500 Words

Created by the Love-Link

 

Why can't we all just get along?

At work last week my supervisor presented us with a Briggs-Myers personality test. Based on your answers to the 120 questions in the test, they give you a synopsis of your personality. What's your personality and what makes you tick? According to my supervisor, who is a very down to earth person, it takes one of each of the personalty types to run a succesful corporation. Sure, different personalities keeps life interesting, until, that is, it starts creating issues for no real reason. We are all very different!  Good, bad or ugly.... Some thoughts cropped up.

Are we taking this test due to the verbal knock down, drag out argument I had with a co-worker 2 weeks ago? This might be the case. We both have tremendously strong personalities, and probablly very similar. I finally had to stop biting my tongue, which I have done for close to a year now, and tell her how things were. Do they think taking this test is going to help? Why can't we all just get along?

Another verbal knock down, drag out occured the other night, with another friend of mine. Kevin and I were having fun with the test. I was reading the questions, he was guessing my answers. The friend decided to start talking a bunch of crap about the people working in offices, ie: the "corporate" world. I'm not sure if he realized that I am "one of them" - I work in the corporate world and it takes all kinds.... He thinks, and proceded to tell me bluntly and in no uncertain words, that I was feeding them information on myself. That they are analyzing my answers! That they would use these answers to determine whether I was a good worker or a good person.  This really pissed me off because he essentially was trying to tell me to fudge my own answers on my own personality test and it just struck a nerve. I'm wondering now if he thinks "corporate" is out of his league? He definately thinks of "corporate" as an authority figure? Why can't we all just get along?

I'm looking forward to getting my results. There were so many interesting questions. How much do you read? Are you the same today as you were when you were younger? How many hours do you volunteer in a month?

Volunteer? I remember what that is. I was homeschooled in 8th grade and one of Mom's ideas was for me to volunteer somewhere where I might be interested in working someday. I chose the Delmonico Nursing Home in Rockland. How many people actually volunteer these days? I'm thinking, now, that perhaps Samantha could get some good out of volunteering at an animal shelter or a vet.'s office. Her goal is to become a vet. Volunteering is good for the soul and we all should contribute  something.  It doesn't seem that many people do volunteer anymore,   including in my own life. There's just not time...  Why can't we all just "give"?

I was sitting in the truck, smoking a cigarette this evening and along walks a homeless man. I don't know if I've mentioned, but my real father chooses to be a homeless man on the streets of Hawaii (or he was a few years back, no one has had contact with him in awhile). We had a potluck lunch today and I packed up a bowl Chicken Chili, with cornbread! I rolled down the passenger window and offered the chili to him. He hadn't asked, was simply walking by, but accepted with glee and "blessed" me. I remembered my Daddy. I hope someone will do the same for him, because I can't. Why can't we all just "give"?

Have Gas, will Travel
Ok.  Maybe not.  My truck is sitting at the end of Becky's road, out of gas.  My truck, you ask?  Since when do I have a truck?  I haven't been posting so I haven't really clued you all in on the trials and tribulations of life lately.  The toyota died, leaving me to put a left-over Accura on the road, which also managed to die after two months, so much for cars built in the 80's. But actually, not, because I'm now driving Kevin's 1989 GMC Jimmy - a huge ass SUV, which apparently takes way more gas than I thought.  The truck runs great, but the gas gage doesn't work.  My original estimate was 25 miles per gallon.  I ran out of gas the first morning.  My next estimate was 20 miles per gallon.  I ran out tonight, 2 miles before I should have....  I guess I now have to live with 15 miles per gallon, in order to stay on the road and not next to it!

SHOES

Although I'm a little late with my Round Robin entry, I had my shoes all ready....

I actually had just gotten them the week before the subject was posted, so it worked out rather nicely for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Better late than never.

What's your favorite?

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

Just popping in for my usual quicky, Bi-weekly appearance, to wish you all (all you many many readers out there ((not))) a very Happy Valentines Day. 

So tell me, What kind of goodies did you get today?

I still longingly watch my co-workers getting flowers delivered to work, but I've yet to score a man that actually buys flowers, let alone has them delivered! Maybe someday......

(The photo above, the Heart Nebula, created by the stars, and was taken by Matt Russell) 

 

Clearly Chrissie

The fact that I managed to ruin my cell phone by dropping it into a glass of milk last night, really doesn't seem like that big of a deal...  when you read these:

To my heart

Slow motion

It's been awhile

Sorry I haven't posted in forever and a day.

I promise I will update you within the next few days.

Until then, I'm sending my love!

Order Away Please!

