What is it???

Finally, Ed gets over here around 11 this morning. He always likes to give the bird treats, so as soon as he walks in my house and goes over to the sink where the treats are, there is a crash of glass...He broke my wine glass. I specifically moved it from my computer station to the sink area this morning so that it wouldn't get knocked over. So much for that smart idea. After Jemma's happy, and I'm reading everyone's blogs, he sits down on the chair. I tell him that I was disappointed after he stood me up last night. He apologizes by saying he was exhausted. I didn't say anything. Next topic..the mouse trap. I asked if he brought one or two, and amazingly he did not. Grrrrrrrrrrr...Well, he'll be responsible for getting the bikes out of the garage. hee hee.

He opens the garage, and of course there is no mouse to be found. He walked over by the refrigerator to see if it's over there and it's not. So now I'm thinking I'm crazy, but that mouse was just doing a good job hiding. Everything's cool, we go on our ride to my 11th small town, Port Tobacco, Maryland (YAY!!) and stop to eat at Pizzeria Uno. It was pretty good. Then he says 'well, we're kind of at a mall, do you want to hit a matinee?' I figured this was to make up for the missed movie last night, but I wasn't prepared today and said that I just want to get home before it gets dark and cold. So, we headed back to my house. Again, he was responsible for opening the garage and still no mouse. I pulled my bike in, and thought sure the mouse would come running out of nowhere to get me, but it didn't. I bet that mouse will show up on Wednesday at 6:45, right on cue, but I'll be ready this time. I'll get my own traps!!!

Long Tale of Events

Wednesday night I saw a mouse in my garage. It freaked me out, and I want to kill it, but I don't want to be the one to actually set the trap and then remove the mouse. So, I called Ed (that's the boyfriend), and he said that Friday after work he will come over and set a few traps. YAY!! I can avoid the garage for a couple days. Not a big deal.

Then last night he called and asked if I wanted to go see the movie "Grudge." I guess that's the title. I haven't really seen the ads for it, but he told me it was a scary movie. I have never been to a scary movie in the theater, and I'm not a big fan of scary movies. I begrudgingly said ok. So he says that he will set the traps and then we'll go to the movie and get a bite to eat. All day, I've been thinking about this movie, and trying to reassure myself that maybe it won't be so scary, and I can handle it. More importantly, maybe we're going to the huge outlet mall where there is a Chilis and I can drink margaritas afterwards or beforehand.

Well, at 4:45 (right before Judge Judy), I get a phone call from Ed. He asked how I was feeling and what I was doing. I played it cool, told him I was reading a book and getting ready for JJ. He said 'well, how about if we don't go to the movie tonight. I'm kind of tired, and just want to relax. Maybe you can come over here later.' I told him I'd think about it and I'd talk to him after JJ. Well, I watched JJ and King of Queens and finished my book and then called and said I was going to sit home and read my book. He just said 'fine', and I said I'd talk to him in the morning. Now it's 8:10, I'm bored out of my mind and my phone is off.

So, I got stood up and I just thought I'd share. I will probably go to bed early because it is cold outside and I don't like going anywhere when it's cold. I should go to 7-11 and get some ice cream. That would put me in better spirits, but I sure am disappointed. Doesn't he know his evaluation is coming up in just one short month? The meter for reliability has just gone down another notch.

Online Bill Pay

Two days ago I signed up through my bank to pay my bills online. I’m a little nervous about this. They say that as long as I pay three bills over the computer, I will not have to pay the $4.95 fee. They also say that I can send these e-checks to anybody that I want to. That’s fine and dandy, but I don’t have the bank account number for the man that cuts my grass. I guess maybe I can’t really send these checks to anyone I want to, but I got sucked into the trap. I always pay at least 3 bills a month. That would be the gas/electric, my phone bill and my cell phone bill. So, I have my 4.95 covered. The part that I don’t like about signing up for this online bill pay is that I just ordered 250 or 500 checks last month, AND I like ordering stamps by mail. I just got a new book in the mail yesterday. I’m so stuck in my ways it’s ridiculous. I guess I should welcome 2004 (oops, almost 2005) with open arms, but I don’t think I’m ready for that just yet. Well, at least I’m trying. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Symbols Rule our World

