Victim of Fraud

Now I'm going to have the Eagles' "Victim of Love" running through my head all day, but I like that song, so I guess that's OK. Back to the topic:



I was looking at our joint bank account online and noticed that there was a $96.00 hit for check number 1009. So, since I am the keeper of the checking account and I know I didn't write a check for $96.00, I first called Ray to see if he was up to no good. He was not. Looking back in my check register, that check number corresponds to a check that I wrote for a graduation gift back in May of 2006. Last year, I continued to watch for this check to clear, but it never did. And since it was written not to a graduate that I really know, but only because the parents had said graduate send us an invitation, I voided out the check in my check register and moved on, happily keeping my $25 for myself.



Aside: Why do people think it's OK to send graduation announcements/invitations for their kids to people who they rarely, if ever, see or talk to? That really irks me. Not to reveal who these people are, but just because you and my husband share about an 1/8 of your blood, please don't think you need to waste a stamp sending us an invitation for a child that I've never met in the 12+ years that Ray and I have been together. Now, on the other hand, I don't share a single drop of blood with my "niece" and "nephew", Ella and Bradley. However, when it comes time for them to graduate, there will be hell to pay if I don't get an invitation. Weddings are a different thing all together. I am not offended to receive a wedding invitation in the mail for distant relatives or long lost friends. At least if someone sends you a wedding invitation, they assume that you MAY come. (Nobody goes to graduations for people they barely know.) Plus, for a wedding, I get to choose whether I go or not. And if I do go, I get something for my troubles. Food, maybe some drinks, and definitely some wedding cake. So, if I go, I bring a gift. If I don't, no gift required. Simple quid pro quo, and I like it that way.



So, in between the time I started this post, and while I typed off subject, and heated my lunch, and ate half of my lunch, the Credit Union has called me back. Here's the deal: Check #1009 that posted to our joint account for $96.00 was actually Check #1009 from Ray's individual account. He had written it last week for our football board dues, and when the teller at LaCap cashed it, she posted it to the wrong account. And while this mystery is solved, I am still marveling a little bit at the strange coincidence that the only check number that is outstanding in our joint account just so happens to the the same number as the only check that has ever been posted incorrectly (maybe the bank system has edits for not posting the same number to the same account more than once, who knows - who cares?). Some people would call this a sign. Maybe I'm supposed to resend a check to that graduate...

If I were Amber on Big Brother 8, I think I'd take this as God's way of telling me that on October 9th (10/09), I will try out for, and be selected to be on America's Next Top Model, and that I'm about to launch my career as a cover model for various fashion magazines - because I'm charismatic, outgoing and not as small as I look!



Hey, Amber: "What kind of love have you got? You should be home, but you’re not. A room full of noise and dangerous boys -still makes you thirsty and hot. Victim of love, now you’re a victim of love. What kind of love have you got? "



Editor's Note: Apologies for those of you who may not understand each and every reference in this post. I fully admit that it is one gigantic non sequitur. Out of the 8 people who may read this post, I'm thinking that there are possibly 3 who will get it all. And I'm sorry for all of the Latin.

Happy Anniversary!

Thirty-three years ago today my dad took the plunge again with Wife #2. He and Sylvia were married at Broadmoor Methodist Church (neither one of them being Methodist, of course!) and then they were off to Jamaica for what was, I'm sure, a romantic honeymoon (although I get ooged out if I think about that too much).
Once they returned stateside, they moved into a 2 bedroom, 2 story apartment in Dallas, then into a house in Dallas, and finally (in '76) moved to Baton Rouge. I'm sure all was blissfully happy for the young couple and their German Sheppard, Heidi. Five (not so) short years later, the "#1 Son" was born, and all was going swimmingly. Until...
October of '81 when the 2 stepdaughters (that would be me and Margaret) descended upon Baton Rouge and life was turned a little bit upside down for everyone. It was touch and go there sometimes, but things picked up a bit when "Baby Girl" was born in '86 (of course none of us had ANY idea what a little toot she was going to be!!!).
Now, here we are, all mostly grown up (the little toot is graduating from LSU in May), and mostly pretty darn happy.

So, thanks, Dad and Sylvia for choosing each other all those many years ago. And thanks for putting up with each other and with us! I love you guys!

Now, Dad, GO CLEAN UP THAT ROOM!!!

August 24, 2007

Sympathy Diabetes?

I think everyone has heard of the term "sympathy pains". It's most commonly thought of when a woman is pregnant, and her husband (boyfriend, significant other, sperm donator, etc.) seems to experience the same or similar feelings that she is experiencing. According to "the Internet" there are these things called mirror neurons:

Mirror neurons are a layer of brain cells which act as a reflection, both of our own actions and moods, and of actions and moods which we observe. In the cases where people report feeling "sympathy pains", there is some evidence that the firing of the mirror neurons is actually having a real effect on the neurotransmitters released in the brain. There is no way that the observer can possibly feel something with the strength or immediacy of the principal individual, but it is entirely possible to provoke something of a "pain" response through such signaling.

