Savings Issues-Take Two

My comment started getting long, so I figured I'd write more about it.
In college I had a Discover card. Anything that I couldn't pay off I'd put on that card. I think I had one or two other cards that I paid pretty regularly. I ended up getting a 3000 dollar balance that I thought I'd never pay off. My bar tabs, guitar, lunch, awesome 35mm camera, vacations, everything that I couldn't afford went on that card. It was cool to me thinking 'oh, I'll just charge it.' My last semester I got a student loan for WAY more than I needed. The financial aid lady told me that I could accept all the money even though I didn't need it. I accepted the money and paid off that card. At first I had no idea why they gave you more than you needed. YAY!!

Then, I was on my own and found a boyfriend (ugh! hee hee). He was a big time loser, but I racked up a different card, and all sorts of debt. It was such a bad situation and I didn't see that it was bad. Once I told the boy to go, I figured that I had to start staying in, eating in, treating myself to some wine or beer every now and again, and getting rid of that debt. I was debt free (minus my house) in January 2003. Ever since then, I decided that I wouldn't pay finance charges again. To this date, I've paid $4.27 in interest on my card. It was a little upsetting to me since I didn't want any debt, but one of those last minute charges snuck up on me, and I didn't have the money to pay the full bill, or whatever. 4 bucks-big deal. You'd think I'd be over it, but every time I look at my account, I see the 4.27, so I remember.

I'm not really saving for anything. I guess the figurative 'rainy day' is what I'm waiting for. I don't want to be poor so having that money in my account makes me feel better, I guess. If you guys were to come to my house, you'd see that I have lots of stuff. I have nice pictures, nice leather couches, an awesome bed, a beautiful dog that eats well and other random stuff. My decor isn't fancy and I can never find a pot top when I need it.

I ordered the DSL when I was at work. Here comes the the ironic part. Yesterday when I got home, I got a check from my mortgage lender saying I had too much escrow. They sent me a check, and they told me my mortgage was going down by 20 bucks a month. I already have the check in the mail, and I'm going to treat myself. I think I'm going balls to the walls, and I'll just buy the Ipod AND some socks. Ed is going to FREAK OUT.

I'm A Little Jealous

Yesterday I was talking to my coworker, and she was telling me that she bought all this stuff here and there. Then I started thinking about how I never buy anything. Well, I bought some new bathing suits this past week (online shopping). But, I never buy a lot of anything. I don't go spur of the moment mall shopping, or to the grocery store, or to Home Depot. Once I get home, I just stay home. I did go to CVS for that VCR tape, but I went before I got home from work.

If I'm not out riding, I'm a total hermit.

So, the point of this is that sometimes I'm jealous that people go shopping a lot and have new things and nice things. I have my same old work socks that I've had probably since 199x (should I say that?). I'm such a miser that I think 'well, these socks are still good. Why should I spend money on a new pair when the ones I have are fine?' I was talking to Yankeebob about it, and he said the difference is that I have a savings account. If those people have an emergency, I think 'well, they should have had their savings account in good shape and not spent money on another pair of capri pants.' I was telling him that most of my savings is automatic, so I don't think about it. When the end of the pay period comes around, I have approx. 100 bucks and I feel so poor. I think 'where did all my money go? I want to buy something new.' But, I really don't want to buy something new because if I did, I would just do it. I just choose not to leave my house.

I have been thinking about getting DSL. I haven't gotten it yet because I think it will be too expensive, and I don't REALLY need it. That's my M.O. That Ipod idea is a wild one, and if I were to get it, I'd give it to Ed. He wants it. I just want to see how it works and then maybe I would treat myself after taxes or something. Another thing is that I'm not unhappy with my old stuff. I AM happy with my old stuff. I seriously have issues.

I went on my big shopping spree last February and had a good experience. Maybe it's time for me to do that again. Yeah, right. I'm all talk.

I Won the Credit Card Battle

When Ed and I went to CT over Labor Day weekend, I called the Sleep Inn hotel in Niantic, CT to make a reservation. The Indian/Pakistani/Arab gentleman took down all my credit card information and said they had space available for the evening. He asked me if I would like to cancel the reservation during our conversation. We had called several other hotels that night and they were all booked, so I told the man that I would not be cancelling. If they had a place, why would I cancel on the same call when I'm making a reservation. That seemed odd to me, but whatever.