If you saw someone walking down the street with a check mark across their shirt, you would know that their shirt was made by Nike. If you saw a yellow M in the middle of a busy street, you would know that there is a McDonald's ahead. Do you actually realize how many symbols we know just from watching tv, walking down the street, reading the newspaper? It's crazy when you think about it. The other day I was in a meeting sitting across the table from a girl who had on a necklace with an elephant charm. I immediately knew that she was in a sorority in college. I didn't have to see the license plate frame on her car, or ask her about it. I just knew from that elephant charm (but she does have the license plate frame to confirm my suspicions). Then this part is just kind of random, but the next day she was opening up a drawer and I saw that she had the Greek letter Omega tattooed on her lower back. I guess either her boyfriend, father of her kids (?) or husband (?) is in a fraternity. Just that one letter, or symbol was enough for me to know even more about her life. Strange.
I don't like to wear a lot of logos or names on my clothes. I don't want people to know that I'm wearing a shirt that cost 3 dollars or 50 dollars. I just like plain clothes, and try not to be associated with anything. Not that association is bad, I just am not into it. I don't wear any patches or pins on my leathers. I have a few helmet stickers, but nothing outrageous. I have two Harley Davidson sweatshirts that I wear when riding, but that's about all the advertising I really do, and those two sweatshirts mean something to me. One I got when I was in Wisconsin for the 100th anniversary, and the other one a friend gave me that lives in WI, and I didn't have a sweatshirt. For those reasons I don't mind advertising.
Just think about all the symbols we are bombarded with on a daily basis. It will be an eye opening experience.

The Broccoli Cheese Disaster

I'm a big fan of marketing/advertising. I like to look at the labels of products and decide whether I am going to buy them or not. If a trashcan says it has 30% more trashbags, I will look at the old box of trashbags and compare it with the new to make sure there are more trashbags in the new container. If the french fries on the outside of the bag are short and soggy, I'm not buying them, but if they are golden brown, good length, and hot from the fryer, I am more likely to buy them. No matter when or where I see the Ocean Spray wave, I want to catch it. I am immediately thirsty. I love their Ruby Red Graperfruit juice, and I will not accept substitutes.

Now to my story. I was in the Safeway that I swore I wouldn't go to again shopping for a few items. Safeway has had a big promotion for their Signature Soup line. There has been a commercial on tv lately where a lady is in a fancy restaurant eating soup. She tells the waiter that her husband will be home soon, and orders him a bowl as well. The soup is fajita chicken corn chowder. The commercial makes you think that the soup is so good you will think you are in a fancy restaurant. So, I picked up two containers. I was lured into getting the fajita chicken chowder (excellent!), and the broccoli and cheese soup (disgusting!). The fajita soup was SO good. I'm glad that I made that decision.

The broccoli soup is probably one of the most disgusting things I have eaten in a long time. The soup tasted like a bad cheese sauce mixed with a little bit of broccoli and it just tasted awful. I burned my tongue, and the absolute worst thing that could ever happen after eating this soup is that there is a piece of broccoli in my teeth. I ate the entire bowl because 1) I was hungry and 2) I wanted to keep giving it chances to be good. Neither worked, and I will not be eating that soup again. I made broccoli and cheese soup two winters ago, and it turned out great. I don't cook often, so when I do make something new, and it tastes better than something pre-made, you know Safeway really missed the mark. The saddest part of all of this is that my breath tastes like I just licked the inside of a city trashcan. This is a taste I will never forget. Yankeebob...listerine strips...please....!!!

The Axe Has Fallen

My big boss is always a grouch when he walks into the office. This morning he was happy and practically dancing down the hallway. I don't really talk to him, so I just ignored him. I knew something was up, I just didn't know what. Well, by 7:15a, the word was out that our President and Chief Technical Officer had gotten fired. I didn't understand why the president got fired, but I found out that the directors (the big bosses) wrote a letter or letters to our parent company "expressing concerns."

I think that sometimes our directors are a bunch of babies. They got mad when the president told them that they had to be at work at 8am. If they can dictate the time I show up, I would think that someone should be able to dictate the time they come in. They were also mad because the president made them dress in ties and look like directors instead of wearing tye-dye tshirts, and regular polos. I don't really care too much for that rule, but it's nothing outrageous. Also, the president made them take down the centerfold-type pictures that were hanging in their offices. I agree with that rule, and I don't care what anyone says. Yankeebob used to have a picture of Marilyn Monroe, but at least she was clothed with dry clothes. I can't say the same for the models in the boss' office.

One reason for firing the president is that he declined a contract that would have made us several million dollars. His reasoning was that it's not the direction he wanted us to go. I guess the parent company thought it was. When it comes to money, no one's job is safe. Oh yeah, the directors and the president knew that he would be fired today. They had known for about 2 weeks. He stayed until 9:30 on Friday cleaning out his office. One thing I will say is that it's a good thing he never moved his family down here. I guess he was giving us a chance, just as much as the parent company was giving him a chance. I suppose it's good to be a pessimist. It worked out for our former president.

