Cleveland Lost A Good One

Our community is heartbroken over the loss of a dear friend. He was killed in an auto accident last Friday. His Facebook page began receiving messages from his grieving friends and family immediately. Upon hearing the news, myself, I broke into tears. I couldn't believe he was gone, hoped it was a mistake. Terry will be missed so much, by so many people, because he was truly loved. He was so good-natured and he just made you feel good, too. We will never see his status update from the one he left when he had first began his final hunting trip with friends. It says it all, "laying in the motel in Kansas bout to go scout for some deer, September 19 at 2:27pm". I knew him from high school, but you only had to be "friends" with him online to know what a genuinely wonderful person he was. He loved his family, his friends, hunting...everything!, Alabama Crimson Tide football, and, I believe, he loved his job. He was lucky. He was a happy man, who embraced life. Death always puts things into perspective, but when you see someone who was so full of life's candle blow out, it's numbing. I will miss new profile pics of a smiling Terry, proudly holding up his latest kill. I only wish we would see a status update announcing where his train has taken him or details of his next big hunt.

Having such a wonderful weekend. Sat around watching movies, playing online and squeezed in a little exercise on Saturday. Today we did much of the same until noon, at which time I headed to Birmingham to catch a couple of the last films at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival with my little Robin. Loved Ready, Set, Bag, a flick about those who aspire to be the fastest and most accurate grocery bagger in the nation. It's inspiring to watch people do what they love to do. I don't think it matters what you do in life as long as you either enjoy it or can find a way to enjoy it. There are those jobs, I've had a couple, that no matter what you do, it's never going to be fulfilling. It usually involves working with some crazy bat killjoy. Obviously all these people work at the best grocery stores EVER! Heck yea, I'd work at a grocery store if every one was so nice. To be honest, I'd love working at our local Piggly Wiggly, here in Cleveland, Alabama. It the only place I buy my groceries if I can help it. So friendly. No one has really mastered the bagging thing. I throw them off a little walking in with my 5 eco-bags. They know I expect them to cram all my groceries in them or I'll leave with some unbagged. It's never a problem and they dig the bags, but they are hesitant to put some stuff together. I assure them it's fine and everyone is happy. The second film was Evil Things. I got off a couple of screams despite the fact that the found footage horror films are so over. Last years Dead Snow and House of the Devil rocked so hard! We even added them to our home library of horror movies. So screaming about three times due to boo! techniques, thinking these people were to stupid to be alive after getting lost in the woods, and never once seeing anyone actually get killed was quite the let down. Regardless, I got in some quality Robin time. I wish we could all still live together, like the hippies we used to be, but dadgumitall, I guess we had to grow up...sort of. Hello, October :) Time for horror movies galore, haunted houses, and the goodies that go with them.

And UGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

My little sister makes me want to shake her. Some days she just wakes up with her crazy ON! This is definitely one of those days. She is thoroughly annoying everyone. If you want to begin this day at 12AM, well, she was online explaining, once again, broadcasting that she will no longer be dating. Today ONE of her facebook status reads "No guy can seem to prove to me they're worth taking a chance on so I'm not even studying dudes right now. lol I'm just focusing on what's important & having fun when I have some free time. Don't bother if you can show me im important." She's just fishing and some guy, who is looking for his next impossible relationship, is going to read this and think he has found his dream girl. Exactly one month ago today she wrote "I'm not dating anymore just to let everyone know. If you want to be my friend that is fine but I've just got too much going on & I don't want to take the chance of being hurt. When I'm sad it effects everyone & everything in my life. I'm just not ready. I thought that I was but I'm not." She must be having her period!

Now she's jumped in her vehicle and hauled ass to B'ham, children in tow. She is once again feeding them happy meals (diabetes in a box), and it's probably the only meal they've had today, unless you want to count some kind of snack cake she may have handed them. You can tell how much nutrition that kind of food has based on how dull a kids hair is.

So she begins her day having a public pity party and ends up on some crazy journey, destination unknown, but she's going to find a doctor and get her kid some help. Let's see...try offering three healthy meals a day, spend at least as much time talking to the kids as you do talking to everyone on facebook, twitter, myspace and whatever other self-promotion site you have, and stop ACTING like a crazy whore.

