Consider this my notice..................

Work is still kicking my ass. I never thought I'd be one of those folks that would be in the routine of going to work only to come home and work some more. Yet, here I am. Ah well, it makes for a nice paycheck. I still manage to workout (sometimes), eat, bathe, and knock boots somewhere in the middle of this work sammie I've created. This is totally not how I envisioned this week would go. What was I smoking? Maybe I should hit the pipe to help put it all in perspective.

I'll be back after a much needed vacay but until then............

Kids Do the Darndest Things.................

If I leave now, I'll have juuuuuuuuuust enough time to swing by (insert place you know you're not supposed to be) before she gets home.

I know she told me not to touch the cookies but it's just one. She won't miss it.

I'll clean up the den and just tell her I cleaned the whole house.

No mama, I wasn't talking in class.

I wish she'd go to bed so I could get on the phone with Lil Johnny.

I wonder if the car can make it down this flooded street. (it didn't)

She'll never find out.

I don't know about y'all but this is a small list of thoughts from young AR Gal that sometimes managed to get me in world of trouble (and frequently occasionally molly whopped upside the head). Why? Because I wasn't as slick as I thought I was. Granted, I got away with quite a bit of the little stuff but mama always seemed to be in the know when I f'd in a MAJOR way. Thinking back, how could she not? I've got a laundry list of "I did some stupid stuff" tucked away in my belt from when I was a youngster. I'm sure you all do as well but nothing and I mean nothing beats the story of what happened to my friend and her teenage son last week.

Backstory-my friend is black. Her husband is white. They have two children, a teenage son (who he claims as his) she had with her first husband and a four year old with her current beau. They have lived in BFE (Butt Phuck Egypt, i.e. the boonies), a predominantly white town, for the past 8 or 9 years. They've never experienced any issues because of their family makeup.

Back to last week. My friend gets a call from her teenage son that a white man is outside of their home threatening him using racial slurs and has wrecked his car by ramming into it several times. My friend is, undoubtedly, upset. Like balling at work while trying to gather her bearings to get home. She's told me a number of times that one of her worst fears is something happening to him and them not being able to get to him. This is mainly because of the distance because she, the husband and younger son travel to the city each day (the commute is about an hour each way ....like I said BFE) because of work and daycare, leaving their oldest in town (basically) alone.

On the way to the house, police are called. The F--B--I -- is called. The ACLU is even on the list to be called but she never got that far. Why? Cause his ass lied about the whole.dang.thing. He had a wreck but was too scared to tell the truth.

*WOMP WOMP*

After investigating the scene, the po po pretty much knew the kid was lying because there were no secondary car tracks (or debris) in the yard and the fact that they had received numerous reports about a black male in a car (like his) driving erratically down the street. He finally gave in and told the truth but only after being threatened with arrest. *sigh*

The kid got off lucky......with the law anyway. That remains to be seen with his parents. He has been stripped of every luxury. No computer access, no Wii, no Ipod, no cell phone, no nothing. I asked her if he'd apologized or if was remorseful about what he'd done. She said she doubted it. When his dad went to claim the iPod he'd forgotten to take during the initial swipe of goods, do y'all know this lil dude had the audacity to say 'You can't take this, it's mine'.

Chiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilllllllllllllllllllllllllle...................................................iCan't.

I can't recall off the top of my head if I was ever bold enough to get sassy with my mom after getting busted. If I was, I'm pretty sure I regretted it soon thereafter.

Anyhoo for his sake, I hope he's laying low and willingly doing chores. He's got a lot of kissing up to do.

Let's hear it blog land. What's the dumbest thing you ever did as a kid? Spill your guts in the comments. I double dog dare ya!

When in Rome…………

This post has nothing to do with the title but I couldn’t think of anything catchy to name it. Perhaps I should have left it blank. Oh well, who cares.

So, in the midst of updating you guys on some of the shenanigans going on in the life and world of AR Gal I forgot one of the juicer items. Remember this? Good Lord in heaven I sure hope all of you (who were reading at the time) do because it took me FOREVEEEEEEEEEEEEER to find it in my archives.

Sidenote: Going back and reading some of the older posts and comments was fun. There are quite a few bloggers I need to check back in on to see what they are up to.