Do You Live For Value City?

I went to Value City yesterday because they are having their 'great appliance sale.' Now, if you read my "List About Me" you would know that I hate to shop. I even hate shopping in discount stores more than regular stores. I don't like rude, poor people. I'm at least nice. *giggle* Ok that's a lie. Anyway, I'm in the store and I get my cart full of George Foreman grills for my family members. I don't know whether they already have these or not, but too bad because that's what they're getting for Christmas. I had to debate whether I should get them the roasters or the actual grills. After thinking about 10 minutes and looking at the pros and cons of each, I filled my cart with 3 roasters and 2 grills. If I have extras, so be it.

The Value City has three levels, and you have to take your cart on the elevator to get to the first and third floors, but you can only pay on the second floor. Layaway is on the third floor, and boy was I glad I didn't have to go to that area of the store. It was loud over there, and I heard people yelling. YIKES. So, I get my cart down to the middle floor and get in line. Everyone and their mother is in line, and some people were talking to me. Why? I have no idea. One lady told me 'If there's no room to cook a turkey in that thing, why even buy it.' 'Well, lady' I said, 'some people can't eat a whole turkey.' and I turned my head to look at something else. HA!!HA!!

The point of this long, boring tale is that every single person in line paid with their credit/debit cards. (I did too, but I like to put my Christmas gifts on my credit card so I can see how much I spent that year on Christmas. I will pay it off come Nov. 1, but it's just something I like to do.)Why, on God's green earth do people figure that if they're going to go into debt, they will go into debt at Value City? If I knew I was going into debt, at least I would buy nice things that I can keep until I get evicted. hee hee. Wal-Mart, K-mart, and McDonalds is getting all of their money, and they will pay the consequences later on in life. When I was in debt at least I was eating at fancy restaurants and buying nice things. Do these people not have priorities? I would hate to die and say that I left my family some 2.00 sweater that I got at Value City. I would leave a note saying 'It was regularly 30.00! You can't beat the deal.' You can't even take a dirty old sweater on Antique Roadshow and expect to get money for it. Good luck I say, rude, poor people. Good luck.

Chiefs Win, Ravens Win

Finally. Both of my teams won today. Woohoo!!

I didn't get to watch the Chiefs game because I was at home, and not at my usual place where the guy has the NFL ticket. I think it would've been a good game. The final score was 56-14 (?). Who cares what the other team had. They played the Falcons, and I still say the verdict is still out on Michael Vick. Yeah, his commercial for Nike Gridiron is WAY cool, but is he really that great of a quarterback? Not today. BWAAHAA!!

The Ravens played like Ravens. Kyle Boller was at least 6/6 in his passing, and didn't throw any interceptions. Deion Sanders had two interceptions, and one for a touchdown. I'm not really a fan of his, but I won't bad talk him this time around. hee hee. I'm so fickle. On the flip side, we were playing the 1-4 Bills, so I would hope that we could win, but I thought we would beat the Chiefs last time around too. You never know with football. I couldn't find my boyfriend Ed Hoculie today either, since I could only watch two games. I'll see you next week Ed, and I'll be wearing my catwoman costume. Grrrrrr...

Good day all around. I didn't make it to the bike night because today's high was probably 50 degrees, and that's too chilly to be hanging out outside with strangers.

I'm a little silly

Tonight I went out with a couple coworkers for happy hour. Well, happy hour lasted until 12:00 midnight. It was a good time though. I enjoy hanging out with these coworkers, but there is some drama between these coworkers and one of my other coworkers. If they could get along, all would be well. But, they don't, so I suffer with two sets of work friends. It's sad, but I think I'll live. The bar had a group of kickball socialites wearing matching shirts, just different colors. At first, I didn't like them invading my space. By the end of the night, everybody was friends, except with the blue team. The blue team was like a bunch of geeky boys that weren't socialites. It seems that once the blue team got there (or at least near our group), everyone else left. We left soon after. One girl from the orange team was named Kerry. She immediately started touching me. I don't like when people touch me. A handshake will do. Other than that, I'm annoyed. Of course, I have to play the instigator role, and call her over, so she touches my coworkers, so we have something funny to laugh about. Well, she was touching allright. It was pretty comical. Some people never let you down, and touchy-feely Kerry was one of them. Ok. This has taken me forever with backspacing all day, so I'm getting off this thing. It was nice meeting Kerry (HA!!HA!!) and coworkers, see you next Thursday oops, I mean tomorrow. But I promise, I will leave by the time "Apprentice" comes on. I can't miss my show.