OK, maybe and maybe not. But let me tell you what's happening with me.

Ray was recently diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2. This basically means that his body's insulin is not reacting correctly in the way it maintains his blood sugar. Having high blood sugar can be a dangerous thing, leading to blindness, loss of limbs, stroke, and even death. In order to learn how to manage his condition so that he can continue to count to 10 using his toes, he had to attend 3 half day sessions at Ochsner. As the loving and devoted wife, I, of course, went with him. And I'm glad I did. It was very interesting and informative from the standpoint of both a diabetic's wife and a lifelong fatty. The dietician gave us some really good and easy to use methods of eating in a more healthy manner, and we've been really working hard to put them into practice. We've also kicked up the level of exercise we're getting on a daily basis - which is an important way to manage your body's use of insulin. So, with all of this, slowly but steadily Ray's blood glucose readings are coming into a normal range, and a little bit of weight is coming off of both of us. The "normal" range for a fasting blood sugar reading should be between 70 and 100. The first day we went to the pre-class appointment, they gave us both blood glucose meters. Ray's reading was something like 150 and mine was 84. 84 - hot damn! I literally jumped up and down in the office in front of the nurse (really). I figured with all of my girth and inactivity I was going to be a diabetic for sure. But, nope, it was 84 and I was as happy as could be - I couldn't wipe the stupid smile off my face for the rest of the doctor's visit.

So now, with all of this healthy eating (I've eaten more fish in the past 2 and 1/2 weeks than I've eaten in my entire life, and we've now moved into the realm of soy burgers, "chik'n" and breakfast wraps - yummy); the increased exercise (I'm swimming between 30 and 60 minutes each day 6 times a week); and the continued monitoring of my blood glucose, you'd think I'd be one healthy human, right?

WRONG! For the last 2 mornings, my blood glucose readings have been 108 and 120, consecutively. Now, maybe this morning was due to the fact that I had 2 frozen strawberry margarita's at Outback last night, but I don't think so. I think that Ray, my good for nothing husband, has given me diabetes. That's right, the bastard has figured out that diabetes is like a cold - if you can give it to someone else, you won't have it anymore. Because, boys and girls, guess what Ray's reading have been the past few mornings? 90, 90, and 101. He hasn't seen the northern side of 115 in I don't know how long.

So when we have to go back for the follow-up with the Diabetes Educator in October, I guess I may as well have her sign me up for the program. The only positive note that I can give to this situation is that, as I did this morning, I can now say to Ray at any point in time, "I'm in a pissed off mood, and it's because of my diabetes, so leave me the hell alone!"

Game Night for Geeks

Yesterday, my "little" sister, Christina, came over to hang out. Because it started raining shortly after she arrived, we had to find something to do inside. I don't have many games, but she decided she wanted Trivial Pursuit - 20th Anniversary Edition. She's only 21, so I didn't expect her to know too much about news, pop culture, etc. from 1982 - 2001. She didn't disappoint. I was, however, ashamed that I, too, knew very few of the answers. It got so bad, and we wanted to end the misery, that when we had both earned 3 pie pieces, we went to sudden death. She won. I did not care in the least.


After we got back from dinner, we decided to play Scrabble. I was really worried about us. Spelling is not, nor has it ever been, my strongest skill. I don't know what it is - maybe I have a touch of dyslexia. (Did I ever mention that I wrote (plagiarized - did I spell that right? Hope so, cause I looked it up!) a report on dyslexia way back in 5th or 6th grade - way before dyslexia was cool?) So, given my handicap, along with our shameful showing in T.P., I figured there was disaster ahead.


I started out strong (I think) with "MANIAC". We weren't keeping score (we were counting individual scores, but not keeping a tally), but I was pleased that I used 6 of my 7 letters on my first try. Christina countered with "DRIP". I came back with "CLOGS", and then she put down "ADD". I think this was the point where I yelled at her for putting down short words that didn't help the board to grow. (Have you ever played Scrabble with a full-fledged Control Freak?) As she has her entire life, she obeyed my command, and we really started kicking butt. My best move was to use all 7 letters at once by hooking into an I for the word "FRIGHTEN". The placement didn't give me any good Triple Word Scores, but I did get 50 extra points for using all 7 letters. I got a 98. Did I mention we weren't keeping score? Christina had some nice moves, as well. She got "HOAX", "HALVED" and a beauty of a combination when she used "BRAIN" to make a block and also made "FIR" in the same move. She put down "JESUS", which I told her was illegal, but it WAS Sunday, and I didn't want to tempt fate. I did put my foot down when she tried to put down "JEDI" - not in my lifetime, buddy!