Long story short, (used to be) Ace Boon Koon and I are back on speaking terms again. It's not by any means the same relationship we once had but we've been talking off and on for the past few months. Our 'reunion' was a quite the random one. If someone would have told me that we'd run into each at Tarjay during my lunch hour, I would have said nuh uh and called 'em a big ole' fat lie. As life has it, that's exactly how it unfolded.

I didn't see her but she saw me from behind and called out my name. Even in my shocked state we hugged like old friends. And, we talked for a long time. Inside the store as we found our purchases and outside in the parking lot. We covered a lot of things but kind of skimmed over whatever it was that caused us to go our separate ways. She apologized as did I. I'm still not totally sure I did anything wrong but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Ya know, just in case I did.

That's pretty much it. No Lifetime movie here. We're friends again. I guess that's the right way to describe it. Maybe we just associates now. I'm not sure. Maybe I'm over thinking it. I guess it will come to me\us in time.

Gooooooooooood Morning Vietnam!!!

I'm working on a whopping four hours of sleep this morning. And here I thought waking up was going to be the challenge after being off all this time. As if! I planned on getting a full eight hours or at least really, really, really close to it. I spent half of that time up wide awake partially due to a pounding headache. Once I realized my head would not stop hurting, I threw the covers off angrily and took some med's.

Still....no sleep or relief.

Hmmmmm, maybe sitting up will stop the blood from rushing to my head and alleviate my pain. I'm no WebMD but it did help some. I was still bright eyed and Emma was quite bushy tailed that she got to sleep in my lap while I channel surfed. The OWN Network looks like it may be interesting but I thought that damn show with Doctors Oz and Phil and Suze would never end.

How could someone not know that magnesium helps move your bowels? I grew up in a household where Milk of Magnesia was the norm so it's second nature to me. How could you go five days and not poop? Seems like a person would explode or at the very least become really ill. I guess not. I hope that one chick has a BM soon.

I don't think the 52 year old virgin lady will ever get any. I wonder if she has dildos. Would she still be considered a virgin if she uses one but never has sex with a man?

My brain can be both weird and raunchy.

Some relief....still no sleep so I decided to take a bath. That always helps soothe me especially close to midnight. *sigh*

It worked. I'm all ready to go. Problem is, so was Mistah. All my tossin' and turnin' kept him from sleeping peacefully. What's a girl to do? Lift a leg....it's the least I could do.

Don't feel too sorry for him. He busted one annnnnnnnnnnnnd realized (at the very last minute) that he was off today too.

Bastid.

AR Gal.....................

is missing her furbaby daddy something serious today.

And now for a musical selection and stuff............

Madonna - Crazy For You
- Watch more Entertainment Videos at Vodpod.

I'm so pissed.................

at my sister right now I could SCREAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've always known she was an idiot but she confirmed it for me this morning.

Long story short. After she (and my aunt (my mom's half sister)) spoke with the doctor yesterday afternoon, he explained what all he had done. During the conversation, he also explains that while the surgery was successful it wasn't necessarily needed (i.e. the situation wasn't as critical as it was made out to be). So now she and my aunt are thinking she did it for attention.

*SIGH*

Okay, whatever. My take? Well, it's done now. Right? Right. I got the impression from my mom that she felt it was needed so that's all I really needed to know.

My sister on the hand? Weeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllll, she's mad at our mom for having the surgery and is refusing to take off work next week to sit with her (like we all agreed two weeks ago). She'd take the first full week, me the second and my oldest sister the third. After that, we figured she'd be at the half-way recovery mark so if the doc cleared it, she would come back down to our house and stay with us (in AR) for as long as she needed.

She claims since the cut was not horizontal versus vertical that it shouldn't take her as long to recover and that she would be fine as long as she wrapped some band around her stomach and moved around. And I quote, "As long as she doesn't get dizzy or anything, it will be okay. I had to do it, she can do it too".

o_O

And who prey tell will be there to know if she is you f'in MORON???????!!!!!!! And for the record, you were in your 20's....she's damn near SEVENTY YEARS OLD!!! BIG DIFFERENCE.....HUGE!