Wanna Hear Something Gross?

My dog, Jemma, is so silly (How silly is she??). She is so silly that when she is bored or thinks I'm not paying her any mind, she will run to her basket of toys (a rubber bone, a rope bone, a dirty sock, and two baseballs), and continuousy grab different toys and throw them across the room and chase after them. I usually pay attention after the first or second toy. Last night when I was catching up on the internet, I saw her grab her rope bone. She chewed at the strings and then I heard her chewing and swallowing some of the strings. I called her over, and there was a little bit of string hanging out of her mouth. I pulled at it and told her that she didn't need to swallow the string. Once I pulled a little on the string, I literally pulled a big chunk out of her esophagus. She made a throwing up gag noise, and the chunk that was connected to the other end of that string was soggy and slimy. I threw it away and then started laughing at how disgusting I am. She went right back to playing with the other toys as if nothing had happened. Now how would I like that if someone did that to me? Ick!

Call me Lucky!

After Judge Judy (yay, no baseball on to interrupt my schedule!), I went to my Tuesday night social with the Southern Cruisers. That's my motorcycle group around here. There was a great turnout. I think 80% of the people in the group actually showed up. I don't know what the occasion was, but it was a good time. One couple just signed papers to buy 12 acres of land in Vancouver. This couple, Blossom and Handsome, is just awesome. Handsome does some kind of construction work and Blossom is always running a million businesses. Some are still in her head and some are real. Anyway, they would like some people to help them move out there in June or July when their daughter finishes school and they will fly us back home. I am ready to go!

I had thought about going to Sturgis, SD this year for the 65th anniversary of the Black Hills Motorcycle Rally, but when I think about it, Sturgis is there every year. Plus, with it being the anniversary, a TON of people will be there, and I'm not sure if I'm going to enjoy it. So..the upside of going is that I'll be taking a nice vacation out to Vancouver, which is just spectacular, I'll be in good company with great people. The downside is that I know come June/July I will want to be riding. Decisions, decisions. They are thinking that it will take a week to get out there and set up. That's not a lot of time, but I have the rest of the year to ride. Where do I sign up?

Oh yeah, the other lucky stuff..I found someone to rent my garage for 20 bucks a month for moto. storage, I won a 97 Laughlin Bike Week Video, and I got all of my money sorted for my future investments. YEHA!!

Punk Kids

My boyfriend lives in the city of Baltimore. I'm in the county. Usually, there are tons of kids running around, staying up late, and just being bad. I haven't seen a lot of them this summer, thank goodness. Either the people in the community called the landlords in the area and complained, or they have decided to go terrorize another neighborhood. A lot of evictions occurred over the last year in his neighborhood as well. It's for the best because the local construction company is builing really classy, high rise apartments and office buildings right behind the bad row of houses/apartments. Ok..that's enough background (I'm boring myself).
Yesterday, I was watching my dog and his dogs play in the yard. My dog hates kids using transportation (bikes, roller skates, skateboards), so she was barking like a maniac. Next thing I know, a little kid (maybe 6 or 7) throws a blue cup with red juice into the alley. I opened up the door and yelled 'Hey! Pick up that cup and throw it in the trash can.' He said 'I don't know where a trashcan is.' I said 'Don't you have a house around here? Find a trashcan.' He started looking scared at this point, so I noticed a trash can outside of the neighbor's yard. I said 'There's a trashcan right there, so throw it away. Don't throw your cups and trash around this house again!' Then, as he was walking to the trashcan, Jemma started barking loudly at him. I ran inside and started laughing.

A List About Me

Allright, Yankeebob has insisted that I play along with the other bloggers and make a list. His list had 100 items, but I know that would take me forever, so I'll share 30 or so. If I think of more, I'll add more.