Ed and I arrived 1/2 hour later, and discovered that the Motel 6 was cheaper and was right across the street. I called the Sleep Inn and told a woman that I would be cancelling my reservation and wouldn't be staying there. I lied and said something about going a different direction. Ed put the hotel on his card this time. The lady on the phone told me that as soon as I hung up, my credit card was charged. I told her that I didn't understand the man, and I don't recall hearing him tell me that. She said I had to call the man in the morning. I called, and of course, he wasn't in. I then called my credit card company. The lady told me to fax a letter of explanation and they would get back to me.

Well, I checked my bank account today, and my account has been adjusted. Yippee skippee!! I have battled a hotel one other time and lost, so I'm happy it worked out this time. The lady at the Motel 6 said tons of people show up at the Sleep Inn, see that the Motel 6 is cheaper and try to get out of paying the Sleep Inn. If the Sleep Inn manager would tell people that they are being charged, then he can legally charge people, I guess. The way he does business now is so shady. I hope he loses his business license.

I think I'm lucky I have that fancy concierge-platinum card. It has come through for me.

Amazing Race

I got out of class early because one girl complained to the dean or something. I'm not sure what the deal is, but our teacher is only teaching what's in the book from now on. I can read, so I might not be going to class that often. Everyone was so mad at that girl. Our teacher was teaching us stuff that would be on the final pharmacy tech. exam because our book is horrible. She only wanted to learn what was i nthe book.

Yesterday afternoon, I stopped by CVS to pick up a VCR tape. The last one I bought has Black History Month programming on it, and I didn't want to tape over it. ALl they had were 4 or 5 packs of VCR tapes. I honestly only needed one, and I was surprised that they didn't have single tapes available. I guess I'm stuck in a time warp, and they are selling off their inventory. A 4 pack was like 7 dollars. I thought that was cheap. But, I'm happy because now I have 4 tapes and I can tape as much as I like. When I got home, I practiced programming the VCR so I would get everything recorded properly.

Since I was home before 9, I got to watch The Amazing Race instead of taping it. I love that show. My competitive side comes out, and I am just as nervous as the people participating. The Black family got eliminated. They are Black, so it was a great play on words. "Let's stay away from the Black family." It could be used two ways and I think it's funny, but it's probably really not funny. It's my silly sense of humor.

This is the only show I'm excited about watching this year. It's quite sad, but maybe I'll actually get my dishes done, or sweep my laundry room. Nah..I'll probably just add more Paul Newman films to my Netflix. Have I told you today that I LOVE him?
YB suggested I email him. I think I might.

20-0 @ Halftime

I'm glad the Ravens didn't play this week because I would have to watch two losing teams. I started getting very sleepy during the Chiefs/Broncos game last night. I didn't want to go to sleep, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. I told Ed that if I fell asleep at half time, I would miss the greatest comeback in football of all time. He said 'Yeah, or the greatest defeat.' And with that, I fell asleep on the couch.

I ordered some new bathing suits from Speedo last week sometime and they showed up on my doorstep yesterday. I got two and they both fit perfectly. I hardly wear shorts, yet I'm buying bathing suits. Funny huh? Well, I joined a gym, but it doesn't open until February, and I want to improve my swimming skills. I took swimming classes when I was younger, but I haven't been in a pool or gone swimming in years and years probably. I can't even remember, so it's been a long time. The gym has classes so I'm going to plan to go a couple times a week, and maybe try my hands at a couple laps. Swimming is a great all over body workout.

I have a question about the Ipod. I think it looks cool, but I don't understand how you actually get the music onto the Ipod. If you buy one, do you get free downloads from Mac or do you have to pay 20/month for X amount of songs? The Ipods are kind of expensive, but if I can download say 1000 songs in a month and then cancel any kind of music download program, that wouldn't be too bad. I don't listen to a lot of music, so I don't need the newest song on an ipod. I feel like a mom who doesn't understand her kid's toys. HELP!! I even went to the Ipod website and saw Itunes, but it didn't explain it to me.

I just had to go pick up the little boss. Her car overheated down the street from work. She just paid it off, too. That is the worst! I think she may leave early today. Now that she's back, I do have work to do. booooooooo.