Broken Ribs

Wow - when I wrote that, I had no idea what I was in for!  "ouch" is an understatement.   I have had really a rough few weeks.  Rib pain, due to fracture (or four ribs fractured, I should say....), has got to be one of the worst pains I've ever felt... right up next to childbirth. Unfortunately, so many people abuse pain medications (and I'm not saying that I haven't myself, in the past), but when you really need them, Dr's are leary to give them out - or give out too many~  It truly sucks!  I have an injury that supposebly will hurt for 6 weeks. I'm into week 3, with not much relief yet and have had to go to the ER numerous times because they only want to give out 12 pain pills at a time.  Give me a break!!!   Your supposed to follow up with your family physician, but what do you do when you have no insurance, no family Dr. and can't afford to see that a Dr. that requires money up front?  Suffer... or revisit the ER ~ It's truly a horrible predictament and if I weren't in so much pain, I'd truly be pissed, but it hurts to much to be pissed, or laugh, or cry, or cough, or sneeze. 

I'm ok though.  I'm fighting a little battle with some fluid in my lungs (caught on xray) but I'm dealing and I think that the fluid issue is clearing up, as I am able to cough and deep breathe better, as time goes on.  It feels like its letting up some in my lungs.

So... what was the guess on the accident report?  Actually what happened was kind of freaky... I went out to the German Shepherd (Toby) because he was twisted around in his chain and he managed to twist me up, while I was untwisting him and as he shot forward to get unhooked, took me down in a clean sweep.  He is, of course, over 100 lbs!! 

I am mad I missed the Round Robin this time around (I'll be back).

The topic for the Round Robin photo this week was "trains" - if only I had looked because Monday I drove the 3 hour trip to Richmond, to pick Sami up at Amtrak.  She's home from her holiday vacation!

Most Recent

Well the most recent thing in my life is I managed to fracture three ribs....

Promise to post about it Wednesday or Thursday, when I'm back at work but until then, you'll just have to wonder - unless of course you are one of those chosen few that are already in "the know".

Love to all!

Stay Pain Free ~ I totally wish I were.

*no that's not my real xray, so don't go trying to look for the breaks in it :-)

Round Robin Challenge

GOING GOING GONE!

  

My daughter Samantha!

 

 

(this one was obviously taken with my cell phone - but what the heck...and so be it.... and all that crap!)

 

Christmas Eve

Before you do anything, you have to check out this Christmas card!

Christmas Story 

Gather the Children around the computer, if you have some and if not, enjoy a little Christmas story yourself! 

So how are you spending your Christmas eve?  Do tell.... Do comment and let me know how your spending the night?

I almost like Christmas eve better than the actual day!  It feels special somehow, even when I'm not in the spirit, like this year... 

I am at Becky's for the holidays - not quite as good as being home for the holidays, but Becky is family to me too, so it's nice to be with loved ones!  I've known her since I was about 11 or 12, she lived down the street from me in massachusetts. 

I just called Samantha and she is having a great time!  They had the traditional Chinese food on Christmas  Eve. and I'm sure she will be headed to bed early in her homemade, matching my little sisters, pajamas. My Mom made us girls (4 of us) matching Christmas pajamas for many many years, which we were able to open on Christmas eve and she has passed that tradition down to my girl and my little sister stills gets some too, even though she is like 25!  But she's the baby, and always will be. 

Our plan is to wrap and wrap and more wrap!

 

I Heart Hotel Rooms

My weekend in the hotel is over and I wish it weren't.  There is something about staying in motels that I just love.  If I weren't a Mom, I probablly could very easily live in one.  I'm not really sure what it is that I love about motels, but I think it has something to do with the fact that I can completely relax - no worries - no worrying about straightening the house, who might come to my door, what others are doing etc etc.  Being in a motel shuts me off from the reality of life and I enjoy it immensly.  I know that probablly sounds weird, but it's true.  It might also have to do with the fact that as a little girl my Dad would take me on the weekends and we traveled alot to do fun stuff, which included staying at hotel's alot. Maybe it's the safety I would feel being with my Dad, when I didn't normally have him by my side and the motel room brings back those thoughts and feelings.

Do you think I'd make a good shrink?

I have to take plans one day at a time, now that I'm transportationless because I have to rely on others assitance.  I live 45 minutes from work and there is no such thing as public transportation in this neck of the woods.  Becky is the closest thing I have to family around here, with the exception of my aunt, Colleen.  We live too far apart for me to ask her for help and her life is so full that I wouldn't feel right even asking her for help, even though she'd probably help in a blink of an eye.  I'm pretty sure that if lived or worked closer, she would be very willing to help out.   

Tonight I'm spending the night with Becky.  She is picking me up at work when she gets out of work and tomorrow I am going to try to get the other car I own started.  I know it has flat tires and a dead battery, but I'm not sure about anything else.  It'll be interesting to see if it cranks right up or not, with a jump.  I'm sure the gas isn't good, after sitting for a few years, but you never know. 