1. I love riding my motorcycle.
2. My favorite colors are purple and green.
3. I hate stupid people and ones that flake out on everything.
4. I tend to fall asleep when watching movies.
5. I laugh like a hyena/Goofy.
6. The best roommate I ever had was my grandmother.
7. I love dogs.
8. Everytime I ride in the state of Kentucky it rains.
9. I could eat Stouffer's mac and cheese every day (but I don't).
10. My favorite wines are merlot and reisling.
11. When I go to heaven, I would like to meet Martin Luther King, Jr.
12. I like all music, but only own 30 cd's.
13. I am addicted to dental floss.
14. I asbolutely hate hate hate shopping.
15. I have a fear of being poor.
16. If I could have any job, I'd be an NFL referree and work with Ed Hoculie. :)
17. I'm a geek, but I try to hide it.
18. Books rule.
19. I'm a big KC Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens fan.
20. I like keeping my friends separate. I have many different worlds.
21. My favorite number is 4.
22. I wear makeup maybe twice a year.
23. I hate brushing my hair and that's why I love riding a motorcycle. It's a natural hair messer upper.
24. I filed my front teeth when I was 16 so they would be straight at the bottom.
25. I had Bell's Palsy in 9th grade. Go look it up if you're bored.
26. My nose is pierced and I wear a very small silver ball in it before/after work hours.
27. I would love to see the Rolling Stones in concert, but I doubt I ever will.
28. One of my best vacations was going to NYC/Times Square for New Years.
29. I like staring at people, especially when they notice that I'm staring.
30. I moved around a lot when I was younger, and I feel like I was born to wander. I would be happy as a gypsy (but not like the bad ones in Europe).
31. I'm very competitive, and like to win.
32. I probably cried every day until 4th grade for one reason or another.
33. One of my favorite shows is Judge Judy. I plan my evening around the show.

I'm So Not Bossy

I was talking to a coworker this morning about how his girlfriend makes him take off work days to paint other people's houses. Apparently she is some kind of interior decorator or designer. I started laughing because that guy is so whipped. I don't understand girls that boss boys around. I might have bossed a few around in my time (when I was 10), but now that I'm older I'm really not a bossy person. I may ask you to do something, and I just expect you to get it done. Of course, if you say 'no', that's fine too. I'll just go do it myself. It just boggles my mind that some men, husbands do everything their wife tells them and they listen to her when she bosses them around. "Your testicles called. They would like to come back to their rightful owner!" One time I'll try to be bossy and see how far I get. Maybe it's an only child thing or an oldest child thing. I don't know.

Stay at home mom

I was watching 60 minutes before the football game last week and they had a segment on high paying executive women giving up their careers to stay home and take care of kids. It was a really interesting segment because when I'm older, and ready to have kids, I will have to decide if I am going to keep working and put my kids in daycare, or stay home with them. I'm no where close to being a high powered, executive, but I think the situation applies to plenty of women. The thing I found interesting is that most of these women have husbands who are also making good money and it's reasonable to live off of one income if need be. But what am I supposed to do? I guess I really should just try to find someone rich to marry so I don't have to worry about that, but that's so materialistic. hee hee. I decided to ask Ed what he thought about this idea, and he said that the presidential candidates should focus on letting three people get married instead of fighting over gay marriage, civil unions, etc.. If three people were to get married, one could stay home with the kids, while the other two are out making a living. I'm totally into this idea. I wouldn't want to kiss another girl during the ceremony, and I'm sure Ed wouldn't want to kiss another guy, but that would be so much easier for everybody if three people could get married. Of course, the boundaries would be established once you decide to tie the knot. No one can get mad and everyone has to accept their role. If that were the case, I would choose to stay home and spend everyone else's money. Women aren't really going anywhere in business, law, corporate America. It's all just a lie that we want to believe.

The Nerve!

I believe everything happens for a reason. Good things and bad things are somehow just meant to be. Today, I went to the library, and there were no cars parked in front of the street. I thought it was my lucky day. I got out of the car and realized I left one of my books in the passenger seat. So, I walked up to the passenger door, and noticed there is a big scratch right on the door. Well, I wonder where that came from? Oh yeah, someone at work must have opened their car door to get out this morning, and totally scratched my door and kept on walking. I couldn't believe they didn't even try to find out who's car it was to apologize for scratching up my car! I could see if it was a small scratch. Maybe I wouldn't have cared, but this was a good sized scratch, and I KNOW that they noticed it. Of course, I didn't notice who was parked next to me because I don't really care who parks next to me in the morning. You would think that someone who you work with would at least stick a note on the window, or call you at your office just to say sorry. I bet it was a lady at work who hates me, but honestly, I think she's either a bus rider or a walker. I never open the passenger door unless someone is getting in on that side, and for some reason, I saw that scratch today. It was still fresh and I know it happened today. I'm scratching someone's door tomorrow. Karma baby. :(

Motorcyclists

It is currently sunny and 68 degrees. For a person that rides, today's weather is awesome! The wind will be a little cool on your face, but you don't have to bundle up in long johns and a sweatshirt. A jacket, jeans, chaps and a long sleeve tshirt is all you need. Unfortunately, it is October, and that means that riding season is coming to an end in these parts. Hopefully, we will have a mild winter, so the season won't really come to an end, it will just be limited. Today is the day that I have to do housework and yardwork. Every now and again a motorcyclist has to take a weekend day off to get things done around the house. It's miserable but it's something that needs to be done. If you know any single motorcyclists that are really into riding, ask around and find out if they have dirty houses in the summer. I bet at least 75% of them will say they do. Who wants to clean when it's nice outside. The dust bunnies may relocate to different corners, but they're not going anywhere (it would be nice if they could get outside on their own). Lucky for me, I don't have kids and other family obligations except Christmas, Thanksgiving and the occasional visit to my grandmother. For those with kids, their riding is limited because of their families. I'm lucky in that sense.

