Land of the Race Car YaYas

Posted on May 12, 2005 by Frog

I realize I should be thrilled that NASCAR is coming to town this weekend, what with all the tourist dollars, but I’m really not that thrilled. Certain parts of town are just going to be off-limits due to the traffic. I did see a cool 18-wheeler that had plexiglass as part of the trailer walls so you could actually see the car inside. OK, so maybe that’s not all that cool but it was something different to look at on the way to work the other day.

It will be interesting to find out if we’ll be able to hear the dull roar of the race track at the new house. Occasionally we’d be able to hear the noise at our old house. Since we’re closer four miles closer to the interstate, I predict we’ll be able to. I can’t imagine what it must sound like if you live right near the track. I guess all those neighboring people just hear the sound of cash slapping into their hands as race fans park in their yards.

Posted in General Spleen Venting | Comments Off

Let Them Eat Cake For Lunch, Again

Posted on May 11, 2005 by Frog

Today was the second time since I’ve worked at the new place that I’ve had cake for lunch. This time around brownies and chocolate eclair pudding were also on the plate. How could this not be one of the best jobs I’ve ever had?

The other day I saw on the back of a newspaper van the following: Stay Awake. Stay Alive. Read.

This puzzled me because although I understand what the first two commands have to do with each other, I couldn’t really get my head around the third. I understand that a print media van might want people to read but linking that command with the whole don’t fall asleep at the wheel advice seemed strange to me.

Today, while we were setting up for our meet and greet, I heard about a margarita ball which is a plastic ball with margarita mix in it and you pump the slushy out into your tequila ladened glass and enjoy. It sounds like a twist on making your own snow cones. I also heard about a drink called a Red Rooster which is basically vodka, orange juice and cranberry juice. The twist on this cocktail is that you mix it in advance and then put in the freezer. Apparently, the drink is so deceptively tasty that you forget you are guzzling vodka until it is too late. Deep in this booze filled conversation was how our Assistant Director found us. She joined right in.

Posted in Eating | 1 Comment

Travel Suggestions

Posted on May 10, 2005 by Frog

In addition to posting here about the sister trip I also asked some co-workers. Dollywood came up twice (once here and once at work), Savannah and Charleston were also big winners. Some other suggestions were Chicago, NYC and Disney.

I need to spend some time researching but I’ll be sure to keep you up-to-date on the sister trip.

In other news, we have a meet and greet at work tomorrow in our wonderful backyard. I was OK about attending until I heard we’re going to have to play a game to break the ice. Gack. I think I’ll hide under my desk.

Posted in Thinking | 2 Comments

oh girl dancin down those dirty and dusty trails

Posted on May 9, 2005 by Frog

My sisters and I occasionally get together for a long weekend where it is just the three of us (no boys allowed). One year we went to Charleston, SC and one year we went to Graceland. Since we hadn’t done a sister trip in about 3 years, I recently sent out an email and found that we can all go this summer.

This year our sister trip has the added bonus of trying to figure out a middle spot to visit since one sister lives in Florida and two of us live in Virginia. I did a little map questing and figured out the towns that are about equidistant aren’t really places we want to go. My Florida sister had the brilliant idea of picking a place because there’s an event we’d all enjoy instead of picking a place because it is convenient.

So, I’m turning to you folks out there (all 3 of you) for suggestions. We all like music and I’m bold enough to say that weird isn’t a problem (did I mention we went to Graceland?). We have to be able to go, do our thing, get back to our respective states and only have us miss 2 days of work (a Friday and a Monday). We’re limited to the month of July, but we don’t want the weekend of the 4th. We’re also land-locked so no flying off to the Bahamas.

Plan our trip, won’t you?

Posted in Generic Thoughts | 1 Comment

The Email Files

Posted on May 7, 2005 by Frog

I think I’ve mentioned that I get “witnessed to” via emails from my MIL. Here’s an excerpt from today’s email:

36 CHRISTIAN WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS

An Angel says, “Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn’t happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.”

1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unhurried.
4. Say No to projects that won’t fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and unclutter your life.
7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.)
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don’t lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can’t do anything about a situation, forget it.

I have three problems with this email and they are:
-The MIL doesn’t practice what she preaches.
-These aren’t all that “Christian” in nature most are just plain practical.
-Lastly, no where on the list is have a drink or have sex, or have a drink and then have sex.

Posted in Reading | 2 Comments

One Is The Loneliest Number

Posted on May 7, 2005 by Frog

I’m footloose today (don’t worry I’m not going to break out and dance in a barn). The better-half is in Reston, VA at a family meeting. His mother and her siblings are trying to decide what to do with the family farm. His mother can’t go to the meeting so the better-half is going in her place to represent her interests. He has a feeling that the trek to Reston will be a waste of time because if there is one thing that part of the family is really good at is not making a decision. The family farm has been in their hands since 1998 or 1999 and a half-dozen meetings have occurred already. Like I’ve said before, nothing happens quickly here in the Old Dominion.

I do have some really exciting plans today and they include planting some tomatoes and peppers, doing laundry and transferring songs to the MP3 player. Stop the madness!

Posted in Generic Thoughts | 2 Comments

She Can Do Anything

Posted on May 5, 2005 by Frog

Every once in awhile there’s a television show that just makes you pause and then fall in love. The Brini Maxwell show on the Style channel is one of those shows. She’s a real can-do girl.

Posted in Watching | Comments Off

Because My Sister Said I Have To Post Every Day

Posted on May 5, 2005 by Frog

Some good things about the week:
1-Tomorrow is Friday.
2-The other day at lunch someone asked me if I was from VA. When I said yes, she asked me “how come you are different”. I told her I had wondered that for years.
3-I thought I lost one of my earrings when I was outside, in the woods, knocking over dead trees with The Niece. I found the earring on a stool in the family room two days later. I can only deduce that the earring fell out of my ear onto The Niece, while I was carrying her, and it then fell off of her when she sat on the stool.
4-We knocked over dead trees! Fun excitement for the whole family.
5-We got our state tax return back the other day.

Posted in Thinking | 4 Comments

Slayin’ the devil and sending them back to Transylvania

Posted on May 4, 2005 by Frog

When I was in high school there were kids who just couldn’t get enough of calling Wednesday Hump Day. I haven’t heard that phrase in years but the morning traffic guy said it today. To continue with my philosophy that some morning anchors are really just filling seats but don’t offer much in the way of talent, there’s a morning anchor that calls everyone “buddy”. I think he’s one of those jerks that played sports in high school and picked on the kids in the chess club. For the record, I don’t have a problem with sports as I have played organized sports in my time. I just don’t like that superiority thing that circulates in some environments.

Speaking of superiority, that freak on a leash from my Friday meeting is, indeed, a freak. I got confirmation on Monday and today in a meeting the two managers of the unit I work in both sided with me. My thumb is on my nose.

Posted in Listening | 1 Comment

It Smelled Like Cookies

Posted on May 3, 2005 by Frog

This morning when I got out of my car and walked to my office it smelled like cookies. Either Sauer or FFV (Interbake) are cooking up a batch of something.

Posted in Thinking | 1 Comment