So we get down to the end, and we each had 2 letters left. I had 2 vowels, and there were several places on the board that I could use my letters, so I was golden. I didn't know what she had, but she was having some trouble. So (and this is the only "cheating" that happened), I asked her to show me her letters. Then, since I had multiple choices, I placed my letters in a way that she could build off of them. In the end, the only letter that was left was a "K". She used it to spell "KA", which is in the dictionary, but may be questionable as a foreign word.


The cool part about the night was that the 2 of us, both self-proclaimed rotten spellers and Scrabble novices, were able to use up all of our letters. I felt a sense of accomplishment. I guess that IS pretty geeky. But I wonder what is geekier (more geeky?): taking pride in using all of the letters in the game, or going to extreme lengths to get a picture of the completed board???



As an aside to this story, and something I didn't realize yesterday, but it just struck me as I was typing this: when Christina and Paul were younger (and Christina was really young - 5 or 6 or 7), and I was living at home, Christina ALWAYS wanted to play Trivial Pursuit. I mean it was strange. She was way too little to get any of the answers, but she always wanted to play. We ended up getting a Junior Trivial Pursuit so that we could use those questions for her and the regular questions for the grown ups. I guess some things never change!

Sherman Almighty

Cheap takeoff on the title to the new Steve Carell movie - sorry.

So if you watched the news last night or today, you probably heard about the flooding in North Texas. And if you listened really closely, you may have heard them mention some flooding in the town of Sherman. Sherman is most well know for being the birth place of me - and probably some other stuff, too.

Anyway, parts of the town are very hilly, and there are creeks that run through it. My mom lives on a street that is not the highest, but it's close to the top of one of the big hills. These pictures are from her front yard. They were kind of dark on my PC, so I'm not sure how well they'll show up. She's the second house from the corner, and basically, if you go left from her driveway, you'll hit the cross street (or in this case, the cross river). The house across the cross street is almost covered with water. Mom said that her back yard was like a waterfall. Since she's not the highest spot on the hill, water was racing down her backyard toward her house. It got up to the patio, but luckily not in the house.

Margaret and my Aunt and Uncle live there, too, and they were all high and dry.

I'll try to blog more frequently - maybe I'll get around to doing it before 4 more months go by!

Girls Just Want to Have Fun!

I spent part of my Friday off having a play date with my niece, Lauren. She's almost 16 months now, and she's really starting to appreciate the greatness that is Aunt Susan. She's a little shy with me at first, but as you can see, she warmed up quickly.

I was willing to do whatever it took to get a good picture of the two of us - including bribery with my watch. I didn't mean to expose her belly button, but better hers than mine!

She has the knack of looking away from the camera just as the picture is being snapped. From the look on her face, she was enjoying my frustration.

Looking adoringly at Aunt Susan - what a magical day!

Finally - the perfect shot! I won't even tell you what hoops I had to jump through to get this one...but my knees were killing me the next day!!

All his taste is in his mouth

This is what Ray actually wore to work the other day. Can you believe it? It was so hideous that I had to take a picture. Check out the sleeves of the oversized turtleneck sticking out from his sports coat. Also, you can't see it here, but he had on brown suede half boots. At what age does dementia start to set in??? (Don't even ask why he's merrily holding up the Diet Coke bottle - I have no explanation.)

The Office - Top Ten (the Revival)

OK, I know I kind of ragged Beth back in October when she posted her Office top ten list - but that's my job.

But Thursday night's episode (Back From Vacation) was maybe the funniest one yet. I mean, there were "pee in your pants" moments - and the older I get, the more dangerous those moments become...

So, here's my version of 'The Office Top Ten - the Revival':

#10 - Michael to Stanley - "You are not as much fun as your Jamaican brothers - mon."

#9 - Toby - "Nine different people emailed me that photo, including my ex-wife - and we don't even talk."
Michael - "This is probably the ice breaker you need."

#8 - Michael to Jan - "And I - to you - in addition feel - the same feelings - that you are - as well."

#7 - Kevin to Jan - "You look...tan."

#6 - Michael - "I'm not dating Jan. She was very clear on that."

#5 - Dwight to Pam - "You're PMSing pretty bad, huh?"

#4 - Michael to Dwight - "...the file name is 'Jamaican Jan Sun Princess'."

#3 - Michael to Jan - (Accompanied with hand gestures) "You. Complete. Me."

#2 - Dwight - "Let the record show that Jim Halpert is a liar."

#1 - The slight darting of Michael's eyes to the camera, along with the most subtle of smiles, when he realizes that he's not getting reprimanded by Jan for sending out the photo, but instead, she's telling him that she wants to continue the 'relationship'.