I am beginning to really get frustrated with the whole car situation.  My regular obligations have had to be put on the back burner and I know I'm going to pay the costly price for that.  It's a vicious circle.... I have to drive in order to work and without work nobody gets anything. They aren't getting anything now, because I have to get back on the road.  I am trying to have faith, but it's hard.  I'm trying to remember that, again, everything happens for a reason and what is supposed to happen will.  And again...  it's so hard to see the lesson and the good in a situation until you look back on it. Right now it doesn't feel like there is any good in my situation, but someday soon, I'll look back and it'll be right there for me to see!

Tired
Topic: Went Where? Did What?

3 am we set off for Richmond. The first hour of the trip was pretty bad.  It started sleeting and snowing about an hour or so before we left and the highway was VERY slick.  I was very tense the whole way up 81, which was heavily traveled for 3 am.  The trucks on 81 drive like nuts too.  I think they are all young, new, inexperienced CDL drivers because we have an accident, usually, at least once a day within a 100 mile radius of Roanoke.  The truckers drive like they are in sportscars! 

Once we got onto 64, which leads right into Richmond, it was smooth sailing, without a drop of weather.  It's amazing what a difference a few miles can make.  We were able to makeup time and we arrived exactally as planned.   

I have not yet slept - I woke up at noon Thursday and worked all Thursday evening, headed to Richmond and back to Roanoke for work this evening.  I rented a motel room so that I wouldn't have to worry or bother others about getting back and forth to work all weekend.  Needless to say I'm feeling slightly on the tired side...   but luckily I don't seem to require as much sleep as most.  I'll be leaving here and heading to my hotel in about a half hour  and am now at work for about another half hour - after that I'll be snoozing!  So, until tomorrow.....

13 Goings On
Topic: 13 Thursday

1.  F O R D

2. I don't have a Ford but my car can be now Found On Road Dead!  It's kaput, I do believe.

3. We had thought it was the distributor acting up again but the cam, which turns the distributor and is a very active part of the engine, is not spinning at all.  I've pretty much given up on it. 

4. Becky shown here:

 

and read here has been my saving grace. Because we work close to the same hours, she has allowed me to drop her off at work and take her car to work all week.  A very grateful THANK YOU to Becky!  

 

5. Becky has also agreed to share in the experience of driving to Richmond to get Samantha to the Amtrak station for her Christmas trip to her Nana's house. 

6. We leave at 3 a.m. tonight (well actually tomorrow morning). Sami's train leaves at 8 a.m.  It's a good 3 1/2 hour trip and because she is an "unaccompanied minor" she has to be there an hour early to be interviewed, so they can be sure she is mentally "fit" to travel unaccompanied. 

7. Next year she will be considered an adult - 15 - for traveling purposes, which I won't like because I love the security required when she travels as a minor.

8. In addtion to being interviewed, any unaccompanied minor has to wear a special bracelet, sit in a special area near the conductor, must travel during daylight hours, can not take a train that requires a train change or a layover and the person picking the child up must be the person stated when the child was dropped off and an ID must be shown. Sami loves to travel on the train and I feel pretty secure letting her.

9. As for the car, or my lack thereof, Becky is off on Fridays and Saturdays, so this weekend I'm kind of at a loss as to how I am going to get back and forth. I might get a cheap motel and stay downtown or I might stay with a friend.  The motel would be much more comfortable - but obviously more costly... so I'm not quite sure which I will do yet. 

10. All I know for sure, at this point, is I have to be here at work Saturday morning and Sunday morning, so there isn't much sense in getting rides back and forth to home, which is about a 45 minute drive each way.

11. I own an Accura Legend, which has been parked at Becky's since I left her house a few years ago, but I don't have the title to it.  I do plan to try and get it road worthy though.  I don't have many other options at this point. 

12. I went to the DMV today and got paperwork to file the car as abandoned, which it kind of is, per say. It will also need some maintenance to get it up and running again, just due to the amount of time it has sat not being used.  It has flat tires (just a loss of air) and the battery is dead, so Monday I plan on doing some maintenance to it.  I hope everything pulls together as it should.  It's no fun being transportationless!  With Christmas on Tuesday, I obviously won't be messing with the car - so I guess I'll stay home and relax.

13. Not a very exciting Christmas, I must say, but with everything going on, I'm actually releaved that I have no commitments this year.

Broke Down going Up
Topic: Arrrggh!

I have an 89 Camry, which is old, but drives like new.  There aren't all that many miles on it, at least not for a Toyota, so I don't mind it, it's not a bad little running car.  But... Saturday morning it started mishaving again.  I live on top of a mountain and in order to get home from work, I must go up!  My lil Camry apparently wasn't in the mood to go Up anymore.  It would only chug along at like 45 mph, even on the interstate.  It was fine in flat areas and of course was great going downhill, but not up!  So... I'm dealing with it.  I've had this happen twice before and for some reason it loses power and runs on only 3 cylinders instead of 4. 