SO, do we need a Stupid Shit My Sister Posts page or should I just HIDE her?

Shotgun!

This is Oliver. This is where he sits every night until bedtime. He says he is Lee's dog. He sits in Lee's lap, sometimes he has a precious (see Bad Monkey), and Lee has to prop the key board to the computer on Oliver's back in order use the computer. Notice the orange bottom to the keyboard that Lee has tilted. They are so happy together. Oliver usually asks Lee if he can get in his lap, but sometimes Lee isn't paying attention, so Oliver jumps up without Lee being aware. This results in Lee griping at him for stepping on his "stuff". All this dog cares about is sitting in my husband's lap. All the while, Mindy is asleep on the huge dog pillow that is taking up an entire corner of the living room and Ruby is hogging the couch. I love my dogs!

Mindy's Birthday

Yesterday was Mindy's 15th birthday. She didn't do much, but her day was good. She slept most of the day, as usual. She got up for drinks of water, to check her food bowl (to make sure she ate), and to go outside. I gave her a bath last night and Lee brushed her teeth. She did not like any of that...well, I think she may have enjoyed the warm water and rubbing down of her hind quarters. She got a Milkbone smothered in peanut butter. I made her cupcakes last year. Lee and I even tried them. They were good. The sweetness came from honey and carrots.



We did some snuggling. Rare, these days because the minute I pick her up, she starts sneezing and blows snot on me. I put her down and she wanders back to her bed. She had to share me with Ruby, of course. When I picked Mindy up to pose for some birthday pics, Ruby stole her spot. Mindy just piled on top of her. They don't mind touching each other. Oliver aka Oscar the Grouch would have had none of that mess.

My Name Is Gina, And I'm A Social Retard

Yes, it's so true. I don't know how I got to be so strange. I am so happy just being at home, all by myself. It was an adjustment, sure, after working in insurance, dealing with co-workers and customers all those years. I was was excellent with customer service, but a monkey can do that. All you have to do is figure out what works to keep you from being yelled out, and yet still get what you need from the conversation, and use it as a formula. That's Office 101 for dorks :) Yes, you begin to sound like a broken record to the co-workers around you, but you may, also, begin to hear them copy your technique...I did. "Thank you for calling ___________ . This is Gina. How may I help you?" still haunts the halls of the offices of the two insurance companies I worked for. Spooky, huh?

I have no idea how to undo the dorkiness. Since I quit work and spend a lot of time alone now, it seems to have gotten worse. I constantly find myself apologizing for sticking my foot in my mouth. Just the other day, I was on the phone with my mom and she was complaining about something one of my sisters said or did and my response was, "You raised her." Whoops. I immediately apologized, but it's true. I often wonder what she says about me. I've asked my sisters and the only thing they will admit to is what I already suspected. She thinks I drink too much. Surprise! And I agree. Off topic. So, at 38 I think the situation may be hopeless. If I didn't have a beer before most social occasions, I just slap wouldn't attend. Clarity is not my friend. Although, a drink too many and I'll either try to get too friendly or kick someones ass. The shorter the event, the better. Sometimes, when people speak to me and I don't know how to respond, I just stare at them. I'm a deer in headlights. Scared to move. I find myself doing it more and more. GET CONTROL OF YOURSELF, GINA! Whatever, I'm sure it's for the best that they think I may be a bitch, than to open my mouth and remove all doubt. Or even scarier say something that resembles broken English or an incomprehensible stream of words...flat out babble, yikes!

So now it's time for my 20 year class reunion. An occasion I have no intention of drinking at because of my inability to maintain a stable buzz, thanks to the sugar d's, so I'm sure to open my mouth and say something that will offend someone....or most everyone. Maybe I can just sit and smile. I have bumped in to classmates in Cleveland in the past few years, and God help me, I'm sure they will be avoiding me like the plague based on those experiences. I can imagine myself praying that nobody notices me, so I don't have to interact with anyone. I am such a weirdo!