OK, my number 1 might not be your number 1, or even in your top 10. But, the look on his face at that moment was classic. I had to watch it back about 3 times right then. Then, when Ray fell asleep, I had to watch the entire thing over again. And - even though he only got one mention in my top 10, my favorite character for the moment is Kevin. He is hilarious. When I first started watching, he just annoyed me, but now that I 'know' him better, he cracks me up! I think our bond began when I discovered how much he likes the shredder - a major point we have in common.

Changing topics. Does anyone watch "Dexter" - a series on Showtime? I caught it relatively late in the 1st Season, but it is really good. They've just started InDemand service through Cox, so I was able to catch up on all of the episodes I missed this weekend - it was a "Dexter" marathon. Anyway, I'm sure they will be showing them again before the next season starts up, so for any of you who have Showtime, I would recommend that you check it out.

Pet Peeve #87

...out of about 1,000,000, right? I know, but I can't help it.

Anyway (disclaimer alert), just because I happen to be posting this just a few moments after this actually happened, I'm not trying to pick on anybody (Mom), but it just made me think that I ought to post this so all (7) of you reading this will be aware.

It drives me crazy when I get emails forwarded to me warning me of a new scam or theft ring or product defect - because 99% of the time, they are simply not true.

Examples: We've all heard that we shouldn't use our cell phones at the gas pump because of the huge chance of a spark causing a fire. Not true. What about the one where a woman nearly got into her car after pumping gas, but a good samaritan warned her that there was a crazed killer in the backseat? Or the one that really gets me, a girl's jaw got swollen to the point of immobility due to eating a Taco Bell taco with roach eggs in it. I worked there, and as I've told you, the worst thing I ever saw was my shoe being used as leverage on the block of cheese.

So, next time you get one of those emails, and you are tempted to forward to all of your friends and loved ones out of concern for their safety, please take a moment to visit Snopes.com. Snopes is a site that lists all sorts of urban legends and fictional tales. It will give you the history of the story, and the research about why it is not (or in some cases why it is) true.

If you want to be really obnoxious (like me), you'll look up the info on Snopes and then reply to the sender (and all other addressees) and point them to Snopes. I just hate to do it, but I've "snoped" plenty of folks in my day!!!

3 New Entries!!!

That's right - nothing for a month and then, BAM!!! 3 New postings. Scroll down after reading this one, because I KNOW you won't want to miss my Halloween and Vegas pics.

Went over to Dad's tonight to watch LSU TOTALLY SUCK against Ole Miss. Yes, they pulled it out in the end, but it was pitiful.

However, Dad cooked a great meal, and I got to spend a little time with my niece, Lauren. She just turned '1' on the 4th of this month, and she gets cuter and funnier every time I see her. I had my camera with me (and I actually remembered to get it out), so I took some shots of her before she went home to go night-night.

Time to go to bed (and get away from crazy Aunt Susan)

My heart belongs to Daddy...

...at least that's what Mommy and I let him think!

The Return of Spike

I've been meaning to post these pictures from Halloween...

Mary, a lady at work, convinced me that we should dress for Halloween. I loaned her the old reliable M&M costume, and I pulled "Spike" out for the day. The weather was threatening, so I left T.S. at home, but I should have ridden - it would have completed the package.

Mary is always a good sport!

Looks like Spike needs to switch to light beer...

Nice tats though.

Viva Las Vegas!

I know - it's been forever - but, give me a break -- I've been busy, plus I'm not very committed to this blog thing anyway.
Anyway, lots going on at work, but we went to Vegas and it was awesome! I LOVED it. I mean, I lost $175 and I came home feeling horribly ill due to the dry weather and cigarette smoke. It's taken me a week to get over whatever that did to my sinuses. But, it was still awesome. I'm sure I looked like a total hick - walking around looking up at everything with my mouth hanging open. It was just so cool! Plus I got to spend a good amount of time with Beth - and that was great. And, of course I got to see Rick, Bradley and Ella, too. It was wonderful, but it also makes me realize what great friends they are and how much I miss them. I'm getting teary eyed here, so I'll quit.
But, Vegas was as great as I could have hoped for. We enjoyed both shows a ton - even though they were totally different. The night out with Beth was really fun (even though I was gassing people out with my Hall cherry-menthol cough drops the whole night. And the "Rick Jackson Special" Hoover Dam tour was fantastic!
I can hardly wait to go back again - even though I have no idea when I'll be able to do it. I'm thinking 40th Birthday trip...
Since what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, I won't go into all of the details here (and, believe me, there was some juicy stuff that I could discuss about our night on the town...), but here are some pictures.

This is a place filled with wonderous things...

Including New York New York - my favorite hotel and casino

The romantic gondola ride at the amazing Venitian

Awesome Hoover Dam (The "Regular People" Tour)

...and the "Special People" Tour (complete with hottie tour guide)

My wonderful Jackson4 - I miss them so much :(

Las Vegas...The good, the bad, and the ugly!