So anyway... I drove home from Roanoke twice Saturday, with it going ever so slow up hills, and although it was annoying, I was able to handle it, knowing that Kevin could looked at it again on Monday or Tuesday, my days off.  This morning it got me half way to work, about a 45 minute drive, when it finally decided to chug it's last hill.  I got to the very top and was so so so so looking forward to sailing down the other side.... when the RPM's dropped and it died right there, on the tippity-top of the hill. 

$60.00 later, it was towed to Evil Trucks house and awaits repair now.  Becky is picking me up at work and I'm spending the night at her house so that I can take her to work tomorrow and borrow her car to go fix mine....  Samantha, who spent the weekend at her friend Dani's is now staying another night, on a school night, so I'm sure she's excited about that! I am praying it won't take too much to repair - too much money or effort, and I'm trying not to think of that fact that I have to take Samantha to Richmond on Thursday or Friday to get on an Amtrak so she can spend her Christmas vacation at her Nana's, which could be another disaster in and of itself!

Round Robin Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go to the link on my sidebar to play too!

My Very First Friday Fill-in
Topic: Stuff

Becky (see side bar for more information) plays the Friday fill-in. Although I didn't want to mention it, so as not to jinx myself, I am trying to post daily (with the exception of my days off, Mondays & Tuesdays), so I am joining in:

1.  Away in a manger, no room for a stranger 

2.  Dashing (or not) through the snow in a 7 hour traffic jam!

history:  My sister Molly sent me a text yesterday evening.  She was stuck in a wicked (and I mean wicked) traffic jam, trying to get home from work in Boston. She left work when the snow started, around 1 p.m., and made it home by 8 p.m.! I have complete empathy for her. The year of Samantha's birth and the day of my babyshower, I left the NH/Mass. border at around 1 p.m. and  I arrived in Rockland at about 5:45 p.m.  If you knew the area, you'd know the trip should have been a breeze at 1 p.m., but it took me 4.5 hours to get there!

3.  Hark! The herald angels sigh

4.  It's coming on Christmas and I wish I were in the spirit

5.  When I was small I believed in Santa Claus, though I knew I was too old

history: Last year was the first year I didn't "believe". My sister beth was born when I was ten and I had to "believe"... right about the time she didn't "believe" along came my sister Molly and need I say, once Molly didn't "believe" here comes Samantha!

6. That Christmas magic has brought this tale to a magical close

7. And as for this weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a bonfire at *Evil Trucks house, tomorrow my plans include being snowed or iced in, be it at **work or at home and Sunday I want to still be ***snowed in!

*My name, being Christine makes me an Evil Car, based on the Steven King novel.  Evil truck drives a truck.  His name is not Christine but if he is calling me evil car then he is an evil truck! 

**I have blankets here and a couch and not only do I need the hours but I need to be able to get back here for Sunday's obitituaries. The snow is supposed to start in the afternoon, so chances are I will be here vs. home around the time it starts.

*** Bring it on!

Exersoles and Levi Cords
Topic: Blog Fodder

 

I stopped by to visit Blog Fodder, a game I used to play.  But the last entry was done in July.  Guess I'm a little late, but better late than never.....

 

So anyway...

 

What fashion trend you followed was very cool then, but now looks
ridiculous?  Karen wanted to know.

 

 

My first thought was: 

Exersoles & Levi Cords. 

It was the 80's and I wouldn't be caught in anything but…. OMG, or better yet, WTF! 

Exersoles were “earth shoes” of sorts, made by Thom McCann (remember them?), they had thick rubber soles and the cool thing was to write all over the soles, which were over an inch thick so you could see them well.  

 

Although I couldn't find an exact photo, they were similar to these:

    

  Only the soles were even fatter... more like these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ugh.    Oh and another one:

How totally bodacious we were in our mini skirt with lacy ankle socks and high heeled pumps! 

And… how about Leg warmers! 

 

The 80’s were just so… so… I can’t even find the words.  I would be willing to bet those fashions will come back soon though. 

Chorus Concert
Topic: Samantha n Company

Sami's chorus concert was Tuesday night.  It was really good!  The Christmas music almost put me into the spirit.... 

 

 

Sam is so talented and so involved this year.  I am very proud of her.  Not only is has she been on the honor roll for the first two semesters, she is a cheerleader, is in a mentoring program for the kindergarteners, does chorus and most recently joined journalism. 

Sam's article is called "How to Deal" - Here is her first:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All her life she has been talking about being a Vet. but recently she has showed an interest in journalism as well.  She is planning on majoring in her Vet. training and minoring in Journalism in college.  I guess I better start saving that cash!