Ever since I got a bike, I have tried to fill my summer weekends with riding trips, bike shows, and visits to places I have never been. This year has been a great success. I was able to ride to TX, Altoona, PA, Newport News, VA, Smokehole Caverns, WV, Cherokee, NC and a million other places. It's been a great riding year for me. No accidents, and only a few mishaps with lost parts along the way. My bike has been a real trooper. She's been through heavy downpours, 100 degree heat, and long, windy roads without fail. I must give her a round of applause. Who knew that this little bike could go so far with a crazy, non-mechanical girl in control. I'm so fortunate to be able to afford these adventures when others don't even venture outside their backyard.

Ok. After all this nostalgia (who knew I was going to get sappy), I guess yardwork isn't the worst thing I could be doing today. Maybe if I finish quickly, I can get out for a short jaunt around the neighborhood. I can clean my house when it snows. :)

I'm on the wrong side of the bed

Everyone hates work. It's just something we all have to do unless you're independently wealthy. Although there are two types of independently wealthy. There's the type like Paris Hilton who just happens to be an heiress, and there's the type that worked hard in their younger days and can just chill once they've made their millions.

Today I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. My day started off great until I got to work. I was asking people about the status of some of my various projects. I got ignored in two emails and I got a rude reply back from another. 8:00 in the morning is not the best time to get rude emails. I deferred it to the little boss, and she made me go with her to "discuss" the situation. I told her that I wasn't ready to discuss it (I was fuming), so I would get back to her. We had the meeting at 9:30 and the guy apologized (too late) but that was only after he tried defending his response. So, that was the end of that. I decided I was going to have a lazy day, and just get caught up on some paperwork. All was roses until a coworker started printing out notes on the printer saying 'I hate you.', 'I think you are a bad person.' etc..and he kept signing my name to these notes. Well, several people were showing me the notes and saying mean things back to me. I could care less about that. I told them that I didn't do it. After a while everyone figured out who it was. What a funny joke (can you feel the sarcasm).

Throughout the day, people kept calling me (I don't answer my phone often) wanting to know what this project was, or what part number they needed. If they could read or listen to what people tell them they would have known. By 3:00, I was SO ready to go home. I called the maintenance leader to ask if my equipment was back in service. He said it was, so I went to go check anyway (you can't trust anyone). Well, it wasn't fixed. That was all I could take. I called him and asked him why he told me it was when it wasn't. He said he talked to someone who said it was done, and that's why he said that. I told him that if he doesn't know, he should say he doesn't know. Why lie? Nothing gets accomplished when you lie. I asked who did it, and he told me, and then he said he'll check on it. I told him that it's probably a good idea, and slammed the phone down and left work.

Today was probably one of the second most stressful days I have had in my working career. I'm trying to put it all behind me, and face tomorrow as if it's a new day, but I bet I will still have emails and messages about what else has gone wrong. I better say a ton of prayers tonight. :)

Helmet Protest Article in Annapolis Capitol newspaper

Bikers remove helmets in protest
By VANESSA FRANKO, Staff Writer

Donning a black leather jacket and riding goggles,
Gizmo was ready for the 13th Annual Helmet Law Protest
Run & Rally at Elks Camp Barrett in Crownsville
yesterday.
A lifelong motorcycle rider, Gizmo, like his father
and grandmother before him, has never worn a helmet.

But he can't get a ticket for it.

The 8-year-old Pomeranian-Chihuahua-poodle mix from
Glen Burnie was one of hundreds of avid cyclists who
came out for the protest.

The event was put on by grassroots motorcyclists group
ABATE - A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments
- in protest of the 1992 state law that requires
helmets for riders.

Gizmo's owner, Nick Pensel of Glen Burnie, carried the
dog in a custom leather pouch slung around his neck.

"I don't like being told I have to wear a helmet," he
said.

But Mr. Pensel had to wear a helmet to start off the
ride, as mandated by police.

Other protesters wore T-shirts branded with slogans
like "Let Those Who Ride Decide."

"Our organization is not opposed to helmets. This is
just a rally to oppose the law," said Pat Corcoran
director of the group's Anne Arundel County chapter.