Oops! Looks like it's time to go home now!!!

Quick Update

OK, I know it's horrible that I haven't updated the blog in over 2 weeks. However, I do take solice in the fact that Beth hasn't posted an update in 6 days...and counting... I just don't have anything going on right now that is worthy of taking up your time, or mine.

However, as an update to the last posting, I did get the problem with the permit section of DPW worked out, and Entergy is finally supposed to come out some time today to switch out the gas meter. It's been on the chilly side for the last few days, but I have been trying to swim anyway. I swam Sunday, Monday, and yesterday (Wednesday). Sunday it was sunny, so I waited as long as I could, and I think the water got up to about 84°. Not too terrible, but when the wind would blow, it was edging towards unpleasantness. Monday and yesterday, it was 80° or 81°. That's really cold. I mean, it sounds nice as far as weather is concerned, but think about plunging your 98.6° body into water that is almost 20° cooler - yikes! The first few minutes are the worst, and then it's OK as I get a few laps under my belt. So, hopefully things will go smoothly with the meter upgrade. Then I just have to get the pool guys out one last time to make sure everything is working correctly. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I've been putting in a lot of miles on T.S. In fact, I bring him in for the 1,000 mile service tomorrow. Gosh, it seems like only a few months ago that we were just starting out together. I guess that's because it was... This past Friday I did have a milestone event with T.S. I got on the big bad Interstate!!! I was running errands around Corporate, and decide to meet Ray for lunch. So, I balled up all my nerve and got on I-10 at College. The lead up to getting on felt very much like when you get on a roller coaster and you're building up to the first big drop. Luckily for me, I was able to wiz through all of the lights at Corporate and College, so I didn't have time to sit and think about it. Traffic was fairly light, and since I'm now used to going 60 mph (and occassionally more), it was really pretty anti-climatic. We're only talking about 5 or 6 miles, so I wouldn't consider myself an experienced interstate cyclist, but I had to start somewhere. I did it again Tuesday after I went to the dentist (named Levy, not Crentist). Same route as before. The thing that I noticed the most was the roughness of the trip. That section is almost 100% elevated, so I felt every single metal expansion joint!

I guess the only other happening for me is that I worked and worked and worked, and finally convinced Ray to go to Vegas in November.

I'm super excited about the trip. I've never been, so that'll be cool, plus I'll be getting to spend quality time with the Jacksons. Right now, I've booked us into Bally's Las Vegas. It's right on the Strip across from Bellagio (which was booked - but you know I tried there first!!!), and I finally decided on it because of the package deal I got. Ray and I want to see the Jubilee, which is a traditional (semi-topless) Las Vegas revue.


The Jubilee is at Bally's so I was able to get the package which basically included free tickets to the show. Beth has booked a room one night, and the three of us have tickets to go see "Zumanity," which is the '18 and over' Cirque de Soleil show. It's supposed to be hot and steamy.


I'm mainly excited because no kids are allowed in either show - I'm such a mean old lady! Anyway, we are hoping to eat dinner with the Jacksons one night, get the Hoover Dam tour from Rick, and then spend time with them all on the last day before we fly out at 7:00pm. So, there's going to be a lot going on during our 4 days there, but I'm psyched!

Oh yeah, and I had another birthday, so I'm 38 now. Barf! If you haven't seen it, you need to check out the link on my blog for "Beth's Blog" so that you can see the birthday message she sent me.

It wasn't my fault, Your Honor!

Can I sue the city for not losing weight?

As the temperature is dropping, I'm both eagerly and anxiously awaiting the final things that have to be done to get the spa and heater for the pool working. The first thing that had to happen was the completion of the pool and installation of all equipment. Check. Next, we had to have the fence installed. Check. Next, the city has to come out to do a final inspection, and once that's done, I have to call Entergy to have them upgrade our gas meter so that the heater has enough juice to do it's job. Back up - I missed a "check".

Well, yesterday and today, I have been hoping to come home and see that pink inspection paper from DPW. (I know it's gonna be pink because they've already done two inspections on pool location and pool rough in, and they were pink, and I'm just sharp that way.) Nothing yesterday, but as I pull into the driveway today (on T.S., because it's been nice and cool - but I think I mentioned that already), I see the pink form folded into the door handle. Hooray!!! I grabbed it and skipped merrily to the back to tell Ray. I'm not sure exactly what I said, but I teased him about us failing the inspection - ha, ha, ha.

Later, as I was about to go mow, the yard, I decided to actually read the thing, and the joke is on me, because it was marked, "REJECTED & RESCHEDULE". (Imagine the air being sucked out of an old worn out balloon here.)

