a nice warm trailer next door felt sorry for us when we asked him to open our can of beans we had for our Mexican breakfast and he even gave us plastic place settings for 3 so the GOOD NEWS IS, breakfast was also a success.