BS Friday Update

The answer is true! I think that story would be hard to make up. I told the lady last week that she should leave class early to catch the bus instead of having to sit and wait an hour. The last 15 minutes of class really aren't that important. I doubt she would ever get up and leave in the middle considering she is so polite. I hope she can get a ride tomorrow because I'm riding. It's supposed to be 80 and sunny. YAY!!

I had a good weekend. I went to York, PA for the York Open House and saw lots of my old friends. I am telling you. These people crack me up. My cheeks were hurting from laughing so much. I even learned a few things too over the weekend. Do you know what an angry pirate is? Or a sabot? I didn't, but now I know.

My bike was running ok. It's been leaking some oil from the cylinder head, and I think I have bad valve seal or need new piston rings. *sigh* I think I can keep riding until the weather gets cool, I just have to check my oil level a little more frequently. The weather was cool and cloudy all weekend, but I'm hoping it warms up a little more in the next couple weeks. I hate cool and cloudy.

BS Friday

Last night an Indian lady (accent and all) in my class asked if anyone lived on XX Road. She needed a ride home because the bus doesn't show up until 10, and we usually get out of class at 9, and she didn't want to wait an hour and then take a 20 minute ride home. I volunteered and said that I could do it. Here's how the conversation went.

Me: I am not really going that way, but I'll take you.
Her: Are you sure?
Me: It's fine, it's not a big deal. Buses suck.
Her: You don't mind?
Me: No no. It's cool.
Her: It's no problem?
Me: No, I'll take you home.
Another girl in class with an accent yells: SHE'S GOING TO GIVE YOU A RIDE!
A few other students started laughing.
The Indian lady was happy.

After class, we were walking to the parking lot, and I showed her where my car was. She got in and then said 'Phew, I'm so relieved. I thought you had your motorcycle, and I was worried about a ride because I didn't have a helmet.' I started laughing and told her that if I rode my motorcycle, I wouldn't have offered her a ride. You should have seen the look on her face when she was in my car. Such relief. HA!!HA!!

When we got to her house she invited me in to meet her kids. I told her I was tired, and was just going to go straight home. She asked me about three times if I wanted to go in. Finally, she got out of the car, and waited for me to turn the car around so she could say goodbye. I wonder what her story is. Everyone has a story, and she seemed so nice and so polite and so thankful that I gave her a ride. I guess I made her day. I guess it's fate that I was feeling crampy and gross and took the car. I made a new friend.

I Made a BooBoo at Work

I broke a temperature probe and that's really bad. YB told me it costs about 1200 dollars to replace, but he's on the ball, and he's going to try to find one that's a little cheaper. Oops. On the good side, I didn't have to do any work today.

I am going to PA this weekend for the York Open House. One of the Harley Davidson plants is in York, and every September they have an open house where you can tour the factories, buy stuff, check out new bikes, etc... It's not really that great of an event, but one of my internet motorcycle friends always has a party at her house the same weekend. So..even if I don't go to York the party is always fun. I just hope Crazy Erin (I think I told you guys about her) can watch Jemma. I was going to call her last night to give her some warning, and then I didn't, so I had to email her today and I'll call her tonight if I don't hear back from her. I hope she is going to be around.

I'm looking into pharmacy schools. I need to do something different, and maybe pharm. school will be good for me. A lot of the schools are accepting people out of high school, or requiring weird requirements if you did go to college. They should say 'if you already have a degree, just make sure you have a couple science classes and a few math classes.' Instead, they want you to take economics, public speaking and other random classes. I don't really get it. I didn't take economics, nor do I have an interest in it, so why is that one of the requirements? I didn't take public speaking, but I was an officer of several different clubs in college. I can speak publically with no problems. I wonder if they will make exceptions.

Not to play the race card, BUT..(HA!!HA!!) I like Univ. of Tennessee. They have a minority recruiter there, and her email address was easy to find on the website. Some of the websites were seriously lacking in information, whereas Univ. of Tennessee was very informative. Ability to navigate works for me. Next step (and this is a scary one), I have to tell Ed that I'm thinking of going to any school that will accept me, and is he in or out? I'm not applying to MD because I didn't take the entrance exam in time. There is one in January (the last chance exam), and that's the one I have to take. I think the deadline for the second to last chance exam was Sept. 09. So..I have a lot on my plate, AND I have to get a part time job as a pharm. tech. pretty soon so that I can tell these schools that I have some experience. I'm going to be one busy cookie.