This was just one of many lame ass reasons she gave.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

I don't want to speak with her again but I'm sure all three of us will be on the phone hashing it out this evening. I doubt if she'll change her mind so I'm sure I'll be working remotely from Memphis for two weeks straight since my other sister won't be able to maneuver as easily with three small kids.

Bottom line: she had the surgery, she needs to be looked after. Our relationship is far from perfect but when push comes to shove, she's still our mother.

As you can see, I needed to vent. And now for a musical selection...........

Mama update.........

Mama's out of surgery. Everything looks good and is more importantly BENIGN!!!!

Thank you Lord!!!

And thanks to all of you that left kind words and prayed on her behalf.

My mama...................

Please say a prayer, send up good thoughts, be hopeful for my mother today as she goes into surgery.

Long story short, she had a partial hysterectomy after I was born and they are going in to finish the job today. Because of other issues she's been having, the doctor will also be checking out other stuff to make sure there is no cancer involved.

I'm scared but am trying HARD to stay in the positive.

Wrecks-N-Effect

Had a wreck after work today.

It wasn't my fault.

I'm fine but tired.

The car is not.....hopefully it's not totaled. It's probably tired too though.

Funny thing is I was listening to the traffic report list of other wrecks in the city right before my accident.

Life is funny, ain't it?

And now for a musical selection

Nothing comes close to the golden coast..........

especially the weather! I am almost tempted to move out to the Bay for that alone. Never mind the horrible unemployment rates and CA debt. That could be easily overlooked since you can wear a jacket in June.....IN JUNE!!!! I have longed for those breezy crisp days ever since I set foot back in Satan's lair (aka the south).

I am still a little tired from our time there but I had a lot of fun. The trip got off to an eventful start (Mistah would beg to differ I'm sure). After dropping the pups off at the kennel, I proceeded to drop his laptop on the ground after going through security.

If only he had remembered to take eh.ver.ree.ting out of his pockets like I told him instead of forgetting his wallet (which had some kind of magnet thingamajig in it) making him have to go through a separate screening it never would have happened. *exhales* As you can imagine, I was quite flustered having to corral all my crap and his crap together. Thanks to my flustererdness (shut up), I showed bad judgment by removing said laptop from the little gray bin and placing it on top of my suitcase while it was still on top of the roller things. Roller things moved and splat went the laptop. Oh and to the onlookers.....the loud gasps really didn't help.

To their credit, the TSA folks did make an attempt at trying to catch it before it hit the ground. There was a bit of physical damage but after I popped a couple of things back into place the only noticeable things are a couple of tiny weenie itsy-bitsy cracks. :D

GO MEAT!!!!!!

After making it the gate, we were informed that our flight would be delayed by an hour. This, of course, made us late to our connecting flight by a whopping 19 minutes which delayed our arrival into CA by two hours. FABOOSH!

As an aside, damn you SW Airlines! Ya'll know you could have held that f'in plane for us.......shit.

At any rate, we had a good time taking in the sites, visiting with Mistah's kin and made it there (and back) safe and sound. That's all that really matters.......oh and that I'm ready to go back for a visit.....or to live. :)

And now for a musical selection

Katy Perry - New Music - More Music Videos

Can you feel a brand new day?!!

I got the most AWESOME text message today from my work buddy.

*dramatic pause*











MY BOSS IS QUITTING!!!!!!!!!!!!







I SAID, MY BOSS IS QUITTING!!!!!!
























As most of you know, I can't stand her don't really care for her or her management style. I've often thought of this moment but never really thought it would actually happen. My grandmama always said that sometimes we have to smile even when we don't want to but this broad made it HARD! It's funny, I was just having a discussion with someone about how I wish she would just leave a few weeks ago and now......... *smiles* She'll be on vacay when I return to the office Monday (hopefully that plan hasn't changed). With any luck, I won't see her at all! HA!

In the words of my friend, "I can't wait to toast this shit!!!!"

And now for a musical selection

TOTALLY BUMMED!!!