During the last General Assembly session a bill to
repeal the law passed the Maryland Senate by a
26-to-21 vote, but did not make it through the House
of Delegates.

Mr. Corcoran, who is running for the House of
Delegates in District 31, which includes Pasadena,
Brooklyn Park and parts of Glen Burnie, said the
Senate vote gives him confidence about repealing the
helmet law in the upcoming session.

"I understand 16-year-old kids need helmets," said
Phyllis Stumpf, of Brooklyn Park. "But let me, as an
adult, make that decision. I look at it as an iceberg,
people chip away at our freedoms."

Around the country, other states have changed their
helmet laws.

Pennsylvania and Florida repealed their laws in 2003,
following Texas and Arkansas, which did the same in
1997.

Many states have age limits on who is required to wear
a helmet.

David Buck, spokesman for the State Highway
Administration, said Maryland saw an immediate and
dramatic decrease in fatalities since the motorcycle
helmet law was enacted in 1992.

The Maryland Department of Transportation reported
motorcycle deaths dropped 20 percent in 1993 and 30
percent from 1993-1994.

"Strictly from a safety perspective it's clear," Mr.
Buck said.

For this year, county police reported 86 accidents
involving motorcycles in Anne Arundel County through
the end
of September.

Lt. Bill Krampf of the Traffic Safety Section said the
county has had 29 motor vehicle fatalities this year,
with 12 of those on motorcycles.
He said all were wearing helmets, but a few were not
of the approved variety.
Dr. Joel Klein, an emergency physician at North
Arundel Hospital who also has worked at the
Shock-Trauma Center at University Hospital in
Baltimore, said those who do not wear helmets tend to
have worse injuries and longer hospital stays.
Opponents of repealing the law also say taxpayers
would end up covering the medical costs for victims of motorcycle-related head injuries.

Some of those at yesterday's rally disputed those
assertions.
"I have auto insurance and I have health insurance.
Then I pay for that," Mrs. Stumpf said.
But Dr. Klein said many riders who have insurance
often don't have enough to pay the bills that come
with a severe injury.
A portion of vehicle registration fees goes to pay for
The trauma center.
Mr. Corcoran said motorcyclists not only pay
registration for their bikes, but for their cars as
well.
Hog wild

Motorcycles are becoming more popular.
As of February, there were 80,000 motorcycles
registered in Maryland, with 9,793 of them in Anne
Arundel County. The county figure is up more than 20
percent since 2001.
"Everything indicates a lot of baby boomers because
they have the means now," Mr. Corcoran said. "The
empty nesters who are getting them for the first time
or for the first time since they were teenagers."
Before yesterday's ride, the hundreds of riders
greeted old friends, drank coffee and enjoyed the
tunes of bands like Guns N' Roses and the Rolling
Stones.
"There's such a camaraderie," Mrs. Stumpf said.
"Before I started riding I was like 'Oh bikers, oh
this scares me.' There's so much of a myth. We've got
yuppies making $100,000 a year. My husband's
orthopedic surgeon rides."
Just before noon, the throng of motorcyclists headed
to the field where the sea of chrome-plated
motorcycles shone like beacons in the late morning
sun.
After police mandated nobody leave the gate without a
helmet, the motorcyclists put on the headgear. Many
promptly removed the helmets as soon as they were on
the open road to the State House, but police issued no
tickets.
Police stopped traffic for the procession as
pedestrians waved, gave the thumbs up sign and took
pictures.
Motorists honked horns and raised their fists out of
open windows in support as the cycles whizzed under
the Route 50 overpass on Rowe Boulevard.
"It's the next best thing to flying without wings,"
said Bob Ryan of Pasadena.

September 02-Update

I have sad news to report, and I apologize for not doing it sooner. Julie, one of our heroines of 'Stupid is, stupid does' no longer works here. Soon after Labor Day, she was randomly called to take a drug test. A few days after the test, she mysteriously disappeared. The worst part was that I was still taking 1/2 day Fridays, and I didn't get to see her walk out of the office. When I returned on Monday, all my coworkers were abuzz with the whys and the hows of the situation. I'm thinking that she did talk to Human Resources about the possibility of going out of the country and smoking pot, and they figured they would beat her to the punch. I guess it worked. Now, if that's the case, are the company drug tests really random? Another person who was chosen had just put in her notice. I'm wondering if they figured she would fail the test, and the company wouldn't have to pay her for two more weeks. If so, that is the cheapest thing I have ever heard of. Her test came out negative, and she put in three weeks notice, so nanny nanny boo boo on my company.
For a week straight, Julie kept calling my boss with information and insight that she supposedly had but none of us had. Give me a break. I think she was trying to get her job back. SHe has worked here for many years, and for X amount of years, I guess you would be a little lonely and bored too if it's a Monday-Friday and you had no reason to wake up. Julie, I hope you got a job, but if not, it's your own fault and I hoped you learned a lesson. Never trust the enemy!! hee hee. (Oh, it's so much fun being dramatic sometimes)

Oh yeah, word on the street is that Julie is now a product development researcher for ZigZag rolling papers. HA!!HA!!

