Day after Thanksgiving

Well this year's holiday was "different". Both Ann and Anthony work as cashiers at Walmart (different stores) and both had to work on Thanksgiving. Thankfully for them, each store had a Thanksgiving dinner for each of them, so they were able to enjoy it. As for me, I didn't want anything made at the house knowing their schedules, so I went without. My dinner consisted of leftover Shogun, and then McDonalds late night. Ann brought up a good point though. We can have our Thanksgiving dinner on Christmas Day, as they are both off from work. Good idea! Right now, Anthony and I are sitting watching the Arkansas Razorbacks play the Missouri Tigers (football folks!). The New York Islanders vs Washington Capitals (hockey folks!) just started, so I'll start flipping channels back and forth. Won't be able to type once I start that, so TTFN!

Miss me much??

That's OK, I didn't either. There has been nothing going on. Work is busy, keeps me out of trouble. Been playing poker more often than I had in awhile. Not sure if it is a good or bad thing. Played twice on Friday, in the morning was horrible (but I had fun) and the evening was better. Played again this morning, did NOT have a good time. Maybe I need to find a new place to play? I refuse to play at the Elk's Lodge anymore, and I don't think I'd be welcome back anyway. Have seen a few people from there, they act like they don't know me or I have a contagious disease or something. That's fine. As I've stated in prior posts, I do not have friends. I have acquaintances. Hell, sometimes it feels the same way in my own house, but that's another story for another day.

I know, I guess I've been hiding...

Nothing going on. Did find out a couple of things... (1) I have no "friends" at work. I have acquaintances, I have co-workers, but I do not have any friends. That's fine. (2) I am "intimidating". Yeah, go figure that out! 5'2" no muscle tone, and not even that smart, but I intimidate people. Great! Well, that's about it. TTFN~!

My son...

To say I am proud of him would be an understatement. I may have mentioned in a past post about the issues he had last year, where he wound up dropping out of high school, then went for his G.E.D. but did not pass all of the courses. About 4 months ago, he started working at Walmart as an overnight cashier. At first, he didn't like it much. He was doing returns, working with the product on the shelves, and frankly he was mad. He said "I didn't sign up to do all that, I signed up to be a cashier!" He was sincerely thinking of quitting. After speaking with him, and determining that he can listen to music on his phone (as long as he only has 1 ear plugged in) and make it fun, he was fine with it and actually really enjoys his job. He gets 2 nights off, which he uses to catch up on sleep HAHA! Plus, now he has a girlfriend who works. They enjoy going out, and even go "dutch" as she knows as well as he does that neither make the best money so they work it out. It's great. Well, about 1 1/2 weeks ago, my wife gets home from work, and Anthony tells her "Mom, I am going back to school. I want to finish what I started, and don't want to be the only one in my group of friends who didn't graduate." Wow! He called the high school, asked them what he needed to do, and got the call back last night. Today, he went in, filled out his paperwork, and starts tomorrow. He only has 1 semester, as he cannot attend high school once he turns 21. But what he has to get done he can do in the 4 months, and he's dead set on doing it. Plus he spoke with work and they are changing his hours so he can do both and not worry. I have been walking on air knowing he has his head and heart aimed in the right direction and is going to do what it takes to complete his education. I am very VERY proud of him!

What a week it's been...

This week I'm happy to say I was busy. The past couple of weeks have been slower than usual, and that is something I'm not used to. I am used to being busy, working 10 or more hours, working weekends, etc. So it was nice to know this week I would have much to do. Unfortunately, the week brought some bad news. The CSA's have been told that their positions are being relocated to the corporate office in Shelton CT. Nine of my co-workers are affected. Of course, they are all offered their position there, but there is belief that most of them will not be transferring. Hopefully there will be some openings in our office in which they could apply successfully for and stay in Arkansas with Unilever. Otherwise they are being offered a severance package should they stay until the "last official day". Just as a note of reference, I do give a damn about 2 of them, and hoping things work out for them both. One of them will hopefully receive an offer for a recent interview they did. As for the other, well time will tell. They have 5 months. I'm on vacation again next week. Can't wait. Heading up to Kansas City for a night. Main reason is to have dinner (OK dessert!) at The Cheesecake Factory. I ate there about 5 or 6 years ago, and loved it! Looking forward to another meal there. Also hoping to go to the Power and Light (or is it Light and Power?) District. Other than that, everything around here is par for the course. TTFN~!