Another Teacher Story

Everyone remembers my BS Friday post, right? Well, I had class yesterday and our teacher gave us a pop quiz. I got a 20/20, and I wasn't even prepared for a pop quiz. I guess it just goes to show that some people don't have to study if they listen to what the teacher says (ha ha). I'm such a geek.

Let me preface the good part of the story. The teacher is constantly sharing his life philosophies with us in between segments or after breaks or whatever. Yesterday he was talking about how he's destined to be single. He is 38, has an eight year old son, and was married once. He was telling us that marriage isn't for him and how he will get sick of a woman after 6 months. He is always upfront with the women and then they get mad at him for being honest after 6 months. Several of the ladies/girls in our class were arguing with him about how everyone is meant to be in a relationship with someone else, blah blah.

We started naming medical colors (polio=grey, alb=white, melano=black). One young black guy mentioned that his grandmother has melanoma, but she's losing pigmentation and is turning white. Then our teacher started telling us that people are the color they are because of their environments. Why do you think Siberian Tigers are white? Because it's cold up there and they have to blend in with the snow. Why are black bears black? Because they are in the jungle and it's hot. ??? hee hee. That's not the important part of the story. So then he says 'If Peachy and I had kids and we lived in Siberia, eventually our kids would be white.' I raised my hand and said 'Excuse me, I'm not having kids with you. You'll dump me after 6 months, so we're not even going there.' Everyone in class started laughing. The girl in front of me gave me a high 5, and the teacher looked embarrassed. It was SO funny.

At the end of class, he said 'ok, that's it.' I was smiling of course becuase I get to take a nice ride home, and class is over, and he asked me why I'm always smiling. I said 'I'm happy.' Maybe he likes that I'm always listening to him and asking questions and stuff. I guess my natural face is a smile. I can't look at myself in my natural state because then it's not natural anymore. Guess I'll never know.

Let's All Get Laid Off

I'm not a grouch in the mornings. Honestly, I'm not. I pop out of bed, talk to Jemma, take her out, take my shower, get ready for work, get to work, sit quietly at my desk for an hour, talk to YB, and then I figure out what I have to do today. I decide whether I should do a little or a lot. Most of the time it's a little.

This morning, YB and Spacebrain weren't there, so I thought I was alone. I went to make my little coffee drink (I think I have Folgers instant cappucino of some sort), and I realized one of my coworkers was at her desk. I said hello and went on to make my drink. On my way back from the kitchen area she asked if I watched Nip/Tuck. I told her I didn't, and she proceeded to talk to me about last year's season finale. Fine..it's not so bad. I'm dealing with it.

I sat down in my seat and she saunters over and starts talking to me about all the renovations she made on her house. She's made a lot and still has a lot to do. It's been 15 minutes and I'm getting so frustrated because I have a ritual in the morning AND I told a girl in another department I'd be over pretty early, but I wasn't ready to go over there, because the girl in my dept. is talking my ear off and I can't get anything done. I think she talked to me for 1/2 hour. Literally, 30 minutes. Finally YB showed up, but I still had to get myself prepared to see the other girl so I couldn't even talk to him. My whole morning was ruined, and I am being a grouch.

My project isn't working right, so I'm a grouch about that. Three people put in their notice this week, so I'm a grouch about that. Our company has really hit rock bottom and I wonder why I'm still here, so I'm a grouch about that. We're all going to get laid off so I'm a grouch. That's not really a truth just yet, but I can't understand why we're still here. I think I'm not doing any more work today. Today I'm stressed out and I can't exactly pinpoint why. I guess frustration is setting in. I do have an awesome lunch. Rotini with sausage in marinara. mmmm...c'mon 11:30. Food makes me happy.

Blah Day

Jemma is so happy to be home. I noticed that she thinks she is much more mature than when she left. She thinks she has free reign of not only my yard, but the neighbor's yard. The funny thing is that she always comes running back to my house when she's done chasing squirrels. Before she would put up a fight. I guess she can appreciate the indoors now, and doesn't take it for granted. hee hee.

My third best coworker put in notice on Friday. I don't know how I'm going to hang out here without her. I might actually have to do work, and that is something I'm NOT looking forward to.

This weekend was ok. I didn't do too much. The Ravens lost AGAIN. The Chiefs won AGAIN (YAY!!) It sucks rooting for a losing team, but the Ravens will get back on their feet, I'm sure. The offensive line isn't protecting the quarterback, and the defense isn't defending. ARRGHH!! It's pretty frustrating.