Helmet Protest Ride

Today I went on the ABATE (A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments) Helmet Protest Ride. I woke up around 7, and it was only 51 degrees. I had to be at the meeting point at 10, and then the group was going to ride to the start of the protest ride. I waited and waited for it to warm up, but by 9, the temperature was only 53. brrr. I got to the gas station to fill up and I was the only one there. I just wanted to make sure I had enough time to get gas and get in line for the ride. Finally, about 10 minutes, later, 25 bikes roared into the gas station and I knew my group had arrived!!
We left at 10am exactly, and there were about 30 bikes headed to the Elks Camp Barrett. I believe only one person didn't wear their helmet for this leg of the ride, but it was an amazing ride. We were riding down the street, and people were moving out of the way for us, and probably wondering what had happened to have so many bikes on the highway this morning, riding in staggered position, equally spaced. It was a sight to see. Once we pulled into the camp there were about 300 bikes already on the field, and a dj was playing music, and vendors were set up to sell their wares.
Around 11:45, a lady sang the Star Spangled Banner, we listened to a few announcements and everyone went to "saddle up". The ride was police escorted and we were informed that we had to wear our helmets while we were inside the confines of the camp. This was a mistake. Everyone respectfully obeyed the police, and put on their helmets. We left the camp, and all along the route, people had pulled over to take off their helmets, stopped to catch flying baseball hats that had blown off in the wind, and some (like myself) just kept on riding. We rode down to the Capitol building in Annapolis, made a loop and came back. The police had the streets blocked off to traffic, and people in their cars were honking and waving. It was an excellent day. By the time I got home it was a sunny, 70 degrees, and now I wish I had kept riding instead of being cooped up in the house, but you win some you lose some. Hopefully next year's ride will be the 1st Annual Lid Free Ride! Oh yeah. A girl from the Annapolis newspaper interviewed me. She went along for the ride, and it was her first time on a motorcycle. Go Vanessa!!!

Only 6 years difference

Last night I went out to eat at a Mexican Restaurant in the city called Blue Agave. I had been wanting to go there for a while now, and last night I finally got off my butt and went. I was by myself so I sat at the bar. The bar is usually a good place to sit if you're by yourself. You might meet someone new and if worse comes to worse, you can always talk to the bartender.
Well, I ended up sitting next to the most annoying customer ever. At first I thought he was a food critic. He was asking questions like 'which salsa is the hottest' when given the choice of three with the nacho chips. He also asked about the margaritas and what was the best kind or the "special kind." I thought he was doing this to see how patient the bartender was. The bartender was not very patient, but he wasn't mean either. He just answered the questions quickly and moved on down the bar. I ordered my margarita and an appetizer, and my neighbor started bothering the bartender because I got my food first. Well, I ordered an appetizer, and he ordered a full meal. Again the bartender was patient and just explained that it took longer to make than mine. Then I got to thinking that perhaps my food was frozen. It sure didn't taste frozen, but maybe they premake them, and then fry them when someone orders it. Not a big deal. I ordered the steak empanada. The meat was fresh, had a good taste, the pastry was flaky, but there wasn't a lot of flavor. The salsa had more flavor than my meal.
Back to the topic. After dinner, my neighbor started talking to a girl, about age 24. She may have been younger or older, but that's what she seemed. She was telling my neighbor about everything. She was the "non-stop talker" type of girl. After only a few simple questions, the neighbor and I knew where she lived, where she used to live, where she works, where her friends work, what neighborhoods are good and bad, etc.. She would not stop talking. I figured that we learned so much because she's young and drunk. The man would ask another question and she would continue talking for the next 10 minutes. Another thing I noticed was that in all of her statements, she started off with 'I have a friend', or 'my friend' or 'my dad.' When you get to be old like me, you don't have a lot of friends. You mostly talk about yourself or something you read. You don't talk about your friends because they are all married and out of your life. :)
It's time like these that I realize I am really getting old. If I was anything like that girl (of course I was NOT!), I'm glad I'm old. i wouldn't be able to stand 20 minutes of myself.