What a walk...

First off, let me say this... I'm on VACATION!! I am off today through Friday, then in 4 weeks, I have off Wednesday through Friday. Then 4 weeks after that, I have off Wednesday through Friday. Can you believe it? Me actually taking vacations (yes, plural)? Anthony worked last night so when he got home this morning he went right to bed. Ann did not have to be at work until 3, so we decided to go to the trail for a walk. We walked for over 90 minutes. Bad idea! Next time, we walk 60 minutes. 30 minutes one way, then turn around! We got home, showered (it was 88 outside this morning when we walked), then I went to sleep. Haha! I am SO out of shape. Tomorrow, Anthony and I are going to Branson. On my next vacation in August, Ann and I are going to do an overnight trip to Branson. Looking forward to it, as there is so much to do out there. And she's OK with the water park (she won't go on the crazy drop slides), so we may or may not hit there when we go.

Quiet Saturday night...

Happy July 5th. I hope everyone enjoyed the Independence Day 2014 holiday. Ann and I tried to enjoy it, but she was working in the afternoon. When she got home, I barbecued some burgers and we ate dinner. Afterwards we decided to take the ride to Memorial Park to watch the Bentonville fireworks show. Unfortunately we got there late and there wasn't a place to park within a mile of the venue. So we decided to come home and watch the Centerton fireworks show. Unfortunately for me by the time we got home I was sick and running a low grade fever. So she went out to watch the fireworks. Anthony would have joined her but he had to work. Today, Ann worked all day and she was exhausted so she went to bed early. I took advantage of the day and took a nap so I'm awake later than I would normally be. Being it's such a beautiful night out, I decided to sit on my front porch. Sometimes this is not the best idea, because I start thinking. Remembering. Tonight was about one of my best friends from high school. I won't use his name, let's just call him "Starr". We had known each other since elementary school, there was a group of us. We all lived really close to one another so we'd hang out every day after school, during the summer we'd all pool hop together, play ball and the like. As we got older, others disappeared (service, college). We were the last men standing. We went to our first concert together at Westbury Music Fair. Kenny Rogers. What a blast we had. We were 17 and thought we were such big shots. Maybe we were. Two 17 year olds knowing (and feeling) every word to "Twenty Years Ago". Haha! We were there for each other. He was there for me when my grandma and dad died. Then, one day, he decided to "follow his dream" as he put it. In reality, he supposedly got a girl pregnant and wanted to run and hide. He left without a goodbye and I never heard from him since. A couple of years ago, we reconnected on Facebook, but I could feel we grew apart. There was no repairing the damage of the past. Well, to you Mr. Starr, as I sit here tonight thinking about our friendship, I say to you... FUCK YOU! You left me! We were all we had left and you ran out like a little bitch! I am happy that you found your own happiness and success. But I hate you for not even having the balls to say goodbye. Not a phone call, a postcard. Nothing! My mom died, I needed you, you weren't there. I didn't even know where to find you to tell you! Thank you for the great memories we have, and fuck you for the bad ones.

Long week...

I love my job (let's start with that)! It's been a very long week, and it's going to get longer. I am not taking a half day tomorrow, as I planned to do. Thankfully had no plans that were spoken out loud. Plus I'm working Saturday for about 4-5 hours. Again, I love my job! Nothing else going on. Saw Dierks Bentley in concert from the balcony at work. Excellent concert. Did not go see Wicked. Wasted money, but oh well. I have bronchitis, have been on meds for 2 days, not feeling any better. Hopefully by the weekend I'll feel some improvement. Congratulations to the US Men's Soccer Team on advancing to the quarterfinals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup!