Ok. The day is almost over and I've been doing work nonstop. I must be getting sick or something. ;) Booooooooo.

My bird is back and we're gonna get married...

Jemma, my bird-dog, is back in MD!!! I called my mom last night and my dad answered the phone. I was so surprised to hear him.

He made it in last night, but he was mad at Jemma though. He said that all last week Jemma had been leaving my grandparent’s house to run around with another dog. Well, she obviously didn’t know that Daddy was leaving yesterday and when he got up, she was no where to be found. Of course, my sister's dog was hanging out at the house, and Jemma wasn’t. So he drove down the road looking for her and didn’t see her. He went back inside, and I guess when he went outside again Jemma was there. Hee hee. He said she was hanging out with a big, white dog. I hope he has pictures. I told him ‘thanks for waiting around for her.’ He said ‘he wouldn’t leave her there, but if she does it next time, he just might.’ HOW MEAN!! I don’t know if Jemma will get to go next time. I don’t want to lose her.

I am so excited to see her. It's been a long three weeks.

BS Friday

I had class last night and there were only 11 people in class this time around. Maybe the teacher really did scare everyone away. The group that's left is pretty cool. One girl (the girl I met on Monday) is SO funny. She's always talking about this and that, and our teacher is very open to her questions, statements. One example was that she was telling us that Microbiology gave her a headache so she had to drop out. hee hee. You had to be there for that to be funny.

So the teacher read us his notes, and then we had to do the self tests in the back. Once we finished the self test, we each had to read one question and answer it. You know how it is: Similar to 7th grade English after you read the story there are thought provoking questions about the story that each person has to answer. I was sitting in the 6th position, and when the teacher got to me, he asked my name. I told him and he was like 'ok.' Every time after that, he kept calling me by name. It was strange because he didn't really call anyone else out by name, but whatever.

When class ended, he said 'Miss Peachy, I'd like to have a word with you before you leave.' I was freaking out. I don't know why he wanted to talk to me. So the other students kind of hung around a little bit, and then when more left, he asked me where I was from because I have (?) an accent. I told him that my dad was in the military and that I moved a lot so I say I have a 'news reporter accent' which is pretty much no accent at all. Then he asked me if I would be interested in hanging out with him this weekend!!@@$$%^&$^ Can you believe that? My own teacher hitting on me. I told him that I was doing house stuff with my boyfriend and no thank you. Then I made a joke and said 'On second thought, will it give me an A?' I laughed and he laughed, and then I said 'see you later.' That has never happened to me before EVER. Scary mama. I told Ed about it when I got home and all he said was 'It's because you're hot.' Ed's the best.

School Started

My class is now on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I scheduled it for M/W so that I wouldn't miss my shows at the theater or my Tuesday night social with my motorcycle friends. Apparently, the school called SOME people on Monday telling them class was canceled, but they certainly didn't call me. Three people were at the school on Monday evening when I showed up. We found out the class had been changed and that was that. At least I got to go for a nice little ride around the neighborhood before heading back home.

So on Tuesday I showed up at 6, and there were about 15 other people sitting in their seats patiently. The first day of school is so awkward. You don't know anyone, so no one is talking to anyone else. The girl I talked to on Monday was sitting right behind me, so we talked a little bit. Finally at 6:30 the teacher showed up. I was getting mad because we are paying for class, and I could've sat home for a little longer had I known the teacher wasn't going to show up. I get mad about that kind of stuff.

He explained how the class would be hard and a lot would fail. Of course, everyone was scared, but then he said he was kidding. I say "Bring it!" hee hee. Then he told us that we would have a homework assignment after each class and I asked if we had to turn the homework in. He said 'well, I'll just give you an assignment and we'll go over it in class.' So then I said 'ok, so we don't have to turn it in.' Then he said 'Since you put it like that, I won't answer that question.' There were groans in the class, and I said 'well, if everyone does their homework, we'll all pass.' I'm just trying to help out my fellow students. They all know I'm a geek now, but that's the point. They need to recognize my skills early on. If you don't understand by now why I have no friends, this is just another example. HA!!HA!!