The comedy show with Tracy Morgan & Lavelle Crawford has been CANCELED!!!! *tears*

I was so looking forward this weekend. No worries though. We're still going to M-town because:
(1) I want to see my mama
(2) she wants to go to the casino (I'll be taking my standard 20 bones and then I'm OUT!)
(3) I want some crab legs from Joe's Crab Shack (Random thought...I really wish they would open up a Cheesecake Factory in Memphis or Little Rock)
(4) I need to pick up some shea butter and black soap from the flea market thingamajig they have

All is not lost as we'll be headed out to Cali in a couple of weeks. We'll visit with Mistah's big sis, nieces, and take in the sights and sounds of the Bay area. Then if that wasn't enough, Billy Bad Ass numbers 2 & 3, otherwise known as my nephews, will be back in the natural state a little later in the summer making a repeat appearance at Aunt AR Gal's crib of De La Soul (and beat-downs if you test me). I'm thinking about going to get BBA #1 (my oldest nephew) and my niece (they stay with their dad in AR during the summer) while the younger one's are here to keep them entertained when I don't feel like being bothered.

All in all not bad but I still want to go to that damn comedy show. *sigh*

A Little Bit of this, a little bit of that……

•I have two water blisters on the bone on the back of my ankles and it is killing everything in me not to pop those sap suckas! The culprit? A pair of swooshes (aka Ni-Ke) training shoes I scooped up from Sports Academy on clearance this weekend.

•Trying to be Being cute will kill ya. If you ain't know, you better ask somebody...BA-BAAAAY!!

•Guess I’ll go back to my walking shoes and stick to using the new kicks for their intended purpose of training instead walking up and down the boulevard with the pooches.

•I’ll test them out on the new Bowflex we got this weekend. Mistah is so excited. Ya’ll should see him working on his fitness. It’s cute. Lol

•I told him he should take some music in the room to help him stay motivated because he’ll get bored just listening to the sounds of the machine and ceiling fan after awhile. ‘Nah, I’ll be alright’, he says. What did I hear playing yesterday afternoon though? Mmmmmmhmmmm, he ain’t stupid…..at least not all the time.

•My sisters and I received another ‘love’ email from our mother. Just in case you haven’t been reading that long, that’s code for ‘going off’. I won’t go into detail but just know that I was designated as the peacemaker and all is well.

•She fussed talked for two hours skraight. I think I got in 50 words MAX! I was so drained and hongray after that convo. *smh and laughing*

•Sometimes I really hate that she has access to a ‘puter. LOL

•My sisters and I are soooo different. The eldest is the worrier/nurturing type, the middle is the ABW (angry black woman) and me (the baby) well I just don’t give a damn half of the time. I’m the black sheep son!

•I still haven't done my state taxes. Correction, they are done, I just haven't mailed them in. I need to put them in the car to drop off in the morning so I don't forget.

•Anyone catch the ‘Army Wives’ premiere last night? It was pretty decent. I sure hope Joan doesn’t lose her eyesight. I doubt she will thought. Lifetime won't do that.

•I’m sooooo ready for the RHONY reunion show. Just skip all the other stuff and let’s get to it!

•I wonder when the reunion show for ’16 & Pregnant’ will be? Wasn’t the episode last week the last one of the season?

•I really need to start taking the digi-cam to the local Wal-marts ‘cause honey, I saw some mess in there yesterday that would have made ya weep!

•Babs had a post about cheating and what not on her blog the other day. One of the things she listed as cheating was having dinner with someone of the opposite sex and keeping it from your mate. This stood out to me because I go out to lunch with an ex of mine every so often. We dated for a few brief months before I went off to college when I was 17 but it’s nothing I would deem a real relationship. At that age, all I knew was that I stayed horny was getting away from home and would finally get a chance to live the carefree life that God intended me to have....oh and get an education. That’s not the point though but just stating that for clarification. Anyway, I’ve never thought anything of it (or saying something) because (1)I usually go out to eat with someone each Friday or just hang by myself and (2) I don't 'report back' on any of the outings. Anyway, when I do have lunch dates the conversation is usually the same thing, we dish about work and life in general…just catch up.

•Oh and just to clarify something else, this is NOT the dude I posted about the other day. LOL

•At any rate, Mistah knows he and I are friends, I don't think I am cheating (in thought or in action)so I just leave it at that. *Kanye shrug*

And now for a musical selection........