Twenty-six years ago today...

I lost my dad. At first, today, I didn't remember that it is his anniversary. Some time this afternoon, it hit me like "a ton of bricks on my head" and the pain was tremendous. Sometimes I wonder what my life would have been like if he hadn't died when I was 18. Guess I'll never know, huh?

I guess I can say it now...

For the past 5+ years, I have enjoyed working on the ice cream team at Unilever. They hired me after being temp for 12 months, and despite some "rocky" times and disagreements, they have kept me as an employee. For that I am forever grateful (sp?). The time I have spent as a CSA has been, for the most part, enjoyable. I have had a hand in training every foods CSA that has come through from day one in January 2007. But, even after all this time, it's time I move on... I interviewed (and did a good job actually!) for a CFR position (one that I've been apparently doing for 5+ years). The other day, management contacted me and offered me the position. I said yes (after a couple of minutes of talking, I was too excited). Then, yesterday afternoon I received the official offer, including salary, from the human resources department. Again, I said yes, rather emphatically although you couldn't tell from my voice. So, in a few days I receive my paperwork, I sign it and send it back, and then it's officially official. I will no longer be a foods CSA at Unilever. As of June 1st, I will be a CFR with Unilever!! Yay me!!

First Friday in May...

Sitting here at work, finally caught up (I think). We are trying some new things, which seem to be working pretty good. Very time consuming though. Not much fun. However, I have applied for another position within my organization which I am hopeful will come through for me. I think I am a lead candidate for the position, but I have to be sure to give a solid interview and not allow my current duties to slilp in the process. I officially have 2 Wally World employees in my home. One works days at one location, the other works nights at a different location. So far they both seem happy enough. Haven't played too much poker. Not really into it right now. Eventually I'l get the feeling back! Well that's about it. TTFN~!

No title...

Last night there was a lunar eclipse. Some call it "blood moon". I call it gorgeous. Wish I saw it live, but could not wake up at 3am, so took in the pictures posted on various sites. Anthony is currently working nights at Wally World, and tomorrow Ann is getting a job offer from them. Life is good! Ice Cream is still cold!

End of the first quarter

Fair warning. The "A" key on my keyboard is not working as well as I would like, so if you think there is a letter missing in a word, add that letter to it, you may figure out what that word is. So we are through 3 months of 2014, and I will say for certain that this year is better than last. Work is actually going really well. I have earned high praise from my company twice and I am honored. I do what I'm supposed to do, and I do it well. We got through the new mod orders without any issues. I have been on 2 projects so far, and this weekend I am working EOP. I hit a bit of a "lull" the past couple of days because of spring break. I didn't get the orders for my latest promotion, but hopefully I will get them on Monday. Tuesday is my "drop dead date" because it will not give me a lot of time to communicate stock needs and truck availability. I need to plan and push better to avoid these types of issues. Celebrated my 21st wedding anniversary this past week. Took a nap late this afternoon so tonight I won't get to sleep that early. Anthony appears to have gotten a job at Wally World. They are doing the background check, which takes a few days. Hopefully will get the call early next week about orientation. He will be working overnights, which will be tough to start. Thank goodness for 5-hour energy drinks. He's going to need them to start so he can get used to being awake. It is going to cause some issues because his car is down at the moment, but when he starts, and gets a paycheck or two in his pocket, we can get that taken care of. In the meantime, he will use his mother's car, and I will drive her to work and pick her up where possible. However, her hours just got cut so it may work out in the short term. WWE WrestleMania 30 is in 8 days. It usually doesn't disappoint. Hopefully this year is no exception.

Dis-satisfaction (is that a word? it is now!)