According to the sheet, the gates must be self closing - which I find interesting because both of my neighbors have had their inspections, and neither has self closing gates. In fact, one neighbor has the IDENTICAL fence/gate set up that we do - we used the same company! I called the fence guy, and he told me that he'd never had a problem, but that the steel framed gates on our fence can't easily be made to be self closing, and to do some sort of work around would add a lot to the price. Great. He also told me that, a few months ago, he was actually doing the final work on the neighbor's fence when the inspector came by, and the guy saw that there were locks on the gates, and was ok with the inspection. Does that seem arbitary and capricious (that's for you, Beth) to you that mine won't get approved, but the neighbor's was approved while the fence guy WAS STILL WORKING ON IT???

OK, so I went to the DPW website a minute ago, and there is a section on swimming pool fences, and it does say that all gates must be self closing and self latching (and some other stuff). Then it says that other protective devices may be used as long as they provide at least the same protection as the device you substitute for.

Let's hope that a padlock is a sufficient substitute for a self closing/latching gate. If not, it will be way too cold to swim much longer this year, and I won't be able to use the pool for its intended purpose - swim laps and lose weight (forget about the fact that I ate lunch at the Little Village yesterday and Serop's today - that's beside the point). Anyway, if they don't accept my substitute, I guess I'll be suing for the bodily harm they are causing me! I think I have a shot at winning, too. (I just hope they pick a lot of large (Christians) people for the jury!

Milestone Ride

Last Wednesday, Baton Rouge had a power outage in the downtown area. I had ridden T.S. to work that day, and was leaving a little early after having returned from visiting in Alexandria all day. As I fought through traffic downtown, I kept thinking that as soon as I got across Government, the traffic would be better, as the lights would surely be on. Wrong. I got past Government and on to Nicholson past the Pastime, and still no lights. But I was certain that as soon as I got to LSU, the power would be on, because the campus has to be on a different grid, right? Wrong again!

Did I mention that on the way to work that morning, I was having to travel on the Reserve Fuel tank? I'd never ridden far on that part of the tank, but theoretically, there was a gallon of gas left, and I should have been able to travel at least 40 miles before running out of gas completely. Do I even have to say "wrong" again? As I passed not one, but two, gas stations going down Nicholson (I was still thinking that everything would be ok at LSU and beyond), the traffic really started bogging down. I was in my new rain jacket, helmet and leather gloves, and I was wondering where that promised cool front was. So after passing through the North gates of campus, and going about 2 blocks in about 20 minutes, T.S. sputtered and died. Even though I'd been sitting there for that long, I was still slightly in disbelief. I (fairly calmly) pushed the Start button again, and it almost got going, but then died. I thought, "Maybe it's flooded." So I 'duck-walked' it over to the side, hoping that people would think that I was just taking a break from the traffic (don't ask me why, but I was embarassed, and this was more on my mind than the thought that I was out of gas). After sitting for a minute, I tried again. Nothing doin'.

Very luckily for me, I was right next the Married Student Housing (a.k.a., Student Visa Village), so I was able to pull into a parking space in a lot. I called Ray and told him not to come down Nicholson because it was FUBAR. I told him that I'd walk up Nicholson to South Stadium and down past the Vet School to River Road. He said he thought that was way too far for me to walk, and that he'd get there well before I did. He was right - and wrong. It was close to 100 degrees, and I was fully dressed (black pants, shirt, jacket, rain jacket), and having to carry my helmet, purse and packet of papers from the bike. (I didn't want to leave ANYTHING with the bike, as I was not sure if it would be there when I returned.) As I started huffing it towards Alex Box, I realized that this was going to be a bit of a walk. Once I rounded the corner, I knew I was in trouble. I was carrying my jacket, but I stopped to fold it up into the pouch it came with, and stuffed it into my (heavy as hell) helmet. I started off again, sweat pouring into my eyes, sounding like an asthmatic, and the phone rings. It's Ray telling me how bad the traffic on River Road was. I was still worried that he'd get there before me, so I kept going, but by this point, the inserts in my riding boots had slid down, and I was in extreme pain. Do you realize how long that stretch of road is??? FINALLY, I made it. The traffic was moving as slow or slower than on Nicholson. I probably waited another 20 minutes before Ray got there. I didn't care - I was so happy to see him creeping around the bend!

Anyway, we went back much later, and T.S. was still there (thank goodness!). I refilled the gas, and it started up like nothing had ever happened. So, yes, that was a horrible experience, but I know that I was actually lucky, and that it could have been much worse. I could have been in the middle of nowhere, or it could have been raining, or Ray could have been AWOL. But, I've learned my lesson. As soon as the main tank runs out, I am heading straight to the gas station - I don't ever want to do that again!

How much should a taco weigh?