Charmin Basic

I've had this problem recently where I can't decide on a toilet paper that I like. Some are too soft and the roll doesn't last very long. Others are too scratchy. I thought I liked Cottonelle, but then when I bought it last time I wasn't such a fan. So..on Sunday I was down to like two rolls in three bathrooms (not good). Usually, I buy in super bulk and I never let the toilet paper get to two rolls without buying more, so I had to make an emergency shopping trip.

I was looking and touching all the different toilet paper packaging and I was really torn as to what kind I should buy. Sometimes I have weird shopping moods. America is great but honestly, sometimes there is too much choice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw toilet paper wrapped in clear and orange. It was called Charmin Basic. It may have been in the stores a while, but I had never seen it. I bought it, took it home and tried it out. It's perfect! It's a little soft, but not so soft it'll disintegrate in your hands. It's also a little tough, but doesn't scratch you. I have to go back and buy more of this stuff before they discontinue it.

I think the marketing plan for this is for those that don't have a lot of money, but still want to have soft toilet paper. That would be me. I think it's similar to the Scott Pure Soft Toilet paper. They have been advertising that a lot, but I don't trust Scott to make anything soft.

Speaking of bathrooms and bathroom related stuff, I was out of town at the beginning of this month, so if you didn't change your toothbrush on your own, it's that time again. :)

Ravens Lost/Chiefs Won

What a great football weekend. Every team is pumped for opening day and it's just exciting to watch and hear all the fans rooting for their favorite teams.

My coworker is a Jets fan and they lost to the Chiefs big time, but I won't pick on him. The Ravens lost big time to the Colts and that was a depressing game. The first half ended with the Colts up 3-0, but it was a really exciting first half. Oh well. Next week they'll win I'm sure.

School starts tonight. I'm excited except I don't know where my class is. I know the campus location, but they never gave you a room or anything. I'm wondering if there is only one lecture hall and everyone that goes to this campus has their class in the same hall. Odd...hee hee. I'll call the school this afternoon and find out what specific classroom I'm supposed to be in.

I went riding on Saturday and went to this bar in Port Deposit, MD called the Union Hotel. I met up with a couple people from one of the forums I go to. It was a good time. One older man was totally interested in my bike. I talked to him for a bit. He was nice and told me he was considering getting the same bike as me, but decided on something else. On the ride home, I was behind a couple riding separate bikes. They would go REALLY fast on the straightaways and then slow down to 40 on the hills or short straight sections. The speed limit was 50. I was just cruising at 50 and slowing down and speeding up with their pace. We got to a stop light, so I went into the next lane. At the stop light, the lady said she liked my cupholder. I could only think of Napoleon Dynamite and said to myself 'I like her bangs.' HA!!HA!!

I know my bike isn't fast and I couldn't pass them, but I was hoping they wouldn't realize the light turned green, and I'd be able to inch my way past them. Unfortunately, they saw the green light and left me in the dust. Finally they turned off the road. How annoying.

Anyway, I had a very restful weekend.

Word Verification

Hello spammers.
I refuse to add the word verification to my blog because it's annoying. I mean, true, it's a way to keep the spammers off the blog, but I hate how the words are written in squiggly writing. It's hard to figure out what the letters are because of the fancy writing on the word verification.

I have had to verify three words today (not just on blogs) and it's really getting on my nerves. One I even got wrong because the letters were written in squigglies, and then in the background there was a squiggly line right through the middle of the letters. Maybe after one of the blogger administrator people reads my post they can invent another way to keep the spammers off our blogs.

Quiz: How many times did I write squiggly? hee hee.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

I was SO happy yesterday when Ed invited me to hang out at his brother's house for the football game. Every football season, we hunker down at Eric's house on Sundays for football, football and more football. Last night was the first game (NE vs Oak). It was so awesome. There were six people in attendance, including me, and it was a good time. I sat through most of the game with a pleasant smile on my face.

The evening started out with Xbox Madden 06. That game is so awesome! I haven't played video games in forever, but this game was calling my name. The boys were upstairs grilling corn and london broil, and I was sitting downstairs toying with the idea of reading Money magazine. I decided to try my hand at the game when no one was watching. I set myself up as the Chiefs and they were playing the Giants. I couldn't get the kicker to kick the ball very far, and I was kind of sucky at throwing, but it was a lot of fun trying. The rest of the guys came downstairs and we rotated playing every quarter. If I didn't have other things to do in life, I would be playing this game all the time. Lucky for me, I don't have an Xbox or Madden 06 at home. I might get addicted on Sundays though. Watch..Ed and I will have to start showing up at 9am so I can get my fix. hee hee.