Tonight I had the privilege of volunteering at the 12th Annual Kiss-A-Pig Gala to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. This is the second time I've participated, the first time in 2012. I did not volunteer in 2013 because of stupid pride (don't ask). Anyway, it was a great event tonight, and I even had the highest bid on a silent auction item. I tried to get 3 different items, but only got one. It's funny, one of the women I volunteered with outbid me on one of the items, and she told me right before the auction closed. That was OK though. It was a lot of money and she will enjoy it much more than I would. I left the convention center around midnight, and decided to stop at Denny's before going home, as I was hungry and needed something to eat. I don't know if I mentioned the last time my wife and I were there. It was about a year ago more or less. We went for dinner, and the restaurant was not that crowded. We ordered, got our drinks, then proceeded to wait 45 minutes for food. We asked about it more than once, but nothing. So, we walked out. I told her we'd never go back. Well, on a Saturday at midnight, there isn't much open in the area, so I figured why not. A few minutes into being there, a voice got loud. It was a customer, asking the cook in the back to stop using foul language and inappropriate content in the restaurant where families dining could hear it. The cook "mouthed off" to the customer, and that's where things got stupid. The manager wound up getting in the CUSTOMER'S face! Yes, the customer, who never used a foul word. The manager proceeded to stick up for the cook, and telling the customer to "shut up!" and "get out of my restaurant". Naturally the customer refused, stating all he wants is the cook to stop talking the way he was. The manager proceeded to call 911 ON THE CUSTOMER! The cops showed up, and the customer was spoken to. The manager also was spoken to, and he proceeded to tell the cop that he did NOT get in the customer's face, and politely asked him on more than one occasion to leave. Really? When the cops and the customers left, the manager and the cook had the look of satisfaction on their faces. Really?!? I never heard what the cook said, but I heard about it from a couple of other customers as well as two of the serving staff. I came home and posted a complaint to Denny's against the manager and the cook. People, if you have to eat out, do NOT go to Denny's. Apparently they hire cook's and manager's who do NOT care about you!

Long time between posts...

Sorry about that. It's been a strange month. Currently I'm on vacation, and enjoying it the best way I know how. No, there were no trips except to the casino a couple of times. Had a blast there. Did some work (yeah, I know, it's a no-no). That's ok though. I don't mind working if it's something that absolutely must get done. Besides, I get bored otherwise. Got the WWE Network and it's working on X-Box. Anthony is enjoying it very much. I'm going to try enjoying it today.

So it's a Thursday...

Today has to be the worst of this week...just crazy busy! The entire week has been hell. On Saturday I had grandeur thoughts of going to the casino to play in a poker tournament. That didn't work out. Then I thought about Sunday. Well, I woke up and had a twinge in my back. This is never a good sign, as I know what's coming next. Full blown pain! Sure enough, I went to get out of bed Monday morning and "POP!" went my back. Went to the doctor because it feels like I have C-cup breasts on my lower back (swelling for those of you who couldn't figure that out), and he put me on meds. I thought he may send me for an MRI but being I could walk (albeit using crutches), it's not full blown that I needed it. Well, by yesterday it was so much worse that I actually called and asked for pain pills (he gave me muscle relaxers -- can't relax something you don't have!). Today is a little better, but I'm not chancing it. I move my leg the wrong way the slightest bit and I get shot in the back and down the leg with lightning. Luckily for me, I have been able to work from home. My supervisor and boss understand, and they appreciate the fact that I can sit here at all. I do too, because laying down doesn't help much either. I doze off, then try to roll off my back and YIKES the pain hits again! If I still need a bra for my back next Monday I call the doctor and we go from there. USA vs Canada Women's Hockey at the Olympics in Sochi Russia for the gold medal. USA had a 2-0 lead with 3 and a half minutes remaining in the game. They gave up 2 goals, then lost in overtime. Heartbreaking! Well, that's about it for now. TTFN~!

What a f***ing day!!