Everyday, I get an email from the Baton Rouge Business Report, which provides a link to their "Daily Report" webpage. When I clicked on it yesterday, this is what I saw:







Taco Bell buys site, plans new Sherwood store
Taco Bell has purchased a 1.2-acre tract at 2313 Sherwood Forest Blvd. for $772,000 and plans to open a new prototype restaurant on the site. A Denny's restaurant used to be on the land at the corner of Sherwood Forest and Interstate 12. John Lee, who handles local real estate for Taco Bell, says the new location will replace the existing store at 2698 Sherwood Forest. "We want to get out of that old building and get into something new and vibrant," Lee says. The new Taco Bell is set to open in late November/early December.

So, depending on how well you know me, you're either thinking, "So what?" or you've already rushed out to the Hallmark store to buy me a sympathy card.

OK, here's a clue:






"Welcome to Taco Bell. May I take your order?"

Or how about this one:
"Would you care for any Cinnamon Crispas with your order?"

Yes, that's me in my vintage circa 1985 Taco Bell uniform. My very first job - wow! It's hard to believe that it was over 20 years ago. Damn, I'm old! I still remember that day. My friend, Nicole, and I were on the hunt for our first job. I mean, we'd both had plenty of babysitting jobs, but we were looking for something where you actually had to pay FICA. So we're cruising South Sherwood Forest Blvd in my dad's powder blue Buick Skylark Wagon (a very sweet ride), and we see that G. D. Ritzy's has been converted to a Taco Bell, and the opening date is soon. So we went in to be "interviewed," and I can honestly remember being nervous. Is that crazy or what? I mean who in their right mind would be nervous about talking to a Taco Bell manager about getting a job? But anyway, I was. Luckily, Nicole batted her eyelashes a few times, and since we were a package deal, we got the jobs. So here I was, about to be a Junior in high school and I had my first job. As with the MANY new jobs I've had, I was pretty much a basket case at first - I had to pin my hair up (that lasted 2 days); what if I can't figure out the register?; what if they make me TALK to people???? But, of course, within a very short period of time, Nicole and I owned that place. We were the Taco Bell goddesses. Something wrong with the register? Go get Susan - she'll fix it. I could do everything - register, food line, drive through, clean up, cook meat and beans (that's for you Beth - get the visual), and even fry. That was a true accomplishment because they usually only had one guy per shift that could fry, but I made one of the guys teach me. We got so many of our friends jobs there - it was like our own little Brat Pack.

That was a great place (in retro). So what if you came home smelling like grease and beans every day? Where else can you learn how to take a 40 pound block of cheese and cut it up into small enough pieces to fit into the shredder? (Piano wire, by the way. Of course I never had the strength to do it the right way, so I'd prop my foot up against it while I pulled the wire through. Yes, the same docksider that I'd been slipping and sliding around the floor for the entire shift. True fact.) Where else can you 'stick it to the man' by overstuffing his burrito with sour cream to the point that it will barely fold? That was also the place that I got my first experience being around lots of people of a different race that my own. I definitely count that as one of the bonuses of working there - it broadened my horizons and let me see a different side to life other than my WonderBread world. I guess that's where I picked up my ear for Hip Hop, and my fly dancing skills! And I will say this: I never put any bodily fluids in anyone's food, and I never saw a roach. I guess that stuff happens, but working there didn't make me fear eating there.

So anyway, they're closing down my old stomping grounds. I haven't eaten there in forever, but I guess I should go by and give it a send off before it's gone for good. Maybe I'll track down Nicole and we can eat lunch there together.

Oh? How much should a taco weigh? If memory serves correctly, I believe it should weigh between 3 and 31/2 ounces.

Pictures from Labor Day

I finally got the pictures from Labor Day sent to me. And it is only because I'm so very self confident that I am putting a picture of myself in the pool out here. Actually, I'm not sure if I'm more concerned about me in my bathing suit, or about the goggles. Probably the goggles. Poor Lauren - she must be really concerned when she sees me in these. I really had no idea how scary they are until I saw the pictures! But, since I had them on in every shot, I had no choice. Besides, I don't think it's right to put other people's pictures in their swimsuits out here and not step up and put my own out here as well.

---------------------------------------------------

Ray was playing chef. Here's a shot of him and his famous chickens that we didn't get to eat that day. They were good the next day with a little extra cooking!

---------------------------------------------------

Dad bought this little boat for Lauren. I had the squirting fish from our Christmas stockings. I think the fish was more interesting to her at this point. Also, the fish later doubled as a fire extinguisher when the grill kept flaming up too big.

---------------------------------------------------

Paul, Brittany and Lauren enjoyed the water. As you can see, Lauren is already starting to take after me with the "road rage" look she's throwing the camera as she cruises by, driving one-handed no less.

Aunt Susan Rides Again!