Ed and I stayed until the third quarter, and then we went back to my house. I think Ed is still sad about going home to his house without having any dogs there. Lenny has been with him day in and day out, but it's fine for now. I stayed up and watched the end of the game (I'm not really sure why. It was obvious that the Patriots were going to win). Today, I didn't get to work until 9 because I was so tired. I guess I better get my football legs in shape so I can stay up late and still make it to work on time.

Labor Day Pictures

Here's the link. Click here for pictures!!

Wedding Recap

My friend's wedding was nice. She was happy, the husband was happy and things went well for the most part. Ed and I had a safe ride up the NJ turnpike, and there were no accidents or police, so there were no rubberneckers, so it was smooth sailing the entire way north.

We met up with my friends for the rehearsal. It started late, but it went smoothly. Have you heard of a tradition where the bride can't walk down the aisle during the rehearsal? They were saying it's bad luck. So..Dr. Heather had a stand in. After the rehearsal we wrote our Bennigan's order on a piece of paper and someone was supposed to call the restaurant and order our food in advance. That didn't happen, so we sat at an understaffed Bennigans for hours on end and finally our food arrived at say 9:30pm. I did have a yummy peach dacquiri though. I was riding, so I only had one. :) After dinner, we went back to the hotel (1/2 hour away), and slept.

The next morning, we met at the church to prepare for the big day. I went with Kathy and Heather, and the other two bridesmaids didn't show up until 1.5 hours later. I get so frustrated with people being late, but it wasn't my wedding, so I had to keep my complaints on the inside. We finally got dressed and ready and the ceremony began. It was fairly short and sweet. Once everyone left the church, the limosines (sp?) arrived. One of the drivers was wearing a Hawaiian shirt. No lie. The limos were both dirty and the drivers wanted 300 dollars in cash before he took us anywhere. Dr. Heather and her husband argued on the phone for about an hour, getting people's names and this and that. Ed got mad because I kept trying to listen in on the conversation and he just said that I wasn't helping and to sit next to him. hee hee. After a while I did, because everyone else was crowding around the bride and groom. They finally worked things out and then we were on our way to the arboretum for pictures. The driver had no idea how to get there. He was smoking in the limo and it had stains and holes in the carpet. It was also overheating so he had to ride with the hood slightly open. Once we got our pictures taken, he didn't know how to get to the reception. Luckily one of the bridesmaids was from the area.

The reception was pretty cool. It was in a huge building that was capable of holding 8 different receptions or parties at a time, so there were tons of people milling around. The food was good and we had a fun time. After the reception we went back to the hotel. I didn't get a picture of me, my bike and my dress because I was tired, a little tipsy and I parked far away. Maybe I can take a picture at home once the newleyweds return with my dress. It won't be exactly the same, but it'll still be a neat picture.

Almost 1000 miles later...

I made it home. We put a little over 950 miles on the bikes this weekend. It was a great trip with sad news once we got hom.

Ed's brother's dog, Mac, killed his dog George sometime yesterday afternoon. It's really sad because I was going to keep George at my house until Jemma got back from her vacation, but now I can't do that. I think Ed is putting Mac to sleep today, and that leaves him with Lenny. George and Lenny were brothers and I think they were about 8 or 9 years old. George had seizures, and was the not so bright dog out of the two of them. He had one tooth that would stick outside of his mouth like a bulldog. He was white and fluffy like a mop and just the biggest cuddlebug. I'll miss George.

Mac is a boxer/mastiff mix and had a heart of gold. He was big, but he was always very gentle. He moved into Ed's house with no problems and the four dogs lived very peacefully. It was an adjustment for all of them, but after a year of all the dogs living together everything seemed to be fine.

Ed called his brother yesterday when we got back and his brother said that both crates were a bit messed up. They had dents in them as if someone had kicked them. When the brother went to Ed's house yesterday, George's crate was knocked over, but he put it back upright and everything was fine. When Ed got home last night, George was dirty and laying in the middle of the living room-dead and stiff. Lenny's crate was a bit bent up, but he was still inside. Mac had blood on his fur, but was behaving normally.

We'll never know what happened, but I sure will miss George. Just like I still miss Miss Ruby. I probably left a lot out, but if you have questions, just ask.