Woke up early, like I always do. The forecast called for snow, but when I woke up, there was no snow. OK, good. Maybe we are not going to get it. There was a chance it would miss us. Ann woke up about 7:30 or so, and she wasn't feeling well. Yesterday she had a low grade fever, yup, she caught the flu. Picked up medicine at the store yesterday, knocked down the fever. So, she took the medication again this morning. I was told there was a poker game this afternoon at 1, I was not sure if I was going to go. About 9am or so (something like that), Ann felt sick and thought she was going to throw up. Anthony went to get her a bucket, but she felt she wasn't able to wait, so she got up quickly to go to the bathroom. As Anthony was coming out of the garage with the bucket, Ann was holding on to the wall, then collapsed. She hit her face on the wall, opening a nice little gash right above her eye, and she was OUT COLD! I called 911, but she refused to go to the hospital by ambulance. They took her pressure, saw it was way low, and left. That's when I noticed it was snowing outside. So, I take Ann to the hospital. We were there about 3 hours. They did a CT scan and an EKG. Thankfully those came back fine. She has the flu, but no influenza. Got her home, put her on the couch, and took the laundry to the laundry-mat to dry the clothes. Finally got home and relaxed about 3pm or so. Watched the Super Bowl tonight. Wow, what a God awful game. Seattle wound up winning 43-8, which I was rooting for Denver. However, I was in a box pool and won the first quarter. Nice $100! Now, Ann is in bed, I am watching TV, and Anthony is checking his page on the computer, then will probably play X-Box before going to bed. What a f***ing day!

General update

Not much going on. Played in the B&G Club Tournament on Saturday, and finished 12th. There were 11 prizes (figures, right!?!), but there was a bubble prize of $40 to the Village Inn. Being a friend of mine finished 8 seconds before me (causing me to become the bubble) but had more chips than I did when we went out, I gave her half so her and hubby can go enjoy as well. She played well and deserved it. This weekend is Super Bowl 48. Seattle vs Denver, to be played in NJ. Hopefully the commercials are good! TTFN~!

Quiet times...

Haven't posted lately because not much going on. Work is normal. I'm currently enjoying working all of the perishable business. Soon I will be training someone to take over one of the categories, but hopefully he will not be there long. He should be applying for an open position which I believe he will be very good at. Then, hopefully, the management team will realize we have too many workers and will not try to replace him. However, they worry about "head count" (not sure why) so I'll get someone else eventually. Haven't played poker live in over 2 months. Was hoping to go to the casino yesterday for a freeroll tournament, but couldn't make it. Next Saturday, I am playing in a charity tournament. It's one that I usually deal, but I want to play. Actually, though, going to a co-worker's house tomorrow for a tournament, but I will be dealing. They need the practice on how to play a live game, and I don't have the money to play, so I told them I'd deal. TTFN~!

Hump day...

Hope you all had a good new year celebration. Very quiet at my place. Anthony went to the roller rink and brought in the new year with friends and a great time. I sat on my ass, didn't drink, and watched TV. He got home at 1, and I didn't fall asleep until 2:30. Add to that I worked that day, plus New Year's Day, and the remainder of the holiday. Needless to say I was a bit tired. This is the first "normal" work week (no days off) and I'm still trying to adjust to the day of the week. It's getting slowly better though. Heading into my season at work, so I'm happy about that. It means I won't be slow. I am learning new things (ambient categories) which is great! I am becoming a well rounded employee, and actualy enjoying it. With the new seating arrangements, I can be seen (not hiding around a wall and a corner) so they know I exist. Getting involved in other aspects of the business means I am gaining respect. There is a new CBM and when she heard I could be coming on to her categories she got excited. Apparently she has heard one or two good things about me. Makes me excited for my role in 2014. Hopefully it lasts all year. Looking back at 2013, wow that year sucked. They say this year has to be better, but it could get worse. I hope it doesn't though. Haven't played a live poker game in two months. Going to play in a freeroll at a local casino on the 18th, then there is the Boys and Girls Club tournament on the 25th, which I am playing in rather than dealing this year. I want to play, and I'm fortunate enough that Unilever has seats, and I get one. Well, that's about it for now. Have to get back to work. TTFN~!