I've got the coolest nephew ever! There's no blood relation, but he's got to get some of his coolness from me - good old Aunt Susan! Yes, I'm talking about my friend Beth's son, Bradley. Beth and her husband (Rick) packed up the kids and moved them out to Las Vegas this year, and I really miss them all a lot. So, the other morning I went to the mailbox and there was a package from them. I opened it up, and it was this awesome Harley-Davidson t-shirt from Vegas. The note from Beth said that Bradley picked it out himself, and that they hoped to see a picture of me in it on the blog soon (but no pressure - yeah, right!). So, I hope this entry lives up to their expectations. (No, your PC isn't messed up - the camera I took this with didn't have sound. It was a free camera...what do you expect???)

Thanks, Bradley. Love you and miss you lots!

Labor Day Weekend

We had a really nice Labor Day weekend. Friday evening we went to the Clubhouse of the UCP Golf/Swim/Tennis Club for dinner. We're not members of the club (since we don't Golf/Swim/Tennis), but the clubhouse is open to the public. I've been trying to get Ray to go there for a meal, but he has resisted for almost a year. I guess he was in a weakened state Friday night, so he gave in. It was pretty good. They have a decent menu. Ray got the special - Catfish, fries, cole slaw and hush puppies. I got the burger and fries. I really liked his a lot, so we traded. I let him keep the slaw, though. He has agreed to go back again.
Saturday was spent in preparation for Sunday. We took some pool water to the Pool Store and had them analyze it. Then we bought the necessary chemicals to get the water in tip top shape. Lunch was at Arby's, then we went to Best Buy for a cheap phone that can be used outside. With the rebate and my Best Buy Reward certificate, it's going to end up costing me $3.68. The sound isn't the best, but I figure that if it gets wet and ruined, I won't be out much. Next stop - Wal-Mart. That one almost did me in. I had planned to stop quickly at Sam's and Lowe's afterwards, but I couldn't manage after spending so long in Wal-Mart. We got home and got the pool treatment going. Acid first and then wait four hours. I got Ray to cook a couple of burgers on the grill (I told him it would be good practice for Sunday), and man, they were good. Watched a little football, did the second step of pool prep (2 lbs of "Shock" in the skimmers), and went to bed.
Sunday, we got up, treated the pool with step 3 - "Hardness Plus" - which adds calcium to the water, and ate breakfast - leftover Arby's. Yummy. Next we prepared several variations of burgers and some chicken for later. Then I made this really good, rich banana pudding and some green beans. While Ray went to the health club, I straightened up the house (not too much) and gave the pool a last skimming. Then Dad, Sylvia and Christina showed up. Dad brought lots of pool toys, which I wasn't super thrilled about. (As I told him, "I don't have this pool for playing and entertaining. I have it for fitness swimming.") But I'll have to admit, we did have fun with the stuff he brought - as usual. Next, Paul, Brittany and Lauren showed up. Eventually, we all made it into the pool, and everybody had fun. Lauren looked so cute in her little swimsuit. Dad had bought her a little floating boat, so she "rode" around in that. She liked the waterfall from the spa to the pool a lot. (If Dad will send me his pictures, I'll post a few. Although, I'm not sure if he'll send them, because I threatened to ban him from being invited if he took another one of me in my swimsuit. I got in trouble with Ray for that one!)
Ray cooked the burgers and we ate (a bit later than planned - timing and propane mishaps), but everything was good.
Best part of the day - they all left. No, just kidding. The best part was that after eating all of that food, I must have had enough physical activity, because I hadn't gained any weight the next morning.
Yesterday was supposed to be spent moving dirt around in the back yard, but that didn't happen. Instead, I ate breakfast (hamburger, of course), swam my 33 laps, floated around in the pool with Ray (using the swim noodles Dad had brought over) and then took at long nap. When I woke up, it was time to eat again - yippee! Then I watched a movie, swam another set of laps (to make up for missing Saturday and Sunday), and watched TV. Later, I ate a piece of chicken from some that got partially cooked Sunday. With a little more cooking applied, it was good. Then it was off to bed for me! All in all - a very nice weekend.

Sorry this was probably boring, but this is my life right now - working, swimming, eating and sleeping. I'll try to have some more exciting adventures for next time. Would you rather hear about how my back is peeling from my sunburn.....Yeah, probably not.

One More Payment, and it's All Ours!

Okay, here are some long awaited pictures of the completed pool - no landscaping yet, though. That may be awhile, since Ray says we're tapped out for the time being. The pool builder came over yesterday and showed me the equipment and told me what was needed to maintain it. I asked him a million questions and gave him tons of "what if" scenarios, and he told me that I had "NPOS" - new pool owners syndrome. He said I had an extreme case of it. Who me? I saw the first spots of algae the other day and freaked, so he sent his guy to take care of it, but he swears that I'm going to get algae every now and then. NOT! We'll see. Currently, the Polaris runs every night and I manually clean with the skimmer net each time before I get in. I also brush the steps and ledges each time I swim. Knowing myself, the honeymoon won't last long - but I'm gonna try.

OK, so here they are (the last one is the algae from the other day):