Tap, tap, tap………

I was accosted by a man the other day while pumping gas at S.a.m’s C—lub. Thinking back now it’s kind of funny but if I may be honest, it totally caught me off guard when it happened. I was sitting in the car playing around with my phone waiting on the gas to finish pumping when I heard him. I just assumed it was the attendant trying to tell me something.

Tap, tap, tap

*me looking up from the phone to find a rather rotund man standing outside of the passenger side window*

I cracked it just a nudge.

RM: Hey how you doing Miss lady?

*oh lawd here we go*

Me: Fine

At this point I noticed he had his AR Dept. of Corrections uniform on.

RM: Well I just noticed you pumping your gas and thought you looked kinda nice.

*KINDA NICE???!!! Negro I’m FOINE!*

RM: You gotta man?

Me: Yeeeeeeeep

RM: Aww, well he shol’ is lucky. Can I give you my card in case you change your mind about that?

*pump the brakes* Corrections Officers have business cards??? LOL Who knew?

Me: Neeeeerrp

RM: Oh well, my name is Carlos. It was nice to meet you.

Me: *rolls the window up*

Space Age Pimpin'

The phucknuttery has begun. I checked FB this morning and found this gem in my inbox:

whats going on miss lady, i c u r still looking good, by the way (insert my gov't name here), i all ways had a mad crush on you, for real, later



I haven't seen this dude in well over 10 years (and had no interest in him romantically whatsoever) so I really have nothing to say therefore I will not be replying. I've been down this road before. A response = an open invitation to mack. I ain't wit it!

As a special mention, please note the spelling of always as two words. I can't ................

A little bit of this…a little bit of that

• I’m ready for this holiday break as I’m sure most of the nation is. Well unless you have to work in retail on Black Friday.

• They should just do like I used to if I was on the schedule and call in sick.

• We are going to see Bruce Bruce this weekend. I was torn because Sommore will be in the Rock the following weekend. To decide, I listened to both of them on YouTube. I laughed at Bruce Bruce more. Plus Lavelle Crawford will be with him. Dude is HILARIOUS!!

• Z’s preference was Bruce Bruce. He says Sommore is too vulgar. Oh really Mr. Potty Mouth? Lol It is what it is dude.

• I wish Katt Williams would do another tour. I don’t care what anyone says, I love his press-n-curl midget-like behind.

• Jennifer Lopez’s new song is stupid. But not as stupid as that dance move she tried the other night. WTF were you thinking hey hoe?!

• I have to reconfigure our holiday travel plan during Christmas. I thought my mother would still be in STL with my sister. Turns out she’s leaving a couple weeks before and going back to Memphis. This throws a total wrench in my ‘kill two birds with one stone’ plan.

• Speaking of my mother, she’s got her dictator cap on telling folks (ie my sister and her husband) that they need to go ahead and get tubes tied, a vasectomy, whatever so that they don’t have anymore kids……in their house no less. And ain’t nobody asked her nothing! *gives my mama the side-eye supreme*

• In her opinion, they are too old to have anymore. I told her last night that she was WAY out of line for saying something like that. She got pissed. Whatever. I love her but she is TOTAL control freak.

• She needs a man or a hobby.

• I wasn’t going to make any dressing for Thanksgiving since it will be just the two of us but I’m craving it now. I shall be making a trip to the store to pick up the remaining ingredients I need (which I think is just celery).

• I need to thaw out my turkey leg for the greens tonight. Considering I couldn’t stand greens as a kid, mine taste pretty damn good.

• I’ve got a couple of better pictures of Ryan. The hospital has some sort of contract with this B.e.l..la B..a..b..y place that comes in to take portraits. They are really cute and different from the normal hospital photos you get but those sh!ts are expensive! I saved the page to get the pictures. Anyone have photoshop to get those words out of the way?

Here's the thing...............

.................I've got lupus.

The facts:

• was just diagnosed two weeks ago
• it's incurable and genetic. My big sis reminded me that my paternal grandmother had it. I was only 11 when she passed away so I really don't remember much.
  
• my beautician found a spot on my scalp a few months back
• I tried OTC (over the counter) stuff but it didn't work
• Went to see a dermatologist
  
• He performed a biopsy. Translation, he cut the 'spot' out of my scalp so that it could be tested leaving me with a mini-crater in mah head!!
  
• It didn't really hurt but I felt him cutting. It's healing nicely. :)
• He thought it might be discoid lupus but based on the results of the biopsy and blood work it turned out to be systemic which is the really sucky kind.
• Here's a good explanation of all the types if you're interested.
  
• Went to see a rhuematologist (sp?)
  
• He did more blood work and had me do some weird 'exercises'.
• I have no symptoms other than this thing in mah head. Back up....I do have another alopecia type spot in my scalp but you can't see it.
• After visiting the Rhue and my PCP, it has been determined that (1) I am doing extremely well ...............so far and (2) it is not uncommon for one to have lupus and not have many of the common symptoms associated with it.
  
• No meds for me right now...only an emergency prescription for steroids should I experience a flare up.
• I challenged that method to both doc's but apparently the drugs most folks take while their lupus is active is not something you want to take while it's inactive (which mine is). According to them, the side effects could do more damage especially if nothing is happening...confusing right. Yeah for me too.
  
• Anyhow, my state could very well change at any minute.....here's hoping it stays this way
• Z has been AMAZING...I couldn't ask for a better support system during this time
• I still haven't told my mom. I was going to while she was here with the kids but I thought better of it. She was beat and I figured it would be better to wait when I go up to Memphis for the reunion so we can have some QUIET one on one time (hopefully).
• I haven't told my other sister either. I was thinking I could also just sit them all down together to have a big pow wow. As you can see I have not thought through the details all that well. :)
  

So that's the quick and clean version of my life for the past few months. I'm sure you all have noticed that I really don't get too deep and bogged down with 'heavy' (and personal) stuff on here. Posting this was actually a big step for me. I like to keep it light and upbeat and it will stay that way just maybe with an added update or two here and there about my status.

In better news, I bought these today from Target. They have them in black in the store and teal and gray online if you're interested.

Higher Learning.........

I came across this little diddy by way of one of my online buds (*waves at Goli...I see you watchin me* lol). In case you can't view the vid, it's a clip of the Bebé Glotun by Berjuan (which translates to gluttonous baby (go ahead and laugh)). Basically it's a spanish toy that includes a baby doll and some kind of halter top that teaches little girls how to breastfeed.

I don't have any kids (and have no clue about how it would actually go down if and when I call myself trying to have and raise one) and I'm all for early sex-ed but this.....I don't know. It's left me feeling a bit weirded out. I think the difference (to me anyway) is that having the sex talk is just that...you talk! Or at least that's how I always thought it was supposed to go down. I didn't realize visual aides were a requirement. Then again what do I know?? My mama tried to have the talk when I was 12 and barely got a rise out of me as I had already had my first (french)kiss by the age of 5 (WHAT? I'm a quick study) therefore I thought I already knew everything. Anyway this thing, well let's just say it's more hands on......to say the least.

Watch and see.



Now after watching this, the only thing I could imagine was some little girl out and about with her mom in a shopping cart with her Bebe' Gluton doll and whipping that daggone top out to breastfeed it. LMAO I couldn't even be responsible for my reaction if my eyes were to ever see some shit like that. What do ya'll think? Is it too much, not enough, just right? Would you be comfortable letting your kids or future kids use this (in public or in private)?

My instincts never fail.........

Tuesday morning I was welcomed to a warm and fuzzy email advising me, and all my colleagues near and far, that a 2nd round of layoffs were on the way. My spidey sense usually doesn't fail and this time was no different as I figured this would happen (1) because the economy has passed the crapper and made it's way to the sewage, (2) receiving an email from massa requesting a time audit is never a good sign, and (3)the first round didn't eliminate enough people. I know that sounds harsh but when you are trying to cut costs, 5 people just won't do. You wouldn't have to make a 25 on the ACT's to figure that one out (is that even a high ACT score? I wouldn't know 'cause math ain't never been my friend.)

Needless to say, the mood at the plantation has been somewhat somber. Folks are doing their best to maintain and put their best foot forward but hey there's only so much fakin you can do when your job is at risk. I've been through this layoff thing a couple of times before (and have even been fired once before) and it doesn't get any easier. Losing your job is never easy but losing a job in this economy...maaaaaaaaan it's gotta be a different experience. And if my layoff pro-fashional tail can be honest, it's an experience that I'd prefer to keep as a part of my past.

One lady I was riding on the elevator with today made a comment (in an effort to make me feel better I suppose) that our department can't get any smaller (there are currently only four of us). I answered, "Yeah, I guess" because I didn't really want to get too deep. I was a floor away from my stop and had no time to chat it up.

Sidenote: The TV is on Fox and American Idol is on. I need to know who put that atrocious wig on Lil Rounds head. It looks like the stay puff marshmallow man went grunge and died on her head.

Anyway, so in my head I was thinking, just because we are a small department doesn't mean we won't be subject to dismissal. Hell, they may decide to do away with all of us. I'm laughing as I type but hey it could happen. The first go round wasn't even supposed to happen, let them tell it, but one day 5 folks just up and lost their jobs and that was all they wrote. What I do hope is that I get to keep my job but also that they don't delay this process any longer than necessary. To cover their butts, they've given themselves until the end of our FY (which is not until the end of June) to make the cuts.....*sigh*. I am certain they are they are reviewing "critical" positions now. And to cover my butt, I've been applying for other jobs. lol I did notice my boss having a meeting with her boss and the big boss the other day. I was going to wait until our regularly scheduled meeting next week to ask but I need to know...like now. My intent was to do it today but both of our schedules have been SO freaking hectic (that's supposed to be a good sign right?). I would have walked away disappointed because she wouldn't have had to time to go into depth like I would want.

Sooooooooo, that's that. Once we go through this next round, I think that will be it as far as layoffs. They have to have enough people in place to actually do the work. And since our work is raising money, it's not gonna happen if they don't at least have a skeleton crew in place. Wish me luck. :)

Life and Death.............

I was just outside finishing up the convo with the repairman that came by and noticed an abundance of cars in the driveways of both of my neighbors yard. As I was walking to the mailbox, I noticed a sign in one of the neighbors yard announcing the birth of their new baby. Awwwwwww. I really don't talk to them all that much but I'll be sure to tell the husband congratulations next time I see him out walking their dog.

Since the driveway at the other house was also full, I saw a couple across the street taking soda's and Styrofoam cups out of the trunk of their car. I stopped to ask them was everything okay, in my mind knowing what words were about to come next (it's just something about seeing folks randomly bring over pops to a house ya know?).

Friend of Neighbor: No, Mrs. B passed away this morning.
Me: WHAT?!
FON: Yeah, you know she had to go back to the hospital.
Me: No, but she was just here Tuesday (like that makes a difference)
FON: Yeah.....

Then I busted out crying, told them thank you, and went into the house.*sigh* I don't know where that came from and feel stupid for crying in front of a couple of strangers like that. *bigger sigh* I'm sad though. Tuesday was the last day I saw her since it was the last day this week that was nice enough to go walking. I would normally only see them when I went to pick up their dog to take him walking with my pack or if they called for Z and I to come over and do something for them.

I'll miss Mrs. B. She was a cool old lady that gave good advice. I'll miss her referring to Z and I as her "kids". I'll miss her harassing us about doing the right thing and tying the knot. Okay not really but oddly enough, she was one of the few people that didn't annoy me when she brought it up. lol I remember when she came home after being released from the hospital and physical therapy (after breaking her hip). When I stopped by to chat it up with her, I honestly was shocked because she seemed just fine. She was waiting on Mr. B to come back with her cigarettes (she stayed lighting up the VA Slims, lol) and we just talked about everything and nothing. I guess in my head that stereotype of it having a hip break and being old and it all "going downhill" was implanted in my head. Perhaps they were right. I dunno. I'm just sad and in shock.

Z will be off in a little while. Hopefully the visitors will have died down by then so we can go pay our respects.

Updated: We decided to wait until later this weekend to go over and sit with him (and his sister who also stays next door). I talked with Mr. B over the phone not too long ago and he just sounds sooo sad AND tired. I have the blinds open and people have been coming and going all day long. We didn't stay on the phone very long but he did say that this was unexpected. :(